Creampuff Revolution

Creampuff Gives You "Permission to Live". You're Welcome.

I don't usually yap about other blogs because I'm a narcissistic twat, but this is probably the most awesome blog series I've read in a long time and I wanted to share its awesomeness with you.

As you know, I became obsessed with fundamentalist Christian blogs in December of 2010 and, as an offshoot of that obsession, I discovered another fascinating set of blogs - recovering fundie blogs! 

My favourite of these recovering fundie blogs is called Permission to Live. When I first started reading it a year and a half ago, the anonymous author wrote about her upbringing in a fundamentalist Quiverfull home and her courtship process and her changing philosophies around religion and parenting and (occasionally) political issues, such as gay marriage and (occasionally, obliquely) sexual orientation.

Her blogging was pretty sparse over the last few months - she, her husband and four kids were in the process of moving, so posts were few and far between. And then a few weeks ago, she started to tell a new story.  And it was such a fantastic, lovely love story, told so well, that I actually put all the links together for you so that you could go read it. And if you don't have a little tear in your eye by the end of it, then you are DEAD INSIDE.

Intro: Unwrapping the Onion

Part 1: A Secret Revealed

Part 2: Research 101

Part 3: A Growing Up Story

Part 4: When It Doesn't Add Up

Part 5:  The Beauty of Acceptance

Part 6: Talk of Transition

Part 7: Charting a New Course

Part 8: Coming Out, Bit by Bit

Part 9: Starting a New Life

 YOU'RE WELCOME.

The Underdog Railroad Strikes Again!

A year ago this weekend, the fine folks at Vancouver Shar Pei Rescue told us that a wrinkly dog named Lindy Loo needed a ride from the SPCA shelter in Burnaby to Kelowna (about a 4.5 hour drive from here). So we drove her there and I took 84 photos and somehow never got around to posting them on my blog. HA ha!

What the fuck was I doing last April that I didn't get around to posting about this? It's cute pictures of dogs! Okay, here you go:

This is Lindy Loo taking a walk after being sprung from the shelter. Look at that wrankly dankly!! "Wrankly dankly" is a technical term.

"Uh...you guys aren't going to make me get into that crate without treats, are you?"

Mountains! Not seen: Lindy Loo making horrible horrible sad noises in the back of the car for the whole drive.

Freedom! This is Lindy Loo at CG's house, being vetted by alpha dog Mister. CG is an underdog railroad hub - Lindy Loo was staying with her and her pack over the weekend and was then headed to Edmonton, her final destination. She is very loved in her new home, by the way!

CG lives right on the lake! So Emmy Lou got in the lake.

Another of CG's pack. Look at the rombly pombly! "Rombly pombly" is a veterinary term.

Rombly pombly checking out wrankly dankly.

Emmy Lou gets the once over from Mister.

I remember this trip like it was yesterday - but no no! It was a YEAR AGO yesterday. And then THIS weekend, a wrinkly dog named Sadie needed a ride to Kelowna. And a boxer named Phoebe needed a ride to Vancouver. So we drove Sadie to Kelowna and picked up Phoebe to bring her to her excited new owner in Vancouver.

Still snowy in the mountains. We did not "chain up" our tires.

Sadie stretching her three legs at CG's place in Kelowna after the long car ride. She was a total sweetheart in the car - but for her warthog snufflings, we wouldn't even have know she was there.

Sadie in the sun, getting ready for her one-on-one with pack leader Mister.

Mister and Phoebe, waiting to meet the new arrival.

Phoebe!! Such a flopsy wopsy. Technical term.

Phoebe's new owner was SOOOO excited. Phoebe is her third boxer and they took to each other right away. Mere hours after we dropped her off, we got this from Phoebe's new owner:

All in all, two April Saturdays well spent. Of course, afterwards, we were all pretty exhausted from our rescue efforts:

If you are fans of wrinkly dogs, you would do well to "like" the Vancouver Shar Pei Rescue Facebook page. Because those dogs are REAL and they're SPECTACULAR.

Creampuff *Might* Have An "In" with the Union

I was walking the dog in the sunshine yesterday and a fellow stopped me on the sidewalk to let me know that I look very similar to Jean Van Vliet, the President of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 3000. "Not a bad person to look like!" he exclaimed as he walked away. End of encounter.

This was delightful for a number of reasons.

1. What?

2. "Jean Van Vliet" sounds very similar to George Costanza's fake boss/alter ego "Art Vandelay".

3. I usually get told I look like Toni Collette in Muriel's Wedding or my uncle Ian. So Jean is new. Here is a photo of Jean (she is on the right, in the plaid).

Here is a photo of me, for comparison:

Haha! Oh, a REAL photo. Okay, here's one. I am also on the right.

It's like me and Jean are the same person! In the sense that we're both fat, white and bespectacled. But sometimes, that's all it takes to create a doppelganger.

I'm not sure what to do with this information. Should I let Jean know that we look alike and that I'm available to take her place at union events? 

ETA: My friend and future Minister of Information Doai has created a new campaign photo for when I next run for office (at CAW or BEYOND)! I hope this shot doesn't make it look like I'm on the take.

May the Odds Be Ever in Creampuff's Favour

Well, you can all exhale. I've seen The Hunger Games and I'm ready to tell you all what I thought about it.

• Jennifer Lawrence is THE SHIT. I didn't find Katniss particularly likeable in the books but in Jennifer Lawrence's hands, she made a lot more sense to me.


• Also, Lenny Kravitz is a delight.


• I don't know the words for the "up-the-nostrils "constantly shuddering camera" style that the film was shot in. Sometimes, I really enjoyed that (particularly during some of the violence at the beginning of the Games). But other times, I was like JESUS CHRIST, STOP SHAKING THE CAMERA AND JUST SHOW ME WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.


• In the movie, I didn't feel like you really got the sense of just how oppressed the people in the Districts were (or what goes on in the other Districts). I was expecting to see/hear a little more about that (as a lead up to the following two books). And I get why the whole Avox thing didn't really make it into the movie, as there wasn't a lot of time. But I think that a little more talk of the everyday menace of the Capitol would have been interesting.


• CONVERSELY, in the book, I didn't really get the true impact of the Capitol's obsession with the Games whereas in the movie, it really hit home that these fancy-wigged jag-offs were totally disconnected from the reality of the situation. That scene where Katniss and Peeta arrive on the train and the crowd goes wild was nuts. "Wooo! We're so excited to see you guys kill each other! What will I WEAR??" Awesome.


• Doesn't Rue's District send Katniss a gift in-game after she "buries" Rue? I missed that moment not being in the movie. But Rue was adorable.


• All the crazy stuff that takes place in the Games Room with Seneca and the game operators was super interesting and also, made the whole affair seem that much crueller and fucked up. Huzzah.


• I was glad they left out the whole "muttation" thing and just went with random evil dogs. The muttations really freaked me out in the book.


• I didn't really feel like Haymitch was as important or memorable in the movie the way he was in the book. But I kind of blame that on Woody Harrelson.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and look forward buying it and watching it over and over again while waiting for the next two films to come out. Fingers crossed for an extended cut! Wooo!

In the meantime, thanks to The Hunger Games, Katr and I have now found the perfect way to see blockbuster films in the theatre without the hassle of "other people" or "children". All it takes is a 20 minute drive to Coquitlam at noon on a Wednesday and an extra $5 for your ticket to the 19+ VIP theatres. HAHAHAHAHAAA!!

Aw, we felt like jerks until we got in there and saw the huge screen and extra comfy seats and also, seat service. It was like seeing The Hunger Games in Business Class. Maybe you can join us next time! Just don't sit too close.