Monday, August 18, 2008

beans for breakfast

Just in case you were wondering, I have indeed eaten beans for breakfast.  Last year while in England, I was introduced to a local dish called beans on toast.   It is what it is - canned beans with spices on toast.   I've been adventurous enough to try it with eggs and cheese and it really is delicious!  Better still, beans are cheap at No Frills.  Worry not for I won't go down the cat food road... at least not yet.

While watching the Olympics (it's really all I do these days), I heard an interesting piece of information about Canada's athletes - those who enter to compete at the Olympic Games receive an annual grant of $18,000 to assist with living and training expenses.   According to Statistics Canada, the poverty threshold for a 1-person household living in an urban area of 500,000+ is $17,219.  Sickening, isn't it? It gets better.  Good ol' Stevie H will give you a maximum of $17, 145 if you're out of work like me.  So what, you ask?  Our athletes live in quasi-poverty.  No wonder they're slathered in corporate logos!  Running shoes ain't cheap!

An idea came to me while I was watching this report on CBC.  If Olympic athletes are receiving the same amount of cash as the unemployed, why not start a program for the unemployed to be trained as Olympic athletes?  Think of it as an athletic draft.  Government assistance recipients would have to report to a training camp to determine if they are indeed athletically inclined and if so, proceed to train for their identified Olympic sport.  As a nation, we would draw from a previously untapped talent pool that no one has yet to pee in, increase the number of participants in sport and ultimately increase Canada's medal count in future international sporting events.  We can prove to the world that we have a plethora of elite athletes at our disposal.

If such a program existed, I would certainly sign up.  There is no limit to what one can accomplish in a lifetime.  Besides, I don't just have to get a job until I'm 65.  I can do anything.  Really!  

I do plan to start my own training program after the Olympics.  I've been so inspired to get back into the level of activity I had about 40 pounds ago.  I'm not doing it just to lose weight but it's something that I truly enjoy.  

On an end note, I've got a job interview tomorrow afternoon with a big dirty multinational.  My recruiter set this up for me - a shot at at 2-3 month stint as a department beeyatch.  I'm going to go to the interview however I do have mixed feelings about it.  I could certainly use the money - better it come from the private sector than the public one.  All the same, I don't enjoy being a bottom feeder as I know I'm not one in general.  I have worked for some well-known places as a algae collector and I don't know if I want to go down that road again.  I will get this job if it is meant to be.  If I don't get it I won't be heartbroken because I'll still have an opportunity to figure out what I'm meant to do in this life.