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It’s my dirty little secret, but I love Pamela Anderson. She is what she is and makes no excuses for it, and that’s an attitude I can admire in people. Pamela is also my hometown girl, being that we both grew up in Comox and attended Highland Secondary School. I am quite sure there is still a yearbook photo of her on our library wall, brunette tresses and boobless.

Much to my disappointment, I missed the chance at shakin’ the lady’s hand. She was photographed outside of the KFC on Davie Street - half a block from my apartment - on Monday. Pamela was appearing on behalf of PETA, trying out the new “faux chicken sandwich.”

Photo: George Pimintel/WireImage for People

No word on whether the faux meat was finger lickin’ good or not.

P.S. It’s my dirty little secret, but I love Kentucky Fried Chicken.

My plan for today: lay in the sunshine on the beach, endlessly, clad in my true blue bikini and coconut oil with Charley at my side. Mother Nature’s plan for today: sprinkling rain and chilly air. Can’t no weather hold me down. I showered, dressed and headed into town instead and met up with my oldest friend in the world, Kortney. First stop: Atlas Cafe for tasty eats.

I almost always order the baked bean burrito with tofu. And yes, it is as good as it looks. The price tag? A mere $6.

Kortney’s two days out of surgery and hopped up on a serious dosage of Demerol. As if it wasn’t obvious.

After a good meal, I also need a little “something-something” that’s sweet. Call it taking the edge off, if you will. Upon her suggestion, we headed to the Tin Town area of Courtenay to hit up the Freakin’ Coffee Shop. Yes, that’s what it’s called. Opened in recent years, Freakin’ is a Wonderland of eclectic finds, retro furniture and vintage lamps in an industrial setting.

They’ve got a pretty decent selection of bites to nibble, organic fair trade coffees, teas and my new favourite: London Fog. Their website is fairly new, but updated content and the events schedule are constantly being added to, so check it out. The shop is hoping to welcome more live acts in the coming months and I, for one, will be heading back there next time I’m in the Comox Valley. It’s just one of those places I feel super comfy in.

My fingers, toes and legs are crossed in hopes that tomorrow brings a bit of sunshine and warmth. I need colour, beach time and relaxation in the sun, and I have a feeling I just might be in luck.

My kitchen, for the most part, normally has a good stock of food (or at least the ingredients required to bake chocolate chip cookies at a moment’s notice).

My bathroom cabinets, too, are almost always stuffed full. The cupboards overflow with a seeming abundance of shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, tampons, condoms, toilet paper, toothpaste (and a toothbrush!), razor blades, soap, lotion, lip balm and anything else you can think of. And if I run out, Shopper’s Drug Mart is half a block away, so refilling the supply is never a problem.

For some women, however, acquiring even one or two of these items is next to impossible.

Photo: dtes.people on Flickr

The items I listed above are just a fraction of what’s needed, and unfortunately, the resources for the women of Vancouver’s downtown eastside are next to none. The clean socks and finely bristled hairbrushes we all take for granted are a luxury to some women.

This is where you come in. Last week, on another dreary and rainy day in Vancouver, Phaedra and I came up with an idea that will, hopefully, give many of these women the opportunity to take in a few of the items needed on a daily - and monthly - basis. Most of us are fortunate to have jobs, pay the bills and supply ourselves with what we need, so banded together, it’s not an impossibilty to put together “care kits” and distribute them accordingly.

Becky has been awesome enough to start a Wiki page (Women Helping Women) in this regard where we can trade ideas, generate fundraising avenues and contribute. Visit Women Helping Women, join up and start the discussion. Our hope is to meet sometime within the next week or two to put our heads together. If you have ideas, funds or items to contribute, leave a message, e-mail me (keira at keira-anne dot com) or pop a note on the Wiki page.

P.S. Just because you may be a dude, it doesn’t exempt you. Be a gentleman and offer a helping hand.

After my last run of an exhausting (yet exhilarating and fantastic) day of snowboarding on Mt. Washington over the Easter weekend in March, I knew that I’d be zipping my snowboard up in its case and leaving it there until opening weekend in December, 2008. For most people who love the slopes in winter, that idea is a bit depressing. Some pick up on other hobbies to keep them occupied through the summer months, such as surfing or wakeboarding. And there are others still who know that there doesn’t have to be a dozen feet of fresh powder on the hill to have a blast at Mt. Washington.

As I quickly learned on a solo trip up the mountain last summer, I believe it’s quite possible that Mt. Washington offers more activity choices when the hot sun is shining down than when snowflakes are falling. The big draw is targeted at mountain bike enthusiasts, who take advantage of the open lifts and rugged terrain. One of Mt. Washington’s biggest events of the summer is happening August 23, 2008: the Bearclaw Invitational Slopestyle III. I checked it out last summer and was blown away by the scale of the event and also the excitement…not to mention the dozens and dozens of sweaty, dirty men. Here’s hoping my usual partner-in-crime tags along this year.

(For more information on mountain biking and related events at Mt. Washington, including seasons lift passes, visit their “Down and Dirty” site here.)

Fortunately for the rest of us who prefer not to get down and dirty, Mt. Washington offers a mitten full of other activities, ranging from riding the lifts to take in astonishing views, hiking, camping, bungee trampoline, mini golf and disc golf. In addition, all of the mountain’s shopping and dining facilities are open, so if the craving for Fat Teddy’s yam fries strikes you in the middle of July, so be it! Mt. Washington also appeals to the “plant geek” in all of us, with tons of information identifying the various flora and fauna that grows abundantly on its hills.

With activities set to kick off on June 20 (that’s only three weeks away, folks) and mountain biking gearing up for a June 30 opening, lets hope the last remnants of our wicked 07/08 snowfall melt soon!

If you’re planning on heading up this summer for a day of adventure high above the Comox Valley, my recommendation is that you snag yourself an Alpine Action Pack ($21 for adults; additional pricing found here), which gives you an entire day of unlimited access to the scenic chairlift rides, bungee trampoline, mini golf and disc golf. However, in this girl’s opinion, it’s worth it to just hang out on the hill for the day and take in the summer culture up there - with or without riding to the top.

Visit Mount Washington Alpine Resort online for all the information you need to make your summertime trip to the Comox Valley a memorable one.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been burning through all six seasons of HBO’s ‘Oz.’ In a nutshell, the program follows a large group of inmates in a fictional maximum security correctional facility in an unnamed U.S. state. Within the Oswald State Correctional Facility - or “Oz” as it’s known on the street - exists a place called “Emerald City” (aka “Em City”).

Em City is an experimental unit within the prison where inmates are allowed to wear their own clothes, interact with each other and work at jobs within the prison on the conditions that they attend classes and rehabilitation counselling, to name a few particulars. What’s most interesting about the cell block is that Aryans, Spanish, Irish, Muslims and a number of other ethnic groups attempt to co-exist together. Beyond that, I’ll not say anything because there are several people I know who have recently been turned on to the show and I would hate to ruin anything for any of them.

Photo: Ughman on Flickr

Yes, I do realize that this show is a work of fiction. At the end of each day, I’m sure the characters each washed off their “tattoos” before going home to their wives and children to prepare for another day’s work. However, it is the raw reality of humanity that this program touched on through actors (who are incredibly symbolic of you, me and the people before and behind you) that moved me in my core. And while none of it is true, the show is based on truth - human truth. The dialogue and the events quite literally force one to re-examine what we hold tight to through watching others experience similar circumstances.

“There are some confessions you can’t even make to yourself. Yearnings, desires, that you admitted to having you’d had to stop being who you are. And the facade you build so carefully will crumble, exposing to those around you, what really makes you tick.”

Last night I watched the very final episodes, and what I came to realize in those last few hours was, simply put, devastating. In one of the final episodes, tensions arose over the fate of a prisoner who was being held on death row and whether or not it was “ethical” to execute him as had been ordered by the State.

As the clock ticked down and straps were fastened, I found myself suddenly in a pool of my own tears as I sat there on my living room floor. I cried. I cried harder than I have in months, my body heaving in sobs.

Photo: Prof. Jas. Mundie on Flickr

That humanity I spoke of - the raw reality of it - it’s something that is too quickly defined without any true consideration. As I sat watching that particular scene, what struck me opened up a floodgate that brought out the heavy grief. Different values are placed on different lives, and each time, the basis for that evaluation is unique.

Let’s say one man takes another man’s life and so it’s considered by some as justifiable to strap him to a chair and thrust electric currents through his body or pump his arm full of venomous toxins. It’s a sense of redemption to the family of the man who was killed. But what about the executed man’s family? Are they not left with the same void?

And while I know the death penalty isn’t a method of punishment used in Canada, it’s wide-spread in many areas of the United States and many, many countries around the world. However, my point here is not about whether or not it’s okay to sentence someone to die. My point is that what matters most is to look behind the moral wrongdoing and look at the person. This very idea is what watching ‘Oz’ has prompted me to do.

Photo: Hotel Lyric [35] on Flickr

While it’s true that prisons are packed full of murderers, arsonists, rapists and the like, at the heart of the matter, they are all still people whether men or women. Behind the moral wrongdoings are sons and daughters, people with heart and true emotions. Somewhere along the way, their moral compasses became scrambled - even if only for a moment - and has changed their lives completely.

“So, what have we learned? What’s the lesson for today? For all the never-ending days and restless nights in Oz? That morality is transient? That virtue cannot exist without violence? That to be honest is to be flawed? That the giving and taking of love both debases and elevates us? That God or Allah or Yahweh has answers to questions we dare not even ask? The story is simple: a man lives in prison and dies. How he dies? That’s easy. The who and the why is the complex part. The human part. The only part worth knowing…”

It is so easy and quick to judge and label these “criminals and scumbags,” but are those of us on the outside really that much better than these people? Who of us has not lied to our loved ones, stolen, cheated, raged or delighted in our own dances with malice?

If there were laws against such trespasses of the heart, we would all be guilty.

Original Photo: cemedia on Flickr

I started popping Tylenol at 5pm yesterday. Oh, how I adore seasonal migraines. I’ve been plagued with them for the past handful of years, mainly only in the springtime. Lavender is my new best friend. The truth is, the migraines are gone as quickly as they spring on me. After a few extra hours in bed this morning and some fresh air, I’m basically just feeling the remnants…something I like to call a “migraine hangover.” I suppose I’m one of the lucky ones - I know some who’ve spent weeks bedridden, so for the odd one I get here and there, who am I to complain? A migraine every once in a while isn’t the end of the world.

Here we go…

More often than not, when reading blog posts, viewing pictures or hearing news stories out of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, we are faced with images and stories that are, at the very least, heartbreaking. To describe the lifelessness and defeatist existence that is mere blocks away from the glittery condos is near impossible. Even more impossible is understanding it.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple sentence.

Photo: cyclonepower on Flickr

This morning the sun poured through the windows as I stretched out of bed. It was a beautiful day and decided that I couldn’t waste it indoors. That being the case, I asked a friend if I could steal their dogs for a walk to the park and enjoy the sunshine. The park, located at the top of Main Street, already had its fair share of off-leash dogs, and the two I was toting along were eager to join the pack. As we entered the soggy and muddy grass, I heard a girl shout out “cute dogs!”

She called to them and they, in turn, trotted towards her because they’ll take any opportunity they can to be petted. The girl frolicked with them for a moment or two, all the while smiling and laughing. She stood up and asked me how old I was. After giving her my reply, she laughed and simply said: “You’re 27 and you have a life; I’m 23 and have no life.”

Rebecca excitedly asked me this morning if I’d be willing to bowl for a good cause. Truth be told, I’d be willing to bowl for just about anything, but bowling for Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver sounds like an even better idea.

Mentoring programs help kids reach their full potential by heightening self esteem and enabling them to make healthy decisions.

Studies indicate kids with mentors perform better academically, display improved personal relationships and are less inclined to use drugs and alcohol as teens.

Together with a few other bloggers (myself included), Rebecca has formed ‘Team Blogger’ in the 2008 Bowl For Big Brothers Classic. The idea of getting together with good friends to throw the balls around for a good cause is something I can most definitely get on board for.

On a dreary weekend in March, we’ll be hitting the lanes at either the Commodore in downtown Vancouver or grabbing a skytrain to Xcalibur in Surrey (I think - we’ll confirm at a later date). There are two ways you can be a part of the festivities:

1) Join ‘Team Blogger’ on the lanes! We still have five spots open but I am quite sure they’ll fill up fast! Click here to join the team - just search for ‘Team Blogger’ or ‘Rebecca Bollwitt.’

2) Donate! That’s the entire point of this bowl-o-rama, so click here to securely sponsor me online or e-mail me directly (keira at keira-anne dot com) if you’d prefer to make a direct cash donation.

Why donate?

Proceeds from The Bowl for Big Brothers Classic support Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver’s quality mentoring programs by funding volunteer screening, training and monitoring of friendships as well as fun activities for Bigs and Littles.

P.S. Becky, are you sure I can’t bowl in my bikini?

Being one who was born and raised on Vancouver Island, travelling on BC Ferries’ vessels was a significant and frequent part of my childhood. As a young girl, a voyage at sea was always something I looked forward to, with my family’s trip to Expo ‘86 being the earliest I can remember. My mom has photos of me from that day in my mini bell bottoms, standing near the railing under the yellow-tinted glass on the upper deck.

As I’ve gotten older and gained an understanding of corporate business and the money that’s to be made in the privatization of corporations, I’ve also gained a certain bitterness towards BC Ferries. From 1960 to 2003, it was operated as a Crown corporation within the Province, falling under the jurisdiction of the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority. Upon rumours of a growing debt, it was announced that the corporation would, in fact, become privatized.

Since that time, service on the fleet has dropped at a rate that’s almost as alarming as the equal drop in customer service. Passengers are paying more, but for what?

I won’t even get into the NDP’s decision to commission a fleet of “fast ferries,” as I’m sure that’s something every British Columbian would rather soon forget.

The final nail in the coffin was hammered down on July 2, 2003 when British Columbia, and the Vancouver/Whistler area in particular, was awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Since that fateful day, this Province as a generalized whole has been sliding down a slippery slope riddled with bullshit propoganda and corporate sell-outs by the handful. BC Ferries are no exception.

As Rebecca and I embarked from Departure Bay in Nanaimo this past Sunday afternoon, we noticed one of the new C-Class ferries docked next to our boat. It came as no surprise that the side of the ship was emblazoned with the 2010 logo in addition to a large illustration of Olympic speed skaters.

As I returned home that evening, I flipped on the news only to see a group of proud Comox Valley residents attempting to rally up the local residents and spread excitement over the pending games. There is so much about this that breaks my heart and angers me at the same time. Little do these communities know the enormous sacrifices being made to bring a two-week sporting event to our Province.

Simply put:

Until I am no longer, quite literally, stepping over sleeping people as I walk to work in the morning, this Province has no business building a bobsled course in the North Shore mountains.

To many in this Province, the games are something exciting and new to look forward to. Unfortunately, few of them realize the reality of the situation each and every day in the very city in which the games are to be held. This Province is failing its residents. Prime examples are everywhere if one is willing to open their eyes.

The closer that February 12, 2010 approaches, the more this Province will be clearly defined by an amateur sporting event.

To simply say that this is a “sad turn of events” is a gross understatement.