What Are Grain Elevators For, Exactly?

I am a huge fan of the show Corner Gas and while working at my current job have watched every single episode of the show’s six seasons at least four times each. Don’t judge! It’s an easy show to watch! YouTube has all the episodes available, commercial free! The show is set in a prairie farming community in Saskatchewan, and follows a motley crew of characters that I just can't get enough of.

Anyways, in the episode I’m watching right now, one of the characters is showing a bunch of pictures she’s taken, and all the pictures happen to be of grain elevators. It occurred to me that while I’ve seen many grain elevators while living in and driving through Alberta, and vaguely know how they work, I really have no idea EXACTLY what they do.

After some research I found that I actually did know pretty much what grain elevators do and how they do it, but thought I’d write about it anyways, in case some city folk are unaware. 

Grain elevators, first put into use in New York state in the early 1840s, are basically just huge storage bins for wheat and other grains. The design of grain elevators, which is pretty standard and very recognizable for anyone who has lived anywhere near farming communities, is very specific, and ensures that while keeping the grain safe and contained, it also makes for easy removal and eventual transport. The height of the elevators allows for considerable amounts of storage capabilities, and the more grain, the better they work, as the weight of the grain presses down and literally forces itself out of the metal spouts that lead into whatever transport vessels are being used.

On a side note, I used to always think it would be fun to jump into the unseen depths of grain, but my mom quickly warned me that doing such would cause me to suffocate and die. Yikes! So, no grain diving for me then. 

Review: The Clever Rabbit

For the last issue of the Voice for Animals (v4a.org) newsletter published January 21st, 2013I wrote a review of the vegan/vegetarian restaurant The Clever Rabbit. Below is the article, with some pictures. 

Brunch at The Clever Rabbit

My friends know me as a creature of habit. I tend to walk the same routes, listen to the same music, watch the same shows, and eat the same food. But, awhile back I heard of a new vegan/vegetarian eatery that had been opened by a set of animal-loving sisters, called The Clever Rabbit. Ever since then I’d been curious to see what they had to offer. I convinced two close friends of mine to accompany me for brunch, both for the companionship and also so that I could get a larger sampling of opinions! Beforehand, I made sure to check out thecleverrabbit.ca in the hopes of inspecting the menu and was in luck. I like to be prepared.

On a crisp Sunday morning our trio made its way to The Clever Rabbit’s accessible location on 124 street and 107th avenue, where our eagle-eyed driver spotted a place to park just a block away. After a brisk walk, we entered the welcoming restaurant, picking ourselves a cozy window seat in the just-the-right-size café. Just as we were getting comfy our charming server, whose smile literally chased away the winter cold, delivered us menus and took our drink orders. As I already knew what I wanted to eat I sipped my earl grey tea in peace while the other two perused the menu’s offerings. Eventually, we decided to start off with homemade tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were perfect and flaky, with just the right amount of salting, and the salsa was fresh and chunky – just the way I like it. It was difficult to share!

For the main course, my one friend chose to do the vegan version of a traditional breakfast, and ordered the tofu scramble with a side of vegan sausage. The dish came out looking amazing – brightly colored tomatoes and broccoli, heavenly looking “eggs”, with two sausages and two crisp pieces of toast. I couldn’t help but second guess my own choice. My other friend, who has some strict dietary concerns, chose the granola and yogurt, opting for the non-dairy coconut version. Another lovely dish, mixed with fresh 

berries and kiwi and so pretty it was a shame to watch him take the first spoonful. And not only was it judged delicious, it also sat well with my friend’s stomach. 

And my own midday meal? For that I decided to go with the lentil loaf with almond gravy, which was raved about in a review posted on the Clever Rabbit’s website. It did not disappoint. The loaf was delicious, moist and filling, and the gravy was, well, gravy (as in, an extra bonus). I savored every bite, as well as every slurp of the accompanying soup du jour, a peanut-y squash soup that was rich and creamy and tasted like autumn.

With whimsical rabbit figurines decorating the tables, a couch for the leisurely visitor, bright and open front windows and attentive but not oppressive staff, The Clever Rabbit has what they call “great atmosphere.” And it also has great food, which means I’ll be going back as soon as I can to start working my way through everything else on the menu. AND, to indulge in one of the incredible looking vegan donuts displayed in a baker’s case right next to the register. Next time, I’ll be sure to leave some room for dessert!

The Clever Rabbit is located at 10722 - 124th street. They have a fabulous Valentine's Day menu for February 14th (only a couple weeks away, you romantics out there) - check out the event posted on on Facebook page at facebook.com/CleverRabbit.

What are Some Fun Date Ideas?

Ever since Cole and I started dating the amount of TV I watch has skyrocketed. He was pretty much raised by television, so having it on for hours and hours every day is just natural to him, whereas before we moved in together I didn't even OWN a TV. So, in order to keep us from being completely sedentary and in the hopes of preventing us from getting stuck in a rut, I thought it would be fun to initiate a "TV-free day" every week. Or, at least a TV-free HALF day, during which we would do something fun that gets us off the couch and maybe even out of the apartment.

What I thought would be a good way to keep things spontaneous but still helps us out if we ended up blanking on what we should do with our TV-free time is if we wrote down an assortment of random activities on little slips of paper and put those slips of paper in a hat, or bag, or some other such receptacle. Then, at the appropriate time, we can simply draw out one idea and do whatever it says on the paper. Yesterday I wrote down about sixty ideas, and while some of them I came up with on my own, I did need a little help in the creativity department. So, I searched the internet for what other people thought made for a great date. 

Some of the ideas for "things to do with your mate" were obviously posted by crazy people and/or teenagers, and were completely ridiculous for a couple who has been together for over a year now. But I found that if I was persistent and scrolled past the idiot ideas I did occasionally come across a thought or suggestion that tickled my fancy. In case you were curious, here are some of the activities that I threw in the hat: 

take a midnight walk	take family pictures with Butters
fool around on guitars together	go to a g-rated movie
go for a meal at a restaurant chosen from the phone book based on its name alone	slow-dance together
film a nature documentary	feed the geese
play Scrabble	have a hangman or tic tac toe tournament
make bucket lists	visit Mamaw and Ed

Naturally, I ALSO think it would be fun to document our experiences, so every week there should be a post in this blog that doesn't exactly follow the usual question-and-answer structure, but I hope whoever reads this will enjoy the posts nonetheless. And of course, feel free to offer up any of your own recommendations for things you like to do with your own significant others. 

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.