I Work at a Call Centre...

From the time I was about Eighteen years old until I was Forty, most my working life was taking the call.

I started out early in an answering service in Toronto. Back then we used the old cord boards. I didn't enjoy it very much at all and thankfully, after a month or so, was transferred upstairs where my job entailed taking the calls and paging them out; as well as monitoring alarms (fire, burglar, etc.).

I worked with a fun, wonderful group of women and even though we were all cooped up together in a room smaller than my living room; I can honestly say we had a good time. I still have fond memories of those days.


Over the years, my office skills increased and I often held the position of receptionist/switchboard operator. I learned to work a variety of switchboards and in the end was also programming them.

Fast forward to the present. I have two very talented sons who both work in a Call Centre. They take calls to give tech support to people who are having difficulties with their computers. I know it often takes a lot of patience to do what they do, not to mention constantly having to upgrade their knowledge each time there's a product upgrade.

Imagine...trying to give tech support to someone who barely knows how to operate a computer. I know how much patience is required to carry that out.

My older son is bilingual; he speaks French as well as English. My younger son is a musician. He's taught himself the drums, guitar and banjo; though he still has the common sense to realize you can always learn from others.

The reality is that Call Centres are probably the biggest employers in our city, if you add them up together. The people who work in these Call Centres are a variety of all ages & talents.

I always give credit to the people who occupy these positions as I know from personal experience, that they are mostly underpaid and treated with little respect. Overall, they're labeled as robots who can't do anything more than answer the phone. And it's not only the higher ups who treat them this way but often the general public. Often it's the very people they are trying to assist when they take that call.

Both my sons have made some good friendships at their place of employment. One of these friends is Gordon Phillips; another musician. Gord is not only a talented musician and writer but he also saw talent in my younger son, Andrew.

Gord wrote a song though we like to refer to it as an anthem. He approached both Drew and Barry about it and we all loved it. Drew was to sing the main vocals, as well as playing the drums. Barry's job was in what he does best. He did the recording.


As the project was in the beginning stages, Gord had a surgery date approaching. He was suffering some nerve damage and my husband, Barry literally had to duct tape the pick onto Gords fingers. But he played the bass and his talent flowed.

Gord also gave Drew a lot of coaching to bring out the best in his vocals. Drew did the main vocals, while Gord did the back up.

They brought in two people for the guitar. Adam McGlynn also works at the same Call Centre as Drew and Gord. He came in a few times to add some guitar to the song. He was great and more than happy to do his part.

Now like most creative people, Gord was very particular on how this song should sound and he wanted more in the guitar...to kind of add to Adam's tracks.

And so Kyle Mason was brought in to add those extra tracks. Kyle is the only person who participated in this project who does not, nor has he experience working in a Call Centre...to the best of my knowledge. But his tracks were incredible and I could certainly understand why Gord wanted him.




Then it was all left to my husband Barry to do his magic.

The project is finished. And, it's catching on to Call Centre people all over. How could it not?

Let me introduce to you the Call Centre Anthem: ...

I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do. And if you take that call ... or if you ever have...This song is for you!!

Officer Bubbles???.....

I've never been one to protest. Oh I have my own personal set of values and I certainly am not a fan of this moron to whom we've given the title of Prime Minister. I think I just can't trust my own reactions when a peaceful protest turns to something that I consider unjust. Especially when our police force takes on the role of bully and decides to take on someone who is obviously making her protest as peaceful as possible.

I've been somewhat following the news coverage of the recent G20 summit in the GTA. I'm not going to even bring up the topic of all the wasted tax money that could have been used elsewhere. That's why we had peaceful protests to begin with.

What really bothers me the most is how our tax dollars were spent on paying bullies to harass the peaceful protesters and perhaps, as theory has it, even started much of the violence.

My husband just brought my attention to a very good example of these paid bullies. Mind you, I've seen quite a few examples up to this point.

But this one really takes the cake.

Bubbles: My two year old grand-daughter absolutely loves bubbles. They're fun and are often wonderful for many events.

I've not yet heard about being careful with bubbles because "they could take out an eye".

This is the case of Officer Bubbles.

A woman was at what appears to be the front of a barricade of bullies. She seemed to be in pretty good spirits, possibly enjoying the energy of what was going on around her. She was making some kind of statement in her own peaceful way.

She was blowing bubbles.

She even appeared to have stopped her violent bubble blowing when confronted by one of the paid bullies.

I have to use the word, bullies, as that is the role these particular type seem to enjoy. Childhood bullies often take a role of authority in their adult life as it feeds into their own feelings of superiority.

In the following video, you can plainly see how this guy is taking great pride in his bully role, even to the point of arresting the woman, after her bubble blowing had stopped. I did not see one bubble touch or injure this guy.



As much as I hate to say it, this brought out a lot of anger in me. It also made me even more aware of why I don't protest.

I know I would not have been as compliant as this woman. Oh, I'm sure I wouldn't be blowing bubbles in this guys face, though I'd be very, very tempted. I do have enough common sense to avoid a charge of assaulting a police officer with bubbles. But I know I would have ended up in some type of verbal argument with the idiot.

My only hope in this story is that Officer Bubbles becomes the object of ridicule; not only online but in his own station. For I know in this society, had I been there and told him exactly what was on my mind, I too would have been arrested.

I think all I have left to say about Officer Bubbles is....what a bloody power tripping moron.

Gone too soon....

Saturday started off like an ordinary Saturday for Barry and I. He got my son Drew off to work while I allowed myself to wake up and slowly start to tidy up a bit.

We were just about to start sorting out some outdoor candy canes when Barry took a call for Drew from one his friends. I could tell from his expression that it wasn't good but nothing could have prepared me for what Barry was about to tell me when he hung up the phone.Drew has a pretty tight group of friends for the most part. Most of them date back to high school and the various bands they formed together. It was Michael that was taking on the dreadful task Saturday of having to call all of his friends and pass on the horrible news.

Andy was a big part of this group. It was Andy, Drew & Curtis that formed the infamous Janga Brothers that will live on in our hearts forever.

Andy was also considered the more cautious one. He didn't take drugs or even smoke pot and when he drank, he drank with common sense. But somehow on Friday night, at the age of 21 years, Andy took a fall from a 7 story balcony and lost his life.

None of the close group were there that night. From what little they know, he was supposed to be attending his work party. There are more questions than answers. How could this happen to Andy who is the most cautious guy they know?

Naturally, we got Drew out of work right away. He's devastated; each and every one of his friends, including his girlfriend are devastated and I have to be honest; so am I. These kids have spent so much time at my house, I can't help but form a bit of a bond. I can't count the number of times, I'm telling them "drive safe...." as they're on the way out the door. We make sure we have a place for them to crash if they need to. This could have been my child and I feel awful for being thankful that my children are alive and well.

My heart is crying for Andy's parents. No parent deserves to go through this. No parent should have to bury their child. Dean and Andy had such a close relationship; I can't even imagine their pain.

Andy had a whole future ahead of him. He hadn't even finished university yet. And he would have gone far. He was intelligent and talented with a wonderful sense of humour.Andy...I know that wherever you are, there are good people already there. So you're not alone. We'll miss you here but in time, I know we'll all meet again.

But the healing is going to take a long time. Which really makes me think; it's not always how many years we spend on this earth but how many lives we touch while we're here.

Andy touched many lives in his short life. Many tears have been shed and will be flowing for a long time yet.Rest in peace, Andy...you will never be forgotten and always loved.

****thanks to Tracy Rochetta for the last picture (taken at our wedding June 7, 2008)

Sheltering Form

In 2004, I was invited to join a committee in Cobourg, whose ultimate goal was to place a visual display in a public park. This visual display was to honour all victims/survivors of abuse. It would give people a place for quiet meditation, while also providing a space for local groups to hold vigils and/or other events. We also hoped in bringing this visual display to fruition, we would be helping to bring more awareness to the issues that feed abuse, keeping the cycle alive.

The name of this committee was to be called TAAP (The Abuse Awareness Project). In 2006, the city of Cobourg, donated a beautiful piece of land, on the eastern tip of Victoria Park, directly across from the Lioness Pavillion. In September 2006, we blessed the space, naming it the Gathering Place.

Throughout the last 5 years, our small committee grew smaller and suffered many heartaches. Two weeks before our blessing of the Gathering Place, on September 1, 2006, our dear friend and fellow member, Barb Buller passed away suddenly. As much as we all struggled to go on, we always knew she was with us, giving us the strength we needed. And whenever things got really tough and we had to pull ourselves back up again, it was often Barb who kept us going.

It's funny how things work out and work out they did.

It started when Janice Newson, our committee backbone as I like to call her, contacted Frances Gage to ask her advice. Without going into all the details, in the end, Frances Gage generously offered to donate a sculpture that she calls "Sheltering Form".

During the time that "Sheltering Form" was in the process of being created, we (the remaining members of TAAP), were invited to Frances' workshop to get our hands in there, scraping, forming and bonding. What I will always appreciate the most from this was the opportunity to get to know an incredible, beautiful, gentle woman who has worlds of experience to share.

Not long after our unveiling on Jue 20th, 2009, my husband Barry, also a TAAP supporter since 2006, was googling for media on our event. Sadly all he found was a blog from an obnoxious neanderthal who obviously has many misogynistic beliefs. I chose to ignore it as I've learned in life that ignoramuses really are not worth my energy.

What saddened me though was finding out later that the Cobourg Star printed this rubbish. And not only did they print this rubbish but not one of the many letters that were sent to defend Frances Gage's honour were printed. How sad when the Cobourg Star gives room for a misogynistic slug to bully a woman who cannot even understand the cruelty of such comments, let alone know how to respond to them. But then that's what bully's do, isn't it?

The more I learned about who this slug was, the more I'm happy I did not respond to the rubbish, or even name it. I feel it's had enough media attention, thanks to the Cobourg Star.

This life is short enough. My friend Barb taught me that. And in the end, I want to know that I contributed to something worthwhile and that I've made some truly amazing friends along the way. Not that I've sat on my butt, doing nothing while criticizing the efforts of those who did.

Sheltering Form...it really is a big hug and I'm truly grateful to have been a part of this.

Liquid Larry and the Afterburners

Since I've been off work, I've noticed how much more my life seems to be consumed by my youngest son and his music.

It's funny; I'm often finding myself remembering back to the day I brought Andrew home from the hospital. I had to wait for the orthopedic specialist, Dr. Bent, as Drew was born with a clubbed foot. The specialist needed to have a look at Drew before we left, explaining to me, what procedures would have to be done in the future and then fitted my 3 day old son with his first cast.

I remember him telling me to not expect Andrew to be athletic. I looked at the doctor and told him my son was going to be what ever he chose to be.


Drew get's so tired of hearing that story. But I never get tired of telling it. Because I've always believed that of my sons. And for some reason, Drew seemed to always want to prove it. He was the toddler, up on the monkey bars, that the elderly women would say "isn't he yours????"

What could I say? If I went to get him, he'd be kicking and screaming and I'd get those hard and I mean hard shoes in the face. No....better to wait until he's done falling and scrape him up afterward. The kid was my human Mollie. He had to learn for himself.

When Andrew decided to play the drums at 14, I really didn't give it a lot of thought. A group of them started in the basement. Most of them didn't have much talent but they kept at it.

I remember telling Drew "just make sure you have a back-up plan". And then as time went on, I remember the kids in the basement sounding less like screechy noise and more like, well....music. I actually remember one day, stopping outside the band room door and actually starting to move to the music....for the first time.

They still took a few years to mature though.

And now, I believe they've got what it takes. Let me introduce Liquid Larry and the Afterburners.


They will be playing in Toronto on March 18, 2009 at the Opera House, at 735 Queen Street East. This is a fabulous opportunity Underdogs Showcase and we're hoping to get as many of our Toronto people as possible there.

They have another gig at Johnny B's in Whitby on May 3rd. This is a 2 hour set. They got this one through a Battle of the Bands that they participated in. There are times they may not win in the way they hope but something else comes of it.

Sometimes, it's just about who sees them that night.

So....if you're ever in Peterborough, they're pretty much at the Dobro every Wednesday night...unless they're busy recording.

***Special thanks to my handsome hubby's input with the last two pictures of Liquid Larry on stage.

Love and Hope

This is the picture for February on one of our calendars.
I thought it was a good starting point.

"Love makes all things possible"


Have you ever felt like you were at
a crossroad in your life but you had no control over
which direction it was going?

I spent years with a vision.
I knew what I wanted to do,
and now.....


Now it's gone.

But that's alright.

I know I can do so much more because
I feel the love of those around me...
my husband, my family and my friends.


Even from my dog, Mollie.

In my role as a counselor,
I've worked with many women who
had little or no supports from family and/or friends
and it makes a huge difference in ones life,
especially during a healing phase,
to have a good, loving support system.

Where there's Love, there's hope and
where there's hope, there's
a future.

And I believe in a hopeful future.

Life with a geek....

Yesterday was a day of organization around the house. I was organizing the living room and my husband, whom I lovingly refer to as the geek, decided to organize his desk space.

Barry and I have been together for 6 years or will be together for 6 years on February 1st of this year. He's different from anyone I've ever known. Well, I think he's just plain different. He's what we'd call a geek. When we met, he was designing and building control panels for reverse osmosis systems for many uses from homes to dialysis machines. He's now building (or doing the electrical, wiring, etc., for...) fire trucks, trailers to pull horses for the RCMP and assorted other vehicles.

For our first Halloween party, he went all out and painted the basement with a special UV luminescent paint that activates under black light.

It was an incredible sight to me when he flicked the switch for the lights to go off and the black lights to come on. It reminded me of something from CSI.

Naturally, every Christmas the lights are getting brighter with more of them. And yes, they are synchronized to blink with the music.

It has it's downsides though; clutter. There are wires hanging from doors, things I can't even put names to, sitting on shelves as well as what used to be my kitchen table and huge and I mean enormous wires going right through my kitchen, into the band room. I tolerate this because they are being used to record my sons band and I believe that one day, if they continue to work as a team; they can make it big.

Our music is one of my favourite perks. All of our CD's have been ripped onto a main computer to be used as our jukebox. It goes through a mixer, that goes through a small FM antenna. Barry assigns the antenna to an unused station and voila!! I can play our music from any location in or around the property by simply playing FM 88.1 on the radio. As I'm typing, Barry is playing Rita Marley, from his turntable, and it's coming through my receiver. It still impresses me.

A couple of months ago we were talking about our dreams and I was telling him of mine; to drive the Alaskan Highway. A few days later he told me of his purchase.

Photo courtesy of Barry Duff

He bought it from his boss at work. It has very little mileage on it, which is good when you consider what it was used for. Barry is considering ideas of remodeling and eventually it will take us where we want to go.

We all smile and say "that's Barry". These are many of the things that I love about him.

So back to yesterday and my geek, er... husband, needing more desk space. He acquired more junk, I mean some Kee Klamp from a friend of his who runs a store, here in Peterborough. Well this Kee Klamp is or was used for stage and sound equipment (just another area Barry has expertise in). Basically, it's galvanized pipe, with elbows, etc.

So my husbands desk went from being a six foot table, along with our whole dining room table to a six foot table sitting on galvanized pipes, with shelving to hold his monitors and other electronics, sitting on more galvanized pipes, also utilizing old waterbed parts for the shelving.

And what geek desk is complete without it's own bar fridge?

Well alright, it was mine. I brought it home from my office last week but I guess the rotten bugger decided he might as well pillage it while he had the chance.

One thing I can say, watching all of this come together. It's definitely strong. And it's different. But then so is Barry.

So this is life with a geek. Some may know what it's like to get up from their chair and trip over a bag holding a 20' antenna that has future plans to be erected when "we have our own home". This has become my norm and one thing I can say is, it's always entertaining around here, especially if you love music!!!