Tash's Rants, Raves, Meandering Thoughts

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Tash — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:42:00 -0500

One of the most nerve-wracking experiences parents face is having their child’s hair cut. Will the child sit still, will the cut be ok, will my child like it, will I like it? In the city of Toronto several small businesses compete for this specialty niche market.

Two of the local players in my area are Melon Heads and Little Tots Hair Salon. After two botched cuts at Melon Heads and almost 8 months without a cut my daughter’s hair was falling into her eyes and she was sporting split-ends galore. It was time to brave another hair cutting experience with my three year old daughter, Kiera.

What does any web-savvy parent do when looking for a place to cut their child’s hair – check for reviews on the internet. Enter Little Tots Hair Salon in the Beaches area of Toronto - “Voted "Toronto's #1 Children's Hair Salon" by City Parent Magazine Poll”. According to their web site, open late on Thursday’s till 8:00pm.

Kiera and I arrive at Little Tots at 5:40pm on Thursday, September 14^th along with another parent and her children whom we hold the door for letting them enter ahead of us. There is only one way to teach manners to a young child and that is by demonstration. However, what ensues next is a lesson in how to be “mannerless,” and two fatal business errors that will cost any small business customers.

Laura, the lady cutting hair does not greet us; instead she says rather gruffly “How many hair cuts?” The lady we let enter in front us says “Two.” I say just my daughter “One”. What follows next is word-for-word our conversation:

Laura: Well, I can’t cut your daughters hair.
Me: Why?
Laura: Well, we close at 6:00pm
Me: I checked your web site before coming it indicated you close at 8:00pm on a Thursday.
Laura: The web site has been out-of-date for months.
Me: Are you sure you can’t squeeze her in, I drove 25 minutes in traffic and just paid money at the metre for parking?
Laura: No, I can’t. We close at 6:00pm, and frankly ANY RESPONSIBLE PARENT WOULD HAVE CALLED THE STORE TO VERIFY THE HOURS ON THE WEB SITE ARE ACCURATE. IT IS NOT MY PROBLEM.
Me: I am sorry but it’s not my responsibility to verify the accuracy of the content of the information on your web site. It’s the responsibility of the owner’s to keep their web presence up-to-date. Further, if you have known the information is out-of-date for months, why wasn’t it corrected by now?
Laura: I don’t have time for this, we are short-staffed today and I have to leave right at 6:00pm.

I just walked right out the door and will never patronize Little Tots Hair Salon in the Beaches.

There are two lessons to be learned from this experience for small business owners. First, your web site is your virtual business presence. It’s no different than the sign you hang on your door with the hours. In this day and age, parents with busy schedules often conduct their research online. If your web site is not up-to-date, it has the potential to cost you customers.

I say “potential” to cost customers because had Laura responded “I am so sorry but the information on our web site is incorrect. I am going to bring it to the immediate attention of the owners to have it updated and prevent this problem from occurring again. Please take a lollipop for your daughter and I hope that you will return to have her hair cut at our salon. Please accept my sincere apology.” I probably would have returned, apology accepted.

Which brings me to the second lesson; customers are never wrong, never at fault and certainly should never be blamed. It was certainly not my responsibility to verify the accuracy of their web site.

This story does have a happy-ending. We walked further down the street to Hair Dynamics and Kiera got her best hair cut to-date. Further, they treated her like a princess giving her lollipops, a blue slushie drink, practiced patience with her wiggling around and even offered me complimentary water, espresso, etc. If you visit them for a child’s cut ask for Nilo, wonderful cut.

The cost was $1 more than it would have been at Little Tot but the hair cut and experience were priceless.

Little Tots, I hope you are listening “Customers maybe “hair” today but gone tomorrow.”

Photos of the new cut follow:

Great Wolf Lodge - Awesome Experience - Highly Reccommend it :)

Tash — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:18:57 -0500

Well at long last the review of Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Frank, Kiera (2.5 years old) and I went for three nights, four days in May of 2007. It was EXCELLENT and we booked to return while we were there. In fact, we'll be in three weeks again when my niece Lucy comes to pay a visit from the UK.

Photos from our trip here.

The review

Lobby/Check-In & Out:

Check-in was quick and without issue. Staff was very friendly and well-trained. I loved the wristband to get into the room, lockers, etc and the fact I could link my credit card to it which meant I could also purchase anything I needed with my wrist band. No room key or wallet to carry around and potentially get stolen. If you don't want to link all the bands to a CC - you can link only the adults. You can even load cash to your children's card for them to spend in the arcade, etc.

The Lobby was very well organized and had so much for the children in it. Story time is in the lobby every night at 8pm. Arrive early - it crowds up fast. It opens with the robotic animals doing a story for 20 minutes and then Wylie the Wolf arrives and the storyteller reads two books. Kiera LOVED it.

During the day the kids can press hand prints on the animals and they will talk to them. The lobby also has very comfortable seats and huge fireplace great for relaxing.

(Kiera in the middle with a MEOW face).

We checked out through the TV which was simple and accurate to avoid the lines at check out time.

Room:

We stayed in a family suite, the most basic room available, and it was far from basic. It contained two Queen size beds, a pull, out, TV, Mini-fridge with freezer, microwave, etc. All the amenities we need and a good deal of room. Also had a desk which we placed the laptop on and free Wi-Fi in every suite. The room was great, kept clean by the staff and we were very happy with it.

Food/Restaurants:

We did not have breakfast in the restaurant but heard from other guests it was excellent. Instead we brought up food for breakfast and stored it on the counter and in the fridge. We also brought up snacks with us, etc to reduce on the costs of buying food on site. Kids 3 and under eat free.

One night we have Pizza Hut, and the other two nights we ate the dinner buffet which was a really good value. The children's area is at a height they can help themselves and contained peas, corns, mac/cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza, french fries, etc - even the pickiest child can find something to eat. The adult buffet was impressive, roast sweet potatoes, stuffed peppers, striploin, blackened catfish, salmon, stirfries, soup, salad bar, desserts - there was NOTHING deep-fried on the adult buffet which is such a refreshing change to the usual crappy fried buffet fare. The meals change every night on the buffet - so it's not the same two nights in a row.

Waterpark:

No need to bring your own towels - they had plenty to supply you with. If you needed a locker - you could activate one for free with your wristband. There is a shop that sells anything water related you may have forgotten that seemed to have prices comparable to the mall - aka they were not ripping you off. They also have a limited number of free life jackets for use.

I loved the water park - there were more life guards present then I think were needed but that made it very safe. Older children were not permitted in the toddler area - no running around as a result. I could sit in the water area which is only 18" deep and watch Kiera exit, climb the stairs, come down slides on her own, land on her own, and repeat without the need to chase behind her and hold her hand for safety. To me, this speaks volumes as to how safe the waterpark is. It also made it a very enjoyable and relaxing vacation for Frank and I.

There was plenty for a child of 2.5 years old to do - Kiera even went on a large water slide with us in which you sit in a orange round raft and come spiraling down a massive tube from the top of the resort that winds outside and then back in the resort. She loved it and we went on it a lot.

The wave pool was nice. The swimming pool was great with these docked floating animals for the kids to climb on. The lazy river was a lot of fun also. And the tree fort with splash areas, etc was a hoot.

Other Activities:

We did not go to the arcade but it was always full of people and seemed to have so much to do.

The Cub Club was awesome and we spent a fair amount of down time there. Kiera loved getting her face painted every day - for FREE. And there are plenty of free activities, painting, drawing, stickering, etc to do. As well as, foam blocks, tree house, and some paid arts and crafts which were again fairly priced IMHO.

The Spa:

Mom went to the Aveda spa for a lovely hot stone massage whilst Daddy and Kiera napped. It was heaven :)

In conclusion, I highly recommend a vacation at GWL Niagara - and we're going back in three weeks time!

Honestly, it was the most relaxing vacation we have had as a family - more relaxing than going to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. There was just so much entertaining Kiera that she never acted up, never got bored, was always safe, that we could just sit back an enjoy being together in such a great setting.

We're going to make GWL at least a once a year visit for our family - maybe we will see you there!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Tash — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:50:20 -0500

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Now it's "Where does ______ sleep?"

Tash — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:40:51 -0500

Mommy where do the birds sleep?
Mommy where do my socks sleep?
Mommy where does my pee pee sleep?
Mommy where do the trees sleep?

Everyday it's a new set of questions :)

What colour is your brain?

Tash — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:39:14 -0500

Your Brain is Blue

Of all the brain types, yours is the most mellow.
You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles.
Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life.

What Color Is Your Brain?

30 Things a Stressed Woman Might Say at Work

Tash — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:48:56 -0500

1. Okay, okay! I take it back. Unfuck you.
2. You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing.
3. Well, this day was a total waste of make-up.
4. Well, aren't we a damn ray of sunshine?
5. Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after.
6. Do I look like a people person?
7. This isn't an office. It's hell with fluorescent lighting.
8. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
9. Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.
10. Why don't you try practicing random acts of intelligence and senseless acts self-control?
11. I'm not crazy. I've just been in a very bad mood for 30 years.
12. Sarcasm is just one more service I offer.
13. Do they ever shut up on your planet?
14. I'm not your type. I'm not inflatable.
15. Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't gone to sleep yet!
16. Back off!! You're standing in my aura.
17. Don't worry. I forgot your name too.
18. I work 45 hours a week to be this poor.
19. Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.
20. Wait...I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
21. Chaos, panic and disorder ... my work here is done.
22. Ambivalent? Well, yes and no.
23. You look like shit. Is that the style now?
24. Earth is full. Go home.
25. Aw, did I step on your poor little itty bitty ego?
26. I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.
27. A hard-on doesn't count as personal growth.
28. You are depriving some village of an idiot.
29. If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport.
30. Look in my eyes ... Do you see one ounce of gives-a-shit?

And on the subject of Kiera...

Tash — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:15:40 -0500

Kiera appears to have a boyfriend/special-friend, if that's what would you call it just shy of three years old.

T calls her his princess and she calls him her prince. They are frequently spotted holding hands walking together, hugging and the occasional peck on the cheek.

It's actually quite sweet to watch the two of them.

What does ________ eat?

Tash — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:11:27 -0500

We appear to be in a phase of Kiera's development where she is interested in what everything eats.

What does a frog eat?
What does the sky eat?
What does the moon eat?
What does the roof eat?
What does the toliet eat?
What does water eat?
What do the tadpoles eat?

And I thought "Why?" was difficult to answer!

How many of the below 100 words do you know?

Tash — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:08:26 -0500

How many of the below 100 words do you know?

100 Words That All High School Graduates — And Their Parents — Should Know

BOSTON, MA — The editors of the American Heritage^® dictionaries have compiled a list of 100 words they recommend every high school graduate should know.

"The words we suggest," says senior editor Steven Kleinedler, "are not meant to be exhaustive but are a benchmark against which graduates and their parents can measure themselves. If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language."

The following is the entire list of 100 words:

abjure
abrogate
abstemious
acumen
antebellum
auspicious
belie
bellicose
bowdlerize
chicanery
chromosome
churlish
circumlocution
circumnavigate
deciduous
deleterious
diffident
enervate
enfranchise
epiphany
equinox
euro
evanescent
expurgate
facetious
fatuous
feckless
fiduciary
filibuster
gamete
gauche
gerrymander
hegemony
hemoglobin
homogeneous
hubris
hypotenuse
impeach
incognito
incontrovertible
inculcate
infrastructure
interpolate
irony
jejune
kinetic
kowtow
laissez faire
lexicon
loquacious

lugubrious
metamorphosis
mitosis
moiety
nanotechnology
nihilism
nomenclature
nonsectarian
notarize
obsequious
oligarchy
omnipotent
orthography
oxidize
parabola
paradigm
parameter
pecuniary
photosynthesis
plagiarize
plasma
polymer
precipitous
quasar
quotidian
recapitulate
reciprocal
reparation
respiration
sanguine
soliloquy
subjugate
suffragist
supercilious
tautology
taxonomy
tectonic
tempestuous
thermodynamics
totalitarian
unctuous
usurp
vacuous
vehement
vortex
winnow
wrought
xenophobe
yeoman
ziggurat

From: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/press_release/100words/

LOST SE03 EP21 - Greatest Hits = Greatest SNORE

Tash — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:36:56 -0500

Hands down the most boring episode of LOST to-date. Only two things crossed my mind:

1) Desmond might be lying to Charlie.
2) Why didn't they cut the cable?

YAWN.

LOST SE03 EP20 - The Man Behind the Curtain

Tash — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:26:06 -0500

My head is still spinning from TMBTC. Awesome, awesome episode and it ratcheted up the show a whole new level for me.

After sleeping on it, I don't think Locke is dead by a long shot. The island cured his paralysis - rapidly. Cured his banged-up hand rapidly. Mikhail, is even back from the seeming dead. And I think even Ben foreshadowed - "Let's see if Jacob helps you."

Which of course brings us to Jacob! I am so glad we have a PVR now. I was sure I saw someone sitting in the chair after Ben is pushed and it pans to Locke. True enough a bearded man is sitting the chair! How wild. Screencap is on Lostpedia here: http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Jacob

Jacob, answer one question with so many new questions! I love this show.

*Is he real?
*Why is he invisible?
*Does he have special powers?
*Is he like an oracle that only reveals to certain people?
*Is he a manifestation of Ben?
*Is Ben schizo and Jacob the other half of his personality?
*Is he someone Ben "sees" on the island like other people "see"? For example, Hurley seeing *Dave, Jack seeing his father, Eko seeing Yemi, etc.
*Why those two words to Locke and NOT Ben - "Help Me?"
*What was circling the house and why? I think it might have been volcanic ash given the volcano talk earlier in the episode.

And another few random things I noticed:

*Of course the blatant Wizard of Oz references.
*Alice in Wonderland reference with Ben following the White Rabbit to the other side of the pylons.
*Blue dresses, Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy in Oz, Emily - Ben's Mom.
*The "purge" was based on holocaust imagery - mass gassing to cause death and then the bodies all laying on top of each other in the mass grave.
*Ben talking to an empty rocking chair reminded me of one of my favourite movies Psycho.
*For the Harry Potter fans - Ben = Voldemort whose Mom dies after birth and kills his father :)

And one big nagging area for me - why does Ben rank higher than Richard Alpert when Richard brought Ben over? And it appears that Richard does not age given all the flashbacks, real time events of him now.

I can't wait for the remaining episodes and am so glad I have sworn off spoilers for the remainder of the season :)

One of my favourite books in the media

Tash — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:08:59 -0500

Sunday, May 6, 2007
Today's editorial: Rand's 'Atlas' still rattling cages

The Orange County Register

Love it or hate it, "Atlas Shrugged" still inspires passion a half-century after it was first published. It's not just that the book was well read, but that is has been so influential in the intellectual development of so many people. Ayn Rand challenged the smelly orthodoxy of her time, the one that says the pursuit of entrepreneurship and capitalism are an evil, and the expansion of government to promote altruism is good.

Read the whole article here. A response from ARI here. And reader response here.

Kiera Belly Dances for Grandad's 80th Birthday

Tash — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:16:09 -0500

LOST SE03 EP18 - D.O.C.

Tash — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:47:13 -0500

D.O.C. was mediocre for me. Wasn't exciting enough and I can't put my finger on why. I also did not read the insider scoop spoilers for this episode so I was expecting to enjoy it more. LOL. That did not happen.

It answered the question of Sun's baby's paternity and opened up more questions. Like for one, is healing, sperm etc are speed or boosted up on the island. Is pregnancy sped up? Why are the mother's dying? Or is Juliet just plain lying again. Also would the women survive if they aborted? Are they given this option?

It clarified that Juliet is taking blood samples from the women to see if any are pregnant. Let's hope Kate has an IUD that we don't know about or she is likely with child given Sawyer's shooting super-sperm!

It also clarified that Juliet hates Ben - I still think she is working as a double agent at this point in time.

Mikhail being alive - well he said Naomi would heal from a lung puncture in 1.5 days. The island healed him and rapidly as it does everyone else. Seems plausible to me. Mikhail is an interesting character, he seems to be honest, will stick to his word, but is an "other". I find him intriguing.

The only interesting exchange was at the end between Hurley and Naomi - the found the wreck, everyone was dead.

Let the questions begin:
Is she plain nuts?
Is she telling the truth?
Did someone stage a second wreckage?
Is she a plant by the others?
Was she sent by Penny to look for Desmond?
Alternate dimension?
Time travel?
Was the finding of 815 a lie given to the public?
Purgatory? Which was supposedly dismissed by the writers.

And just an FYI on what Naomi said translated:

* "Me estoy muriendo" is Spanish for "I am dying" (from the captions).
* "Aiutami sto morendo" is Italian for "Help me I'm dying" (from the captions; partially incorrect, but comprehensible).
* She mutters in an "asian language" (from the captions) which Jin claims is Chinese, not Korean. "出了什么事?(chu le shen me shi)" is Chinese for "What happened?" or "What's going on?".
* After Mikhail and Desmond treat Naomi's wound, she says something in Portuguese not spelled out in the captions. It is not "Thank you" as Mikhail claims. Instead, it sounds like "Eu não estou só" which is Portuguese (spoken with a Brazilian accent) for "I am not alone." The "Ardil-22" book is also Portuguese.

From http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/D.O.C.#Naomi.27s_languages

"I am not alone" - someone else arrive with Naomi?? Penny? Guys from the listening station? Or if she is an "other" plant - someone else returning to the island?

Mama Always Come Homes

Tash — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:41:32 -0500

We have been having some massive "Separation Anxiety" issues with Kiera as of late until we stumbled across this book: Mama Always Comes Home.

Description:

Mama Bird and Mama Cat and even teensy-weensy Mama Mole must leave their little ones from time to time; but in the end, mamas always come home.

Karma Wilson's reassuring text, paired with Brooke Dyer's colorful and comforting mother-child illustrations, shows that -- rain or shine, in a tree or in the sea -- mamas everywhere find their way home with cozy hugs and lots of love, because Mama Always Comes Home.

Excellent book and I highly recommend it if you have separation anxiety issues with your little ones. It's worked for us.

Kiera - What I want to be (Part Deux)

Tash — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:38:52 -0500

For a while now Kiera has been telling us she wants to be a firefighter when she grows up - to the HORROR of her grandmother :)

But as of this week, Kiera has changed her mind to a profession I am sure grandma will find more suitable.

Kiera now wants to be a teacher. But she also wants to be a teach with "a baby in her belly" like Donna the ECE worker at her daycare. So sweet.

LOST SE03 EP17 - Catch-22

Tash — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:36:58 -0500

Have to disagree with all the people calling this a boring episode (on several LOST messages board).

This episode is probably contained one of the single most important events in LOST history! The island CAN be found. The island CAN be traveled to. The Losties CAN be rescued.

Reword = Penny was looking for Desmond, located the island, sent someone to find the island and they landed on the ISLAND! This implies rescue is possible.

Cripes critics that is major. :)

I also think this episode is what I call a "Set-Up" or "Arc/Bridge" episode. It introduces a lot of new stuff that will now get played out in the remaining episodes and set-up the cliff-hanger for Season 4 and possibly it's theme.

Season 1 - Survial
Season 2 - Hatch
Season 3 - Others
Season 4 - I think Catch-22 is probably the episode that sets up the theme for season 4 - though what this is yet. I have no clue. (Rescue, perhaps?)

Hurley was great in this episode. He truly is a behind-the-scenes leader. I have a *gut* feeling Hurley is going to become more and more important as the series progresses.

I was proud of myself, I saw an easter egg in this episode and I usually don't catch them. I think PVR'ing the episodes is awesome now as a result. The woman in the photo with the monk was the same lady (Mrs Hawking) in the jewelery shop that tells Desmond his fate when she does not want to sell him the ring for Penny. And then the Monk leads Desmond to Penny!

Anyone else wondering if Desmond had NOT saved Charlie if Penny would have be in the parachute - did he change the course of the future and Naomi was the result? I don't think so personally but it did cross my mind. I think Desmond desperately wanted it to be Penny.

I also liked the parable with Abraham in this episode. Abraham was asked by god to kill his own son to prove his faith (of course god stepped in and stopped Abraham in the end). Desmond's attitude was that god shouldn't have asked him to do that in the first place which then plays into current events. Desmond realizes that his visions of the future shouldn't have asked him to let Charlie die and he intervenes. That was very cool.

Also some fun lines - this episode was FULL of them:

* You have to play ping pong every 108 minutes or the island will explode - good joke using the "numbers."
* "I'm up here" Kate to Sawyer - Ok DH likes the PVR also let's see first rewind, Kate is hot, second, was she wearing a bra, third was she wearing a thong... LOL.
* "You don't have to use me.....all you have to do is ask." Sawyer to Kate - he truly does love Kate but it was painfully obvious in this episode Kate loves Jack but feels she is only worthy/deserving of Sawyer.
* "You been eating those mushrooms Jack warned us about?" Hurley.
* "So what are you two doing, arguing about who's your favorite Other?" Sawyer to Jack and Juliet.

How long until someone translates Jin's ghost story and its up on the internet for analysis? ;)

LOST SE03 EP16 - One of Us

Tash — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:34:01 -0500

I really enjoyed last night's episode.

I will remain in the minority and still say that I still like Juliet. If anything was made crystal clear last night, it was that Juliet wants to be with her sister and nephew and will do ANYTHING to get herself back home. I firmly believe she is only working out of self-interest and is playing both sides, Jack and Ben, to see where the cookie will crumble and lead to her getting home. And she was sleeping with Goodwin - she has to be somewhat miffed that he is now dead. I have to admire her gumption for what she has gone through and will do to get off the island.

Drugged and restrained for a "very bumpy ride" when approaching the island - I can't but feel this will be really significant at some future point in time.

What I don't understand is why Ben would not let a female leave the island to be a test case? Why the babies most be conceived and then born on the island? Ben said he was born on the island - been on the island his whole life. And why did they only mention Claire as the only successful birth on the island - what about Danielle and Rousseau? Does it have something to do with the prevention of cancer - conception and birth on the island prevents cancer? Was there a point in time when pregnancy and birth were ok on the island? Did it change after "the incident"?

And on the subject of cancer - Jack said to Juliet ""You'll want to get that tumor biopsied to see if it is malignant". Do you think anything will come of this?

More importantly, what does this mean for Sun and Kate? I am guessing Ben put Kate and Sawyer in that position so that would have sex, and someone else would conceive on the island that Juliet could experiment on. And of course, this ploy also lead to Jack witnessing the sexual act and turning to Juliet. Ben is the master manipulator and truly evil.

I also think we know why Ben is keeping Karl away from Alex now - accidental pregnancy could mean the death of his daughter!

I also think Ben lied to Juliet, I don't think her sister's cancer ever came back and I don't think Jacob cured her. I think he just made up some fake medical charts to convince her to stay. Poor Juliet is quite the victim of a very long con!

In fact, after this episode I am wondering if Jacob even exists or is something mythical being Ben takes about to control people (kind of like God). Further evidence, when Juliet argues with Ben over his x-rays she said "You said YOU would fix it" not you said Jacob would fix it. Hrm. What do you think?

For those that did not notice "Mittelos" is an anagram for "Lost Time" - and Alpert said "time flies when you are there."

And how cool was it that Mikhail was watching live news feeds of the plane going missing!

Watch out Kiera - I am more Princess than You!

Tash — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:37:07 -0500

It's a tie!
	You are part Cinderella. You are hard-working and never complain, however, your trust is sometimes misplaced and people sometimes take advantage of you. Still, you are beautiful inside and out, and one day you will realize it and find true love.
	You are part Pocahontas. You defy convention and sometimes do what is considered taboo. Unfortunately, others do not always appreciate your differences, so it's good that you are so strong-willed. You are loyal and you believe in fate. Your true love will find you one day.

Which Princess are you? http://www.brainfall.com/test6_1.php

How Much Sloth Do You Have?

Tash — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:29:30 -0500

Your Sloth Quotient: 28%

You're a little lazy, but normally you're a very energetic and motivated person.
Don't beat yourself up over a little laziness every now and then. You do need your downtime!

How Much Sloth Do You Have?

LOST SE03 EP15 - Left Behind

Tash — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:05:58 -0500

I'm still not clear on Juliet's motives. Frankly, I think she could have been "left behind" or she could have "stayed behind" to infiltrate the Lostie's camp and "collect intelligence" (which would be Sayid's concern with taking her).

I lean to the latter because if Juliet was *gassed* she reacted awfully quick when Kate grabbed the knife, no disorientation. Juliet had keys for the handcuffs. Juliet had a key/passcode for the security fence. Juliet knew where to find Sayid and Jack.

However, I think she might be playing a both sides now though. I do think she wants away from the Others but at the same time she needs them to think she is spying on the Losties.

Hurley conning Sawyer was the only high point in this episode for me and yes I do think Sawyer intends to step up to the plate but Jack/Kate/Sayid/Juliet are about to return. So it is going to be very short-lived.

Sawyer is clearly trying to make amends with Sun - all that facial communication between them seems to indicate so anyways.

When we pick back on Locke's next episode (3x19 airs May 2) apparently we will have explained why he went with the others - he is also going to get Sawyer with him for a mission - obviously Sawyer is going to meet the "Sawyer" that conned his Mom. Have the Others gone to rumoured underground tunnels and underwater hatch station? And why was Locke's hand broken and why did he have a black eye? This should be a great episode - I hope it is :)

Oh and of course, Locke now knows "What Kate Did." Kate's Mom going to appear on the island next?

Kate knows "Cassidy" and she used her real name - how long until Sawyer confesses what happened to Kate and she puts two and two together?

The one thing this episode did clear up is why Kate is so "broken" (her Mom's betrayal) and how she could fall in love with two very different people. I'm more comfortable with Kate being in love with both Jack and Sawyer after seeing more of her back story.

Smokey - it was nice to have the scenes from smokey's point-of-view and what was the flashing? Remember when Locke said he stared it down and he saw white lights. The security systems way of scanning the person for information, memories? Taking photos? Any other ideas?

Also this episode seems to confirm there are several smokey entities when they split coming towards the security fence, does one do good and the other bad? And what's with Juliet pretending she doesn't know what smokey is - she's been on the island three years. More proof she "stayed behind."

The other very interesting thing that Juliet said "I know how his Dad died." This is going to get very dissected on the LOST boards given most people think the big reveal will be Christian Shepherd is NOT dead. Is Juliet lying or is Jack's Dad really dead?

And the one thing that truly bothers me about this episode. That many federal agents looking for a young girl who blew up the trailer of a alcoholic deadbeat that abused his wife physically... Overkill isn't it? Is it possible there is a lot more to Kate's story than we are being told? Or is the Marshall related to the man Kate killed?

Do you notice the show is getting a whole lot of "Someone I loved betrayed me and I want know why?" themes?

Kate - her mother betrays here to the police
Sawyer - betrayed Cassidy when he conned her
Sawyer - Mom betrayed/conned by Locke's Dad
Locke - betrayed by his father
Jack - Christian feels betrayed when his son turns him for surgery while drunk
Juliet - possibly betrayed by Ben (did they once love each other?)

And last but not least - where the heck has Rousseau gone? And for that matter who the heck were all those new Losties at the pig roast? And why did we not see Rose and Bernard???

LOST SE03 EP11 - Par Avion - Thoughts on Charlie

Tash — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:12:48 -0500

Excellent episode but I am looking forward to this week's much more! I adore Locke episodes.

I only have some thoughts on Charlie I wish to share.

I wonder if Charlie has a choice to make between his love for Claire or losing his life.

Ever time Desmond saves him it is because of a "Claire-induced" event - three those far: lightening, drowning, neck-break.

Though there is one other attempt on his life that does not fit this scenario - when the Others hung out to die, he did not die. But I have a feeling that incident is unrelated from the above.

Which means since Charlie got back together with Claire - his life in danger.

So does this mean Charlie needs to choose between his life or Claire? Or perhaps that Claire needs to die for Charlie to live? Has fate given him a choice?

What do you think?

LOST SE03 EP11 - Enter 77

Tash — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:37:08 -0600

Finally an episode on the caliber of Season 1. Excellent and I am looking forward to re-watching it! :)

I love Sayid's character - so torn, tormented and complex. All of this flashback episodes have been great and this one was certainly no disappointment. Did Sayid truly torture her? Or was he giving her peace and saving himself? There was some stellar acting during that particular moment, my heart was aching was both characters at that point.

The contrast of Locke (clueless fool) versus Sayid (methodical and accurate) was made even more apparent in this episode. But really this "bumbling" Locke is almost going too far now. I am missing that air of confidence that was around Locke in first season (boar hunting), it is totally gone for me now.

Though I think Locke may have a saving grace - I think we he entered 77 that something else was alerted of the incursion. I am not convinced that's what blew up the Flame station - Ms Klugh or Mikhail could have signaled something to explode the station or perhaps whoever was alerted by the incursion triggered it. I think we might also find it's really "intuition" after all that's what Locke uses to guide himself and how they located the Flame station. I hope they save Locke's character and that he discovered something after hitting 77 that we will find out on a later date.

What was also interesting about that computer was the fact the communications to the outside world would appear to be down "since the sky turned purple."

Poor Sawyer no more nicknames for a week (what's that another 4-5 episodes probably?). I am going to miss them though you deserved to have your ass-whipped by Hurley. And did anyone else love when Sawyer looked at Niki and said "who the hell are you?" And calling Sun "crouching tiger, hidden dragon.". Oh I am going to miss Sawyer's quips. Sigh.

The only massive question this episode raised for me was Mikhail's story which Sayid thinks was bunk - but did it have some truth in it? The "hostiles" (others?) were on the island before the Dharma Initiative, and Mikhail said he was the last surviving member which could be true and he could have joined the hostiles.

I do think the hostiles/others were there prior to Dharma to now - it makes sense if you believe in Ben's genuine unfamiliarity with the Swan, the missing piece of the Orientation film in which Candle warns against any outside communication, and I'm sure there's more. It also clarifies Juliet's statements to Jack, they aren't actually "left over" members of Dharma but they seem to have occupied a lot of Dharma's things. But it would also mean the hostiles/others recruit people to come to the island.

One other thing we learned is that Ms Klugh was willing die for what she knew - so that no one discovers whatever the heck is going on the island.

Should Sayid have killed Mikhail? Or let Danielle do it? Is this going to come back and haunt him? It will be interesting to see where Sayid's map will lead them! :)

Good summary of the Easter Eggs on this episode from here http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/

And the conversation in Russian as translated by Lostpedia.org:

Klugh: Mikhail! You know what to do.
Mikhail: We still have another way.
Klugh: We cannot risk. You know what to do.
Mikhail: We still have another way.
Klugh: We cannot risk. You know the conditions.
Mikhail: We have another way.
Klugh: They know us. We will not let them [unintelligible]. You know what to do. It is an order.
Mikhail: But we still have another way! (pause) I'm sorry! (shoots)

Lost - That Crazy French Chick

Tash — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:38:42 -0600

What do you think of Danielle Rousseau - is she nuts? is she lying? how much does or doesn't she know about the island?

When you watch the previews and the sneak peaks for Enter 77 (tonight's episode) - How come Danielle doesn't know about eye-patchy man, or is she simply not telling?

The new station they show (rumored to be the Flame) is built out in the open, it's not buried underground. It appears to be a farm, there are cows walking around. How is it possible that Danielle has not seen this in all these 16 years on the island?

If Danielle is really being honest, it doesn't make sense to be obsessed with the idea of "finding your kidnapped child" and not exploring the island in detail in all these years.

The lost jigsaw puzzles where coded messages were cracked indicate that the sickness and quarantine are all a hoax (this is discussed on lostpedia http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Jigsaw_puzzles#Completed_secret_messages.2C_decoded).

Assuming this is fact, then Danielle is probably lying about what happened to her team, if in fact they ever existed.

Here is a list of things that we know Danielle knows about:

Dark Territory
Radio Tower
Black Rock
Security System
Polar Bears
Others (in general, and individually [Ben])
Cable that powers her little house
Every part of the island that she has MAPPED
The medical hatch (a.k.a. the caudecus, when she rescued Claire, which proves that she lied when she said she had never seen a hatch before)
Don't forget when Danielle kidnapped Claire's baby she also seemed to *know* where to go to trade it for Alex.

Given how little she claims to know, she knows an awful lot.

I think she is a flat out liar and this makes her a damn interesting character! What do you think?

LOST SE03 EP09 Stranger in a Strange Land

Tash — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 10:35:13 -0600

NBC played up the "3" mysteries and overplayed it apparently according to the most recent interviews with the writers. Two of them were - what happened to the children (sort of), we know they are still on the island. The second one was what Jack's tatoo means which wasn't even correct - see http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/more/lost-stranger-in-a-strange-lan-4358.aspx

Third was apparently that the island they were own is only for experiments - that they are living on the same island as the Losties.

I am excited Jack is going to Otherville though - imagine his shock when he sees it! I also think Jack and Juliet might "hook-up" - UGH! I think Juliet is a snake-in-the-grass. Was Cindy going to "watch" Juliet's trial? I enjoyed the introduction of Isabel - what a great new character (unlike Niki and Paulo... blech).

It's pretty clear from the ABC episode descriptions that a lot of answers are coming within the next three episodes - take a read of them:

Episode 3.10: Tricia Tanaka is Dead (Hurley-centric)
Airdate: February 28, 2007

Hurley's discovery of an old, wrecked car on the island leads him on a mission of hope not only for himself, but for a fellow survivor in need of some faith. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer reunite with their fellow castaways, but Kate is still torn about leaving Jack behind with "The Others."

Guest starring are Mira Furlan as Danielle Rousseau, Rodrigo Santoro as Paulo, Kiele Sanchez as Nikki, Lillian Hurst as Carmen Reyes, Billy Ray Gallion as Randy, Cheech Marin as David Reyes, Caden Waidyatilleka as young Hurley, Suzanne Krull as Lynn Karnoff and Sung Hi Lee as Tricia Tanaka.

Episode 3.11: Enter 77 (Sayid-centric)
Airdate: March 7, 2007

Locke, Sayid and Kate investigate a strange structure and its mysterious inhabitant. Meanwhile, Sawyer competes in a ping-pong competition to get back his belongings.

Guest starring are Mira Furlan as Danielle Rousseau, Rodrigo Santoro as Paulo, Kiele Sanchez as Nikki, April Grace as Ms. Klugh, Andrew Divoff as Mikhail Bakunin, Francois Chau as Dr. Marvin Candle, Shaun Toub as Sami, Anne Bedian as Amira, Taiarii Marshall as waiter and Eyad Elbitar as Arabic man.

Episode 3.12: Par Avion (Claire-centric)
Airdate: March 14, 2007

Charlie exhibits peculiar behavior when Claire has an idea that could get everyone rescued; tensions mount between Sayid and Locke as they continue their journey to rescue Jack.

---

My take given the above:

Par Avion - I think we might finally find out if Claire is Jack's sister. Claire was interviewed and said this episode's flashbacks will take place when she is much younger - could she be on a plane ride (par avion) with Jack's father or a trip to see him?

Other give-away - we know that Charlie is still alive three episodes from now. We also know that Sayid, Locke and Kate are trying rescue Jack. The ABC season three press release: "After the death of Eko, Locke’s obsession to uncover the secrets of the island leads Sayid to believe that his intentions may not be in the best interests of his fellow survivors."

So Locke and Sayid will be clashing again over Locke's "destiny" on the island - that always make for wonderful tension during an episode - I look forward to it :) It would also appear they will find the station that is home to "eye patch" man - hopefully it answers that question!

I wonder what Claire's idea will be for rescue?

Entertainment Weekly released the description for the next episode after these three:

Episode 3.13: Title Unknown (Locke-centric, unconfirmed)
Airdate: March 21, 2007

[Scenes from episode 13 include] Juliet pushing Ben in a wheelchair, and Jack cheerfully lobbing a football to his sworn enemy Mr. Friendly. "Everyone should be wondering what the hell is going on," explains Fox during a break. "Has Jack been converted by the Others? Drugged? Is he pretending? All sorts of scenarios could be happening here." We will find out how Locke ended up in a wheelchair. "I was afraid it'd be anticlimactic," says O'Quinn. "It's not. It's pretty stunning. You're gonna go, 'Man, no wonder this guy wants to stay here!'" Also, the castaways discover that the Others possess a submarine. Source: Entertainment Weekly

Holy crap!

The producers have stated that over the next few episodes we will be gearing up for huge revelations and actions.

Do you think that Locke, Sayid and Kate will end up in Otherville? And what happens if they do? Has Jack joined the Others? Will he finally know what the Others wanted him? Will we see the children and find out more of what happened to them?

I'm really looking forward to getting more answers but as usual they will only lead to more questions and confusion!

LOL

Kiera's Princess Tea Party

Tash — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:53:09 -0600

The little lady held her first tea party this past weekend - princess themed. I remember swearing up and down if I had a girl she wasn't going to be "into princesses". As I have quickly learned as a parent - its impossible to predict how you will parent and never say never ;)

Photos are online here: http://www.abstrakt.org/baby/gallery/teaparty07

Some of my favs:

LOST SE03 EP08 Flashes Before Your Eyes

Tash — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:32:46 -0600

No summary from me on episode 7 - I didn't like, other than the great humour it wasn't the stellar return to the third season of Lost that I expected. Sigh.

However, this week's episode "Flashes before your Eyes" was what I was seeking and more. Excellent episode. I liked the switch-up of having the entire episode be one long flashback.

This is an episode I need to rewatch. Time travel? Parallel universe? Groundhog Day? Fate versus Free-Will? Deja Vus? Time-looping? There is a lot to think about and ponder and I'm not fixed on any theory.

Did you all catch - "Maybe you're going to be one that saves me" Charlie singing outside the tube - what wonderful foreshadowing to Desmond trying to save him on the island! So "fate" wants Charlie dead, at least according to Desmond. I personally would love to see Charlie leave the show.

TTFN

Children of Men - Bleak & Depressing = EXCELLENT

Tash — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:59:29 -0600

Wow this movie blew both Frank and I away. It was VISUALLY stunning and the music score was excellent. One of the most original movies I have ever seen. Absolutely breathtaking action sequences. Clive Owen was brilliant.

Plot summary: In the year 2027, the world is in chaos, and childlessness is the human condition. The world's youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set against a backdrop of London torn apart by violence and warring nationalistic sects, Children of Men follows an unlikely champion of Earth's survival: Theo (Clive Owen), a disillusioned ex-activist turned bureaucrat, who is forced to face his own demons and protect the planet's last remaining hope.

Children of Men was bleak, depressing, contained some dark humour. We were impressed with how "dark" the movie remained throughout. Too often in Hollywood movies follow a typical "formula." Children of Men choose not to follow the typical formula making it even more original and interesting to watch. No lead male and lead female falling in love, no sex whilst in a dangerous situation, no shying away from what's obviously uncomfortable film matter, etc.

A very memorable movie that will likely not be forgotten anytime soon. It is deserving of some Oscar nods.

RAVE! Cranium Cariboo Game

Tash — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:26:31 -0600

Kiera's godmother bought her Cranium Cariboo for Christmas. I was a little skeptical at first. It's 3+ and from the box I wasn't sure Kiera would be able play it yet. But alas, we opened it and we played.

Kiera LOVES it. We play it for at least 30 minutes EVERY night. She can't get enough of it. Kiera understands it, plays it, follows the rules, etc.

Here is the description from their web site:

* A magical treasure hunt game kids will love
* Learn letters, numbers, shapes, and colors
* Choose from beginner and advanced cards
* Quick 15-minute games keep kids' attention
* Reading is not required, so kids can enjoy the game on their own

Kids will love exploring the golden island of Cariboo, where they'll enjoy the thrill of unlocking secret doors and discovering hidden treasures!

The matching activities in Cranium Cariboo combine laugh-out-loud fun with four early learning fundamentals -- letters, numbers, shapes, and colors -- so kids learn as they play. And, it grows with your child! Kids practice A, B, C and 1, 2, 3, 4 with the beginner cards, then explore the full alphabet and numbers 1 to 10 with the advanced cards.

Each game of Cariboo takes about 10 to 15 minutes to play -- perfect for young attention spans -- but kids love to play again and again. And because the rules are easy and reading is not required, kids can enjoy the game on their own.

----

We're using the beginner set of cards which has letters A B C, numbers 1 2 3 4 and colours red green yellow blue, shapes square, triangle, rectangle. So really if your child can match/recognize letters, knows their colours, knows their shapes they can play this game. The only thing hard for Kiera is counting with meaning - as in knowing 1-2-3 refers to a number of 'items'. However, after playing for many nights she now grasps the concept of "1" and "2".

I give this games two thumbs up!

Kiera is pregnant!!!!

Tash — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:22:19 -0600

Kiera's daycare has had a few pregnancies among the workers now. Apparently, pregnancy is a virus and Kiera caught it at daycare.

For the last two weeks, here is a sampling of the discussions.

K: My tummy is jumping Mommy.
Me: Why is that Kiera?
K: There is a baby in there Mommy. It is jumping.
Me: Is it a boy or a girl?
K: It is a boy Mommy - his name is baby Jonah.
Me: Can Mommy do something to help?
K: No Mommy, the Doctor needs to take it out of my vagina.

Kiera asked how babies come out and we told her the truth. That's how she knows that answer but that was ages, ages ago when she asked where she came out of Mommy from. We told her Mommy's tummy but that usually a baby comes out the vagina.

Another conversation.

K: My tummy is grumbling.
Me: Why is that Kiera?
K: The baby is hungry Mommy.
Me: Is it a boy or a girl?
K: It is a girl Mommy - his name is baby Sarah.
K: Mommy we need to see the Doctor to get the baby out. It's hungry.

And on top of this Kiera's taken to telling anyone and everyone she has a baby in her tummy.

It's hysterical.

Tash's Rants, Raves, Meandering Thoughts

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Great Wolf Lodge - Awesome Experience - Highly Reccommend it :)

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Now it's "Where does ______ sleep?"

What colour is your brain?

30 Things a Stressed Woman Might Say at Work

And on the subject of Kiera...

What does ________ eat?

How many of the below 100 words do you know?

LOST SE03 EP21 - Greatest Hits = Greatest SNORE

LOST SE03 EP20 - The Man Behind the Curtain

One of my favourite books in the media

Kiera Belly Dances for Grandad's 80th Birthday

LOST SE03 EP18 - D.O.C.

Mama Always Come Homes

Kiera - What I want to be (Part Deux)

LOST SE03 EP17 - Catch-22

LOST SE03 EP16 - One of Us

Watch out Kiera - I am more Princess than You!

It's a tie!

How Much Sloth Do You Have?

LOST SE03 EP15 - Left Behind

LOST SE03 EP11 - Par Avion - Thoughts on Charlie

LOST SE03 EP11 - Enter 77

Lost - That Crazy French Chick

LOST SE03 EP09 Stranger in a Strange Land

Kiera's Princess Tea Party

LOST SE03 EP08 Flashes Before Your Eyes

Children of Men - Bleak & Depressing = EXCELLENT

RAVE! Cranium Cariboo Game

Kiera is pregnant!!!!