Week 41: Volunteer Work with Alzheimer's Disease & Nursing Home Residents

Another item on my list of things to accomplish while off this year was to volunteer somewhere in the city.  As best as I can remember, I've never done any volunteer work in Toronto other than extra-curricular activities through my profession.  I started the search on the Internet many months ago and found the list of possibilities to be quite lengthy.  I narrowed down the search by location, duration, and then came the hardest part of all...  the position itself.  Being a people person, I knew the position had to involve working with others.  Initially, I had a rule that whatever volunteer work I chose it would definitely not be working with the elderly.  It takes very special people to do that job.  I can barely watch a TV commercial with sick and frail seniors,  let alone spend the day with them.  It's so heart breaking.  It would have been easier to choose a volunteer position working with children.  That's what I do.  But, after some thought I decided to do the one thing I said I wouldn't do - work with the elderly. Ultimately, it's only after accomplishing the challenging things in life that empower us to continue battling life's further hardships.

So, I found a position entitled "Friendly Visitor" with the Salvation Army that suited my location and duration preferences.  I emailed the coordinator as per the ad and went for an interview.  During the interview I was given a tour of the facility and met some of the residents.  It actually gave me a good idea of what the position would entail.  I had to complete a police check, give two references, and have a TB test done.  This entire process took approximately a month.  My first official volunteer day was yesterday.

I agreed to a 6 hour shift from 9am-3pm.  It was quite shocking to the system to wake up at 6am once again.  I've been going to bed at 1am and sleeping till 11 or 12pm every day.  Actually, it was good practice for when I return to work in September.  So this is how my shift went:  completed more paperwork, watched a video on feeding residents at mealtime, assisted residents in transitioning to and from their respective rooms/floors to the main lobby for church service as well as helped turn pages in the hymn book during church service, aided feeding residents at lunchtime, supported a staff member in running two activity groups, and completed 3 friendly visits.  Yes, it was as tiring as it sounds.  It's called "work" for a reason, right?  But, it was also a very good day.  I found the entire experience to be quite enlightening.  First of all, I ignorantly thought that all people with Alzheimer's Disease would be the same.  They are no different than any other random group of people.  Some are sociable, warm, friendly,  and some are disagreeable, unresponsive, and cranky.  You have to get to know each person as an individual.  Secondly, I learned that you can apply various teaching skills to many challenging positions involving people.  I don't know if this volunteer job is similar to my teaching job or that the skills needed are the same.  Either way, they were quite parallel.  And lastly, I realized that you can do any job with the right mindset.  So many times I have said these words, "I don't know how she/he could do that job?"  Well, I discovered that you CAN do just about any job you set your mind to by simply doing it.  I never would have thought that I would be feeding Alzheimer's residents on my year off.  But, once I started the whole process and walked through those doors, it was all business.  It is very hard work and I take my hat off to the staff.  Yet, I've heard many people tell me that they couldn't do my Special Ed. job either.  We really are most powerful when we are determined to achieve something.

My plan is to continue volunteering once a week from now until the end of June.  By the end of this month I will find out what my new teaching assignment will be for September.  I'll need the summer, at least, to prepare for it.  I hope that this volunteering experience will somehow make me a better teacher or person.  It's not that I'm horribly awful or anything, but we could all use a little improvement, right?

Week 40: Target vs. Zellers

Can you remember your first official job?  I say official because taking out the garbage or cleaning your room for an allowance does not count.  I will always remember mine.  I was very excited to turn 16 so that I could get a job and have my own spending money for whatever I wanted.  My grandmother was the personnel manager at Zellers at the time so I begged her to give me a job in the record department.  I loved music and thought it would be the best department to work in.  It turned out to be just that.  I worked in the record department at Zellers part time throughout my high school years until I graduated and moved out of town for university.  I will always look back fondly on that store and be grateful for the opportunity my grandmother gave me.

As you can guess, I was sad to hear that Zellers was closing.  I had never been to a Target store so I had little idea what to expect.  Finally, after much talk and anticipation a Target store recently opened in my area.  So off I went to explore and compare.  I'm sure every Target is similar but not identical so this description is based on the one store I've been to thus far.

I find Target to be like a combination of Winners, Zellers, and Walmart wrapped into one.  For instance, the housewares dept. reminded me of Winners, whereas the clothing area looked like Zellers and the food section Walmart.  The women's clothing dept. was quite limited, which was disappointing, but a few of the juniors tops resembled some I've seen at American Eagle only less costly.  They also had some Roots clothing (what you'd see at Sears) at reduced prices than the Roots store.  I'm unsure if all Target stores are like this one but this particular store had many grocery items from fresh to frozen, excluding fresh produce and deli.  From what I saw, Target's grocery products are less expensive than the main grocery stores such as Sobeys and Loblaws.

There were really only two things that set Target apart from the other big stores.  1. Starbucks  2. Target MasterCard or bank card that allows you save 5% on every purchase.  I like the idea of Starbucks.  But, another card to weigh down my wallet?  The discount sounds nice and all but think about it...  that's only $5 for every $100 you spend.  I don't plan on spending that much at Target.  I'd rather bite the bullet and go to Walmart to get my groceries and miscellaneous items.

Overall, I don't think that Target is the new and improved Zellers.  It's just the end of an era and beginning to another.  I will continue my quest to visit more Target stores to try to get a better idea of what all the hype is about.  What's next to be "Targeted"?  Sears?  The Bay?  Don't say our beloved Dollarama?!

Week 39: Arts & Crafts Time - I Made Soap!

I really love the store "Michaels".  They have one in Dixie Outlet Mall in Mississauga.  Michaels is a store for anyone who's interested in being creative.  They have arts and crafts supplies and ideas for just about anyone.  I've actually purchased several things there for my students in the past.  One of my many things to do on this year off was to attempt a new craft, something I would never really have time to do in the school year.  Now, I'm about as confident in craft-making as I am in cooking.  So my goal was to pick out something designed for a child.  That way I would be setting myself up for success, right?  I found a soap making kit called Soap Making 101 by ArtMinds.  It says it's designed for 15 years and up.  I tried to find something for younger people but to no avail.  I figured it would be a cool thing to try, and if successful, something actually useful too.  I was off to a bad start when I had to ask someone for help since I didn't fully understand the instructions.  Of no fault of my own, it turns out they left out a key step in the leaflet.  Another issue is that it calls for the use of microwave oven to melt the soap.  I don't have a microwave.  I know, I know; I'm probably the only person in the country who doesn't own a microwave.  Anyway, I asked around a little and people seemed to think that my regular oven would work.  The photos below show the box the kit came in and included materials.

The kit offers several different soap-making designs but I started with the basics.  I figured I'd make one single coloured bar of soap initially to make sure I knew what I was doing before attempting some high tech art gallery creation.  However, I accidentally ended up with a two layered, two coloured, one side scented bar of soap.  It turns out that the kit actually comes with two kinds of glycerin soap, white and clear.  All you have to do is cut the amount you'd like, melt it, add the colouring and scented oil, stir, and pour into the mold of choice.  I ended up with two layers of different soap because I misjudged the amount of soap to melt.  This is what my first layer looked like.

They recommend using rubbing alcohol to spray the soap once in the mold to help eliminate any wrinkles or air bubbles.  It really does work.  The soap will begin to cool when you see a kind of film on the surface.  You need to wait awhile before adding another layer of soap.  You also need to spray some rubbing alcohol on the bottom layer right before adding the second layer to help seal them together.  This is the second layer.

Once completely cooled you have to force the soap out of the mold by applying constant pressure at the back of the mold.  They made it sound difficult but I actually found that part quite easy.  This is the final product.  Voila!

I wrapped it up in clear wrap to ensure freshness and finally got to try it out on the weekend.  It turns out to be more aesthetically pleasing than practical since it makes little to no suds.  I was also a bit disappointed that what I thought to be a pungent amount of scented oil had somehow completely dissipated.  Next time I'm going to try a different design and add some scented oil of my own from The Body Shop.  I'll pour half the bottle in if I have to.  I can always give it away as a gift if it turns out badly ;)

Week 38: Attempting a Couple of Weight Watchers Recipes

Up until this year my desire to cook for myself, or anyone else for that matter, was pretty much nil.  However, all my experimentation has really payed off.  I no longer fear the idea of cooking a meal or attempting a new recipe.  In fact, I made dinner for two last night and not only looked forward to it, but enjoyed it to boot!   I definitely think that this year's cooking adventures will be a healthy benefit to my life when I return to work.  There will be less frozen entrees & sandwiches and more variety without the added preservatives and other unfavourable additives.  Remember, I said "less".  It's simply too expensive and impractical for one person to freshly prepare EVERY meal EVERY day.  Come on now; we're not pioneers.

Last week I bought the Weight Watchers 360 kit which included a recipe book.  I found two simple and interesting meals to try.

snappy tex-mex shrimp soup - 7 PointsPlus value

The photo below is taken directly from the book.  I followed it as closely as possible, although it took me about 45 min. to complete when it's advertised to take 15.  I can't really blame the book though.  I'm a novice.

This photo is what mine looked like.  It's similar, I guess.  Regardless, it tasted pretty good.  The only problem is that it stunk up my entire apartment for two days.

eggs & lox scramble - 6 PointsPlus value

To be perfectly honest, I had no clue what lox was before this one.  I guess it's some fancy Yiddish way of saying smoked salmon.  Anyway, I've been told that I'm not consuming enough protein so this meal looked like a perfect breakfast antidote.  Minus the sour cream, I followed the recipe and made it my own.

Comparatively, mine looks quite sad.  Doesn't it?  It was a bit too rich for my liking.  I'm not a big fan of salmon and I sometimes find eggs to be kind of sickening as well.  Now that I think of it, I have no idea why I thought the two together would be good.

To sum it all up, I've not only increased my confidence and abilities in cooking but also learned a new shrimp soup recipe.  Oh and let's not forget I've added a new word to my vocabulary - lox.  Impressive?  I'm going with--yes!

Week 37: Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park

Last week on the news they were showcasing a new Toronto attraction called Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park.  I thought it sounded like a great idea and looked it up on line.  I couldn't find any info. on the Toronto location but I did find one in Mississauga.  They're open Tuesday to Sunday and jump times start on the half hour.  That means that you can choose your time in 30 minute intervals and pay accordingly.  I chose to go for an hour which is $12.50 plus tax.  You need to arrive about 30 min. early in order to check in or pay, sign the waiver, and get shoes they supply you with.  There are actually several different areas or rooms in the park for various activities and groups.  I went to the adult area and never left it until my hour was up.  Although, I did see and hear people nearby doing different activities like dodgeball and the foam pit for flips.  It's an entire room filled with trampolines, even on the walls.  You can bounce in one area, from square to square, or even off the walls.  What was it like? It was incredibly fun, invigorating, and like no workout I've ever had.  In less than 10 minutes I didn't know whether I'd make it or not.  But, the key for me was to keep changing it up.  I started in one square with simple bounces.  I slowly added different movements as I became more and more comfortable, like knee bounces, sitting to standing bounces, turns, wall bounces, and bouncing from one square to another.  I had one little mishap when a little kid escaped from the kiddie zone and headed for my square.  I ended up in a face plant but thankfully no one was hurt.  The real pain came afterwards and today even.  I have sore body parts all over!  It was so totally worth it though.  I will definitely go back to Sky Zone.  What a great idea!  Below are some pics and a video link from the internet.  I did not take any pictures or videos while I was there.  Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL2B37F34EA98DAE69&feature=player_embedded&v=pZRRasEf7Fc

Week 36: Pink Pancakes & Chicken

Last month I got the idea of cooking something new with a seasonal theme.  You could say that I had a need for cuisine.  I was shopping at Winners when I came across the cutest Valentine's Day pancake mix and thought it would be perfect for me.  I've never made pancakes before.  This was festive and easy--just add water.  Unfortunately, because I was out of town during Valentine's Day and busy thereafter, I couldn't make my pink love pancakes until last week.  Instead of having the traditional breakfast pancakes I decided to make them for dinner.  You can't have JUST pancakes for dinner so we planned to have chicken with them.  Why chicken with pancakes?  Well, on many episodes of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" they've showcased waffles with fried chicken; so I figured why not pancakes and rotisserie chicken?  It's the same idea, really.  This is a picture of the Winners pancake mix package.

I followed the directions as stated and it was as easy as predicted.  However, I should mention that the pancake batter had a cat food odour.  Does it ever look as pretty as the picture on the box?

The chicken came from Loblaws, by the way.  Of course I did not make it.

It may look and sound like an odd combination, but I have to tell you that it was good!  The pancakes had chocolate chips and the chicken tasted heavenly with a hint of syrup.  Altogether, I rate this as a successful culinary escapade.  One step closer to Top Chef Canada ;)

Week 35: My New Mini Crock-Pot

I've been getting off track from the cooking thing for awhile now and it was time to revisit it.  Like many people, I've always liked the idea of throwing some food in a pot and having it ready to eat at supper time.  In theory it sounds pretty great.  However, the slow cookers I've commonly seen are large and expensive.  I'm one person and have no need for 5 quarts of food to torture me for weeks.  On the weekend I discovered a 1 person Crock-Pot designed for lunches ($19.99).  I was concerned that it would not cook meat since it is designed to heat up leftovers and canned meals.  That's why I chose to use beef as my meat choice instead of chicken; beef can be eaten rare and won't kill you.  This was my process.  At lunchtime I put a cubed steak followed by enough frozen peas, corn, and carrots to the fill line in the pot.  Then I poured in chicken broth (they didn't have any beef broth at the grocery store) to cover the food.  I plugged in my new Crock-Pot and left it till suppertime checking it every hour to see if the meat was cooking.  I admit I was quite surprised to see the beef was cooked after only 2 hours.  This little pot is ingeniously deceptive.  You can actually put your finger in the soupy water and it resembles the temperature of bathwater.  The real shocker for me was putting a big ol' spoonful in my mouth and nearly burning my mouth off.  My tongue is still sore.  I have to include that I added some pesto to my soup concoction about a half an hour before eating it.  Why?  Because I like pesto and thought it might taste good.  I was feeling especially experimental.  Anyway, it tasted pretty good for my first time with no recipe.  I actually predicted it would be a colossal failure since the odds were stacked against me.  All in all, this is only the beginning for me and my little Crock-Pot.  I can see a bright future for us ahead.  Stay tuned; you might be invited to join us in our crocked up pot adventures.