Molly is our soon-to-be-17-year-old cat.  She’s a petite tuxedo, black with white chest, tummy and paws.  She’s always been small, but age has her shrinking down to just over five pounds.  She’s the love of my life.  She’s my baby. And last Saturday we almost lost her.

Without warning, a nasty infection and high fever rendered my sweet girl from lively and inquisitive into an almost lifeless state in mere hours.  If not for the Emergency Animal Hospital, I’m pretty certain Molly would have left us.  She’s on heavy doses of antibiotics and subQ fluids, but she’s with us, thank God.

So this week I’ve curtailed some of my Olympic activities in favour of sitting at home in front of the TV holding my Molly close.  And it’s been just heavenly.

Here’s to you, Mollykins, and to all the pets we love and have loved.  I’ll treasure you forever.

Like so many of us, my excitement and emotion began at the Opening Ceremonies at a local watering hole with some good friends and dozens of other happy and boisterous fans.  For a once-in-a-lifetime experience like this, I wanted to be with people who were as pumped as I was.

The Opening Ceremonies didn’t disappoint anyone who anticipated artistic excellence to rival the spectacles we’ve seen in past Games.  For me, though, it was some surprise appearances and awesome performances that have stuck in my mind.

• 16-year old sensation Nikki Yanofsky singing a very different, but riveting O Canada. This girl is destined for stardom!
• Our gracious and utterly human Governor-General Michaelle Jean opening the Games.  I am an unabashed fan of this woman.
• The Celtic dancers and fiddlers in a visually stunning routine.  Ashley MacIsaac rocks!
• k.d. laing’s moving rendition of Hallelujah – one of my all-time favorite songs by iconic Canadian Leonard Cohen.  Quite simply, I bawled.
• The Olympic flag carried in by people I revere and admire for so many reasons.  It was a joy to see Betty Fox, Bobby Orr, Julie Payette, Donald Sutherland, Anne Murray, Jacques Villeneuve and Barbara Ann Scott – but I was particularly overjoyed to see former General Romeo Dallaire, whom I consider a true Canadian hero.
• And of course, the torch lighting was perfect, but what made me happiest was seeing Nancy Greene and Rick Hansen.

I was hoarse and exhausted on the bus ride home.  But I was in great company.  Most of the people on the bus were either coming from the actual event, or had seen it somewhere on TV.

The driver asked over the intercom “So, how was it, guys?’

And we all yelled, “It was AWESOME!!”  And two days in, everything is still awesome.

We have gold, silver and bronze medals – and a ton of memories. And we have two more weeks to go:-)

Way to go, Canada.  You’re making us all proud.

What made my trip even more enjoyable this time was the driver – a woman who smiled, chatted and went out of her way to be helpful. No matter who got on the bus – locals she recognized, a homeless person looking to get a free ride, or a young mother struggling to maneuver a stroller on board – she extended the same courtesy, with the same smile. She made everyone on the bus glad to be along for the ride.

One woman actually complimented the driver on her positive attitude as she was getting off at her stop.  The driver smiled and said, “I love my job!” That was definitely evident.

Translink, take note.  I don’t know her name, but the driver of Main bus #2553 is a winner and a terrific ambassador for Vancouver. And she personifies what I hope will be our attitude toward each other during the Olympics – ever positive, ever helpful, and damn happy to be part of the fabric of this beautiful city.

But not everyone will be able to see those buttons.  Blind and visually impaired people like me, and many seniors with failing eyesight won’t be aware that you’re there to lend a helping hand.  So, here are a few things you can do to help:

• Remember that blind or visually impaired people aren’t always identifiable by a dog guide or white cane.  If you see someone who looks lost or uncomfortable crossing the street, or is having problems reading street signs or addresses, chances are they may have trouble seeing.
• Approach the person, and touch their arm lightly, and ask in a normal tone of voice if you can help at all. Don’t yell.  We’re blind, not deaf:-)
• Let the person take YOUR arm so you can guide them. Many people think they need to grab the blind person’s arm, which means that you’re dragging them around.  That’s very disorienting.
• If the person is using a white cane, don’t grab the cane and pull him/her along.  I’m serious.  It happens.
• If the person has a dog guide, don’t distract the dog by talking to it or petting it.  A dog guide is a working dog.
• If the person requires directions, make them very concise.  And don’t point in a direction.  It won’t help most of us.
• The phone number for the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Nantional Institute for the Blind is (604) 431-2121. Keep it handy.

Hope this helps.  Feel free to ask me or the CNIB for help.

Let’s make the Games memorable for everyone.

From the time I could remember, the Olympic Games have given me the ultimate sports high.  Winter or summer, I’ve been in a state of perpetual bliss, parking myself in front of every imaginable TV screen, from the teeny black and white of my childhood to our 20 year old color set. (This year, for the first time, it’ll be an awesome HD flat screen we’ve just bought. I’m pumped.)

And what a rollercoaster of emotions – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed, yelled, screamed and bawled my eyes out over the years.  My heart has alternately ached and swelled with pride for our Canadian athletes.  I’ve been captivated by the Red Ensign and the dear Maple Leaf hoisted above the medal platform.

I’m ready to do the whole thing again in less than two weeks.  But this time it’s going to be different. I’ll be living the Olympic experience in my new home in Vancouver, the host city.  I’ll be taking in two curling matches at a beautiful new facility just a mile or so from my home, where I can assure you I’ll be beside myself.

And  I’m part of an Olympic team as well.  No, we’re not athletes, but we’re bringing our own brand of dedication and passion to the Games.  The Metro Blenz News Squad will be telling the Olympic story through a variety of social media – the blogs we write, the photos we shoot, our Twitter and Facebook activity, and the visitors and locals we meet.

Why have I decided to get involved?  I have a few reasons.

I want to try to help people feel as comfortable and happy to be here as I have been made to feel.  I’m still new to Vancouver, still discovering, and I’m hoping to bring my unique ‘local visitor’ perspective to the table.

I also don’t think I’m the only excited, proud and rabid fan out there, and I want to help convey this unique experience over the next six weeks or so.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not, if you’ll pardon the pun, wearing blinders. No situation is perfect. There are many challenges. Not everyone is happy. Having grown up in Montreal, I know it’s fact of life in an Olympic town. It may be part of what I get to hear.  And I’ll write it down, along with everything else.

Log on to www.metroblenznewssquad.com and follow along. And if there’s something you think I should write about, leave me a comment.

Let the Games begin!

I love to keep in touch online, no matter where I am.  I find my very large-screen laptop a trial to lug around on the road, and tried a netbook. But the screen was so small that I was picking the darn thing up like a book.  Complete FAIL if you don’t want to draw undue attention to yourself at the local coffee joint.

Then I discovered the iPod Touch.  Love it for its portability and its ability to give me the independence to read email, post to Facebook and tweet to my heart’s content – fairly unobtrusively.

But it’s still a bitch to read over a long period, and the keyboard is minuscule.

I think for people like me who are legally blind, the new lightweight iPad and its larger screen may be a lifesaver.

Bottom line, I’m very interested.  But like anything else, it’s price-prohibitive and even totally out-of-reach for many of us.

So, for all you folks at Apple, I have a few suggestions for your consideration:

Make the life of visually impaired people a bit easier.

• Start working with organizations like the Lighthouse for the Blind and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to donate at least one iPad to every branch across North America  for their low-vision clients (I’d like to say world-wide, but I have to be practical)
• Donate an iPad to all the major schools for the blind in North America
• Involve visually impaired people like me in the development of the next generation of the iPad so we can give you solid feedback on what works and what doesn’t (and if you haven’t done that for any of your previous products – why haven’t you?)
• Give a discount to visually impaired consumers who’d be interested in purchasing an iPad (Proof of disability can easily be provided in the form of an ID card or doctor’s letter)

You’d be helping countless of thousands of people communicate more effectively and efficiently.  And isn’t that what Apple is mandated to do?

If anyone at Apple takes the time to read this, thank you!

Timeraiser was started in 2002 by a group of friends who wanted to find meaningful, relevant volunteer opportunities in their home community.  Seven years and 10 Timeraisers later, the initiative has grown into an annual event that operates in six cities across Canada.

It’s a charity with a twist, using a silent art auction to raise not money, but something equally as valuable.  Time.  That precious commodity we all have so little of, and is so desperately needed by cultural, social and health agencies that are chronically short of volunteers.

Participants meet with representatives from more than 25 diverse agencies – including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Operation Eyesight, Special Olympics and the Urban Native Youth Association – and match their skills to the needs of the organizations.  Once attendees determine where they want to get involved, they bid anywhere from 20-125 volunteer hours on artwork by some of Vancouver’s most talented emerging artists.  Winning bidders then have 12 months to complete their pledge before they receive the artwork as a reminder of their goodwill.

It’s a unique concept, and it’s captured the imagination of many across the country.  So far, Timeraisers have prompted 3,600 Canadians to volunteer, generated more than 45,000 volunteer hours for some 250 different charities, and invested $300,000 in the careers of cutting-edge artists.

Admission is $20.  I’m going to attend.  I haven’t volunteered in years.  It’s about time I did.  After all, I belong here now:-)

How about you?   For more info, or to register, visit the Timeraiser site here.

We managed to get our Ottawa house on the market – and it sold in mere days for the full asking price!  Miraculous!!

And I went back to Vancouver on September 1st and found a place to live – the main level of a little bungalow right in the Main Street neighborhood I’ve come to love so much.

Next steps – I fly back to Ottawa this coming weekend and supervise the packing and the move – and the most wonderful thing – I get to see the nice guys from 1-800-GotJunk drive away with a truckload of STUFF:-)  I’ll be a happy camper when that’s all done.

Then we close the house on the 30th, pay our bills and start a new chapter.

My husband Dave and I will begin a drive across Canada around October 2nd in plenty of time to meet the moving van at our new digs.  It’s a first for both of us and we’re very excited!  I’m hoping to meet up with fellow bloggers and Twitterers as we go…and of course, write about our impressions of a part of Canada that we’ll discover together.  I’ll be tweeting our destinations, so you all have an idea of where we’ll be stopping.

Praying for lots and lots of good Internet and cell coverage!

Wish us luck – and hope to meet many of you along the way.

In the meantime, though, I need to post a few more blogs this week to make up for lost time!

But of course, it wasn’t.

So I went over to Facebook, which for me isn’t my preferred vehicle of conversation.  Commiserated with a few fellow Tweeters who, like me, were starting to get twitchy. One dear old friend suggested to me that perhaps I needed a 12-Step Program…

I knew he was joking (really, he was!), but it did prompt me to realize that I was spending too much time staring at the screen, simply waiting for the bluebird to rise again.

So I walked away from the computer. I actually sat and read the paper. I called my mother. I curled up with my frail little 16 year old cat and told her how much I loved her.  And it felt good.

When Twitter came back up, I was relieved and happy – but I also reminded myself to approach this platform I love with a little more objectivity, a different perspective.  As much and as often as I am on Twitter, and as much as I value who I know and what I’ve learned there – there a lot more to savor.

So, no 12-Step.  But certainly one important one for me.

It’s now August.  And for me, it’s a pivotal time.  I’ve got to use this month to get our Ottawa house up for sale, de-clutter and streamline what possessions we want to hold onto and prepare to move my husband Dave and me to Vancouver and the West Coast I’ve come to love.

It’s not an easy decision.  All of my family is here – mom, sisters, nieces, nephews – and our little great-niece Kyra Alicia, born just this week.  I have a few very good and supportive friends here.   But it’s time to make a move.

The winters are hard.  A large house is too difficult for us to maintain.  Now that Dave is at retirement age, it’s a good time for a change of scene.  And at 55, I need to go where I think I have the best shot at working in the PR and social media professions I’m so passionate about.  I figure I have another 15-20 years in me:-)

So, wish me luck.  It’s definitely a ‘hump’ month.  I may not have time to post that much.  When I do, I may be bitchy.  Bear with me.  I’m relying on that light at the end of the tunnel.

And, oh yes – I’m available for work, either on the West Coast, or virtually.  Spread the word.

Thank everyone.  Good vibes, words of encouragement and a swift kick if I need it are all appreciated.

And if you’re also facing challenges this month, let me know.  We’ll help each other.

Happy Hump Month.