$3. 30,000 people. 2 months... an interesting concept

This might just be one of the most exciting examples of fundraising out there… just simply asking for money. And asking for a personal cause, none less. “Brendan B” from Vancouver, BC is trying to build a network of people using a Facebook group and a website to generate $90,000 in donations to get him to Oxford. The concept is to just simply ask friends and family for money, ask them to pass it on to their friends, and so on, and so on, and so on. If he doesn’t actually raise enough to go, he’s committed to forwarding what he does raise to some other worthy causes.

A New Challenge: Squidoo

So I was browsing LinkedIn Q&A's and came across a recommendation for a site called squidoo. Well, there was no way I could see a word like that with a hyperlink and not get sucked in. Here's what I found:

The idea behind squidoo is that everyone can be an expert on something, so anyone can build a page, or "lens", about it using their own knowledge, web-based sources, rss feeds, content from Amazon, Flickr or YouTube. The first lens I saw was by a woman who I found on Twitter - mynameiskate - who built one on cool laptop bags. I kid you not, it's an entire page on some really cool laptop bags! Oh the irony. Anyway, the point of this is awareness. The more a piece of content is referenced on the web, the more likely it is to be popular, the higher the search ranking. Here is the description of a squidoo lens, as posted on the squidoo site:

• An insanely easy-to-build, single page online.
• Your signpost about something that matters to you.
• A place to recommend your favorite stuff.
• A popular way to get found more on the web.
• A free (yes, free) way to earn a royalty. For you or for charity.
• Word of mouth at your fingertips.
• Squiddylicious.
• Something you should have if you care about getting the word out, about selling something, about changing minds, about sharing info, or if you just love to create, express yourself, and play.

About that royalty... the revenue from the Google content ads on the squidoo lenses get paid out however the author of the lens chooses: they will pay to the general squidoo charity kitty, to the charity of choice of the author, or directly to the author in cash. Brilliant idea for generating a user-base.

So anyway, I got to thinking, what do I know about? Well, interestingly enough I know all about the Grouse Grind and am, in fact, mandated to spread the word about it. So why not build a Grouse Grind squidoo lens and see if it does anything for search engine ranking and increased visitation to the Grouse Mountain website. You really have to check it out to understand it. It basically just amalgamates a bunch of information from wherever you find it in one place. I do think this particular page now has to be the most informative single web page about the Grouse Grind anywhere on the internet.

If it makes any money I'll consider it commission ;)

First Grouse Grind in 3 Years

Well today was the day. I haven't done the Grouse Grind since before I got pregnant with mini-man, nearly 3 years ago. Life is different than it was back then, and I'm in WAY worse shape lol. Now that the grind is open for the season, I figured I might as well try and work this in to my regular life.

I've decided to try and do the grind once a week for the summer. That would make my complete exercise regimen one Grouse Grind, one 90 minute hot yoga class and two kickboxing classes each week. I never was a big fan of going to the gym with all the other gym rats, so I have to keep things fun.



Anyway, I started out at 12:10pm today - had to take advantage of nap time in order to fit it in. It wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be, despite people looking at me oddly given I kept stopping to take photos. I realized that I didn't have much in the way of Grouse Grind photos to use in my work, so I might as well take some. Who knows if they're any good. Posting them here will be the first glimpse I get of them.

Here's the view from about half way up:



So I'll shamefully admit my time was roughly one hour and 16 minutes. It's a far cry from my pre-motherhood days of 53 minutes, which I'd thought was still relatively slow. And there was this guy who was much like a gazelle who kept bounding up around me and then waiting for his friends... I'd pass him while he waited and then again he'd spring up and past me taking what seemed like 3m leaps. Crazy. I'm not built like that, and I never will be, but that's okay.



Here's hoping this Mother Nature's Stairmaster can whip my booty into shape this year.

For the love of motorbikes

I have to say, I wonder what percentage of new motorbikes purchased get sold to a second rider vs. those that get totalled. *hmmm*

So yesterday at 4:30, big-man calls me at work from his cell... he's totalled his bike, but he's okay. I'm his first call *BRILLIANT* lol! I leave work immediately and make my way to the Cypress Mountain lookout where he says he's sitting at a picnic table and some nice passers by have given him a bottle of water... um, okay, thanks I suppose.

So I called for an ambulance on my way there - not sure if he did too, actually - by the time I got there we had two ambulances, a fire truck and the fantastic West Vancouver Corporal So-n-So, whose name escapes me - he's the guy who drives up and down that road in a tinted out Charger trying to entice people to race and gives them a ticket as soon as they do...

So anyway, here's what happened: big-man came down the hairpin turn at the Lookout and as he came around to the straight section in front of the parking lot, he hit some gravel that had been brushed into the road by a car that took the shortcut. The gravel took him into the grass where he figured he'd ride it out until he could get back on to the road, but didn't realize there was a cement culvert hiding in the grass.

The front end of his bike shattered on impact, flipped him and the bike over in the air, and tumbled again (I think with him off the bike at this point), coming to a standstill as a broken heap in the grass. He walked away and proceeded to call me.

After 5 hours at LGH, the doctors couldn't find a thing wrong with him... he's sore, but alive and unscathed. He has a scratch on his forehead and some abraision on his thigh, but was wearing full leg armour, butt/thigh armour, reinforced leather jacket and a great helmet.

I believe God is not finished with him yet on this earth...

Amazing Baby Drummer

Here's my cool find of the day.



Here I thought I was going to be well ahead of the game with plans to get mini-man a drum kit for Christmas this year... he'll be almost 3 by then. Maybe I should have got it last Christmas, I don't know.

I'm amazed at how quickly kids pick stuff up if you only take the time to nurture their curiosities.

A Vision From God

Today I received a vision from God. I think it might well have been my first one. I've never felt God showing me something so clearly before.

I've had a really interesting week and think that I'm on the verge of something exciting that God wants to use me for... don't ask me why. I was driving downtown yesterday and praying in my car. I found myself shocked and amazed and forever grateful that God could actually use a dirty, hopelessly broken vessel like me for anything. I mean, I sin all the time! Not a day goes by that I don't feel the need to repent multiple times. There are plenty of days I don't even think people would be able to tell I'm a Christian, yet I profess to be a spirit-filled disciple of Jesus. If Jesus is in me, what have I done with him?!

This morning as we were praying in preparation for worship, I received a very clear vision from God: It was a clay pot. A dirty, broken, old clay pot that looked like it might have been through an earthquake and a fire. It was full of holes and cracks, chipped around the edges and scratched all over. But out of those holes and cracks was a light. The whole area outside the pot was illuminated only because of the many cracks and holes. If that clay pot had not been broken at all, there would be no way for the light to shine through... and better, it was beat up beyond recognition allowing the entire area around it to receive that light rather than even just a ray or two.

I think God was trying to tell me that no matter my shortcomings, my sin, my weaknesses, my lack of skill or preparation for something... if it's something He wants to do through me, He's going to do it regardless. All I have to do is let His light shine. I think sometimes in this life we try and cover up all those cracks and holes with a veil. We don't want people to see that we have weaknesses and sins and shortcomings. We don't want people to know that we aren't perfect. But in covering up all the holes and cracks we shut in the light in so it can't be used to light the way for anyone else. Just a thought...

A Letter to My Thighs

Dear Quads,

I do apologize for the assault on Thursday night. The crab walking and endless kicks were not my idea. I, like you, prefer to hang out in a relaxed state, martini in hand, on a nice lawn chair somewhere. I completely understand your frustration with the type of endeavour, especially given that we've been sick and have missed several kickboxing classes as of late. You know I try my best not to miss, but sometimes it's simply unavoidable. Why so angry?

Please reconsider the punishment you are offering. Without the ability to lower myself slowly to a seated position, I might actually break something whilst falling to the floor in a heap. I do have a two-year-old after all, and I have to be able to fold you underneath me without tears so I can participate in the day's floor activities - blocks, crayons and the like.

I do hope you'll feel a little better about the situation tomorrow. Please just know it was unintentional - I would never purposely create a rift between us. I love you quads.

xoxo

Long Weekend

Well, it's a long weekend for me, anyway. I'm taking tomorrow off. I feel like it's been too long since I last blogged, but honestly I typed on my mobile for half an hour the other night only to have the "publish post" button not do a single thing on my iris. I was so angry. I almost decided to give up on this blog altogether lol.

Anyway... now I find myself with far too much stuff in my head to even pick something to write coherently about. It's all just ramblings of a crazy woman at this point. What's the use? Tomorrow is a very exciting day. I can't share the details with the world, but it's something very interesting and maybe I'll be blessed with a fantastic story to share when all is said and done.

This weekend I'm in the team leading worship at my church. I absolutely love it. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing than singing with this team of people. I absolutely love them, and I love singing praises to God. I am so grateful for everything I have in my life... my family and my home, my friends and my church, my job and some disposable income for extras... that is golden. Absolutely golden. Sometimes I think we can have a tendency to forget that not everyone has that. In the rat race to the top of the corporate ladder it's really special when you find something you love doing with people around you that you love hanging out with every day. I'm really blessed to have that.

Anyway... life may be just about to take a very interesting turn. On that note, I'll just share one of my favourite songs these days - "Remember Me" by Mark Schultz. Someone put a little slide show video to it... it's nice.

A Little Funny

So I was just on YouTube uploading a new video and noticed that some people have apparently decided I have uploaded a funny... it's from a while ago, but I thought I'd add it here to spread a little more laughter.



I think it's dangerous to be too strict with parenting.