Channeling the Power

Jessie has had, and continues to have, a variety of goals for her future. While there is an underlying current that relates to the arts and performance, the flavours of the month day rival, in range and creativity, those on offer by the Baskin Robbins ice cream chain.

Generally her identified passion and career choice derives from whatever movie/TV show she has just watched. From Spy Kids (a spy, of course) to Harry Potter (a wizard) to Little Women (a writer, complete with oil lamp), to Bring it On (a cheerleader), to the Jonas Brothers (a lyricist), to Glee (this one is a little more convoluted and involves travelling to LA with Dan /Dad where he gets a job as a scriptwriter on Glee and writes her into the script so that there are TWO actors with Down syndrome and she is the new love interest for Finn).

As she has matured (sic) and moved into a life phase where she is expected to be a little bit more reality-based in her choices, she often states that her desire is to act, advocate, and/or dance. All things she has had some experience and success with; all things that she has figured out that we have a more positive response to (i.e., it does not precipitate parental eye-rolling or large exasperated sighs).

Of course she continues to throw us loops—such as a consistent urge to follow her passion: her music career. (Hmmmm, where is that chromosome related to singing on key? Certainly not on the 21st you say?) Or a more recent desire to give up dancing professionally (which she does, dance professionally that is, with Propeller Dance) so she can spend more time with Drummer Boy, her boyfriend, and they can work on their combined music careers (he is also considering a career playing with the National Hockey League, so they are not 100% sure about the music thing. )

This week however, I’m glad to see that all our discussions about talent, passion, reality, and the 10,000 hour rule are really paying off! She and some friends went to see X-Men on Monday and I got this text:

I wonder if our college savings will cover it?

Cheap Heat

It was so hot here yesterday! Almost 36C, but feeling like 46C (that's around 96F, feeling like 115F for those of you in the US). We have no airconditioning; I have a contract to finish; and Jessie was supposed to go to a wave pool with the Ys Owl Summer Program, but ended up having to deal with "girl stuff." This left her sobbing in the bathroom at 6:30 am in the morning. "But WHY today? WHY now?"

I totally agreed that it was totally not fair and so vowed, right then and there, that we would throw it all to the wind (or the heat, as the case may be) and just head out to the mall for some shopping, smoothies, and movies. (We are not lucky enough to live on the West Coast, where Beth and her family are wrapping themselves in sweaters to keep themselves warm from the ocean breeze!)

So we spent the day at the mall, as you can see by our ticket stubs. Three movies in one day! I don't think I've ever done that. And it was cheap! First we went to the mall that hosts a Rainbow Cinema (movies just moments past prime and at a cheaper price--just $6 a person). They had a "heat" deal (see "heat" on the ticket stubs?!) that put the movies at half price (okay, we're down to $3 a person). Then I made Jessie use her access pass (an entertainment pass you apply for for persons with disabilities that allows an accompanying person go in for free, which makes it two for one). So the grand total for each of us was $1.50 per movie! We spent $9 for both us to see three movies!

While the day ended up being a bit more expensive (Dan joined us for dinner after work and so had to pay the full $3 for HIS movie tickets), it was still cheaper than airconditioning.