My grandmother passed away last night, from complications following a stroke she suffered two weeks ago. Sadie Anna Nicholson was 85. Grammie Nicholson wasn’t my natural grandmother, really a step-gram, but you’d never know. Being a grandma came naturally. She was a sweet and very loving woman who embraced her new grandkids without hesitation. I’m sure at first she wasn’t wild about the idea of her son marrying an older woman with three kids, but it all worked out in the end, and we kids never felt like we were somehow less important. Gram was classy that way. Once she made up her mind about something, she stuck with it.…

Turns out, it was asbestos. And I did breathe it in. Not a lot, but there you go. I’m more worried about the contractors who were down on their knees cutting into it with power saws blowing dust up into their uncovered faces. There is no clear evidence that this one-time exposure will eventually kill. Long-term exposure to other toxins like lawn pesticide is probably way more dangerous. Yet I was shaken this weekend. I felt I’d been living blissfully unaware near the Chernobyl nuclear site — only to be told later the whole place was contaminated. So my contractor has agreed to clean up my house, and we move…

I’m waiting today to find out if my contractor cut through asbestos tile in my old kitchen floor. And even when I find out if it was asbestos, the advice is mixed on what it means. On the one extreme, it means my family has been exposed to a potentially lethal contaminant (there’s the nightmare scenario), on the other it means we have to be extra careful cleaning up. I scared the crap out of myself this weekend reading about asbestos, but now I’m feeling the risk was minimal. Still, the doubt is nagging. After watching Dad die of lung cancer a couple of years ago, the memory is suddenly…

Did you miss Day 2? Catch up here. Day 1 Videos from Week One: Drillin’. Hey, you broke my wall! Swing that hammer! “I’m ceasing to film this orgy of destruction.” Don’t believe what you see on TV. Home renovation is only fun when you’re on the couch holding the remote. That said, Suzy and I are devotees of Peter Fallico, on HGTV’s Home to Go. We like the handy household tips, but mostly the way Peter seems to glide rather than walk. Thank you to everyone who wrote or called to offer advice or comfort. The quote of the week came from Martine in Ottawa who said, “I like…

Day Three: The expensive hole. Return to Day 2 Video: Drillin’. Yesterday was supposed to be simple. I’d put a lot of thought and preparation into the planning for the kitchen, including nearly $1000 invested in drafting plans that were checked and cross-checked. But so far the experience has proven a well-known but little acknowledged truth about renovation: You can never consider or anticipate everything. First it was the hole in the wall for a built-in china cabinet. Our designer Lori suggested we buy a couple of old storm windows to refit as cabinet doors. Sounded like a good idea. But just try to find something like that! Suzy and…

Reno2004 – Day 2 The contractors didn’t show up today. First they said they’d be here at noon, then they called at 3 to say it would be tomorrow. Not a great start. Yesterday was very productive, but Lori says to expect to see a lot of progress at first, and then a slow-down. I guess it’s easy to tear stuff out. Tomorrow the hardwood flooring starts, and the new archway in the kitchen. The lights are ordered, and the electrical should be roughed in within a few days… Photos from Reno Eve and Day 1 First we painted the kitchen wall. It was fun; we should finger-paint other parts…

To deal with the threat of avian flu, China is cracking down on the transport of chickens. The government in Beijing is modeling a public awareness campaign after successful US advertising. Billboards ask: “Got Bird?” Meanwhile, in Ottawa, I awoke at 3AM last night convinced that a squirrel was chewing its way into my bedroom. Suzy’s yell woke me from my state, and I found myself across the room banging on the wall. A report in the national press this week suggested that Ottawa Jewish sites were targetted for terrorist acts in 1999. One of the alleged targets, a large synagogue, is around the corner from my house. The press…

Running is easier when you keep your eye on the middle distance. I discovered this today. Suzy signed me up for a 10k training course as a Christmas gift (the jury’s still out on whether this was a generous gesture or a way to kill me), and I’m just starting to get the hang of running. It seems that one of my problems was a tendancy to stare at the ground. I must have looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame in tight pants and reflective tape. Love your body: Consider taking a Running Room course. Looking up helps. The sun was setting during my run today, and my eyes…

Bright red cardinals are suspicious birds. Maybe they’re aware how ridiculously conspicuous they are. Unlike the ubiquitous sparrow or carefree chickadee, a cardinal grabs a seed from the feeder, and turns around while eating. Poor things, I guess vigilance is the price you pay for beauty. Cardinals, the celebrity winter bird. Video: Birdbrain. I’ve never understood why people choose to walk on the road in winter, thinking it’s safer than the slippery sidewalk. And crunchy snow is not a good excuse, Elizabeth! (see comments, below). Speaking of risk, who decided it’s important to label chain link fences: Frost Fence. Gee, thanks. I would have licked it otherwise. Phew. Environment Canada…

The other day I received an e-mail from a Canadian guy I was writing about who is based in Afghanistan. I’d written him to ask if I could interview him. He wrote back excitedly, “Yeah, sure! You’re in Kabul? Just take the bus north to Kunduz and I will meet you there. It’s an easy trip.” Suddenly I wished I could hop on that bus and head into the Hindu Kush mountains to meet a fellow Canadian for a chat. That would be cool. But I conducted the interview from Canada. Chris McGeough is 41. He’s a Calgary-born adventure traveller who went to Afghanistan last year to drive a snow…

I make terrible coffee. A lot of people do. But it’s just one of those things; unless you know it yourself, no one will ever tell you — kind of like having bad breath or navel fuzz showing through your dress shirt. So we go through life drinking bad brew, smiling weakly. There’s hope for me. Confession is a start, and I know people who can help me. To get through winter, it’s time I learned how to make good coffee. Read on, or continue to drink crappy java. Be glad. Celebrate sacrifice. Tonight I’m reading about Zambia, preparing for a client meeting in the morning. The facts are stunning.…