Sunday, December 21, 2014

Eight Words


DON’T WORRY. JUST BE. LET GO. MOVE FORWARD. 

I can't believe I haven't posted in two months. Life has been crazy, but even still, I usually make time to blog. Looking back though, not only has it been busy, but it's also been somewhat tumultuous emotionally. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I've been having a crisis of spirit, and as of late things have been coming to a head. 

But I'm feeling the shift. I'm feeling the ship slowly but surely changing course. In that spirit, I sat down tonight and wrote a very brief blurb on what I've been feeling and - even more importantly - where I feel I should be going now. I noticed some patterns in what I was writing and as a result of that, I decided to paste the blurb onto a website and create a word cloud with what I'd written. A little over ten words stood out in the cloud (meaning they'd appeared in my blurb a number of times), and then after stringing those words together, I condensed it a little further into eight words. 

DON'T WORRY. JUST BE. LET GO. MOVE FORWARD. 

I have a habit of over-analyzing; it's all good. It's who I am and it's gotten me so far. However, it can become too much. I feel the need to analyze my life and my self, make some conclusions, document it, and then - and only then - move forward. This personal process is ironic given some things that have been frustrating me lately, so I just needed to take some time to sit down and feel it a little bit. I don't want to analyze, speculate, make a certain decision about it all, and then boldly go forward. No!

I just want to live. I don't want to worry. I just want to be. I want to let go of the things I cannot change. I want to keep going. 

That's it. 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

This is what is inspiring me right now.....


The Bling Ring. I can't remember when I saw this movie for the first time... not that long ago, it was only released last year. I remember being in my Toronto apartment, so it was sometime last year. I liked it immediately. At the risk of sounding really pretentious (but when have I really avoided that?), I really enjoy Sofia Coppola films. I like the pace, the music, the common thread... but this has got to be my favourite.

The music is super solid. Favourites: "Crown on the Ground" by Sleigh Bells, "Sunshine feat. M.I.A." by Rye Rye, "212 feat. Lazy Jay" by Azealia Banks, "Bad Girls" by M.I.A., "Freeze" by Klaus Schulze, and "FML" by deadmau5.

~~

In other news, I'm wrapping up a stellar day. Hugely productive at work, enlightening lunch with my office bestie, belated birthday mani/pedi for my BFF after work, errands at the bank, grocery shop, delicious falafel dinner with my GF, tidied the kitchen and did the dishes, and now I'm dancing in my chair to The Bling Ring soundtrack ("Bad Girls") while I drink a beer. Living the dream.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

I am enough.

Right now I am sitting on a chair on my patio outside in a t-shirt, breathing in beautiful fresh air, and catching up on things on my relatively new MacBook. I just finished a cup of coffee and have spent the day up until now doing a variety of enjoyable and productive tasks. I did six (!) loads of laundry including all of our sheets and towels. I made a roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup, which K. and I enjoyed for lunch, and there are still two portions saved for a lunch this week. Roasting the vegetables made the whole apartment smell like fall and it was just so lovely, never mind delicious. To quote one of my favourite people - not that she was the first to say this: "My cup floweth over".

But I'm not writing today to once again share the details of how I'm spending a delightful weekend day (though I've kind of already done that). I'm writing to share a concept that I'm predicting is going to be pretty life-changing for me.

I am enough.

What a concept! I am hard-wired to aim for more. My parents instilled it in me, and this drive is what has given me the success I've already been fortunate enough to experience so far in my life. This is an innate part of me that I can't do anything about, and I'm glad for that. But sometimes it's not a motivating drive, but more of a discouraging one. I'll be sitting and thinking about something and suddenly become overwhelmed by all that I'm not but should be doing. I think, I should stop ever visiting Facebook while at work. I shouldn't watch so much TV but should spend my evenings being productive at home, doing work for the committees I'm on, or doing stuff around the apartment. I'm always doing well, and I recognize that part, but I'm always thinking about what else I can do.

Again, this isn't a bad thing, but as much as I'm hard-wired to aim for more, I think I'm also hard-wired to do more. I don't think it's something I need to dedicate so much thought or worry to. I think I'll continue to go where I want to go and be who I want to be without worrying, so why worry?!

~~
I met with a friend recently: Kasia. Kasia and I have known each other for maybe six years now, but we've never quite clicked. We have had some really fun times together with our mutual friends, but one-to-one there's been something blocking us. When we met recently, there was no blockage. She's a very powerful and wise woman, that Kasia. We sat and suddenly everything was spilling out of me including my need to aim for and achieve more forever and always. That's when she said, why not make this your new mantra:

I am enough. 

It's so simple, and could've easily been disregarded, but in the week and a half or so since I saw Kasia, it has been there like a second pulse. I'll start to get myself in a tizzy about doing more and I'll hear the phrase or even say it out loud. During my daily lunches with my work bestie, I'll find myself talking about all that I should be doing, and then I'll catch myself. No.

I am enough.
~~

I had a few big break-throughs at work in the past few weeks; I finished a big program plan, and made some significant progress in the way I'm approaching my work, and I feel a big part of that is due to my new mantra. Once you accept that you're enough, you realize you really do have everything you need. It's not about losing the drive, it's about accepting that it's already there, and there's no need to worry. I'm excited to see the doors it opens for me.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Energy

Once again I'm having an absolutely lovely Saturday. I woke up at 9:00, took my sweet time getting out of bed, and then requested over an hour of silence in the apartment so that I could drink my coffee and read my book club book in peace. My beautiful girlfriend obliged, and it was honestly like a gift. I feel like a million bucks having had that precious time this morning... and I finished my book: Annabel by Kathleen Winter. It's for a new book club I joined and it was incredible.

My inspiration for this post isn't another lovely weekend day though, it's energy. Deep, I know.

I think of a lot of things in terms of energy... "God", for example. When I feel most spiritual and connected to some higher power, it's because I feel the energies of the universe colliding and leading me towards something that - if I open myself up to it - I'm destined to be part of. It's like that feeling of all the stars aligning for something special; those energies working together for something bigger is what I see as God.

I also think of energy and where we get it or lose it. As an introvert, I see myself as gaining energy from peaceful, quiet, and calm time; usually alone, with my girlfriend K., or a close friend. I expend my energy in the opposite situations, where life is busy, full of people and activity. I can handle both kinds of situations, but it just changes my energy; whether I emerge fuelled or exhausted.

Yesterday I was talking to a friend about situations in which you can be a doormat or more aggressive; receiving bad customer service, for example. She was saying that her boyfriend will always speak up in those types of situations; make sure he is heard and that the situation is addressed in some way. Some might see him as an asshole, but she always feels like she is never taken advantage of, and I so appreciate that notion. I hate bad customer service, but will rarely speak up, and if I do, it's not in a very aggressive way. I don't like to think of myself as a doormat though. I see it as where you're willing to spend your energy and where you aren't. There are limits, sure, and there are times where you must speak up... and perhaps situations where you really shouldn't. For me, speaking up - in these situations - often means expending my energy in a way that makes me feel really unsatisfied when it's all over. I don't feel better. So if expending my energy makes me feel worse, then why would I be motivated to act? In my friend's boyfriend's case, he can't not speak up in those situations. He would feel unsatisfied if he didn't, so it makes sense for him and not for me.

Like I said, there are limits, but it helps to consider that we don't have to be separated into doormats and aggressors. If we know ourselves, we just act according to what makes us feel best and that our energy is used wisely.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

This time I'm having a lovely Saturday

Again, my girlfriend K. is still on her family vacation, so it'd be better if she were here, but all in all - not too shabby (and it's only 3:40 pm).

I woke up around 8:00 after about 90 minutes of alarms that I snoozed through.  Why did I set my alarm for 6:30 on a Saturday morning?  Well, I had an ambitious intention to go really early to the farmer's market, but having gone to bed around 1:00 am, I felt totally fine forgetting that plan and "sleeping in" instead.

Upon waking, I made a pot of coffee and then puttered around tidying my apartment for a while.  My mom was coming for a visit and I wanted to make sure everything looked nice for her!  Then I made my smoothie and sat down to read, drink my smoothie, and start on coffee #1.  Then I moved to the couch to enjoy coffee #2 and some "Dawson's Creek".  I don't know why I chose DC but it hit the spot.  Showered, tidied some more, some more DC, some more coffee... then around 11:15 my mom arrived!

My mom and I really enjoy each other's company, but I think she likes visiting best when there's some way she can be useful.  In today's case, I needed her help hanging some art that needed to be exact and level.  She did a great job with it!  After that, we headed out for some lunch at an amazing Waterloo place called Famoso - a Neapolitan pizza place.  Delicious!

Then we walked across the street to Heel Boy, a shoe store, to buy some shoes for my bestie Mon's wedding next Saturday.  We found a perfect pair!  The only shoes I tried on.  Gotta love that!

Then we walked a few stores down to Honey Bake Shop for an afternoon treat.  Before we got back to the car, we stopped at a great independent bookstore in Waterloo called Words Worth Books where my mom bought a couple books by Mary Lawson.

Then back home for a cup of tea and our sweets from Honey, followed by a great conversation, and then off my mom went, home to Toronto.

What a charming Saturday visit in Waterloo!  I'm sure the rest of the night will be just as great!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Sunday

I'm just having a really nice Sunday and I feel like posting about it / as a result.  Unfortunately my girlfriend K. is not here, because that'd be one thing that would make it better.  I dropped her off in Mississauga yesterday so she could head home to Toronto, spend two days with her family, and then go with them on a family vacation!  I stayed overnight in Mississauga with my bestie W. for around 24 hours.  We chilled, we ate, we watched "Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights".  This morning, W's mom made us aloo paratha for breakfast.  I was in heaven.

Then I drove back to Waterloo.  The weather was perfect for a Sunday afternoon drive, and I had a great playlist to match.  I went straight to the gym upon getting here, and had an excellent work-out.  When I go to the gym, there's a number of forms my work-out might take.  Sometimes it's a quickie; in and out in about 30 minutes (save the shower for home).  Sometimes it's for a Body Pump class, in which case I'd warm up with 10-15 minutes of cardio and then do the class.  Today I had my medium-level luxury work-out: 10 minutes on the arc trainer, 20 minutes of strength training machines, 10 minutes on the treadmill, and then the luxury part -- long sauna, shower, and then 10 minutes or so on the massage chairs the gym has.  Who knew going to the gym could be such a rejuvenating part of a Sunday afternoon?!

That reminds me: yesterday (July 5th) marked 1 year since K. and I began our journey to better health and physical fitness.  As of July 5, I've lost a total of 47.6 lbs.  Even better, my lifestyle has changed completely and for the better.  I feel amazing!

After the gym, it was over to the grocery store.  You know when grocery shopping is the last thing you want to do, but you sense you'll want to do it even less tomorrow?  I'm glad I bit the bullet.  I also filled up my tank, took out some money at the bank, and got a drink at Starbucks.  A few errands and a treat, and then I was back home for the evening.  I'm here now with a beautiful breeze coming in through the patio door, my sweet cat Spoon nearby, and nothing to do for the rest of the day but relax, prepare for the week ahead, and enjoy myself.  That's why it's been such a nice Sunday.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

#maevaflavedoeshelsinki

I am home from a 13-day trip to Helsinki, Finland visiting my best friend John.  The trip was incredible and - as always - I must blog about it!  I've learned that the best approach to a post-trip blog post is to try to consolidate the information as much as possible.  So, here are the top 10 highlights of my trip - not really in any particular order.

HELSINKI ITSELF & WANDERING THE CITY:
I very quickly felt comfortable navigating Helsinki.  I took the tram a lot and got to know the city centre especially well.  It's a very beautiful and clean city; an appealing combination of old European charm and contemporary architecture.  I loved wandering along Pohjoisesplanadi and Eteläesplanadi, browsing stores (see "SHOPPING") and people-watching.

Pohjoisesplanadi
I went for a great walking tour one day from my Lonely Planet Finland travel book.  Some highlights from that include the bustling kauppatori in the harbour, the Senaatintori (Senate Square), the Tuomiokirkko (Lutheran Cathedral), and Temppeliaukion Kirkko, a modern church hewn from solid rock.

Senaatintori with Tuomiokirkko in the background
Vendors in the kauppatori in the harbour
Tempelliaukion Kirkko
Before I go into my absolute favourite sights (which deserve their own highlights), shout-outs to the following sights - Kansallismuseo, Linnanmäki, Ateneum, and Uspenskin Katedraali.

Uspenskin Katedraali

KOTIHARJUN SAUNA:
When you think of Finland, one of the first things you think of is saunas.  I am a huge saunaphile to begin with (sometimes my only reason for a work-out is an excuse to go to the sauna), so it was at the top of my list to visit a traditional Finnish sauna.  My travel book recommended the Kotiharjun Sauna, so my friend Katie (who came from London, England to join me for part of my trip) and I walked from John's place to get there.

It was divine!  It was 12.00€ for an adult sauna and you could stay as long as you wanted to.  The locker room was clean and because it was a weekday afternoon, we had the place to ourselves.  There are separate saunas for men and women, and you get to the sauna right from the locker room.  Then, there's another shower room that connects to both of those areas, too.  The sauna itself was lovely and did seem very traditional.  We did a long first round, and then just spent the next 90 minutes or so going back and forth from the sauna to the shower room, rinsing off and going back for more.  We also got big buckets and filled them with cold water so we could refresh ourselves without leaving the sauna.  After we were done, we got some bottles of water downstairs and then went to a nearby park to continue the relaxing and enjoy some sun.  I highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting!  It was so amazing and rejuvenating!



KIASMA:
Helsinki has its fair share of museums, like any major city, but I didn't expect the museums I visited to necessarily be highlights of the visit.  Kiasma was the exception!  Kiasma is Helsinki's modern art museum, and I don't know if we were there for some exceptional exhibits, or if it's always that good, but I loved it!  The three exhibits we (Katie & I) saw were Alfredo Jaar (amazing video piece on Kevin Carter), Kiasma Hits (classic Finnish contemporary pieces, famous international artwork, and recent acquisitions), and an exhibit called Kimpassa / Together, which brought together the biggest names in Finnish contemporary art, design, and fashion, specifically artists and designers who'd worked with Kiasma and/or the fashion line Marimekko.  That was actually something I saw a lot of in Helsinki: a natural collaboration between people.  Marimekko designed napkins for Finnair, for example.  It seems like collaboration vs. competition between artists and companies happens a lot in that country, which I loved.  Kiasma was a great example.  Best modern art museum I've ever seen!





TALLINN, ESTONIA:
As you know, what brought me to Finland in the first place was one of my best friends in the whole world: John.  I've known John for around seven years now, and I've been hearing about his many Finnish adventures since the beginning.  One of those typical adventures - also highlighted by my travel book - is a trip to nearby Tallinn, Estonia.  So, it was a foregone conclusion that we'd take a trip there during my visit.  John booked us tickets on the speedboat to Tallinn in advance of my trip, and on the Saturday that I was there, John, his boyfriend, and myself took the 90-minute or so journey there!

John described Tallinn as the place Finnish people can go to act like American tourists; they can assume everyone there speaks their language - which in Tallinn, they do! - they can get cheap food, booze, cigarettes, and pretty much everything else.  Alcohol is one of the dominant reasons for the journey though, which is clear from the trolleys you can buy on the boat with the express purpose of packing them with cheap beer, wine, and liquor.  In fact, you can drink on the boat itself.  We had a beer on the way back, but even on the way there - at 10:00 am - our fellow passengers were getting right to it!

The visit to Tallinn was amazing!  My favourite part was the old town (see the photo below).  We wandered the cobblestoned streets, explored churches and little stores, stood at some beautiful points up the hills to stare down at the town and more modern parts of the city, too, and then browsed the market square where vendors sold souvenirs and other goods (including cinnamon-covered almonds, which were another highlight!).  After some lunch and exploring, we went shopping in the city, and then returned for some dinner later in the day (more on that in "FOOD").  Around 6:00 we headed back to the harbour to get our 7:00 pm speedboat back, and ended up having one of the best nights out of my life.  More on that in "FINNISH PEOPLE (& GOING OUT WITH THEM)".

Old Town, Tallinn

SUOMENLINNA:
One of the must-see sights in my travel book was Suomenlinna, and fortunately John and his friends agreed that I couldn't leave without seeing it.  Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg in Swedish, is an inhabited sea fortress.  I was so excited to just walk around it, and we were lucky enough to have beautiful weather, so we hopped on the ferry at the harbour and took the 15-minute ride there (which I could use my transit pass to pay for!).  With the sun shining, we grabbed some beers at the grocery store, and just wandered around.  It was beautiful (see below).  It was on one of my last nights, too, and it was just John and I, so I soaked it in.






SHOPPING:
People who know me know that I don't like shopping.  In fact clothes shopping is one of my least favourite things in the world.  However, when you've set aside a budget for gifts for yourself and others on a trip you've diligently saved up for, shopping suddenly feels more fun (rather than indulgent)!  I still wasn't interested in clothes, but I had a lot of fun browsing - and buying - in the stores I visited.

My favourites include Marimekko where I bought a number of gifts (and was lucky to be in Finland for the 50th anniversary of their Unikko pattern [see below]), Aarikka where I bought a lot of Finnish-made jewelry for family and friends, the Moomin store for all Moomin-related merchandise, the beautiful Akateeminen Kirjakauppa book store where I wandered aimlessly, Stockmann (a.k.a. Helsinki's Holt Renfrew, or at least The Bay), and - my favourite - the Iitala / Arabia outlet store where I splurged on Moomin mugs!!!

Marimekko's Unikko pattern
Shout-out to Emmaus where John recommended I go on my last day.  Apparently visiting Helsinki without going to a flea market is sacrilege, and I'm glad I went.  I picked up some really random goods there, but I'll always think of my trip to Helsinki when I see/use them.


FOOD:
Food is always my favourite part of travelling!  Food brings me joy on a daily basis, so trying new foods in new places is my idea of heaven!

Restaurant highlights included Alppitori for some traditional Finnish fare, randomly Monte Etna for what turned out to be an amazing spaghetti and meatballs, Café Ekberg hit the spot one morning with a Croque Madame (and bottomless coffee, which is a rare find in Helsinki), Vapiano for pasta made right before your eyes, Eat in Tallinn for pelmeni, Hesburger (Finland's McDonald's equivalent) for their version of a Big Mac (also in Tallinn), BLNIt for Russian food, and Zucchini for some vegetarian food in the city centre.
Alppitori - salmon soup with dark bread, followed by meatballs over
 mashed potatoes covered in brandy gravy with a side of jam
Café Ekberg - Croque Madame
Hesburger - their version of a Big Mac, in Tallinn
BLNIt (great Russian food) - blini with sour cream, red onions, and roe
But here's the thing - more than just looking forward to eating in Finland, I looked forward to eating John's cooking.  I lucked out having John and our other bestie Waleed as friends in my undergrad.  They were the only undergrad students I knew who at any point in time might have a delicious cut of meat marinating in their fridge.  They are master chefs in their own right, and I was spoiled having them cook for me so often back in the day.  I missed John's amazing cooking, and was spoiled once again while staying with him in Helsinki.  He cooked me all sorts of things, including some classic Finnish fare.  Below are some of my favourite meals he cooked.  Thanks, John!

Potatoes, salad, smoked trout, and pickled herring
Salad with chicken, pistachios, blue cheese, and beets with a side of
cracked wheat with sun-dried tomatoes and red onions
Dessert that evening; a funny hybrid of bread and cheese as
well as sweet and savoury, topped with jam
A sisters sausage soup with dark bread covered in cream cheese on the side
Arguably the best meal of the trip - roasted chicken
on top of a beet risotto
My favourite! Karjalanpiirakoita - a rice-stuffed pastry topped with egg butter.

FINNISH PEOPLE (& GOING OUT WITH THEM):
One of the best things about visiting a friend in another country (aside from free accommodations!) is meeting real people from that country.  You might run into a few locals while travelling solo, but being introduced to people who are really important to someone who's really important to you is really special.

I got to meet John's boyfriend, and really get to know him, and that was a real treat.  He's a wonderful man!  I got to be reunited with John's friend who came to visit us during our undergrad; it was amazing to see her again, laugh about our amazing three weeks together five years ago, and see how she's grown up.  I got to meet a friend of John's who he met through his boyfriend, who I partied with (more on that in a sec) and realized was my Finnish soul twin.  We live across the ocean from each other, but we had an instant connection.  And finally, I got to meet one of John's closest friends, who I've heard about since I met John, and who I've had as a Facebook friend for quite a while myself.  Meeting her in person was incredible; she has such a warmth to her and positive energy.

In fact, she had a dinner party while I was visiting, which was another major highlight.  She and her husband hosted us in their beautiful home, and I think there were about nine of us in total.  We were all speaking English (lucky me!), but almost everyone was from a different place.  There were three from Egypt, two of whom were raised in London UK and another who was raised in Sweden.  Three from Finland, but all with different backgrounds.  And then two Canadians (I'm not sure where the ninth was from).  We were all so different, and so many of us were strangers to each other, but there was such an ease to conversation, and it was such a nice night (including more delicious food!).  That's the kind of experience I love to have when travelling.  I was really lucky.

I enjoyed Finnish people so much in general.  I don't want to generalize, because I know everyone is different, but there were some common elements, I found.  Finnish people don't have a big fake smile on their face, even in service industries.  There's no fakeness, small talk, or over-the-top friendliness.  But there's also not snobbery or rudeness; people just are who they are.  There was a definite sense of more introversion than I find here in North America, but people are very kind... they're just more real.  I liked that; it was really refreshing!

But like I've already said, I was able to really connect with a number of people, and I loved all of John's friends.  We had one really great night out that I mentioned before, the evening of the day we went to Tallinn.  We'd been up really early that day, but we were armed with cheap booze from Tallinn, and we had to go out.  The evening started with a long karaoke session at John's boyfriend's place, which was a blast!  Then we went to a gay club called Hercules, which was amazing!  Great music, lots of people, and so much dancing!  Here's one of the most surreal moments of my trip: we left the club at 4:00 am and it was totally light out!  Finland gets a lot of light during the summer; maybe even 22 hours of it at certain points.  It was 4 am, yet it looked like noon!  Very bizarre; you don't really want to be illuminated by the sun when you leave a club at 4:00 am, but it was a great Finnish experience and a great night out!


CHILLING:
Going into my trip, I was grateful for the length, because it meant I could see lots of sights, but also have lots of time to relax, rejuvenate, catch up with John, and just chill.  Sometimes that was as simple as spending a few hours in a café - traveller's guilt free - writing postcards, journalling, and plotting out what sights I would see next.  On my first full day there, I spent 2+ hours on a hill in a park near John's place, reading and soaking in the sun.  It was so nice to have that luxury and not feel guilty about wasting time.  I was seeing a new city, sure, but I was also on vacation.  I wanted to relax!

Chillin' on a hilltop
I loved having lots of time to hang out with John, too.  A few days - especially after great nights out - it was nice to just laze about his apartment... cook and eat food, and watch lots of TV.  We watched season two of "Bad Girls Club" while I was there (high-quality TV), as well as season one of "RuPaul's Drag Race", and also "Orange is the New Black"!  John and his boyfriend were half-way through season one when I got there, so I watched that with them, and then we watched all of season two together which I hadn't seen yet.  Major highlight!  Downtime on a trip is important, and I took full advantage.


JOHN:
You know what the #1 best part of the trip was though???  Seeing John!  Reuniting with one of my best friends was the thing I was most looking forward to, and it was the #1 highlight without a doubt.  John and I used to spend every day together in our undergrad, so it's been hard not seeing him in the flesh for nearly two years.  Reuniting was incredible!  It's like we picked up where we left off and nothing had changed... but so much has changed in our individual lives, so that's even better!  Even across the ocean, we're growing separately but not apart.  And seeing him in his element, in a city where he feels his best, was so wonderful.  I got to see how happy he is, and how much he's thriving, and as a best friend, that's all you could want.

Thank you, John, for your love, food, and hospitality!

Another trip for the books!

Monday, June 2, 2014

When a chore becomes second nature

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but if I was to look back at my health & fitness journey (11 months and counting) and pinpoint the thing that I'm most proud of, it would be this: going to the gym becoming part of my routine.  Put another way, I am so proud of getting to a point where I genuinely want to go to the gym.  Even better, I need to go to the gym.  I had a pretty indulgent weekend; it was my best friend's bachelorette and indulging was par for the course.  I drank, I ate, I partied.  As a result I felt sick, bloated, and my immune system was shot.  I got back home from the debauchery yesterday afternoon and you know what I did yesterday evening?  I went to the gym.  Going "off-track" or indulging food-wise could've made me feel like I'd failed, but I hadn't, and I still really wanted to go to the gym.

I woke up this morning feeling totally under the weather.  I very seriously contemplated calling in sick... I even had my sick day email drafted up, but then I thought of how much I wanted to get done and how lame I felt at taking a sick day after a bachelorette weekend.  So, I powered through, crushed up vitamins in my smoothie, and went to work.  The day went great - I made a point of eating really nutritious food and drinking lots of water - and then you know what I did?  I went to the gym again after work for my regular Monday Body Pump class.  I may not feel 100%, but I feel pretty great, and I have a feeling that with more vitamin C and a good sleep, I'll feel even better.  My, how I have changed!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

I'm 27

In lieu of a Facebook post thanking everyone for their well wishes and birthday love, I wanted to write a blog post on my 27th birthday.

I wish I had a letter from myself at 10, 13, or 16 to myself at 27 so I could see how I measure up against my young self's expectations, but it doesn't matter. I never had specific goals for myself to have achieved by this age, but if I did, I would've achieved them all and then some. I could not be happier with where I'm at in life.

I have a lot of love. I have a woman to share my life with who I love fiercely and who loves me back. I have four sisters and two parents who support me, challenge me, and inspire me. I have an incredible group of close friends, spread around the world, some who I've known practically since birth, some from university, and a few newer additions who make me laugh and think on the daily. And I wouldn't be the cat lady I've become if I didn't acknowledge my precious Spoon who really does add a lot of love to my life.

I also wanted to acknowledge my Facebook friends (and LinkedIn connections!) for taking a moment out of their day to write a brief message - or lengthy post - to wish me a happy birthday. I know a few people who find Facebook birthday messages insincere, but frankly I love them! I don't mind if we have spoken to or seen each other in years, because getting well wishes on your birthday feels special whoever it comes from (like the woman at Yogurty's who gave me my yogurt on the house today!) and I really appreciate it. I only wish I wrote more birthday messages to people myself!


Love has to be the most important, but I want to ponder some other things I have at the age of 27... purpose, good health, security, independence, and fun!  The list really goes on.  I have no doubt in my mind that this will be another incredible year.  Thank you to everyone who's making today special and those who make every one of my days special.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Legit Jams 6.0

I've taken a break from my non-stop loop of Beyonce's self-titled album, Drake's "Nothing Was the Same", and Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" parts 1 & 2 for some new legit jams.  Here they be.







Saturday, May 10, 2014

Helsinki!!!

Helsinki, here I come!!!

I've mentioned before that one of my best friends - John - has been living in Finland for a while now, and likely will live there forever.  It's hard not to have someone so close to you physically close to you, but it was inevitable and we manage to stay in each other's lives regardless. However, since Finland is so important to John and he loves the country so much, it was also inevitable that I visit him there.  The time has finally come.

I've planned to go to Helsinki this spring/summer for a while, but today I actually bought the tickets and so it's official!  I depart Toronto on June 8, arrive in Helsinki June 9, and don't return to YYZ until June 20.  Approximately 12 days to spend with John, see the sites of Helsinki, eat delicious food, party with John's friends, and maybe take a few side trips (Tallin [Estonia] and Stockholm are on the menu).

I can't wait!!!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Two of Hearts: 3 Movies I Watched this Weekend

It is Monday after the long Easter weekend and I am very slowly adjusting back to a life where I must wake up, do things, wear clothing without elastic waistlines, and be generally presentable.  Normally I'm okay with this, but today I'm not.  It was a delightful weekend!  Highlights include time spent with great friends including karaoke, a beautiful trip to Mel's Diner, time spent on the couch, time spent with more friends, GREEK EASTER!!!, and some epic movie viewing.  I could go on about all elements, but I think I'll focus on one - epic movie viewing.

Having read that Michael Alig is going to be released from prison on May 5, I was reminded that I've always wanted to watch Party Monster.  My friend W. was visiting for a few nights and I asked him if he'd seen it (assuming he had) - he hadn't!  W. was the perfect viewing partner for this movie.  Even better, it was on Netflix.  Bam.  W. whipped up some hummus and we hunkered down for a viewing.  It was a very interesting movie.  I thought Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green both did great jobs in their respective parts, without knowing too too much about Michael Alig and James St. James.  The movie was creepy, funny, enlightening, fascinating, dark, and sad.  I'm now fascinated by club kid culture and keen to read more.  One particularly intense moment was when James St. James was down and out and Michael Alig puts on a cassette to cheer him up.  What's the song?  Stacey Q's "Two of Hearts".  What was one of the two songs my friends and I sang at karaoke the evening before?  Two of Hearts.  Serendipitous, no?

Anyway, Saturday afternoon I was chilling by myself and decided to watch one of the recommended films for people interested in "Party Monster".  One of them was a documentary called "Limelight" about Peter Gatien, legendary club owner who owned the Limelight in New York City where Michael Alig was a promoter.  I learned more about the club kid culture, the introduction of ecstasy to NYC, Peter Gatien (from Cornwall, Ontario), and the massive lawsuit that targetted Gatien as responsible for the rampant drug use and selling in his clubs.  This film was equally fascinating.

Finally, I watched something quite different but not totally unrelated: "Philadelphia". I've watched this movie a handful of times before, but it never loses its impact.  Tom Hanks is incredible, as is Denzel Washington, and the story is so moving and sad.  I still teared up during the epic opera soliloquy.  Incredible!

So there you have it, darlings!  A weekend of movies & more!  Until next time!

Monday, April 14, 2014

John.

You know who's amazing?!  My best friend John.  It's his birthday today & so I wanted to use this platform to celebrate him.

John and I met at an in-person discussion group on campus during our undergrad.  I knew I wanted to be friends with him when he made a reference to the show "7th Heaven" and we laughed about the fact that the family dog's real name was Happy (and Happy as Happy).

Our transition from strangers to friendship was seamless, to the point that I don't remember when/where/how it happened.  The why is obvious.  Everyone who meets John wants to be friends with him.  I was one of the lucky ones who connected with him and vice versa and the rest is history...

John and I joined forces with our bestie Waleed as well and became a powerful trifecta.  Having those boys to roll with when I was in undergrad was the best!  I practically lived with them at one point.  We did everything together, and it was such a fun time!

John is one of the funniest people anybody who knows him knows.  He's also one of the smartest people.  That combination results in wit that you wouldn't believe.  His pop cultural references, quick comebacks, hysterical observations, brilliant slang..... you can barely keep up with it!  He's also incredibly tuned in to current events, speaks numerous languages, and has a generally great understanding of the world we live in.  He is a total marvel, and I am lucky to call him one of my best friends.

It was obvious from early on in our friendship that John loved Finland, where he'd spent a year as an exchange student after high school.  He'd made great friends there, spoke the language fluently, and felt a strong connection to the country.  As a result, it was no surprise to me when he moved there a few years ago to study his Master's and likely live there forever.  It's hard to see your friend go, but it was a foregone conclusion, and I'm happy he's so happy and building a life for himself there.

We may not get to see each other on a regular basis, but we keep in touch as best as we can, and he's still one of my favourite people in the whole world.

Plus, I get to see him in a few months when I travel to Finland!!!  (More on that later).

Now, before the clock strikes midnight in Helsinki, I want to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNI!!!

I love you so much.  xoxoxo

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Weekend Round-Up

Hey y'all.  You all know how I love a Saturday at home with nothing to do but laze about, watch stuff, putter around, and drink coffee.  Fortunately for me, I've had that opportunity today.  I've been spending most weekends in Toronto since I moved to Waterloo and so there's something really relaxing and therapeutic about having the freedom to be in my own space on a weekend.  I miss my GF, but this is a happy alternative.  I mean, at this moment I'm blogging and listening to Beyonce in my underwear.  Heaven.

I don't have anything specific to discuss, so here's another round-up of what's tantalizing my five senses.

Beyonce
Obviously.  She really deserves her own post, and very likely will get one, but right now I just want to acknowledge how fully and completely I love her self-titled album.  Yes, I was a little tardy to the party by my bestie W's standards, but I got there and I'm partying hard with our girl B.  My singular favourite song changes by the day to some degree, but the top 5 (out of 14) audio tracks are: ***Flawless, Drunk In Love, Jealous, Partition, and XO.  It's just so damn good.  Beyonce consistently raises the bar.  She's in a category all her own.  I love her, she's so talented, she's so beautiful, she inspires me..... I... there are no more words.

Adore Delano
You may or may not know that the 6th season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" is currently on and I've really been enjoying it.  I joined in on watching RPDR during 4th season and having now seen all seasons, 4th is probably my favourite.  I liked some of the 5th season queens, but it wasn't as good a season overall.  6th on the other hand has really been delivering.  Queens are one minute your favourite and the next minute not serving it.  For example, I found Adore Delano really obnoxious and weird the first couple of episodes and then just as suddenly she's my favourite and I want her to win.  Don't get me wrong, she's not as polished a queen as others, but she is so entertaining and charming and funny and has charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.  I can't wait to see what she does tomorrow night.

"Not A Bad Thing"
I always love what Justin Timberlake puts out and the two parts of "The 20/20 Experience" have been no exception.  However, I haven't listened to them the way I listened to "Justified" or certainly not "Beyonce".  That said, I love love LOVE the song "Not A Bad Thing" from Part 2.  I posted the video in my last blog post and I have been listening to the song on loop for a couple of weeks now.  I'm obsessed.  So good.

What else...

Let's leave it at that.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Legit Jams 5.0

Sometimes I wake up and music is like oxygen.  Here's what's making me bum dance in my chair at work.



Pay attention to around the 1:30 mark when the melody is re-alligned with the beat. Brilliant.




This song is so great! The video cuts through some of the song, but the video is great, too. I prefer the video in some ways because it only plays the first half of the song... the second half is long and boring on the album, I think. And I love JT.




I was tardy to the party (relatively) for Beyonce's self-titled album. My bestie W. chastised me mercilessly and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer than I did. The album is... ***flawless.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Waterloo Life OR My frenetic celebration of the place I currently call home

Toronto.

I love Toronto.  I love Toronto especially because it's home.  I'm from Toronto, I grew up in Toronto, I've lived in Toronto longer than I've lived anywhere else, my parents live in Toronto, and 3/4 of my sisters live in Toronto.  I also love Toronto's vibe: the big city, something always going on, the best restaurants, arts & culture, creatives and business people working alongside one another... Neighbourhoods!  Gentrification!  "The hottest new cafe!"  I live for that stuff.  I pour over my monthly edition of Toronto Life magazine and drool over the latest trends and where to see and be seen.  I really do love that stuff!

But I also struggle with that stuff.  I mean, who cares?!  Does eating at the "hot new place" make any difference?  Does anyone care?  Does my indulgence in that kind of nonsense result in stress to "keep up with the Joneses" and then constantly feeling like I can't keep up?

Trust me... I don't devote too much energy to any of this, but I do experience that swelling of the ego when I participate in that kind of culture while simultaneously poo-pooing people who get too wrapped up in it.  I both want to be the yuppie and make fun of the yuppie.  It's like "Portlandia"; you embrace the culture and mock the culture all at once, but you do love the culture.

Anyway, all of this is to say that there's something liberating about caring and then letting a lot of that go.  How?  By moving!  Yes, I'm from Toronto and yes, I'll still be in Toronto a lot, but I don't live in Toronto right now and I want to embrace that.  I want to pat myself on the back for not being so Toronto-centric to have to stay there forever and consider every other place lesser than.  In fact, I am having the wonderful - yet not totally unexpected - experience of loving and having my life enhanced by a new city.

Waterloo.

I lived in Waterloo from 2005-2010 and I really enjoyed the city.  However, living anywhere as a university student is a different experience, so when I made the decision to accept a new job and move as a young professional to Waterloo, I wondered what that would be like.  What would it be like to have a car in Waterloo?  Have some disposable income?  Not be taking classes?  What would it mean to live in Waterloo when I don't have classes to take and schoolwork to do, and therefore more of a life?  Could I have the life I wanted in Waterloo?  The answer, delightfully, is yes.

Waterloo is a change of pace.  Truly.  The pace is slower than Toronto's enough to feel it, but not so slow as to make it - for lack of a better word - lame.  There is an ease of life in Waterloo!  Nowhere takes as long to get to.  I get to work in 5 minutes!  I get from work to the gym in 5 minutes!  There's parking everywhere!  There's decent public transit, lots of taxis, and if you find the right place to live, it's totally walkable, too.  You can find a restaurant with tapas, a microbrewery with craft beers, and a cute cafe with a crazy collection of scotches.

You can find friends!  Some of my best friends were living in Waterloo still, and seeing them is so much easier than it is to see friends in Toronto.  In Toronto you have to make plans with a friend and account for maybe an hour of total travel time.  In Waterloo I can be having an alone night in my apartment and then realize at 8:00 that I want to hang out with someone, get to their place in 5 minutes, hang out for an hour, and be home in time for an early bedtime.

Toronto will always be where I'm from, and it'll always feel like home, and I will very likely settle down in Toronto one day for good.  But right now, at the moment in time, Waterloo feels like exactly where I should be, and it feels so good.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Some things I want to share

I'm fully moved out of my Toronto apartment.
The apartment my girlfriend K and I (plus Spoon the cat) called home from September 2012 is now empty... at least of our stuff.  I haven't been living in the apartment since late January, but this past Friday we took out the last of it.  It feels bittersweet, as it has when I've moved out of every place I've lived in, but perhaps this one especially.  It was K's and my home; our first space together, and it really was special to get a cat together, too.  The kitchen was almost unbearably small, and now that I'm living in a relatively huge place, it's sort of a wonder how we lived in that small apartment.  But it was home, and it was ours, and I loved it.

The sweet part is twofold: a new, big apartment to call home, but also, there was something mentally difficult about straddling two places for a month.  It was unsettling.  Clearing it out of the last of the stuff felt really therapeutic.

K has not yet joined me in our new place in Waterloo.  She will, but she has to wrap up some things of her own in Toronto for the next few months, so she'll likely join me in the summer.  It's hard, of course, but our relationship is so strong, so we're getting by just fine.  Plus, when she joins me, she'll be ready for a fresh start, too, and that's a better time to move anyway... when you don't have too much left behind.

The 158-Pound Marriage
I read my second book of 2014: John Irving's The 158-Pound Marriage.  I believe this is one of Irving's first novels.  I've owned it for quite a while and have taken at least two stabs at it before, never finishing it.  This time I did.  After I read my first novel of 2014, The Devil Wears Prada, Irving felt appropriate because he's always so substantial and TDWP was anything but.  And it was substantial, but I was left unsatisfied... probably to a larger degree than usual because I expect so much of Irving's books... but maybe it being one of his earlier ones was the reason why.  Maybe I just didn't "get" it like I usually do.  Maybe I couldn't relate to it.  I'm not sure.  It wasn't bad, but it just didn't meet my expectations.

"Homeland"
Then there's something that exceeded my expectations.  "Homeland", the television show starring Claire Danes, among others.  Oh. My. God.  SO GOOD!!!  I started it last Monday when I took a day off and was in search of something new and wonderful to watch, and I finished first season yesterday when I was home sick.  The season was incredible.  I spent part of it wondering how there could be a second season, but the season finale made it clear that there is a lot more material to tap into.  The other crazy thing (pun intended?) was how Claire Danes really started showing her stuff in the last two episodes of the season.  She's such an amazing actress, and was throughout all of the episodes, but the stuff people really raved about was most apparent in the last episodes.  It was the kind of high-quality acting that I saw so much of in her movie "Temple Grandin".  She has a well of emotion, from one extreme to another, that makes her perfect for the character of Carrie Mathieson.  I wish season 2 was on Netflix.  I'll have to watch it by other means...

The Time Traveller's Wife
I've said it before: finding a new book to read is always a struggle.  I woke up extra early this morning as I was off sick yesterday and went to bed really early, and also wanted to have lots of time this morning to ease my way back into good health and readiness for work.  Before having coffee and breakfast, I scanned my bookshelf and settled on The Time Traveller's Wife.  I saw this movie ages ago when it was in theatres, and my friend who I saw it with had read and loved the book.  I really enjoyed the movie, but was a bit uncertain about how good the book could be.  I sped through 20 pages this morning.  It's fantastic!  Much better written than I anticipated (I'm a snob) and the story is so interesting.  I can't wait for more!

I spent part of my sick day organizing my office/guest room.
My first visitor - W! - is coming for the weekend and I'm so excited.  I finally live in a place that has a dedicated guest room.  A guest room is great for so many reasons, one of which is the fact that you have a place to hide stuff you don't feel like dealing with.  It was the only place in my apartment with boxes that I hadn't emptied, partly because they weren't urgent, and partly because I knew they were full of miscellany that I didn't want to deal with.  However, yesterday was pretty much my only chance to tackle the craziness, and I did with vigour!  I dumped the boxes on the bed and slowly but surely - and with lots of breaks - put stuff where it belonged.  It's not fully dealt with, but the bed and floor is clear, the desk isn't too cluttered with stuff, and it generally looks welcoming.  I have to deal with the closet and figure out a long-term organizing strategy, but that can happen later.  For now, it's clean and ready for W, and that's all I can ask for.

Monday, March 3, 2014

My Favourite Albums of All Time

A friend of mine nominated me to share my top 12 favourite (music) albums on Facebook.  I did, but there were many more I wish I could've included.  Then I remembered I have a blog, otherwise known as the perfect place for superfluous items.

Without further ado, in no particular order...

  1. "Under Construction" - Missy Elliott
  2. "Justified" - Justin Timberlake
  3. "Icona Pop" - Icona Pop
  4. "4" - Beyonce
  5. "Beyonce" - Beyonce
  6. "21" - Adele
  7. "19" - Adele
  8. "Begin to Hope" - Regina Spektor
  9. "Eye to the Telescope" - KT Tunstall
  10. "The College Dropout" - Kanye West
  11. "Revolver" - The Beatles
  12. "Parachutes" - Coldplay
  13. "Survivor" - Destiny's Child
  14. "So Far Gone" - Drake
  15. "Fever Ray" - Fever Ray
  16. "XX" - The XX
  17. "The Black Album" - Jay-Z
  18. "Blue" - Joni Mitchell
  19. "Acoustic Soul" - India.Arie
  20. "Youth Novel" - Lykke Li
  21. "Oracular Spectacular" - MGMT
  22. "Thriller" - Michael Jackson
  23. "Return of Saturn" - No Doubt
  24. "Writer's Block" - Peter Bjorn & John
  25. "Neon Bible" - Arcade Fire
  26. "Eyes Open" - Snow Patrol
  27. "So Jealous" - Tegan & Sara
  28. "Garden State" Soundtrack

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Things

I'm so close.

I have been living in an apartment with very few things for 20 days now.  I preface this by saying I am fully aware of my privilege, how fortunate I am, how much more I have than so many, etc.  I don't say this lightly, but I want to make it clear that I am aware.  That being said, this is my life, and I want to write about it, so there it is.

So I've been living in an apartment with very few things for 20 days now.  I have a coffee maker, Internet access, a big bed, and a patio table that serves as a kitchen table as well as a desk.  Very versatile!  However, the vast majority of my "things" are in Toronto at my apartment there, BUT Saturday is the big moving day.  Finally all my things, furniture, books, etc. will join Spoon (my cat) and I in Waterloo... everything but my girlfriend K., which is obviously a huge bummer, but she'll join us (not) soon enough, too.

My Mom is joining me on Saturday to coordinate the move, especially on the Waterloo end.  She loves organizing new apartments; arranging furniture, unpacking, etc.  I'm a lucky girl to have her help, and I think it'll actually be fun!

Then my Mom will stay overnight, we'll finish up the work, and then she'll leave Sunday afternoon.  I'm taking Monday off work and will spend those 36 or so hours enjoying my cat, my stuff, my new apartment, and my life in Waterloo.  It'll be nice to feel a little more settled.

Hopefully the next time you hear from me, it'll be from my desk in Waterloo!

Til then!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

What really matters

If you start "getting fit" and "eating healthy", you may be motivated by a number of things:

  1. Living a longer life
  2. Avoiding potential health issues
  3. Losing weight
  4. Gaining energy
  5. "Looking better"
  6. Getting stronger and more fit
  7. Getting a hobby
...and a multitude of other things!  I would say my motivation was mostly to be a healthier person overall.  That being said, I wanted something to measure my progress, and my primary metric was weight.  Weighing myself on a regular basis helped me see how I was doing, what patterns and habits changed the number on the scale, etc.

However, the thing you don't know when you make lifestyle changes is what developments you'll truly value once progress is made.  For example, it's amazing to be able to say, "I've lost 40 lbs."  But I've learned it's even more amazing to say, "Working out is part of my routine now", or "Working out is no longer a chore".  That's probably my biggest accomplishment: making working out part of my life.  The weight loss is great, but eventually it will level off (it kinda already has), and soon enough it'll stop because I'll have met my weight loss goal.  However, the thing that will continue is the exercise.  It's been incredible for my energy, strength, endurance, confidence, mental health, and so many more things I can't even articulate.

That's what I'm proud of!

Monday, February 10, 2014

W. and etc.

It's my friend W's birthday today.  He is one of my best friends in the whole entire world, and so I can't stop thinking about him today and wishing him all the best on his special day.

One of the things I love about W is his tendency towards the new, exciting, elaborate, and original!  I like to stick with things I'm comfortable with/used to a lot of the time, but W often takes me out of my comfort zone and introduces me to something new.  Case in point: his choice for birthday celebrations this weekend.  On Saturday night, my GF K. and I headed to Mississauga for some... ROLLERSKATING!!! 

Yes, W had us all join him at Scooter's Roller Palace in Mississauga, ON for a night of roller skating hilarity.  When imagining what decade I might've thrived in that I wasn't alive for, I've always imagined myself in the 70's.  Tall with a blonde 'fro, roller skating with grace and style on a Saturday night.  The reality was much different, but who cares about grace & style?!  I was there for pure fun, and it was!  We laughed, fell, wobbled along... It was hilarious and a great time!  I highly recommend it.

Currently reading... The 158-Pound Marriage by - my tied-for-favourite author - John Irving

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Toronto, Books & Opera

Blogging on the go again... that's just the kinda girl I am... a mover and shaker!

I'm on the subway returning to the TO apartment after a morning and early afternoon on the town. First, a dentist appointment!  Then, I visited my grandparents with my sister and her baby. It was really nice. I was in the Yonge & Bloor area the whole time and since it's freezing out, I walked underground, and damn!!!  There are so many Starbucks in that area, it's insane!

In other news, I finished my first book of 2014 today. It's a very sophisticated and important read: The Devil Wears Prada. I know the book well but have never done a full read of it. One of my strategies when in the middle of a reading drought is to read something totally fluffy to at least get me reading and then when I'm done, I know I won't be satisfied with that being the last thing I've read for very long, so I usually dive into something new right away. That's my hope for when I'm done this post. A new book is required!

I saw Cosi fan tutte again last night at the COC. This time it wasn't the main stage production but instead the opera was performed by the company's Ensemble Studio, a.k.a. the young artists program. So I've now seen the working rehearsal, main stage, and young artists' productions of this opera at the COC, plus Metro Youth Opera's production back in 2011, as well as Opera By Request's production a while back. I guess you could say I know the opera pretty well by now. It feels good.

Two of my favourite things about opera are: (1) the campiness - sometimes it's like an over-the-top drag show. I just love it! (2) how similar it is to novels and plays I studied during my English degree. The similarities between Shakespeare and Mozart are aplenty!

All for now!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Spoiler Alert!

Tuesday
Girls -- I love the show "Girls", but I have not been keeping up with it in its current season.  So, last night I took advantage of my minimalist apartment and indulged in some television (on my iPad).  I re-watched (mea culpa) the final two episodes of season two and watched the first ep of season three.  I'll watch the second ep tonight, I hope... maybe more.  Normally I would just download all of the episodes, but I have no personal computer, so... we'll see what I can stream.  I liked the season premiere!  I was a bit sleepy during it, so I may have to re-watch (fight the urge!) before I move on to the next one.

Wednesday
*Edit - I ended up kinda re-watching the first ep of season three during my lunch break yesterday, but just skimmed through it to refresh my - apparently poor - memory.  Then I watched the second ep, but I haven't seen any more.  I need to find a good streaming site.

Opera -- On Monday night, I received a call from the Canadian Opera Company.  They often call their patrons after they know they've seen a show to chat with them, do a little cultivating (I work in the biz, I should know), and - in this case - try to get them to buy tickets to more shows.  Although I didn't want to buy tickets that night (I'm waiting until the $30 under 30 tickets go on sale), I did enjoy talking opera with the woman who called.  Normally I'd give short answers, but I figured it was a great opportunity to test out my growing knowledge of opera.  I spoke with the woman about the specific singers we saw in Cosi (I said I loved Tracy Dahl and when the woman I was speaking with acknowledged that she's Canadian, I said "I know, and she teaches at the University of Manitoba!"), I expressed my opinion on the show (I loved it! ... not the most sophisticated opinion, but it's true), and talked about what I was hoping to see next season (The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni, and Madama Butterfly).  Anyway, pretty proud!

Laundry -- I had my first "laundry night" in my new building last night.  Great success!  That may sound lame, but going through the process of doing laundry in a new building is always an adventure.  I'm pleased to report that it was an easy and fun adventure instead of one filled with obstacles.  It was fun last night, and all my laundry is now done (yay!!!), but now that the first time is done, it won't be that fun moving forward... just laundry...

Body Pump -- I did my first Waterloo Body Pump class on Monday evening and it was great!  The thing I love about being a member of GoodLife is that it's been so easy for me to move to Waterloo and keep up my gym routine.  And the thing I love about Body Pump is that it's the same everywhere!  I've been doing Pump classes pretty regularly now, but I've never made a point of going on a weekly basis.  I think I'll try to go every Monday moving forward.  I hope I can stick with it!

Alright - that's all for now!  Two days' worth of posting rolled into one.  I love it!

Monday, February 3, 2014

Week 3

I don't even know what to write about today, but I feel like writing...

I'm on Week 3 at the new job and I'm loving every minute of it.  It's very independent work, so I really have to plan and execute my own agenda on a daily basis.  I love that, but it can be a challenge when you're first starting out in a new position.  However, my strategy is to take that to mean a great deal of trust and respect for how I work and the work I do, and I would never abuse that.  If nobody's looking over your shoulder, you have to make an effort to put your work in front of them now and again just to show you're doing it. That's my approach, for what it's worth.

I'm also on Week 3 of living in Waterloo, though in a new capacity: I have my own apartment now!!!  Yes, my girlfriend K. and I got possession of the new place on Saturday and it's better than we remembered!  As I think I've mentioned, it will remain mostly empty until February 22nd when the full move from Toronto takes place, but it's off to a good start with Internet, a bed, and a coffee maker.  What else do you need?!  It was really nice to be able to wake up and go through my pre-work morning routine today without any obstacles.  I may be missing a few material items here and there... and a couch... and a TV... and a 1/4 cup measuring cup... but I'm managing just fine!

All for now!

Currently reading... The Devil Wears Prada

Friday, January 31, 2014

New apartment!

In my first post of 2014, I said: "One of my resolutions is to update Sugar & Gravy more often."  As of today, the last day of January, I have posted twelve times on this blog.  I'm doing pretty well with my resolutions this year.  Yay!

At 4:15 pm EST today, I am picking up the keys to my new apartment!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited, as evidenced by the number of exclamation points (10).  Although my apartment won't be fully set up until late February, it's still a new place where I can hang my hat... or at least my clothes.  I can't wait to set things up... and have my first sleep-in there... and use my dishwasher (a dishwasher!!!)... and have my cat join me!!!  Eeeeeeeee!!!  I cannot wait!

Okay... time to try to relax and work!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Women all behave like that

I have zero interest in being up at 1:50 am, but I can't fall asleep and so I thought a quick blog post might help me get sleepy.

I learned something about living in Waterloo today. Don't make plans in Toronto on a weekday evening. Lesson learned.  Before I got my new job and moved here, I had bought a ticket to see the opera on Wed Jan 29 @ 7:30 pm at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto. Don't get me wrong, it was worth it to see Atom Egoyan's amazing interpretation of Cosi fan tutte but it ran 3 hours and 30 minutes, and then it took me at least 15 minutes to get out of the parking garage after, followed by a the drive back to Waterloo. Ugh. I'm exhausted... so exhausted I can't fall asleep.

The opera really was amazing though. I've actually seen this opera performed three separate times now, so I'm starting to feel pretty familiar with it.  I have fantasies that in my new apartment I'll spend evenings lying on the couch listening to Mozart operas with my cat.  Maybe that'll be the case, or maybe it'll be me on the couch watching Netflix. Who's to say?

Alright, c'mon sleep!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Rush & Oscar-Worthiness

I've done it again!  Maybe the novelty will wear off soon and I'll stop posting about it every time I do it, but I can't make promises.

Do what, you ask?

Watch movies I've never seen!!!  There's nothing wrong with watching a movie on the couch with your girlfriend or friends every night, but the experience can be a truly engaging one if you indulge in something new.  So, as you know, that's what I'm doing.

Last night we watched "Rush".  I was pretty sure I wanted to see this movie from the moment I knew it was a Ron Howard-directed, human interest story, based on real events.  I mean, come on!!!  There was never a question that it would be up my alley.

And I thought it was amazing!!!  It's funny, because at this time of year you're hearing about and seeing a lot of Oscar-nominated films and "Rush" isn't one of them.  And honestly, while watching it, I could distinctly feel that.  Decent acting, but not great.  Good story, but not mind-blowing.  That being said, it was entertaining, and there's a lot to be said about that.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Catfish & Resolutions

I watched another new movie!  I'm so proud of myself for keeping my New Year's resolution as best  as I can. Tonight I watched "Catfish", a documentary I've passed by on Canadian Netflix a number of times and that I've always been curious about. My friends M. & D. that I'm staying with in Waterloo at the moment recommended I watch it with them tonight (they'd already seen it), and so we did.

It was captivating. You had this eerie feeling at the beginning but you just had no idea how things were going to turn out. It was surprising and disturbing and depressing and interesting and everything in between. It commented on small town USA, Facebook, art... the list goes on.

I highly recommend it.

Media + In Between

My life is a little upside-down at the moment - all in good ways - but I'm trying to keep up-to-date on my media.  I don't really follow any shows these days, and those I do, I haven't been keeping up with.  I was also chastized by one of my best friends - as only a best friend can chastize you - for not really knowing Beyonce's new album by now.  So, I'm listening to it in my office as we speak - my third time - and obviously loving it, but I'm still planning on an in-depth listen and viewing as I get more settled in Waterloo.

I have a particularly hard time being in between things.  Right now I'm living temporarily at a best friend's place in Waterloo until I get possession of my new apartment on Saturday.  At that point I'll be living without all my stuff and furniture for about three weeks, allowing for lots of time with my iPad watching Beyonce videos, and doing very little of anything else aside from working + working out.  So, it's decidedly an "interim" time, and it's tough on me, but I'm trying to enjoy the process instead of spending energy waiting for the next thing.  If you embrace them, the in between times can be really wonderful, too.

Friday, January 24, 2014

W5H: Waterloo

Guess what?  I live in Waterloo now.  I have alluded to that a few times already, but I want to give you the skinny, so here goes...

I went to university in Waterloo and lived in the city for 5 years from September 2005 to June 2010.  Then I moved to Port Hope to start a job after graduation, and lived there for two years.  Then I stayed in that job but worked out an amazing deal where I was able to work from home 3 days/week and commute to Port Hope for the other 2.  So I lived in Toronto from July 2012-January 2014.

Then, late last year, an incredible job at my alma mater came up, and so I applied for it.  I had no intention of leaving my last job, but the right opportunity came up, and after 3.5 years of service to the school I was working at before, I felt pretty comfortable moving on to something new.  Lucky for me, I got the job!  So, I spent the 2.5 weeks after the Christmas holidays wrapping up my work at my previous job; writing a transition report for my successor, and coordinating the biggest event that I worked on annually - an alumni shinny (hockey) tournament.  It was probably the craziest and busiest time of my working life to date, but I finished off really strong and the event was a great success!  I finished work at 8:30 pm on Saturday, January 18th and then started my new job 36 hours later... I know, I'm crazy.

So now I'm just wrapping up my first week at my new job in Waterloo!  Right now I'm crashing with my bestie and her fiance - so generous of them! - but starting February 1st I'll have my own place here!  I'm in Toronto on the weekends visiting K. and wrapping things up at our apartment there, which we have until the end of February.  K. will live there for that month, and then on February 22 we'll do the full move of furniture, etc. from that apartment to the new apartment in Waterloo.  I love setting up a new apartment; I'm so excited!!!

Work is off to a great start.  The first week has flown by, which says a lot because sometimes a new job means a few weeks of boredom before you really get into your work.  Not the case here!  They had me set up so I could hit the ground running, which has been amazing.  It'll be a few weeks of quiet research at my desk, but starting in early February I'll be hitting the road and getting the real work done.  I can't wait!

More on life in Waterloo soon, but now you know that I'm here in Waterloo (who/where), that I'm here for a new job (what/why), that I'm here now but will have my place as of Feb 1 and be fully moved in by Feb 22 (when), and how...

Until next time!

Posts to come... Why I like living in Waterloo right now & how I love the "7 Up" documentary series

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Prisoners

AHHHHHH!!!  OK, so my resolution to re-watch as few movies and TV shows as I can is working.  Every time I go on Netflix, I second-guess my instinct to watch something I've seen before and try something new.  I'm also trying as often as possible to finish any TV show or movie that I start (another bad habit of mine).

Last night I watched something new - and horrifying!!!  "Prisoners" starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, and others!  Incredible acting, mostly great story, GREAT ending, some very disturbing moments, and overall an entertaining and captivating movie.  I watched it with my bestie's fiance, Doug, and thankfully he forced me through the parts that were really freaking me out.


Posts to come... My love for the 7 Up documentary series, Who/What/Where/Why/When & How I'm Moving to Waterloo, and more!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Blogging on the go!

Here's something else I've decided for 2014 - blogging doesn't have to be this long, drawn-out, pensive thing that I can only do at my desk on a weekend with a coffee. So it won't be anymore!  I'm currently at a hockey rink, overseeing an alumni hockey tournament that I've run for the school I work at for the past 4 years. How time flies?!

And guess what?  This is my last time doing it. Why?  Because I'm starting a new job on Monday (more on that sometime soon).

It's bittersweet, of course. It feels good though because 3 years ago when I ran this for the first time (it happens in January every year and I've done it in 2011, 2012, 2013, and now), it was probably the most stressful thing I've ever done. I'm not saying I didn't freak out about it a few times this year either, but it's finally started to feel like a smooth-running machine. I'm not the only one that makes it that way, but on my final day of work, I'm feeling pretty proud about it.

Now, back to the action!

Who's visiting?