Healing or Heaven, its a win win!

The thoughts of my dear Uncle Dave who, at this time last year, passed away after struggling with ALS for 5 years. My sisters and I wrote this poem after he died and read it together at his memorial.

Say Hi to Jesus for Me...

You changed the world

One piece of grace at a time

In humility you lived

And all who came into your life felt peace

Giving God the Glory

You shone incandescently into the dark corners

Of the souls around you

You continually gave of yourself

You listened, ever accepting

and loving us unconditionally

He called your name and brought you home

Running into His waiting arms

You can rest peacefully in His embrace,

Completely free from all pain and torment

Your eyes shining with the love of the Savior

grinning from ear to ear with endless Joy

I'm imagining what it’s like in heaven

The Son pouring out light in the eternal world

Colours like never before fill your eyes

Brilliant cascades of golden light, crystal blues

and tender green grass beneath your toes

You are filled with strength, brand new

so childlike as you dance in His everlasting love

I bet you never sleep

'cause your too busy singing hallelujah,

Worshipping with the angels around the throne

I bet your doing the things you love,

Like skiing out on a pristine lake

or riding that snowmobile for all its worth

laughing out loud at nothing in particular

I'll hold onto the memory of the way

your smile lit up your eyes

the way your laugh was so contagious

and the way you loved God and your family

was special beyond words

You changed my world

Thank you for being you

Oh, and say hi to Jesus for me

I never really got to tell you all the things

you meant to me

Every gesture, every word that spoke of your character

You were such an example

Your grace and forgiveness and joy

Were not of this world

and I know God blessed you with those gifts

I miss your laughter but I know your laughing now

I miss your smiles

but I know they never leave your face

I miss your awesome cooking

but I know now you're at God's table

I miss your birthday phone calls

but I know I will hear your voice again someday. 

Thank you for never giving up

Thank you for your strength

Thank you for accepting me in my weakness

For loving me across the distances

I'm sorry I wasn't there

I wish I could have hugged you one last time

I can't wait to see you again

I love you

oh, and say hi to Jesus for me.

There is a verse is the Bible

It commands us to live like the one who sent us

To live like Jesus

I knew it meant to love my neighbour

I knew it meant to hold my tongue

And I knew it meant to have an honest heart

But I didn't know the humility it demanded

Until I saw it in your eyes.

I didn't know the patience it taught

Until I watched you live everyday.

And I didn't know the strength it gave

Until I saw Him carrying you.

And now even more than living like him

You've seen his face, and beheld his glory.

You've seen the hands that crafted the mountains,

and painted the sunsets.

And I'm pretty sure this was worth the wait.

So thank you for living a life well lived,

When even the strongest would have given up

And thanks for your love and your smile

And thanks most of all for showing me Jesus

oh, and say hi to Him for me

   Love,

     Janelle, Analea and Danae

I'm over it...

Month 4. Week 16. Day 78....Semester 2: Done and done.

Today was my written exam and practical assessment all rolled into one anxiety hairball. Not to worry, I passed both...woop, woop! Got 93% on the exam and 96% on the assessment. No big deal lol.
Ugh, but I am in torment! Because I am me (a perfectionist to a fault) I'm kicking myself that I didn't do better, especially since others got a higher mark on the assessment, oy...anyways, its over and I succeeded very well indeed.

So the verdict of the day is that, I like doing color because you can do really fun things with it, but it FREAKS me out!! Seriously, I am sure that I stopped breathing today when I had to figure out what I had to put on my models hair! There are so many things to consider, natural level, what tone to put on, highlights or lowlights, Shades or Mask, decolorizing or color ....never mind making sure you give the client exactly what they want and don't even get me started on formulating!! Its enough to give one a nervous break down, sheesh....my brain threatens to implode in protest! So the jury is still out on the whole color issue I guess.

Well, got to go...my company is here so I must entertain.

Simple Satisfaction...

This pretty much sums it up.

I never thought I could love a little human so much but this little man has completely captured my heart. Tonight we got to play trains together, read Little Cars and Farm Words about 10 times.....each, giggled and laughed, then cuddled before I tucked his little body into bed. Pretty much the best way to finish my week!

I dont mind if you've got something nice to say about me...

I win! I win!

One of the incentives our teachers use to get us to learn, is giving out Free Hair Days. Normally we have to complete 2 Criteria (which basically means practising stuffs on our manican heads) or 1 criteria and 1 client before we can get our own hair done(cut, color, styled, etc). So, I won my FIRST Free Hair Day last week!!!

Here's the how. The challenge was presented to those that wanted to take it. Complete the below 2 hairstyles from the 1940s (the second two pics are the same hairstyle).

As a casual observer you may not realise how hard this is, but this stretched and pulled our brains every which way, and only 4 of ended up even completeing the task. I spent the better part of the day on it. I used a technique that is called Wet Setting.  It works how it sounds; style the hair when wet, using setting creams then put under a dryer. I used finger waves, rollers and skip waves to replicate the above. It was painstaking work, with many breaks to ease the frustration. But my hard work payed off!! I was finally ready to show my instructor. Well, she was instantly impressed! So much so that she grabs both mannequin heads and strutes off to show the other teachers!! I was so happy to know that I am doing something right, sometimes one just isn't sure.  So here is the finished product! Ta Da!

By personal request...

This ones for you Bananas!

I am told that I have been remiss in my blogger duties. I shall endeavor to improve,  since I have such a vast and loyal following.

It has been a diverting week; what with Mother being away, fashion shows and the endless drama between friends. Lets start with the fashion show, which was actually a Bridal Show so, you guessed it, the majority of the audience were blushing brides-to-be. What a total whirl wind of hyper activity, mass chaos and confusion that somehow, in the end, worked its self into a top notch production. It was prom dress shopping all over again but with wedding gowns! hehe....It was a total riot prancing up and down those runways looking gorgeous! How it happened (for those who are curious) is through a friend from school, Alexys (that's us together below). Her step mom knows the owner of a shop called Silk and White Satin,

who has been in these fashion shows for years....they needed more models so of course we had to help them out right? lol So anyways it was loads of excitement and hopefully we'll get to be a part of the spring show as well.

Now on to the mother being gone. For eleven days. Makes for many opportunities...for one...to expand ones...skills?...responsibilities. Yes, it has been up to little ol me and little sissy Danae to make sure our papa is well cared for during the absence of our vastly gifted homemaker. We done laundry, made many suppers, well not so hard as it sounds on account that mum made a nice meal plan, plus we invited ourselves to be fed by Vanessa once, and Don Johnson another time. All in all we've survived pretty well I think. That's not even the biggest amazement! I come back from school on Saturday to find that my excellent Father has not only lent  a hand with the vacuuming but also had made a grocery run as well! Nothing will  shock me again.

....now being that it is a late-ish hour, my eye lids are feeling a mite droopy plus my fingers have run out of words.

To all a good night.



Procrastinating...

Wikipedia: "Procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time. Some psychologists cite such behaviour as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision."

Such is my current occupation. My Semester 1 exam is on Friday and I ask myself "Self? How much studying is too much? How long does one study until the information is simply lost in cranium cyberspace??" Google says that you are supposed to spread it out over a week or so...oops. The test is 200 questions....all multiple choice so I really should be fine simply using the logical brain that God gave me. Thing is, unlike high school, I actually want to do better than fine. I want to ace it! So, here I sit. Books and notes sprawled out in front of me (blast, I forgot my cue cards at school). And I'm writing a blog about procrastinating because I don't want to study anymore, the dog next door won't shut up; effectively cutting short all brain signals and my sister keeps pestering me to go for a walk with her...somebody is asking for a smack in the face.

Wanna know what I have to study? Of course you do....Starts with Life Skills and Professional Image, then we move on the glorious topic of Infection Control: Principles and Practise. Next is the Properties of Hair and Scalp (which includes scalp diseases, yum), then we get to review Shampooing, Rinsing and Conditioning followed by Principles of Hair Design and Hair Styling. Now I'm at the part I always forget about, Braiding & Braid Extensions, and Wigs & Hair Enhancements. Finishing off with Hair Cutting and Communication for Success! Doesn't that sound fun.

Enough of that boring nonsense....Guess what?? On my Cutting/ Styling assessment last Saturday I got 95%!! Go me. Did a mighty fine job if I do say so myself. Next week I am out on the clinic floor taking real live clients, (not fake ones) yipee!

Oh boy, there goes that dog again. Makes me think such violent nasty thoughts and go twitchy all over...shudder.

Weelllll...now I'm looking to procrastinate from this post so I think I'm gunna shut 'er down for the night. Until next time...

Vomiting through the nose is a decidedly unpleasant experience...

That was me, last night at 12:30am. I suddenly woke up feeling extremely nauseous, with my room tilting around me. After waiting a short while to see if it would go away, I decided to take some gravel and melatonin to help me relax. Before they even reached my stomach I was over the toilette puking my guts out (it literally felt like it). I know, ew. Anyways once that episode was over I felt much revived and slept like a baby the rest of the night. I'm thinking it was food poisoning. Danae and I went out to Pizza Hut for wings last night before our movie and she felt ill during the night as well. Problem solved.
Speaking of Danae, she has very willingly become my practise model in my adventures with hair. This time I put my new skills with the round brush blow dry to work and voila! Instant celebrity hairstyle!!

To make the curls stronger I 'set' them using pin curls.

Finished product. Ain't she a hottie?

This was only one of the styling techniques I learned. You can do the same style using a medium to large curling iron as well (I will be trying this style on myself tomorrow hehe). I also learned to do finger waves and skip waves. The story is that most people cry when trying this since its so difficult. I determined to not be one of those people. I succeeded in not getting frustrated, letting myself try to do it perfectly the first time was a key factor in this success. So that behind me we start cutting again this week. My assessment (first cut on a real human) is in two weeks!!! Ahhhm, must. not. think about it.

Well that's all folks! Stay tuned :)

Jade Beat, Over and Out.

Look at me and my bad self...

So, I'm actually almost to tired to write, but I figured an update was in order. I am having a rip roarin' time this week. We have a new instructor, Anita, and she is a riot! We pretty much laugh our faces off from 10 to 4, its good times. This week I'm learning fun stuff like layering and face shaping and I LOVE it! Way more fun than Solid form. Though realistically, once we start cutting actually clients, we will be doing a combination of everything we've learned. Anyways, here is some pics of my Manny, Cleopatra, with some Face Shaping Increase Layers!

So ya, there she is. By the end of the week she will be very different though, with much more layers added in. Yay!

Well, I've got some kind of sickness...a sore throught...its icky...and it makes me tired. So I bid you an early Good Night.

An explanation...

I suddenly realised that I have never really explained my blog title and that some might be confused about where this seemingly random title came from. The history is not so long or even that clever. Making a blog was an idea my sisters and I considered a few years ago. Our reasoning was that since we are as a whole incredibly hilarious and witty, we should be sharing this with the world! So in my quiet moments I began to consider some options....we never did make a blog but one day I suddenly realised that the first letter in our names put in order from oldest to youngest could make a word J.A.D. I added an E on the end to make Jade because.....well, I like just like the word and the colour lol. The 'Beat' I think originally came from the idea to use the word 'heartbeat' in part of a name. Shortening to just 'Beat' was clearly more catchy.
I began this blog just to try out Blogger with Google and didn't actually do much with it for almost a year. Then I acquired a job that gave me ample time in front of a computer so, with the encouragements of my sister Analea, an experienced blogger herself, I started the 'Behind the desk of boredom' series of random things I found online. When I was laid off from that job and began school, the name shortened to what it is now for lack of a better idea lol. So there you have it. Not very exciting, not very innovative, but hey that's me for ya....hehe jk ;).

And now for an update on the mystery of Hair Design! This week I cut hair for the very first time (actually I just realised this in untrue since I have cut my own bangs many times)! Since Thursday I have cut Cleopatra's (my mannequin) hair 4 times, whoa! Ya, I still have a looonng way to go. I learned a SOLID form haircut, which is basically a one length cut. I think next week we're doing layering but not sure yet. Friday I almost lost my mind with frustration. For some reason the instructors didn't communicate or something because they taught us two ways to cut the same SOLID form hairstyle....the second is what is causing my frustration. First cut was pretty great after one minor mistake, but I was feeling good about myself. Second time round comes along and suddenly I can't seem to cut the hair even!! Arrgh! I may simply be over thinking or trying to be too perfect, so I'm taking a deep breathe to be ready to plunge into it all again this week!

Update on the social side...my class is getting along better and better. Some girls are closer than others. I find that I don't let people get too close right away though. I'm definitely more cautious whereas the others are diving in headfirst. I'm okay with it though, it only been 2 weeks!! Lol, we have another 9 months and 2 weeks to get to know each other. All in all its a really fun place to learn and be creative.

Oh! I have added a new PHOTO gallery page! This will be mostly hairstyles that I create and some other random moments thrown in there as well. I have also added new stuff to the Useless Knowledge page.

So until next time, au revoir!

Humans are digusting...

Okay. Regroup. Week 2. Day 7.

Today was hard. I can see now that it may have been because I did not spend time with my Heavenly Father this morning, praying or reading His word. Thing is, what is hard for me is no big deal for most people, so if your like, 'huh, what's the big deal with that?', don't worry I understand lol.

This morning the class got the lovely opportunity to expand our knowledge of little parasites called lice....and fleas. Delicious eh? I learned what a louse looks like up close, what a nit (the larva) look like dead and alive, how to find it in a clients hair and how to treat it. We were also regaled with many glamorous real live lice and flea stories. So gross. One of the students actually did find a lous ON her client's head while in the middle of doing foils! aahhhck!! I would so totally have freaked! Creepy crawlies are NOT my forte. When faced with such a situation we are expected to be completely calm, showing no feelings of the sudden itches or heebie jeebies....Lord please don't let me ever find lice in my clients hair!!.

So we got over that illuminating subject and moved on to the more invigorating topic of sanitation and disinfecting. Did you realize there was a broad difference in these two words? No? Well, let me inform you that there is, in fact, a bacterial difference! Sanitation, my friends, is simply cleaning, only reducing the bacteria, viruses and germs on the surface. This is when you use your nice little spray bottle and cloth to wipe down the surface. Disinfection is when you are killing most bacteria and some viruses on non-porus surfaces. Usually this is when you immerse an object completely (in school we use barbicide). So, you learned something new today :).
You are now wondering where the hard part comes in. Well it came in the form of the social aspect of this career. I knew this would test me spiritually, the most. Living in this world for a follower of Jesus is not simple or easy. He promises that. In the past I feel that I compromised my beliefs with my words just to fit. Making my peers think I was okay with drinking and partying by smiling and nodding as if I know what they were talking about. I promised myself and God that I would strive to be stronger in this area. Today I betrayed that promise. Wanting to so badly to be accepted and liked I let myself be drawn in again. I feel crushed and weary. I know that my Lord is full of grace and forgives me....I do need to forgive myself as well. I am glad this happened early on as a reminder of who I am in Christ. I am also reminded to not go it alone. With out God or without prayer support. If you think of me, pray that I would be humble, that I would serve and love as Jesus examples. That I would glorify God is all that I say and do. Thank you!

The show continues...

I learned yesterday in my homework that obstacles to staying productive are procrastination, perfectionism and not having a game plan. hmmm....well I score and A+ on all three of those so I guess I am not a very productive person, which would explain why I am almost 5 years out of high school and have only just chosen a career. But no matter, (I am also not allowed to be hard on myself, must be positive at all times!! lol) I am here now and after day 3 I am still pretty jazzed to be in this program. I don't even care that all I may be doing for 10 months is school, eating, homework and sleeping...I think once we start more practical work, we only get one day of theory (note taking/textbook reading) a week so that will be easier.
Back onto staying productive...as I was reading that over last night, it was like a spot light shone down on me, ah ha! Caught you! Yes I had just put something down in frustration and told myself "I'll do it tomorrow". Its all this paperwork for my student loans that is getting under my skin. I only had to complete one more task, one itty bitty thing...but my entire being rebelled at all that tiny fine print (you know the kind that's ALL over important official documents). I am a queen at procrastination. I want to stay I learned it at my jobs, but now that I think on it, I was like this in school too so, the blame is all on moi.......Getting to the point, I did it! I dragged my butt to Canada Post to verify that yes, I am a living breathing person residing at the noted address. Woot! Whew, it feels so good to have that done, I might just have a cookie...oh wait I already had 5, ugh.
So, little success aside, today was another full day for learning. I am now pretty skilled at a French Roll if i do say so myself. Can't wait to try it on a human now. My mannequin, Cleopatra, (I call her Cleopatra) is a stunning brunette who rarely says much but I just, like, know I am her go to stylist from now on. Today we learning parting. Yes parting. I learned that parting is very important for cutting. There is surprisingly a lot that goes into it, but I won't bore you with the details. Just know that I got a 'good' and a 'very good' from my instructor on my 4 and 5 section parting. Oh ya, can't touch this.
Thats alls I got for ya'll. Peace out.

I spy with my little eye...a giant raspberry statue..?

Okay, so it doesn't look exactly like this...but for a lack of a better photo, I thought this would pretty well give you a picture of what it could be like. All one has to do is drive down our beautiful freeway and they will encounter this astonishingly strange, but intriguing...piece of art? lol I will have to retrieve a photo of it, because no words can possibly describe it.

Anyways, moving on to the main reason I have written today after such a long time. The foremost reason being that...well I had nothing to write on, even random things were hard to come by...though there was that time about the sand castle....in any case here it is. I am now in school as most of you know. Today was, in fact, my very first day!! Woot.

So not much excitement happens on a first day...met my classmates; 11 girls in total. Lets see..can I get their names all right...Coral (she's from South Africa), Chloe, Bernadette (from Romania), Alexys (the American that has duel citizenship), Pamela (the youngest at 17), Alexandria, Kate, Josie...gah! what are the others......nope, don't got it. Obviously they were not as memorable hehe....

So we got talked to a lot, opened up our new kits...which was like Christmas!...then a lot more talking. I learned that these teachers mean some serious business. They are determined to make super star hairdressers out of us. Which is, you know, awesome! But whoa do I feel so incredibly overwhelmed! If the curriculum isn't enough...I know for certain that fitting in with this group of girls will be very difficult. They would be the ones that are the exact opposite of me. Most live with or have lived with their boyfriends, half of them smoke and have more than one tattoo...now I know that this is not how I should judge the situation but I felt very much out of place among these girls. My goal while I am at school is to focus of being the best I can be and making the most of the next 10 months. I do not want to get wrapped up in any drama or get so overwhelmed that I give up. So baby steps. One day at a time. Trusting God with every hour. This is the only way I will survive, for I know that this will be the hardest, most challenging thing I have done so far in my 22 years.

Thats all I have for now. I'm totally wiped out. My plan is to regal you with a lovely inside look at the glamour of hairdressing school, I know your stoked. Until next time, ciao!

On things not so interesting...

I had a great idea for a new blog when I was down in Jackson Hole WY. The story goes like this: I met this guy of many talents, one of which was a unique skill of playing the Hammered Dulcimer. Now this instrument looks like something a nice old man or lady would have mastery over (see provided image), not a 19 year old young man! Anyways, after only 5 mins of hearing him play, I was enthralled! Such a totally melodious instrument, smooth like butter, yet quick and upbeat, like...springtime!! lol He has some CDs, (that we now own hehe) and you can even purchase his songs on itunes! Look up Cort Tangeman. (promise i'm not getting paid for this). So, back to the Hammered Dulcimer. I'm looking at this odd contraption, thinking, whoa this must have a cool history! Resolving then and there to write my next blog about it.
This all to say that once looked up, I decided the Hammered Dulcimer history is not all that exciting. Except maybe that it came from Persia, which is only cool because I really like the movie Prince of Persia (and I only really like the movie because Jake Gyllenhaal is gorgeous!). So here is my blog about not blogging about the Hammered Dulcimer. Seriously though, look up Cort's stuff. It'll blow your musical senses!

I will perfect this...

I am on a mission to be the master of Cheesecakes. Ihave discovered recently that this is a rather deceptively easy dessert to create, with endless opportunities (muhaha). The ingredients aren't much and don't require special talent or technique. No, the devil is in the baking. I am stuck. All my cakes (I've worked on/helped with 3 so far) have come out with cracks! This is just getting annoying now. Though I did learn a trick to get rid of small cracks and uneven sides, I now have cracks and it sunk (insert pouty face)! I am determined to show this cake who's boss!

Enter our White Chocolate Raspberry cake. Don't it look just lovely? It's not finished yet but I thought it looked so pretty with all the swirls...sadly it is VERY cracked and looks not so good all sunk in. So, the lovely marble affect will have to be covered up. But, don't be too sad Self, because I have a master plan to fill in the top with a delicious raspberry glaze! Yum.

Have I mentioned how much I love Google?? (probly have, since it is one of the instigators of my blog)...anyways, to solve my cracking and sinking problem I have done some research. Turns out there's loads of advice right at my figure tips! Goodbye lame and sad, here comes perfect and beautiful!

Ta Da! The finished product. Not too bad if I do say so myself! :)

Everything is better with...

It has been said (on a favourite dairy farm sign) that "everything is better with ice cream". I am of the opinion that this is a very correct statement, especially when it comes to Edaleen Dairy's ice cream!

Upon extensive thought and serious research, (cough, cough) I have also come to the conclusion the everything is better with....a hat. Yes my friends, take your pick! Doesn't matter what your style is, straw or, felt, western or french....any one will do as long as you own it with all you got! I have my sights on the straw Fedora beach hat. I have admired this small brimmed number from afar, never believing my dreams of owning one would ever be fulfilled. Now, I have three. He he, those who know me will simply shake their head and smile at this, but the third purchase was fully my mothers fault, lol.

I am stubbornly devoted to these hats, and I will wear them all summer! Ha! I am determined to convince all non-hat people that if you have the will, anyone can be a hat person! I was once one of those melancholy folk, but I have seen the futility of waiting for satisfaction, and decided to grasp my chance at this new fangled fashion! Both adorable and practical. So I hope you have discovered a new appreciation for hats and I do not actually care if you haven't, so moving on to bigger and better things like...

Voting! Have you voted yet? I voted for that Marksist-Lenniest person......JK!! I'm a conservative all the way man! Fist pump! GO VOTE.

Here comes the bride...

"Weddings! I love weddings! Drinks all around!"

A big congrats to the happy couple! What a morning for them. I cant imagine what it felt like to drive down the street, to stand on the balcony in front of what was I'm sure, a million people. All there to see just you. Totally incredible.
What has got me curious though, is not the dress, or the shoes, or the flowers....but its the very strong influence of Christianity in the wedding ceremony. Yes, it was a traditional Anglican wedding ceremony, but I can't help but wonder if there was one soul in that church that really believe what the were hearing, singing, or declaring for the world to hear. I pray that at least the bride and groom were listening. At least a handful of times the name of Jesus Christ was mentioned as well as the gospel message...I wonder if anyone was touched by the Truth of the words? The ceremony, I felt, was rather anti-climatic and a bit dreary, but it also impressed upon me the very seriousness of marriage. Something I feel the world has drastically downplayed over the years. Anyways I hope they will have an amazing, memorable life together.

On to more thrilling things like...well normal life, specifically mine. Today is Day 3 since I was laid off. I have spent it very idle, if you must know, hardly being productive at all. I did decide that the cost of getting fake tanning is absolutely ridiculous! Now normally I don't consider doing this sort of thing, (have you seen the beds? talk about claustrophobic! Not to mention all those creepy lights 'shudder'). Check this one out, its called a Starship?? Now that just makes me nervous...Anyways, I must give in eventually for I am to be a part of me dear cousins beautiful wedding, as one of her bridesmaids. And since my dress is beige, a bit of colour is, I'm told, a must. What we do for those we love eh?

So other than that not so significant information, you will be pleased to know (well, maybe, but you probably don't really care all that much) that I have been productive on a different front. I have made use of my home bound state by completing my EI application (which hopefully I wont need), updating my resume and applying to two jobs! Yay, go me! For those of you who don't know, I am a notorious procrastinator, so this is a HUGE feat for moi. I applied to Abbotsford's Park division of the Parks, Recreation and Culture department and to Census Canada. So we'll see what comes of it.

Now that is all I want to write at the moment as I have so much to do (yes, I actually do). Since I wasted the morning away watching Kate and Williams nuptials, I know have only a few hours to clean the house and pack for me weekend get away with my girlfriends! Woot! Look out Birch Bay here we come!

Until next time, I bid you adieu.

It may seem common knowledge...

So, the other day one who will remain unnamed suggested to me that pizza did not in fact come from Italy, but Mexico. Well, this seemed slightly absurd to me so I decided to look it up. Enter Google! ....well we can all be relieved that I could find no reference about pizza originating in Mexico, and that the most consistant evidence is that pizza did originate in Italy as a flat bread, mostly eaten by peasants, with tomatos and cheese. (ha! so there 'one who will remain unamed'!) Then along comes the King of Italy and his wife Margherita of Savoy. Now the story gets rather fuzzy here, as each website seems to have their own twist. Some say the King would disguise himself as a commoner so that he could sneak in the poor neighborhood of Naples to 'sink his teeth into a food the queen banned from the royal court', others say the King and Queen were on a tour of the country, and the Queen enjoyed the pizza treat so much she had chef Rafaelle Esposito summoned to make a selection of pizzas for her. Esposito decideds to honour the queen with a patriotic pizza topped with red tomatos, green basil leaves and white mozerella cheese to represent the Italian flag, thus naming it Pizza Margherita, which is still popular in Italy to this day.

Now that is just one of the stories on the origins. I read that pizza could have gone all the way back to the Roman times! But I will choose to say that it came from and was perfected by Italy... maybe Greece too. Here are the sites I used: Wikepedia and YourDictionary

Hope you were enlightened :)

Sometimes little surprises aren't fun...

Aaahhhkkkk!! There was a spider in the candy dish this morning!! I was about to refill it and then I saw a fluff or something and went to remove it went it MOVED!! I almost freaked, but I couldn't because I had just answered the phone, so I was forced to swallow my squeal of fright which caused my whole body to shudder and twitch with a case of serious hebegebes. Fun fact, when I googled 'hebigebis' (which i did to get the right spelling for the above feeling), it found this "What Does the Hebegebes mean? by ChaCha Answers" Definition: The heebie jeebies is a feeling of minor fright, anxiety, nervousness or apprehension. So I thought that was pretty great and proved that you can find everything on Google! lol Did you know that yesterday was apparently (according to Google) the Ice Cream Sundae's 119th Birthday? To celebrate accordingly, our family brought out the ice cream with all the trimmings (bananas, chocolate, pecans, syrup, strawberry's, etc) and had sundae's on Sunday on the Sundae's birthday. Yes they were delicious, thanks for asking. Now I'm at work and though the phones are pretty busy, I can't seem to get Sundae's off the brain. So, I googled. One would never think such a debate surrounded this delightful little dish! Did you know there were legal battles between two cities over the claim to the first sundae? Ya, for serious! Two Rivers, Wisconsin claims the first sundae was served by accident in 1881 while Ithaca, New York claims to be the birthplace in 1892. Both have similar stories in my opinion. Apparently back then it was "unrighteous" to have ice cream sodas and the clergy actually preached against what they called "sucking soda" on the Sabbath. I'm not even kidding! So to compromise, on Sundays, a person would simply have a bowl of ice cream. In both cities, the owner of the Ice Cream parlor or one of their friends spontaneously suggested putting chocolate syrup over the ice cream to mix it up a bit and voila! The special Sunday only treat become a favourite of both young and old. Shopkeepers even decided to sell it in the weekdays as the demand for the confection became insistent. The official name came when a glassware salesman placed an order for the canoe-shaped dishes under 'Sundae dishes'. Thus was born the ICE CREAM SUNDAE we are so fond of today. I could write more details, and describe a rather hilarious but legit letter from Two Rivers' City Council formally challenging Ithaca, New York's claim to be the 'Birthplace of the Ice Cream Sundae' but I grow weary of typing, I leave it to you to read for yourself if you so desire. Click here for the website.

Man's Fascination, and yet...

Albino. This anomaly was on my mind so I Googled it and found some pretty cool pictures of some pure white animals. This occurs in nature more often than I thought. I'm sure you all know this, but I'll give you the definition of it anyway since it is, in fact, my blog. (plus it makes me feel smart :P) So albinism is a hereditary inability to produce the pigment melanin which leaves pale or pink skin, white fur, pinkish or light blue eyes and usually impaired vision. To be albino is so not the greatest thing, though we humans seem to see it as a novelty. In fact, albino animals are often caught and bred for that reason. Which I guess is better for the animal because the chances of an albino animal surviving in the wild is very slim. The biggest disadvantage would be the impaired vision. Apparently melanin has a big part in developing the irises, retinas, eye muscles and optic nerves. The animal has problems with focusing, depth perception and tracking...which it would kinda need, especially if its a predator or say a....bird. Did you know that melanin also helps protect you from the sunlight? Ya, or rather melanomas (clusters of melanin) does. So besides not being able to see and dealing with constant sunburns, with that bright white coat of fur or feathers or skin, all thoughts of camouflage disappear! Oddly enough though, some studies have revealed that sometimes predators will avoid albinos, not even recognizing them as prey to begin with, huh. Very interesting. Oh and studies of birds like ravens, barn swallows and penguins, show that albino birds have trouble winning a mate. In fact they were consistently rejected based on the lack of colours and patterns a mate would rely on to make choices, poor little birdies!! Talk about some serious prejudice! (actually sounds like us humans...hmmm lol). So the outcome of my study is that these creatures are to be pitied, and are a result of a fallen world. I am actually now quite sad for the poor albino animals of the world, especially the ones humans take advantage of (a half blind animal is easier to control). But perhaps what has caused me the most grief this day is an article I came upon regarding the human side of albinism. I was shocked to the core to read this title "Seven new albino killings in Tanzania and Burundi" and my heart sunk even more as I continued to read. Recently a 28 year old woman and her 4 year old son were killed and...actually I don't even want to write what they did and continue to do to these helpless people. I cannot even imagine living in that kinda of terror. Sorry to leave you on a sad note....but sometimes thats just the way it is. Now I'm going to go cry a bit

So the Zipper...

We were just finishing dinner when I happened to glance at my brother staring at the zipper on his hoodie, slowly pulling it up and down. I kinda chuckled a bit at the sight and he looked up with an adorable lopsided grin and said something like "Haven't you ever wondered how a zipper works?" (My brother is 24 and married with 9 month old son.) Gotta love it. Anyways it sparked an interest in my brain and I started to wonder where in the world zippers did in fact came from.

Look at your zipper. See the initials YKK? It stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha, the world's largest zipper manufacturer, located in.....prize for the winning answer!!

But I get ahead of myself.

It may not come as a surprise that the inventor of the sewing machine, Elias Howe, was the first to tinker with the idea of a what is now called the zipper. He received a patent in 1851 for an 'Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure', but it wasn't until 4 years later that Mr. Whitcomb Judson began to market a 'Clasp Locker', earning the credit of being the 'Inventor of the Zipper'. Judson's Clasp Locker was a complicated hook-and-eye shoe fastener. He launched the Universal Fastener Company which was devoted to creating this design, brilliant idea that wasn't very popular with the public unfortunately.

Enter Gideon Sundback, a guy with a creepy mustache and mad skills. He got a job at the Universal Fastener Co, becoming head designer and vastly improved Judson's lame design. Sadly his dear wife died which caused him to become obsessed with his work (to deal with his grief I assume) and by 1913 he had designed what is now the modern day zipper, the patent issued in 1917 for the 'Separable Fastener'.

Yet we still don't see the word 'Zipper' anywhere....well I have that fascinating information too. It came from the B.F. Goodrich Company who decided to use the Fastener on a new type of rubber boots and renamed it the 'Zipper', the name has stuck ever since. It took a full 20 years before the zipper graduated from boots and tobacco pouches to the fashion industry, beginning with children's clothing. Here's a fun fact, in a "Battle of the Fly" in 1937 the zipper beat the button! Woot! All thanks to the French apparently. who declared the zipper as the "Newest tailoring idea for men". Among its many virtues was that it was said to exclude "the possibility of unintentional and embarrassing disarray" Obviously, they had not yet discovered the experience of forgetting to zip-up ;)

So there you have it my friends, the history of the Zipper if you ever wanted to know.

All information was gleaned from About.com.Inventors

for lack of anything better...

Alrighty! The much anticipated 2nd post! lol (this ones all for you bananas)

So I have a bit of tragic news. My lovely Starbucks mug has been stolen! Yes, stolen. I left it at church two weeks ago and for multiple reasons, one of which was just plain laziness, I hadn't gone back to find it until this Monday. It was much to my dismay to discover that it was not only not in the Lost and Found, but to find out that it had been there at one point (information secured by the church facility guy, so nice that he remembered my dear mug) and was in fact most likely taken by the less reputable folk that frequent the church and apparently like to go shopping in the church Lost and Found. If only I had come sooner! So, after a brief grieving period of about...2 mins, I zipped off to Starbucks to purchase myself another!! It is most unsettling to not have a trusty mug for ones morning coffee, I know someone understands me.....well maybe I'm just weird then, ah well.

So as luck would have it, low and behold there was an equally beautiful mug at Starbucks to replace the old one. I am very pleased with the outcome of this minor tragedy.

Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with behind the desk....I will tell you. As an avid coffee drinker should understand, ones mug is stuck like glue to ones hand until the drink is consumed (quite the phenomenon I know :P). So I have my mug beside me as go about my morning routine of checking emails, mailing letters...writing my blog, chatting with my co-workers...this new one will have to learn the ropes but I'm positive it will do alright.

Speaking of co-workers, I have to give props to Mr. Roly Patrick who very kindly improved my rather foul mood yesterday morning. This video definitely aided him in this, though I really had no idea what it was at the time, somehow watching Kermit the frog at 8 in the morning tickled my brain. Check it out: Danny Boy

Blooper real...

It all started with YouTube mixed with a serious case of boredom. What started as a very focused search for a specific scene from Pirates of the Carribbean 3 turned into me laughing my face off at the bloopers for said film. Its like Lays chips, you can't just watch one. So in chatting with my best friend and sister, Bananas, who sometimes enjoys my randomness, voila! Mots sont apparus comme vous le voyez!

I am the 'voice' of a distribution company. Actually, I am a receptionist, I like to say admin assistant too but that's just to make me feel a bit better. In the endless hours of answering call after call, none of which are for me, in the most animated cheerful voice that to some is akin to nails on a chalkboard, tends to wear on a person. Giving into insanity or apathy are very real fears. So, I have found various ways to entertain myself and created this blog to document them.

What to expect....well nothing at all, yet so much of everything, except the totally detestable, but not excluding the questionable.

The title mentions behind the desk, so it follows that all posts will be done from work (shhh dont tell the boss). For those who read my nonsensical babbling I hope you will be much entertained with stories of the persons, events and other such random things that are witnessed from behind the desk. I will not be using names, and to save on confusion you will begin to know my characters by their apt nicknames. In like manner I will only be known by my ulter-ego Jerusalem. I used to be schizophrenic but we're okay with that now.

On with the show...