Awkward Doppelganger

Ok, this is just freaking me out.  My dear friend Susan brought this to my attention a few months ago and I don't think I could deal with it just then.  Or more likely, it was in the middle of a boozey ski trip and I forgot about it.  I stumbled upon it again today and it still makes me feel uncomfortable.

Susan is a mother, which is why only she saw this while watching a CBC children's show...with a yam as the main character.  Apparently, there is this very bad Canadian tween band called "Done With Dolls" and they were on the show to teach the stupid yam how to use a calendar.

The second this band came on the screen, I shrieked.  The lead singer looks exactly like me!  No, really.  EXACTLY.  I'm pretty sure I looked exactly like that from the ages of 18 - 23.  Or beyond.  I don't know how old this girl is, but she has the awkward dance moves and terrible voice to suggest she is 17.  The resemblance is uncanny.  You know, except for the dance moves, right?

I suggest making it full screen and skipping to 1:10 to be truly freaked out, especially those who know me well.  (And feel free to put it on mute.)

Precious Medals

I've now held the torch and both a gold and silver Olympic medal.  I'm practically a world-class athlete myself.

These medals were for synchronized swimming from the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, won by the remarkable Sylvie Fréchette.  I had the pleasure of randomly meeting her in Montréal and found her fascinating and inspiring.  Over carbonara, I devoured her stories of Olympic victory and personal tragedy.  The day before she left for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, she found her fiancé who had committed suicide in their apartment.  Then, after giving an impeccable performance, she was not awarded the gold medal due to a blunder by the Brazilian judge who was not able to navigate the new electronic scoring system.  More than a year later, the error was amended and she was awarded the gold medal.

She is now a motivational speaker, founder and head coach at a Montréal swim club and a lovely dinner companion.

And the medals, they're quite heavy.

All Rise

I judge people.  We all do.

However, it's finally nice to be validated for it.  Plus, they made everyone rise when I entered the room.  How can I make that happen in real life, not just a medical-legal presentation in PEI?

The Sunny Side of the Street

Everyone knows about the dangers of the sun and everyone knows that we should all be wearing sunscreen.  However, some of us, myself included, do not heed this advice.  I buy it every year and if I'm lying on a beach all day, I'll usually apply...once.  But any other time I'm in the sun, I don't wear anything.  My excuses are the same as everyone else's:  it takes too long, it's inconvenient and I want a tan.  I wish there was a pill we could take to give us the sunscreen effects.  Although, I have a really hard time taking my vitamins every day, so I might not be successful with that either.

I was reading the Globe the other day and this photo stopped me in my tracks.  Well, not exactly the picture, but once I read the accompanying article, then I really took a second look.

This is an un-doctored picture of a man who was a long-haul truck driver for his entire life.  As a result, he spent countless hours with the left side of his face exposed to the sun through the driver window.  Look at that!  I can't get over it. 

And before you think you're the first person to make the joke, someone has already suggested to move to the UK to balance everything out.