file under: my debt to the hoff

had to get a new OHIP card this morning, which means a new OHIP card photo was in order. as much as i hate having my picture taken, i was more than happy to "re-do" my current photo, if only because it was taken on the first day of a temp job many moons ago. i was therefore wearing a tie. and it wasn't a cool tie, either. it was a mediocre, inoffensive workplace tie. those are the worst kind of ties, if you ask me. they're the turkey subs of ties, if you know what i mean.

so this morning, as i'm standing in front of the white backdrop at the OHIP office and wondering if my shaggy hair is completely out of control (it was windy this morning), it occurs to me that i'm going to need to produce a halfway convincing smile in a second. there was a long moment where i just didn't have much of a smile in me, and the fear of a strained and blatantly fake smile forever captured on a piece of identification began to bloom in my heart.

UNTIL i noticed the small photo of david hasselhoff snuggling with 2 puppies, taped discreetly on the front of the camera. crisis averted!

clearly, those ministry employees must have dealt with years and years of bad photos before ultimately deciding to intervene against the endless moments (numerically speaking) of desperation and dread lived out in front of cameras in ministry offices nationwi - no, worldwide. see that? socialized medicine really can work!