Valerie's Podcast Archives - Page 32 of 43

December 18, 2018January 19, 2021

Merry Christmas – e31s1

episode 31 season 1

100th_ 31 Merry Christmas — Merry Christmas from me to YOU!

Welcome to A special Christmas episode about a girl who grew up in a small town east of Jasper Alberta who now lives in and loves Calgary. What or who brought you to Calgary, why do you love it here?

Once upon a time there was a was a brown haired girl with green eyes who lived in a town with a quaint population. Her mom and dad were also both from this pulp and paper town. Surrounded by coal mines and mountains.

She, this small girl loved Christmas. Her large praternal family consisted of Auntie Cher, cousin David, Uncle Ron, Auntie Barb and cousins Abby and Katy, Uncle Derek Auntie Marg a x cousins Travis Russel and Jolene as well as uncle Murray (RIP) Auntie Laurie and cousin Kyle. And My dad, Michael comes next with me, Valerie and my older Sister Lisa. Then would be Uncle Darcy (RIP) and next comes Auntie Maureen, Uncle Al and their boys Ryley, Davis and Vaughan. Yes this is my family on my dads side. Amazing isn’t it.? What’s does your dads side look like? How many people in your family on your praternal side? And this is before we all had babies…

We would head out to Folding mountain resort every year! This resort was owned and operated by my grandparents for many years and previous to that by my grandmas cousin. Nestled in the heart of a mountain names, Folding Mountain-a mountain that folded over a lake many crisp years before as well as other Rocky Mountains it boasts to this day a campground and cabins and condos just East of the jasper gates in Jasper national and historic park.

There was very rarely a sharing of the holidays my gramma Swain won her family most of the time. Her family came home for Christmas. All the kids. Since my dad was a single parent she didn’t have to share us and I was thankful for that I think because she had mostly boys they all showed up for Christmas to be with their mother and of course my grandpa.

We would arrive a day or two before the specialist day and walk into a country home smelling of pies, all kinds of roasting foods like: of course the traditional Turkey and fixings as well as, other family favourites like sour krout soup and sausage stew, perogi and cabbage rolls, enchiladas, and abundance of salads to include traditional lettuce and sort of bean mixture. Plus an incredible array of desserts.

Funny story, when my dad and his brothers were young, remember how many of them there were? My grandma would do her Christmas baking way in advance and freeze everything in the basement deep freeze. The boys would go in a sneak slabs of her Nanaimo bars and cakes in the night…the stash and supplies were mush skinnier when the time came for Christmas dinner celebrations…hmmm I wonder if Grandma actually minded.

Upon arrival all these families would show up in troves kids and food and pets lol along with presents and all the banter ‘oh Maureen I bought this dish back I borrowed’ and Oh Michael here’s these pictures you wanted and ‘oh hi Auntie is so good to see you’ this took most of the day-evening just saying hi’s to everyone. Then the grandkids, Lisa, Travis, Valerie, Russell, David, Jolene, Abby, Katy, Kyle would go hunting with Grandpa Swain for the best Christmas tree, a real tree, picked right in our backyard, up the mountain. The tree could barely fit through the door. the decorating would ensure and Christmas was well underway…

You see our family was big and people were scattered all around the country. We had aunties and uncles in Ontario and British Columbia as well as when my family moved us to Saskatchewan and family in Edmonton. But we would all descend into our home town where we were all raised on this snowy snow capped mountain resort that was familiar and special to each one of us in a different or similar way.

this is my dads side

Her maternal side also lived in this area just East in a small town, still nestled in the Rocky Mountains, this is a town where People did not lock their doors the parents teach at the schools and work at the hospitals and for the town. This town started me, it showed me trust where kids played freely in the streets till past dark and it was safe! My mom Candace with us two girls she was the eldest with her husband Doug, auntie Janet comes next, then comes Auntie Kathy with Uncle Randy (RIP) – and her three girls Amie, Shannon and Tracey and the next comes Auntie Lana with her husband Dan and the last but not least is Uncle Glen and his long time girlfriend Jackie with their Son Jarvys. When we would arrive at Auntie Kathy’s she would always have some sewing project started, I’m making 7 matching pyjama bottoms – what Auntie it’s like two days before Christmas, she’d laugh and say I know…let’s get at it! I would come to expect these last minute late nights with Auntie always squeezing in one finally special gift and wrapping presents into the wee hours – this was Christmas.

and this is my moms side

Many Christmass’ were spent in Folding Mountain and Hinton Alberta, being at this place and the next, being surrounded by family here and there. The extra people who come to town are always welcome at this family or that. We have roots in this place, generations grew up here. Can you imagine being from a family that has 7 Aunts and Uncles on one side and 5 on the other plus all the cousins… it’s pretty fantastic.

These memories I hold very dear. Life changes and people grow up, move out, and spread out, I have 2nd cousins now and small people that call me auntie, my daughter has her own cousins and second cousins that are almost the same age. We have traditions yes, we have family around yes but nothing like when I was a kid…Christmas magic is different now, I setup my tree with my daughter and husband who always tops the tree with the angel. My mom and her husband live over there and my dad and his wife live the other way. My Sister and her new life live somewhere close-ish bye. It’s not the same. This is my new Christmas with my special people, it’s small and quaint but it’s all mine. I’m grateful for my life, we’ve made choices together, our family traditions are blossoming and our life is good. I’m humble and grateful. My husbands family is close by and we will see them, happy for my daughter to see her grandparents, Auntie Colleen and my nieces as well.

What are your traditions, what do they look like? Who do you miss this time of year, I’ve lost some family as you’ve heard who have you lost and how has this changed you? We tend to think about these people at this time of year, that special photo or blanket that you keep for this time of year. Where makes you feel the Christmas magic? for me, special ornaments I hang on the tree and recipes I’ve now made for years – just for this time of year.

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends, near and far, thank you for impacting my life and spreading your life lessons and nostalgic upon me. Your impressions have lasted and I’m truly thankful to have them.

Songs for this show are provided by London Moss, Oh Chistmas Tree and Jingle Bells and digging out our Christmas Carol book that holds our little Friday George..thanks to Jeff for adding the whistleing in the background, even tho I’m home with a cold I wanted to get this recorded and ready for the Christmas. As you can likely hear in my voice I’m a sensitive person and even more this time of year as I’m sure like so many of you. Hug your chosen few close and enjoy the moment capture it in recordings and songs for future people to enjoy. In this episode I chose the appropriately named Trading places beat 02 from the generations I’ve listed out and Lobby conversation that truly sounded like the family depended upon my former Christmas home.

Wishing all this next generation of Swains and LaPortes a very merry Christmas..

Jonathan, Makalay, Liam, Parker, Faith and Grace, London, and Landon, Ryley, Davis and Vaughan, Jasmin and Dylan, Avery and Graham, Landon and Jayden, Lilly, Grace and Taya, Owen and Winston and more to come…make your own memories, remember the ones your had and will continue to have.

December 11, 2018January 19, 2021

SiGns SIGns evERywhERe is SignS – e30s1

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episode 30 season 1

My life in the signage industry, commercial, portable, exhibit worthy!

Todays episode is all about Signs and what I as a PM/Site Superintendent have to navigate daily to get our objectives met. I’ve worked on on larger signage projects. I am the boots on the ground, the service delivery in construction this person, this girl that takes the hits in the field, the main contact once it’s produced – I’m this person. Today is a story about my job, my project navigating skills my position as a female in this world of construction and a project that changed my life for ever.

8 million dollar job

For those of you from Calgary I was the lead superintendent on the IFP (international Facilities project) at the Calgary International Airport. – for the signage installation program. This is the new international portion of the airport which opened Halloween night Oct 31, 2016. I was there this very night watching the first flight of passengers make their way through the terminal, what a moment. They were heading somewhere tropical and I was hoping the signage showed them their way.

This project started in Dec 2014, with 6000 signs to be installed. Starting with tidy little phases for completion to full-on mass change orders, adjustments, site instructions, more changes, adding to the sheer volume of delays. Taking the project from 6 – 9 months to 3 years. CCNs (contemplate change notice) – this is when a change is suggested, requesting estimates from all of the sub trades. The debate ensues if this is going to move ahead…some of these don’t get approved for several months (sometimes 9 months but you need to make sure you know about this change in the future for when your estimate is approved). This means if they are going to close up the ceiling or add/remove a wall you need to know about it – SO you can designate your area that you need your sign to go into or submit an RFI (request for information) as your scope has now changed – guess what there’s no wall!

Way-finding Signage, is the type of signage we installed into the airport way finding – this means signage specifically placed for people to find their way. We didn’t design the sign, we didn’t design the content, we didn’t pick the location as to where this is to be installed. Our scope, to build the sign as per approved drawings and to install the signage as per approved placement that is provided to us – that is all! Sound, simple enough?

There’s a process…we receive a signage package called IFC – Issued for Construction, within this package the signage is specified, there’s a drawing that is provided for each sign type (there was approx 170 sign types, we’ll get to these in a moment). This drawing indicates the material, the shape, the size how’s it mounted and a code for this which is something like A/B/C/D etc this means the type of signage like directional, identifiers like for amenities.

Then it’s our job as the signage company and to produce this to make a technical shop drawing that will be stamped by an engineer, it’s also our job to make an artwork package based on the artwork specifications that will need to be submitted to the consultant on the project (this person is hired by the owner).

The shop drawing and artwork specifications then get submitted to the GC – general contractor. The GC then submits to all parties that will have influence over our drawings, this could be another trade like the electrical or data sub-contractors, the clients engineers, the consultants, the architects – we wait, tic tic for all of these stakeholders to review and submit back to the GC, then they finalize and provide us the approved drawings. OR they provide us the drawings that note: re and re which means revise and resubmit. This process continues over and over again until all of the shop drawings are submitted to the GC and respective people. In the case of the IFP project we had over 170 shop drawings to submit as well as artwork packages.

The shop drawings are typical, this sign is installed in this fashion, like wall mounted or floor mounted. The artwork package is a little bit different we need a document called a scheduled which provide the content for each sign at each location. So if there’s 300 of sign type b there’s 300 artwork layouts for this sign as each one of these signs is different based on the areas it’s installed in. Clear?

This is a long process.

When we were submitting for the artwork portion of the signage for this particular airport project – all of the alarm bells started ringing. Why? Because the owner and the consultants were still debating the artwork. What?! I know this sounds crazy but it’s the truth. They weren’t sure if certain pieces of content should be included or a symbol should look a certain way.

So, we needed to make a decision as a team. Do we produce the signage without artwork, this means that it will be only be considered half done. Plus sort of around this time frame, the changes started pouring into the project, this effected us being the last trade in sequence we came after every other trades changes were approved by a financial standpoint and completed so we can get into this area confirm our location/position for the signage and proceed.

Who were some of the other trades onsite? When you think of construction you likely think of framers, borders, insulation, electrical – yep you are right, but there is also the power and data trade, ceiling trade, walls can be many materials like drywall, phenolic panels, glass, diamond mesh plating and more. There’s also trades like coring, welding, flooring, carpet, masonry, and don’t forget about painting – did you know some steel columns need to have a paint called intumescent? Don’t even get me started. All of these trades and more make up approx 1500 people on this job site. There was approx 12 women and I was one of them, pink hat an all. Working with all of these trades was very interesting, I learned a lot, and have a tonne of Fodder for years to come.

Have you heard of a scrum meeting? This is when your group or a group you need to work with has daily meetings to discuss what you are doing, waiting on and who this may effect. This is also to note what you didn’t complete from the previous day and why. Another trade maybe waiting on you and vice versa, I came last for completion, for the most part but the position of my signs required things like power, data, coring (through the floors) as well as plywood backing etc which interrupted other trades…These meetings were daily and for a specific area, constantly introducing the changes that other trades had as well as my own were also discussed at these meetings. Setup as a round table – leading with the superintendent from that specific area worker by worker until we hear from everyone who needs something. This could take a hour or more depending. These meetings were important and trying at the same time.

Comparing drawings from one trade to the next was always an interesting topic – what your drawing doesn’t show this? Playing a game of Janga to get all these pieces to sequence together without falling over or collapsing the schedule, scope, costs was my daily job of delivering and executing this project, with a positive attitude.

My job was to balance all stakeholders, from the Architect (should he be phoning my personal cell to discuss changes that are coming). To the sub-trades (what your sign is moving again based on this change order? I didn’t get a copy of this). To the general contractor – (when are your signs coming – oh don’t you remember you approved this change order, they will be delayed to capture this change). To the painters – (sorry Valerie you can’t install your signs because we have a change to re-paint this wall) to the coring guys – Valerie your sign can’t go here as planned because there’s a giant beam in the way of the cored locations so now it doesn’t abide by engineering).

This was the job that changed me, this is the project that I grew up in, this is the job that ended careers – once the job progressed to a certain point all of these workers were no longer needed, workers would be up on ladders doing their thing and it would be pay day – supervisors would be delivering pay stubs and good bye notes a the same time – done! People retired early because this was their last big job, the last feather in their cap, for me it was my first one!

7000 signs 200 sign types produced, shipped and installed, 168 Change Orders Executed, 1200 deficiencies solved, the job is complete!

This project was the biggest construction job in Alberta’s history and the largest at the time in Northern American starting at 2 billion. I was there for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This is the project that taught me what the word deficiencies truly meant, I had 1200 of them to solve. This job taught me what it meant to spar with men! And trades, architects, contractors, stand my ground, reflect personalities. If they are rude be rude, if they are professional be professional – this worked for me and continues to work, thanks Steve for this incredible tip and great advice. This job taught me about really hard work, business IS personal and one of my biggest challenges came from another female who to had to make her stance, I still haven’t gotten over this one.

I’m contented about this opportunity. Being part of the remarkable venture for Calgary, Alberta Canada and this IFP certificate for completion – not an actual certificate but a lessons learned never to be forgotten place in my professional career position.

What’s the job or project that changed you – how did it adjust you to your core – why are you different because of it? What happened? Tell me, text/email me valerie@valeriemoss.ca and share your story. We all go through things like this in life that once that thing or event happens, we are not the same in our profession and maybe personal world anymore.

Thanks for listening to the show today, this was a story I pondered over on how to write to share with you, what I do as a PM – ServiceDelivery – in the construction world. I hope you enjoyed this segment into my daily life and my career over the last 4 years.

The intro and outro for this episode is recorded by London Moss, the theme music is Tascam 40 by Jason Schnell and some medley tunes I chose for this construction themed podcast are reflective of the content within.

Spooky Night Synth
Lobby Conversation
Pop Changes Layers 01
Drummer
Beat Machine (Anton)
Boomer FX 01
Construction Bot Topper
Record Player Scratching
Clock Wind up
Alarm Clock Bell
Waiting Room Topper
Cheering Crowd Studio
Skyline piano

December 4, 2018January 19, 2021

New Podcasts for U – e29s1

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episode 29 season 1

100th_ 29 New Podcasts for U — New Podcasts for U, my Top 6!

This week on Vsqd I’m sharing some of our favourite podcasts starting from the bottom up. For your kids and for you and your spouse. I recently went to a Podcast Meet-up and we discussed when do you listen, like what time of day do you listen to pods and there was a variety of answers..some listened to them while driving – typical and expected response, some listened while cleaning house, making supper but then a couple people were discussing which ones they listened to at certain times and why? For example, crime podcasts or serious and heavy ones seemed to be listened to while driving and others that were more upbeat were listened to while doing chores. When do you like to listen and which genre? There was also a comment about pods that we’ve listened to for a long time like 50 plus episodes of something similar like, news pods or comic pods, and how you can compresses these pods to get through them quicker or speed it up – huh never heard of this but now I’ve found out there’s software out there that can do this, interesting hey?

I always listened to the news in the morning while getting ready for work, I have an old iPad setup in my bathroom and I set the news to CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation or BBC British Broadcasting Corporation until recently…with our economy here in Alberta not doing so well, the news is so redundant and depressing – I needed something else to listen to. So…I’ve changed my choice to podcasts. For some reason I only listen through the TuneIn Radio App in this getting ready setting, so I searched for podcasts (yes mine is listed on there also) and found some new ones and gave them a go…amongst my other favourite go-to’s which I listen to in my cary – here’s my current top favourites:

6) Helen by Gimlet Media

Okay the first time I listened to Helen I was hooked, it’s funny, like a sit-com from back in the day. This show is about a women who goes to work at Helen – which is basically the Seri or Alexis – A.I. of the world corporate head quarters. Her position there is the intellect for every bird question, yes BIRDS. It’s hilarious and well written. Like, “Hey Helen, please tell me how to remove these pigeons in my attic” but she has a personal life that is also edgy like her x-husband has just escaped prison. Easy listening option, funny and intriguing, catchy. It’s a series you need to listen to chapter by chapter – it’s good.

5) CrimeTown by Gimlet Media

The second one by Gimlet media is Crimetown, this show is gritty, heavy and an all round reality documentary. The first season I’m just coming to the end and it’s on the subject of Providence Rhode island and the Patriarca Crime Family, It’s told by the people of the mob, First Hand, in their voices, their stories, the police – trying to catch the bad guys, and the mayor how burned his wife’s lover with a lit cigarette, robberies of armoured cars, crime guys who had wolves as pets. It’s racie and it actually makes you like and side with the bad guys. This is a good story, told well and produced excellently. Add this one to your line up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence,_Rhode_Island

Patriarca crime family – Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarca_crime_family

4) Small Town Dicks

hosts Yeardly Smith, and Zibby Allen tell crime stories by first responder accounts alongside two detectives who just so happen to be twin brothers, Dan and Dave. They recount stories and bring in other members of law enforcement and peripheral support like 911 operators, EMS and community members to tell their parts of the stories also. It’s a neat round table q and a discussion. True stories, well told from the people who were there. Some of their content can be very graphic and some may involve children, The episodes that involve children, I just can’t listen too as somethings I just don’t want to know. But it’s a Great down to earth podcast full of banter and questions and the real answers…check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/SmallTownDicks/

3) Serial by This American Life

…this podcast really intrigues me, Sara Kanik can tell a story like no other, it’s her cadence…her voice tone, and her no BS the way she tells it, this current series (she’s had a few) is based on submersing herself within the Chicago judicial system, and the stories the these people have truly lived. It’s about the lawyers and judges, and the repetitive crimes, petty crimes and misdemeanours and how the game is played at every stop and level within this corrupt system. The judges are captured lecturing people about their place in this world, their conduct in society. It’s about the people being wrongly accused but taking a lesser sentence anyway. It’s about people witnessing a shooting and not telling anyone. Check it out , it’s worth a listen.

https://www.facebook.com/serialpodcast/

2) Uncover: Excaping Nxivm (nex-y-um)

I found out about Josh Block’s escaping Nxivm podcast from the SKS, Someone Knows Something podcast I reviewed in Episode One, Josh block was on vacation back visiting his home town, when he ran into a person he went to preschool, junior school and jewish camp with, her name is Sara Edmondson. As they were catching up he said he works for CBC and she said she just left a cult?

Intrigued?

This story is so interesting, the way Josh tells it about his friend, his friend escaped a cult and it’s all over the news…this is an easy binge listen and worth it, it’s so fascinating as these are just common people like us but one happens to be a reporter and the other one is his friend. Hightlight of this show, sex ring, slaves and masters and a branded symbol beside her belly button! Check out all CBC podcasts, they are well done and I’m a huge fan.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/uncover/listen-to-uncover-escaping-nxivm-1.4675949

1) What if World

This one’s for your kids: I commute a lot, if you live in Calgary I live in the Mount Pleasant Tuxedo area, I work either at the airport or way in the SE part of the city 52 street SE and 102 avenue – ish. My daughter goes to school in the deep southwest part of the city. My full trip commute is typically an hour and 15 mins or maybe longer depending on traffic, ONE WAY. You heard me right people, So I leave my house, go to London’t school, and head to work, approx 1.25 hours. I spend a lot of time in my car with my daughter…we listen to podcasts and this one my friends is our FAvourite!! Mr. Eric, the host does each story adhoc off the cuff, completely without preparation, his background is a primary/elementary school teacher- he may still be. He does all of the voices himself and his characters are really thought out thorough and have true character traits- like Fred the Dog, Peety the Pirate, Alabaster, and so many more…incredible, believable voices, the adult puns and humour within his lines, makes me laugh louder than my 7 year old- check out his show.

I reached out to Eric and all of the podcasts companies and hosts to see if they would have a snippet or a promo clip that I could use within my show for this episode, as it’s so nice to hear promotions of other pods to get the feel of the show’s host, topic and production. I reached out to all these shows for their pod promos and Currently I heard back from Eric at What if World, he did a special shout out to my show – take a listen…, good right? We will make

if I hear from the others, I’ll be sure to post an update to this episode and share them.

https://www.facebook.com/whatifworldpodcast/

TmTs

As you’ve likely noticed, for my podcast I’ve started to publish some shorter content I’m finding it difficult to record, produce and publish weekly when my podcasts are taking more time to research, write and produce plus working full time. Jeff suggested instead of posting less often as I was thinking of going to bi-weekly posts to posting shorter segments. To continue creating and publishing content and staying active with my listeners. I really liked this option so for the TmT episodes I’m Capturing Calgary, from bugs, to stampede to restaurant reviews it will be encapsulated within these snippety segments. If you have a question about Calgary, text/email me valerie@valeriemoss.ca, what makes this Calgary unique to you and what do you want to learn about it? What do you love and hate about this amazing city, let me know.

I wanted to add cover art for these TmT episodes, resorted to my trusted Adobe Spark account I designed 3 options, and then put it out there for you all to vote on Facebook here’s the options:

Option A, blue black and grey, 2 small boxes on top or a large box, the 1 of small boxes is blue with black writing and houses the words Valerie & YYC the 2nd small box is grey with black writing and says 120 secs – the last box which is larger has a giant white number 2 and beside that it says minute in blue and Tuesday in off white. Overall look – Trendy

Option B, has a 2 minute vertical kitchen sand timer image, glowing circle around the timer with the siltiest hint of a city caputured roughly in the background, the overall look is mysterious black and white, with Valerie & YYC in the upper right corner white on a black background and the words 2 minute Tuesdays beside the timer in a dark red colour. Overall look – Mysterious

Option C, is green, brown and white. Essentially a large green background square and a smaller brown rectangle below this. It starts with a large white number 2 with a brown shadow box behind this, and the word minute in a scribble font that white again on a brown rectangle border. There’s a stamped white circle with a border, within this stamp it reads Tuesdays in the green from the background coming through. Overall look – News

Check these images out at ValerieMoss.ca as I’m not sure I can do them justice in my descriptors. When I posted to facebook for feedback by a landslide the Option B was chosen. Altho not all of my TmTs will be mysterious…I like this look, it reflects the objective of the TmT segments so…thank you for all of your input in helping me pick this new cover art. If you didn’t have a chance to vote, check out my website and let me know if you think option B should have won!

Check out ValerieMoss.ca for more information pictures

Thanks for listening to the podcast today which as produced and written by me, Valerie Moss, intro and outro for this podcast recorded by London Moss. Thanks to Eric from What if World for contributing your amazing talent within this podcast review episode, such talent!

If you like this podcast and have a second to select a 5 star rating on iTunes or your podcast app to provide me some feedback I’d love to hear from you even by leaving me a comment on my blog or join my facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/ValeriesVarietyPod/ or send me a text/email to Valerie@ValerieMoss.ca – would love to hear from you.

Thanks for listening.