Boxing Day Plans

 Ahhh boxing day! My favorite day of the holiday season! A day filled with relaxing, and eating leftovers, doesn't turkey taste better the second day, or is that just me? I may even break out the LOTR trilogy to pass the time. I know one thing for sure...I am not getting dressed today. I'm also not opening the door to visitors either so stop by tomorrow if you really want to see me.

  Like most women I know, I do all the preparations for the season. For weeks now I've been getting a little less sleep than normal and being out and about more than I would like. Christmas Eve I played Santa, wrapped gifts, and cooked. Yesterday I picked up gifts and cooked. Today? Today belongs to me and my laziness. There are tons of leftovers to be reheated. Let me nap on the sofa and snore. I deserve it.

  The only person getting my attention today is my dog. He can cuddle with me. He can share my treats. He alone will get me off the sofa just long enough to let him outside then back in a few minutes later. 

  Update: I started writing this early in the day. I stopped for a minute and found myself 12 hours later doing exactly what I said I would do. I've spent the day napping and watching Emma though I had to restart several episodes as I had slept through most of them. My hubby stepped in and kept us fed and chauffered. The kitchen is clean and some of the gifts have found their way to their final destination. He was busy and is now watching Jack Ryan with his feet up.

  I hope you spent your Boxing Day how you wanted. Whether it was shopping the sales, spending more time with family, or traveling I hope you had fun. And for those of you who like me chose to do nothing I hope you were as successful as me. Now it's time for bed...good night!

  Ang

Happy Holidays!

 It's finally here...finally!! All the shopping, wrapping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, and planning have led you here. The perfect holiday season is in your grasp! Christmas Day will be perfect. You can just feel it. Today will be your crowning glory. Oh the memories your friends, family, and children will have. 

  Ok now wake up. You were dreaming. There is no such thing as the "perfect" holiday. It does not exist. Someone will always drink too much or bring up politics. Kids will have meltdowns. Grandpa will say he doesn't understand pronouns and Aunt Lori will spill her red wine all over the cat. It's called life and it doesn't stop or care, that you are creating perfection.

  In a few years' time, no one will remember how beautiful the ribbon was draped on your tree. Or that the dip was in the shape of a tree. But you can bet money everyone will be laughing over the drunk cat being hosed down in the kitchen sink! And you've got years of reminding the kids, once they are teenagers, how they rolled around on the floor because they only got two candies while their brother got three. Life is the best memory maker of all. We need to remember that.

  Forget the idea of perfection. Spend extra time with your guests. Laugh more and worry less. Use paper plates if you want. Buy a pie. Box stuffing can be your new best friend. The season is about the people you love the most..and a few you can put up with once a year. The sooner you realize that the happier your holiday season will be!

  Merry whatever you happen to be celebrating! 

  Ang 

Stop Whining

 While I do try to stay as positive as I can for the entire holiday season I just read an article that stole the Christmas spirit from me and turned me into Ebenezer Scrooge! The news report says, I'm paraphrasing here, that poor public servants are being mandated back to their offices and it's causing them so much stress as they search for child care.

  The Canadian federal government employees have been working from home for two years. In fact, many during the start of the pandemic were at home unable to work but still collected their above-average salaries. One person, who makes upwards of $100K, went eight months without working because they said a reliable internet connection was not available to them. Miraculously once he was told he would have to go back into the office and work or be laid off a connection was available. Funny how that happens isn't it?

  So while these workers stayed home and did their job while looking after their children now they need help. And the whining has begun. As has a lawsuit challenging the order back into the office. We all know the feds will not make them come in five days a week. Most are looking at a minimum of two days. And no one believes there will not be leeway on a start date. Federal government workers have perks the rest of the workforce could only wish for. 

  But we do need to remember that grocery clerks, first responders, and front-line workers have been paying each and every week for child care. They received zero sympathies and not one lawsuit was filed. Let's say on average it cost $500 a month...not even remotely realistic I know... for childcare. That's a $12K savings on the part of the civil servants that all the others had to pay. Not to mention parking, gas, and maintenance on their vehicles. It all adds up! 

  If these government workers wonder why they are the butt of jokes they need to look no further than themselves. Do some research. Make some calls. Find a safe and happy place for your kiddies to play. Stop complaining about how hard done by you are. Just stop.

  Ang

It Takes A Village

 You know that saying "It takes a village"? Once we send our children, our most precious gift, to school we are handing them to a village saying please help us. And they help us without question. Every single time. So why do we treat our villagers as poorly as we do?

  Before your little sweetheart gets to their "hut" someone has cleaned it. Sanitized it. Made sure no germs were there to harm them or make them sick. These same people washed down door knobs and handles, refilled soap dispensers and paper towel holders. All to keep Jack & Jill healthy to learn. Have we really forgotten the integral role these workers played during the pandemic to keep our kids safe and in school? Apparently, we did.

  Not all our angels can fly on their own yet. Some need extra love and care to help them live their best lives. They get someone just for themselves. A helper. A guide. A cuddler. A kind, dedicated person who fights for them in situations where they cannot fight for themselves. These villagers are extra special. All the other students and teachers would suffer without them. Without these special workers, some parents would never feel safe sending their children off to school. What a blessing they are!

  While the village is swirling with activity, and a little bit of chaos, someone is off on the side alone keeping everything working smoothly. If this was a normal admin job it wouldn't be that challenging. But that normal job doesn't include checking out cuts and scrapes and handing out ice packs. Or providing a tissue and a hug when the day gets too overwhelming for a six-year-old. Not to mention finding a safe place to store a tooth that fell out in class or divorced parents arguing in your small workspace over whose turn it is to volunteer for a field trip. In what other workplace is that normal?

  Yet here we are, AGAIN, fighting with these workers because they want to earn a living and be respected by the people who run this province. The average salary for an educational assistant in Ontario is $40850.00, an administrator $47005.00, and a custodian $48016. Only the longest serving in any of these professions pass the $50K mark. Look at those numbers. Are you okay with them? Would you be okay with making that sum?

  We have to stop paying those workers who take care of the most vulnerable in society unlivable wages. We must start treating them as the valuable resources they are and not only compensate them for it but respect them as well. Teachers get all the accolades and while deserving, they could not do their job without these support workers. It's time the government understood this and treated them as such.

  Our village is broken. They are asking for our help. They always have our backs and this time we need to have theirs!

  Ang

   

  

Delivery Is King

 A new Mexican restaurant opened near me a few days ago. Last night since there was just hubby and I having dinner, welcome to the world of teenagers, I decided I'd pop over and check it out. That turned out to be a frustrating but eye-opening experience.

 As I walk into the place, it's more takeout than eat in, there is one man in front of me and two people behind the counter. The customer is waiting for his food which is being prepared extremely slowly by the worker. Now I don't mean "we've just opened and I'm still learning slow". That I could understand. This was more slow slow. I'm struggling for a word but you get it.

  There was another employee who was not moving slowly. In fact, she was lightning fast. So why wasn't she asking me for my order? I was next and by now there were three others in line behind me. Because she does not wait on mere in-person customers. No she is the food delivery preparer. Those of us spur-of-the-moment clientele can wait but not the folks lying on their couches waiting for the doorbell to ring. They have priority. Interesting.

  Years ago the only restaurants that delivered were pizza places and Chinese restaurants. That was it. They had their own drivers and you paid and tipped at the door. And by 2am you were out of luck. Not anymore. Even gas stations will send you chips, ice cream, and pop thru a delivery service. You never have to go to bed hungry again! This has changed the take-out business like never before.

  My kids' order food all the time. To me, the extra costs associated with delivery, which can be as much as the order, make it worthwhile for me to throw on some clothes and head out into the night. Not for them. It's the norm. They are willing to pay for the convenience of someone dropping their late-night meals on the doorstep. And then tip on top of that. Especially when the app is connected to my credit card!

  Now restaurants, even new ones, don't need me as much as before. I'm not a priority. People ordering from home or the office take presidence. They are the ones who chose where to eat when they have an ever-increasing amount of options. They are the repeat customers. I am the icing on the cake.

  I won't be going back to that restaurant. Not because the food wasn't good or it was too expensive. Eating out is a luxury and if I'm going to spend my money on takeout I, at the very least, want to feel like my business matters. The least they can do is pretend it does. Even when it doesn't.

  Ang

  

 

We Are Full

 Friendship is hard to define. I have friends who I never see, rarely talk to, and view their lives from a distance through social media. Yet I know without a doubt that if I ran into Charmaine we would be chatting in seconds as if we saw each other the day before. Or Donna and I would be laughing over some stupid thing we did in our early 20's and how we desperately hope our kids don't ever find out! I never take for granted the fact that some people get me...cause many don't. 

   After a particularly rough year for us, I treasure my crew here more than words, and last night as we solved all our problems, laughed, cried, and broke a few things I looked at this group of incredible women and thought for the millionth time how lucky I am!! 

  When Isabella laughs we all laugh. She's got a show-stopping, contagious laugh. It is the sound of pure joy, disbelief and sarcasm rolled into one. I laugh with her without even knowing why. She laughs when most of us would cry. It's one of her superpowers. It leaves me feeling lighter and better equipped to see the absolute absurdity in life.

 Jane is one of the most honest people you will ever meet. About her life, her beliefs, her moral compass. Yet she can challenge you without confrontation and agree to disagree. All while saying the wine she is pouring will give her a migraine and giggling. 

  Amal is our rock. She's the one who gives us her stability, her strength. We know what her reaction will be, unless she's not working the next day then all bets are off, to any conversation. And we take comfort in that. More than she could possibly imagine. And she's reading this saying "that's not true" but it is. And we love you for it.

  Delilah is all of us rolled into one. She's conservative and liberal. She's strong and in need of a shoulder. She remembers everything and where it is. She's there for us 1000% of the time. Telling us to get up and blow our noses while passing the tissue box and wiping her eyes. Her trust in us to keep her secrets comes from knowing she remembers what the rest of us have forgotten!

  Francessca is our mama bear. She makes sure not too much time passes between our therapy sessions. Checking in on us. Keeping us connected in our busy worlds. She's a real-life superhero who can just as easily make fun of us as she can jump in front of a train to protect us. She has our back, even when we are wrong, then calls us a dumb-ass later. 

  Kate gives us a different perspective on life having had a polar opposite upbringing than all of us. She's "old school" with a modern twist. She will discuss any topic without hesitation and surprise us with her changing ideas as her life changes. Like Francessca, she will defend us to the death while rolling her eyes about how crazy we are. 

  While not with us anymore, she moved to the coast not died, our dear Kelly was the one who brought us all together. The one who said I like smart, quirky, eclectic women so let's put them all in a room together and see what happens. If it wasn't for her we wouldn't be. Even though you are not in the room with us anymore you are in the room with us. Always!

  And me well I'm the selfish one. I take each of the gifts these amazing, strong, beautiful women have and I use them. I use their strength and resilience when I feel overwhelmed and weighted down. I take their courage when I'm scared and their empathy when I can't see a way out. I guard their trust, their friendship, and their love like the crown jewels in the Tower of London.

  If you are lucky you see your friends in mine. Treasure them. You've hit the jackpot!

  Ang 

**names have been changed so no one can steal my friends**

Same Old Same Old Mayor

 Congratulations Ottawa on electing your new mayor yesterday. Surprise surprise we voted in another middle-aged, white male. He should fit in nicely with our premier and prime minister. Am I the only person in Ottawa who is tired of this exact same demographic running every level of government? I can't be. 

 Would a little diversity kill us? I don't think so. Imagine having someone in power who had lived different experiences, had a unique perspective on life or wasn't getting massive donations from local developers. Think of the city we could become! But no we are staying with the status quo. We chose to keep on the same path we've always been on since I moved here almost 20 years ago.

  I think we may have some big problems with our Mayor-Elect Sutcliffe. According to his bio, he is a writer and editor, and former journalist/broadcaster. He has zero political experience. You would assume before running for mayor of the nation's capital and a city of one million that you would at least have spent a term as councilor. You know, to figure out how things are down. The what's what and the who's who. Nope, this guy is gonna wing it.

 Good luck Mayor Sutcliffe. I hope you are successful. For all our sakes!

 Ang

 

  

Lesson Learned...Not!

  I did it again. I said to myself this year will be different. We are older. Wiser. Have more self-control. We learned our lesson. It will not happen again. Not to us. I didn't ask for a second opinion I just did it. No one can stop my blind faith in my family. No one. We are better than this. That's right I bought Halloween candy early!

  Casually strolling through the aisles of the pharmacy last week I saw the candy display. Treat size chocolate bars, licorice, peanut butter cups all on sale. Everything is expensive so it makes sense to buy early if it's saving you money. You don't need an economics degree to figure that one out. Basic common sense.

  Like any fiscally responsible adult I put enough for our expected trick or treaters in the cart. After checking out, I peek at my receipt to revel in my savings...$11 how fabulous is that??? That's dinner for four. Spaghetti, meatballs and sauce. If we buy the cheapest pasta we might even have enough for garlic bread. How smart am I?

  On the way home from my money-saving shopping spree I drop off a few things for my mother-in-law who is in the hospital. As I pick up her bag I realize she would love some of these little treats. She's got a sweet tooth. What a boost to someone who is in covid lockdown in the hospital. We open the box and grab several handfuls to put in the care package. I'm so glad we bought them.

  As soon as we get home, minus a few to try ourselves, they get put aside for a few weeks. The box of cheesies is too large so it sits in the entryway til I can find a suitable resting place. Besides they are taped shut. No one is going to open them. We are not those people. 

  That was one week ago. The Halloween candy is no longer on sale. It seems the store is smarter than the rest of us. They know we all buy pre-Halloween treats at the sale price. More importantly they know we all eat that cheap candy ourselves and will be back to buy the over-priced treats on Oct 30 and 31! Marketing geniuses! 

  The 45 bags of cheesies are in the mid-teens. In our defence they are very small and the dog loves them. Happily there are some bars and candy left. I'm a little scared to see just how many. I'll just combine the two and call it enough. We will never learn will me?

  Maybe we will get lucky and it will rain that night. 

  Ang

  

  

  

Ghosts of Christmas Past

  I know it's too early but I have Christmas decorating fever. I'm spending too much time on Pintrest looking for new and more beautiful ways to decorate my home. Last night I started thinking about Christmas past and my own family's traditional decorating. I thought I'd share it with you.

  Growing up we had a real tree. It was always in the same spot in the living room tied to the window so that when the cat climbed up it, as they always did, the tree would not end up on the floor with broken glass embedded in the carpet as it did a few times before the string. Every second day someone would wriggle under the tree to the base to water it. Almost always missing the tree stand bowl! Because it would dry out inside, the decorating began just a week before the big day so there would still be needles left on the tree when New Year's Day rolled around. Mom would start later than others as she left it up til "Old Christmas" which was January 6th. A whole entire week extra.

  The process of actually putting on the ornaments could not begin til Uncle Bernie could spend a day putting the lights on. And yes it seemed to be a full days project. Mom thought she did a horrible job hanging the lights, she did a great job, but in her mind his way was perfect. I think they enjoyed spending time together more than he was an expert. They would laugh, play a few games of cards, laugh some more, and somehow the lights would get installed. She bought a fake tree, complete with lights, after he died. It was never about the lights.

  We always had garland strung from the ceiling of the living room and over the doorways. Not the green fake branches stuff but the shiny, colored, "don't let the cat eat it he'll die" stuff. We all loved helping til it came time to put on the tinsel. No one wanted anything to do with that! Mom was adamant those little silver strands went on one at a time. One at a time! A week before Christmas we were beyond excited that Santa was coming and relatives were bringing gifts and she would demand we went slowly? Not gonna happen.

 Mom had those stiff paper Christmas bells that were all the rage years ago. The kind that opened up with a couple of metal pieces to fold over. She hung those in the center of doorways and from windows. A small one always hung from the kitchen doorway that led into the hall. I used to jump as high as I could to try and swat it. As years passed my head would hit it if I didn't move. I swatted it every single time. 

  We never had wreathes but always a string of blue lights across the front of the house. Those stayed on all night on the 24th and 25th. One year Dad made a star and hung it from the top of the pine tree in the front yard. He climbed as high as he could and ran extension cords to light it up. He was so proud. As he got older the one string became two, then three then enough so the space station could see it as they went by!

  I just realized something. I don't remember many of the presents I got. Yet I can tell you in perfect detail how beautiful our home looked with the lights and decorations. How I used to lay on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket staring at the tree and the gifts with multicolored bows arranged carefully underneath. Even the special Christmas dishes that we had to pre-wash to get the dust off of before we could use them. 

  Funny how we think the memories will be about the gifts. Not even close.

  Ang

  

  

Life In A Nutshell

  In order to clear my mind of all the posts I wanted to write, started to write, or couldn't quite get right I've decided to do a quick recap. Just to see if that will make me finish a post or two. Here goes...

  The Queen died and I saw Elton John in concert. On the same day. I will never forget the look of pure joy on my 15-year-old piano-playing son's face when Elton took the stage! Toronto was fun as always but my sore ankle didn't appreciate it.

  I went to Nova Scotia on holiday and it never disappoints! Air conditioning sales should be increasing though. We had seafood and breathed in the salt air. Time restraints meant we didn't see as much family as we had hoped but I'm trying to squeeze in a return trip before winter.

  We were blessed to share in the joy of Michelle and Justin's wedding! They looked so happy it brought tears to my eyes. Both of them looked stunning though to be fair she would be beautiful in a paper bag as would he. The added bonus of spending four days with her parents, who I absolutely adore, made the celebration even better. 

  A few health scares within the family kept us on our toes. Covid gave my mom some trouble and being 90 hit my mother-in-law hard at times. Both came out stronger and we breathed sighs of relief all around. Getting treatment for one foot put the other out of commission for me. Sometimes the cure really is worse than the problem.

  Once again we are a two-vehicle family. Three drivers, soon to be four, and one car does not a happy household make! Especially when one of them works long hours and the city's transit system sucks. While we have transportation what we don't have is a pool. Well, we have one it just has a massive hole in it. Trying to get someone to fix it is a struggle that it seems we are going to lose. One more thing for us to figure out.

  School is back in session. Year 2 of university and grade 10. Where has the time gone?? When did my cute babies become handsome young men! Smart and kind. What a combination. I can't wait to see the lives they create.

  Tons more happened. Some really should have been shared and lessons learned imparted. Such is life. We are all busy. We are all stressed. We all need a week on a beach with our toes in the sand. 

  My mind is clear. 

  Ang

Lemonade

  With the start of every new school year, I make a vow to get better organized. Every single year. At first, I gave myself a break because only one child was in school. It's impossible, for me anyway, to get much done with a toddler running around. Then they were both in school and I gave myself the first week back to relax and enjoy the quiet. Fast forward too many years, that went by waaaaay too quickly, one is in university and the other in grade 10 and I'm still making the vow and still not organized!

  I feel like I failed myself over the years. I had the opportunity to totally dismiss the chaos of clutter from our lives. An opportunity squandered. Now I sit here wondering why we kept a soother and unsure where the business taxes from last year are hiding! 

  Two of my favorite people on the planet are master organizers. They could teach a course on how to declutter and find a place for everything. One even has an entire system in place with labels and every receipt laminated. While I envy her skills I also want to mess the entire cabinet up. Jealousy is a horrible thing. Sorry Jen.

  In my head I know I can do it. Put things away as they come in. Print out my bank statements and bills. But knowing and doing are two very different things. I've even gone so far as to buy pretty things to put papers and files in...they sit empty on a bookcase. 

  I don't like clutter. Honest, I don't. I want to know that things are in their rightful places and everything has a rightful place. Even though I complain about it often I do absolutely nothing to fix it. Well unless you count buying those pretty organizers that are still empty and now covered in dust.  

  Maybe I need to be honest with myself and accept the fact that an organized life is not in the cards for me. Realize there is nothing wrong with writing important reminders on the backs of envelopes that go in the junk drawer. Understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of when I find a can of sunscreen that expired six years previous in my vanity. Or a Ziploc bag full of pens in the closet, none of which write. 

  And maybe, just maybe, I need to celebrate the fact that I can find the dog's medicine in under five minutes and discovering that yes indeed I do know where the spare car keys are. Not to mention that I remember where my phone charger is and where I hid the Christmas presents I bought in January.

  Lemonade my friends. Lemonade.

  Ang

  

The Kernick Life Reno Edition

  As some of you may have noticed I have not been writing much lately. I found I needed a break as my life seemed filled with more negativity than I was comfortable with. I had hoped that in sharing the daily turmoils I would be free of them. Well, at least free-er. But that didn't happen. In fact the opposite did. I dwelled. I ruminated. Like all things that don't work out, it's time to start fresh. With that in mind...

  Welcome to The Kernick Life Reno Edition. If you know me at all or read my blog for the past 5 years, you'll know we are in a constant stage of renovation. It never ends and won't for the foreseeable future. So why not combine my love of writing and my experiences renovating! I should warn you it's not going to be pretty. Doing all the work yourself on a very, very tight budget, with your spouse (!) is never easy. And while progress is slow there is progress.

  I'll begin the journey tomorrow. Right now I need to get this drywall dust off my clean sweater. Before you ask, no I wasn't sanding something, it's just everywhere.

  Ang

  

What Will It Take?

  Serious question...what will it take, what line will have to be crossed for you to stop supporting this "truckers convoy"? I ask because from my point of view it should have been a few weeks ago. Forget about the swastikas and confederate flags. Put aside the placards about trans people and LGTBQ. Which should have been enough on day one by the way. What is your line in the sand?

  Remember three months ago when everyone was talking about our veterans and the sacrifices they made for us and how much respect we have for them? Some of these same people used the National War Memorial as a public bathroom!! Is there anything more disrespectful? Maybe dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?? That's got to be close. Yet people within my own family and some friends continued to support these people. 

  Disrespecting the vets didn't do it what about arson? Two protesters went into an apartment building, started a fire close to a wall, and on their way out taped the door handles so no one could get in or out. Families, children, people with disabilities, the elderly all live there. These "freedom fighters" were okay with them all burning to death. What other conclusion could you draw from that? Don't believe me? There is video! They didn't even try to hide their faces. That isn't enough to change your mind?

  How about a woman walking home from work, and being threatened with sexual assault if she doesn't remove her mask? You must have a daughter, sister, cousin, friend, or niece. What would you think if that was her? Would that make you think twice? What if they just ripped it off her face without the verbal threat? Could you live with that? Apparently you can.

  The latest threat is protesting in front of schools. Horns blowing. People yelling. Children being confronted for wearing masks. How's that affecting your support? Terrorizing kids in a place they are supposed to be safe. You ok with that? It's already happened. Why? Because you continue to turn a blind eye to their terrorist tactics. 

  It's obvious these "freedom fighters" are emboldened. You have made them that way. Your unwavering support has given them the courage to do something even more reprehensible. Every time you post on social media a complimentary article you give them power. And they take that as permission to push boundaries even farther. Cause you told them you are ok with everything they have done so far. Congratulations you've made a difference in our country.

  I ask again...what is your breaking point? If the previous two weeks' events haven't changed your mind will anything?  If this gets violent, and it very well might, will someone dying be enough? 

  Ang

Occupational Musings

  Hey! I know I know I've been MIA for 7 months. Let me assure you it is NOT because I suddenly had nothing to say. Quite the opposite. I think I had too much. But the old "who will this anger" came up so often I knew I must take a break to remember why I started this little life memoir. If I was worried about who would be mad at my opinion instead of actually giving them then why bother. So I stopped. 

  But now I feel refreshed. Invigorated. Ready to anger the masses if need be. In later posts, I may catch you up on a few things that have happened but today I'm going to focus on the here & now. Lord knows there is enough going on to keep me busy. Let's begin...

  What started out as a protest of vaccine and mask mandates by some truck drivers, more on that lie later, is now occupation of the nation's capital! Do not let anyone fool you. It's an occupation. Citizens are terrorized, bullied, scared to leave their homes, threatened with physical and sexual violence if they do not do what the "protestors" want them to do. If it was in any other place in the world we would call it just that. An occupation. 

  Businesses are closed and will remain so in the foreseeable future. People will not be getting paid making rents harder to meet and less food in the fridge. Making life a little more difficult during this ongoing pandemic for those who have had it rough for almost two years. And the protesters say they will remain until the federal government does away with ALL restrictions. Yeah...that is never ever going to happen.

  Almost all of the restrictions and health measures put in place are done by the provincial governments. Not the feds. Ottawa is Canada's capital city, not Ontario's. Or Alberta's. Or Manitoba's. Why come here to have restrictions lifted? Don't you realize PM Trudeau doesn't have the authority to do it? Basic civics people.

  One of the few mandates the feds could change is the need for travelers to be vaccinated to return to Canada or isolate for 10 days. Now let's remember this "protest" is supposedly about vaccines for truck drivers carrying supplies from the US to Canada. Maybe the feds should remove that mandate. But wait. The United States have their own rules and one of them is that ALL people crossing the border be fully vaccinated. Including truck drivers! If PM Trudeau changed it this second Joe Biden sure as hell isn't going to! 

  Remember when I said this protest was started by truck drivers? According to the Trucker's Union, approximately 90% of all drivers are doubly vaccinated. And they are working right now keeping the supply chains open so you and I can eat, buy clothes, and renovate our basements. Wait a second, if the truckers are vaccinated and working who are these people disrupting the lives of downtown dwellers?

  We know that the Proud Boys, who are listed as a terrorist organization in Canada, are here. Confederate flags are flying and since that is a US symbol of racism we must assume those waving them are from a racist group of some sort. Swastikas have been seen on multiple occasions. That brings in the neo-nazi groups. Placards against the LGTBQTrans community are common. Are you seeing a trend? Yes, there may be a few truck drivers but they have been infiltrated by hate groups. Overtaken even. And whatever message they might have wanted you or the government to hear has been overshadowed by these hangers-on. 

  I am all for peaceful protests. It is part of living in a democracy. A necessary part. But holding a million people hostage till the government caves to your demands is not peaceful and certainly not Canadian. Sigh...apparently I am wrong on that last one.

Ang