Well I reached a new level of actually I don't know what but if "public sleeping" is a level, I passed. Hi. My name's Caley. I'm a public sleeper. That wasn't the plan when we left the house. We went to Monster Truck Mayhem tonight, briefly, rubber boots on, hats and ear plugs, and garbage bags because those are also for raincoats. If you didn't know. Apparently the monster truck Mayhemers are into speed and air time but NOT floods and lightening . Show cancelled. 1 of us was crying. So we went to the movie theatre. To see The Secret Life of Pets. Wearing rubber boots and shorts. And hats. This is where the public sleeping happened. It was me. I did that. It was right after I ate a whole bag of cotton candy. You know the one that's the size of a "throw cushion" that you always wanted when you were a little kid but your parents wouldn't let you have it. I had that. Then I had a sleep. Hence, level "public sleeper" reached. Leaving, entering daylight, I noticed I had cotton candy melted into the front of my black jacket. Bright pink and blue sugary crystals encrusted into the front of my jacket. I don't even remember that part. What happened? Where am I? I  thought you should know.

Heads up. This is gross. Albeit fascinating. I don't like bugs actually. Well maybe ladybugs and dragonflies. Until I saw one under a macro lens, which makes you wonder why I'd have a few hundred pictures of them. And even more peculiar, why I'd order a macro lens kit for my iPhone, specifically for getting a better look at their beady little eyes and a bazillion legs and other weird parts. And most shocking of all? Hair. So much hair. And their faces. I've seen more smiling bugs in the last 2 years than I don't know what. As if there's a comparison for that. Really. Back to the hair. That's what pushes the fear factor over the edge for me. Only 2nd to their rapid and unpredictable movement. You have to hold really still, and get REALLY close to take a picture of a bug, using a macro lens. This has led to some inevitable mishaps, with a bit of screaming, and probably some surprised bugs. I do like the colors though. Especially when the bug is resting on something with complimentary colors. So if you ever wondered what a beetles feet looked like, or a caterpillars smile, wonder no more. Yours truly, Caley                

When preparing to apply for life insurance, there are a few steps to the process.  First, one needs to decide how much to apply for. This is done by completing a needs analysis with your life insurance-licensed financial professional. Many things are taken into consideration, a few of which are income replacement, debt cancellation and final expenses.  Once the amount is determined, a look at different life insurance products is explored to come up with the best solution to one's situation. A combination of products may be the best way to go - permanent and temporary (term). Of course, the cost of the premium is important and needs to fit the budget but having the right product is also important.  When the amount being applied for and the best product are decided upon, the application process begins. Here are some pieces of information to have ready before applying:    - Date of last visit to a medical professional and the reason why    - Results of that visit with information on medication and/or treatment plan     - List of all medications being taken    - Health history on immediate family members (parents, siblings) There are also questions about one's travel and lifestyle activities for which the answers help the insurance company's underwriter determine the risk in providing coverage to an individual. For instance, if a person likes to hang glide, this provides more risk and is taken into consideration. This doesn't mean one wouldn't receive the life insurance because of the activity, but it may mean a rating to the premium. One could pay more for their premium than another person who doesn't hang glide nor participates in any other risky activities.  Based on the amount of insurance being applied for and the age of the proposed insured, there could be medical tests required, such as blood/urine tests and ECG. The insurance company pays a paramedical provider for this and, in most cases, a nurse can take the samples and do the ECG in the insured's home rather than in a clinic. The results are then given to the insurance company to help them make their decision in issuing the insurance. Also, the results can be made available to the insured for their own information and peace of mind.  It may seem like there is a lot to the application process but with the help of a licensed financial professional, it doesn't have to be so daunting.  Finally, something to remember is that money pays the life insurance premium but one's health buys the insurance coverage. 

Air Canada has rocketed into the social scene today by launching their own crowdfunding vacation site "Embarq." You can find it at www.embarq.aircanada.com/ In a nutshell, whether you are a stressed out mom in need of a spa vacation, or you are a recent graduate looking for family to sponsor your gap year adventure, you can use their crowd funding site to have others pay for your vacation. Crowdfunding got its start and has primarily been used as a charitable fundraising option. However, there aren't restrictions placed on its uses. A small percentage is paid to the website as an administrative charge, but people have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars this way for individual causes. This begs the question.... is a vacation a luxury item or should you expect others to help you pay for it? Is crowdfunding a good idea for personal travel? Love to hear your thoughts on this topic. It's a hot one!

You know I get this question at least 15 times a year….. It happened to me twice in Toronto on Saturday.  So this article is not going to be all dazzling and glowing by any means but this is my personal thoughts. Now I have made Brandon home for the last 26 years and you know overall this place isn’t that bad.  The two biggest complaints I hear from my friends is: # 1 – property taxes are insane compared to other cities # 2 – lack of good clothing stores So let’s look at some of the positives. Crime & safety factor – maybe I have been lucky but only had my truck broken into once in 26 years and that was my fault for not locking the doors.  But when people talk about crime etc. you really have to think the Brandon Police Service does a good job. Education – for a city of this size to have BU and ACC and all the other secondary education opportunities that exist we have nothing to complain about. Quality of Life – Golf Courses – Curling Rinks – Baseball diamonds – Hockey Rinks – Walking trails and paths – Indoor pools – gyms once again you have to give the city a passing grade. Nightlife – Trends have shifted for sure over the past 5 years and it appears that people just don’t go out.  The other day a girl said people meet other people now online and back in the day the only place you could really meet someone was in a nightclub.  We have Houstons and various other pubs and lounges and really if you need to see a major concert you have to go to Winnipeg or Minneapolis.  Unless you are into ZZ Top then you don’t need to go to Winnipeg for shows. Arts & Culture – I perhaps the worst person to ask about this topic but from what I see on Facebook and Twitter it appears that we have a pretty active community. Dining Out – This has greatly improved over the years and places like East Side Mario’s etc coming to Brandon just adds to your options for lunch and suppers.  We have just about every franchise possible with the exception of a Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Cost of Living – House prices are perhaps considered high when you look at Winnipeg prices and all the time I hear our rental prices are crazy.  But it is all supply and demand and if someone can rent a condo for 2000 dollars a month and get it then so be it. Jobs and Opportunity – Good question because you hear people complain about no jobs and then you hear employers say they are so short staffed.  Tons of jobs for people with no training or education but then you are going to make 12 bucks an hour.  For the educated people expecting to make say 100k a year then those jobs are not as abundant. External Image – Wheat City image is perhaps outdated and needs a refresh.  Of course Agriculture is a major factor to overall economics of the city but those signs on the Trans Canada really tell you nothing about Brandon.  Not even sure what the sign is about.  But for sure the city does suffer from an identity crisis. Medical Services – Of course we are somewhat limited as to the doctors and specialists that say Winnipeg has but for all your basic medical requirements Brandon has you covered. Air Service – Huge leap forward and now with flights to Toronto this really does help people considering moving or doing business here that Westjet offers regular daily flights. Easy to be the armchair quarterback and bitch and complain about what the city does offer but for having roughly 50,000 people you have to set your expectations to a reasonable limit.  You won’t find a Gucci store or some huge outlet centre where you can buy a pair of Nikes for 30 bucks.  However we can cross the city normally in 10 minutes from point a to point b and not worry too much about crime and most people would agree a pretty good place to raise your kids.   Darryl Wolski