I started Caribbean dance tonight!! It is HARD. Our instructor has her hands full with a class of uncoordinated white girls. Our butts don't move quite like hers does. Odd.
But (ha!) I am determined. And studying up on Youtube for inspiration.
I'm going to be dreaming about bums tonight..
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
new moon.
If you showed up hear hoping to hear and/or see things about RPattz, you can leave now. I'm not talking about that kind of moon.
I haven't really been working out a lot. My activity has consisted of doing stairs at work, going for short walks and that one time I went swimming.
The yoga class I signed up for started last Thursday night. I skipped it. "WHAT!", you exclaim, "You are such a lazy BUM!"
..it's funny you say the word, "bum". I was, in fact, planning to go, and had my yoga clothes with me at work. I changed in the bathroom, and as I was giving myself the once over in the mirror (come on, you do it, and if you don't, you should, because you're probably the one walking arround with stuff stuck to your butt). And guys, my PANTS WERE SEE THROUGH. Not standing around see through but downward dog see through, if you know what I'm saying. They didn't pass the tension test. Sigh. The cost of the class was less than the cost of driving home and getting another pair of pants (that is, if I had left an extra hour and a half to go get pants.. commuters have to be organized!), so I stayed late at work and banked some time instead.
The punch line to this whole story is that I have DEFINITELY worn those pants to yoga before. I'm sorry Halifax, for mooning you. So, SO sorry! It's kind of funny though. I'm usually so careful with that stuff (you know, the "exposing-myself-in-public" sort of stuff). LESSON LEARNED.
This week, on top of the Glee season premiere (Tuesday), I start Carribean dance (Wednesday) and attend my first class of yoga (Thursday). With non-see through pants. PROMISE. Then Friday, DC is coming to visit me!!!! We're planning a special weekend and I'll tell you why later :)
I haven't really been working out a lot. My activity has consisted of doing stairs at work, going for short walks and that one time I went swimming.
The yoga class I signed up for started last Thursday night. I skipped it. "WHAT!", you exclaim, "You are such a lazy BUM!"
..it's funny you say the word, "bum". I was, in fact, planning to go, and had my yoga clothes with me at work. I changed in the bathroom, and as I was giving myself the once over in the mirror (come on, you do it, and if you don't, you should, because you're probably the one walking arround with stuff stuck to your butt). And guys, my PANTS WERE SEE THROUGH. Not standing around see through but downward dog see through, if you know what I'm saying. They didn't pass the tension test. Sigh. The cost of the class was less than the cost of driving home and getting another pair of pants (that is, if I had left an extra hour and a half to go get pants.. commuters have to be organized!), so I stayed late at work and banked some time instead.
The punch line to this whole story is that I have DEFINITELY worn those pants to yoga before. I'm sorry Halifax, for mooning you. So, SO sorry! It's kind of funny though. I'm usually so careful with that stuff (you know, the "exposing-myself-in-public" sort of stuff). LESSON LEARNED.
This week, on top of the Glee season premiere (Tuesday), I start Carribean dance (Wednesday) and attend my first class of yoga (Thursday). With non-see through pants. PROMISE. Then Friday, DC is coming to visit me!!!! We're planning a special weekend and I'll tell you why later :)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saturday adventure!
Hello my dear readers! I apologize to the 5 of you for not updating more frequently. I vow to get better. SO, this weekend I went on a little adventure, 50% for me, and 30% for you. And 20% for me.
Saturday morning I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take a little road trip.
Sometimes I like to pretend I'm a movie star. A movie star that drives herself around.
Just me, the Vibe, and the open road!
After about an hour and 40 mins of driving, I found what I was looking for!
I'm really glad there were signs to point me in the right direction.
(The OCD part of me shuddered when I saw this sign!)
Ta DAAAHH! I went to the Jost Winery in Malagash, Nova Scotia!
This is what piqued my interest originally. I heard an ad on the radio
and thought it would be fun to check out.
What I did not think about was that there was a good chance this, being a vineyard in a small town, was definitely not well equipped to handle the volume of traffic that appeared. You'd think after 10 years of doing this they'd at least have someone handling parking... but alas. I managed to find a parking spot and went to check out the vineyard.
The grape stomp was just that... there were separate teams (dressed in all sorts of wild attire), fundraising for separate charities and every half hour, one or two teams would hop into a baby pool full of grapes and stomp themselves wild for 8 minutes. With their bare, sweaty feet. Eww. At the end of the 8 mins, the grapes were strained out and the liquid weighed. I'm not exactly sure how the fundraising part went - did only the winning team get money for their charity? Or did everyone get sponsors and the winning team just got more money? I will never know.
I was more interested in exploring around the fields of grapes! Sooo cool. I took a million photos, and here are my favorites:
I could get lost in this place.
Obviously, I didn't mean that literally.
Gorgeous!
Loving life!
One of my life goals (along with becoming a ballerina and an astronaut) is to be a photographer.
Then I squirreled my way in to the shop and found some treasures!
How pretty is this place?
My bounty.
Time for an artsy shot!
And one more of the grapes. So cute!
On the way home, a miracle: Farmer's Hoofprints FROYO!!!!That's why the cone is so big. You can stop thinking I'm a fattie now. Kthanks.
A disheveled, chubby bug. BUT OH SO HAPPY!!
How could I not be happy with these beautiful blue skies and open roads?!
BEAUTIFUL!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
water.
On the way home from work tonight it POURED. Like sudden HUGE drops that soak you to the skin in 5 seconds or less. Thankfully I was in my car, but it was coming down so fast my poor wipers couldn't even keep up. Then it stopped.
And THIS is why I've started carrying my camera around!
It's been a while since I've seen a rainbow this big :)
On another, water-related topic...
...guess who went SWIMMING tonight?? My mom and I, that's who (nothing like mother-daughter bonding over spandex and chlorine!). We went to the pool in our area that I used to work at as a lifeguard and swim instructor (way back in high school!). I used to swim competitively but I haven't been in a pool in about 8 months and to a practice in about a year and a half.. so tonight was nice and chill. And I'm happy to report my knees didn't hurt at all :)
And THIS is why I've started carrying my camera around!
It's been a while since I've seen a rainbow this big :)On another, water-related topic...
...guess who went SWIMMING tonight?? My mom and I, that's who (nothing like mother-daughter bonding over spandex and chlorine!). We went to the pool in our area that I used to work at as a lifeguard and swim instructor (way back in high school!). I used to swim competitively but I haven't been in a pool in about 8 months and to a practice in about a year and a half.. so tonight was nice and chill. And I'm happy to report my knees didn't hurt at all :)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
half marathon recap.
I'm alive! This commuting business is eating up my free time. I flew back to the nest at the end of August, which means 1.5-2 hours of driving every day to and from work. It's worth it though, my parents are lovely! And reading this blog (Hi Mom and Dad!).
How about the half marathon recap, shall we? I wrote down some things the day or two after, and I'm so glad I did, because it was a fantastic experience. Thank goodness for blogs!!
___________________________________________________________________________________
The half marathon was in the top two of hardest physical things I've ever done. The other one was a swim team training camp, where we swam between 8 and 10km a day and I couldn't move from exhaustion. This run just trumps that experience because this run was sooo loneeellyyy. The only thing I had to latch onto were the older men in front of me who I eventually passed, and only because they were taking walking breaks.
I jammed out the first 7 km and was feeling lovely, and even passed some ladies while I was rocking out to Glee's Journey mashup. This speedy spurt turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as those two ladies passed me and were long gone by the 15 km mark.
I lost my mojo and wanted to be done when the 12 km mark hit, so I listened to some Russell Brand comedy to distract my mind from my legs. This definitely slowed me down and at least 5 people passed me (although two of them gave me encouraging thumbs up on their way by!). It wasn't a large race, so having 5 people pass me when I knew I was in the back of the pack to start with was a little discouraging. I tried my best to block those feelings out and concentrated on giggling from the comedy and the warm sunshine on my face, and kept on chugging. Russell was just what I needed to regroup, so I put my music back on and continued to blow kisses at each kilometer marker that I shuffled by.
This run was a lot different than my training long runs, because my longest runs were done with Josh, and talking while running helps you ignore the time ticking away and the ridiculous distance you are running. This time, it was me and my iPod, and I was hallucinating trying to see the next km marker ("Oh, there's another one! .. oh crap, that's definitely just a flower."). There was a lot of grunting in those last few kms. The water stations were a huge blessing (4 along the trail and we hit them all twice), and the volunteers that encouraged me were AMAZING. When everything from your hips to your toenails are hurting, an enthusiastic, "You can do it! Keep it up! You're almost finished!" goes a loooong way. I carried a water bottle the whole time, which I finished and then some. At the last water station, I poured a cup of water in my water bottle, and once the volunteer saw what I was doing she quickly dumped in another cup without me even asking. She was so sweet, and it was the boost I needed to make it to the end.
When I saw the finish line, I sped up, and sprinted the last 100m. The funnel at the finish line was short and narrow, and I had to stop dead to avoid smashing into the volunteers. That, my friends, was a mistake. You do not run for 2 and a half hours, sprint, and then stop all of a sudden. My legs sort of gave out, and I crouched on the ground and caught my breath. I think I scared the volunteers because there was a first aid lady over my shoulder telling me to "breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth". I couldn't really tell her at the time, but this is normal for me at the end of a race and I just needed a minute. I did what she told me so she would go away, and I stood up and walked away (I hope I said thank you!). By walked away, I mean I took four steps and then sat on the ground because I couldn't feel my legs.
The whole time I was on the course, I was thinking, "I am so lucky to be able to run!" It's true, I was ill prepared and aching by the time I finished, but I am still so blessed to have full use of my legs. There was no way that I wasn't going to run this race because I missed some training runs. Now, this attitude is by no means sustainable, and I fully realize that - I can't continue to treat my body this way because it is very irresponsible, and I'm risking injury by undertraining. But I'm viewing this one time as a learning experience, and refusing to take pain medication so I can feel the full effects of my decisions.. and talk about incentive! Avoiding pain and injury is a big one!
Edit (Sept. 14 2010): I'm definitely having some knee problems now. I was feeling it a bit before the race, but I think that exacerbated my problem.. I'm sticking to short runs (less than 5km and icing my knees after), walking, maybe some swimming, and some yoga. Hopefully it will go away on its own!
How about the half marathon recap, shall we? I wrote down some things the day or two after, and I'm so glad I did, because it was a fantastic experience. Thank goodness for blogs!!
___________________________________________________________________________________
The half marathon was in the top two of hardest physical things I've ever done. The other one was a swim team training camp, where we swam between 8 and 10km a day and I couldn't move from exhaustion. This run just trumps that experience because this run was sooo loneeellyyy. The only thing I had to latch onto were the older men in front of me who I eventually passed, and only because they were taking walking breaks.
I jammed out the first 7 km and was feeling lovely, and even passed some ladies while I was rocking out to Glee's Journey mashup. This speedy spurt turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as those two ladies passed me and were long gone by the 15 km mark.
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!
P.S. Thanks to YouTube, I can totally rock that hair. Now where did I put my gold dress...?
P.S. Thanks to YouTube, I can totally rock that hair. Now where did I put my gold dress...?
I lost my mojo and wanted to be done when the 12 km mark hit, so I listened to some Russell Brand comedy to distract my mind from my legs. This definitely slowed me down and at least 5 people passed me (although two of them gave me encouraging thumbs up on their way by!). It wasn't a large race, so having 5 people pass me when I knew I was in the back of the pack to start with was a little discouraging. I tried my best to block those feelings out and concentrated on giggling from the comedy and the warm sunshine on my face, and kept on chugging. Russell was just what I needed to regroup, so I put my music back on and continued to blow kisses at each kilometer marker that I shuffled by.
This run was a lot different than my training long runs, because my longest runs were done with Josh, and talking while running helps you ignore the time ticking away and the ridiculous distance you are running. This time, it was me and my iPod, and I was hallucinating trying to see the next km marker ("Oh, there's another one! .. oh crap, that's definitely just a flower."). There was a lot of grunting in those last few kms. The water stations were a huge blessing (4 along the trail and we hit them all twice), and the volunteers that encouraged me were AMAZING. When everything from your hips to your toenails are hurting, an enthusiastic, "You can do it! Keep it up! You're almost finished!" goes a loooong way. I carried a water bottle the whole time, which I finished and then some. At the last water station, I poured a cup of water in my water bottle, and once the volunteer saw what I was doing she quickly dumped in another cup without me even asking. She was so sweet, and it was the boost I needed to make it to the end.
When I saw the finish line, I sped up, and sprinted the last 100m. The funnel at the finish line was short and narrow, and I had to stop dead to avoid smashing into the volunteers. That, my friends, was a mistake. You do not run for 2 and a half hours, sprint, and then stop all of a sudden. My legs sort of gave out, and I crouched on the ground and caught my breath. I think I scared the volunteers because there was a first aid lady over my shoulder telling me to "breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth". I couldn't really tell her at the time, but this is normal for me at the end of a race and I just needed a minute. I did what she told me so she would go away, and I stood up and walked away (I hope I said thank you!). By walked away, I mean I took four steps and then sat on the ground because I couldn't feel my legs.
The whole time I was on the course, I was thinking, "I am so lucky to be able to run!" It's true, I was ill prepared and aching by the time I finished, but I am still so blessed to have full use of my legs. There was no way that I wasn't going to run this race because I missed some training runs. Now, this attitude is by no means sustainable, and I fully realize that - I can't continue to treat my body this way because it is very irresponsible, and I'm risking injury by undertraining. But I'm viewing this one time as a learning experience, and refusing to take pain medication so I can feel the full effects of my decisions.. and talk about incentive! Avoiding pain and injury is a big one!
Edit (Sept. 14 2010): I'm definitely having some knee problems now. I was feeling it a bit before the race, but I think that exacerbated my problem.. I'm sticking to short runs (less than 5km and icing my knees after), walking, maybe some swimming, and some yoga. Hopefully it will go away on its own!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
mmm conflict
I know everything's been pretty quiet on the blog front (I'll be back in full force soon enough!), but in the mean time, how about some conservative Christians to ruffle your feathers:
Pastor to burn Qur'an
Terry Jones, Pastor of Dove World Outreach Center (...I know right...), is organizing a Qur'an burning session at his church from 6-9pm this Saturday, the 9th anniversary of 9/11. Aside from all the heinous consequences this could have for many people around the world, it showcases small town, conservative Christian American ignorance at its finest.
Pastor to burn Qur'an
Terry Jones, Pastor of Dove World Outreach Center (...I know right...), is organizing a Qur'an burning session at his church from 6-9pm this Saturday, the 9th anniversary of 9/11. Aside from all the heinous consequences this could have for many people around the world, it showcases small town, conservative Christian American ignorance at its finest.
In all of the spectacularly damning questions that spewed forth from Cooper's beautiful mouth (aside: I think I have a crush on Anderson Cooper), I am surprised that he neglected to mention the word, "hypocrite". Pastor Terry Jones and his church are a fringe conservative Christian group planning to perform a radical act that is being condemned by the majority of Christians in (dare I say) the rest of the world. Not UNLIKE the radical Muslims they are targeting with their protest.
Here is a photo of Anderson... because he is prettier than TJ. This second interview exposes a little more about the issue.
Let me make this clear: I think this is a terrible idea. I also think that Teej didn't know what he was getting himself into...
My favorite quote of the second interview is at the end:
"If you listen to him [Pastor Jones] though, you get the sense that he may be looking, praying for a way out of a terrible corner he's painted himself into."
I really think this is the ultimate case of sticking your foot in your mouth. Pastor Jones came up with this idea and pitched it without really, really, thinking about how it would affect his home church, US soldiers, Christians in Muslim dominated countries, and the Christian missionaries I'm sure his church supports. He hesitates when he answers questions, and he's not as unapologetically zealous as other radical Christian groups in the States (Westboro Baptist, anyone?). There is an element of regret and worry in his answers.
A part of me wants to rally up as many drag queens and fire extinguishers as I can find and show up on TJ's lawn on Saturday. Why drag queens? Did you watch that interview? I bet the DoveWOC would LOVE IT. The other part of me is SO GLAD that I'm 3,000 km away. Hopefully the explosions won't reach me here.
P.S. Who carries GUNS to CHURCH?!?!?! Is it the Canadian in me that makes me suggest that this might be a ridiculous concept?!
P.P.S. A soon-to-be-martyr wouldn't carry a weapon to the place he knew he was going to die. I predict TJ is going to get another "message from God" and recall this entire idea...
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
lots of kms, and lobster.
What a crazy week so far!! I've been slacking on the blogging front, but here's why:
Sunday:
Monday:
Woke up to this. Couldn't you have waited one more day?!
(Not actual photo)
Moved out of my apartment!
Did you know UHaul gets their vans and trucks registered and insured in Arizona because it's cheaper?
Plus that way they don't have to pass Canadian Motor Vehicle Inspections.
Sketttccchh.
Tuesday:
Cleaned apartment, returned key and got back damage deposit.. phewf!
Wednesday:
Drove to PEI for work conference (that included chemistry, lobster, and chocolate cake.. life is good!)..
and then drove home.. 528 kms later, nbd.
Upcoming:
Thursday (aka tomorrow aka today because it's 1am): Work noon-6pm; errands; shopping for outfit for wedding on Saturday?!
Friday: Work, pack for weekend
Saturday-Monday: PEI for friend's wedding, and lots of bf-gf time <3
Sunday:
Monday:
Woke up to this. Couldn't you have waited one more day?!This was literally my last night ever of parking here.. sigh.
(Not actual photo)Moved out of my apartment!
Did you know UHaul gets their vans and trucks registered and insured in Arizona because it's cheaper?
Plus that way they don't have to pass Canadian Motor Vehicle Inspections.
Sketttccchh.
Tuesday:
Cleaned apartment, returned key and got back damage deposit.. phewf!Wednesday:
Drove to PEI for work conference (that included chemistry, lobster, and chocolate cake.. life is good!)..and then drove home.. 528 kms later, nbd.
Upcoming:
Thursday (aka tomorrow aka today because it's 1am): Work noon-6pm; errands; shopping for outfit for wedding on Saturday?!
Friday: Work, pack for weekend
Saturday-Monday: PEI for friend's wedding, and lots of bf-gf time <3
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