The power of a hashtag

February 20, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

Today there was a hashtag on Twitter that got my attention, it was was #FreshFaceFriday.

The “fresh face Friday” hashtag was started by TLC (The Learning Channel) and fashion expert Stacy London to repress a new episode of Stacy’s show called Love, Lust, or Run which airs Friday nights. The show aims to help women shed their “disastrous” “over the top” looks and replace them with a style that better suits their lifestyles or where they want to go in life.

I LOVE what Stacy does and I can’t argue with the results, the women she chooses are amazing and all so deserving! I hope to see a guy on there one day!

Earlier today I posted a selfie using the hashtag #FreshFaceFriday and I mentioned that putting my picture out there can be scary. The amazing Stacy London responded with kind words and I started getting a lot of kind words! It got me thinking I’ve been very lucky when it comes to Social Media not once have I posted a picture that as gone in the wrong direction, I have never been told that I’m ugly, or laughed at, nor have I found any pictures manipulated in to a hurtful meme. I’m forever thankful for that and it reinforces my will to continue to advocate for those living with a visible difference.

One of the statement’s I’ve heard Stacy say on the show was that someone will judge you by your appearance within the first 3 seconds. I know that she was speaking specifically to the type of outfit one wears, and the image that the outfit projects, however I can’t help but internalize that. Knowing that for some no matter how well dressed I am I will be judged in 3 seconds and that may not go my way, I may not get the chance to make a second impression.

I have found this to be true in job interviews and have known I wouldn’t get the job only because of the way I looked, because I have a facial difference.

I dress defensively but in the opposite way that is featured in Love, Lust, or Run. When I’m having a low day I dress up, either wearing a suit, or just simply a blazer and nice jewellery because I know I will get compliments that I look nice. I NEED those someways because it’s the only thing that gets me through the day. When I have to go out in public alone sometimes I will wear my headphones and blast my music to distract myself from seeing people in hopes they don’t see me.

I live in a world where looks matter (I’ve said this before) I know this, I don’t always accept it but I know that it’s a reality. All I can do is project hope that as a society we will continue to evolve and continue to redefine what is acceptable behaviour because we are ALL different, we ALL matter!

Happy Chinese New Year!

February 19, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

If you were born in 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, or 2015 you fall under the year of the Goat (or sheep, or ram…there seems to be some confusion) and this is YOUR year! I personally fall under the year of the Rooster, similar traits!

One of my favourite memories as a kid was eating at a restaurant across from where we lived called Sing Lee’s and I loved the paper place-mats that had all the descriptions of what each animal represented and all the years that aligned with which animal. I think I like the Chinese zodiac more so than the traditional one I wrote about some posts ago.

I came across the following website and it is awesome; you can learn all sorts of interesting facts. Where do you fall in the Chinese zodiac? (http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/)

Well this will go on record as being my shortest blog entry. Sorry for those who support me and read this blog everyday. I’m so dizzy tonight so going to go and lay down! Also I’m going to start thinking about possible topics for public speaking and best ways to “brand” myself. Need to create a new more polished website and may call on a few friends for help with that!

Cooking Class #2

February 18, 2015February 18, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

Last night I was really tired and so I posted some very cute pictures of our dogs. The reason why I was so tired was because after work my friend Donna, her mom, and I attended another cooking demo/class at Sobey’s.

Last night’s theme was Thai comfort food, I have to say it didn’t disappoint. Chef Patrick created a menu that is easy to replicate and tastes so divine. It gave me the chance to hear him speak about his experiences on Chopped Canada that aired this past Saturday night. Any regular reader of this blog will already know that I love all the behind the scenes info and I was glued to Chef Patrick’s every word about how it works off camera. The other awesome thing about last night was that I got to meet his lovely fiancee Andrea Lauren who was super sweet and I am so thrilled for the both of them, they are busy planning their wedding and planning a honeymoon in Thailand!

Last night’s dishes in order in which they were served were:

COCONUT AND LEMONGRASS SOUP WITH SHRIMP

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1 thumb size piece fresh ginger, minced

1 stalk lemon grass, white bulb minced, stalk reserved for soup pot

2 teaspoons red curry paste

4 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 cans coconut milk

1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced

1 large tomato, chopped

1 pound medium shrimp – peeled and deveined

1 lime, zested and juiced (need about 2 tablespoons of juice)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup chopped scallions

STEPS

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute until fragrant. Slowly pour the vegetable broth over the mixture stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar and lime zest simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, mushrooms and tomato; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until no longer translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and states; soup should have equal balance of spicy, sweet, salty, and sour. Garnish with cilantro and scallions and enjoy!

I have to say that when I looked at the ingredient list, I had reservations about liking this soup. I’m NOT a fan of cilantro but for some reason the flavour of the cilantro did not over power the rest of the flavours. I would have eaten a huge bowl of this if I had been able to. I would love to make it at home but no one but me would eat it, which may not be a bad thing.

Nest up:

THAI GREEN MANGO SALAD

INGREDIENTS

2 red or green Thai chiles, with seeds, chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

3/4 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons avocado oil

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

4 green mangoes julianned

1 cup of bean sprouts

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup dry unsweetened coconut

2 tablespoons toasted dried shrimp (optional)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

kosher salt

STEPS

Puree chiles, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, and sugar in a blender until smooth.

Toss mangoes, bean sprouts, shallots, peanuts, coconut, cilantro, mint, basil, dried shrimp if using, sesame seeds, and dressing in a large bowl; season with lightly with salt, enjoy!

The hardest part about this is getting everything sliced and diced once it’s all tossed up it’s SO good. You can make the dressing ahead of time and it keeps for a while.

This salad was served alongside our next recipe:

THAI PORK SATAY

The pork all marinated ready to grill (or in our case broil)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon chopped galangal or ginger

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon yellow curry paste

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon fish sauce

2 limes, cut in half

12 oz. pork loin, cut into 1″-wide, 1/4″ thick slices

STEPS

Wooden skewers soaked (this is only for presentation so feel free to skip)

Puree 1/2 cup coconut milk, lemon grass, oil, galangal (or ginger), sugar, garlic, spices, fish sauce and curry paste in a food processor. Toss paste and pork in a large bowl and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Don’t leave any longer than 4 hours as the the texture of the meat will change.

Set a grill over medium high heat. Thread a couple slices of pork on each skewer, brush with remaining coconut milk and grill turning once until charred and cooked through, about 7 minutes total. Remove from the grill and squeeze fresh lime juice all over satays. Enjoy!

These were simply fantastic!

Up next:

THAI DRUNKEN NOODLES

INGREDIENTS

1 200g package pad Thai noodles

4 chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces

1 cup basil leaves, preferably Thai

2 shallots, chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 Thai bird chillis finely chopped (if you can’t find these just use good old Jalapeno)

2 eggs beaten

2 tablespoons peanut oil

SAUCE

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 1/4 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce (or just plain Thai soy sauce)

1 1/2 tablespoons normal dark soy sauce

2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup Sake rice wine

STEPS

Cook noodles according to instructions on package. Drain when ready. Make sure to rinse noodles under cold water.

Put Sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Heat oil in wok or pan over high heat. Add garlic and chilli and cook for 10 seconds. Add the eggs and cook stirring constantly until just set. Add chicken and fry until cooked partially through, about 2 minutes.

Add the shallots/scallions and about 1 tablespoon of the sauce and stir fry for 30 seconds, just to coat the chicken. Add the noodles and sauce and cook for a couple minutes until the sauce has coated the noodles completely and they start to brown.

Remove from heat and immediately add basil leaves, stir until just wilted, then serve immediately. Enjoy with a cold Tiger Beer.

Chef Patrick gave a great tip for this one, make sure ALL of your ingredients are ready to go, all cut up and the sauce is mixed ready to go. Don’t wait until the end to cook the noodles have those done before starting to fry.

Last but not least:

THAI FRIED BANANAS WITH COCONUT CREAM

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 can coconut milk, well stirred

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 egg yolks, at room temperature

vegetable oil, for frying (don’t use olive oil, use a neutral flavored oil)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 cup hot water

3/4 cup rice flour

1/2 cup desiccated coconut, toasted

1/2 cup coconut milk well stirred

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

8 ripe baby bananas or 4 large normal bananas

1/2 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, roughly chopped.

STEPS

FOR THE COCONUT CREAM SAUCE: Toast the desiccated coconut in a small saute pan over medium heat until just browned. combine the coconut milk, toasted coconut, whole milk, and kosher salt in a small saucepan and bring up to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then turn off the heat and steep for 30 minutes.

Strain the coconut mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and into another small saucepan, using a wooden spoon or spatula to press down on the solids. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a mixing bowl, and then whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot coconut milk mixture to temper the eggs. Gradually whisk in the rest of the hot coconut milk and transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon stir over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, for 10 to 12 minutes. Strain into a mixing bowl and place plastic wrap directly on to of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool at room temperature while you make the fried bananas.

FOR THE FRIED BANANAS: Fill a wok with 3 inches of vegetable oil or a large dutch oven with 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat.

Put the brown sugar in a small bowl, add the hot water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. In a baking dish whisk together the rice flour, desiccated coconut, coconut milk, all-purpose flour, baking powder and the sugar/water mixture to form a thin batter. Allow the batter to sit for 10 minutes while you prep the bananas.

If using baby bananas, simply peel and slice each lengthwise, if using normal bananas slice each in half and then again lengthwise. Dip the sliced bananas in the batter, shaking off any excess and fry the bananas until golden brown and crispy, turning occasionally for 1 to 2 minutes. Place the fried bananas on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Serve with chopped peanuts and coconut cream sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

I would eat this meal again in a heartbeat! So good. please let me know if you end up trying any of these, I would love to see your pictures and know what you thought.

I’m tired so here are some pictures of our dogs

February 17, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

Ellie after I dumped all the toys on the floor. She was one happy puppy.

See, lots of toys!

Ellie is too cool for my hat!

If you put a blanket down on the floor they will come!

Extreme close up of Daka.

Ellie being way too cute.

They are always willing to help me finish my food!

Cuddle time with Dorje.

Can you guess what they are waiting for?

Anywhere I am these two are pretty much always with me. Well within the house.

LOVE our doggies! Feel free to post pictures of your beloved animals.

Must have…products

February 16, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

In an effort to share with you, so that you can get to know me better I thought today I would go over my “must have products” I don’t have many but here are a few things I would be saddened if I had to do without.

I will mention before this gets going that I know how lucky I am to live where I do, that I have a job, a house and a family. This list isn’t of things I can’t live without because at the end of the day I could, these are just things and in no way replace what is truly important to me.

First up from the awesome store that is Bath & Body Works (http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp) their line of deep cleaning soaps are the best I have ever used. When I wash my hands I need them to feel super clean which is why I love to use soaps with micro beads that help really get in there and get the dirt (or whatever) off my hands. Also it has to smell so nice, but I’m not a fan of the fruit scents nor vanilla.

As with my hand soap I need to use a body scrub in the shower instead of simply a shower gel, or bar of soap. It really does need to feel that I have taken a layer of skin off my body when I get out of the shower. Right now I’m using one from Bath & Body Works that they don’t carry anymore which saddens me as now I need to find a new favourite.

While on the concept of personal hygiene and shower my shower puff scrub thing has to come from The Body Shop (http://www.thebodyshop.ca/en/index.aspx?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=sem_brd&utm_campaign=Brand-TM-EN&utm_term=the%20body%20shop&utm_content=Brand-Exact&cvosrc=ppc.bing.the%20body%20shop&cvo_campaign=Brand&cvo_crid={AdID}&Matchtype=e%22). So they call them bath lilies…I find the texture of these puffs to be far better than with that of other ones I’ve seen from other companies.

Also from The Body Shop I love using their hemp mitt as an exfoliate in the shower, mostly for my feet but usually give everything a once over. I don’t have one currently but it’s on my list of things to get.

I’m not big on beauty products and I only apply moisturizer after a shower so as to not put too much product on my face. I generally look for a more natural option and I’m currently using Nivea brand that I do like but it’s almost done so I think I may try another brand so if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comment section.

For moisturizer on the go I have found that Lush’s (www.lush.ca) message bars are great. They have no bottles so they are super great for the environment and you only take from the bar what you need. I currently have 2 and I love them both.

When looking at their website tonight I found that they how have shampoo bars, I’m SUPER excited to get one and try it out but it won’t be until August unless I treat myself and shop online…we shall see.

Now these message bars are great for on the go but when I’m at home I usually use The Body Shop’s vitamin E body lotion. I find when I have dry itchy winter skin it helps calm and sooth my skin.

Beyond my must haves for personal care I have a few items I use on a frequent basis that I really enjoy using. The first is my favourite pen to write with. They don’t seem to make them this way anymore which doesn’t surprise me because it always seems to happen that I find the one brand or type of an object and after I have been used to it and really love it they either discontinue it or change it somehow which leads me to disappointment, frustration, and having to find another version or a different thing all together.

They don’t make them with the lids anymore…I have a few but once they are gone I’m all out!

When it comes to cleaning around the home I love things that make my life quick, and easy so I tend to buy the laundry pods such as the Tide, or Gain, I’m not too picky on brand as long as they smell good and they are on sale. Same goes for the dishwasher we use the compact pod things with a simple rinse agent and it works great. I always try to look for ones that are good on the environment and since they have little packaging or packaging I can recycle, it’s a win-win!

We just discovered and now love the steam mop I picked up off The Shopping Channel (www.tsc.ca) it helps keeps the floors nice and clean and actually you can use it on all types of flooring including carpet, ours comes with a neat attachment that can be used to steam clothing.

http://www.theshoppingchannel.com/H2O/Cleaning/H20-Mop-X5-Elite-With-Accessories-White/pages/productdetails?nav=R:513830,N:128384,E:11773066

My friends Monica H and Susan S (they don’t know each other as far as I’m aware) both sell Epicure and I tried these sponges called “epicure’s Scrubby” and they are AMAZING, they don’t get yucky like traditional sponges and the best part is you can throw them in the dishwasher to sanitize them. You get lots of use out of them and we generally don’t throw one out until they are falling apart. You won’t find them anymore as Epicure stopped selling them, when I heard this I went a little nuts and my friend Monica H who was going to an Epicure conference put out the word and managed to get me pretty much the rest of the scrubby’s in Canada! I have NO idea what my sister and I will do when we are down to the last one, so if anyone knows of a secret stash either in Canada or in another country please let me know!

I’ve shared mind…time for you to share yours! 🙂

My take on New York Fashion Week

February 15, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

Well it’s even colder out today then it was yesterday but made it work. How did everyone spend their day?

Most everyone who knows me knows I’m not up on all the fashion lingo nor do I normally follow anything fashion unless it’s to look at the crazy outfits the designers are coming up with. One reason is because the models that strut their stuff down the catwalk are made up in such away that I feel their humanity is taken out of them. When I look at most pictures from runways and try to look in to a model’s eyes I don’t see much. No spark, no life, just some flat look that gets them down the runway and back again without falling.

This year when looking at the pictures there is still a fair number of void looking models but I’m noticing more diversity. This year a designer by the name of Carrie Hammer (http://www.carriehammer.com/) choose an actress by the name of Jamie Brewer to model one of her pretty awesome dresses. What’s special about Jamie is that she is not a model, she is however a role model for girls, not only is she an actress on FX series American Horror Story, but she also was born with Down Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome).

This is such a huge leap and major win for getting the fashion industry to embrace differences. We all know not every woman is as tall as a tree and as skinny as a twig, nor do most woman wish to look like this. It’s great that Jamie who is a well known actress to be able to go out their and with poise and more confidence than I would have walk down the catwalk as loads of people watch and snap pictures.

I also saw a story in which (and it pains me to do this) I have to give a shout out to Kanye West who used a total of 50 vastly different individuals to model shoes. I’m SO not a fan of Kanye West however if it was his idea to have 50 people of all walks of life up the way he did, he can’t be all bad.

Now lets look at some of the really crazy fashions that I could find pictures of shall we….

(http://ca.eonline.com/shows/house_of_dvf/photos/13579/best-shows-of-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2015/416728)

So the above picture is from Calvin Klein’s spring collection. The blue number on the far left I don’t have any issues with. However the middle onesie with some crazy leg flare is not something I would EVER wear…who would? I know most of the things that are produced for these fashion shows never get worn but I always find myself scratching my head wondering what the heck they were thinking. What caught my attention in this picture is the red leather dress on the far right, it reminded me of what a fictional group of woman would wear. From Terry Goodkind’s Sword of truth books there are these woman called Mord Sith who wear tight red leather outfits and anytime I see red leather ALWAYS think back to the books. If you want to see what I’m talking about just google “Mord Sith outfit”.

(http://ca.eonline.com/shows/house_of_dvf/photos/13579/best-shows-of-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2015/416404)

Well here is something interesting….I believe the designer(s) are called The Blondes…although I can’t fathom why.. LOL Well looks like they make all their models wear that ridiculous big blonde braid. I’m thinking these models are showing off bathing suits but it’s hard to get past that hair extension/wig.

I hope that as we continue to embrace differences we see even more diversity. With models becoming more appropriate role models for the younger generation, where more young kids can identify with them instead of trying to be them. I await the day when either a man or woman with a facial difference gets to be included.

When it’s this cold, think, spring!

February 14, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

When it’s as cold outside as it has been this week it’s hard NOT to think about warmer weather, spring seems so far away today.

Friday when I woke up it was -28…brrrr…..it did eventually warm up to -18, which was nice but that’s still extremely cold. I try very hard to just put my head down, dress for the weather and not to complain. I live in Canada surviving a cold winter is expected, it’s almost a sport! Hover this week has done everything it can to test my resolve NOT to complain.

For me when Tim Horton’s rolls out their Roll Up the Rim To Win contest it serves to mark the upcoming end of winter and the much nicer up coming spring. This year it hasn’t put me in that mood, we keep getting snow and it seems to be getting colder, not warmer.

I love when winter is ending and I look for the first robin when I’m out because I know once I see that first beautiful Robin land and search for it’s meal spring really has settled and winter is truly on it’s way out.

Spring brings with it the promise of renewal, where we start making plans for the summer, when are people going to take those trips, how soon those upcoming weddings are. We await the blossoms of flowers with such great anticipation but also we await the time when we can get out and tend to our gardens to plan even more flowers. I haven’t had the chance to really plant flowers these last few springs and I doubt this year will be any different but I can’t wait until I can wear a dress without having to worry about freezing my legs off, or protecting them with snow pants.

What is your favorite season? Big thanks to Diane for providing this awesome topic! Have a topic that you think I would be interested in, just let me know in the comment section.

Random writings inspired by “642 Things To Write About” part 4

February 13, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

Wow it’s been 20 days since I last wrote a post inspired by this awesome book. Tonight I’m doing it because I just recently got back from my friend Crystal’s house and it I was being truthful, a wee bit drunk. Had 4 drinks, 2 rye & coke and 2 sparkling wine & orange juice, both drinks were really good and all 4 went down smoothly. What I’m trying to say is in an effort NOT to break the record I have going and to ensure a post is written every day wanted something that might be a tad easier to write about.

For today’s entry I started at the back of the book and flipped through a few pages to find something that would be interesting and not require too much brain power. Here goes…..

The page is sectioned off in to 4 boxes with an expectation to write about each topic in each box.

First Box: Who wrote the book of Love? Why, and what’s in it?

This question is very appropriate considering what day it is tomorrow! I believe the book of love was written by a woman, it would have been written in a time when woman were not allowed to hold down gainful employment (such as a writer) and if a magazine was to publish their works their were expected to change their name to sound more masculine. I picture her as a very strong, independent woman who likes to travel, I imagine she keeps a diary while out to jot down any thing she sees that could be later turned in to a book. Well that’s what I would do anyways. Inside the book of love are blank pages…she expects people to fill in their own story, to share the story that they have worked all their lives to create.

Second Box: Write ten sayings for fortune cookies.

1) Your bath has not yet started, remember it may not be clearly marked.

2) Give your attitude an adjustments, because life is too short.

3) One foot in front of the other is sometimes all you are able to accomplish.

4) The message written here should not be read aloud.

5) Opportunities do come by everyday so always be on the look out.

6) Your future self sent this message….

7) Enjoy the small silences and worry about the big ones.

8) If you are not who you thought you would be, that is ok!

9) Get a pet, or get another one. All animals deserve our love

10) Sometimes its ok to give up.

Third box: Your day, hour by hour

Here would my day yesterday

12am-1am: sleeping

1am-2am: sleeping

2am-3am: sleeping

3am-4am: sleeping

4am-5am: sleeping

5am-6am: Got up and dressed. Brushed hair, brushed teeth. Let dogs out. Got mom up to the bathroom and settled on the couch. Played Criminal case on my iPad.

6am-7am: Left for work taking public transit, transferred to another bus with a small layover.

7am-8am: Got off final bus and walked to Tim Horton’s grabbed a coffee, bagel, and cherry cheese danish. Walked a short distance to the office. Got computer on, checked emails, checked work assignments, checked how much pending work I had.

8am-9am: Logged in to virtual phone system, started with pending work, helped co-worker on same project with some questions she had.

9am-10am: Worked new cases at work, continued to answer questions for co-worker, had first break a total of 15 minutes, played on iPad and phone during break.

10am-11am: made a few morning callbacks to customers, didn’t reach anyone, continued to work on new. Covered co-worker on same project so she could go on break.

11am-12am: continued to make outbound calls at customer requests, continued on working through new cases.

12am-1pm: Went on lunch which had me grabbing a few different things for a few different people but still made it back to work in the 30 minutes provided, continued to work on cases.

1pm-2pm: Had a team meeting (or huddle as we call them) with some of my team, continued my work on cases.

2pm-3pm: went on last 15 minute break and continued to work on new cases.

3pm-4pm: worked through last few cases and wound down for the day, made sure any work needed done is signed to co-workers.

4pm-5pm: signed out of virtual phone, got my jacket on and personal things gathered up. Waled to bus stop about 2 blocks away, got bus heading to Conestoga mall.

5pm-6pm: look for new case for phone at mall, go to grocery store to grab a few items to make dinner.

6pm-7pm: help prepare dinner, try to call Mobility Plus to schedule a ride to and from her day program next Wednesday but after holding for over 20 minutes I had to go. Let dogs out.

7pm-8pm: talk with entrepreneur Carolyn about getting started as public speaker.

8pm-9pm: have dinner and clean up.

9pm-10pm: start writing blog only to be detracted by what every my sister and brother-in-law are watching on TV, play with dogs.

10pm-11pm finish and post blog entry, play with iPad, get PJs on, brush teeth, give mom evening pills. Head to bed.

11pm-12am: sleeping

Fourth box: A famous, unsolved crime

When a show aired a few years ago called “The Black Donnelly’s” I was intrigued. I had known that the show was based on a Canadian “crime” family who came to southern Ontario from Ireland back in the late 1800’s but I hadn’t really known much more. I found it interesting to learn about the shear number of death’s this family endured. It seemed that the city they decided to settle in were none to happy with the way they lived their lives and didn’t make an effort to hide it.

The mystery comes from who burned their homestead down and pretty much wiping this family out.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805661/)

Sadly the show didn’t last and was cancelled I think before the first season even finished airing which is a shame because all of the actors involved are really amazing and most have gone on to do other great work.

New Path….maybe….

February 12, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

I have had an interest to get out and do more public speaking, today I took one step closer to reaching that goal. Tonight I had a lovely conversation with an amazing lovely lady named Carolyn Parks. I was connected with her through a mutual acquaintance, Juanita who woks with The Waterloo Region crime Prevention. Juanita had touched base with me earlier this year asking how I was doing on that goal. I had to tell the truth and say that it was going no where.

Before my call with Carolyn tonight I had no clue where to start, what to do… I had thought about printing business cards even designed a few options but never went through with the order. I tried reaching out to the Waterloo County Board of Education through their Facebook site but I’m not sure how often that’s reviewed or if they take those types of posts seriously. I have not actively pursued anything, the few gigs I have done have been because of my existing connections. They were really great experiences and have me knowing that doing more public speaking is something that I want to do and that I think I’m pretty good at.

Carolyn has helped me understand what things I should complete as part of a framework and after speaking with her I’m excited to get started. I plan on writing down some ideas about which topics I could explore as potential speaking topics, by narrowing this down it can give me a better sense of who to market myself to. I think that I can speak to a wide range of audiences; from school aged children, high school kids, and corporations.

Also over the next little while I will be setting up another website that is a bit more polished, that will be more professional looking and have videos of the various interviews I have done. None of the public speaking engagements I have done were recorded so I won’t be able to put those up but I think that if I can present myself and make it clear that I do bring a unique perspective that should go along way towards getting my foot in the door.

If I could speak at a TED talk or WeDay conference that would be so awesome, I think both organizations have such a wide range of speakers and a wide range of topics that I feel I would fit right in with.

I would welcome your input, if you know of any company or school that is looking for someone to provide a voice about bullying, about diversity, or if you feel my story would be a great fit for an upcoming event just shoot me an email: loker.penny@gmail.com, I will of course keep everyone up to date on the progress and look forward to being able to continue to share this journey with you.

Top 10 TV shows (On air)

February 11, 2015 / pennlynn / Leave a comment

Today’s entry is all about my TOP 10 FAVOURITE TV SHOWS that are still on-air! These are in no particular order, it’a all about fun tonight!

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219024/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

CASTLE 2009-present

I will start with Castle and say this once (less you all get bored) I LOVE THIS SHOW Nathan Fillion is an amazing actor and takes the words he provided and just runs with it! Really everyone that works on this show is awesome, there has not yet been on episode where I thought “meh, could have done without this”. Great story arcs, great follow through, amazing writing, great lighting, I could go on..you get the idea.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191671/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

ELEMENTARY 2012-present

We are about mid way through the third season and this show just keeps getting better. I know a few people who are comparing this show to one called Shrelock and saying that this is a knock off but since I haven’t seen the other show…I can’t say. what I can say is that I am very much enjoying the twist of a female lead as Watson, and a not so different take on Sherlock, he is a dick! I love the introduction of a new character this season named Kitty who was a victim of a horrific attack. Really great writing, acting, just all around well done, must watch show.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2518480/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

BORDER SECURITY: CANADA’S FRONT LINE 2012-present

Most people who know me know I’m not much in to reality TV however this show is THE best reality TV on air right now. I’ve watched both the Canadian one and the Australian one and have to say both are extremely entertaining. If you want to check it out and live in Canada just visit Global TV’s website or on their mobile App to watch an episode. The things people try to get away with, or the stories they make up are just awesome. Anyone who works or has worked in Customer service will see some parallels with your job. It’s not scripted and you really never know what’s coming, after seeing a few episodes it is fun to guess.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3514324/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

SCORPION 2014-present

This show is in it’s first season and is said to be based on an actual person named Walter O’Brien, I guess that’s true but really doesn’t persuade me to watch it. I love the characters, the action is damn good and I haven’t seen these actors much so it was nice to watch a show where I didn’t see the actors as previous characters in my head. Sometimes the stories are a bit disjointed but overall the level of acting more than makes up for it and I do hope this show goes on for many more seasons.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460627/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

BONES 2005-present

Going into it’s 10th season and still going strong. With some shows after it’s been on as long as this one has it can start to get a bit stale but Bones has not had one drawn out episode, I enjoy the stories that this show continues to tell. There have been a number of times where I have had to pick my jaw up off the floor after some crazy stuff has happened. I was sad about the loss of a key character at the start of this season but I do understand the need to have characters in peril, keeps everything fresh and exciting. Although I feel some of the characters can be over the top sometimes, that is a small (very tiny) complaint I have. I really want this show to just keep on going!

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091909/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

MURDOCH MYSTERIES 2008-present

Set in the 1890’s William Murdoch sets about to solve crimes in the city of Toronto, the character uses some really inventive ways to find evidence which points to technology and practices we use today. One of the great themes during the 8 season it has been airing is that of woman’s rights. This was a time before women had the right to vote, before we could feel free enough to wear what we wanted. It’s great to see what it may have been like back in the day, the writers and prop masters do try to keep things as historic as possible. You never who is going to step out of the past and make an appearance.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2741602/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

THE BLACKLIST 2013-present

One of my favourite shows currently on, I always make sure to catch all episodes. It stars James Spader who plays one of the most Wanted men in the world by the FBI, he turns himself in in order to gain access to someone he knew when she was a kid. As the show progresses he helps the FBI catch some of the worst criminals out there some of whom the FBI didn’t even know exist. I can’t say enough good things about this show, not one bad episode or one miss by the actors, writers, and everyone involved. We are about halfway through season 2 so you can catch up and watch the rest of the season with me!

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3526078/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

SCHITTS CREEK 2015-present

This show has just started and it’s already on my list for one very good reason….it’s so funny. A great Canadian TV show wit so much talent and potential to have a very long run. Easy to catch up on if you have access to CBC’s website. It’s about this very well off family who end up losing almost everything they have due to a bad financial adviser who takes them for all they have. They are forced to move to this town that was purchased as a joke. Watching such seasoned actors letting lose and playing such crazy characters is refreshing…also it’s fun saying Scitts Creek!

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396347/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

RICK MERCER REPORT 2004-present

In the US there is The Colbert Report as well as The Daily Show with John Stewart, in Canada we have Rick Mercer Report. One of my favourite parts of Rick’s show is the segments where he goes out and tries really crazy things all over Canada. One year he came to here for the KW Oktoberfest, just recently I saw that he went to Variety Village and he hung out with some cool kids and tried his hand at wheelchair basketball. One of my favourites is when him and Jann Arden get together and go out on “dates”. If you have never seen any segments, look him up on YouTube and come back and let me know what you think!

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898266/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

THE BIG BANG THEORY 2007-present

PENNY?, PENNY?, PENNY?…wow how many times have I heard this since this show aired…..well yesterday was the most recent. This show is so good for so many reasons, watching them all evolve as characters and their relationships with each other is fun. Seeing all the guest stars from Bill Nye to Stan Lee make appearances has kept the show fresh. It hasn’t gotten old yet and I doubt for me it ever will.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364845/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1378167/?ref_=nv_sr_2)

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3560084/?ref_=nv_sr_3)

NCIS 2003-present

NCIS: LOS ANGELES 2009-present

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS 2014-present

I lumped all these in to one, because they are all NCIS shows, I don’t have a favourite, each spin-off of the original is so awesome. Again great characters, great writing amazing stories and arcs that they can play off of. They all follow the same premise but are all very different and I’m hooked with all of them.

uniquelypenny

Just another WordPress.com site

Month: February 2015

The power of a hashtag

Happy Chinese New Year!

Cooking Class #2

I’m tired so here are some pictures of our dogs

Must have…products

My take on New York Fashion Week

When it’s this cold, think, spring!

Random writings inspired by “642 Things To Write About” part 4

New Path….maybe….

Top 10 TV shows (On air)