Whoever coined the phrase “a change is as good as a rest” needs a firm slap. I’d volunteer to be the chief slapper only I’m too exhausted from every life change imaginable to do the honours. I’m the shrink here, so I’ll dole out a bit of free advice for you: next time you decide [...]

Oh but Canada is marvellous. The convenience I tell you! Grocery stores and malls and shops open until the wee hours of 9 p.m., plus the miracle of Sunday shopping. A gym (with a women only section), dental and medical clinics and a hardware store just up the street. And words fail me at the [...]

It appears I have landed in a strange land of all things athletic. The crowd here are either running just for the hell of it or racing around town on super cycles to yoga and pilates, after which they meet up to sip hemp/kale/algae smoothies and chow down on gluten-free tofu burgers with a side [...]

Sometimes I wish I created a blog that was built on a platform of profanity, as now would be the perfect time to let every available expletive fly. But before I delve into the details where one finds the devil, let me first say that I have arrived in Victoria—safe and sound, well, in body [...]

Well, the Big French Adventure has come to an end. What an interesting, exhilarating (at times, frustrating), up, down, and all around time it has been. I’ll tell you this: I admire anyone who can live here and not spend every cent they have on Meursault wine and pastries, anyone who can master both spoken [...]

So much for soaking up Swiss culture. The list of continental transition tasks defies description, from the complex and important, like navigating Swiss tax regulations, to the incredibly mundane, like airing out the gigantic, dusty hockey bag that will carry my worldly possessions across an ocean—a fitting piece of luggage for a triumphant return to [...]

I had planned to write a long and sappy, yet charming and witty post thanking Rusty/Big Red/My Better Two-Thirds for this adventure of mine (everything from funding the finding to feeding the giraffe), but then I remembered he doesn’t read my posts very often—bastard. Regardless, I sat down to write my thank-you note, but I [...]

Now that I know I’m leaving La Suisse, I’m trying to pay extra attention to the nuances of European culture before I resume my midnight Miracle Whip runs to the local Mac’s Convenience store. This week I’m noting the union of culture and currency. To be sure, the Swiss are famous for a lot of [...]

Okay, for anyone who’s curious about where I’ll be finding me next: think ocean and mountains and vineyards. Think temperate climate, totem poles, Chinatown, orca whales, and people who say please a lot. Come the morning of May 1st, I’ll be opening my eyes on beautiful Vancouver Island. Not exotic or exciting enough? May I [...]

So, because my life simply isn’t messy enough at the moment (I now have more chaos in my life than chocolate, and that’s saying something), I decided to spice things up a little last week with a job interview. And not just any old interview. No, no, my Finders, as you well know, I live [...]

For someone who has a clear penchant for planning and knowing, I sure seem to spend a lot of time in limbo land. I do know where I’m going, as do a select few of you. I’m impressed it hasn’t been ‘leaked’ yet, and you better keep your lips sealed as I aim to have [...]

I’ve been this tall (about 6 feet) since I was 12, so that’s over 3 decades of towering above the masses, and there’s no denying it: it’s generally a good thing. You can always spot me in a crowd and if you need someone to dust the top of the fridge, I’m your gal. But [...]

Finders, it’s official: I’m moving. Again. I don’t mean across town, I mean to a different country. Exactly where is not important. For now, it’s enough simply to divulge the drama of the impending déménagement—that’s French for repeatedly doing things that might lead to complete physical and mental collapse. In case I’m misunderstood, I’m in favour [...]

Lately, every time I turn around, it’s March 16th. So what, right? Well, on this past March 16th, I found myself hitting 45 years on this Earth. 45. That’s halfway to 90. And yet, I don’t feel a day over 70. I’d launch into the whole 45 is the new 35 schtick, but I believe I [...]

So a while back, a lovely Canadian journalist contacted me to do a profile on my shenanigans for a magazine called The Medical Post, a monthly publication exclusively for physicians that covers everything from tuberculosis treatment to travel. OK, Vogue it is not, but it is national and seen by almost every doctor in Canada. Naturally, I had [...]