Alicia - KINETIC MOTIONS

July 7, 2017

Will Violence Accomplish Anything at the G20 Summit?

I support the right for people to speak out in favour of what they believe in or against anything they believe is wrong in society. Freedom of speech is part of the foundation of the modern democracy, and I feel fortunate to live in a country where my voice can be heard. If a group wants to come together to speak out against the government, a corporation or even a cultural organization, let them do it. I may personally disagree with many of the protests I see in the city where I live, but I support each group’s right to have its voice heard. However, when an individual or group espouses violence then they do not have my support at all.

The annual G20 Summit of world leaders is happening now in Hamburg, Germany. This group was created back in 1999 with the aim of creating world financial stability. There has been an annual meeting in various places around the word since 2011, which have attracted not only world leaders but also thousands of protestors.

It is quite normal for a world leader to be trailed by a large group of people which includes his or aides, a throng of media and a band of protestors. Every politician has supporters and detractors. When an elected official has a large number of detractors, as is the case with a number of world leaders right now, the number of protestors can grow exponentially.

I am not a political or financial expert and I don’t know if anything ever has or will be accomplished at large gatherings like the G20 Summit. When a bunch of people come together like this, most with big egos and big mouths, are they really doing anything besides shaking hands and making new friends (or enemies)? Does the average citizen of the world feel better about his or her financial situation because the world leaders are huddled together behind the walls of a fortress as they discuss the global economy?

Many people think not, and speaking out against the G20 Summit, the global economy or the people leading that summit is fine by me. But when a protest group creates an organization called “Welcome to Hell” and clearly states that it will “reserve for themselves the option of militant resistance” my support is gone.

This group, and others like it, have a valid concern that millions of people across the globe are living in unthinkable conditions, dealing with hunger, war and the ongoing challenges of climate change. Their voices deserve to be heard, and I wish world leaders would listen. However, when these groups make it clear they wish to be combative, that they are anarchists and anti-capitalists, and they support violence, I cannot back them at all.

While I have no evidence to corroborate this, I believe that many of the so-called protestors at the G20 Summit in Hamburg are there just to stir up trouble. They either do not know or do not care about the millions of people who actually live with hunger and war and who need a voice. These protestors want anarchy, they support violence and the destruction of our society.

Media are reporting from Hamburg that these violent protest groups are setting fires to the streets, destroying property and attacking police with various objects from bottles and iron rods to smoke bombs and fire crackers. Violence is what they seek, not a better world for us to live in.

Fair minded people have to speak louder than the violent protestors and let the world and the world leaders know that we can bring about real change. Real change can happen with our voices, our pens and our hands (as we type on our computers) and not with weapons.

July 6, 2017

The 20th Maccabiah – Let the Games Begin

I am not a great athlete, but if I were I believe my dream would have been to compete at the Maccabiah Games. Many of you reading this post will know exactly what I am talking about and many of you are thinking to yourself, um, what is she talking about?

Maccabiah, known sometimes as the “Jewish Olympics,” is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition. It takes place every four years in Israel, going all the way back to 1932. Self-described as a competition that emphasizes the “centrality of the State of Israel in the life of the Jewish people,” it is the largest event undertaken by the Maccabi World Union.

This year’s Maccabiah games are happening NOW in Israel, from July 4-18. The 2017 edition is the biggest one ever, with about 10,000 athletes participating from over 80 countries. Athletes, coaches, volunteers and fans are not just there for the competition but also to create new relationships and find common ground in their love of Israel and the Jewish People.

I only attended one Maccabiah Games, back in 2005, with a group of Canadian journalists. The opening ceremonies were vibrant and memorable, and our group saved our biggest cheers for the Canadian delegation. The stadium was packed with thousands of supporters and the energy was electric. I am sure that twelve years later the feeling is the same.

The actual Maccabiah Games are structured like any other international multi-sport competition, with venues around the country, over a period of two weeks. There is everything from track and field and gymnastics to softball and even ice hockey. There are four competitive groups. The Junior section is for athletes aged 15-18; the Masters is divided into various age categories for older competitors; the Open division is for all ages with different sports following their own governing rules; finally, there are the Paralympics.

The athletes compete by delegation, so if I participated I would be part of the Canadian team. This is the 18^th Maccabiah for Canada, who first participated in the 1950 Games.

The Canadian Junior team arrived in Israel last week and spent the first few days touring the country and getting to know the land and its people. The rest of the Canadian delegation arrived a few days later, and they are all now together in Israel competing.

The Canadian squad quickly got in the win column playing ice hockey, and the athletes are working hard in other sports this week, including tennis, baseball, soccer and golf. Follow Maccabi Canada HERE or check out results HERE for all delegations and all sports.

The opening ceremonies are happening right now at the Jerusalem Teddy Stadium, as I write this, and I am about to click HERE to watch the event live.

I wish the best of luck to all athletes participating in the 20^th Maccabiah Games, and of course, go Team Canada!

July 5, 2017July 5, 2017

Today is my Birthday and I am 41 Years Old but I Don’t Feel a Day over 39

I usually reserve Wednesday for a sports post, but since today is my birthday I decided to write about myself instead. I will do a Sports Thursday post this week, as the 20^th annual Maccabi Games open in Israel.

So, as the title of today’s post reads: today I am 41 years old but I don’t feel a day over 39. Last year was a big birthday for me as I entered a new decade. In my twenties, I was still considered a kid in many ways, in my thirties I was a full-grown adult but still considered a young adult. When I turned forty last summer I recognized that I had entered a new phase of life as a more mature (sometimes even respected!) adult.

Many of my older friends told me that reaching 40 was a big milestone. They told me it was a time of life when my career and my family would bloom, on the one hand, but also a time that I would start to wake up with some aches in places in my body I didn’t even know existed.

Number 40 definitely was a year of great change for me, with a new baby and the start of my journey on my new career path. I enjoy watching my children grow up and I am both excited and terrified to see what is next for my career. But do I feel different? Do I feel older? Did 40 bring with it new aches or a sense of greater maturity?

No, not really. In that sense, I really don’t feel a day over 39. I feel young, and while I am definitely a bit sleep deprived lately (thanks Nessa), I have more energy than ever and am excited every morning to see what the day will bring.

My birthday began early this morning with celebrations led by my 7-year-old, who plans her calendar around birthdays. While I slept, Julia loaded my bed with kazoos, balloons, a new stuffed animal for me (for her) and a box of my favourite chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate. I arrived downstairs to a beautiful breakfast cooked by my husband, David, and Julia. They made giant buttermilk pancakes and the BEST scrambled eggs (a recipe we learned from Gordon Ramsay that I highly recommend you try).

Julia and David are now off for the day, and while it wasn’t their intention, their final gift to me was a filthy kitchen with a sink full of dishes. Sigh. They meant well. My day continues with Nessa’s music class, a nice afternoon walk and dinner with the whole family and some friends at a great restaurant.

So far 41 isn’t bad. I eagerly look forward to what the year will bring and the adventures I will take. This blog is one of those adventures, and I love to write every day. Thank you everyone for your feedback and your support. And since I have already received many messages by phone, email and social media, thank you to everyone for the kind birthday greetings.

July 4, 2017

Can We Focus on what Unifies us as Canadians please?

Today Canada is 150 years and 4 days old. The weekend of celebrations is over and the future is ahead for our country. I spent much of the long weekend reading newspaper articles, watching the news and checking up on blogs, monitoring and thinking about the news coverage of the country’s big birthday. I believe that most Canadians feel proud and happy to be Canadian, and for the most part I believe the celebrations, from coast to coast and everywhere in between, were light, friendly and patriotic. But at the same time, I felt there was a negative undertone in the coverage, one which focused on our differences as Canadians and the cruel nature of what Canada represents as a colonial power. I appreciate the honest and frank words of a few journalists who pointed this out and spoke out in favour of something different: unity. These individuals focused on what unifies us as Canadians, and I thank them for that.

I want to state very clearly that I am sympathetic to and support the plight of the Indigenous people of Canada. Their ancestors were treated savagely for hundreds of years and today it is no secret that many of them live below the poverty line. Many young Indigenous people do not have the same opportunities as other Canadians, and rightly so they see their future as bleak. We all need to remember that, learn from our errors and hope there is a brighter future for this important part of Canada’s population.

I also feel privileged to live in a free country where people can speak their minds – as individuals or in groups. The press is free to print criticisms of the government and all faiths can observe their religion how they choose. I do not take this for granted, and I know that millions of people across the globe do not have such freedom.

With that in mind, on Canada’s birthday, I felt frustrated and even angry as I read page after page about our differences as Canadians and the shame we should all feel to celebrate the birth and growth of Canada. Why?

The esteemed writer, Rex Murphy, wrote about this issue so eloquently in his column this weekend, entitled, “Celebrating ‘diversity’ will only divide us, but celebrating Canada’s unity keeps us strong.” I do believe that recognizing and accepting our differences make a community strong, but I also believe that finding what we all have in common, unifies us and makes us strongest. But that’s not all.

As Canada celebrated her 150^th anniversary as an independent nation, we have to remember that the land and its people go much further back. No doubt the Indigenous people of Canada truly are the First Nations of this land. Their ancestors settled here thousands of years before various European nations “discovered” the Americas. The cruelty that was beset upon them was horrific.

And while many people, over the last hundreds of years, immigrated to Canada to find opportunity and wealth, many other people fled to Canada as a refuge, to escape cruelty as well that was beset upon them and was no doubt also horrific.

My ancestors fled to Canada from Europe over 100 years ago, most of them travelling in steerage across the ocean to escape pogroms in their villages. Whether it was a pogrom in 19^th century Russia, other kinds religious persecution in 17^th or 18^th century France or racial genocide in the 20^th century all over the world, I believe that something that unifies us is that we are all immigrants to this land, we are all free here and what we have in common is that we are all Canadians.

Let us celebrate diversity and let us honour the first people who settled this land, but let us focus on what we have in common, which will unify our country for another 150 years and beyond.

July 3, 2017

When I Cook with my Instant Pot All the Food is Scrumptious

My mother and sister are always on the hunt for the latest kitchen toys. Ice cream maker, spiralizer, sous vide, bread maker. The list goes on and on. These are all good toys and they have their use in the kitchen. For the most part I also believe my mother and sister use them. They both are great cooks and often feed big crowds. I do enjoy the odd toy in my kitchen (I can’t live without my espresso maker!), but I was a skeptic when my sister first told me about the Instant Pot.

When she bought this contraption, she talked about a pressure cooker that was easy and safe and that could cook up delicious food in minutes. I did not believe her. How could you dump ingredients into a machine, press on and minutes later have fully cooked food that was also tasty? No way. Not possible and I wasn’t interested.

If you know my sister you know that she is a rather determined person. She did not give up on me. Every time the Instant Pot went on sale on Amazon I got a friendly text or email. It was unrelenting. She told me this machine was life-changing, that it would become the centrepiece of my kitchen. No way I said, I had enough kitchen toys.

Then on Black Friday last year the Instant Pot was on sale for a price that was almost too good to be true, so I relented and purchased it. A few days later it arrived at my house, I opened the box and gave it a once-over.

I surfed the web in the days before my Instant Pot arrived to find a few recipes to try on this new toy and was ready with a fridge stocked with ingredients. In my first week, I decided to experiment with a Mongolian beef dish, General Tsao chicken and a couple of soups.

Oh my gosh my sister was right. Yes, I will very publicly admit it here – my sister was right. The Instant Pot was easy to use and every dish was sensational. The beef was full of flavour and melted in the mouth. The chicken had just enough kick and was tender and juicy. Every soup had a deep flavour after only 10, 20 or 30 minutes in the pot.

My Instant Pot is definitely now one of my best friends in the kitchen. I have tried dozens of recipes since it joined the family back in December. Soup is my favourite thing to make, but I have also made roast chicken, chicken wings, pasta dishes, rices and last night made the best ratatouille I have ever tasted.

My daughter has had a bit of thing for ratatouille since she saw the famous movie by the same name and has been begging me to make it. So, last night I thinly sliced up 2 baby eggplants, 2 zucchinis, I chopped 3 peppers, one onion and four garlic cloves.

I turned on my Instant Pot to sauté (yes you can first sauté in the pot before you switch to high pressure), heated up some olive oil, then threw in the garlic and onions to create a strong flavour base. Then came the peppers, followed by the eggplant and zucchini. Then in went a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and some pepper and salt. I carefully mixed it all together, closed the lid and set the machine to manual high pressure for 5 minutes.

The Instant Pot did its thing. It rose to high pressure, cooked the food for 5 minutes, then I let the pressure naturally release for a few more minutes. In the meantime, I cooked a pot of quinoa (which one can also make in the Instant Pot if you wish) and in less than 30 minutes (includes time to chop veggies and cook the food) I had a fabulous dinner.

After 7 months, I am still a novice with the Instant Pot. I have not ventured out into foods such as yoghurt or cheesecake (though I did make perfect molten chocolate cakes in there). I hope to go there soon. This toy is a good investment, whether you are a gourmet cook or scared of the kitchen.

I am always looking for new recipes and new foods to try in my Instant Pot. Leave me a comment here, post on Facebook or Tweet me @AliciaRichler with some ideas that I can try. I will let you know how it goes.

July 2, 2017July 2, 2017

My Son Flew off to Summer Camp this Morning – Can I Go with Him?

5:00 AM and the alarm clock goes off. I hear the faint voice of a radio announcer giving me the morning news, sports and weather. I see the faint light of sunrise in my window and the house is quiet. It’s time to get up, wake up the family and rush to the airport to send my son off for another summer of overnight camp.

The highway is empty and it is easy to find our way through the maze of parking at the airport at this time of day. The airport is relatively quiet, and we know we are in the right place when we hear the loud din of children and see the commotion of a summer camp trying to get 156 children onto an airplane. There are coloured balloons and, fluorescent t-shirts and even signs, trying to create organization from chaos. Somehow families line up, names and ID are checked, hugs are given and the children are off.

It is a tradition, and I believe a tremendous privilege, for thousands of children each summer across North America, to travel to an overnight summer camp. It is an anomaly to those who have not attended camp or who have not packed up or sent their children.

I believe that overnight summer camp is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give his or her child. It is a wondrous place where kids can just be kids. On the surface, it’s a terrifying thought – hundreds of children running around in the wilderness with a small but reasonable number of “adults” (most aged 18-22) in charge. Do they eat? Shower? Brush their teeth? Do they sleep?

Does it matter?

Whether it’s a one-week camp one hour from the city or in the case of my son, a six-week camp half a country away in central Nova Scotia, it is the best way to enjoy the warm weeks of summer. In Canada children can choose from a large array of camps, from specialty programs like a week of horse back or riding to those that offer a variety of activities for up to six, seven or eight weeks.

My son’s camp, Kadimah, has been hosting children since 1943, giving them a well-rounded memorable experience on the edge of one of Canada’s small beautiful lakes. Thousands of children have grown up there, met their spouses there, sent their children there and now even their grandchildren. My son has six cousins with him at camp this summer and tons of friends that he has made in his few years there.

My son was a bit anxious this morning. After all, camp is over 1,500 km away and he will be away from his parents for six weeks (we will see him in three weeks on visitor’s day but just for a few hours). That’s not it, he told me. He is concerned about being forced to swim every day, to wake up early every day and he will miss his baby sister. Will the baby remember him when she sees him in three weeks? What about his beloved Blue Jays? I assured him the baby will remember him and that I will send him a daily letter with all the scores and sports news he needs.

As he arrives at camp this afternoon and jumps off the bus I know that his anxieties will disappear. One of the greatest moments for a child is that final section of the road up to camp, as you see the cabins and the lake appear. As each child passes through the camp gate and the bus pulls up the stomach flutters and the excitement comes to a crescendo. Summer has begun.

I miss those days and I miss that wonderful feeling of the special arrival at summer camp. Can I go too?

June 30, 2017June 30, 2017

Happy 150th Birthday Canada – Why I am Proud to be a Canadian

Happy birthday Canada. For 150 years-old you look good. As I glance around the world today, in 2017, our country is healthy and strong. I am proud to say that I was born in Canada, that I was raised here and am raising my children here. As I write this post I am reminded of a great TV commercial from a number of years ago, called “I Am Canadian:”

It was funny, it went viral and it’s so true. Canadians are unique special people. I have worked with, been friends with and am related to some of the greatest Canadians. There are so many people, places and stories to be celebrated, and here I would like to share some of them with you as I salute Canada on her 150^th birthday.

People

One Canadian I would like to celebrate is my children’s great-great uncle, David Hart. Or shall I say Honorary Colonel David Hart. One of seven sons (my husband’s grandfather was Uncle Davey’s big brother), Colonel Hart was an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II. Earlier this year, at the age of 99 ¾, he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery on the battlefield for his time as a Sergeant at Dieppe. He served his country on the battlefield 75 years ago and has dedicated much of his life sharing his story. Uncle Davey turns 100 in July and with his sharp mind and kind sensibility has many memories to share as he has lived in Canada for two-thirds of the country’s existence.

I also want to give a shout-out to my great-grandparents, all of whom were immigrants to Canada over 100 years ago. As young children and young adults my eight ancestors made their way to Canada with their families, leaving behind their old lives in Europe. Most of them arrived with nothing, but over time they embraced their new country and became leaders in their family and community. Since Confederation 150 years ago Canada has welcomed immigrants from around the world and given them the opportunity to be everything they can be.

Places

Canada is a huge land mass, with so many incredible places to celebrate that I could write a one-thousand-page book and still not cover it all. I love so many Canadian places, from the boardwalk in Halifax (best ice cream by far is Cows, you have to try it), to the gentle harbour in Victoria.

But my favourite places are my family’s and my husband’s family’s country houses, in the Blue Mountains in Ontario and Saint-Donat in Quebec, respectively. I know that I am lucky to be able to visit these special places, lovingly built and cared for by our families. My parents built my family’s home on a piece of farmland over 25 years ago, near skiing, sprawling apple orchards and views of Beaver Valley and even Georgian Bay beyond. Sixteen people squeezed into this small house this past winter to take advantage of the ski hill nearby and endless supply of tasty homemade food. Sixteen? Yes, and a dog. The renovations to expand the house begin this week!

My husband’s grandparents built their home in Saint-Donat back in 1949, when Canada was a mere 82 years old. The original small cabin has been renovated and enlarged in its own unique way over the years and often houses 20 plus extended members of the family at any given time throughout the summer. The house sits on the edge of one of Canada’s most beautiful lakes, where generations have gone swimming and canoeing. The view from the deck is breathtaking, and when things get loud and crazy in the house I just need to walk outside, stand on the deck and stare at the view.

Stories

I have so many anecdotes stored in my memories of events, moments and experiences of what makes Canada special that just thinking about them makes me smile. Could it be my family’s discovery of the best french fry stands on the way to the country house and the nicknames we gave them (such as Fry Guy, Fry Girls and Fry People?). Could it be the first time I had the honour to be associated with the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride back in 2012, when I watched dozens of cyclists dip their wheels in the Pacific Ocean before they cycled across the country to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer? Is it at a Blue Jays baseball game when over 40,000 people stand together and sing O Canada in unison?

When I string all these stories together I get a clear picture in my head of why I am proud to be Canadian and why I salute my country on her 150^th birthday.

Happy birthday Canada. May you celebrate many more.

June 29, 2017

Driving Around the City Makes me Cringe

Driving around the city makes me cringe. While aggressive and rude drivers often make me crazy, today I am focused on the actual road. I am talking about construction, blocked lanes, potholes and turn signals. If I live in a city I know I have to face some of this, especially in the summer, but the streets around my neighbourhood are a mess and I can’t take it anymore.

Toronto is a vibrant city that is growing exponentially by the day. To accommodate that growth, I know that new houses, office towers and condos must be built. The dense and congested midtown and downtown core are experiencing unprecedented development, and I think that for the most part that is good for the city. The roads also need to be maintained and the hydro needs to be upgraded. I get it. It has to be done. However, there has to be a better way.

I am about to provide a number of examples where construction, development or upgrades are happening in my neighbourhood that could be done better, more efficiently or at least with better communication with the local community.

There is a massive condo tower under construction at the intersection of two major streets near my house. Construction is moving along, but it’s happening at a painful slow speed. In order to maximize the small tract of land on which this building is being built, the developer obviously got a permit from the city to build the new building as close to the existing sidewalk as possible. As a result, the construction crew got permission to include the sidewalk in its enclosed area and to push out the pedestrian zone into a lane of traffic.

That means a major street in the city of Toronto was brought down to one lane during the construction of this massive building. The street has been down to one lane for a long time, with no end in sight. Traffic is backed up for blocks all day every day along this stretch of road. I figure the developer had to pay a large fee to the city to get permission to close a lane of traffic, with no regard to the congestion, stress and frustration it causes thousands of people driving daily. How is this allowed? I just got word another developer is looking to apply for a permit to build three condo towers in the area next. There is no way my neighbours and I will allow this. But that is for another day.

On the subject of closing a lane of traffic on major roads. I understand that it must happen sometimes, in particular when city crews need to fix a pothole, some electrical nearby or other issues that affect city roads. Naturally this causes traffic jams and I understand those lanes must close sometimes. But – if it’s a major street and if the lane closure is at an intersection, could the city block left-hand turns during construction? When there is one lane of traffic and one person wants to turn left then every car behind is stuck. It makes the traffic worse. Driving in the city today I sat in a terrible traffic jam downtown today because of this problem.

Now that I mention left-hand turns, let’s stick with that topic. Why can’t there be more left turn advance signals at major intersections across Toronto? I would be happy to wait an extra 10 seconds at most lights to give cars the opportunity to turn left and clear the road. There are many intersections in the city where the advance arrow exists but only goes on at certain times of the day. Why not all day?

Back to construction. When our current mayor (who I like and I will publicly state I voted for in the last election) was first elected a few years ago he spoke out in support of better coordination and communication between city departments with respect to road construction. If a long-term construction project must take place, be it hydro upgrades, paving, bridge repair or dozens of other projects, how hard could it be to have a working group with a giant map who monitors where the project is happening?

I am boxed in by construction in my neighbourhood right now, between the endless lane closure from the condo on the major street to my west, a massive bridge upgrade on the major street to my east, hydro and electrical upgrades to the side streets to my south and what I think is an electrical and power upgrade to some facility to my southeast. That is just a small section of the city – I won’t start with all the other projects happening during summer 2017.

I know my rant is falling on deaf ears with the City of Toronto, but I have a feeling that most of you who have read to the end of this blog post agree with me. You are probably nodding your head right now and saying yes yes yes – even if you live in a different city! My rant may not make a difference, but I do feel better just writing about it.

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Take me out to the ballgame

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some doughnuts, ice cream and French fries

I don’t care if that baseball never flies

Let me root, root, root

For the Blue Jays

If they don’t win it’s a shame

Ahh

For it’s one,

Two,

Three strikes you’re out

At the Blue Jays game

These are my slightly modified lyrics of this all-time great baseball song, which is sung at all Major League Baseball ballparks during the 7^th inning stretch. My son and I enjoyed the song last night as we attended the ballgame.

I love going to a Blue Jays game, something I have discussed before. There’s something special about the mix of sounds (often scalpers hollering for ticket sales) and smells (could it be sweat?) outside the ballpark as I walk up the long path before I enter the massive stadium. Even though I know they are disgusting, my mouth even salivates as I pass one hot dog stand after another.

Going to a ballgame with my son, Matthew, is what I love best. He is a super fan and has become a walking encyclopedia of player statistics and baseball history. He knows details about every player on every team and provides a very educated analysis to not only me but everyone around us as the game. I believe the two guys to our left last night were very amused by the knowledge they gained last night.

We had great seats last night, as we sat in the third row down the third base line. The crowd, like always at Rogers Centre, was loud and enthusiastic. Now that I have been to a ballgame a few games with my son over the last couple of years I have discovered some patterns and made some observations:

There is always one big guy sitting a few rows behind me who likes to yell, really loud. He’s quite jolly, he’s a super-fan and likes to holler Go Jays Go, often.
Beer flows at a baseball game like cold water at a children’s park on a sweltering hot day. At over $11 per can, the Blue Jays could sell only beer at games and still make a fortune. The guy in front of me consumed so many cans of beer that I lost count after he purchased the sixth one. Wow.
When the home team (in this case my Blue Jays) are having a rough night, you will see the best catches of the night made by fans in the stands, catching foul balls. One woman caught a foul ball off the edge of the second deck last night, and wow, it was spectacular. The fans saved the biggest cheers for themselves.
There are many people who are at the Rogers Centre but are unaware that there is a baseball game going on around them. There was a nice and very friendly young family to our right last night. I think the father is a fan and would like the same for his two sons. The mother spent the whole game on her smartphone, either chatting with a friend or video chatting with various relatives around the world, showing them where she was. It was very distracting.
Even though the current Blue Jays’ baseball stadium has existed for over 25 years, the crowd is still fascinated and in awe when the domed roof opens or closes before, during or after the game. With clear skies after another day of rain in Toronto yesterday, the roof opened as we sat down in our seats. I watched, transfixed, as the CN Tower appeared before us as the roof inched open.
Matthew let me take my silly selfie this time

The beauty of the CN over the ballpark at sunset

Lit up and ready for Canada Day
The most sought-after item at every baseball game is a $5 official MLB baseball. Seven to ten-year-old boys were most interested in acquiring one of these last night, from a foul ball or in the case of our section at the game, the friendly ball boy. The hardest job in baseball is not the umpire’s, it’s the ball boy’s. This pour soul was harassed all night by young children, who begged him for a ball.

Matthew was one of the lucky few who charmed his way to get one of those sought-after balls. My son, who is one of the biggest Blue Jays fans I have ever seen and who was depressed for days last year when the Blue Jays fell to the Cleveland Indians in the playoffs, didn’t even notice that his beloved team lost last night 3-1. Why? Matthew got one of the official game balls, and this made his day.

What are your favourite moments at a baseball game? Have you made any interesting observations? Share them with me – comment here, tell me on Facebook or Tweet me @AliciaRichler.

June 27, 2017

I am a Third-Generation Weather Watcher

Sun, rain, snow, sleet, hail, hot, cold – it doesn’t matter to me. I just love to monitor the weather. If a TV remote control could have The Weather Network on speed dial I would program it. I have to settle for it on my favourites list. I start my day with a check of the weather and monitor it closely throughout the day. Of course before I go to bed at night I check one more time.

Modern technology only encourages my obsession, with live updates on various websites and of course my favourite, an endless choice of apps on my smartphone. I am partial to The Weather Network app, though I am sure many others will show me the weather patterns in other great ways. With GPS, not only will my app tell me the exact conditions outside my door, but I can keep up to date on what’s happening in Auckland, Hong Kong, Halifax and Paris too!

I come by this love quite naturally. One could say it’s genetic. I have fond memories as a child first checking the weather in the newspaper with my maternal grandfather, then when cable TV became popular, sitting with him on the couch as we watched the weather channel like it was the new feature movie. Even though the content repeated itself over and over, my grandfather’s attention never wavered. It amazed me how focused he was on the day’s temperature and how much rain to expect.

My grandfather passed this love down to his daughter, my mother. My mother often organizes her daily activities around the weather forecast and will call me, text me or email me news and updates when an exciting system is approaching. For my mother, there is nothing better than a massive thunderstorm that lights the sky in the valley across from our country home.I enjoy the beauty of a big snowfall in January, dense fog that takes over the sky in October, a big thunder and lightning show in July or a bright sunny day in May. What weather system is coming next? What is the temperature outside my window right now?

I often like to photograph changing weather conditions. It could be the blueness of a bright sunny day, snow, rain or fog. The changing colours of the sky at sunset are always a treat, especially when it’s what my husband’s family calls a “fake-o sunset.” That’s when it rains all day then suddenly, as evening approaches, the sky clears and you see a magnificent sunset. The sky tricks you into thinking that it was a beautiful day but really up until minutes ago it was too foggy to see anything.

So far, I have not seen this dominant gene appear in any of my children, but there is still time. My son does ask me what to wear each morning based on the weather, so maybe he is my best hope. I will start working on him now. In the meantime, I need to check my app to see today’s and tomorrow’s weather.

Are you a weather watcher? Does it run in your family? Do you have any cool photographs of a weather event? Post your comments here, or post a photo or comment to me on Facebook or Tweet me @AliciaRichler.