The Popcorn Story
Anyone who knows me knows that I love popcorn.
I like kettle corn, and caramel corn is alright, but I simply adore air-popped popcorn with the traditional salt and butter as toppings.
I’ve loved it ever since I can remember, and even while working at a movie theatre for three years I still didn’t get sick of the stuff.
And despite a tragic childhood incident involving a hot kernel, it’s still possibly my favourite snack.
I don’t remember how young I was, but I remember the popcorn machine whirring on the counter, and the smell of popcorn filling the kitchen.
I had been warned several times to stay far away from the popper so as to not get burned.
So I stood, waiting in joyous anticipation, a couple of metres away from what would soon become my snack.
Now, I don’t know how exactly the next part of the story was possible: it defied physics itself!
But out of the popcorn machine flew a single burning hot kernel.
It soared through the kitchen, past the popcorn bowl and the counter, and landed right between my fingers.
It burned my skin, but mostly I was in shock: I wasn’t standing close to the machine, and the kernel didn’t just hit me, but wedged itself perfectly between my two fingers.
I learned two things that day.
First, that it is always possible to get hurt no matter how many precautions you take.
And second, that nothing can come between me and my love for popcorn.
I’d like to dedicate this story to my Grandpa, my dedicated blog reader and fellow popcorn lover.
Happy birthday!
@HayleyWoodin
Bucket List #35
#35 Donate blood
Yesterday was a bloody adventure: I went to the blood donation clinic with @JSaggau in Vancouver.
I hadn’t donated before, so I was a little bit anxious. I had no idea how I was going to react to seeing my blood being pumped out of me.
Over a year ago I’d tried to donate with another friend, but I had been to Mexico within the past six months, and that meant that I could have had malaria in my system.
But trying to go before proved to not be a complete waste of time: All of my information was still on file which sped up my second attempt at donating.
I am pretty proud of myself for going.
I’ve never been afraid of needles or blood, but it’s a little surreal to see your own blood flowing out of your arm.
Regardless, I didn’t faint, puke, cry or even break a sweat.
And not only did I get to cross something off of my 10 year list, but the pint of blood I donated will help to save others’ lives.
8 down, 93 to go.
Tweet me!
@HayleyWoodin
Bucket List #34
#34 Break a world record
When I first put this goal on my 10 year list, I had assumed that it would be more of a long-term goal.
Lucky for me, it’s the seventh item completed on my list.
Josh Dueck, a Paralympic silver medalist, partnered with Worksafe B.C. set out to break the world record for the most high fives in 24 hours.
He started his mission on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. and ended it at the same time on Saturday the 28th.
Within 24 hours, Dueck managed to high five 9,230 people at the Pacific National Exhibition and Empire Field, far surpassing the previous record of 3,130.
And I was one of those 9,230 people.
I’d like to think that I was the 3,131st person to slap his hand, but considering that I high fived Dueck mid-afternoon on Saturday, I highly doubt that was the case.
Regardless, I took part in breaking a world record, and I’m crossing it off my list.
7 down, 94 to go.
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@HayleyWoodin
100 Years at the PNE
I am appalled at how much I ate.
But in my defence, it is truly impossible to be healthy at the PNE: if it isn’t your wavering willpower that gets you, the dozens of tempting smells will for sure.
Yesterday I enjoyed, in total, Wiggle chips, funnel cake, samosas, kettle corn, a Carribean colada smoothie (my health-ish choice of the day), deep fried Oreos and of course, mini donuts.
To be fair, I shared all of these with my mom and sister. But I still don’t even want to think about the amount of calories that were in my share.
I hadn’t been to the PNE in years, and the food available at the fair is definitely part of the experience.
Besides eating (and sometimes while eating), I watched the President’s Choice Superdogs show and the PNE’s 100 Years of Fun, scoured the Marketplace and walked through the Container Art exhibit which was very cool.
My highlight of the day (not counting my mom’s discovery of deep fried Oreos), was the free Mariana’s Trench concert.
I’m sure thousands stood, sat and kneeled to hear the band play: luckily we had grabbed our bleacher seats four hours before the show.
The wait was worth it because the show was phenomenal, and the band’s talent exceptional.
And because we were there so early, we got to watch their sound check too.
All in all, it was a day well spent eating and rocking out.
I am now off to go exercise.
Tweet me!
@HayleyWoodin
Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball
For months I have been waiting for Lady Gaga to come to Vancouver.
I was unbelievably excited for the concert, but even as I was sitting in my seat at Roger’s Place, I had no idea I was about to be inducted into the Little Monster fan club and swept away by the superstar’s Fame Monster or her Madonna-like “liberation” phenomenon.
Gaga was in a whole other league compared to any other concert I’d seen.
Everything from her costumes, to the show’s intricate story line, to the outfits sported by her Little Monsters turned the concert into a 4D experience where the show didn’t just take place on stage, but throughout the entire arena: the fans were just as much a part of her show as her dancers and back-up singers.
And as a part of her show, I made sure to sing along to every one of her hits.
It was a surreal experience seeing the songs, known for their provocative music videos as well as their catchiness, performed live on stage.
It was also a nice surprise to see some variation in the dance sequences: in other words, the show wasn’t as “shocking” as her videos, but just as entertaining.
I can’t say enough good things about Gaga’s show, and even 16 hours after it ended, I’m still feeding off of her incessant energy.
But the show was phenomenal, and Lady Gaga is a talented singer, pianist and really connects with the audience.
As a newly inducted Little Monster, I can’t wait to see her the next time she comes to town.
Tweet me!
@HayleyWoodin
Headlines 20/08/10
Here are my thoughts on today’s headlines. Everything but the titles is written by yours truly.
Britons spending almost half the day plugged in by Neil Midgley:
About 45 per cent of the average Briton’s waking hours are spent using some type of technology, whether it’s surfing the Internet, watching television, listening to the radio or texting friends, according to Ofcom’s annual Communications Market Report.
If we assume that the average sleep time is eight hours, then half of the 16-hour waking day is spent plugged in.
That’s eight hours spent communicating with friends and reading, listening and watching the news, among other things.
Needless to say, it seems like the world is shrinking in size as we grow closer through technology.
Research team develops method to test police Tasers by Matthew Pearson:
Researchers have established a specific set of procedures that can be used to determine whether Tasers and other conducted-energy weapons used across the country are functioning the way they are supposed to.
The testing system is a result of the difference in beliefs of the manufacturers and commissioner Thomas Braidwood who, in his 2009 report, concluded that “conducted-energy weapons do have the capacity to cause severe injury or death.”
Taser International maintains that the weapons pose no danger if deployed correctly and in accordance with their specifications.
The testing procedures are thorough, an example being that the maximum and minimum electrical pulses should be reported to ensure that they fall within the weapon’s average electrical range.
It’s nice to see that precautions are being taken to ensure that the weapons Canadian police are using are void of defects, but it almost seems as though these safety measures are being put in place to prevent any future lawsuits directed at Taser International.
The emphasis of studies regarding Tasers should be shifted away from the weapon itself, and redirected towards the people actually deploying them.