Friday, January 10, 2014

Knit Something for a Homeless Person

Knit Something for a Homeless Person
January 6, 2014

In the spring our sweet cat, Pickle, had to have surgery.  I took her to the vet in a blanket that would smell like home.  It stayed with her at the office and when I picked her up the blanket went to the back seat of my car and stayed there.  She's now healthy and happy, but I didn't want the blanket coming back in to the house.  It was clean, but I figured that it probably smelled like the vet's office and would make her uncomfortable.

So it stayed in my back seat for a little while.  Then one day I was out grabbing lunch and there was a homeless man near where I had parked.  I got his attention and asked if he would like the blanket.  He said that he would love it and seemed overwhelmed with happiness.  What a small thing to me that became such a great thing for him!

After this experience I knew that I had to find the right homeless person to knit for.  I wanted it to be someone with hope and appreciation.  Someone that it would really mean a lot to.

In October I decided to get started on knitting a scarf.  I doubled the yarn and used two colors: black and grey.  I figured this way if it gets dirty it will hardly show, but it will still be very plush and warm.  It was a simple knit scarf that I made very long.  I felt really good about this.

I put the scarf in the back seat of my car and kept my eyes open for homeless people.  I don't live or work downtown or in areas where homeless people frequent, so it took a while.  I saw a few occasionally, but I didn't have the scarf with me and wasn't near the car.

Then, on January 6th I was downtown dropping off some things for work.  I was going to a few different buildings about four blocks apart, so I decided to park in the middle and walk between them.  Walking towards the first building, I noticed a man sitting near a corner.  He had a hat out, asking for money and he was smiling at people, especially the women that he liked.  Something about him struck me right away.  I walked past him again, on my way to the other building.  He smiled at me and I knew that he was the right person.

After I finished the drop offs, I went to my car to get the scarf and walked back to where he was sitting.  As I approached, he smiled at me again. 

A few months ago, I read an article that was written by a formerly homeless person.  He said that the thing he had missed the most was hearing his name spoken by other people.  He said that being homeless basically makes you anonymous and he would go for weeks if not months without hearing his name from someone else.  How heartbreaking!  I wanted to do that for the person I was about to meet.

After saying hi, I knelt down, told him my name and asked for his.  It was Eugene.  So I said, "I made this for you, Eugene." and I handed him the scarf.

He was blown away.  He said I was the first person to ever make something for him.  He said he loved the colors and he put it on instantly, wrapping it around his neck a few times.  Eugene was definitely the right person for me to knit for!

I asked if I could take his picture and as I was getting my camera ready, I said, "You must have been cold yesterday." (it was -20C the day before).  Luckily, he had been indoors most of the day.   

He told me that he had sprained his ankle three days earlier and had gone to the hospital.  He was on the ctrain and slipped on the platform.  He said that no one helped him or pressed the emergency button.  A few days later the hospital asked him to come back in because they thought he might have a fracture.  Luckily, he didn't, but he was still pretty sore.  He told me that the worst part about it all was that he had been lying on the ground in so much pain that he was crying and no one cared.  No one stopped to help a man who obviously needed it.  But then he looked at me and said, "Now I know that's not true.  Now I know someone cares about me."

I gave him $20 as well, which he thanked me for and put into his hat.  Right away, he went back to touching and admiring the scarf.  I know the money was very helpful for him and he was appreciative of it, but he was overjoyed with the scarf.  He was so happy and I was so touched.

We chatted for a few more minutes but then it was time for me to get going.  

When I was leaving, I said, "Things are going to turn around for you.  You can do anything and I know this is going to be a great year for you."  He beamed at me and I beamed back at him.  I told him that it was really nice to meet him and used his name again.  He said, "it was really nice to meet you too, Lindsay."

What an amazing experience!  Eugene was such a gentle man and I really hope great things happen for him!  Maybe some day our paths will cross again, but in a completely different situation.







Thursday, January 9, 2014

Skate on Olympic Plaza

Skate on Olympic Plaza
December 30, 2013

I roller blade a bit, but I don't remember the last time I went skating.  My dad is a hockey master, so he would take me skating when I was a kid.

Olympic Plaza is located right downtown and it's beautiful in the winter.  They have a zamboni and the ice is kept cold by a refrigeration system, so you can always skate in the winter months, even on warmer days.  They decorate the area with lights and it's really pretty.

I've walked and driven by this site so many times, but never took the time to explore it.

My husband, Chris, and I planned a nice date day, which started with a skate.  First we went to Rapid Rental and rented skates at a great rate. Poor Chris' skates were too big, but it was the closest size they had in stock, so he made do.

We drove downtown, parked and walked over to the rink.  It was stinking cold out, but we bundled up, so it wasn't too bad. 

The zamboni was on the ice when we got there, so the ice was all ready as soon as we were finished putting our skates on.  Perfect timing!  There were about 25 other people there, so it wasn't crowded at all.

I thought I would feel pretty comfortable, but I was so wrong!  Skating is not like riding a bike.  I was slow and a bit wobbly.  I tried to remember the things my dad told me when I was a kid.  I really concentrated on straightening out my ankles, which helped.  Thanks feather!  

After a few laps I started to feel better and got a bit faster, but was still on the slow side.  That's alright!  It takes practice. 

Soon there were only about 10 other people on the ice. We had been skating counter clockwise and decided to turn around and do laps in the opposite direction.  Almost immediately, everyone else on the ice turned around, too.  That was pretty neat!

We stayed for about an hour.  When we were finished, I didn't want to stop skating, but it was so cold we had to go.  It had been snowing the whole time.

We went for a tea and then a nice massage downtown.  What a great date!

But really, I'm not surprised.  I love that man!



Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Go to the Devonian Gardens

Go to the Devonian Gardens
December 10, 2013

If you don't know, the Devonian Gardens is a beautiful indoor garden on the top floor of a mall in downtown Calgary.  It's a tranquil area that is green all year round.  A couple of years ago it was closed down for about 6 months and completely renovated.  Since I don't have a lot of reason to go downtown, I hadn't been back since it reopened and I really wanted to check it out.

After Nicole and I went on the walking tour in the summer we headed over to the Devonian Gardens, hoping to knock off two items in one day, but it was closed for a wedding.

Aw, shucks.


For my job, I often attend networking events and in November I found out that the next one was going to take place at the Devonian Gardens.  How perfect!


When I got to the event, I fell completely in love with the surroundings.  It was serene and beautiful.  They had Christmas lights set up and the whole space felt so calming.




There were a lot of people there that I know, so I moved around the space very (very) slowly.  They had cookies on the tables and drinks for milling about with.  In the centre is a koi pond with a piano behind it.

The presentation was great and afterwards there was a lot of time for networking, which always freaks me out - but I'm getting better at it.

They had food stations and a pianist and the evening was lovely.

To top it all off, I got to spend a few hours with Bert, one of my great industry friends.








Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Go Tobogganing

Go tobogganing
December 7, 2013

I grew up in Saskatoon where it's pretty much always winter.  That's not true.  Summer is beautiful, but it's short and winter is very cold.  As a kid I played in the snow a lot.  I quickly learned that one of my most disliked feelings is snow directly on the wrist... ughh!

When I was a kid we would go to this amazing tobogganing hill that overlooked the river and had a play ground next to it.  That was pretty great!

It's probably been about 15 years since the last time I went tobogganing, so I figured it was time.

We got a lot of snow and very cold temperatures at the beginning of December, so that seemed like the perfect time.  Since Calgary gets a lot of chinooks, I didn't want to risk losing the best chance of the winter.  I have been proven very wrong on this.  Calgary has had record breaking snow falls in the past month and the chinooks haven't been all that effective.  Oh well; better safe than sorry!

The city website showed a few great hills, so I chose the one closest to us and sent out an invite to a lot of people on facebook.  With the short notice I didn't expect a lot of participants.  Even if no one came, hubby and I would have a great time on our own.


We borrowed crazy carpets from my parents (straight out of the 80's) and wore multiple layers.  Luckily, our great friends, Kristi & Mark, were able to join us.  Even better, they brought their 9 year old son.  It was really nice having him with us because he brought a childlike excitement to it that wouldn't have been present otherwise.  That was fantastic!

The hill was shaped like a bowl and there were houses on all sides, so we were shielded from the wind and the sun was shining bright.  We were actually too warm at some points.  The day was perfect!

We were the first ones on the hill, which was nice.  After a bit of time a few other people joined, but it wasn't crowded at all.  There was a dad and his young son whom we interacted with a bit.  They were a lot of fun.  It was nice being around other people enjoying themselves as much as we were!

We had a lot of fun and wiped out a lot... especially me.  I spent a lot of time watching my legs fly up in the air as I rolled down the hill.  The crazy carpet took some practice but, after following Mark's lead, I found that on the stomach was the best way to go.

We were out there for about an hour and then decided it was time for some hot chocolate.  What a lovely afternoon!

Note: watch this silly video:



If you turn the sound up, you can hear me cackling.

 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Donate Blood - 5 of 5!

Donate Blood - 5 of 5
November 26, 2013

And I'm finished my goal!  Donating 5 times this year was easy, with the help of plasma.  Since I could donate as often as once every seven days, I ripped through the last 3.

It's satisfying to donate.  I'm not afraid of needles and I don't mind a little down time afterwards.  Each whole blood donation can help up to 3 people.  Plasma donations are even more needed.

It also helps that they give me a cookie or a cupcake afterwards.  On nom nom...

Needless to say, I will not stop donating any time soon.

If you've wondered about the process, here's a brochure:


Thursday, January 2, 2014

Donate Blood - 4 of 5

Donate Blood - 4 of 5
November 5, 2013

I've decided to stick with Plasma.  There's something about the whole process that really fascinates me.  And I feel a lot better afterwards.

This was actually my 20th donation.  I miscalculated when making the list and was actually one ahead.  The great thing here is that I've now hit my 20th donation!

But, the goal was 5 more, so, this is number 4.

I had tickets for the hockey game that night, so I called earlier in the day and changed my appointment to start an hour earlier.

At the 2nd plasma donation, everyone has to see the doctor first for a 'physical'.  What they mean by that is that you have to see the doctor so she can take your blood pressure and look in your ears and throat.  That's fine.  The issue was that the doctor was running behind.

It's a great thing that I changed the timing, because with the late start and the slow process, I got to the game with only a few minutes to spare.

Lesson learned: don't give plasma if you're on a schedule.

Here's a picture of the awesome questions they ask every time.  Can you guess which one is my favorite?