Breaking Bad

Yesterday we received season one, first disc, of Breaking Bad from Netflix. It's a television show on cable, I think AMC, that won some awards and the second season has recently started and so Hubby and I thought we should check it out.

The show centers on Walt, a high school chemistry teacher, who discovers he has terminal lung cancer shortly after turning fifty. A meek, mild man, Walt is emboldened by his diagnosis to seek a financial nestegg for his family by starting a meth lab. Perhaps it is some sort of mid-life crisis, or a sense of breaking free from his overbearing (and pregnant) wife, and his responsibilites at home.

Much like the substance he cooks up with the help of a former student, Breaking Bad is highly addictive. We watched the disc in one sitting and will pop it in the mail today so that we can continue watching.

Problems Sleeping

It's Saturday morning, sometime before seven, and I can't sleep. Alright, I've slept through the night but I have woken up and I can't fall back to sleep. It's been two weeks in a row where this has ocurred. Strangely, on weekdays I have no problem sleeping in. It's strange why I can't sleep soundly on Saturday mornings...and it drives Hubby crazy.

Helicopters and Hospitals

One can only hope that the Government of Quebec finally gets an air ambulance system up and running in the province as a result of the untimely death of Natasha Richardson. Perhaps if one had been operating she may have made it to the trauma center in Montreal within minutes instead of hours.

I never really gave much thought to medical helicopters until we came upon an accident (in the middle of nowhere) on a mountain road South of Taos, New Mexico last year. By the time we got there the police had stopped traffic going both ways and allowed for enough space for the helicopter to land and load the victims. It was amazing to watch it land on a tiny highway clinging to the side of a mountain, and how it probably saved lives that day because an ambulance would have taken hours in Memorial Day weekend traffic from Santa Fe.

Quebec has many remote areas (I know because I grew up in one) served by regional hospitals and if you require seeing a specialist you must travel hours to Montreal. (We always felt that the government believed the province ended just past Montreal.) Not every regional hospital has a CT scan or MRI. Actually, I think there may be more MRI machines in Dallas hospitals than there are in Canadian hospitals. (At the time we first moved to the US there was ONE MRI for the Eastern Ontario region and it was running 24 hrs a day!!) The regional hospital in the town where my family lives has a CT scan thanks to local fundraising, so I really do not know if the hospital in Ste Agathe has one.

Perhaps it might be in the best interest for all if the regional hospital in the Mont Tremblant area is equipped with a major trauma unit, CT scan, and MRI. Since this world-class ski hill caters to international travelers wouldn't the Quebec Government want to leave injured skiiers with the best medical experience? It's no secret that downhill skiing involves injuries so why not have the best medical facility available like Aspen does. The Aspen Valley Hospital is a 25-bed facility with a level III trauma center, CT scan, MRI, and state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I would choose Aspen over Mont Tremblant any day.

California Blonde

This morning I dragged myself over to my hairstylist because I could no longer tolerate my root situation. What with these tough economic times I was attempting to drag out the time between highlights...and I made it a whole eight weeks, six days. I tried, I really did, but those pesky white hairs drive me batty and I had become obsessed with them.

I love my stylist. She is super attentive to the highlighting process and, as a result, my blonde tendrils are healthier and less prone to split ends. The downside is she takes three hours to highlight and cut my hair. Okay, today it was more like two hours, 45 minutes, but that's still a long time. Perhaps it's because she uses an iron to straighten my hair instead of blowing it out. All the time it takes to be a California blonde.

Weighty Issue

Here's a link to a great column by Meghan McCain regarding a recent attack by Laura Ingraham on Ms McCain's weight. It's weird to think that in 2009 women are still prejudiced by their weight...and it's still a socially accepted practice as anyone can see by magazine covers.

American Idol Rule Change

I was surprised by American Idol changing their rules somewhat in order to 'save' a contestant from being kicked off because he/she did not receive enough votes from the American public. Perhaps the producers no longer trust the opinions of the voting audience and are scared that they might end up with another Taylor Swift. You might remember him. He won American Idol a few years back and yet his CD did not sell like hotcakes. In fact, I don't think it sold at all, although you can probably find a copy at Overstock.com.

In these shaky economic times the producers want to manipulate the show towards making the big bucks. I got that hint just by watching the auditions and Hollywood Week. Each show you could see them pushing certain singers, and even now you may notice that certain contestants seem to get better lighting than others. It's all about making money. But, I can't help but watch week after week, especially because I can vote now that we're living in the US.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Since moving to California last fall, all we have heard on the television news is how this state is in a drought. We must all be careful with water. But, for almost a week it has been cold and rainy here in sunny California. While it is wonderful for the water resevoirs it is terribly depressing weather. I miss the sunshine on my face.

Inauguration Envy

Like everyone else on the planet I was consumed by the inauguration yesterday. I sat glued to the sofa watching every moment. As a Canadian I was slightly envious of how well America transfers power from one administration to another. It's wonderful that there is time for the new president to be briefed and organized, as well as moving to the new digs in DC.

The big envy on my part is the inauguration. Love the pomp, pageantry and parades. It's amazing how everyone joins in the big party. Could this happen in Canada? Perhaps if they held it in November or May, but definitely not in January in Ottawa. Hopefully I'm not the only Canadian who took in yesterday's festivities and thought, "Why can't we do it this way?"

It's a Geico!

Overheard at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai last November:

"Look! It's a geico!" An older lady exclaimed while pointing at a gecko. Must be great advertising if someone refers to a reptile used in a television advertisement by the name of the product it is touting.

Frosty News

Back from Kauai and we are getting adjusted to the cooler temps here in the South Bay area as compared to Hawaii. At night it's been really chilly and there was some frost on cars this morning. Of course, this being California, it was on the local morning television news. Yes, frost was deemed newsworthy this morning. Now, if only I could get over how cold the broadcaster was who reported that a deadly car crash was "FINALLY getting cleaned up" so traffic could pass through, with zero respect that a human life was lost. Yikes. Hope I wasn't the only one bothered by the utter lack of compassion. Guess fatal car crashes are so common in Northern California that one does not warrant special regard.

Kauai Here We Come!

Hubby and I are off to Kauai tomorrow and I'm really excited. Of course, a trip means packing and I hate packing. Oh, yeah, this is where my procrastination gene kicks in. At the moment there are piles of clothes on the bed that need 'editing', so I am making progress, but I really don't feel like packing. Would be lovely to have a butler to do this for me...one can dream, right? Hmmm...I really should pack and not blog, but first I'm going on iTunes and get a few songs for the nano. Hopefully Hubby won't be reading this or else I may be getting a phone call to get my 'butt in gear'.