Final thoughts...

I will never ever ever forget this experience! It was INCREDIBLE!! I had SO much fun and joining the Ernie, Mandy and Taiter every morning was awesome! I enjoyed being on the radio more then I thought...and it did help to get compliments from people..hehehe. Maybe a future career??...who knows!! But it was encouraging nonetheless cause you never know what you sound like to others. So the feedback was definitely encouraging. Some challenges were tough...and others were just fun...but all played a role in getting me a bit more out of my shell which is exactly the reason I applied for this contest. As I was doing the contest, people kept asking me how much money I was at...but I was so focused on just doing the challenges and living in the moment and anticipating the next challenge that my only focus was to do every challenge. I remember leaving the hockey game and telling myself out loud in the car "I just sang O'Canada at a hockey game in front of thousands of people!" and laughing out loud hysterically. Or looking at my picture in the paper and asking myself "Is that really me?" and thinking that I looked beautiful.

Now all these challenges have brought incredible joy to my life is so many ways...because although I am doing this for myself and my son...I can't believe how many people have responded with such wonderful, heartfelt and genuine messages of encouragement, support and PRIDE! People who have never met me are saying they are proud of me. They are saying that I have inspired them. That is...there is no word to describe how that makes me feel. Just overwhelmed as I have tears in my eyes writing this because that has definitely been the BEST part of this experience. To know that I have impacted someone's life is a precious gift to me and impact my life tenfold.

I have SO many people to thank...EVERYONE really. But here's a list anyways...

People at C103...Taiter (yes, I have put his name first!), Mandy, Ernie, Sara, Adam, Paul, Brad, Heidi, Cathy, Margie, Heidi, Dan...and the rest of the crew!
My son, mother, father, brother.
Friends!! Lucy, Isabelle, Sylvie, Charlie
Neighbours...Dianne and Karine
All the girls at Chez Tiago Daycare
Everyone who spread my dance video like wildfire! It was amazing!
Champlain Mall & Sobeys
Moncton Wildcats
All those I crank called...not mentioning who...but you know who you are!
Magnetic Hill Zoo and good ol' Rosie.
ALL the people who helped get signatures and signed (and to Old Triangle, Igloo, City Grill, Navigators)
EVERYONE at my work!!! Pearl you rock!
Daniel St Louis :-) (Xiomara at Sears who did my makeup!!)
Jokers Comedy Club
Foiled Again - hairdresser keeping Taiter on track when shaving my head!

And EVERYONE who listened in and followed my crazy adventures as The Chosen One! You support was amazing and felt deep in my heart! THANK YOU!

You have all made this something I will ALWAYS appreciate and never forget!

I am a new person. You can't put a price on that.

IDENTITY

What is it about hair that has us women all in a tuffle? What is truly our attachment to our hair? We dye it, curl it, straightened it, cut it in all sorts of styles, put it up, leave it down, half way up, crimped, plain, styled, hairspray, gel, antifrizz product, smelly shampoo, expensive shampoo, pomade, mousse and the list goes on. Some women wouldn't hesitate to shave their heads for money, but SO MANY women wouldn't even consider it...EVER! So what is our attachment to hair? For men, some are attached, others not so much. Some men embrace their baldness, others cringe at it. But seriously look at the fact that people in the world, such as these men and people who have treatments for their cancer, in which situation they just can't help it. How do they deal with it? Do they just say, it's the treatment, no big deal, it will grow back...or does part of them suffer because of it. What is my identity with my hair? A few years ago I decided to stop dying it because I could no longer find a good reason to spend the money to do it...if I go grey, I will embrace it! I will choose to love the color of my hair...and just get nice haircuts that I love. But this challenge asked me to go to a new level...shave it all off. I was shocked, and immediately thought about how long it would take to grow to a decent stylable length. (answer: MONTHS! lol) but then I got to thinking, it's just hair and it is my last challenge to $10 000. Now, since I got the weekend to think about it...this gave people ample opportunity to bombard me with questions and comments...which were all very much appreciated. And it just gave me more reasons to go through with it...and it became so much more then just the final challenge and $2000...it became a message.

Essentially, hair is just hair. I'm still myself, I'm still a woman..and you know what? It grows back...and I'm sexy as hell!!! :-)

Backwards St Patty's Day!

I am not a person who enjoys looking silly...I may act silly with my friends and family at times..but looking silly doesn't usually jive with me. Walking backwards? Wearing a bunch of silly St Patty's stuff? I felt uncomfortable until we go to visit the Old Triangle...and even then, I had the most gear on! LOL and I was walking backwards! lol double stares!

Regardless, it was a simple and fun challenge...GO GREEN!

Small dip in the...FREEZING DUNK TANK!

One of my biggest regrets was not joining the group of youth I was working with in Vancouver when they decided to do the polar bear swim at the beach on January 1st in 2004. There was a big group of them, and there were thousands of people at the beach, many of which were in costumes! SO entertaining. Instead of participating, i was the photographer. I played it safe. Didn't take the "plunge"! hahaha...and after mentioning it when meeting with the Breakfast Club, I quickly realized they just might make me do it...and there you go!

The whole point of this jump is the adrenaline rush and the sense of renewal...start of fresh for the new year ahead. Well, I guess I was going to do my dunk on March 16th instead...much better weather! hahaha As we visited the tank, I noticed how much snow Ernie so graciously added to the water. (Boy was I glad there were NO REAL JELLYFISH!!!) I felt the water and chills went through my entire body...but I also realized I had to do it. No more regrets...just jump! So I did. And it was cold as all hell..but it was AWESOME. LOL...I was so tired from a rough night up with my son, but this got my day off perfectly! So happy I got to do this...even though it was incredibly cold! :-) Cause really, the only thing holding me back was going to feel cold and it really wasn't that bad...so worth it!

Itsy bitsy Rosie...I THINK NOT!

So I did this contest to face some fears and insecurities...and this was definitely a fear. Not only was it a spider, but a Tarantula no less! When I saw Bernie from the Magnetic Hill Zoo take out that creepy crawly creature out of the box...it totally freaked me out. And where did I run to..Taiter!! LOL...who was more scared then I was!! Not too bright on my part eh?


So I was trying to rationalize this in my head...I have clothing on...not like it weighs a lot so I'll hardly feel it...and chances are, he won't crawl fast up my body..well, at least I hoped not. Maybe it would feel that I was uncomfortable and be unsure itself. So before I knew it, the couch was out and ready for me to get on...and Rosie was being placed on my leg. I get shivers just thinking of it...yuck! Just feeling it go up on my body...ever so slightly...then when it got on my shirt, I didn't feel it so I felt the need to look where it was at...but next thing I knew it was over. 103 seconds really went by fast...but I felt spider on my leg all day...LOL


Still don't like spiders...but I'm that much closer to my goal

Is your refrigerator running?

It's true...I have never prank called anyone in my life. So doing it on Monday felt VERY unnatural. I was so uncomfortable, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pull it off. But I did it...and it didn't quite turn out how I thought it would...but I got a few chuckles and SUPER helpful paint department employees so thanks to them for being such good sports!


I ain't no Jerky Boys...but I did it! LOL

HAHAHA...to be or not to be funny...

I am the worst at remembering jokes. Unless I heard it numerous times, it doesn't stick...ever! So knowing that I had to go in front of people and tell 5 minutes worth of jokes...not cool. When I sang O'Canada, I knew the song already...all I had to do was sing it and get it over with. But this!...this was different. This was content AND delivery. I had to work that day, do some homework AND get my act done for the show. Sorry Ernie, but I wasn't going to memorize this stuff...not going to happen! I racked my brain all day trying to figure out what to do...my dad had suggestions, ppl at work had ideas...but I really felt like it had to be something from me...and because I am so proud of being a woman and that this contest has made me even prouder of being myself...and because it was international woman's day on Tuesday, I figured I'd go with a bit of PRO-WOMAN content. 


I walk into Jokers and it's close to empty. YIKES!! Now, not sure about all of you, but the less people, the less chances you get laughs..so I was hoping for lots of people...so the postponed the show for a bit and a few more ppl start trickling in...finally a decent crowd. I was sooo nervous that I couldn't even focus on conversations that people wanted to have with me. I was trying to focus on how I wanted to start and changed my mind about a million times. I had my cue cards ready...I knew what joke I wanted to end with...I was just gonna GET'ER DONE!


AND I DID!! I got up on stage and started talking and felt a bit less nervous...i got some laughs and it felt even better...maybe not everything I said made sense but I didn't care...finally the last joke...a few more laughs and lots of applause! YAY! It was finally over! I was calm again and relieved. 5 minutes flew by...mission accomplished! 


It's a lot of pressure to make people laugh...especially when you have to create that context and content. Comedians are kinda like funny storytellers. Am I a comedian, HELL NO! but am I happy to have done this, HELL YES! LOL


On to the next...and final week!