Does Whatever a Spider Can

As a follow-up to my window washing post the other day...

a pair of window washers working at the London Children's Hospital. It's a much-circulated photo but I think that this is just so cool. Too bad costumes weren't mandatory for ALL individuals in that industry! Any suggestions on what you'd like to see your friendly neighbourhood window washers wearing?

Is Old Man Luedecke Actually Old?

The one great thing about iTunes, at least for me, is the excitement of stumbling across a new artist that I otherwise would never have known about. One such artist calls himself Old Man Luedecke. The first song I ever heard of his was called I Quit My Job and I loved it. It's super simple, all voice and banjo singing and is about throwing off the shackles of working for the man. Sample lyric "don't let them take the joy that you make on your own." At the time that I first heard it one of my best friends was going through a tough time at her job and I played the song for her to inspire her. Unfortunately, because it was Old Man Luedecke and not Justin Bieber, the message didn't really get across. Still, I was lucky enough to have found a new Canadian musician to enjoy.

OML's newest album was released on October 2nd and I instantly fell in love with his new song I'm Fine (I Am, I Am). It's pure aural pleasure and makes my heart happy to hear it. It's also a little inspiring for me as I struggle through some tough times. You can listen to the song and watch the super charming video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIEEDYowZhA.

Anyways, it occurred to me (before watching any of his videos), how OLD is Old Man Luedecke? And after some serious rooting around online - and I mean serious (Wikipedia didn't do shit for me this time!) - I found that Luedecke (real name Chris) is only about 36. He was 35 at the printing of an article that was published last June, which you can find here: http://www.thetelegram.com/Arts---Life/Entertainment/2011-06-09/article-2570595/Old-Man-Luedecke%26rsquo%3Bs-search-for-honesty/1 

So, all in all not exactly what you would call old. Or, at least, not what I would call old. Anymore. *cough* Perhaps an 18 year old would disagree?  

How Much Do Window Washers Make?

Cole and I live in an apartment building on 106th street, just down the road from busy Jasper Ave. It's a unique area - at least to me. After several weeks of staying with Cole over the summer I realized that I had yet to see anyone under the age of twenty on my walks to and from home. The majority of the area's population appears to consist of young professionals, which makes sense as we are minutes away from the downtown core. In fact, 106th street itself is largely occupied by large office buildings, and at least one structure that (weirdly) seems to house both residents and places of business.

This morning I left for work, trudging up and over the sloping hill leading down to our apartment building, and headed north. I sidestepped the clusters of suited men and high-heeled women on their way back to their cubicles with Tim Hortons coffee cups clutched in hand and crunched some drying leaves under my shoes just for fun. At some point I happened to glance up and over to the right, and spotted a window washer strung confidently over the lip of one of the neighbourhood edifices. 

Being an unapologetic gawker I stopped to watch for a moment, and wondered to myself how much I would have to be paid to hover so precariously along the open face of a multi-story building. Then I wondered how much the crazy guy above me was making. After doing some poking around online it looks like the general consensus is that an average window earns about seventeen dollars an hour. It also looks like instead of earning an hourly wage, they are paid according to how much ground (or window) they cover in a designated period of time. The few dollars more an hour they make than me is not enough to get me off the solid surface of the earth. 

But, kudos to the men and women keeping downtown skyscraper glass so clean the panes reflect the sky. 

***

For some enjoyable insight into a day in the life of a window washer check out this article from the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/635557--skyscraper-window-cleaners-a-breed-apart.

Who is Misha Collins?

This upcoming weekend, our fair city is hosting the Edmonton Expo, something I like to think of a safe haven for the geek monster within all of us. What caught my attention about the Expo initially was their street poster advertising the attendance of special guest Adam West, the most classic of classic Batmans. My boyfriend Cole is a Batman enthusiast, and there is no corner of our apartment that does not hold some tribute to the comic book hero. Cole's substantial caped-crusader collection, naturally, includes the entire original Batman series downloaded for our viewing pleasure, and I thought he would get a kick out of getting to see its star. 

Unfortunately, the Expo's Facebook page just posted an announcement that West experienced a serious back injury last week and is now unable to attend the event. Good thing we didn't already buy our tickets! As they did the last time a featured guest cancelled, the Expo immediately posted the addition of three new celebrities to the roster in an effort to lessen the blow. One of the new names is that of Misha Collins, who, unlike Julie Newmar and Lee Majors, is someone I have never heard of before. So, I looked him up online!

    image courtesy of Fanpop.com

What a dish! According to IMDB.com, Misha is best known for his role as an angel named Castiel on Supernatural, a show I've never watched but for so many reasons probably should have! Hunky guys, paranormal stuff, action, romance? Why have I never tuned in!? Unfortunately, Mr. Collins is ALSO known for playing real-life murderer Paul Bernardo, which is a role I wouldn't like as MY claim to fame. Ick. 

The Edmonton Expo does still have a pretty cool cast of characters, and since Friday is payday I might have a few dollars to spend on random merchandise. We'll see if Lando Calrissian is enough incentive for me to scrub away the tearstains from my mother's memorial on Saturday and put my geek-rags on! For more info on the Expo, running October 20th and 21st in Hall E of the Northlands Expo Facility, visit http://edmontonexpo.com. 

What Causes That 'Lump" in My Throat?

In the past few weeks I've become more comfortable with crying in public. Being an empathetic person who absorbs the moods and manners of all around her means that I am a ticking time bomb of emotion. I could burst into tears at any moment, and that's just in my regular day-to-day life. Add in the distress and anguish of the illness and subsequent death of my mother this month and now what I have developed is a complete inability to restrain my emotions, regardless of where I am. But that doesn't mean I don't try! And when I do try to hold back the fluid courses of grief my body reacts with what is commonly referred to as 'a lump in the throat.' 

I've experienced having a lump in my throat hundreds of times before, but had never before paid attention. The other day, though, I found that I was curious about this lump. Where did it come from and where did it go? So, I looked online. 

According to Michael Onken of Washington University* when our body experiences stress it's first unconscious instinct is to increase the level of oxygen that is being taken in. To do this, our glottis expands. Unfortunately, when we are crying - or trying our best not to cry - we swallow, and this makes our glottis want to contract! So that 'lump' that we feel isn't a lump at all. It is simply the sensation of the glottis receiving contradictory demands and struggling to cope. Much the same as we are! 

Too bad there are no exercise programs or weight-training regimes to prepare and strengthen my poor little glottis for the days ahead. 

*(http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar97/855114309.An.r.html)