The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) gives consumers a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls. The National DNCL Rules introduce new responsibilities for Canada’s telemarketers.

If you are a consumer you can choose to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive by registering your residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number on the National DNCL.

https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng

Who Can Still Call You?

Consumers should understand that registering on the National DNCL will reduce but not eliminate all telemarketing calls. There are certain kinds of telemarketing calls that are exempted from the National DNCL Rules.

The exemptions include telemarketing calls made by, or on behalf of:

* Canadian registered charities;
* Political parties, riding associations and candidates; and
* Newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.

Telemarketing calls from organizations with whom you have an existing business relationship are also exempt. You are considered to have an existing business relationship with a telemarketer if you:

* Purchased, leased, or rented a product or service in the last eighteen (1 months from the telemarketer;
* You have a written contract with the telemarketer for a service that is still in effect or expired within the last eighteen (1 months; and/or
* You asked a telemarketer about a product or service within the last six (6) months.

Telemarketers may also call you if you have provided express consent to be called. Express consent includes:

* Your permission on a written form, electronic form, or an online form; or
* Your verbal permission.

The National DNCL Rules to not apply to telemarketing calls made to businesses.

Sit outside in your garage, or on your patio one night, as severe thunder storms are rolling in.

Have with you, your favourite drink.  I’ve choosen a moderately good scotch.

Set up a comfy chair in the middle of your venue and quietly watch it happen.

Play some music.  I suggest on an AM/FM radio, if something like that still exists.  The interference caused by the nearby lightening can often be interesting.  Listen to the rain hitting the ground, and the trees crying out with the rustling of their leaves.

Feel the thunder as it washes over you, and through you on the particularly close strikes.

Watch the imposing and perhaps agressive clouds marching forward.  So removed from their sunny day cousins.  They bear no particular malice, just the need to release their pent up energy in an blaze of power and sound.

Sit through the lulls and the peaks.  There are often moments of peace among the torrents.  Enjoy them for what they are.  Life in many shades.

Resist the urge to run when it seems overwhelming, and feel your heart beat as your fleeing insticts float near the surface of your conciousness, ready to strike.

Yell back at it if you like.  Yell with the trees and the clouds and throw your energy to the swirling mass.  Tonight I have chosen not to, on another night I will.  Tonight I’ll let it recharge me.

Write a letter if you are so inclined, and see what happens.  It will be different from what you would write if you were sitting inside.  It won’t likely be as rushed.

Do all this my dear, and you will know me slightly better.

I hope one day to do it together.

Love, Dad

This Morning’s Scenic Drive to Work
(80 minutes)

Today is going to be a rough day, though you don’t know it yet.

For the last few months you’ve been pretty spoiled.  In order to have you sleep soundly, you’ve been sleeping with us most of the night.  This is the case because when you wake up alone, you have a tendancy to cry, wail and scream until you’re blue in the face.

We hate to hear this, as we hate it when you are upset in any way.  It tears away at us and makes us want to run and pick you up and hug you until you shut up calm down.  Personally, I also like waking up and seeing that you are there, breathing and happy.

However…It’s getting to be time that you sleep in your own bed.  If we don’t start this now, by the time you are out of your crib, you will just get up, walk to our room and demand that we let you into bed with us.  If we refuse at that point, you may start gathering weapons to convince us with.

This is behavior that just won’t do I’m afraid.  So, on the advice of our pediatrician, we are going to start the hellish process of letting you cry it out.  But please remember, we love you.  You are a persistent little lady, so I’m sure you won’t give up easily.  I fully expect 2+ hours of wailing before you put yourself to sleep.  Your mom may have to leave the house for this, and I don’t really blame her.

I seem to be able to shut off the reaction to run and hug you a little bit easier.  While your mom rocks back and forth on the bed, I am able to watch tv.  Perhaps it’s something to do with my growing up in a big family, I had to learn how to shut things out.  But it certainly won’t be easy, so please go easy on me.

So, please do enjoy the day, and tire yourself out so we can make this process easier on all of us.

It’s going to be a long weekend.

Love, Dad

Her 6 month birthday was celebrated at Grammy’s house (Laura’s mom) and included a lovely oatmeal muffin with a candle in it.  6 months does quite warrant a cake, but we thought we should recognize the milestone somewhat.

This weekend has one more milestone.  This is the first time that mom and dad have both been sick at the same time.  Actually lily is a bit sick as well, but she see to be dealing with it better than her parental units.  It certainly is a different experience being sick when you have a little human relying on you to change, feed and entertain her.  Gone are the days of laying on the couch all day drugged to high heaven, watching b grade sci-fi flicks and horror films.  Here are the days of sucking it up, doing what must be done, and hoping she naps for 4-6 hours.

“Wow, my little girl is growing up…It wasn’t long ago that I was feeding her with a syringe and a tube, as she sucked on my finger. Now she is close to eating anything she gets her hands on, without my help. She’s growing up so fast…and everytime I blink I’m afraid I’ll miss something. She will be 6 months old on Saturday…oy…”

Yeah, this is the entry where I say that…

P.S.

Not that this tooth has shown up, I find that I am beginning to develop a healthy fear of our once harmless child….

Well it seems perhaps that the Sadie vs Lily nemesis theory may be correct.  As this photographic evidence shows, Sadie is clearly trying to smother Lily in her dads chest.  Luckily we were there to intervene.

Lily is seen pondering this turn of events….No doubt plotting her next move.

Having plotted through the night, she has a plan, and a game face to match…It’s go time.

Always sleeping

It takes a while to reach this point at night. During the fussy hours between midnight and 6am our little bundle finds it hard to get to sleep. But eventually she gets there, and seeing her all calm and relaxed makes me so very happy. The sad part is that it’s 4:45 AM, and I really should wake her up and feed her.

I have been pulling the night shift with Lily lately because Laura is not blessed with the gift of sleep.

The gift of sleep is the ability to lay down, close your eyes and pretty much fall asleep instantly regardless of the time of day or environmental factors.  As such I have been able to get a fair bit more sleep than her.  So at night, when Little boo is being grumpy, I like to take her all the way downstairs to the basement so when she cries, Laura can sleep through it.

Current Music: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life Disk 2 – Easy Goin’ Evening

Late at night, sometimes lily goes on secret undercover missions, as a beachcomber.