Coltish

I once went to a client-sponsored event at a local racetrack.

Before each race, the horses would nose up to the gates and then explode out when the doors opened. It was an incredible thing to see. Occasionally, you'd find a horse that grew so excited that it would simply buck and kick, trying to throw its rider or escape the confines of the small space.

This is how I felt this weekend when my mother visited.

My mom's older -- 77 years old -- and she doesn't move as quickly as she used to. Her mobility is seriously limited. I need to be mindful of her limitations when we're together. She can't walk unaided more than half a block, so we need to drive everywhere, park in the handicapped parking spaces, and take frequent breaks.

This sounds like it should be easy, but it isn't.

After a couple of hours moving slowly or relaxing quietly at home, I feel like I need to get up and run around the track a couple of times.

Feeling restrained doesn't bode well for my mental health. It makes me irritable and anxious. And feeling irritable and anxious makes me feel like the absolutely worst daughter in the world.

I don't really know who's judging the worst daughter in the world competition, but there you have it.

I did a few things right this weekend -- I burned off some excess energy with a brisk walk to the vegetable store and a fast turn around the floor in my salsa-dancing class on Saturday -- but I still feel vaguely uneasy about the fact that I could have been better.

Oy.

Liza with a Z

I saw Liza in concert at Roy Thomson Hall last night and I'm not afraid to tell you that it was absolutely thrilling.

I was grinning from ear to ear. This woman is an icon. She isn't just a friend of Dorothy, she's her daughter!

The place was lousy with gay guys. No big surprise there. Liza's a bigger drag queen then most of the guys in the audience.

She clearly knows and loves her fans, too. Which probably explains her show stopping number from Charles Aznavour: What makes a man. Click here for a little gay ed.

I can't remember the last time I saw so many people rush the stage to present flowers and gifts to a performer.

After one fellow presented her with a particularly large and lovely bouquet of tulips, she quipped: "Oh honey, these are expensive!," then (one beat) "I'm just happy when you show up."

So are we, Liza. So are we.

Cutting for Stone

I've got a new book for you. Wendy Walnut, this one's especially for you.

The book opens as a devout young nun, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, gives birth to twin boys in a small underfunded hospital in Addis Ababa. That's page one. And that's not the craziest thing that happens.

The book is a sweeping, dramatically told tale that takes place over several decades and 560 pages. But it's definitely worth the ride.

I found myself thinking while reading that the book reminded me of early John Irving -- back in his World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire Days. It has that same quirky sensibility. So imagine my glee when the author, Abraham Verghese, thanked Irving for his guidance and wise counsel in the novel's afterword.

You'll never be bored. At several junctures throughout, I actually uttered an "OH MY GOD," aloud while reading. And I promise you this....you won't be able to make it to the end without going for Ethiopian food.

One Week

I have to admit that I had more than a passing fascination for The Creek (that's Dawson's Creek, for the uninitiated) so you can imagine my glee when I managed to combine several of my passions -- mortality, the geography of Canada and Pacey -- into one rather entertaining and emotional afternoon.

The film poses the question: what would you do if you only had one week to live?

Joshua Jackson (aka Pacey) plays Ben Tyler. After receiving a stage four cancer diagnosis, he hops on a vintage motorcycle and starts driving cross-country.

It doesn't take him long to figure out that he's been settling -- for a job he's not entirely happy with, for a women he never really loved, and for his low expectations of himself.

So, instead of concentrating on the "less-thens" he goes on a tour of the "bigger-thens" -- the Big Nickel, the Wawa Goose, the expansive Praires.

Shot on a budget of about $55 dollars (and a couple of thousand bucks for a suite at the Banff Springs Hotel) the film takes us on an incredible cross-country trip that, Jackson has noted, was shot in sequence with a small, independent crew.

It's part travelogue, part cautionary tale, part celebration of what makes this country great.

Far from being depressing, it's actually encouraging. I found it inspiring...but then again, I love me some Canada with a side of Pacey.

Mortality Play

I met a group of friends last night for what we have come to refer to as LPN -- Ladies Pub Night.

Truth is that it's just a regular reason to get together without spouses or partners and talk. The number of girls who frequent LPN changes from time to time but the one constant is that you need ovaries to participate.

So when one of the husbands texted that he was leaving his work function and thought he'd drop by to say hello, general panic ensued. He didn't show up but our reaction to the threatened infiltration was funny to watch. We circled our wagons.

Last night's talk turned to mortality.

It's a subject that's been on my mind a lot this week, since I've been writing reams and reams of copy for The Canadian Cancer Society. I knew cancer was endemic in our society. I lost my Dad to cancer. Two of the girls out last night had also lost close family members to cancer. But I didn't realize how big it it.

On the basis of current incidence rates, almost 40% of Canadian women and almost 45% of men will develop cancer in their lifetimes.

One out of ever 4 Canadians will die of cancer. There were four of us out last night.

The thing is that we tend to think of cancer as being this singular disease, while the truth is that there are more than 200 different diseases that fall under the cancer umbrella.

Giving to organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society ensures that what is learned about one type of cancer can be applied to others. And it also ensures that adequate funding is diverted to studies that help us reduce cancer risk.

The good news is that at least half of all cancers can be prevented through healthy living like quitting smoking, eating well, wearing sunscreen and being active.

Anyway, that's what girls talk about when they're together. That and hairstyles.

Whale of a Time

About fifteen years ago, my BFF and I were living in Ottawa.

We shared ownership of a little red car - a perky Ford Festiva. It actually looked quite a lot like my current Suzuki Swift. It ran on the smell of a gas rag.

The car was brand new and we wanted to break it in. Our road trip destination of choice was Provincetown.

We didn't have a lot of money to make the trip. In fact, we did it with a mixture of camping and cookouts, and kept to our budget of $40 (yes, that's right) a day. But we did make one splurge. We took a whale-watching trip in Provincetown. It blew the bank. But it also blew our minds.

There's nothing that will make you more in awe of this incredible planet than seeing whales frolicking in their natural habitat. I think we both had tears streaming down our faces by the end of it. Anyway, I thought of that experience this morning when this new ad came across my desk. Give it a watch.

40 Years of Advertising

The big, big guy who started our agency is celebrating 40 years in advertising today, so there's a special, celebratory Hot Dog Day planned to commemorate the event.

They've put together a little video tribute, set to this song from Team America. OMG it's hilarious. The guy cutting the vid gave me a sneaky peak yesterday and I actually snorted, it was so funny.

Staff are being invited to sport outfits representing the 60s, 70s and 80s and 90s for the recessionary prizing of a free day off. I'm right in there because oh-my-god could I use a day off!

I've got my suede fringe boots, a flower power belt buckle, a BE THE CHANGE t-shirt and an authentic hippie fringe jacket (see above). I'm thinking of going out to buy a bong before the walk off.

Send positive vibes.If I don't win, at least I'll have the bong. And a montage.