First off...
Congratulations on your Marriage Piel and Happy Birthday from one October baby to another Antilles!!!
Okay...My turn...
I'm Denise and have been a member of various skating boards and lists through the years. I'm sure some of you have heard about a skating fan being seen at events in Ontario that uses a white cane, well, that was me!!
For those wondering, I have an eye disease that is taking away my periphial vision. What I see right in front of me is crystal clear and full of colour, but if you were sitting beside me, I wouldn't see you unless I completely turned around to face you. Even then when I look at someone in the eye, all I usually see are the eyes, middle of the nose and a bit of the eyebrows. So far, watching skating live isn't posing any problems. Other than w/Pairs the odd time. If there's some idiot in the stands that still insists on using the flash on their camera, that does draw my eyes away from the ice and w/Pairs separately on occasion....There are times when I will be doing the rubber neck "Wherewherewhere?" thing. A very amusing sight I've been told.
I also am a kidney transplant recipient and w/my clock still saying it's October 10th here in Northeastern Ontario, I can say it's been 13 years and 10 months ago today since I was given the greatest Christmas present I have ever been given. I try to do what I can to promote Organ Donation and one of the first sweatshirts that go into my bags when I attend a major competition such as Cdns is my "Please don't take your Organs to Heaven. Heaven knows they're needed down here." one. If that makes just one person start to think after seeing me in that shirt, then that's one more person thinking about it who might turn that into action by having that very important talk w/their loved ones and signing the back of their driver's licence letting their wishes be known. That's the least I can do in memory of my donor and his family.
As I mentioned up there at the beginning of my post, I'm another October baby. I'll be 35 on October 30th. It was the best when I was little. I got to have a Birthday Party w/presents and cake one day and then the next day, I got to dress up in my costume and go Trick or Treating for candy. The. Best!!
However...A couple of years ago when Eman, Ben Ferrera and Jeff Buttle made it a Canadian Mens Sweep at Skate Canada on my birthday was pretty sweet and pretty considerate of the guys too I thought.
I have many favourites, but it was Brian Orser that made me fall head over heels in love w/this crazy sport we all adore. He's been joined over the years w/Kurt Browning, Jeff Buttle and Scotty Hamilton. The latest addition to that short list, thanks to how he treated not only me, but all of the fans at both 05 and 06 Cdns is Craig Buntin. What a sweetie and the way he can bring the shyest little one out of her shell and get them talking to him was what really made me go over the edge and add him to the Short List up there. We're lucky to still have him representing Canada on the World Scene. That's the short list, but trust me, the major list is long, many and from all over the world. I think we all have lists like that around here.
When I'm not following skating, then I'm usually following one of the many other sports I'm interested. Hockey being right up there w/skating. Go Flames and Go Leafs!! I also love baseball and this is the first year in two where I wasn't able to catch a Jays game. Never failed. When I was in Toronto for whatever reason this summer, they were on the road. Oh well...Next year!! Have decided to cheer for the Rockies once the League Championship Series gets rolling tomorrow. I love an underdog and they have that special something to them that could take them all the way.
I also crochet and knit and have been a member of both Project Preemie and Project Linus in 1996. There have been times over the last close to ten years where making items for the Neo Natal Unit in Sudbury has literally kept me from losing it and helping me feel I am really making a difference. The last three years however, I've been making more full term layettes for them. Thanks to the two organizations I belong to and the other groups out there, they've got more Preemie items than they'll ever use. However, what no one thinks of are the Moms from the Shelters that have barely escaped w/their lives and have nothing for their baby/babies when they come to the hospital. I can't believe I never thought of that one myself sad to say, but I only needed to be told that one time and I now make a range of items from Preemie to Full Term.
The items that break my heart making, but know they're needed, are the little burial gowns/hats sets and burial buntings. I was told by a NICU nurse once after making a drop off to keep in mind that if I hadn't made that gown and cap or that burial bunting, they would have had to wrap up the little angel in an oversize blanket and roll up a toque four or five times to fit before presenting it to the parents for some time alone w/the little one to start their grieving. She told me the looks on the faces of the parents when they see their little angel they've lost in a proper sized gown and hat and/or bunting shows that someone out there cared enough to give their little one dignity and at a time when their hearts are shattered that gives them a little bit of comfort. It still doesn't make crocheting/knitting those items any easier, but it did help change my perspective on making them.
I also Cross Stitch and...Binky, if you're peeking in here, no!! Arwen *still* isn't finished yet. Sigh...I was hoping to get some work done on her this past week, but the way I'm feeling took care of that one!! For those wondering, I have a computer program that can take a picture and turn it into a cross stitch chart. I took one of my very favourite pictures of Liv Tyler as Arwen from
The Lord of the Rings trilogy and by using the program...It's a 12 page chart. Three pages down by four across and I'm at the halfway point w/her. Between my latest health battle and holidays and company and the fact when I work on her....Everything in the bag takes up all of the dining table and...She hasn't been worked on in a few months. I really *do* need to get her finished. So I can start the Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn one to go up beside her on the wall.
If you haven't guessed by that and by my signature line, I'm a huge LOTR fan. I also write LOTR fan fiction, but find myself drawn to Aragorn and the Elves. I just find it easier to write them (and Faramir and Eowyn) than the other characters. Especially the hobbits. Although...Pippin has been after me the last few months begging me to write this one story about him, but still working on the outline drafts of how it'll all shake down in the end. I'm also a Mod at one of the LOTR MB's out there, so that tends to keep me busy and if things ever do get going w/
The Hobbit, then things will be really busy over there.
I'm also a huge Viggo Mortensen fan, but I was before he portrayed my favourite LOTR character so perfectly and also knew about his poetry and photography before LOTR helped those parts of Viggo's life become more known. I'd love to own one of his pieces one of these days. I love his abstract stuff. I always see something new in them whenever I look through my books of Viggo's artwork that I have. I came thisclose to meeting him last month when I went down for the Toronto Intl Film Festival thanks to friends of mine doing their best to pull off a meeting between the two of us. Sadly, the people w/TIFF credentials got in the way of that, but that's another thread entirely....
If you haven't seen
Eastern Promises, his latest movie, GO!! Yes, there are three scenes that aren't easy to watch but you can always cover your eyes during those parts. This is a movie that stays w/you long afterwards and I highly reccomend seeing it twice because you'll pick up more the second time around. It's also Viggo's best performance to date and watching him and Vincent Cassel play off of each other is a real treat. I love movies, but due to me being two and a half to three hours away from the nearest movie theatre, I'm lucky to see one movie in the theatre a year. If I'm lucky. I've always, always, wanted to go down and take in TIFF and still can't quite believe I finally did it. Truly something for every film fan to do at least once.
I'm also passionate about Royal History, w/the Tudors/Elizabeth I and Victoria being the two eras that interest me the most. Speaking of that....I also got to see
Elizabeth : The Golden Age at TIFF and for those going to see it Friday night/on the weekend just be prepared to be a little bit let down. Reason why is because you've already seen most of the best scenes and lines in the trailers and the ads the last two months. I was looking just as much forward to seeing this as I was EP and...I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is w/out a doubt something....
missing in it.
I can't go any further than that w/out getting into Spoilers, but...I hope those of you seeing it this weekend don't have the same reaction as I did and the majority of those in the audience that I saw it w/. Oh and also be prepared for the soundtrack to *literally* blast at you. It even overplays over the lines a few too many times and that doesn't help matters. It's great music, will make an awesome skating program for someone out there, but it's just waaaaay too loud. Earplugs might not be a bad thing to bring w/you for this one.
I love reading, but especially Mysteries, History, Fantasy/Sci Fi and Biographies. There's a mystery series that a lady named Karen Harper is writing that actually has Elizabeth I solving the crimes that happen in the books. As nine times out of ten they have some direct bearing on her, her realm and her throne. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it or not, but my friend that reccomended them to me told me I'd love them because this lady knows her Elizabethan Era and my friend was beyond a shadow of a doubt dead on!! I just finished reading
The Hooded Hawke and loved it!! Highly reccomend this series. It starts w/
The Poyson Garden and THH is the latest in the series. If you're interested in that era and/or Elizabeth along w/mysteries, I really can't sing the praises of this series highly enough.
I'm also hooked on Rita Mae Brown and her furry purry co author Sneaky Pie Brown's Mrs. Murphy series. I got
Sour Puss, which is the latest of the books to go to paperback, and THH in hardcover when down for TIFF last month, but because I knew I had appts from the middle of last month to two weeks from now, tried to save them for those hurry up and wait in a doctor's office/Emergency Room. However, once you start reading, well....You just can't stop.
I also enjoy the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke and Goldy Schultz series by Diane Mott Davidson. The fact those books come w/the recipes the two respective ladies make for their two food based businesses in them don't hurt their appeal either. I do find the recipes in the Goldy books to be more Gourmet and the Hannah recipes more everyday down to earth things, but there's something for everyone in both books.
I love all kinds of music. W/the exception of Heavy Metal, Rap and some of the old time Classic Country. Not all of it, but some of it is just a bit too twangy for my taste. I do tend to lean towards Celtic/Folk music these days and my favourite band is Great Big Sea. Have never seen them live yet, but one of these days I hope to.
I also enjoy baking, going out for walks when I can, Yoga when I can, learning about new things and cultures, travelling. I long for the day when I can look back on a year and the trips for medical stuff/appts are outnumbered by trips for pure pleasure and travelling. I have always wanted to visit New Zealand, and after LOTR having it double for Middle Earth, that desire is even stronger. What a gorgeous country that place is.
When I was little, every summer we'd pack up our little travel trailer and take off for the month of July. We went from coast to coast in Canada and through a few of the States that make up the Continental US. Would love to go back to South Dakota one of these days. We've been twice and it truly is one of God's sacred places on this Earth of ours. Kentucky too. I remember we made it to the top of a hill one day when we were close to arriving at our friends we would be staying and visiting w/for two weeks, who sadly aren't w/us anymore, and you could see nothing but this never ending carpet of blue grass in front of you.
Beautiful place, beautiful people and far too much beautiful food.
Also got to visit Churchill Downs. Obviously not Derby Day since it was July, but still an amazing place and seeing those Twin Spires on the Grandstand, something I'd only ever seen before on TV....That was pretty neat.
Anyway...I graduated from one of the best Broadcast Journalism College programs in Canada in 98 and had the best Intern experience I could have ever asked for at CTV Sports. Due to one health problem that should have been easily taken care of w/in six months, but took four years instead, to the health battle I'm currently fighting and...I haven't been able to pursue it. Even remotely. Needless to say, I don't exactly have the greatest of opinions of how one is treated in the Health Care System of Canada/Ontario these days.
Let's see...What else...I love and never miss
Criminal Minds,
Grey's Anatomy,
CSI : NY,
Digging Up The Truth,
The Amazing Race and
The Deadliest Catch if I can help it. Playing cards w/my family and friends. Listening to a early spring/late fall windstorm whipping around the house and through the trees at night. Curling up w/a great book and pot of tea. Watching the old classics...Depending on my mood, that could be TV, movie or skating program. Sometimes all three.
If you've made it this far, then Wow!! Sorry for the epic posting, but for me, this isn't something I can do w/only a couple of paragraphs.
It's great getting to know everyone a little bit more.
Pretty much obsessed with the science of it all.
