across the wire

I used to wear braces, now I am supposed to wear a retainer to help keep my teeth in line. My orthodontist said I have severe overcrowding in my mouth and my teeth would move fast if not cared for properly. She also told me that I would have to wear my retainer everyday, all day until I was in university then I could consider wearing it only at night. She told me that in senior 2. 10 years later, I still wear my retainer....occasionally. It did not take me long before I stopped wearing my retainer to school every day. Nothing bad happened to my teeth.

Recently, I have been forgetting to wear my retainer at night (which I still do). Sometimes I would forget for a whole week and nothing really happened. Then on day, as I grabbed my retainer, I realized I had forgotten for a lot longer this time, in fact, I could not remember the last time I did wear it. Well, as you can guess where this is going, I tried to put it in with little success. I pushed so hard that I cracked a piece of it to finally get it in. Once I had it in, I couldn't get it out so I had to wear it until my teeth moved enough to pop it out. For anyone who has had braces, you know what that feeling is like when your teeth start to move, and to hurt, badly! So for the rest of the night and part of the next day I was transported back to my high school days of wearing a retainer.

It was raining, that should have been my first clue not to take my bike to school. But, I did. As I was driving home in the pouring rain, trying to avoid being splashed by the passing cars, I thought my chances of staying dry on the side walk were better. I proceeded on the side walk for the next couple of blocks with some success. Soon I approached a car, perpendicular to me, trying to turn right onto the street I was biking along (on the side walk). She was blocking the path so in anticipation, I slowed down only to see all too late the SUV speeding down the road, hitting a large puddle and sending a *wave* of icy rain water onto me nearly knocking me off of my bike. Gasping and surprised at the shock of cold water, I looked at the woman in the car and I could see her fighting back her laughter to save me some embarrassment, but it was too late. I was laughing hard myself.

Those kinds of *bad days* are only fruitful when shared in laughter, even if it is a complete stranger. It was worth it.

I think that I have a new addiction - energy drinks. It all started when I needed some caffeine fast and on a hot day so my usual drug of choice, coffee, was out of the question. So I picked one up, gulped it down and the rest is history.

Out of the several that I have now tried, SoBe Arush seems to be the most bang for the buck and with 50mg of caffeine added with guarana, ginseng, yerba mate and other energy boosting properties, I feel a moderate boost of energy quickly. It has a citrus, grapefruit like flavour which is much more convincing than it's competitors like Red Bull which tastes like those pixie stix you could buy in the 80's. (Maybe they are still around)

Macleans put out this article comparing the different energy drinks while the CBC seems to be more concerned with little punks who mix energy drinks with alcohol than with the energy uplift.

I simply do it for the energy rush.

Now that I am a student, my schedule is fairly flexible which frees me up to watch some day time TV. What really struck me was was the subtle yet definite change in the diversity of people being represented - especially in "reality" based shows.

"Taking it Off" on the Discovery Health Channel featured several people trying to lose weight, was featuring a married lesbian couple. It blatantly showed their sexuality and all aspects of their relationship. On the Food Network, the show "Just one Bite" featured a family of two married men with two twin boys. "Passions" (my favourite soap) also featured a young black woman coming out as a lesbian.

In just one day of TV, not only was I able to watch about three same sex couples, it was a different exposure than seeing "that token gay guy" on any sit com, or "Will and Grace." Both "Just one Bite" and "Taking it Off" presented a real life couple, with ots of kissing, touching and acting as a married couple do as opposed to "the gay guy" being the comic relief in any show.

Has this been going on for a while or have I not watched day time TV in a long time. Its TV really trying to expand our views? Maybe TV will save the world.

While school here in my neck to the woods officially began September 7, I had my first scheduled class today, September 11. I was happy to be back in school but my emotional state towards beginning classes today was at best described as "slightly positive" with little to no actual "enthusiasm." Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

During my first class as I was surveying the room, it looked to me that there are "classroom personalities." There is the student who takes a minimum of 7 pages of notes each class writing down word for word what the professor is saying. There is that keen girl sitting at the front "umm hmm-ing" and nodding her head at ever point the prof makes, as if she is connected at some spiritual level to the very essences of each specific point the prof makes. There is the computer student, who brings a lap top to each and types out their notes. Then there is my favourite - the question asker. They are the ones who ask questions, not b/c they are eager to learn, but they think that talking in class will make them sound smarter.

This only leads me to wonder, how do people see me in class? Am I the question asker? Do I unconsciously nod my head and smile while I close my eyes as I digest what the prof is saying? What is my classroom personality? I am leaning towards the "underachiever" personality.

...you almost get in a car accident three times in one day. Yes, Winnipeg has a negative reputation for many things, bad driving is only one.

The other day as I driving my motorcycle, a mini van which must have failed to shoulder check and sped into my lane. I thought I was going to puke in my helmet it was such a scary close call. I slammed on the breaks and skidded a bit, but managed to stay on. I honked my horn and he gave me a little wave as if to say "no problems right?!" Sorry buddy, that was a big problem.

Other things we as Winnipegers can be proud of besides our bad driving: we are supposedly the murder capital of Canada (per capita of course), we are the slurpee capital of Canada. Oh yeah, and there is a huge syphilis outbreak in Winnipeg/Manitoba! I am proud to be a Winnipeger!