Cathy's Clean Slate

Olympics, Interrupted

Posted on February 26, 2010 by cathy

It’s hard to believe that these marvelous Games are close to ending. I should have spent the last several days braving the lineups at the Olympic Houses and the zipline, wandering up and down Robson and Granville Streets and generally drinking in the atmosphere. But I didn’t. Because of Molly.

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.

Posted in Cathy Browne, Uncategorized | Tagged Cathy Browne, cats, pets, Vancouver Olympics 2010 | 2 Comments

First Impressions that Last

Posted on February 15, 2010 by cathy

Well, the Olympics are in full swing, and this wonderful city of Vancouver is absolutely electric. I’ve never seen so many people from so many parts of the world having so much fun! And I’m proud of all of us locals (with or without blue jackets) who are ready with a smile and a helping hand.

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.

Posted in 2010 Winter Olympics, Cathy Browne, Uncategorized, Vancouver | Tagged Cathy Browne, Vancouver, Vancouver Olympics 2010 | 1 Comment

A Ride to Remember

Posted on February 9, 2010 by cathy

On Sunday, I hopped on the Main bus to meet a friend downtown. I love the Main bus. It meanders down my beloved Main Street neighborhood full of mom and pop businesses, wonderful clothes shops that showcase the best of Canadian fashion, and of course, some of my favorite restaurants. (I plan to do a photowalk later this week and will post shortly after.)

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.

Posted in 2010 Winter Olympics, Cathy Browne, Uncategorized, Vancouver | Tagged Cathy Browne, Translink, Vancouver, Vancouver Olympics 2010 | 1 Comment

Extending a Helping Hand – Literally

Posted on February 4, 2010 by cathy

My good friend and fellow Metro Blenz News Squad teamate Bonnie Sainsbury wrote a great post the other day about the Ask Me! button campaign that will alert visitors to Vancouver’s Olympic Games that the wearer of the Ask Me! button is friendly, approachable and helpful. It’s a wonderful way to break the ice for people who may feel shy or intimidated at the thought of talking to strangers, and I encourage everyone to read Bonnie’s post and pick up a button.

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.

Posted in Cathy Browne, Uncategorized, blind | Tagged Cathy Browne, Vancouver Olympics 2010, visual impairment | Leave a comment

Telling the Olympic Story – One Experience at a Time

Posted on February 3, 2010 by cathy

I’ve never been what you’d call athletic. I couldn’t play sports myself because I couldn’t see enough. So over the years, I’ve channeled my passion for sports into being the best and most enthusiastic fan I could be.

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!

Posted in 2010 Winter Olympics, BC, Cathy Browne, Uncategorized, Vancouver, social media | Tagged blogs, curling, Facebook, Metro Blenz News Squad, social media, Twitter, Vancouver, Vancouver Olympics 2010 | Leave a comment

Dear Apple – A Slightly Different Perspective on the iPad

Posted on January 27, 2010 by cathy

After such a long time away from my blog, there are admittedly many things I should be writing about…but this is important to me and so many people out there who are visually impaired.

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!

Posted in Cathy Browne, Uncategorized, blind, communications, visual impairment | Tagged Apple, Cathy Browne, iPad, visual impairment | 17 Comments

Giving the Gift of Time

Posted on September 22, 2009 by cathy

Like many people, I sometimes complain about how social media can bring out the worst in people. But social media also brings out the very best in us. I’ve seen it Danny Brown‘s remarkable 12for12K campaign, in the two Twestivals I’ve attended in Vancouver – and in the latest charitable event that’s happening this Thursday, September 24th at the Roundhouse in Yaletown – the second Vancouver Timeraiser.

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.

Posted in Charities, Uncategorized, Vancouver, Volunteering | Tagged Arts, Charities, Vancouver, Volunteering | 1 Comment

A Bit of an Update

Posted on September 22, 2009 by cathy

Well, we made it through the Hump Month of August, and did just about everything we set out to accomplish.

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!

Posted in Cathy Browne, Twitter, Uncategorized, Vancouver | Tagged Cathy Browne, moving, Twitter, Vancouver | Leave a comment