I Could Save Your Life

Today I spent the day at a CPR certification course at the Y. I met some new people, enjoyed the adventure that is driving in downtown Calgary, and learned a few neat things.

Can you guess what the most common food item is that people choke on in Canada and the U.S.? Hotdogs? Peanuts? Twinkies or Ding-Dongs? (Just for the record, I have never consumed a Twinkie or a Ding-Dong.) If you guessed lettuce you win the prize for knowing more random trivia than I do. (Or did before today, ha ha.)

Other delightful tidbits I gleaned from my course:

• You should not use an AED (automated external defibrillator) on a victim who is lying in a puddle.
• Apparently most CPR victims lack both arms and legs.
  
• We Albertans choke on beef more than any other food item. (Not a terribly surprising statistic. I may think twice before I order my next rib eye with a side caesar salad.)

Ben watched the children while I was gone. I came home to three tired, happy kids and a reasonably tidy house. How did my husband keep three preschoolers entertained for an entire day? He strung an empty plastic pop bottle from the ceiling. The kids spent (longer than my husband was willing to admit) hitting the pop bottle with toy hammers. Whatever works, eh?