FREEDOM IS FUN

Happy New Year and Welcome 2012

2012-01-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, looking into the sparkling promise of a New Year. Full of fresh ideas, goals and dreams in hopes that this year will be a wonderful year... fingers crossed right?

So, here just slightly over the threshold of a shiny New Year, I make resolutions...

1. To do the Half Ironman in Sylvan Lake (July 22)
2. To cook a new dish at least once a month
3. Blog at least 2 times a month
4. To volunteer at least once a month
5. Call or talk to Jen (my BFF) at least once every 2 weeks... I sure do miss her.

Some of them not very exciting, some of them already in the works, some of them may not even happen... but for me, looking into a brand New Year without goals, objectives, a direction to go in, well, that's asking for trouble friends because I would try and do it all!

Happy New Year to all of you and I hope the ideas, dreams and goals that you have set for 2012 are all achieved (and well before Christmas!) :)

A quick quote to bring in the New Year, something inspiring from last year... "So, let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic, and we will change the World!" - Jack Layton

Georgia - Day 4

2011-10-30T16:29:00.001-06:00

Today I woke up early, packed my things and waited for the gentlemen that were driving me back into Savannah to wake up. I had time to eat breakfast and blog a bit and even start my report for work... I figured I should do SOME work this weekend!

The guys finally woke up and we packed up what was left in the house, they divided the booze (not that there was much left) and we hit the road. I really enjoyed my drive with Billy and Jim we talked American politics almost the whole hour drive back... nothing I love more than chatting with Americans about their crazy politics! Once at the factory, I jumped in the car they had for visitors, Jim went to the airport and Billy went back to the hotel as he had meetings at the factory Monday. I was off like a shot in my hybrid Escape and found my way (surprisingly) to Savannah. After a couple turns trying to remember the way we got to down town the other night, I found the same parkade and parked - time to tour down town in 2 hours or less... game on!

The House in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

I found a square (not shocking or hard in Savannah as there are 22 main squares in the down town area) but this was the major one and it had a hop on hop off tour. SOLD! I hoped on and learned all about the buildings and the times they were built. I saw the place Forrest Gump sat with his box of Chocolates or where the House in the Movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" stands. I learned that there were ACTUALLY Jones' that people kept up with, and it had to do with wrought iron fences... interesting! I saw a LARGE number of statues to tribute brave soldiers in the Civil war and I learned that houses were different colours so that people who couldn't read (even numbers) could tell which house was which. There is SO much interesting history here and I wish I could just sit under one of the beautiful old Oak trees and absorb the tales that are written in the dirt here. It really did tweak something in my heart this place... and I can't wait to come back and bring my history loving husband!

The Old Cotton Exchange (Brick Bldg)

After the tour (that seemed to go SO quickly because I didn't get off once), I walked down to the water to see the old paddle boats and the Cotton Exchange in the light - it seems less haunting and dominating in the light of day, but maybe just to me... some might say that always looks dominating, but that could be because it was where slaves were bought and sold. It reminds me that I am so very, VERY lucky to be who I am and live where I do...

A quick tour of the water front and I was back in the car and found my way to the hotel where I dropped it off for the people coming in later for meetings Monday. I got the shuttle to the airport and in Southern style, the airport, so quaint and beautiful, made me smile. I really, really loved my time in the South.

As I was going through security, I saw a very large group of people. They had signs and American flags and there were tons of little kids standing in front of maybe, 100 Adults. Then I saw what the commotion was all about - 2 soldiers walked towards the crowd and they went CRAZY, kids ran towards their respective parent and wives burst into tears. It was a very beautiful and emotional moment.... I couldn't help but tear up. I can't help but tear up now! It was a very honest, human moment of love, joy and devotion and we don't see those all too often. It capped the trip off nicely.

Well, I guess the final flag in this great trip was that I got bumped to first class the WHOLE WAY HOME! Whahooo! It was cushy and roomy and just awesome. I really did love this trip that almost wasn't and I am so thankful and lucky that I got to go! I love my job!

Tybee Island, Georgia - Day 3

2011-10-29T06:53:00.000-06:00

Another early morning, but this time it was for a fun purpose. We have a giant breakfast at one of the houses and everyone goes to their respective activities. There was fishing, boating, and Kayaking as the options, I chose kayaking of course! We go to the marina and our boxed lunches are waiting for us and then find the place where our kayaking tour starts. We got a little lost but found it in short order and got set up for the day. I only had a T-shirt on as I got locked out of the house because everyone left before I could grab my sweater so I am setting up for a cold day. There was a bit of rain when we left the house this morning so I am thinking I am going to suffer today.

When we get to the kayak location, the guide looked at me and found me a sweater, she said "Just incase" - Thank GOD!!!! So we load up and head out. I am a little worried that we are going to see snakes and gaters, and as our guide tells us where we are going for the day, my worries are not subsided. Oh well, roll with it. So we get the boats in the water, and away we go. We got through these streams that are only available and passable in Spring High tide, which happens to be today, so we kayak through places that few people see. Our guide has a masters in Environmental Studies in Conservation so she was so incredibly knowledgeable. We learned all about the flora and fauna and the animals and sea creatures, it was absolutely incredible.

The guide and I

We stopped for lunch at a sand bar beach and were able to enjoy the birds and sand. Looking out over the many channels of water, we were in awe of the vastness of the Marsh land. The guide told us stories and we all soaked in as much information as we could. We saw other kayak groups learning new tricks and I managed to score some good pointers along the way through eavesdropping. I almost capsized as we pushed off the shore as my paddle got sucked into the sand, had I not let go of it, I would have been in the water! We had to dig out the paddle and after 15 mins of digging finally got it loose - the guide said she had never seen that happen before... typical Heather! We went up streams and strong currents and through small waterways that were going to be gone in 2 hours, absolutely incredible. This place is so beautiful!

After some more paddling, we got to a beach and walked the length of the beach, the sand was white and beautiful and we found crabs and shells and jellyfish and even a sand dollar. We learned all about these creatures and I was just so glad to be out in the sunshine, exploring a new place! We hopped into our boats for one last paddle home and the wind picked up. It was a hard 30 plus minute paddle but along the way, the dolphins were cresting in our path and we got some great views of them, they were just so close... we could almost touch them! Incredible! We finally made it back, loaded up the boats and settled into the van with tired smiles on our faces... a great day!

When we got back and after a shower to wash off the salt from my skin, we met at the big house and munched, visited and drank... We had an oyster bake and steaks and potatoes and corn... we certainly have not starved on this trip! A perfect ending to a perfect day! Everyone was tired from their journeys by I loved hearing the stories about their days... one guy while fishing fell into the ocean, another lady caught a shark that may be a new Georgia record, I think everyone had a wonderful day.

I got to chat with a lot of guys this weekend about what I do and they all seemed to have questions for me about the software and ICE and the different things that they can do with it... It was defiantly worth it for me to come down just so they know who they are talking to when they need help. They were all friendly and fun, and they seemed to want to learn more, so that is great news for me. I hope that next year I can come again - I think it will be in Phoenix next year as it was in Calgary last year and we just opened up a new Phoenix plant this year. Fingers crossed that I will be able to go next year because this has been a blast!

Savannah Georgia - Day 2

2011-10-28T06:12:00.000-06:00

An early morning - too early - and I wake up to find that one of my contacts is missing... UGH - so after 20 mins of searching, I concede and wear my glasses... keep this up and it is going to be a LONG weekend!

We head to the factory and have breakfast there, it was delicious, a full fledged breakfast - I could get used to this! After this, we head back to the hotel and settle into the conference room and start a long day of meetings. Nothing too interesting happens in the morning and at about 12 we head to the factory again for lunch. While there, we run into a colleague that was sent here to help us with the ICE training - hummmm... didn't know that we needed more help but ok, I will go with the flow. We work it out and he says that he will talk - hummm... ok, going with the flow here... trying to be ok with this. He is a bit of a different sort of guy, and is giant and looks like Colonel Saunders. Calling him Colonel, NOT a good idea... this could be a rough start to the training.

We get together after lunch and have a factory tour, this stuff amazes me ever time I see it and it did not dissatisfy. I am so lucky to be working for such an interesting company! After the factory, the tech's decided that they wanted to learn how to install a new door closer so they took off one of the doors to the office, and then change the closing mechanism - kind of interesting that they can just do this, but it makes sense as there are all the parts near them! So, this impromptu session messed up the afternoon's schedule entirely, and a couple of us managed to get to the hotel earlier than the majority, so I was able to catch up my mysterious colleague on what the training was going to be for. He seemed ok with it and still seemed willing to talk it through, I'm talking to myself at this point "Roll with it Heather, it will be fine" but my spidey senses are tingling... this dude isn't quite right... So the guys get back from the factory finally and we settle into the afternoon's meetings FINALLY - only to find that they have decided that the training I have prepared will be condensed to 30 mins... WHAT???? From 2 hours to 30 mins... ugh, that sucks!!!

So, we finally get to the training I flew across the continent to deliver and it is going to be around 30 mins... ok, rolling with the punches... so, the Colonel and I and my other helper, the hippie, get up there and the Colonel says, oh, you know I don't do ICE training, only ICEvision... WHAT??? That's what 1/2 the training is... Ok, I will do it... the Hippie takes the reins and intro's us all and tells the tech's the importance of this software and then it is me... I run through the bear minimum and walk them all through the basic gist of what I was planning on doing and before you know it, questions are flying and answers are given and the Hippie is helping with the questions, but the Colonel has gone and sat down in the back. At the end, he then stands up and gives this random couple of comments and then, feeling satisfied with himself I am sure, sat down and smiles. Dick wad! We conclude the days sessions of training and I am at a loss of what happened to the training I worked so long on... I guess that's how she rolls.

My boss calls and leaves a message while this is going on and I dreaded calling him back. After the full report, he seems to be really disappointed that our time got cut short and that the Colonel was sent by someone else and that it wasn't what we had planned. I know that he isn't disappointed in me and its the situation that he isn't happy with, but it sucks to be involved in something your boss isn't happy about. We have a game plan to get these guys the training they missed and we will salvage this somehow! SO, that all being done, we all check out of the hotel and hop in the vehicles and head to Tybee Island, a favorite destination of Georgians across the state. This is only 30 mins out of Savannah proper, so an hours drive from where we are. The drive is interesting and the scenery changes from lush green trees to marsh land. Hummmm, I wonder if there are snakes in these parts...

We get to Tybee Island and find the houses that we are staying in, these are beautiful Georgian homes with screened in porches with rocking chairs and 10' high ceilings, SO beautiful! We get our rooms and settle in and all meet in the biggest house. There are 3 houses rented for the 25 of us and the biggest one sleeps 12... WOW! There is a Fooseball table and Air hockey, 3 TV's and 2 giant tables... this is going to be awesome. A couple of us get pizza ordered and a couple more of us run to the grocery store for snacks and food for tomorrow. The 12 pizzas come and it is delishAmerican's think I have lost it. We head back to the houses for some beverages and relaxing and I head home for a shower.

The night wore on and everyone was pretty tired from the night before so we all retired to our respective houses by 11. One of the gentlemen staying in my house and I sat on the porch chatting and drinking coffee and baileys until 12 - just sitting on the porch in a rocking chair making a new friend... life is great!

Savannah Georgia - Day One

2011-10-27T05:40:00.001-06:00

I had to get up at stupid o'clock to catch the flight to Savannah. Good thing too, because it took me over an hour just to clear customs... I have never seen a line like that for Customs and security. So, I had just enough time to scarf down a breakfast sandwich and coffee and board the plane. I honestly slept most of the flight to Chicago, so I woke up in a different city feeling great. I transferred terminals, had some pizza and waited for my flight. I did some work (until my laptop died) and then boarded the plane to Savannah. The flight was good, not very exciting, and before you know it, I was in a different city again and ready to explore!

We landed and I wasn't able to find the person who was to give me a ride to the factory, so after circling each other, I found Audrey my lovely greeter and I was whisked away to the hotel for a quick costume change and then off to meet the guys and to start the Haunted Pub Crawl. We get to the factory and I am greeted by many familiar faces, but many unfamiliar, I am also greeted by getting a new DIRTTbag shirt and a beer - how could this be wrong???

We all pile into the rentals and head to the hotel so people change and get prepped for going into Savannah proper. Getting 25 guys to cooperate and show up at the same time with some organization is like herding cats - this can only get better as the weekend goes on right? We finally get organized and ready for heading into downtown and away we go... 20 mins later, we are there, parked and walking through historic downtown - it is incredibly beautiful!!! I am just bursting with excitement! We find our starting location which is just in front of the Savannah Cotton exchange - this is also where they used to chain slaves to the walls so that they could pick between them - wow! So, we got out tour guide and away we went.

The tour wasn't very scary, we heard many stories about the civil war and the hospital where they amputated limbs and then stored the parts under the floor boards as the winter was cold enough - turns out the summer isn't and that caused a bunch of problems. We also heard stories about ghosts hanging from trees and some people have been said to feel their feet hit their heads or seeing images dangling from trees. It was kind of hokey and although I am normally one for hokey, this was a little too much. BUT, we got to see some amazing buildings (in the dark so I don't have any pictures) and the trees have this moss that grows on them called Spanish Moss or Spanish Beards and it makes these giant 100's of years old Oak trees look so stunning and magical you can't help but get lost in their history and beauty.

As the night wore on, the beer was flowing and we ended up at a bar that served only slush drinks - by this time all of the Canadians of the group were itching for something a little stronger than their beer and also something that would soothe the humidity heat that we were suffering from. This did the trick and once there, it took some wrangling to get these guys to leave. We left and after saying goodbye to the history of Savannah, we loaded into the cars and headed back to the hotel. I am really looking forward to getting to see some of this city in the daylight, I am sure it is just going to be stunning!

Once back at the hotel, we went to the bar and I had something to eat and some more bevies... I got into a great conversation with one of the people that I work with all the time and we managed to find some solutions to problems we are having. I hope that this will be a productive solution! After enough, I headed to bed as we had an early morning.

Ten things about Ireland

2011-10-10T14:08:00.000-06:00

I did it for Iceland when we were there and I got some great comments about it, so I thought it would be great to do it for Ireland!

Ten Interesting things about Ireland:

1. They love their Tea... every house we have been in, we have been asked if we want a cup of tea and every B&B we have stayed in has a kettle, cups and tea for the evening time. In fact, according the Lonely Planet Ireland drinks more tea per capita than the rest of Europe... that is a LOT of tea!

2. They love their potatoes... It is not uncommon for meals to be served with chips (or fries) and another kind of potato. I actually got a turkey dinner with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and then a bowl of fries. They love their potatoes

3. They reuse names... it is actually tradition for the sons and daughters to be named after their fathers or grandmothers... so much so that if you google it, there is a naming convention!

4. They do not use road signs very well... not matter what city, town or village you are in, the road signs are not very prominent, sometimes they are missing, and sometimes they just aren't there.

5. They like their small roads... The roads are often not very big, and if they are they have little or no shoulder - there aren't really sides of the road in the country, they are communal and are meant to be shared.

6. The Irish people love to give directions... whether they know where to go or not, they will try and help you find your way. We have gotten some very great directions, and some very BAD directions, but they were always given with a smile, and always given whether you asked for directions or not! :)

7. They celebrate everything that came out of Ireland... JFK, Guinness, Derek Orr and even the Titanic... it doesn't have to be a success to be celebrated - such is the case with the Titanic. :)

8. They LOVE their graveyards! They even go so far as to wash off the gravestones of their loved ones. They are everywhere, I guess that's what we get for them being sooo old!

9. They love their talk radio. Even tho their radio reception sucks, they love calling into the radio to talk about everything and anything... topics we heard on our travels, International Breastfeeding week, the Rugby world cup, the Presidential election (this is a big topic as one of the front runners was a member of the IRA) and of course, should the church limit the number of relatives allowed at First Holy Communion... oh, the things they talked about!

10. A town isn't considered a town unless it has the following... a castle or manor house, a church or 2 or 3, a graveyard and 5 pubs! All of these are plenty in every town that you go into - makes for interesting pictures.

I hope you have enjoyed our journey to Ireland - I guess as much as you can from the comforts of your home! We loved Ireland and are looking forward to coming back sometime soon... now that we know that Derek has so much family! :)

Until next time - sending you our love,

H&D

Our last day

2011-10-09T03:03:00.000-06:00

Our last day was wonderful. We woke up in our hotel room, and slowly made our way down to breakfast - only to find that the place had been taken over with kids... sigh. We had our last traditional Irish breakfast (I am sure our arteries will thank us) and headed out to see the Dunbroady ship.

We were not disappointed, for as we went on the tour, we heard stories of the harrowing trip that many destitute families must have made so long ago. It is a terrible thought to think that all you have ever known is lost and you have to pick up all you have and travel across an ocean to be able to survive. Some of these families were evicted from their homes and sent across the ocean by their landlords who would have much rather used the land the tenants were on to graze cattle than to help support a family. All in the name of Capitalism I suppose. So, these families often traveled by foot for days to the nearest port and purchased their place on a cargo ship that was posing as a passenger ship for at least one part of the journey. The families were then told they couldn't take their belongings, and were only allowed the bear necessities. Once on board, they were crammed often 5 to 6 per bunk, sometimes more. During the 8 weeks on the sea, they were only allowed meager food provisions, and only bread and flour of a sort, and then only allowed 30 minutes on the top deck to wash up and cook their food, as well as take in all the sunshine they could. If it was raining, then they would not be allowed onto the deck - perhaps for days at a time. All of the sea sickness and human waste stayed down below at this time, so the smell must have been horrid! If the passengers didn't die of cholera, typhoid, TB or something else, and they made it across, they were often alone, without family in America, so they had to start all alone with nothing but the clothes on their back. This story was only, of course, for the poor in steerage, and the first class passengers often had a pleasant journey in that they ate what the captain and crew ate, were able to go up to the top deck as often as they wanted, and they usually ate with the captain and did not see the steerage passengers. Quite the contrast. It was a devastating tour, and I could not imagine being so unfortunate and so alone, so hungry and so poor. It makes me so thankful for all I have.

So, after this gruesome tail, we headed down the highway in search of an adventure. Lonely Planet did not disappoint, as we found this little beautiful beach just off the highway (or Motorway as they say!). We spent some time there, digging our toes in the sand, playing with the tide and soaking in all the sea air that we could. It was magnificent, and it made us not want to leave this magical island even more. It was just a perfect way to spend our last afternoon in Ireland!

After we tore our selves away from the beautiful ocean, we journied back to Dublin and returned the car, which went off without a hitch - we have finally gotten the hang of driving here in time to bring back the rental - go figure! We then hopped on a bus and headed into town, why not see it one last time before we say adieu! We finally find a place to stay after being denied at the place we were hoping to get, but we settled in without too much hassle and went out to roam around Temple Bar one last time before we got dinner and hit the hay.

Just one piece of advice for all the travelers out there... if you need to get up at 3am for a flight, do NOT stay in Temple Bar - especially if it is a Saturday night! We snuggled into bed and before we know it we are both tossing and turning because there is a raging party going on outside... part of me wanted to join them and the other part of me wanted to throw things at them... so much for getting some sleep! 3am comes awfully slow when you are trying to sleep and hearing a party going on... reminds me of being a kid and being sent to bed while my parents sit up for all hours and visit with friends and family. The alarm went off just as we werethat pub closes around 2:30... sigh... so we begrudgingly get up and pack and head to the airport. Neither of us wanted to leave, this is making it so much better - not! We check in, get some caffinated something and then catch our flight for Amsterdam where we have a 3 hour layover.

That brings us to now... here we are in Amsterdam, fed and watered and waiting for our flight to board... shouldn't be too much longer, at least there are a lot of shops in this airport to keep us entertained. One thing to note, is that Bret the Hitman Heart was on our flight from Dublin to Amsterdam and how I recognized him is he looked me square in the eye and asked if we knew where the lounge was. I am assuming that he is flying to Calgary, but I could be wrong. He isn't as tall as I thought he would be, but he is a burly man. Derek said that I should get a picture with him, but who wants to be bothered at 6am in the morning for a picture... If he was half as grumpy as I was, I would have ended up in a head lock or a figure 4 leg lock! Anyway, it seems our journey has come to an end as we are boarding soon... there are a lot of tired people in this airport... and I am hoping that once we get on the plane I can catch some z's...

Home to our Kiddens now, something to look forward to. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there! May we all realize how much we have to be thankful for!

Until the next adventure, sending you all our love and best wishes! H & D

The Rock of Cashel - Day 16

2011-10-08T22:23:00.001-06:00

We woke up in the cozy B&B and breakfasted with the little mini poodle Tipsy. We then headed out to explore the town of Cashel. We walked up to ‘the rock’ and thanks to the Heritage cards, went in for free. We roamed the location with our mouths gaping open – this place was so giant and stunning and old. The oldest part of this place was from the 1000’s – O.L.D! We then walked the Path of the Dead to the abbey just down the hill. This path was the road that they brought all the dead people up to be buried at the rock. This little Abbey at the bottom of the hill was amazing as well, and offered stellar views of the Rock of Cashel which is also known as the Rock of Patrick's church.

After we saw all we wanted at the Rock of Cashel, we then went to Bru Boru which was the museum where they show the history of music in Ireland. We thought this might be interesting so we went in and after we paid our fee, we were escorted down into the dungeon/basement and had a short movie turned on with different people playing different kinds of music. The movie was not very good, but the displays were stunningly done and had short clips of video showing history of the Irish and then a demonstration of different Iron age, Bronze age and Medieval metal horns... the largest collection in Europe. We then left and went to find our car and carry on.

The next stop was where St. Nicholas was buried – yes, as in SANTA!!! Who knew he was in Ireland? So, off we go, winding down some pretty small country roads. Then, just off to the side of the road, we see this estate and drive down the drive way, we are greeted by a large number of geese. So, we continue on and finally get to a house. We get out and are greeted by a friendly puppy and an old man and his grandson. He tells us all about Jerpoint, the lost town. We look over the hill and there stands an old fallen church and grave yard and then some other fallen down houses and towers. He explains to us that there were 28 houses here and at the time, this would have been a highly populated place. Then he tells us there were 14 pubs – so their like of pubs dated back to the 1200’s! I am not sure if he was serious about this, but he continued on showing us where the water wheels were and the abbey and where the roads were. We then got to go and walk where these once stood. Now, they are just a field with pieces of wall standing or piles of rocks, but you could envision what it would look like. We also walked around the church and saw the grave where St. Nick was buried. Legend, and apparently history as well, says that the body was moved from Turkey to Ireland about 300 years after he died... not sure how true that is, but we can say that we saw it if it was true! :)

So, after we said good bye to the old man, the dog and the geese, we move onwards to New Ross. In this town is where the Dunbrody Famine ship is, a replica of what one of the ships would have looked like that took so many immigrants to different new lands in the 1840’s during the potato famines. We arrive in the town 15 minutes after the last tour of the ship started... darn it. Oh well, we will just find a place to sleep for the night and see it in the morning. We try 3 B&B’s and 2 places we thought were hotels and no room. The B&B’s were closed and one hotel was actually just a bar and the other had just had a flood and so room were available. So, we find the next hotel we can and get a room. We paid a little more than we would normally, but since this is close to our last night, and since we couldn’t find any other rooms, we sucked it up and paid it. Now we are sitting in our nice cozy room and settled in for the night... it is nice to have a place to stay and so now, we plan our last day in Ireland... it has come so soon!

Tomorrow, we are going to see the famine ship and then take the coast road back to Dublin. We will most likely stay at a B&B in down town Dublin tomorrow and then head to the airport VERY early in the morning. The trip is coming to a close and all I can think is that I don’t want to leave this wonderful country... but alas, all holidays must end...

Until tomorrow – Love H & D

Kayaking attempt #2

2011-10-06T14:07:00.000-06:00

We got to go kayaking today and it was amazing! We headed to Ross Castle, where we were to meet our guide, Nathan, and as soon as we drove in, he was there! YAHOO, after 3 months of planning this is going to happen! We hopped out of the car, and introduced ourselves.

Before long, we were in our wetsuits, rain jackets and kayak skirts and putting the boats into the water! They were a little wobbly at first, but before long we got used to them... good thing too as the first stop was right across the lake! So, we paddled hard and with the waves splashing our faces and the rain starting to fall a little, we made it... whew, that was hard. Nathan told us a bit about the castle, in that it was a 15th century castle that was the last one taken by the English rule (Cromwell), whihc was in the 1600's. Our next stop was this old monastery that was even further across the lake, and after a couple tips on paddling, we were off trying to stay a float in the choppy water... the rain had stopped, but the wind had picked up. Making it to the small island, we were in awe with the view as we saw about 20 does and a big buck standing, watching our boats dock. As soon as we docked and went to find the cameras, they all disappeared. Nathan said that he has never seen that many before and never a buck... such luck! So, we hopped out of our boats and were treated to a cup of tea and a bit of chocolate as we explored the old monastery. This monetary was from the 1200's and had at one time been a leopard colony. It was also, after this, one of the first universities in Europe and kings from all over came to this site to be educated by the monks. So, after a little stop, we hopped back into our little boats and headed back. The way back was SO much smoother as we were going with the wind instead of into the wind. We paddled all the way back to the castle, and beyond, onto the other side of the lake! We paddled then out to "Swallows Island" where there are caves. We then manipulated our kayaks through these caves.... not for the faint of heart! We did this in 3 or 4 caves and heard a story as we rested about the monks saving their scrolls of writings by taking them to this Island when the English were invading. Once the English were gone, the monks in the monastery would ring the bells and then the monks who took the scrolls would return. We turned our kayak's towards the castle and headed on back. A little tired and wet, but happy with the tour... a great perspective on the Irish beauty!

Once we were back in dry clothes and had said goodbye to Nathan, we plotted out a plan for the day. Goal is to head towards the Rock of Cashel hitting up the Blarney Castle along our way. So, back into the car we go and we plot a course to Blarney on our "Sat Nav" or GPS. We look on the map and there isn't really anything that we wanted to check out on our way, so we drove all the way, stopping only once at a small village for lunch. Once we were at the castle, we pay the steep fee and head on towards the site. Little did we know, the castle is on a beautiful garden. We take our time checking it out but eventually the wind becomes so cold that we head to the castle. We explore the castle, unlike we have been able to in any castle to date. We walk through the rooms freely and explore at our own pace, reading the great descriptions of the rooms on the walls. We make it all the way up to the top of the castle and then almost like cattle, we are pushed through kiss the stone and get our number for the picture they took. Quite anticlimactic actually and if it hadn't been for the beautiful gardens and the awesome castle we got to explore, I would have said that it was a bit of a rip off. We grabbed a hot chocolate and diet coke at the cafe and then we were back on the road.

We head on to Cashel for the night and check into a B&B who's proprietor is a former marine. We were greeted cheerfully by a small, cute Irish man and his tiny poodle Tipsy. We settle into the cozy room and then head out to a small Italian place for supper... it was quite good. After a quick little zip around the town center in the dark, we head back to the B&B for the night. We can tell that autumn is here as the nights are quite cool and our jackets aren't quite sufficient enough to combat the chill of the night.

Tomorrow, we are going to the Rock of Cashel and the Library here in town and then on to Wexford. This trip is winding down, which makes me sad... I do so dislike it when an adventure concludes. But, life must go on... now, we just have to find a way we can move here for a bit so we can see all the things we missed! :)

Until tomorrow, Onwards! Love, H & D

Day 14 - kayaking attempt #1

2011-10-05T13:10:00.002-06:00

We woke up anticipating a great morning on one of the beautiful lakes of the Kilarney national park. We got lost on the way to the meet up spot, of course, and were about 10 minutes late, so we ran around the parking lot for a couple minutes, asking if they were our guide to no avail. I eventually found the number of the company we had reserved with and called, and they notified me that I was a day early and that my booking was for tomorrow! CRAP! Such a Heather move! Oh well... as we say now "Onward"!!

So, we went and had a cuppa and figured out what we would do for the day! We settled on doing some of the ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula - a lot to cover in one day, but we were up for it. So, we hoped into the car and off we were! We drove to Kenmare, a beautiful little village on the ring of Kerry and roamed around a little, only to find the oldest stone circle in Ireland. We walked to check it out only to find it surrounded by a bunch of older ladies chanting and touching the rocks. We took some pictures and went on our merry little way... too hippy for me I am afraid! We then drove back on the same small road to see amazing views on the way back. By this time, the rain had started and the wind picked up considerably so we weren't very sad we weren't kayaking today!

The journey continued along the beautiful coast to the town of Dingle... what a charming little town. We had a late lunch and wandered into some shops along the streets, one in particular called the "Mad Hatter of Dingle" that I fell in love with. It had some of the most exquisite hats, hats in every shape, colour and size... I was in awe! We then wandered to the ice cream shop that I had heard rave reviews about on a television show I had watched, it was called "Murphy's" and all of the cream comes from a dairy down the road so it is certain that all ingredients were fresh! We sampled some of their wears, and they actually put Derek to work sampling 2 different kinds of Vanilla - he made sure to give them ample feedback of which I am sure that they were pleased with! :) We walked along the coast and looked at the fishing boats in the harbour and just let the whole idea of this quaint fishing village wash over us. It was glorious!

We eventually headed back to Kilarney, but stopped on the way to check out the Seal Marina only to find that it was closed... prematurely which means that the staff may have been out to rescue a seal. This marina was a rescue for seals and other wildlife and they rehabilitate the animals and reintroduce them into the wild. I really wanted to see some of these animals, but when duty calls! So, we continued on, driving along the coast again to see the amazing views again. coming over the hill on one of the many hairpin turns, we saw a view of a beach and due to the wind, the waves were crashing into the sea dramatically... it was a surfers paradise out there with big waves and beautiful surf - if only I had brought my surf board! :)

We got back to Kilarney, checked into a cozy B&B and headed out for supper. Finding few places open that weren't extremely costly, we opted for Burger King... the first North American food chain (other than Subway in a mall food court) that we have gone to since being here. We then headed back to the B&B and settled in for the night... I hit the hay early as I was just wiped from all the excitement of the day.

Tomorrow, we will be kayaking and then we have no idea where to next... the adventure continues!

Love, H & D

The Cliffs of Moher

2011-10-04T15:37:00.000-06:00

We woke this morning, had a wonderful breakfast at the amazing B&B we stayed in. It had everything that we could want including NOT a fried traditional "Irish" Breakfast, but things like pancakes and french toast... delish!

We hopped into the car and drove about 20 mins to the Cliffs of Moher - it would not have been a correct trip without turning the wrong way, but we sorted out our route soon and made it before most of the buses of old people... there are a LOT of buses with old people here... apparently, Derek and I are taking this trip 20 years too soon! We paid the required amount to park and then walked up to the cliffs and once again, our breath was taken away. They were stunning...

Breath taking views at the Cliffs of Moher

Just a day short of the one year anniversary of Derek's Dad's funeral, we stand before the cliffs of which one of his favorite poems was written. A poem I chose to read at his funeral, so it was a bitter sweet day to be able to visit this beauty that the eerie and lovely poem was describing. I stood there in awe trying to soak in the smell and the feel of the air on my face, it was just such an inspiring and brilliant site. We walked all around the cliffs (passing the sign that said "no trespassing" and looking down some pretty steep plunges to the ocean). We took so many pictures and took our time to enjoy this site, which we both did immensely.

Standing close to the edge!

We ate (sort of) at the cliffs, but curry and stew don't suit our pallet so we had a treat of over priced chips and cokes and headed on our way. We drove a long way today, from just south of Galway through Limerick and then on to Killarney as we have a kayaking tour booked on the lakes of Killarney tomorrow morning. The drive was quite uneventful except for a stop at a wool outlet store and we made it to Kilarney by late afternoon. We had enough time to go and got some of our laundry done, did some shopping and had something to eat.

Killarney is a quaint town, with beautiful shop fronts and quaint pubs on every street. It is quite touristy, however and there were a lot of shops that had all the same stuff in them... I didn't buy anything and am waiting until I find a sweater that isn't "grandma-ish" so the quest continues. We settled into our B&B for the night now, and we are catching up with emails and repacking etc. I really think I could travel forever as I am not getting weary at all living out of a suitcase... I just love it.

Tomorrow will be an interesting day as we spend the morning kayaking on the lakes of Killarney. We have planned to go onto Dingle and the Ring of Kerry, but we aren't sure we will get to both on this trip... we got to leave something for next time! Tomorrow also will see us going to the Blarney Castle and around Cork so there are lots of things to do. This country has just so much to see and we just aren't going to be able to see it all... :)

Until tomorrow, we continue on our journey... not many more days to come :( We still have a number of things to see, so they will be action packed! :) Keep tuned!

Love H & D

Day 12 - Ballyvaughn

2011-10-03T13:32:00.000-06:00

I think we can honestly say that we like the small quaint towns of Ireland as opposed to the big cities. I guess this is because the cities are very similar to Canadian cities in that they have shops and traffic and lots of people. We are finding that the B&B's and the pubs and places have so much more interest to us... that is why we are in Ballyvaughn tonight and not Galway or Ennis.

We got up early this morning and left our beautiful B&B and headed to the Famine Memorial that was on the way to Kylemore Abbey. It was eerie and beautiful and lonely - a great monument for a tragic circumstance. We continued on our way to Kylemore Abbey, a castle that was built by Mitchell Henry for his wife as a gift... what a gift!!! We took our time viewing the abbey, but they only let us see 5 rooms. With the rain pouring down outside, we thought that watching the AV presentation would be a good idea. It was a good video and during it the rain had subsided so we walked out to the mini cathedral that Mitchell Henry built for his wife's honour when she died. It was beautiful and quaint and peaceful... it was delightful. We then went to the restaurant and ate an over priced lunch and looked around the gift shop. I was hoping to get some Kylemore pottery but I think with this being the end of the season, they don't have much out, so I passed and we continued on.

The drive from Kylemore Abbey was stellar as we wound our way through the mountain ranges and the start of the Burren. The next stop that we did was Galway. It was a bustling city, with some great shops and beautiful buildings, and we were able to see a castle with one of our friends' names on it - Lynch Castle. We spent some time, but not a lot in Galway, as we didn't see anything much in our guide book. So, onward! We wove our way towards the Cliffs of Moher and stopped in this quaint little town of Ballyvaughn where we found this fantastic B&B that is bright yellow and has big rooms, a big bed and a little kitten to protect it all. We ate at a quaint little restaurant and had an actual salad which they don't promote much here.

Now we are snuggled up in our room, updating the blog, downloading the hundreds of pictures we took today and planning our day tomorrow. We think that we will hit the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and hopefully make our way down near Tralee. As you can see, we never really know where we will turn up, so stay tuned as we continue on our Journey through Ireland.

Love, H&D

Day 11 - Westport

2011-10-02T12:19:00.000-06:00

This morning we slept in - in our beautiful castle suite and then breakfasted, and roamed around the castle, took a ton of pictures and then headed on our way. Derek wanted to see the award winning Ceide Fields, where stone aged megalithic tombs are. This is a little north of where we were, so we hopped into the car and we were off. We took the coast road and were treated to some incredible scenery! This country never ceases to amaze me - it is just so incredibly beautiful.

We got to the Ceide Fields and walked in free with our Heritage cards - yahoo! We watched the AV presentation on how this site was buried by the peat bog and a guy, a while ago a man was digging for peat and he hit this set of rocks. He then escalated it and it turned out to be a whole village dating back to before the pyramids. We toured the museum, and then the lookout and that was it... we were a little disappointed that it didn't have many places excavated for us to see, but it is understood... so, we moved on... as the motto developed through the day, Onward!

We took the scenic route, taking in some amazing views, and soaking in the lush green landscape that we just can't seem to get enough of. We stopped at a small town for a late bite to eat, trying to see a little bit of the small town, but wanting to continue on our way. We made our way south and didn't get too far until we stopped at Westport. We found a beautiful B&B called St. Anthony's riverside B&B and then after unpacking and unwinding a bit, we headed out to the pubs and found Matt Molloy's a famous pub that often has live music played by a renown band of county Mayo.

We go into this cozy pub, grab a pint and settle in for some entertainment. We sure got it! Beside where we sat down was an older man who was singing an old Irish ballad as we walked in. He was adorable! Once he finished, we applauded and he looked right at us and said, "Hold your applause, just give me money!" to which he smiled a toothy smile and giggled. He then told us that where we sat the band would be sitting and so we moved closer to him. Shortly after we sat down, we started chatting with some other folks at the big table, and they were from Victoria and Seattle. We shared stories of our favorite Irish events and locations and then the band started piling in.

The band played some groovy tunes that had the whole pub tapping their toes in no time. When the band took a break, our old 82 year old singer, started up with some more Irish tunes to the likes of Molly Malone, and County of Mayo, and even one about a beautiful girl named Maryanne that had us in stitches! The singer was too funny as he had tons of these tunes and keep on singing them. Once there was a moment break from his songs, the band would start up again. A great night of music and pints was had. We left after a while in hopes of finding something to eat... this was not to be, so we went back to the B&B and had a snack of cookies that were in our bag and tea (for me at least).

I must admit that I am feeling a bit behind since Derry, but I think it will all work out in the end. We have a couple days still until the reservation we have for the Kayaking morning, so we should make up some time tomorrow. We just didn't want to not take advantage of the castle while we were there, and we wanted to get a patch from the Northern Ireland Police Services. I think we will be able to see everything that we want, and if not, we will just have to come back! Darn it! :)

Tomorrow, we hope to see Kylemore Abbey, Galway, and the Burren so stay tuned and see where our adventures take us.

Love, H&D

Derry and Castle stay! - Oct 1

2011-10-01T02:32:00.004-06:00

Welcome October! We continue our journey as the season changes around us, the air gets a touch cooler and the rainy season revs up... We left you last time in Derry, filled with stories about the Orrs and Garnhams and Dinsmores... what a night that was! Lizzy could have out talked us all and she is 70!

We woke this morning to have breakfast again in our old Victorian B&B - it was nice and quaint with traditional soda bread that was delish! This house also has a mascot, Birdy, who is a beautiful little bulldog. We had breakfast with him as he taunted Derek with his squeaky toy - just enough so that Derek was loured in to a game of tug of war... I think Birdy won! We packed our car and headed off to the wall tour.

This one hour walking tour was wonderful in that it covered the history of Londonderry/Derry... the name of which is still contentious. Most refer to it as Derry and so shall I. There are walls surrounding the original township of Derry, and they stand tall for all to see their historical, political and emotional significance - we also learned the story of the Apprentice Boys and how their slogan became "No Surrender". We walked on top these walls as we heard about the stories of battling between the Protestants and Catholics for hundreds of years, up to the most recent "Troubles" which have until recently been quite troublesome and active. We were directed to where the "Bog side" was and this is where the Catholics were in mere shanties, poor and down trodden, and in numbers that almost doubled the Protestants. Then there was the Protestant side or "Water side" where they lived with better conditions, but surrounded by people who didn't like them... conditions would have been difficult for everyone!

After the tour, we saw that there was a large number of police officers, bringing dogs out to sniff things and an armored car. Derek was intrigued and went up to one of the officers and asked what was going on... A parade of the Apprentice Boys (a Protestant group). Derek then inquired about potentially getting a patch from one of the officers and this one constable gave us his card, told us to meet him at a station in a bit and he would get one for us! We then watched the parade and it was very interesting and quite emotional for me to watch this. The passion on the men's faces as they marched was so intense, and there were even a couple of people who were upset with the parade... one lady passed us saying "Its the Orange men marching, the Orange men are always marching!" and another young man stepped out into the street in front of the marching and held up his middle finger. The policeman asked the man to walk away and thankfully he did. The march lasted just a minute or two as they marched on past but for awhile, we could hear the banging of the drums... it was very interesting.

We then walked down to the bogside to take a look at some of the murals, and it was very interesting. The artwork is stunning, political, pointed and passionate, a real piece of art in my opinion. It was amazing that these murals started, and as the story goes, these started when a group of 3 artists banned together and painted one to commemorate a young girl that was sent out for groceries, got caught between gunfire and died. They took this tragic incident and commemorated it in a way that was non violent, but made a lasting statement. The community loved their work so much that they asked them to do another each year, and so they have. The most recent one is called Peace and it is a number of colours and on top a white dove with an Oak leaf (which is the symbol of the city Derry). It is so beautiful.

We then made our way to the police station, where we were buzzed into a room, asked to wait and then were greeted by the constable. He brought us into another room where he gave us a patch, a hat, a hat patch, pens, pencils, and a number of different gadgets. He was so very kind and Derek chatted with him about his father for a bit and the old "RUC" that his dad was in. The constable didn't have any memorabilia from that age, but suggested that we try a different town. Once we were done collecting our goodies, we headed back to the car and out of town.

We drove right to Enniskillin where Derek's mom is from. It is a beautiful little town that was made so much prettier as we drove through and spotted a store named "Hepburn" - we HAD to go in! The owner of the store loves Audrey Hepburn, like me, and she collects all things Audrey. Her store is one filled with hats and bags and clothes so I had to try on and eventually purchase a couple things... what a great store! We continued on to the Cathedral where we thought that Derek had family burried, but it turns out they were at a different cemetary. We asked a local for directions (the Irish are always so willing to provide directions) and eventually found where Derek's uncle and Aunt were buried. It took some time to find where his Aunt was, and we had all but given up and were on our way out of the cemetery when we found her. Thank goodness otherwise I would have felt back about leaving with out seeing it. We then headed to Macguiresbridge were Derek's mom was born and his grandparents were buried. Once there, we found the Church of Ireland (with a little trouble), but their graves were unmarked and we couldn't find what tree his aunt had said they were under. So, we tootled along on our way to the Castle for our nights stay.

By this time, the sun was setting and on our journey to the castle was quite dark, but we found our way without trouble and drove down the long drive to where it stands. We came around the corner and the castle was standing there, lit up for all to see, beautifully and majestically - it was stunning. We checked in, and our room #3, has a 4 poster bed and floor to ceiling windows facing out to the front view, it is amazing! We headed downstairs down through the giant stairs and into the bar that looks like a Spanish Galleon (ship). The lobby has a giant beautiful fireplace where peat was burning. We headed into the dining room, where we were going to eat and it has beautiful windows, and tables set for two with candles offering most of the light. It was very romantic and wonderful. We dinned on steak, but this wasn't just any steak, it came out with the chef on a sword! He had our meat skewered on a Spanish sword from the Armada and then poured a sauce on it that was flaming, so our steaks were on fire as he held them on the sword! He then placed the steak on our plate, still flaming. It was incredible - and it was delicious!

After our supper, we wandered around a bit and stumbled onto a tour that we in progress. So, we followed the tour - this castle has some great history in it. There is a place just above the dungeons where they hold weddings and parties, it has a giant fireplace and an old spit they still use for roasting suckling pigs... very cool! Down in the dungeons, there are 2 rooms that are filled with artifacts. The first was filled with fossils dating back to the Triassic period. The other room housed an elaborate collection of armour from every end of Europe, dating to the 16oo's - it was incredible.

Once the tour was done, we retired to our room to enjoy the rain falling on the windows and the cool breeze coming in from the gardens. What an incredible place to stay! Thank you Mom and Dad for the gift of being able to stay here for a night! Well worth it!!!! :)

Tomorrow, off to Galway - that is all we have planned, so it will be interesting how the day shapes up! :)

Sending love to all - H & D

Derry - Sept 30

2011-09-30T17:27:00.000-06:00

We awoke this morning, had a lovely breakfast and were greeted by Tony, Derek's Cousin, who came to pick us up for touring for the day. We stopped by Derek's Grandfather's tombstone (on his Dad's side) and some cousins as well as an uncle and his Grandmother, who were in a different cemetery. We then went to a different cemetery which was just a couple km's out of town and in the Republic of Ireland and not Northern Ireland. Here, a couple cousins were buried, but something very odd happened here. Tony and his wife washed the gravestones of all the people that they knew in this cemetery. When I say the washed them, I mean they brought sponges, cleaning solutions, and cloths to wash down the actual tombstones. Weird!

After we left the third graveyard of the day, we went on a tour of where Derek's family has lived - we saw where his grandmother lived and where we think his dad grew up for a year or two, and then where his uncle lived as well as a number of different cousins. We also did take a bit of a tour around the city and visit Derek's uncle's Pub that he owned for a number of years.

After all this we ended up in Lizzy's living room (Derek's third cousin) where we spent a couple hours going through all the family history that she knew and writing it down... she is a volcano of knowledge and it was amazing that after 2 hours, we were still going and figuring out who was who and who married who... she was amazing, and brilliant for a 70 year old lady! She even "Phoned a friend" and called over Derek's other cousin on the Orr side to fill in some of the missing pieces... who knew Derek had such a big family! Lizzy was such a card, telling us all the family history that she knew - warts and all!

It was a bit of a shame that we weren't able to do the wall tour of Derry like we had intended, but it was good that we had such a good visit with Derek's family. Tomorrow - on to Enniskillin and Ballina and the Belleek Castle. Tomorrow will be a brilliant day!

The Antrim Coast - Day 8

2011-09-29T18:10:00.001-06:00

Today we woke up early and said goodbye to Aunt Maureen... it was more emotional than we had anticipated and I think it had something to do with Derek’s mom not being well and also that it was 20 years between Derek’s visits so she thinks she may not see Derek again. We hope to be back sometime soon so that we can see some of the things we haven’t and maybe co-inside it with a trip to or from Scotland!

Anyway, we wiped the tears away and headed down the beautiful Antrim coast, which is so beautiful that it is literally breath taking. Our goal today is to drive to the rope bridge and the Giants causeway and then off to Derry. Our first stop was in Ballycastle in hopes of going to Rathlin Island where Robert the Bruce holed out for a while before the big fight that he won against the English – Bannockburn. We also hoped to see the Puffins on this Island. When we got to the ferry crossing, the ferry was going to be going out until 2pm and then returning at 4pm – it just would not work. Also, the puffins have left for the summer, so one of the reasons we were going to go was gone, so we just continued on the coast road to the rope bridge. It turns out that we took a wrong turn and ended up going into the interior, so we turned around and headed back to Ballycastle and found our way again.

We got to the rope bridge in no time at all and we strolled the 1km from the gate to the bridge at a leisurely pace. The weather was amazing today and so we soaked in as much of the great weather that we could and took a bunch of pictures. We then got to the bridge... yikes! When you are going down to the bridge, you have to go down about 20 steps straight down to get to the platform that holds the bridge. This bridge is a rope bridge with 2 planks of wood on the bottom of it as the place where you walk. The bridge originated in the early 1900’s as a way for the fishermen to get to their fishing hut on the island across from where we stood – they often brought a new bridge over every year. When it got time to cross the bridge, I went first... no fear right? I took small steps and made sure that I had a firm grasp on the rope on either side of me... it was scary, I am not going to lie and it was wobbly and the bridge moved and I thought I was going to plummet the 100 meters into the ravine below... but I managed to make it through and get across very well. Derek, like we had any doubt, had no trouble.

On the other side of the bridge was amazing... the colours of the greens in the grass, the blues and greens of the sea, the whites of the cliffs, it was all so amazing. I managed to get a little bit of Yoga in on the island and just sat and soaked it all in. We both loved it and didn't really want to leave, but time and hunger were calling and so we had to leave and cross the bridge again. Going back was easier than going across, but still scary. But, once across, we cruised down the 1 km long path and hit the car park. Derek was driving so it was an easy day for me! Off again, we were, but stopped at a road side pub to eat. One thing we have noticed here, is that the people of Ireland like to keep their houses and their pubs WARM - when I say this, I mean, this pub had a fire going in the fireplace and it was 20 degrees above outside... W-A-R-M! So, with a couple less layers off, we munched on some pub grub and prepped for the next event/site - the Giants causeway!

We found our way easy enough and once parked and paid, we were on the bus to the park. The driver took one look at us and suggested that we may like the 20 minute walk to see some amazing views... was it the hiking shoes and Canadian accents, the lonely planet guide, or the 3 cameras... I will never know, but we were game. So, we trekked (more like strolled) along a path towards the causeway and once we crested the hill, the coastline was revealed and amazing, beautiful scenery unfolded. We could look down on the coast and see the causeway and to our right was the path that we would take, down a crazy 120 some step flight of stairs and then on to the coast. It was a spectacular site and as the salt air kissed our faces, we got closer to where Giants walked.

The legend goes something like... Finn McCool was a Giant and wanted to make Ireland proud of his Giant prowess, so he planned to fight the Scottish giant just across the way. You see, you can actually see Scotland from the causeway, so Finn walked across the bay to where the Scottish giant lived. The giant was sleeping, and there was a lady there who seemed to be taking care of this giant. Being a clever lady, she said to Finn, "Shhh the baby is sleeping" - McCool thought that if the BABY was this big, what would the giant look like? So, he turned back to Ireland and tore up the causeway as he came back, leaving it in pieces as we all see it today!

haha! We go and grab something to eat at a near by pub and call Tony, the 2nd cousin. He comes to pick us up, and we head out to his brother, Charlie's house. A knock on the door and a warm reception was had - then we turn the corner... and ALL of Charlie's kids are in the living room... all but one. He has 4 children, and 8 grandchildren and they seem to be overflowing in the house. It honestly felt a bit like an ambush, but a welcomed one. We sat there and got to know some of Derek's 3rd cousins, chatting happily about some of the family history and sharing some pictures of Derek's Dad. I really didn't think Derek had a big family, but this proved that I was oh, so very wrong. Well into the night, we chatted, visited and got to know each other... what a wonderful night!

Tomorrow it will continue, with a visit to some of the gravestones of Derek's grandparents and great grandparents, Then we are going on a tour of the walls and hopefully murals, then for a walk across the peace bridge and a visit with more family... so much to do tomorrow, so I will sign off... happily, filled with fresh sea air, and family's happy words ringing in my ears... what a beautiful day!

Love,

H&D

In Remembrance

2011-09-28T17:39:00.008-06:00

This time, on this date, last year it was a sad day as Derek’s dad passed away. Today we had planned to go and see some monuments to famous Orrs – and we were in luck.

We got up early and were greeted with a lovely breakfast. We chatted for a bit and then headed out for the day. I was at the helm for the day and it looked like it would be a beautiful day. We headed first to the town of Carrickfurgus. It is here that there is a giant castle and also where William Orr was hanged in the 1700’s. We got to the castle, which was beautiful, and headed in to view the site. The castle is one of the best preserved Medieval castles in Ireland and it dated back to the 1200’s. This castle had a tower in it that was 3 floors tall and was very interesting and well preserved. We toured this great site and then asked for directions to Gallow Greens where William Orr was hanged – this however isn’t an historic site anymore and is just a petrol station. So, we drove past the petrol station, saluted Derek’s historic ancestor and drove on.

Next stop, we headed to Ballycarry. Here was supposed to be a memorial for James Orr the famous Poet. This man was told to be a wonderful poet, and it was even said to be the “Robbie Burns of Ireland” but better! So, we roam around this very small town, and find it in a square. It was a small plaque on a rock that indicated it was in memoriam of James Orr. We then looked up and saw a small church in ruins, so we walked over and lo and behold we see a giant monument for James Orr. In the church grave yard, there is a huge grave stone for James Orr so we took many pictures and wandered around. There were a number of other Orr’s and even a Hamilton stone in this grave yard. There was many VERY old graves and it was very creepy for me. There was even a grave where I could almost be certain that I saw the wood from a coffin. I am not sure why, but I was very worried that I was going to fall through the ground and into a grave, so needless to say, I had the creeps and stood outside of the gates of the graveyard for a while while Derek looked for more graves. He even hid and didn’t respond to me when I called, so I just sat outside the gates and waited for him... ha, ha, ha - funny boy!

After this, we headed to Ballymena where Derek’s mom and dad spend sometime and did some shopping before they headed to Canada. We did some shopping ourselves, picking up a couple books and such. We sat and had a bite to eat and planned the rest of the day. We figured that we would try to make it to the Carrick-a-rede bridge with the hope that we would make it before the bridge closed. We drove through some beautiful countryside, and we went over the last hill and we saw the beautiful coastline – it was literally breath taking. We found the rope bridge only just 10 minutes after the bridge closed, CRAP! So, we took our time to take in the amazing views and then drove along the coast back to Larne. It was an amazing view and drive, which we both enjoyed so much. It was dark by the time we rolled into Larne and although I did very well throughout the day driving, driving in the dark is a bird of a different feather. I had a hard time with the depth perception of where the car was and it caused some tense moments - we were very happy to roll into Maureen's drive at the end of the day.

We were greeted with a warm smile and delicious meal and a chat about the day. Maureen also helped with the laundry that we needed to do and also gave us some family heirlooms to bring home. It was a delightful day, filled with remembering Derek's dad and enjoying his native land. It was a perfect way to pass the day of the anniversary of Jimmy's passing. Tomorrow, we move onwards to Derry, passing the Rope bridge again and the Giant's causeway... so much to do! We are also meeting up with Derek's second cousin again in Derry so more family time is coming.

Stay tuned to the adventures to come! Love from Ireland - H & D

A family affair - Toomebridge and Larne

2011-09-27T17:37:00.001-06:00

Today was a day for family – we woke up early (too early for some) and breakfasted and headed out of Belfast. We found our way to a quaint little town where Derek’s dad was stationed as a RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulatory) or to us lay folks, the police. The little town is named Toomebridge and his mother, father and sister lived here for 7 years before moving to Canada. His sister was actually born in this town. We found the home they had, walked the streets they roamed and when we came to the police station, it wasn’t there anymore. Apparently since the ‘end’ of the troubles, they have removed some of the police stations in the small towns. We walked to Dan McCloy’s store that Derek has told stories of, where the family and Derek’s family were friendly by day and not by night by virtue of the “sides” they were on. We looked around and now it is a shop that specializes in selling guns... hummmm... Dan McCloy was not there and his son, although in the building was tending to other customers. So, we continued on our tour of this lovely town. We had a nice lunch in a pub/restaurant close by and then heading out of town, with me at the helm!

Driving on the other side of the road is WEIRD! With the gear shifter on the other side, I have often tried to change gears on the right side only to have my hand hit the window. The thing that I find most alarming is having vehicles come at me so close to the line. I am not sure why this bothers me so much, as the same thing happens in Canada, but I think it is still because I see the side that I am on as the passenger side and it is weird having things come at you. All together, I think I did ok – I didn’t get lost and although I HATE round a bouts, I have grown accustomed to them – ish!

Larne was only about 45 minutes from Toomebridge, so before we knew it, we were in the middle of this small town trying to find our way to Derek’s aunts’ house. We stopped at an information guide (as our GPS had run out of batteries – we forgot to charge it up last night) and were on our way before we knew it. With a tiny bit of a detour, we made it successfully and were greeted delightfully with a warm hug and a cup of tea. We have been visiting since about 3:00 this afternoon and have caught up on all the news, the relatives and the best places for us to go tomorrow. Aunt Maureen made us an AMAZING meal of ham and chicken with 2 kinds of potatoes, carrots and peas – it was wonderful and delicious. For dessert, a big slice of apple pie and Ice cream... I am STILL stuffed! After supper, Aunt Maureen’s’ friends Heather and Stephanie came around for a bit of a visit and we chatted happily about the funny things we have seen in Ireland and how crazy and weird driving is for us. All of this entertainment and visiting on top of the court case of the year showing on TV. We watched the opening statements of the Michael Jackson trial – an historic trial for sure. So much going on and Derek and I are now pooped!

Filled to the brim with delicious food and biscuits and visiting and we are now settled in for a night of happy sleep. Tomorrow will be an interesting day as we venture out of Larne to see Carickfurgus and Ballycarry – both places where Derek’s family name holds history, be it in a monument or a member of the ‘clan’ hanged there. We are also hoping to run into some filming crews who are filming the TV show “Game of Thrones” here in Northern Ireland. We may have to wait for them to show until we get further up, but it may be on some of the lakes near where we will be tomorrow. Fingers crossed because how cool would that be?

Off to sleep now, and hope we get the rejuvenation we need for an action packed day tomorrow. I also hope to get to a store to do some shopping... fingers crossed! J

Until tomorrow – sending love from Nor’n I’rlan’ – or Northern Ireland. – H & D

Belfast - Day 5

2011-09-26T15:10:00.000-06:00

We woke this morning with the anticipation of meeting a family member. We met up with one of Derek's second cousin's Tony for breakfast. We chatted here about some of the family links and by mid morning, we were acquainted and chatting happily as we went to down town Belfast to enjoy some of the sites. Tony had an appointment to attend to so we went along to the hop on hop off bus to see the sites. But first, we grabbed a cell phone so that we can contact people should we need to and so that we could get a hold of Derek's family and them us should the need arise.

The hop on hop off bus took us from the center of town to the Titanic quarter where the Titanic was built and was shipped off on its maiden voyage only to sink. This site didn't really have much in the way of things to tour so we didn't hop off. We then went to the Parliment buildings and some churches and rounded out the tour with the murals. We didn't stop and tour this site, as we needed to meet Tony back in the center, but we got a good sense of these and their meanings. It is incredible that there is still such intense feelings going about the troubles from the 1970's and that there are still fences that the government doesn't think they can take down for fear of reactions.

Once the tour was done, we caught up with Tony again for lunch. We went to the City Hall and ate some lovely Irish food in the cafe there. The city hall has an ornate dome that was so awesome and beautiful, but we had unfortunately missed the last tour for the day so we decided to head out of town for a side trip. Tony brought us to the lovely seaside town/resort of Newcastle, where we took in the sea air, walked on the promenade and took in some of the beauty of the Irish seaside. This little village was so lovely and quaint so we stopped for a tea. We weaved through the Irish country side on our way back in hopes that we would be able to get the "Historic Bar tour" - however when we got to the old Crown Pub Saloon, the bar keep informed us that this tour didn't run on Mondays - darn it, no wonder they didn't call us back! Oh well. Since there was no where to sit in this pub, we walked down the road to a pub, had a pint and planned tomorrow somewhat.

Tomorrow, we are off to Toome Bridge where Derek's Mum and Dad lived when married and where Derek's sister was born. Depending on what happens here, we may stay the night or we may venture on to Larne, where Derek's Mum is from and where Derek has an aunt. Tomorrow will be a day filled with remembrance and family.

We may not have internet for the next couple days as we are going to be staying with family - so if I can post, I will, if not, I will make sure to update when I can.

Love
H & D

Holy Scenic Route Batman!

2011-09-25T14:10:00.000-06:00

Today I do not deserve the navigator of the year award... I was terrible!

We got up early and had breakfast at our delightful B&B and what a breakfast it was... EVERYTHING that is breakfast was offered. Fresh fruit and berries from the garden, cereal, yogurt, toast and homemade jam, scones and butter, eggs, bacon, sausage - let me tell you we were full for a while! Our hosts were chatty and our supposed to be quick breakfast turned into an hour long gab session... they were just so nice, it was very hard to leave.

Once we were on our way, we tried to follow the instructions we received from the lady who did the castle tour with us. However, we ended up lost, so we tried to find Bru Na Boinne (Newgrange) on our GPS that we had brought with us... finally after stopping and asking directions and an hour and a half (supposed to be a 30 min drive from Trim) we got there - just as it started to rain and just as a new tour was going out - great timing! So, we hopped on the bus and tootled out to the site. Newgrange is a 5000 year old building that is thought to be a temple to worship the sun - it is old, pagan and very mysterious. Our tour mostly consisted of standing in the rain, trying to take pictures of things while not getting the camera wet - and then we went inside the building. It was a very tight entry way (like most ruins I believe are) and once in, you are in this tiny little room with rock basins for the ashes of the cremated departed, which is what they believe was one of the purposes of the ruins. Then the guide turned out the light and talked about what happens on Dec 21st every year, for about 17 mins, there is a ray of light that comes into a hole on the top of the door and refracts based on the way the stone building is built and then illuminates the chamber we stood in... VERY cool! I must admit, I felt a tiny bit claustrophobic, but I think it was because he kept on referring to how tiny and small the chamber was and also how dark and closed it would feel - thanks for setting us up for success buddy! :) Anyway, it was a very cool tour and if you are interested in history of all sorts, a must on the list!

Then it was off to the Battle of the Boyne site - easy to get to, only about a 15 km drive, right? Well, after about 30 mins of driving we find it... sheesh, I am not doing so good! We drive down this majestic driveway that only seems to exist in Bronte novels and on either side are cannons or tables or items of old time war paraphernalia - I am intrigued. It looks like we are going to be rained out for the whole thing so we bundle up in our already wet rain gear and get ready for the rain. We walk up to the beautiful manor house and walk in. Thanks to mom and dad, we got in for free with our Heritage passes (Newgrange as well!) and so we took in the sites, learned about the history changing battle - we then went and sat in the tea room, had a snack and enjoyed the beautiful gardens.

Once we were finished with our tea, we started on towards Belfast, once again, after a 15 minute detour on the skinniest road to date, we were on our way. We got lost this many times in one day simply because I don't know how to use our GPS - I think I have it figured out now... FINALLY! So, after about 1.5 hours, we hit Belfast, drive successfully to our B&B and then go out to find some food. We are very close to down town, so after a 5 min walk, we are in the heart of city center and standing in front of Hotel Europa (the most bombed hotel in Europe) - we eat just across the street and beside the Crown Liquor Saloon (they didn't have room for us). Then it was off to explore a tiny bit before the sun goes down. We walked around and found the City Hall which was magnificent. Shortly after we get there, the sun goes down and we walk back to the B&B - the rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow we hope to meet up with Derek's cousins and maybe the hop on hop off tour as well as the murals and the place where the Titanic was born. There is more to see on the outskirts of the city but I think there will be more than enough to keep us occupied tomorrow.

Until next update, stay tuned for the next adventure! :)

Love H & D

Trim - Day 3

2011-09-24T13:34:00.001-06:00

We woke up relatively early, checked out of the Cassidy Hotel and had breakfast then hopped on the hop on hop off bus on our way to Kilmainham Gaol. After an hour of the same sort of commentary as yesterday, we landed at the Gaol with only a 10 minute wait for the next tour. Once the tour started, we knew that we were in for a treat. The guide knew all sorts of history, not only of the Gaol itself (which was incredible in its own right) but of Ireland politics, past and present. He was eager to answer any and all questions and was quick to let you know a fact or two.

Hearing the plight of the people who were prisoners at the gaol and what they had to endure was incredible! The conditions were horrid, the treatment very poor and the reasons for them being in prison in the first place, incredibly unjust. Just hearing the story of an 8 year old girl who stole a shawl to keep warm from the winter’s chill being imprisoned for 6 months is incredible. This tour was amazing and will be tough to beat – I think it may have even surpassed Alcatraz!

After the tour, we decided to bite the bullet (no pun intended) and take a taxi back to the hotel to collect our things and hit the road. What an adventure that turned out to be. Martin, our driver was so helpful with how to get to our next destination, what to make sure not to miss in some locations and where to stay in others. He even told us some stories from when he was a police officer working undercover in the North, he said that they would always put him in the Europa Hotel in Belfast, which is the most bombed hotel in Europe. It was a remarkable cab ride and reminds us how much we are looking forward to the rest of our trip, so we can meet more of the locals!

So, off to the airport we go, taking the number 16all the way there – thanks for the tip Martin! We get to the car rental place and we are late, crap! So, our car isn’t there and we are directed to find a different company – thanks Thrify! Alright, we make our way to Budget and Derek hooks us up with an automatic 4 door car – not really what I had ordered originally but oh well, we’ll take it. We find the car, start it up, pull out our maps, take a deep breath and look at each other... “ready?” – Alright here we go.

I must admit that Derek did really well, keeping calm and carrying on when I was making sure that we weren’t veering onto the curbs on the left and making sure that we were on the right road, while also making sure that the door handle was securely fastened to the car – no worries there, it sure is! We make it to Trim in one piece and without any melt downs and we pass our b and b – we then take the scenic tour of Trim and find our way back to it, only to learn that we don’t have a room – CRAP again! So, the proprietor arranges for us to stay at a neighboring place just down the road... perfect! We get there and park the car for the night.

Anne, the B and B hostess made sure we were settled in and then we went on our merry little way. We walked to the center of the town and got some food... the food was terrible. Derek’s club house had corn and coleslaw in it along with the bacon and tomato that it should include... weird! We escape the bad restaurant only to get lost and end up on the other side of the river... to get back we cut through this field and what a view we got! We ended up with a back view of the Trim Castle, a Defense castle built in the 1200’s – it was stunning. We wandered our way to the castle only to get on the last tour of the night! Yahoo! We spend our time waiting for the tour by walking around the grounds reading the signs and soaking in the beauty. Our tour rolls along and it turns out that Derek and I are the only ones to be on the tour – Score!!! So, we chat with the guide and she gives us a full tour, along with rooms that other people don’t see – double score. She is a wonderful guide and ends up giving us advice from the top of the tower on where to go tomorrow and how we should get there. We are set.

So, after the tour ends, we wander through the St. Patrick’s church yard only to come across a mass being delivered in the church... we try and see in but don’t want to disrupt so we continue. We head to the Caste Arch hotel for a quick bite to eat and a pint. We watch the people, drink our bevy, and then head back to the B and B. It is an early start tomorrow with a bit more driving needed!

Tomorrow – Brunne na Boinne, Battle of the Boyne site and maybe Tara Hill then off to Belfast. Turns that we don’t have accommodations like we had anticipated, so we will wing it once again... perhaps the Hotel Europa! :)

Until tomorrow – sending love and warmth from Ireland to you all!

H and D

Dublin - Day 2

2011-09-23T15:29:00.000-06:00

Today is Culture night here in Dublin, and as I write this, we can hear the sounds of pubs rowdy with "Dubs" (Dubliners) over flowing to the streets! Dublin is wonderful!

Today we slept in a little, partly due to the jet lag and partly due to the colds that we are both fighting... what woke us was the cleaning lady asking for the room so she could clean it... ooops, we slept in a LOT! So, we scrambled our stuff together and after our showers, we brought our luggage to our hotel for the night and we were off in search of food and coffee... good thing is that we both feel SO much better after our sleep - I think we needed it to get over the cold.

So, after we hit a quick pub for breakfast/lunch we were off like a herd of turtles. Our first stop was the Trinity College - we got our selves on a tour within 2 mins of arriving and off we were. The tours are done by one of the students and the student we got was quick and witty and an Art and architecture student. She told us about all the buildings and the legends - it was great! We then were herded like cattle through the display for the book of Kells - although very interesting, it seemed very commercial. Then it was upstairs to the Old Library - it was awe filled. The books went to the ceiling and were in the thousands, it looked like a library from the 1700's - that's because it was! It was majestic, and awesome and inspiring. Thinking of some of the writers who had traveled the halls of this giant library was mind boggling. I loved this place and could have just stayed and wrote all day. But alas, Dublin called!

We then hopped on our Hop on Hop off bus and rode it until we hit the St. Patrick's Cathedral. We had to go and find cash to gain entry so we hopped down to the nearest grocery/convenient store and low and behold it had TIM HORTONS! I am not even kidding - so we got a donut and coffee (not as good, but was familiar) and relaxed for a minute. Then we were off to see the Cathedral - here Jonathan Swift and his "lady friend" were buried. It was very lovely. After this tour we went to the Christ Church Cathedral, but we were denied entry as they were closing to get ready for the Culture night. We left, disappointed, but thinking we would return. Well, off we went to get the hop on hop off bus and return to the tour.

Our next intended stop was the Guinness Brewery, bring on the free beer! However, all of Ireland seemed to have the same idea and before we got to the brewery, we could see where it was for the line up waiting for access - it was SO long. We decided that we wouldn't waste all our time waiting in line, so we continued on with the tour. The bus tootled on merrily, and we along with it, passing the old Kilmainham Hospital turned Ireland Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and the Kilmainham Gaol. We wanted to get off at the Gaol, but the bus kept on going, we thought it may turn around as there was a roundabout shown on the map, but no such luck. We went to chat to the driver and he said we should have pushed the stop button... who knew!!! He said that the Gaol was closed at that point and according to the Culture night brochure, it didn't open for another hour and a half... so, we continued on with the bus, seeing where the President lives and the Ambassador of the USA, and the zoo. We rode the bus until the Jameson Distillery and disembarked there.

We went to the distillery and were given a drink almost as soon as we figured out where we were. We walked through the halls of the museum of where they used to make the whiskey as we toured the old distillery. It was very interesting but it seemed that they pushed us through quickly, perhaps it is because we didn't have to pay - yup, it was free! Once we finished with the whiskey, which wasn't too bad, we hopped back on the bus and thought we would make our way back to the Gaol, but the bus then parked and we were told to get off... darn it. We asked the driver how we would get to the Gaol, and with his directions, we headed on our way to get back. We stopped quickly for a bite, and off we were.

We hopped on the LUAS or the train that goes through Dublin and rode to the Hauston station and walked from there. Total trip took about 20 minutes, but we found the Gaol, whohoo! We arrived and were elated we found it when we got told that all the tours for the night were booked and we were denied entry... that's TWICE! UGH! So, disappointed, we headed to the nearest attraction - IMMA. We walked down a lane that was framed with trees on either side and our goal was a beautiful stone building... it reminded me of something out of a Bronte book. It was very romantic :). Once arrived, we looked around viewing the massive square in the middle of the building, and the architecture, which was stunning. We were then informed that the Minister of Culture and Art was going to speak and were invited to have a bevy and wait for the speech... Politics and free beer? I am in! We had a Tiger beer, which was quite good, and listened to the Minister - he was less than inspiring. We went and viewed the art that was displayed and it reminded me that I really don't understand modern art!

We were off again, finding our way back to the city center, determined tomorrow to get to see the Gaol. We stopped and got some munchies and then headed back to the hotel, where we sit here planning our first day of driving tomorrow... on the docket for tomorrow, head out early to get the first tour at the Gaol and then head out to the airport to pick up our car and then the REAL adventure begins!!! :)

Until tomorrow - we wish you all well from Dublin! :)
H&D

We have arrived in Dublin!

2011-09-22T16:32:00.000-06:00

Hello all! We have arrived in Dublin!!

We left home what seemed like days ago already, and flew direct to Amsterdam. The flight was the most un-comfy of my life, both Derek and I were in the middle of a 4 seat run and the people in front of us insisted of leaning their seats back - being tall has some downsides sometimes! BUT, we arrived in Amsterdam when lo and behold I feel a tap on the shoulder and a "Hi Heather!" - we had run into one of my coworkers on his way to the Ukraine for a holiday. How crazy! We hustled to our connection and we hop on our flight to Dublin. A smooth flight and a quick snooze and we arrive!

We had breakfast at the airport why getting a game plan together on where to stay and where to go. We hop a bus to the city center and find the hotel we had chosen. We go to get a room and they are sold out for the night - crap! Turns out today (which is now Sept 22, when we left on the 21) is Arthur's day - as in Arthur Guinness... the creator of the most famous Irish bevy out there. This could be a great night, but we have to find a place to sleep first. Damian at the front desk of the hotel we wanted to stay at called 2 other hotels and neither has a room for us... double crap! He suggests a hotel just down the street so, off we go (good thing we only have 1 suitcase between the both of us). We round the corner and fingers crossed, try the Best Western - STILL no rooms... they suggested one just on the corner of the street... SUCCESS! A little pricier than we hoped, but it is on O'Connell Street and has a great view. We went back to the first hotel and booked for tomorrow night as the gent there was so helpful! He also hooked us up for hop on hop off buss tickets and gave us a map of the city.

With our luggage stowed and a place secured to stay for the night, we went off to explore. We stopped at the Ireland's Writers Museum, with a hope that I would see my favorite poet Seamus Heaney exulted for his Nobel prize in Literature... it was a great little museum, with a lot of info, but NOTHING on Seamus... shame shame! Derek and I then went and roamed around O'Connell street and by this point, we were just zombies walking around. We staggered back to the hotel in hopes that our room would be ready and we could have a nap! It was and we did! A 2.5 hour nap was just the ticket, and we woke, showered and hit the town to celebrate Arthur's Day!

We ended up in Temple Bar, which I think was a great choice! There were buskers and hundreds of people pouring out of pubs and literally dancing in the streets. We had a great time people watching! We had supper at O'Reilys which was ok - nothing too exciting and a beer. We then found a delightful pub to watch people and we got there just before the band set up and played! We stayed for a pint and a number of songs, then went to roam Temple Bar again. We had a wonderful evening watching people, looking at the amazing buildings and feel of this city... it is a wonderful city!

We are now back at the hotel, wanting to sleep off this jet leg and might I add cold... I have been struggling (as has Derek) with a cold for 3 days now... I think the worst is over, but my ears are still sore from the flights - flying internationally with a cold NOT recommended... good thing Derek had a couple tricks up his sleeve for popping ears from his years of skydiving. The trick, suck on your tongue - sounds odd, but it sure does work! I am hoping my ears will be back to normal and my nose to stop running - once that happens, I will be a happy lass! :)

Tomorrow bods for a great day as it is Culture night here in Dublin! We sure lucked out with our timing! Many of the main attractions are open late and after 5:30pm, they are free!!! We are planning on going to the Guinness Brewery and the Kilmainham Gaol tomorrow evening for free... and during the day, the rest of Dublin! :) We will get the most out of our Hop on Hop off tickets! :)

Until tomorrow, we raise a glass of Guinness to you in honour of Arthur (Pronounced Arr-turr here :)) - have a wonderful day!

Heather & Derek

Happiness

2011-09-14T20:51:00.000-06:00

Happiness is your husband home, your kiddens purring on your lap and your favorite TV show on the tele. Happiness is your kickboxing class and freshly made popcorn. It is your family coming for the weekend and the meals and sharing of stories that will be had. Happiness is the planning for a big trip and the anticipation in your stomach about the adventures ahead. Happiness is new opportunities presenting themselves, new adventures presenting themselves and new friends being made. Happiness is where I am right now and it is wonderful!

The husband is home!

2011-09-13T20:41:00.000-06:00

The husband is home!!! for the next 48 hours, I have my husband again! I will cut this post short and then update you later...

The Husband is home! yahoo!

Inspiration

2011-09-12T21:56:00.000-06:00

This Saturday I spend the evening with two friends who are Ironmen. Both of them have run several Ironman races each and that is quite a feat! What one of these races entails is a 4km swim, a 180 km bike ride, and a 42.2 km run - yikes! If one is a pro, you can finish it is just over 9 hours - for the less seasoned athelete, a finish time of 16 hours is acceptable. Either way the Ironman is long and arduous and, well, crazy!

My friends are so inspiring to me because they are so willing to offer me advice, and help and encouragement. They are there to ask when the next race is, and help with long runs and make sure I have the right nutrition. Through it all, they train and motivate through example and their stories and the war wounds and example. It is incredible to have such inspirational people to have in my corner.

I love going to their house and hearing their stories. I love talking about goals and plans and what is to come. It was a great dinner, an inspirational dinner where I learned what it is like once again to be an athelete with a goal, and how wonderful it is to achieve that goal... that is inspiration!

a week and a bit

2011-09-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

It is a week and a bit until we leave for Ireland. We have our reservations made for some of the places we are staying, our car is all but booked and our itinerary is set. I am so excited to get there, 16 days where all we do is explore and relax and visit family... it is going to be wonderful.

Things that I am most looking forward to are the stay in the Castle, the Carikadee-edee bridge, the North and Derek's family, and Dingle. I really am excited to see some of the museums, mostly the famine ship museum, and the university where the Book f Kells is. This trip is going to be fantastic!

I think the thing that is most exciting for me is to hear the stories that Derek will have of when he was there last time with his Dad. His Dad was a police officer in Northern Ireland during the troubles and he had some pretty incredible stories. I am looking forward to seeing the places that he spoke about (mostly through stories that Derek has told) as well as the places that his Mother was born and raised in.

For me, so much of who we are, is etched in where we are from... it will be great to see where Derek's family is from and to meet some of them. Now all that is left is for us to pack, and the time to tick away and we will be there, in the midst of where my husband's world began... it is going to be a great trip!

Corporate Challenge

2011-09-10T23:25:00.000-06:00

Today was the first event for the Corporate Challenge for our company. Our team of 10 convened at COP with our brown t-shirts and water bottles. We were slated to do the truck pull... what this involves is teams of 10 pulling on a rope and pulling a semi truck aprox 200m.

I was the captain of our team and organized them into the order for the pull, we put the big guys at the front of the rope and then staggered the ladies in between the rest of the guys. The horn sounded and we were off... the initial start was difficult, but once we got going it was easier, but 1/2 through the pull we petered out and ended up getting 3rd out of 4 in the heat.

To celebrate our un-victory, our CFO treated us to beers in the beer garden... with the temperature up to 32 degrees celcius the beer tasted darn good! After an hour of just hanging and visiting, we were ready for the next round. 3... 2... 1... GO! We were off! We pulled until we couldn't anymore and we didn't stop until the truck driver (who was in there to reverse the truck) put on the breaks. We beat our time by 3 seconds and were 2nd in the heat.

Although we didn't win, we had a great time and got to enjoy some camaraderie and sunshine of a Saturday afternoon... A great afternoon.

Cake maker extraordinaire!

2011-09-09T23:40:00.002-06:00

I have a friend who just turned 41 and completed an IronMan all in the same week. To celebrate, I am making her a cake with a Manolo Blahnik shoe box and shoe... I will post a picture of it when complete.

Making a cake like this takes hours of delicate work and planning. I have been planning this cake for months, thinking of how I am going to style the shoe, decorate it, place it on the cake and how it all should look. Although it NEVER looks as good as it should in my head, it often turns out pretty good. I often end up covered in powdered sugar and have a headache from all the sugar. :)

I really like the whole idea of creating a cake, it seems that most people like cake and are glad to see the creation that you have made. I am very excited to see my friends face tomorrow as I know that it will be full of delight and happiness for the delicious treat that I have created! After all, who could resist cake... especially if its chocolate! :)

Slo-Pitch

2011-09-08T22:31:00.000-06:00

For the past 3 months, every Thursday, I have donned a yellow and white "Hiccups" Jersey and headed to the local ball diamond to play Slo-pitch with my team. We are not the best team in the league, but we aren't the worst and that is something :)

The biggest perk for me about playing slo-pitch is that I get to play with my brother and his wife. Although we all don't always agree or get along, we most often seem to have fun and enjoy each other's company. I realized today, as we played our second last game of the season, that we are going to loose that time together, the bonding that we have done over beers on the bench talking about how bad the umping is or how the team we are playing is kicking our arses. I am going to miss this time that we have spent together and I hope that we will be able to find something during the winter that will bring us together each week as well.

They have even brought my youngest niece to some of the games and I have gotten to spend time snuggling with her... she is growing up so fast, I can't stand it...

Moral of today's story... spend more time with those who you care about because you never know what is going to happen tomorrow.

By the way, we play one more game next week and vie for the 3rd place team... Lets hope it is a team we can beat! :)

Kickboxing

2011-09-07T21:33:00.000-06:00

I love Wednesday nights. On Wednesday nights I have kickboxing. It is a hard Physical workout for 1 hour where we punch and kick our way to a healthier us. The session that I am in is only for ladies, which sometimes makes it hard for me to be paired up with the small little ladies. The hour long "fight" is full of action and energy and sweat. I love the feeling after a good work out like this, where you muscles feel weak with fatigue and use, where your lungs feel expanded and your stomach is full of hunger for nutrition. It is so great!

I have almost finished one session and just signed up for another session this evening. The instructor is great, she is energetic, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The class is almost around the corner and at a perfect time... this class is one of my favorite things I have found since moving to Calgary!

The only thing that I can compare it to is to a long run. The feeling of an intense workout is equivalent to a good long hike or a long run, where you know you accomplished something decent and you worked hard to achieve it. It is wonderful and I love the feeling.

Wednesdays are my favorite day and I love kickboxing.

Alone, again...

2011-09-06T20:44:00.005-06:00

Just dropped Derek off at the airport and I find myself alone again in our house... with only the kiddens to keep me company. Right now, actually they are MIA. I find myself relaxing in the solitude and basking in the fact that I can eat things like goat cheese and crackers for supper! :)

In my relaxed state of zen, I have not been able to find something interesting to write about - so, I am taking a prompt from NaBloPoMo website... If you went to Hogwarts, which house would you be in?

This is so easy... Hufflepuff! Why that and not Griffendor? Well, Griffendor already has a wonderful, spectacular Wizard so I think that Hufflepuff house could use a helping hand with me at the helm! Besides, anything that would help me not be a Syltherine would make me happy!

Long weekends

2011-09-05T23:26:00.000-06:00

Another long weekend comes to a close and I find myself sad that I have to go back to work tomorrow. Not that I don't like my job but I do so love the lazy days of napping in the afternoon snuggled with my husband, or doing the things on my to do list that I never seem to have the time to do. I love long weekends, the extra day off on the weekend seems like such a luxury.

This long weekend was spent celebrating our 3rd Anniversary, doing errands to prepare for the up coming trip (16 more sleeps), and cleaning the house. It wasn't the most productive weekend as we spent some time relaxing, snoozing and roaming - but it was fulfilling and restful and wonderful... all things a long weekend should be.

Reality sets back in tomorrow as I head back to work and Derek heads to Ontario for work. He has a big show in Hamilton that he has been working on for months now and it is showtime soon. He heads off tomorrow eve and it is me and the kiddens to man the fort for the next week. It is always lonley when Derek goes away for work, but this week and weekend will be full of things to do and people to see, so it will go past fast enough. He is back next Tuesday but then leaves again for work on Thursday evening for the weekend... I guess he needs to get these trips out of the way before we head to the Emerald Isle.... time is a ticking!

Happy Labour Day everyone... now, back to work! :)

Goals

2011-09-04T23:49:00.000-06:00

I am sitting here with Derek on a Sunday evening watching a show about Everest and the people who climb it... makes me think of some of the goals that I have had in my life and how I have achieved some of them.

The amount of determination that it takes to climb Everest is incredible, this is one of the hardest things to do on the planet. At this moment, I am watching someone be rescued from one of the camps that is above base camp and Advanced base camp. There are 6 camps after base camp, and at the 2nd one a climber got sick and then passed out and had to be taken down the mountain by all the climbers that were descending. They built a stretcher and took 75% longer to decend to help this guy... Everest can kill you.

All the climbers understand that this is something that could happen, you could die trying to achieve your goal - so when does a goal become something that is crazy and when is your goal worth it... it depends on the person. All of the climbers that are on the expedition think that the goal of climbing Everest is worth the risk, some dont think that even skydiving is worth the risk... it depends on the perspective you have...

For me, Everest is not something that I would ever try and achieve, however, I would LOVE to get to Everest base camp... for some, that isn't some place that they would like to go. Someday I will see Everest from Base Camp... and when I do, I will post a picture to say "I did it!".

Cinderella Man

2011-09-03T22:20:00.000-06:00

We just got home from our Canmore trip and sat down to snuggle on the couch and watch a movie. Tonight's flick was Cinderella Man staring Russel Crowe and Renee Zellwigger. What an amazing movie this was.

The spirit of determination in some people is so incredible that years later, their story still stands. How remarkable it would be to be an ordinary person, just trying to survive the hand that your dealt and end up being a person people revere as a hero.

The premise of the story, and this is a true story by the way, is that there is a boxer named James. He wins a bunch of fights and knocks most of his opponents out. Then he falls on hard times due to the great depression and is injured and looses a bunch of fights. His luck is horrible in that he can't make ends meet and is so poor that his family and him loose the heat to their house. He then catches a break and is asked to fight in a show fight where an opponent was needed unexpectedly. James wins this fight and his luck then turns around. He ends up being able to earn enough money to be able to pay off all his debts and then some. He fights his way up to the title match and fights a man who is so mean and nasty that he has killed two men. James' wife tries to get him to not fight but he does, then his wife realizes that he is fighting for all the people that need to work their way up through the muck to make a difference. He fights this evil man for 12 rounds and then by decision of the refs he wins!

The fight, the determination, the true heart of this fighter is incredible... the last fight reminds me of a marathon, where you have to dig deep and keep on moving otherwise you get hit and give up. This fighter showed that if you put your mind to anything, you can succeed. If you have enough heart and work hard enough you can win. We should all believe this, we should believe in the goodness of people again and the perseverance of man, the purity of heart and the strength of determination.... I know that I am going to try to do this from now on.

Next movie up.... Meet Joe Black - Brad Pitt as a younger man... nice! :)

Happiest of Anniversaries

2011-09-02T15:10:00.001-06:00

3 years ago today, My husband and I woke up in the sunny, fresh mountain air of Canmore, boarded a helicopter and flew to the top of Mount Charles Stewart to wed.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and the mountain tops were lightly dusted with fresh snow from a couple days prior. The air was so fresh and crisp, the feeling in the air so light. We chose to wed in our own way, and we only invited 4 other people to join us. One was the person marrying us, one was a videographer, one a photographer and one a witness. We hiked down the mountain, exchanging our vows of kindness, support and love, all the while, enjoying the company of our companions and each other. It was a perfect day, one I will cherish forever.

Today, is our 3rd anniversary of that beautiful day. We are heading to Canmore tonight to spend a night in our favourite little Inn and to relive the memory of our wedding. We are planning on going for a hike tomorrow, spending the day in the mountains before coming back home to our adoring kittens.

Often, over these past 3 years I have looked back on my life and realized how incredibly lucky I am to have the life I do. A person who shares my hopes and dreams, a home and life of my own and happiness that I didn't think was possible. I am thankful everyday, but I really feel it on today's date.

Thank you, to my amazing Husband, who strives everyday to fulfil the promises he made on that mountain just 3 years ago. My life has changed for the better because of you. I love you very, very much - more than you know. Happy Anniversary, to my one and only!

Day One - Project NaBloPoMo

2011-09-01T13:08:00.000-06:00

Well, today is Sept 1st, the first day of the fiscal year for some, but the first day of NaBloPoMo for me... what on earth does that mean? Well, this comes with a bit of a story...

About a week ago, a friend and I were talking about our dreams and aspirations and I said that one day I would love to write a book. She introduced me to NaNoWriMo, http://www.nanowrimo.org/, which is National Novel Writing Month... which is always in November. The aim of NaNoWriMo is to write a novel in 30 days... about 1700 words per day, equalling 50000 words plus at the end. If you finish, you are a winner, if you don't then you try again the next year. I have since signed up for this and thought I would poke around the website a bit... and I came across NaBloPoMo which is National Blog Posting Month. The purpose of this is to post on your blog once every day for a whole month. I have always said that I should blog more... now this will help me with this goal. It will also help me stretch my writing fingers for the coming novel. This whole adventure should be interesting... I am sure to have some different posts coming as I don't always have something profound to say! :)

During the next 30 days, you will be able to follow the journeys of me and mine across 2 different continents. We are flying out to Ireland in 20 days (excitement is bubbling) and I hope to post many (at least 9 posts) from there telling of our adventures and discoveries. I hope I will have Internet every day!

The planning is pretty much done, we an idea where we are staying or the towns we are visiting at least - each day. We have a castle booked for the night, a kayak tour, and several stays with family all planned... now we just have to get there. The adventure is sitting at my doorstep like a meowing cat that just wants to come inside... all I have to do is open the door... in 20 days! :)

Quote of the day: " You've only got 2 choices in life. Give up, Give in and Give it all you got!" - guess which one I pick! :) Have a wonderful day!

So, so, so out of date!

2011-08-23T21:57:00.000-06:00

Oh man, oh man!!! I am so out of date with my blogging... I have been meaning to get this updated for a while, oooops!

So, what has been happening... Tr1#3 didn't go very well... the open water swim took me WAY too long and it was what I would have considered as a character building event. The bike went very well, it was hilly and longer then regulation, but it was faster than my bike of the same length the week before. The run was a struggle and very hot. BUT, i finished and it made me learn a lot of things about this whole sport.

Then, this past weekend was Tri#4 - this tri was awesome! The swim was so quick, quicker than in training! I was in and out of the pool before I knew it. The bike went good and my split time was better coming back than going there, which is not uncommon, but it was by a big portion (3 or 4 minutes) so that was exciting. The run was steady and slow... I need to work on my running... but it was faster than anything this season so that was good. By the time that I crossed the finish line, my time was 25 minutes faster than my best time this season... that's right people, 25 minutes!!!

So, that concludes the Tri season for me this year... I have a couple goals for next year but I want to see how the winter goes before I share them with the world. I do know that I want to do a 1/2 marathon this fall/winter, so training will start for that soon.

This summer has gone so very fast! Derek has been skydiving close to every weekend (which makes him so very happy) and I have been riding, running or biking as much as I can. I have also been playing slo-pitch with my brother and sister-in-law which has been a lot of fun. Every Thursday I have been heading out to the ball diamond to meet up with our team for our weekly embarrassment and beating. We aren't very good, but we try and have fun. Playoffs are coming soon and before you know it, ball will be over.I am not sure that I will play next year, but time will tell! :)

The next thing that we have on our docket is Ireland... we are leaving in about 30 days for the Emerald Isle and I can't wait. My stomach is doing flip flops just thinking of it. I booked a kayak tour on Killarney lakes and a nights stay in the Belleek Castle... but the things I am looking forward to the most may just be meeting Derek's family and hearing the stories that Derek's dad told him the last time he was in Ireland. I am looking forward to seeing the place where my husbands roots are still so strong and also, lets be honest, the beer... I am looking forward to tasting Guinness for the first time. I am excited to sit in a pub, drinking a pint, and listening to some traditional music. There is so much to see and do, but I know that we are going to have such an amazing adventure. The only thing that was holding me back was my passport was due to expire, but I got it in the mail this morning and now I am all ready to go! yahoo, let the adventure begin........ in 30 days.

I guess that brings you all up to date.... not much left to chat about so I will let you go with a thought of the day that my mom sent me. It resonated with both of us because we have shared an experience that proves this true! "Always believe a child when they say they are going to throw up." - sorry about that again Mom! :)

Have a wonderful day, and keep on being kind, living the life you want and not taking any crap!

Tri #2

2011-07-04T16:37:00.000-06:00

This race was a bit better. I felt better prepared for it at least and that is a start. Derek didn't come with me on this one as he was flinging himself out of planes, so there are no pictures of this glorious event.

This race was not as well organized but the goodie bag was sure awesome as were the treats at the finish line! :) I got up super early and drove to Strathmore, strode into Transition and set up stuff up. I ran into one of the ladies I did at the previous Tri and so we chatted for a second and then it was off to sign in and get marked. I felt more prepared for this race as I knew what to expect and how to behave. I got signed in, got my awesome goodie bag and my prize from the random draw (nothing too exciting) and then waited for the line to form in the pool for the start of the race.

The swim was hard on me... I waited for what seemed like an eternity, and then finally got into the pool and jumped in feet first only to realize a touch too late that I had just jumped into the deep end (no metaphor here, the literal deep end!). I felt like I sunk forever... my heart was in my ears, I could hear it! So, for the next 500m, I struggled to keep my anxiety in check as I did the breast stroke. The front crawl just didn't work as when I got close to the deep end on each lap my breathing got laboured and I snorted water... but, I finished!

The bike was awesome, I managed to get through even tho my saddle/seat was painful. There were some hills and I got passed by some Ironmen, but it went good. I even managed to dismount without falling! :) The bike portion went so well that when it was time to transition to the running portion, I was so excited that I tied my shoes like they were skates. I didn't think of this at the time, but about 1/2 way through the run, my feet went numb and my calves were cramping so bad I didn't know what was wrong! I thought it had something to do with nutrition or dehydration. I figured it out when I tried to take off my shoes and couldn't just slip them off like I normally would have, I had to untie them... they were entirely too tight!

Lessons learned in this race of course, but I am happy with my time (1:58:something) as it was under the 2 hour mark which was my goal. Success I would say! The next Tri is July 15th and it is an open water swim. Normally this wouldn't make me nervous but having had such a hard time with the swim lately, I want to get out there and practice. It will also be in a wet suit so that should be an interesting experience alone, never mind the swim with things floating in the water.

I am sure that the training will continue to go well, I think I am making progress and I feel happy with what I am doing. I could always do more, but I do what I can and that is what matters!

Until next time, a quote to keep you thinking "Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential" - Winston Churchill. That Winston is sure smart!

My first Triathlon

2011-06-07T11:57:00.000-06:00

May 18th - Tri Diva Tri

The day came too quickly for me, and i didn't feel completely prepared for it, but on this morning I packed up my gear and my husband and away we went. To Airdrie, at stupid o'clock on a Saturday morning... how my husband deals with me I will never know. As we were loading the bike in the car we notice that the front tire is flat, and when I say flat I mean FLAT... no reviving this sucker! SO, the whole way to the location of the Tri I am worried that my bike won't pass the inspection because they don't have the stuff to fix flat tires and I will be hooped. I try and relax, but if you know me, that thought will just make you giggle.

We roll up, get the lay of the land and go and pick up my registration package. I then get my body markings with my number... in PERMANENT marker (yes, it took a week of scrubbing to get this crap off). I had to practically disrobe while there because I hadn't changed into my gear yet, but you do what you have to do. We go back to the SUV and get the bike out, and start standing in a long line that seemingly doesn't move. I abandon Derek to go and change and finish my energy drink and get my timing chip that I forgot to get from the registration table. Did I mention that I felt unprepared for this race? We finally got to the start of the line up and they fixed the flat, NO problem... I felt so much better and relaxed so much more when this happened - it is amazing how solving one little problem makes your day!

The swim - 250m

Ready for the 10K bike

From then on, it was smooth sailing. We racked my bike and set up my gear, I practiced fininding my gear from where I was exiting the swim... we were good to go! We had our briefing that took forever and then it was time to line up in the hall and get ready for the 250m swim. About 20 mins after lining up, we were in the water! The swim went really well, the last 25m nearly killed me tho as the water was salt and I had not prepared for that, I drank a whole lot of it and it was GROSS! After the swim, I ran out to my bike, only to pass it 3 times before finding it and changing into my bike shorts and shoes... don't forget the helmet! I was off in a flash and was flying on the bike! I passed so many ladies I was starting to feel bad, that was until I came into the dismounting area where I managed to get my foot hung up and not properly unclip it from the petal... down I went. Humiliation aside, and no major injuries, I kept on moving... it was humbling as some of the ladies I had just passed were passing me with their bikes as I shamefully made my way to the transition area. The run was next so I quickly put on my shoes and away I went! My legs felt like jello and my side was hurting from all the salt water, but a 2.5K run was NOTHING right??? I managed to stumble through it and crossed the finish line under an hour (which was my goal) - 58:05 was my time and I am happy with it!

Done the 2.5K run - total time 58:05

Next up, Strathmore Triathlon which is a sprint on June 25. I will try and actually train for this one! :)

Derek's Birthday

2011-05-21T20:16:00.000-06:00

For Derek's birthday this year, we had a small party at home. I made a roast and a cake and we had friends and family over. It was a nice evening with too much food and a lot of laughs... most particularly over the cake... the 6 fingered Red Hand of Ulster! ooops! :)

Just outside of where our hotel room was

Since Derek was so busy this season with work, being as there was an election and such, I waited for a couple weeks to take him on a surprise trip to Waterton. He was such a sport and played along guessing where we were going the whole drive when he knew that it was Waterton we were headed to.

Standing in front of a HUGE pile o snow

I got the luxury suite overlooking the lake and it was beautiful! Waterton is a magical little villiage where I love to veg and relax and just be. We got in later than we wanted, about 10, but we still had time to sit in the lounge and veg, have a beverage and eat. The next day we slept in and had a great brunch at a local diner... it was pricy but all things in resort towns are. We were going to go for a hike up Bears Hump but there was avalanche warning for all the hills surrounding us. They still had SO much snow... more than some people had seen in 35 years!

The Prince of Wales hotel... ironically where my Grandparents met!

We spent most of the weekend roaming around the quaint town, sleeping and we even snuggled up for a movie when the rain started! Some of the buildings and stores were still closed as the season starts after May long for them, but we managed to see most of the shops and buildings we wanted. Overall, it was a romantic, relaxing and wonderful, restful weekend... I had a great time and I think that D did too!

This post is brought to you by the letter... M

2011-03-28T11:35:00.003-06:00

This date happened in the beginning of March - fitting as it was, but it has taken until now to blog about it... why you ask? I chalk it up to pure excuses and laziness - sorry.

This sunny March day found Derek and I exploring the depths of the Military Museums. This place included exhibits from before WWI up unto Afghanistan. It was a representation of what Calgarians, Albertans, and Canadians have contributed to the safety and security of the country and the world. The exhibits included many peace keeping missions, artifacts from all the wars we have fought in and memorial walls for the soldiers who have fallen in and out of combat.

One of these walls was particularly important for us to see, as it held the name of Derek's cousin, Paul. Paul was in the Royal Princess Patricia Infantry and had served in many Peace Keeping missions during his service. I believe that one of the place he served was in Kosovo. Some of his time in service was not very pleasant, as you can expect, and impacted him greatly. It is days like this one, when we choose to remember those that have sacrificed their lives that I remember the cost of freedom is not free. Although I do not believe that war is right or justified, protecting the people that are helpless and not able to fight for themselves seems justified and right to me. Its like a bully on a playground... that bully will mercilessly pick on a kid until they break or until someone stands up to them to let them know that what they are doing is not right. It is this, the standing up to the bully, that Canada is helping with when they enter Peace Keeping Missions - and I will stand up proudly and support them in their quest. So, thank you Paul for your sacrifice and for your service... we have not forgotten you.

Going to a museum such as this help us to remember the history that our country has created for itself, and bringing someone so smart helps with this. He knew ALL SORTS of things about the wars that happened and particular battles. He even knew about the "Izzy Doll" (to find out more click here). He constantly amazes me with his knowledge about things... it is good to have married a smarty pants!

Another thing that we did for our M date is to go to a movie. As we were driving, we decided to go to the new fancy theatre at the big Mallzac - it is just out of town but is giant! As we were driving, it appears that an MVA (Motor vehicle accident) had occured on the highway - we were not able to change our route as we had passed all the turnoffs, so we were committed and sat patiently as they cleared up the debris. Because of this wait we missed the movie time we had chosen and were forced to walk around the Mall for a bit. We had some food and Milkshakes and finally were able to watch our Movie.

It was a great day, emotional and historical, I learned a great deal, had to practice my patience while we waited for the car crash to be cleared, and just enjoyed the day with my fantastic and smart husband. Once again, a reason why I love this alphabet date idea and another reason why I love my husband!

Until next time... when we see what the letter "S" has in store for us.

This date is brought to you by the letter... C

2011-02-17T18:28:00.001-07:00

Merlin and Audrey

So, the 1st weekend in Feb. Derek picked another letter from the "Alphabet date" pile and lo and be hold - it was a C! What did we do to fulfil that letter you ask? Well... we went and adopted 2 cats! :) They are kittens really, but they will grow up to be cats.

We spent all day trying to get the kitties sorted out so we didn't have much time for the other parts of the date. SO - since it is our date, we prolonged it... the next weekend we spent a leisurely morning having breakfast with the Coopers (that starts with C!) and then headed out for a hike in Canmore. The weather turned kind of ugly on our drive, the temperature dropped about 5 degrees and snow started to fall, big wet glorious snow! It was so beautiful, but who could hike in such weather? We weren't prepared for being wet and the extra -5 degrees below zero. We decided, instead to have a lovely afternoon roaming the streets (or street) of Canmore. We stopped at a local Coffee House for a Coke, Cheese Bagel, Carrot cake and Cocoa! (ALL start with C!). It was a lovely afternoon spent catching snowflakes on our tongues (OK that was me) and spending time chatting and being with each other.

Honestly, I don't think enough couples do this... it is so important to put time aside to spend time with each other and remember why you are together. Love is a beautiful thing, but it takes work and commitment and time. That is why I loved the idea of the "Alphabet date"; it gets us out doing things that we have always wanted to do and it lets us spend time with each other. It has been wonderful so far! I do have to say that we need to pick up the pace in order to get through all the letters - but, then again, who said they all have to be done in one year!? :o)

Bloggity Blog

2011-01-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well blogging world... one more week and my new adventure begins. I have been offered a new job working with a different IT company. Here I will be working in the Support department doing just general support like I have been with ADP - only I will have the opportunity hopefully to do more documentation work and maybe get into the communications side of things... you never know.

Things at ADP have been quiet and the people seem like they aren't overly sad that I am going - except my boss, I think she realized my worth but wasn't able to offer me any reason to stay! I haven't gotten so much as a peep from the soul sucker - just as well, it would have been all negative anyway...

So, on to bigger and better and brighter things - I hope!

This date is brought to you by the letter.... H

2011-01-23T00:36:00.011-07:00

H! The best letter in the world! Hurrah! Hazza! Hallelujah?

What did the letter "H" have in store for us? We spent the day at Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump!

We slept in (glorious sleep) and then hit the road after hitting "Hortons" for some breakfast! We spent 1 hour and 45 mins on the "Highway" driving, listening to music, chatting and just relaxing. We stopped (as I passed the entry for Head Smashed in) to figure out how to use our new GPS... only to turn around and drive back the same way we came for 1 km... in case you guessed it... I was driving!

Behind me is the "kill site"

A Traditional Tipi

We spent some time on a chilly walk to the "kill site" or the place that the unsuspecting Buffalo threw themselves off a cliff. We then went inside the Interpretive Centre and spent the next couple hours reliving the "Hunt" and learning about the Blackfoot tribe and their way of life, excavation of the site and how things have changed in the past 150 + years since the introduction of Europeans to the Native culture. It was incredibly interesting and very educational. I am very glad that this was our first Alphabet date!

A mock up of what a Buffalo jump looked like from below!

On the way home, we stopped for gas and some snacks - I had a "Hot Chocolate" and Derek had a "Honey Bun"... all things considered, a very successful "H" kind of day!

Thanks for being such a sport babe, and I hope our next Alphabet date brings us on another awesome adventure!

Welcome 2011

2011-01-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here it is... the first blog of the new year... albeit a little late!

So much has happened in the past couple months that it would be impossible to catch you up in full detail... I will give you the "Reader's Digest" version!

I turned 30 - I had a party, it was awesome. Derek took me out on the town for a night and we stayed in the swanky Palliser, saw the Canadian Tenors and I got some pretty and shiny jewelry. Turning 30 wasn't so bad.

Christmas came and went - we went to Vancouver for Christmas and spent the holiday with Derek's family and it was nice... no snow in Vancouver only rain, but it was still nice. We drove to Kamloops and had a wonderful visit with Don (Derek's former team mate) and then drove home through a snow storm in the Canadian Rockies... good times!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - We brought the new year in with style at a party with our good friends K and W. Good times, champagne and clicky shoes... what more could a girl ask for!?

Ft Mac? - Derek has spent almost 1.5 weeks in Ft. Mac leaving me at home to do things like learn HTML... sigh...

Now - Derek and I recently surpassed 5 years since our first date... awww... he is the longest relationship with a guy I have EVER had - excluding Dad and my bro - including my old car George!!! Thanks babe for helping make the past 5 years be years of growth, adventure and love.

So - what did I get for Derek for our "anniversary"? I created a new adventure for us... I called it Alphabet dates. What I did was find something to do here in our town to do for every letter of the Alphabet. Then I packaged them up in individual envelopes to open at our leisure this coming year. The goal... to open 1 every 2 weeks or so until they are all gone. There are of course rules... we have to do things that start with the letter and document them via photo, we can only do these things together (aka we aren't allowed to bring friends... they are dates after all), and we have to have FUN! We shall see how our first date goes... Derek has picked the letter H! :o)

Well, blog-osphere, you are caught up... welcome to the new year, welcome to the adventure that will be 2011!

My mother

2010-11-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Nov 18th is my Mom's Birthday. My mother is a source of strength for me and I often call her to chat. She has become a close friend in the past few years and when something wonderful or bad happens, Mom is often one of the first people I call. I couldn't be the person I am today without her. SO... In light of her 39th birthday (wink, wink) I want to wish her a very Happy Birthday by sharing something that I have been working on...

- Written on June 19, 2010 -

The impact a mother has on her daughter never fully occurred to me until I started thinking about our family reunion this year - it was our Centennial celebration of the Family Farm and was a big deal! I was creating a cook book of family recipes I had collected from various members of my family, and I began thinking about my Baba (Grandma in Ukrainian).
I recall all the days of my girlish youth spent in Baba's kitchen listening to her speak Ukrainian with my mother as we stuffed perogies or cabbage rolls or made pies. Baba would speak in Ukrainian and Mom would respond in English. I think it was partly because Mom's Ukrainian was rusty and she couldn't always find the words. I like to think that it was because she wanted me to feel included in the conversation, even if children at that time were meant to be seen and not heard. It was during those visits where I learned how to be a daughter or "doina". The main rule is, make sure you are helpful. Always try and do what you can so your mom doesn't have to. Let mom be the boss and do what she asks, if it's peeling potatoes, do it! If its getting dill from the garden or doing the dishes, do it. The job of a Ukrainian daughter is equal to a slave. BUT, we do it willingly, steadily, and always without complaint... well almost! It is our job, we are the "doina".
It was here that I also learned what it took to be a mother. It is a job so diverse and vast, but also rewarding. Mother's don't just boss around their daughters, they listen to them, give them advice, share wisdom and they tell stories of their experiences. Mothers also praise and encourage their children, sometimes not verbally, and often you have to look hard to find it. But, mothers share part of who they are with their daughters. Its like they hand over a piece of their soul at the birth of this baby girl. They are happy to watch their daughters grow and nourish that small piece they've planted until one day, the daughter sounds JUST LIKE their mother! Then, moms smile, a silent secret smile, and know that their legacy has officially been passed on."

Smile Mom, and know that your legacy has been passed on to me and I am so very thankful for the lessons and teachings your wisdom has given me. I am a better person because you are my Mother. I love you very much, and Happy Birthday!!!

When winter finally came

2010-11-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that Calgarians will note that winter finally came in 2010. Yesterday was a nice sunny day, with a gentle breeze with a fall-esque nip in the air. Today, it is snowy and cold and windy and, well, winter. I have settled in, after braving the cold, to my couch and a cup of tea to watch my favorite shows on the computer. We have errands that should be done tonight, movies to return to the movie store, or people to go and see... but tonight - on the day that winter finally arrived, we choose to stay inside and keep warm.

Voting day

2010-10-19T13:35:00.000-06:00

Albertans of all shapes and sizes lined up at their local school, rec centre or church to cast their ballot for who they think should be representing them for the next 4 years. It is always an exciting time for me... taking part in the democratic process, and I found myself skipping gleefully to the poles with the herds yesterday.

It so happens that yesterday was an historic election for Calgary with a virtually unknown climbing to the top of the polls to steal the coveted Mayor position from an experienced front runner. This election was a different one from the get go, with over 14 people vying for the spot of Mayor, it was a race from the beginning. Then, a news anchor quits her job to join the race for Mayor... suddenly there is more press on this race and the front runner, the experienced Alderman, has some serious competition. Not only is this news anchor very popular, they also happen to be a "she" and that seems to make the run for Mayor more about "is Calgary ready for a lady Mayor". In the end, a business professor came from behind to nab the job with a whopping 39% of the vote! The theory behind why this virtual nobody has become "his worship elect" overnight? He appealed to the masses... he reached out to the use by means of social media... he tweeted and had a facebook page, he went technical and in the end that resulted in him becoming viral. This seems to be the trend, just look at what Obama did.

The youth of today want politicians to sell themselves, to promise that they will be heard and that their opinion does matter. This isn't really new though, I mean remember when J.F.K was elected? (well, I don't I was too young, but I've read about it). He got the youth vote because he was young and inspiring and charismatic. That is what the youth want in any generation really... to feel that they matter. Our new Mayor elect has done this, he has inspired the youth to step to the polls and make a change. Now, all we have to do is wait for the change to happen. The misconception of most voters is about to occur... when our Mayor elect becomes His Worship, they will want to see ACTION... what they will end up seeing is the waiting game. Making change happen as a politician isn't as easy as they say it is when at the forums before the election, making change happen is about learning to play the game, learning how to deal with the bureaucracy and learning to make the right choices at the right time. Instead of action for the first little while, we will see our new Mayor learning... and that's ok... we will be patient, we will watch on baited breath, we will see change... eventually.

Congrats go out to all the elected members of the AUMA - go out and make the difference that you promised the people who elected you. Do your best, be honest and don't back down from a challenge - if you follow that advice, you should be fine! :o)

Saying Goodbye

2010-10-04T21:42:00.000-06:00

Saying goodbye is never easy, whether it is when you are leaving home for the first time, leaving new found friends in a foreign land, or leaving for a new adventure not knowing when you will see the other party again. Nothing, no amount of goodbyes that I have endured in my life could prepare me for the goodbye I have to say and witness tomorrow. Saying goodbye to a friend is hard, but saying goodbye forever is so difficult and witnessing that from a son to a father is impossible.

Robinson James "Jimmy" Orr was Derek's dad for 37.5 years. He passed away on the 28th of September after a month long struggle with pneumonia. We were lucky enough to be able to visit him for 10 days just before he passed away, and those memories will be treasured forever.

Jimmy was a kind, strong, witty, very intelligent, passionate man who raised my husband into who he now is. My husband is a strong, witty, very intelligent, passionate and kind man as well, and I was able to witness where he got these attributes from. I was able to see where Derek got some of his quirks and sayings, facial expressions and passion for learning, history and travel. He learnt a lot from his father, not only in what was passed down from him but also in what he observed.

We posted a notice on a website of pensioners where Jimmy used to work and we were flooded with kind words, warm thoughts and memories that brought smiles to our faces. He was known as a professional, kind man who went out of his way to help those in need. He was also known for his whit and his way with the ladies - he was very suave and gallant; a true gentleman. Throughout the people that knew him once he retired, they knew him as the gentleman and kind hearted man but they also knew him as a poet. He wrote some lovely poetry, some he gave to me, and I will treasure it and it will always bring a smile on my face.

Some people grace your lives for such a small amount of time but leave a giant impact. I did not know Jimmy for long, but will forever be grateful for his contribution to my life... his son, my husband. Without him, Derek would not be who his is and my life would not be nearly as wonderful.

So, tomorrow, with a saddened heart and I am sure tear filled eyes, we will say goodbye forever to Jimmy. I will thank him with my whole heart tomorrow for what he has given me, and I will feel happy that I have gotten to know him even just a little bit - enough to see the kindness and humour that was within him.

Iceland - Day 10 and 11

2010-09-03T12:54:00.000-06:00

Day 10

We wake up and grab a delicious breakfast from the bakery just down the street… I'm sure going to miss having the delicious breads and pastries just down the street at all times! We then check out and get the owner of the hostel to give us a ride to the Christmas house… yes, you read that right… the CHRISTMAS HOUSE! This is a house just minutes out of Akureyri that specializes in all things Christmas. The man who owns the house had this idea about 12 years ago and started with just the upstairs of this small house. He painted the house like a Gingerbread house (but red) and then put Icicles on the edges of the house and on the roof there were big giant candies... it was AWESOME! Inside it was like Christmas - it even SMELT like Christmas. Decorations and music and the crackling of a wood burning fire... it was complete. They had some Icelandic traditional Christmas things too like the 13 brothers at Christmas and their grumpy and mean mother Gryilla as well as the roasted, dried lamb leg (that I smacked my head on as it was hanging from the ceiling). It was simply Christmas heaven!

After returning to Akureyri, we had some lunch and sat and watched people, explored the down town, checked out the big church and then boarded our bus back to Reykjavik.

The 6 hour journey on the bus was not very eventful, there isn't really that much to see between the 2 major cities - a lot of farm land and lava fields... glad we left this leg of the journey until the last part and in the evening so we didn't feel like we wasted a day. We got into Reykjavik around 11 and walked to the hostel that was in the middle of the city... about a 15 min walk, so not bad at all! We settled in and went straight to sleep!

Day 11

I woke up early and went out to find breakfast and an idea of what we should do this morning - we only had until about 1:30 to spend in the city before we had to head to the airport. I booked our airport shuttle and then returned with delicious baked goods to the room. We headed out to our first stop the 814 (plus or minus) 2 museum. It is an archaeological excavation of the most complete long house found in Iceland - long houses are what the Vikings lived in. It was very interesting.

After the museum, we journeyed to the harbour to rent scooters... we had wanted to see the Pearl Building (which is their water tanks for the city that has been made into a beautiful building with a revolving restaurant on the top of it) and the building was a ways from the city centre, scooters would be the perfect way to get there. After some minor problems with my scooter and an upgrade (to a Vespa instead of a yellow scooter of no name) we headed out. 35 minutes later we were at the Pearl Building (after many detours and Heather getting lost a bunch of times... I sucked at navigating in Iceland but only because I couldn't understand the street names!). We parked, roamed around the pearl building for a couple minutes and headed back to the harbour (which only took 10 minutes... sigh). It was fun scooting around the city like we owned it though, and I would recommend this to anyone!

After the scooters were back at their home, we grabbed some food and some last minute souvenirs and got onto our shuttle for the trip back home. The airport and flight held no big event until we got to Toronto - the connection we had was only 1 hour 30 mins and we had to get our bags, go through customs and get new boarding passes, check our bags again, go through security and then find our gate... needless to say our bags took 30 mins to get to us and we were hooped... missed the connection. So, we spent 3 extra hours in the Toronto airport. We finally boarded the plane at around 3am Iceland time (11 pm Toronto time) and got into Calgary about 8am Iceland time and 1am Calgary time... it was one heck of a long day.

Now that we are comfy and settled back into our house, laundry done, tacks placed in the cities we were on our world map, we are anticipating our next journey... Ireland in 2011... the travelling continues!

Iceland - Day 9

2010-08-27T03:24:00.000-06:00

We stumble out of bed, pack our bags, check out of the hostel and head to the nearest cafe... in Myvatn there is only one, so it was easy! We try and figure out a way of getting to Akureyri without having to wait until 3:30 when the bus leaves. We also are trying to figure out how to book a hostel as no one has a phone we can use or internet we can poach... oh well!

We end up waiting around for most of the day, taking little walks and having snacks here and there to pass the time. Derek manages to find a phone and books us our hostel and then we wait... and wait, and wait. FINALLY, our bus comes and we eagerly get aboard. The landscape passes by us in a whirl of greens, browns and blacks... not moon like landscape that we have seen over the past couple days, but prairie landscape, it reminds me of home. An hour and a bit go by and we land in Akureyri, the 2nd most populated area in Iceland. We wind our way through the streets up and down hills to the hostel (which is really quite nice). We grab some food and settle into our room, making plans for the next day. We then head out to scope out the city... it is a nice small European style city, nothing too fancy or too bold about it. It is shy and quaint and lovely. We grab a beverage, a snack and then walk back to our hostel... everything is pretty well closed anyway! I can't help but feel that a day was wasted waiting for the bus in Myvatn... it is a shame when you only have a couple days to waste one waiting on a stupid bus to take you 100 km's but there was no other option other than hitchiking - and I am sure we would have done that if my foot wasn't being such a pain and Derek's back wasn't bothering him so... oh well, perhaps we will just have to come back!

We catch up on our internet addiction seeing as we have been without for the past couple days and then we settle in to watch "Conan the Barbarian" - you know the one with Arnold when he couldn't really speak english? It was awesome! Tomorrow we have a busy day of exploring and finding our way to Christmas town (who hooo!) and then we are off to Reykjavik for one last day and then home... as I said before... holidays go much too quickly!

Iceland - Day 8

2010-08-26T12:34:00.001-06:00

We woke up early again today but with anticipation for the adventure before us! We have scheduled for today the tour to Askja (pronounced Ask-ya) which is a caldera formed by a volcanic eruption and once the magma shot out of the top of the volcano the top of the volcano fell into the empty magma chamber. This happened again on the same caldera on a much smaller scale in 1875 and formed a smaller caldera that houses a small pool of geothermally heated water. There is a lot of history stemming from the 1875 eruption, part of it being a mass emigration of the farmers in the area. The ash and volcanic matter spewed all over the landscape making it hard for the farmers to maintain their farms and there for their livelihoods. The ash and matter were emitted from the volcano at such an astounding force that some particles were found on continental Europe and even JAPAN! A lot of the farmers emigrated from Iceland to Canada and have created a community that holds their Icelandic traditions strong and close. We think that this community is close to Winnipeg, as there is a direct flight from Winnipeg to Reykjavik!

So… we get up, get ready, pack our lunch and our warm gear (toques and mittens, sweaters and long johns) and head out to the tour pick up site. It was cold and rainy but we are getting used to the Icelandic weather. We hop on the big 4x4 bus (which is interesting in itself) and head out, first stop Modrudalur – a small working farm that still has traditional Icelandic houses, the ones with the sod roofs. We stop and have a quick coffee and snap some photos before being herded back onto the bus to continue the tour. The landscape is uninspired with its lava fields and pumice scattered a top it, but the cool part about that is the NASA astronauts actually did some training near where we were before they travelled to the moon. Neil Armstrong was recorded saying once back on Earth that Iceland was a lot like the moon. There you have it folks… we have been to the moon! We stopped in the middle of nowhere to take some pictures of the moon like landscape.
After 2 hours of bumping along in the bus over giant lava rocks and through rivers (seriously, we drove through some rivers) we get to Drekagil – a small park warden’s station before Askja. Here there were places you could rent if you felt like staying on the moon. There was also a very bitchy park warden there. Perhaps that is why they call it Drekagil, which means Dragon canyon. How we found this park warden was we were instructed to go to one of the houses to have our lunch and once there, we were told that we didn’t belong there. So, we went to the next house and there was no place to sit to eat, so we followed our bus driver into the next house and as we got inside this little firecracker of a lady shooed us our saying it was her home and to get out. We said we understood that it was her home, but we were unsure as to where to go to eat. She said that we needed to get out. FINE – we got it! We got out and then she followed us to the first house, spoke to the guy that kicked us out in the first place and said that we needed to eat here. We thanked her in our polite Canadian way, but really I wanted to tell her to “Eff off”. We settled into our lunch and started talking with a lovely German couple that we met on the bus. The 30 mins for lunch flew by with all the drama and then eating… before we knew it, we were back on the bus, bumping along towards the end goal, Askja. At this point, I am totally festering about the debacle with the eating arrangements and tell myself that this crater thingy better be good! The bus parks, we get out and start the 35 minute hike. We happily walk along, Derek snapping pictures at every step and me chatting with our Icelandic tour guide Solva. She is very interesting and doing the tour guide thing to pay for university. We have a good talk comparing the two countries and cultures and before we know it, we are standing on this cliff with a breath taking view before us. To the farthest point, there is a lake that formed in the big (and original) Caldera, this is the deepest lake in Iceland and is beautiful. Straight before us was, the Viti crater which was formed in the last eruption just over 100 years ago. According to Lonely Planet, this is the 2nd best spot in the world to bathe naked… AND, they say the best way to enjoy this hot pool is to jump in the Icelandic way… so when in Iceland, do as they do right? We navigate our way down the slippery wall of the caldera and find ourselves on the edge of the intense sulfur smelling pool. I strip down and plunge into the water anticipating the relief of the hot water, only the water isn’t hot… its actually COLD! The liars!!! I sit in the water only to take a couple pictures to prove that I was there and jet out just as fast as I got in. Lonely planet can kiss my cold naked ass, one of the best places to bathe naked…. Pshaw! I will say that there were many of the people on the tour with us that went into the water and none of them were as big a baby as I was about the water… some even thought it was nice! Crazy Europeans! :o)

We finished our walk around the Viti crater, soaking in the beautiful views and then headed back to the bus – two hours is a short amount of time when you have a 35 min walk there and back and you skinny dip in a crater! Well worth it though, and a highlight of this trip so far! The geological variation of this volcanic island is astounding and breath-taking! So… we head back to Drekagil to have a final pit stop before we endure the 2. 5 hour bumpy ride back. Only about 20 mins into the trip back and most people are sleeping, could be something to do with the fresh mountain air! We finally get back to the Modrudalur farm (which, by the way sounds a lot like Mordor from the Lord of the Rings – so we called the place Mordor!) and hop into the café to have a coffee and a “love ball” which is the translation for one of the pastries specific to Iceland. Basically it was a deep fried ball of sweet batter with raisins in it… mmmmmm! :o) Back onto the bus we go and for the last hour we are entertained by stories of Elves and Trolls (which they believe exist in vast amounts in the mountains here in Iceland) as well as their Christmas traditions. We get back to the same place we started from and stop in at the Supermarket for some beverages before heading back to the hostel. Today was a great day, a beautiful day with surprises and great stories! Well worth it, even with the bitchy park warden!

We hung out at the hostel writing, reading and downloading pictures for the remainder of the afternoon. There isn’t internet here so when I get to a place with internet access I will have to transfer these posts. Tomorrow we are heading to Akureyri or A-town to hopefully get in some museums and some more sightseeing before we head back to Reykjavik… the holiday is slowly coming to a close and I am just getting into the travelling groove! Holidays always go so quickly.

Iceland - Day 7

2010-08-26T12:32:00.003-06:00

This morning we got up early (not by choice but because the entire hostel was awake slamming doors and yelling). We packed up our stuff and finished our pizza then headed to the Skaftfell Café where we had a coffee and coke and started to plan our day. It was still raining so the kayaking was out and my foot was making it hard for me to walk so a hike was out. We were playing with a number of ideas when I asked the lady serving us what her favorite thing to do in Iceland was. She said it was taking this tour to the middle part of the island and in a crater that is in another crater she sat in a hot spring. VERY cool we thought, so we googled it and sure enough we could arrange the same tour. We booked it for Wednesday and then set to work figuring out how to get back to E-town in time to catch the bus to Myvatn – a lakeside town about 2 hour drive from E-town and located in the Northern part of Iceland. The server lady, when asked if she knew anyone going to E-town, said that she in fact was going there in about 30 mins and wouldn’t mind giving us a ride… such luck! We hopped in her car and as she navigated the winding roads her friend and her told us stuff about Iceland. Apparently on the fjord it only gets to 15 degrees below zero in the winter. With the wind and the dampness however, I am certain that this would feel more like minus 20. It was sad leaving S-town as it was such a beautiful place and we could have done so much hiking and kayaking had the weather and my foot cooperated… sigh.

Back in E-town we had about 15 mins to organize ourselves in time to catch the bus to Myvatn (pronounced Mee-va). The bus ride was basically like riding on the moon – we drove right through a lava field and more hot springs. We arrived in Myvatn… there is seriously nothing here to do. We went and got settled into the hostel and then headed to the supermarket to get some food for the night and next day (there is no place to stop for food on the tour we booked so we have to bring our own snacks and lunch). After that, we went back to the nice quiet hostel and had a shower and nap… glorious!

While we are waiting for tomorrow to come, and our very cool adventure to the moon to begin… we came up with a list of things we thought were interesting about Iceland… ok, Derek only came up with one!

10 Interesting things about Iceland
1. Their water is hot… you never run out of hot water in the shower, they have an endless supply. In fact, they like their water so hot there is a temperature dial in the shower so you can pick how steaming hot the shower gets! They also use hot water to heat their houses, and for electricity. The city of Reykjavik also has water pipes under their parking lots and some roads so that they can turn them on when it snows and it melts it… they use it for snow removal!!
2. The women for the most part are beautiful. A lot of them are blonde, tall, blue eyed and gorgeous… the men – well………
3. The cab drivers all appear to be called Jon – perhaps it is a name they just take on when they get the job… you know, like how priests become “father”.
4. It only gets to be about -15 Celsius in most parts of Iceland in winter. This is however over shadowed by the dampness in the air and the wind… with those two factors in mind, it may get very cold here! Even in the summer, when the sun is hiding behind clouds and the wind starts blowing it gets in your bones and is COLD… good thing they have so much hot water!
5. The people here are stylish! They don’t walk around in hikers and wind coats all the time. All the ladies seem to wear tights under their skirts, dresses or shorts, cute shoes and scarves. The men all wear nice shoes and great jeans. They also all seem to sport the traditional “Icelandic Sweater”
6. The Icelandic language seems to have sounds that come out of nowhere… Take the place Myvatn – it is pronounced Mee-va… where did the “t” and “n” go?
7. Everyone seems to speak English! I have yet to run into someone where I have to use pathetic hand gestures and pictures to get my question or point across (unless it was referring to one of the names of the towns and then I just point to it in my book). They all seem to have a very good command of the English language… that is until I order my hamburger plain – that just seems to boggle them!
8. Icelanders love their candy - you can get hard, soft and chocolate candies from almost everywhere in bulk - and they also love their hotdogs and ice cream… you can get these almost anywhere also!
9. The people of Iceland have to get permission from the Naming Commission – a government organization – to name their new born. All children of Icelandic descent have to follow their traditional naming convention. The first name must be of Icelandic descent and the last name has to be the father’s first name plus either “son” for a boy or “dottir” for a girl at the end. An example would be Thor Sigurdurson for a boy or Esud Sigurdurdottir for a girl. The father of either of those kids would have the first name of Sigurdur. All this in a democratic country!
10. There are Rav 4’s and Ford Escapes everywhere. Perhaps this is because they are smaller SUV’s and are 4x4’s… to get to a lot of places here you have to have a 4x4. We have seen a lot of our Timmy in the past couple days!

Iceland - Day 6

2010-08-26T12:31:00.003-06:00

We got up bright and early in time to pack up our stuff, have breakfast and head to the Hotel Centrum to chat with some other Team D members who were taking off on their own adventures. We thought it would be a good idea to share notes with them about the things that they are going to see as that might help us decide where to go next! On the way there we stopped at the tour agency that left us at the blue lagoon the day before to see if we could get a refund for even ½ the ticket… unfortunately we got the same attitude as we had on the phone, you snooze you lose even if we didn’t really snooze!
Our chat went great and we got some great ideas on where there are interesting things to see… there is SO much to do here, I’m not sure how we will get it all in! After the chat, we check out and hop into a cab for the domestic airport in the middle of Reykjavik. Thirty minutes later we are up in the air flying over some amazing sights… then the clouds rolled in and covered our view. The flight to E-town lasted all of 1 hour – flying from the south western tip to the north eastern. Once in E-town we hired a taxi – interesting fact about Egilsstadir, there are 2 taxis that run here, both drivers are named Jon and both have grey cars… not lying! We got to the information centre and got our tickets to Stadgifijordur (or S-Town) which is said to boast some of the most beautiful fjord views around. We then stashed our back packs (or obese children as we have officially named them – short story as to why… we read an article in the Reykjavik Grapevine (a local paper published in English) and the article stated that you could tell a tourist a mile away from their hiking boots, North Face winter coat and the back packs the size of obese children on their backs… Derek and I looked at each other and laughed as we were totally busted looking like this) and ventured out to see what E-Town had for us before we boarded our bus.
This town is more of a transition town or a service town for the surrounding areas – not a lot to see here. We did manage to go to the East Iceland Museum which held some interesting displays of what life may have been like in Iceland in the 18th and 19th centuries. They also had remains from an excavation that was completed at the sight of a monetary. They had bones from graves and parts of the traditional coffins. There were some interesting observations about the bones, a lot of the people were malnourished in some way and there were a number that were thought to have down syndrome. Also, the number of girls outnumbered the boys 2 to 1 – and this was specifically with respect to the infants buried. One might venture a guess that girls were euthanized due to them not being as “useful” or they may be considered more of a burden. I know that this was the case with the Inuit culture many years ago. The girl babies were placed outside the tent or igloo when they were born if the parents didn’t want her. She would then die due to the cold and harsh climate. After the museum we ventured off to the Culture house to see some art exhibit. The art was less than inspiring and not very interesting. It reminded me of art I did in grade 3 with liquid paint of varying colours and a straw. You put the paint on the paper and then blow it around the paper with the straw. VERY fun when you’re 9 but for some reason I don’t think that the artist was 9.
Once we were on the bus it was smooth sailing – 29KM of winding roads leading us up and down until we came over a hill and our jaws dropped. The fjord was stunning. Water falls were falling from every corner, the hills were green and then dropped quickly into cliffs. This was a place that inspires people to move to different countries. Our heads were swiveling so much they ought to have popped right off our heads and no matter how many pictures we took of this waterfall paradise, they would never do it justice! Despite the rain, we trekked to the tourist place and trekked to our hostel… it was honestly here where a pain in my foot became unbearable. We got to the hostel and were able to score the last 2 bunks… whew… everything else was booked up apparently! After dropping the backpacks and putting in a load of laundry we hit the town for some grub! We ended up at Elsa café which was the proprietor’s home that he had converted the bottom portion into a sports pub. We had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and a beer – yum! S-Town is actually the port where the boats come in from Europe so on Thursdays this town is bustling and this pub is probably full of Scottish folks looking for a pint and to watch the soccer match (ok, total stereotype but am I wrong here?). After the walk we thought we would head to the super market for some snacks and breakfast materials for tomorrow but it was closed… off to the second best thing here in Iceland – the gas station. We grabbed some grub there (honestly, it was a pizza) and headed to the hostel to take in the amazing view and to plan our day tomorrow.
The hostel we stayed in was 2 houses brought in from Norway that were meshed together. This made for some of the walls being VERY thin. The bunks were 2x4’s and plywood with thin mattresses on them which made them very hard and very noisy every time you moved. We shared a room with another man named Zac who interestingly enough is travelling around the world – he is from Wyoming. He is taking the ferry out to Europe because he doesn’t like flying and the flight from New York to Iceland was just barely 5 hours. Needless to say, he was interesting. Not only did the beds squeak but the doors slammed, now I am not sure that this was because of the people who were yelling throughout the night (or so it seemed) or if it was legitimately the doors, but it felt like the doors were going to slam right through the wall! Needless to say, Derek and I didn’t get the best sleep. The common area and the view, I might add, were really great though and deserve to be mentioned… if only we could have slept out there!!

Iceland - Day 5

2010-08-23T15:32:00.002-06:00

Today was the day of the blue lagoon! Since we stayed out late the night before, we thought we’d rest and sleep in a bit. By the time lunch rolled around, we had food in our stomaches and tickets in our hands for the blue lagoon. A 45 minute bus ride from Reykjavik, the blue lagoon is in the middle of nowhere. You can see it from a couple km’s away as the steam from the hot water gives it away. The landscape is almost moon like in that the lagoon is in the middle of a former lava field from a long ago erupted volcano. Going into the blue lagoon itself is a bit of a process, you have to check in, get a bracelet that is your key to your locker and also your key into the lagoon area – all automated and very cool. Then you go into the huge changing rooms, try and find a locker (good luck on a busy day) and change. Then you have to have a shower without your suit on – why I don’t know – then put your suit back on over a wet body and then you get to the lobby of the actual lagoon itself.

Once the lobby doors open though, you can see the beautiful lagoon and its milky blue water… then the FREEZING COLD wind hits you (and remember that you are wet) and you almost sprint to the water. After a marathon, I am certain I looked more like an abused penguin, but I made it, flopped semi-gracefully into the water and there we remained for the next 2.5 hours! The water wasn’t what I thought it would be. I was imagining this refreshingly hot spring water all over… but this is not the case. Throughout the vast pools, the temerpature varies. Some places (like the middle) are freezing and some places (near where they put in fresh spring water) are very hot… you’re mission (should you choose to accept it) is to find a place that Goldilocks would approve of… juuuust right! Once you’ve found that place, then it is time to go and get a silica mud facial mask on and bask in the beauty that surrounds you. The silica mask is basically as it sounds, a mud mask made of silica mud that you lather on to your face to make your skin glow. After about 15 mins of it making my face itchy I would wash it off… BUT, my skin does feel smoother!

After our relaxing time spent in the water we got out to catch our bus back to Reyjavik. We had enough time to grab a snack, look at the gift shop and take a couple pictures… or so we thought! We get to the bus pick up location and lo and behold, our bus is not there… granted we were there at 5:15 and the bus departure time was 5:15 but seriously… leaving us stranded when we had a celebratory (and free) supper to go to… UGH! I then did something very uncharacteristic of me… I didn’t freak out and panic… I sat down, sighed and waited for a solution to present itself… sure enough 2 mins later there was another couple looking as paniced and lost as I felt. They too were left behind by the early to leave bus. We managed to call the bus company to confirm the bus had left and sure enough it had and basically, you snooze you loose was their philosophy when it came to us being stranded. Our options… wait for the 6:15 bus (Supper started at 6:30) or hire a taxi to take us back… we ended up splitting a taxi with the couple (we found out they were from Sweden). Fourty five minutes and $45 later, we were at our hotel, rushing to get ready for the celebratory dinner for Team D… our last official event of the Team D experience.

Dinner began with a lovely glass of wine and some mingling… it was honestly amazing to see how many people we still did not know! The meal was good, even if they selected the food for us… we totally lucked out with chicken as the main course. We spent some time reflecting as a group on the great things that Team D has done over the past 10 years and some numbers like 26.6 million dollars have been raised for the Canadian Diabetes Association, 80 destinations have been visited, 3 million diabetics and 6 million pre-diabetics helped with our fundraising, and it went on… I lasted through the whole weekend, the whole run, and crossing the finish line, achieving a goal I set so many years ago - all without crying – quite the feat for me – but I was crying when Fred (the director of Team D) told us these stats… that’s what made this all worth it. Knowing that the money that I raised could help with important research to find a cure, or it could help a family adjust to one of their members being diagnosed with this disease… it made all the pain, the stress of fundraising, the hassle of the early morning Sunday runs, the lack of beer and wine – it made it all worth it. So, the tears were tears of joy that the small and meager sacrifices that I made in my life may impact the life of someone else, and perhaps (fingers crossed) the life of someone that I love.

So, after the inspiring supper, we said good bye to our new friends and headed to our hotel to warm up from the wind and cold, and plan our pending adventure into the wilderness of Iceland. We literally stayed up until 12:30 discussing all our options and not being able to settle on just one… so we just booked a domestic flight to the opposite end of the country and decided that this would be the place that our adventure alone begins. Tomorrow at noon we will be in Egilsstadir (or “E-Town” as we call it because you try and pronounce that name!)

Iceland - Day 4 - MARATHON DAY!

2010-08-21T20:28:00.001-06:00

I woke up early this morning, looking forward to getting the show on the road. I had a wonderful breakfast with some of the Team D members and then got ready for the run. We met as a team at the Hotel Centrum for a team picture and then off to the start line. I must admit, I was a lot calmer than I thought I would be... I thought I would be a basket case, but in reality I was as cool as a cucumber (I think I was freaking Derek out!). Suddenly, the starting gun went off - perhaps there was a count down but it would have been in Icelandic! Off we went! I managed to get on a steady pace and become buddies with another lady who was doing the 1/2 marathon. We ended up running almost the whole 1/2 marathon and to be honest, it was nice to have company for the first part to keep my mind off the daunting task before me. Derek was cheering me on just past the 10 K mark and just before the 18K mark - we have the pictures to prove it.

Cathi and I parted as she went on to finish her race and I turned on the ipod and started my solo journey. Things were going great until the 26th ish Km and then the pain started in - this is when I remembered how much my brother has to struggle daily to maintain his diabetes and that kept me motivated to keep going, working through the pain - like he does every day. At about the 30th Km I was so glad to see Derek. Not only did he have food and water, but he also managed to run with me a couple Km's and was challenging me to a race! This pissed me off (as you could imagine) and after about 2 km's I passed him and never looked back! These were the hardest km's for me because I can show weakness to Derek and he will still love me so I kind of fell apart a little. He would have none of it though and pushed me to keep on running. (Thanks babe for being you and keeping me going!)

The next hard part was at about 37km, I knew that I was almost done but the wind was blowing me literally sideways and it was getting frustrating and unbearable. I then looked up over the grassy hill to see a lighthouse and that reminded me of my Grandma - who happens to have gotten diabetes - so that made me tear up, bear down and keep on trucking.

The last 5 km's or so I just enjoyed (as sad as that sounds) and ran at my own pace. It was so awesome to come around that corner and see the finish line. There was a lady in front of me, and to be honest I gave it my all to catch her in the last 5K... I ALMOST made it, but my tired little legs just couldn't give me that little bit extra that I needed. I finished in 5:25:38 which was 25 mins past the time I was hoping, but I am not disappointed by any stretch - I finished and that was the main goal!

It is nice to know that you can do something when you put your mind to it, and I do know that I won't WIN a marathon any time soon, I can proudly say that I have done one and for a great cause!

The rest of the day included eating chips, drinking a couple beer, having a waffle with chocolate and whipping cream... all the good stuff. It also consisted of a really cold shower and a 3.5 hour nap.

After the nap, Derek and I hit the town for the Cultural night of Iceland. It is when the whole of Iceland practically comes to Reykjavik to party and indulge in the finer things. They have concerts around town, excellent food venues and fireworks. We went and cruised around until my poor feet couldn't take any more. We also went to a couple night clubs that are oh so popular with the locals. It was a great night that was topped off with good music, yummy food and the best fireworks I have ever seen - the Icelanders LOVE fireworks! Off to bed now as it is past 2am here. I wanted to make sure that this was up to date for all those who are reading!

Off to the Blue Lagoon tomorrow to soak my sore body in the healing hot springs!

Iceland - Day 3

2010-08-21T20:09:00.000-06:00

Today was another early day, we woke up and caught our bus for the Golden Circle tour today.

First stop was a geo-thermal plant. This plant uses the hot thermal water from the ground of Iceland to provide all water to Reykjavik and surrounding area. It was fascinating that they have been providing this for most of their country (94%) for the past 20 years. They also provide electricity, so basically, they are using a very environmentally friendly way (and sustainable way) to heat and water their country... we should take note!

After that was Dingvillier which is the place of the first 'Parliment' in the world. It is all outside and a wide open space but is on a fissure that is on the American and European tectonic plates that are slowly pulling their country apart. Very interesting.

We were then off to Gullfloss which is a waterfall that was stunning and we also had lunch. The waterfall rivaled my home town's victoria fall and Louise falls!

After the falls we went to Geysir which is a Geyser. This is actually where the name of the geological phenomenon came from. The hot water that shot from the earth was originally named Geysir, and later the geologists named all phenomenon like this geyser. All of the geysers here have different names. It was awesome to see a giant spout of hot water shoot from the earth.

The final stop was a church where Catholicism was eradicated from Iceland by the Lutherans. The bishop of this church was actually beheaded at this site. The church was very simple but beautiful and had gifts of thanks to the Lutherans from all the Nordic countries.

Our tour bus dropped us off at the Pasta dinner at a beautiful place for our pre-race dinner. It was a great dinner and was once again nice to meet some of the people I would be running with.

A great day of adventure and learning the history of this country.

Iceland - Day 2

2010-08-21T19:57:00.000-06:00

We got up early in the morning - day 2- and headed to the harbours. I was so very excited for today because we booked a PUFFIN TOUR! Puffins are the bird of Iceland and are quite frankly, adorable! We found our boat and headed out to the island Lundey just east of the Reykjavik harbour. Thirty minutes later, we were laughing at the funny puffins! The flap their wings something like 300 times a minute and look very funny as they remind me of giant butterflies. They don't have great landing skills, and we saw a bunch of them crash land into the water or land as they were bringing their young their food! It was great - and so scenic!

After we returned from the Puffin tour, we went to our Team D welcome party... it was great meeting some of the people that I would be running with. We also found out that there are 60 runners and we have all raised over $445,000 for the Canadian Diabetes. Great job Team!

Once we were filled with the free brunch, we went back to our hostel and checked out and found our new hotel. After settling in, we scooted around town checking out the sights. We went to the top of the church and got a panoramic view of the city, saw a square that the young people have picnics in the evenings, and just took in the great sights of the city.

We are having a great time!

Land of fire and Ice - Day 1

2010-08-18T15:46:00.001-06:00

First impression of Iceland... Who knew there would be so many trees? It is green and lush and for a country that is above the 60th parallel, it sure has a lot of trees. It is also a LOT warmer during the day than we thought... it cools off at night but it was close to +20 this afternoon and just beautiful!

It is wonderful thus far. We found a lovely hostel with a huge room for tonight, and its just off the major shopping streets. We had breakfast with a bunch of fellow Team D folks and managed to get in some great sight seeing as well. Not that we can pronounce anything that we saw!! The language is hard to pronounce for our North American tongues, but is a lot less phlegm-ie than I thought it would be. The people seem really nice and willing to help you out with questions and silly tourist worries. I must look Icelandic however, as I was asked by 2 separate families for directions!

Tomorrow, the remainder of the team comes in and we have a meet and greet. There will be almost 100 Team D members (60 of those runners) in attendance! I am looking forward to the breakfast! :o) Before this breakfast however, we are going on a puffin tour - out to see these crazy birds in the early hours of the morning! Apparently, they are known for their poor flying abilities and their crash landings... I just think they are WAY too cute!

That's all for now, I will keep you all posted as the time goes on. The jet lag is starting to really get to Derek and I as he is sleeping right now and I am hardly staying awake. I guess not sleeping for over 24 hours and then having a 3 hour nap doesn't cut it. It is just past 9:30 pm here so perhaps we can get some sleep and wake up early for the puffins and be acclimatized already! :o)

Sending you warm wishes from the land of fire and ice... and a huge thank you for all of you who helped this dream come to fruition. T minus 3 days!

Heather and Derek

14 days until I'm running

2010-08-06T02:40:00.001-06:00

It seems that I have been Forrest Gump for the past year... where ever I was going, I was running! Well, as my friend Nancy says, soon "this is where the training pays off"... in 14 days from today, I will be running a Marathon (a full 42.2km) in Reykjavik Iceland. I am nervous, excited, anxious and curious as to what it will feel like. Not just at the beginning or the end but the middle, and past the 32km mark when it all becomes new, and also when it gets so hard that I will feel like giving in... THAT is when the training comes in... the mental game of the marathon begins.

Fundraising has truly taken up so much more time that I have ever anticipated. HOWEVER, the end is near... after a calculation tonight, I have a little over $1700 to raise. With cookbooks scattered across the province, I should be able to make up most of that... but there is still a couple dollars that are not fully accounted for. (this is where helpful people who love me come in handy!) Donations to https://ocp.diabetes.ca/Pledge/csPersonalPage.asp?tId=10824&oId=1212131 would be awesome... ok, fundraising plug done.

I have already started, in my OCD little way, to pack for this epic journey. We will be arriving in Iceland in the wee hours of the morn on August 18th and return late at night on the 28th. It will honestly be 10 full days on the island, one of them being occupied of course by the run and the next day being a trip to the healing waters of the blue lagoon to soak my sore muscles in the fantastic hot pools. (I think I am REALLY looking forward to that day!) The rest of the days we are going to "wing" in that we are going to buy a bus passport for the 'ring road' that goes all around Iceland and just fly by the seat of our pants. It worked so well in Bali, why not here!

Other items of note since I last wrote... we had our Verbisky family reunion - 100 years on the family farm and almost 100 family members to celebrate! (There are officially 83 of us soon to be 84 in 6 months - congrats Amiee!). We had great weather, TOO MUCH food, good music and a great visit. It was nice to see everyone, but because I am in the middle of training, I couldn't partake in too many desserts and bevies. Derek and I also took a wee bit of a road trip to St. Paul to see where I came from and then drove down to Drumheller to see where Derek spent some of his skydiving youth. We spent about 2 + hours in the Royal Tyrell Museum which was so incredible to see after so many years... makes you feel really small and powerless to see some of those dinosaurs!

Mom and Dad are currently in the middle of a holiday to France (hi Guys!!!) and will be in Toronto the day we leave for Iceland... One part of the family returning to the country and another part leaving. It sounds like they are having a great time and that makes me even more excited for our pending adventure... if that's possible! Even Derek's starting to get into the "excited I'm going on an amazing holiday adventure" spirit... starting I said, not packing already like me! :o) Our world could only handle one OCD partner and I have that one in the bag! hahaha! As always, I will be updating this blog as the adventure unfolds... most specifically focusing on the run and letting everyone know how it went!

Until the first post from Iceland comes... here is a song that has been a great motivator and spoke to me when I first heard it. I think it resonates with a lot of people and although it is sung by Miley Cyrus, It is an amazing song... it's called "The Climb". This really is the 'theme song' if you will of this whole journey... not just for the past 1.5 years where I have been committed to this run, but the 14 years before that when I first made the goal to run a marathon... I have had this as a goal since I was 16 and it's about to come to fruition... one heck of a climb!

The Climb ~ Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

Time is whizzing...

2010-07-18T12:06:00.000-06:00

I must admit that I have been SO preoccupied with this whole "running a marathon" thing and fundraising, planning and training for that, that I seemed to have shirked some of my duties. Namely vacuuming and blogging. :o)

Not much has been happening with us this summer... an endless supply of selling cookbooks, fundraising, running and working - that is my life right now! Derek has been teaching courses or working every weekend... making money for the big trip! :o) But, having said that all, and seeing that we are noticeably busy... we are happy. Time is ticking away and we are still living in marital bliss - How could we not be with the pending holiday we have before us!?

I have been running a lot... ok, maybe not as much as I SHOULD, but enough to be able to make it through my first 32K run last weekend. WOW, was that a LONG way... BUT, I did it in under 4 hours which made me deliriously happy (not sure the delirium was from happiness or the run... but I was delirious non the less.) Perhaps my goal of running this marathon between 4 hours 30 mins to 4 hours 55 mins is achievable. I think it is if I stick to the training the next 34 days and eat good. (perhaps the apple danish I had for breakfast wasn't a good start...). This whole journey has been full of happiness and disappointment, pain and pleasure... I guess that is the life of a marathoner - you live for those moments where delirium takes over and it brings you through the hard and painful times. What a symbol of how life is... take the moments that make you happy and those will pull you through the sad.

I am so very much looking forward to the trip to Iceland. The more I read about this crazy, uncharted country/island, the more I look forward to our rustic, backpacking adventure. I only wish we had more time and more money... we could spend MONTHS there taking all the hikes and trails. It is a hikers paradise I have read! Hopefully we will get a hike or two in... time is of the essence and despite the rumours, Iceland isn't totally as cheap as initially thought. It will be a trip of a lifetime, however, and I really look forward to the rest... it has been a long year and a long time anticipating this. Can't believe it will be here in only 34 days!!! I run a freaking marathon in 34 days!!! Yikes... will I ever feel ready for it?

I am glad that I got time today to catch everyone up - fundraising isn't as easy as I thought and $12,000 is WAY more than I anticipated it being... but dollar by dollar, penny by penny, we are making it. Only $2908 to go and we have reached our goal! Thanks to all those who have helped along the way... a BIG THANK YOU go out to the parental units for the contributions a plenty... Thank you for helping me make a difference! Thank you for helping me achieve one of my life goals! Thank you for having me!! :o)

Until next time - here's a quote or two for you all to ponder!

"Even if I come in last, I'll always be ahead of the person that didn't get off the couch" ~ unknown

- and -

"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." ~ Bill Squires

Uncle Ed

2010-06-06T23:48:00.000-06:00

On May 25th, 2010 the world lost a wonderful and kind human being. Ed Wolanski, my uncle, died of a heart attack while in the hospital undergoing treatment for brain cancer. He was a gentle man, known for his listening and asking those important questions. He was a gentle soul who was so brilliant, creative and loving.

Derek put together a video hommage to my Uncle Ed... take a look and enjoy his easy smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9I2z6UKNw&feature=youtu.be&a

I remember when I was a little girl we visited Ed and Ollie in Ontario. His welcoming smile made me smile and always made me feel at home. We would spend lazy days at the cottage and Ed's quiet reflection would evoke converstation and he always tried to engage us as kids... even when we were 10 or so. He loved to make you think.

What I will miss about my Uncle is his easy smile and welcoming hug, but also his inquisitiveness and curiosity about who YOU are. He was never one to shy away from the hard questions but he always asked in a way that made you want to answer them. He was a kind, gentle man full of spirituality and goodness. I will miss him very much - most specifically at the 100 year reunion, where 52 years ago Ollie and him shared their wedding. It would have been wonderful for him to be there to celebrate with us, but in truth, I am glad that he was taken without the great suffering and pain that is associated with brain cancer. He will share in our celebrations in spirit, and we will remember him.

Uncle Ed, thank you for sharing your wisdom, kindness and love with the world. We are better and kinder people for having known you - you will be greatly missed by so many people. I love you and miss you.

People are mean

2010-05-19T06:38:00.000-06:00

I have lost faith in the goodness of people. I always believed that people were inherently good... that just isn't true.

Throughout this past month I have experienced people slamming the door in my face, yelling at me because the colours changed one software application at work and was told that its policy to charge for adding my HUSBAND to the car registration. People SUCK... the long and short of it.

One of these days, I am going to be in a terrible mood and someone is going to be a jerk (as they normally would be) and I'm going to loose it... like the Champ... Head fake them with my purse, an upper cut to the chin and a right jab to the solar-plexes! Look out, the wrath of Heather just might come one day!

Is it me? Have people grown grumpier and more unhappy throughout the years? I try and keep optimistic, try to be happy with what I have and where I am at the present moment... it really isn't that hard, just think of all the people in the world that have less than you and be thankful you are where you are. Some people can't be happy with ANYTHING... they are soul suckers. Be wary of soul suckers because if you get too close you will fall under their spell and become a soul sucker too!

Enough ranting for one day... enjoy the sunshine that is in your life, regardless if it is raining because someone, somewhere has it worse than you. Be thankful and joyful for what you have... this will radiate to others! And above all... DON'T be a soul sucker!

15 years have passed!

2010-05-02T00:04:00.001-06:00

On April 30th, 1995, a young girl of 13 was killed tragically in a car accident in my home town. Deanna Starcevic, a grade 7 student, was out with her boyfriend at the falls enjoying a spring day. Her boyfriend had been drinking, and before he knew it, on the twisty turny road that is between Enterprise and Hay River, the car was out of control and had rolled numerous times. Deanna was dead and the boy, just 18, was found later on to be a murder and sent to jail.

15 years later, I pause to reflect on that day, the feeling of knowing someone I had seen in school had died. It was my first real experience with death and I had no idea how to feel. I didn't know Deanna at all, she was younger than I, but I knew of her and her presence in the school. I remember the solemn feeling that the school had at that time and it was a while until joy was felt again. I recall going to the funeral and seeing, for the first time, a man crying - that image will be in my head forever. Her father, standing by his car, wailing in grief saying "My Baby is gone, my baby is gone". I hadn't cried at the funeral at all (which for me is abnormal) and I guess I didn't know how to act. I remembered crying after seeing her father cry - I remember thinking that my father would be doing that same thing had it been me that was just put into the ground. It was a lot of firsts for me, and it impacted me more than I think I knew at the time. I still have the leaflet from the funeral - the things that we keep. I have had the leaflet in my book of handwritten poetry since, and there it will stay forever.

"... We fancied that we hard them say, "Dear Lord, thy will be done, For all the joy Thy child will bring, the risk of grief we run. We will shelter her with tenderness, we will love her while we may, And for happiness we have now, forever grateful stay. But shall the angels call for her, much sooner than we planned, We shall brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand."

I guess that I have remembered Deanna 15 years later says something about the impact that her life had on mine. Not that I knew her, but the loss of her life taught me about grief and mourning, but also taught me early on that life does go on. Every time that I am on that windy road between Enterprise and Hay River, I always try and remember what corner it was that the accident occured and I remember the impact that event had on my life and so I guess, in my small way, I will forever remember her - Rest in Peace Deanna.

The cake geek?

2010-04-19T21:57:00.003-06:00

Not sure how it happened... but I have become the resident Cake decorator! Honestly, though, I do enjoy it so it isn't hard to deal with... it is just weird because I am not all that artsy!

See exhibit 1 - the Princess cake I made for Lily's third birthday... It turned out pretty good... even if it DID fall apart when we tried to move it!

Then there was Rowan's cupcake which turned out AWESOME! It was delicious and didn't fall apart! See exhibit 2:

Then, lately, there was Derek's Cake for his Surprise birthday this past weekend. The original didn't work out at all... the icing just wouldn't stick to the sides of the cake... have you EVER heard of that? It was so odd. BUT, after a trip to the store late at night and some creativity (not really mine but our friend Kimberley who has a masters in Art) we ended up with a fantastic parachute cake for him! See exhibit 3:

So... Lily is turning 4 and I have a fantastic cake planned for her... lets hope it works out and doesn't fall apart like last years!

Until next time... Cake Geek signing off!

ADDITION:

Exhibit 4: Lily's 4th Birthday cake - a Safari Train!

The article that never was...

2010-03-14T10:45:00.000-06:00

This past month I attended a meeting for the provincial skydiving association. I was shocked at some of the comments of the President that were demeaning towards women. It seems that despite the technological advancements of the sport of skydiving, the social aspect is stuck in the 1960's when it comes to women's roles. This upset me. This, along with the significant amount of funding the government has issued for women in sports prompted me to write an article for the Canadian skydiving Magazine. Unfortunatly, it will never be printed because it speaks negativly about government funding and I guess is a bit 'strong' worded. I was told by the editor that if I toned it down and didn't speak against funding then it could be printed... but that would take the soul out of the piece. SO... seeing as it will never see print, I figured to put it here. At least SOMEONE other than Derek and the editor will have read it! Enjoy - and let me know what you think!

Promoting women in Skydiving, a different perspective:

By Heather Hamilton – Sociologist and Tunnel Flyer

One of the things I love most about skydiving is that when a team is in the sky, it doesn’t matter if they are male or female, it matters what slot they are, what maneouver they are completing, what role they are fulfilling. Their gender doesn’t seem to be an issue in the sky, so why, when on solid ground, does it pose such an issue.

The Government is currently trying to assist sports that have distinct minorities to up their numbers of that particular minority. Women in skydiving are a very real minority as only 22% of Canadian skydivers are women according to CSPA’s records for 2009. Go to any drop zone on any given day and you will see this very prevalently. New Government programs are being created and funding given out for promotion of the sport to women. I think promotion of the sport is great, I am all for it, but why do we have to promote the sport to only women. There are many sports out there that are drastically skewed the opposite way and have way more women in the sport than men, such as Figure Skating, and I don’t see funding being created for the promotion of men in that sport. It is because our society views women as less prone to engage in sporting activities, and in an era where women want full equality, it is suggested that this may be the way to increase equality in some sports. Retention of women in extreme sports will always be low, this is because of the makeup of what society expects from men and women as well as what the sport entails. Some would even argue it is in our genetics, in our fight or flight response or our hormones. Whatever the reason, we know that in the coming future it is doubtful to have a 50/50 split of women and men involved in skydiving.

What could be a different solution to the retention of women in skydiving is the manner in which women are viewed within the sport. Women have been known to be powerhouses, and if you look at some of the top teams in the world, they have women in them. Four way FS teams Peris Fury and Arizona Airspeed both have women jumpers (Christy Frikken & Eliana Rodriguez respectively), our very own Tropical Fish (who received silver at nationals in 2009) have a female member Monique Andrie (who is also CSPA’s newest Course Facilitator) and, Amy Chmelecki has revolutionized VRW as a discipline along with her team Arizona Arsenal. Former Canadian National 4 way teams Stratosphere had Tana Nash and Basic Instinct had Nesta Chapman (also a Course Facilitator), and let’s not forget the all female 4 way team Cat Women, as well as many other Canadian women skydivers such as Jean Aitken, Tina Buckthorp & Nathalie Gaudreault who have been involved in big way formation records. There are even more examples of the leading roles women have played in this sport when you look at the competition records (found on the CSPA website at http://cspa.ca/competition/english/cnrecord.htm). Just look at the amazing role models women have in the sport.

Whether a recreational or boogie jumper, a junior or competitive jumper, take some time to stop and observe the drop zone around you. Listen to the remarks about gaining more altitude for a “flash” or see the all female teams use names like “Pussy Galore” (which is mild compared to some I’ve heard) and then start to realize why women may not be sticking around and why women’s participation could be so low. While having the ability to be powerhouses, on an average day at a typical drop zone, women are not being treated as such. Where else in our daily lives do we allow such stereotypes and comments? Why would we allow it to be accepted at the place we go for recreation? Time and again I have heard remarks about women’s “role” or some comment that is of a sexist nature. While all remarks are intended in fun, they have a more profound meaning for the women in our sport. It gives the impression that women are less valuable and weaker than the men in the sport, and this is simply untrue. Sociologist and skydiver, Jason Laurendeau, studied this point in his paper “Just one of the Boys” and found that while women felt like they were equal in their ability, they were not being treated or represented as such.

If we look up to the women that are the leaders in our sport, we would know that they wouldn’t tolerate or subscribe to the antics described above. They are serious and passionate about this sport and it reflects in how they treat themselves and others, and in what they tolerate. If we follow the example they have set for us and have more respect for our fellow skydiver whether they are woman or man, then perhaps women might feel more welcome and less threatened or exploited. I am all for extra funding for increasing awareness of the fantastic sport we all love, but let’s be our own advocates for women in the sport. Let’s support each other in a positive way and not in a derogatory or sexist way. This will show the public that we all are proud of our sport and that our sport is proud to have women (and men) as members of it. We are a community of diverse but passionate people, and when we are in sky it doesn’t matter what our gender is so why is it such a big deal when we’re on the ground?

Feb's ramblings...

2010-02-25T03:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am on nights again and alone as Derek has abandoned me for Arizona. :) He left on the 16th of Feb and hasn't looked back since. He is in 'Skydiving Mode' which means he is not really all that concerned about the snow that we get or the mail that comes... all that takes a back burner when it is Arizona time! Truth be told, he isn't having much luck down there this year as the wind tunnel is out of commission until mid March and the weather has been cold and rainy! I feel bad for the guy, sad perhaps because he is in AZ - land of sunshine and happiness - but I do... he looks forward to this ALL year - it is his time to be in his element, with like minded people who love to do what he loves. It is his "Derek time" and I really don't like when that is messed with. I wish him blue skies and fair winds for the remainder of his trip... and I hope that he gets to jump out of something cool like a DC3 to make up for the tunnel being out of commission.

As for me... I am running again, reading and working on my website. Check it out when you have a second... it is a work in progress... but I just wanted to see if I could do it! www.heathermarie.ca Let me know what you think. It all seems to always return back to this blog, however, and whether or not the website stays, this blog will live forever. It has become my online journal of my evolution of being human. How could I get rid of that?

It always amazes me how many people actually read this... I heard twice in the past 2 weeks about how people like to read my "blog thingy" so they know what is going on with me... it is encouraging and flattering that people take the time to read my ramblings. It gives me hope that my thoughts and writing are actually entertaining enough to return to time and again... hope for the potential book that I keep dreaming about. The dream however, is being a recluse in France and drinking espressos until my book is done. Not sure if it will happen that way or not, only time will tell!

Some of you may laugh, but lately, I have been feeling a little old. Not ANCIENT as in 95 years old kind of old, but old as in I have lived long enough to know someone for 20+ years. It is WILD when you can say - "Oh yeah, I lived in Iqaluit about 20 years ago" and be RIGHT! Then I look at where we were and who I was (a mere 9 years old) and I think how much time has passed, of all the people who have come and gone from my life, of all the people who left footprints on my heart. I feel warm and bubbly inside when I think of that. Then, I think of how un-cool I could now appear to my young cousins who are just graduating high school... I am their OLDER cousin... as in, could have bootlegged for them for the past 10 years old, as in have lower insurance because I am 'responsible' old. Perhaps this comes in the wake of my youngest cousin turning 18. That's it... there are no more underage cousins... we are ALL legal on both sides... what a revelation... that means that time is passing and life is moving on. The problem with this... I still FEEL 12! I still feel like catching snowflakes on my tongue and running around in the rain splashing in puddles. I don't think I am old, but looking around and seeing the world outside of my 'bubble' things are moving along, time is passing by, and people are getting older. I knew that time was passing and that life was being lived, but I didn't think that I would be feeling any different when I observed than I normally do. Who knew... and why didn't I get the memo!

Speaking of time gone by... I want to brag a little about our home town hero. Brendan Green is in the Olympics and races this Friday (in 2 days). I don't know Brendan on a personal level, but we could pick each other out in a crowd and know who the other person was. I watched as this gangly quiet boy grow up in the shadow of his brothers and sisters. His is the youngest of the Green clan (and I often referred to him as "little Green") and although he was an amazing athelete, all the Green's seemed to have that gift. Now, I see his pictures and video of him racing in Biathlon, and he astounds me. He is a strong, energetic, focused man who is following the dream he has had since he was "little Green". So, on Feb. 26th, I (along with my entire hometown) will be wearing Green and will be glued to the computer watching him race and fulfill his dream of being an Olympian. He is only 23, so this may not be his only Olympics - but you only have one first so this one is special! GO BRENDAN GO! To see more on Brendan, go to his blog and check it out... our hometown Olympian! We are already SO proud! http://brendangreen.blogspot.com/

January Blues

2010-01-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

It seems that everyone I know is off on some great adventure to some warm location and Derek and I are stuck here, in snowing and icy Calgary. It was just a year ago when we graced the beaches of beautiful Bali, and then not long after being home we hit the road for Southern California, Reno, Vegas and Arizona. We were quite the globetrotters last year and I guess I am jonesing for a fix of jet fuel and passports! Derek will be off and away to Arizona in three weeks for his annual trip to Eloy. I will be staying home. I couldn't get the time off work and it didn't make sense for me to go this year. We are going to Toronto in March to visit family and see the sites however, and so maybe that will tide me over for awhile.

Iceland seems so far away but in reality... it is only 207 sleeps away or 7 long months! It seems like such a mountain that I need to climb because of the fact that I still have so much money to raise. I am only at about $3000 and my goal is $12200. I just sent out my cookbook to be printed so I hope that brings in close to $3000. I also have Yuk Yuk tickets left so that should bring in about $1000 and I still have yet to solicit straight donations so I am hoping that by June I have it all in order and the only thing I have to worry about is training! Speaking of training, I have the green light to run again from the Dr. and Physio guy... so I am taking it slow and steady and focusing on re-building the base that I lost in the 2 months of dormancy.

I just wanted to vent about not having enough traveling time set aside for us this year... next year things will be better and I hope that we can travel much more than we have this year... I guess it all depends on us winning the lotto! Perhaps I should finally buy that ticket! :o)

My thing

2010-01-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching this episode of a show I like. It is about this girl who is in High School and she is asked to do special tasks for God. The moral of most of the tasks is to see how one action can and does affect others. This episode was different... it was about her finding her "thing"- you know, the thing she's good at.

I remember being in High School, surrounded by so many people who were talented in so many ways. James Oslund was an amazing artist, Jennifer Lee was so honest and faithful and gentle, Jennifer Rosendahl was a wonderful figure skater, Tiffany Frose was so delicate, petite and graceful, Sarah Makepeace has such beautiful writing, Nancy Grimm was so smart and stood up for what she believed in... the list goes on. It seemed like I didn't have a thing... I wasn't the best skater, or the best in school; I wasn't the best basket ball player or writer or baker in home ec. I was just me, a normal person who wished that she was extrodinary. This was the story line in the show today. Joan, the main character, wanted to find her thing... and by the end of the show, she had realized that her thing was that she explored, she tried different things. Even if she failed at one thing, she picked up what she had and moved on to the next thing. She dug deep for the jewels in life, the things that make it worthwile.

I realized that I am a lot like this. I have tried a lot of different things in my life... some I have done well at and others I have failed miserably at, but through it all, I haven't stopped trying to find the next adventure life has. I guess that is a lot like what this blog has been to me... a record of the things that I have tried and explored. From pottery to skating, from the LSAT to reading Dr. Boxalls 1001 books, I have tried a lot of things. I know that I won't be the next Michaelangelo or Literary giant, but I know that my family will proudly show the pieces I have made for them, or read my blog and writings and that is good enough for me. I am happy to be me, the person who loves to try everything at least once, and who doesn't have to have only ONE thing... I choose to have many... I choose to continue to explore. Like Joan, I choose to dig for the jewels of life...

4 years ago today, I was on a date that changed my life forever. It was on this day that I had the first date with the man I call my husband. It is amazing, when you look back on the days you have lived and see moments that changed your life, and if you have any luck, they make you smile. Today always makes me smile... today, 4 years ago, the journey of Heather and Derek began, and it makes me so very happy... I suppose this could count as one of my things... finding the man who utterly loves and understands me... Life is good ... the exploration and journey blissfully continue.

The swing of things

2010-01-14T12:57:00.002-07:00

It is the middle of January and we haven't skipped a beat when it comes to getting back to the swing of things after the Christmas/New Years hoopla. Derek has been working hard this January, which to be honest is weird as January is one of their quiet months. He just got back from Ft. Mac only in time to go back on Saturday... oh life on the road... don't miss it much!

I have been tackling my 'resolutions' like a crazy lady on fire! I have 2 (almost 3) books read off "the list", I have been continuing to "train" for Iceland by going to the pool and swimming my little heart out, I am blogging more (want proof, see my other blog) and I am eating WAY more salad this month and I am feeling better. It is funny how when you change something that seems relatively small, it makes a big difference.

I am training in the pool for two reasons, one (being the major reason) is that my foot is still "broken". I got the results back just the other day and the Dr. said that my foot does NOT have a stress fracture. SO... back to physio guy to figure out what to do with this foot! I hope that it isn't TOTALLY buggered and that it isn't too bad where it would take MONTHS to get it back in running shape. I miss running... it was a way for me to escape the gloom of my job and the yuckiness of the weather and just get inside my head and imagine what life would be like if I liked my job and lived on a tropical island. ALSO, I want to test out the shiny new PINK ipod I got from my husby for Christmas :o). I will keep you posted on how this all works out! Until then, I have hit the pool and found that, like running, it has a methodical pace that you can just get into and think about other things. It is alone time with me. I can't think too much, however, as I am not yet as confident with my swimming as I am with running... I drank 1/2 the pool last time as it takes time for me to find my rythym... much like running was at first! I had gotten to the point when I ran that I could just run out the door and keep that pace, wonder what it will be like when I get back to it! eeek...

Rowan, my brother's oldest Child, turned 5 yesterday... it is hard to believe that this little girl had overcome so much and has graced our lives with such love and enjoyment for 5 whole years! She is our miracle child, and such a wonderful and enjoyable human! Her giggle lights up the room and her successes swell my heart... I just adore her and now she is getting to be a big girl... she is out of the toddler years! We are having a big birthday bash for her on Saturday and I (as Auntie Extraordinaire) have a delicious cake planned... a GIANT CUPCAKE! The theme of her party... all things pink and sparkly! (so needless to say, the cupcake (inside) is pink, the icing will be white with sparkly pink sprinkles and tonight I am making the "cupcake liner" out of pink candy! it is going to be SO COOL!). I have a Michael's trip planned for tonight! :o)

So, alas, we are very much into the swing of January... and before we know it, it will be February and Derek will be taking off for his annual trip to Arizona (without me *sob*). Time sure does fly the older you get...

Welcome the New Decade!

2010-01-02T14:18:00.003-07:00

In comes the new decade and it makes me laugh to think of where I was on New Year's day when the New Millennium struck. I was in Hay River, boozing it up with my family and Aunty Jessie watching Peter Mansbridge ring in the New Year around the globe. We wore ridiculous 2000 glasses and drank from champagne flutes that said 1999/2000 on them. It was a happy New Year indeed!

It is also a time to take a look at what I have done and where I have been the past decade. I was in College when the year 2000 came, I was in year 2 in Grande Prairie and loving independence and learning. I was 19, it seems SO long ago! I have since been to University and received my degree and in the process met so many people that changed my life forever. I have been in some bad relationships but persevered and have found the love of my life. I have struggled to blend in and be who everyone else wanted me to be and realized that who I am is just wonderful and when I am myself people love me whether I succumb to everyone else's expectations or not. I have learned so much and discovered who I am in the past decade. I am exactly where I should be... on the brink of finding a career I love, sharing my life with someone who values me and loves me just as I am, and creating goals for myself that challenge me, help me to be a better person, and make me stronger. It was a busy decade!

What do I want for the next decade? I want life to keep on keeping on... I want those unexpected corners in the road of life to come up, so we can move with it and venture through this adventure called life. I don't want to set goals for the next decade, I know that I want to keep on checking things off my bucket list, and keep on traveling as much as we can. I want to keep my options open and take opportunities as they come.

I do have a couple resolutions, however for this coming year. They are as follows:

~~1. Train for and run the Marathon in Iceland~~ DONE
~~2. Live a healthier life - eat better and work out more~~ DONE
3. Read at least 20 books off "The List"
4. Be nicer to my family and friends - they are the people I rely on most
5. Volunteer more
~~6. Try to get more items off my bucket list~~ DONE
7. Be true to myself - don't go with the crowd all the time
8. Blog more
~~9. Get my website up and running~~ DONE!
10. Finish 2 more courses for my Communications degree

I figured since it was 2010, I should have 10 resolutions. All of these basically are resolutions that make me better, healthier and happier. I hope to blog more to keep you in the loop with how they are going!

Until then, Happy New Year Blogging world and welcome to 2010!!!

December

2009-12-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

As it often happens, I have gotten wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the season and have forgotten to inform my wonderful followers as to what I have been up to! Although time has passed, it seems that not much has changed. I guess the only valid news is that I have a stress fracture in my left foot. This was caused by the massive amounts of running I did prior to and during the 1/2 marathon in November (in which I beat my personal best by 2 mins and 30 seconds!). I really didn't think anything was wrong with it at first, I thought I pulled a muscle or something. A month passes and it still hurts. I decide to go to a physio guy and see what I can do to help the healing of this muscle... turns out that I have a stress fracture and the prescription to heal it is rest and no running and elevate it... totally sucky because that means I shouldnt run until February! I guess I will just have to try and keep the base I have up until then by swimming and biking.

Christmas is almost upon us and my folks are driving as we speak to come down and spend the holidays with us. It is going to be wonderful having the whole family together and having a good visit! I miss my parents when they are at home, and I am very thankful that they manage to come down here often enough for visits - even if it is a passing through visit on their way to somewhere exotic!

So, other than Christmas is comin' and the foot situation, nothing new to report! Be good to eachother this holiday season, remember that there are many people who have much less than you around the world. Try to be kind to your family and friends, they help support you in so many ways through out the year. Most of all, be good to yourself! Try and do something for YOU this holiday season... so often we get wrapped up in the season and doing things for other people that we forget about ourselves. Be kind to everyone... including you!

Merry Christmas!

The beginning of the end

2009-11-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well folks, in 2 days it will be Dec 1 - which means, for those of you who do not know, that the begining of the Christmas season is upon us. For me, I try to hold off getting Christmas-ified until AFTER Dec 1st but this year I am finding it so very hard to hold back. I want to start singing jolly songs and decorating so things look all happy and Christmas-y. Even if I live with the Grinch, I still have so much spirit I make up for it! :o)

Having said this, it also means that it is the beginning of the end of the year! Before we know it, we will be popping Champagne corks, singing "Auld Lang Syne" while streamers fall around us and our closest friends! It is time to start to take a look at the year that has passed, see if any or all of the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year have been fulfilled or not, see if you are where you want to be in life, look at the mistakes and joys and hardships and laughter and adventure in the past year; revel in all of it - you have survived another year of life and that is something not everyone can say. It is time to be thankful for what you have, set higher goals, look for more adventure, seek greater love and joy, find more things that make you happy, spend more time with your family and friends, worry less about the bottom line or the corporate jargon we all bring home - it is time to remember to live.

We get wrapped up in our routines at this time of year - shopping, getting that perfect present, wrapping, decorating, baking, going parties - that we sometimes forget the greatest gift of all; life. So when you are wrapping presents, baking or trimming that yuletide tree, remember to relax, smile, and sing along to the jolly songs. Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, love, peace and hope and we should all remember and practice this. Start planning the amazing adventures the next year will include. For us, a trip to Iceland, perhaps a career change for one or both of us, perhaps a trip to Toronto to visit family, perhaps a trip to Arizona to visit friends and explore the tunnel more. I know for a fact, that Derek and I will be exploring this new year with hope of things to come, joy for things that are, love for each other, and peace in our hearts for those things that didn't go our way or for those family ties that help remind us who we are and why we are the way we are.

So, sing loudly, those joyful songs of the season, live in love and hope for things to come and spread peace by smiling and taking time to relax and enjoy. After all - we are coming upon the last month in this decade... something to celebrate and think about!

The flu bug... darn thing :o(

2009-11-06T15:13:00.001-07:00

This year there is this HUGE hype about this nasty little flu bug called H1N1 or the Swine flu. It has been in the news for weeks now and has solicited some very emotional responses from a LOT of people; mostly with regards to the vaccine. There was a shortage (which we all knew was coming as they only had 3 million for Canada as a whole on the onset) but what they didn't anticipate was the immensely long lineups and panic and anger displayed from some members of the public. It boggles my mind how people can make such a big thing out of something that isn't as deadly as the seasonal flu and how they can be mad at the fact that the government is trying to help people. If we lived in America, we would have to have health insurance or pay for the vaccine. Thankfully we are in Canada so we don't. If we lived in 3rd world countries, we wouldn't even be thought of. We are thought of, however, thanks to the Government. So what, Canada, are you complaining about? The fact that you had to wait in line 8 hours to get a shot? It was your choice so just be glad that you have the choice! Are you mad that only pregnant women and children are able to get the shot now? Relax, they are the ones that are most susceptible and honestly, the ones that spread illness the most. SO - Stop complaining, wash your hands, don't cough on people and you will be fine! Sheesh! Rant done!

Having said all that, I have caught a bit of a flu bug myself. Although I some flu symptoms, I feel well enough to function. I am not achy or nauseous like most flu bound folks are, so I am thinking this is just an average, run of the mill cold. Fingers crossed... lots of fluids, lots of rest and plenty of hand washing, coughing in my sleeve and sanitizer and I will be A-ok! :o)

Settling in for winter

2009-10-26T13:50:00.000-06:00

It is that time of year, when all the leaves have fallen to their demise, the days feel shorter because they are, and there is an ominous gray colour to the light. It is officially fall, and really close to winter I would say. It is the time of year when the sweaters come out of their summer hiding places and the summer clothes get stashed for another season. It is the time when the air is chilly and scarves and mittens provide comfort, and when soup is a lunch staple, hot chocolate is like a hug and Chili is a necessity! It is the time where birds fly south, chipmunks store nuts and people begin to snuggle into their fire place ladened houses. It is the time where we start to hibernate, and only go outside when necessary or when spring comes, whichever it first. I don't know why, but I love this time of year. Perhaps it reminds me that all things come to an end and after the end comes a glorious new beginning. Perhaps it is because it brings me back to the days when life was so much less complicated, blissful and always happy. Or, perhaps it is because I like the way the cool air feels on my face and the smell of the fallen leaves as they crunch beneath my feet.

This past weekend, along with 400 other crazies like myself (and 4 friends whom I convinced with my dashing smile and clever wit) ran in the "Halloween Howler". It was 10K for me and 5K for my friends. It was, well, interesting. My friend Jenn brought her darling little girl and dressed her like a little flower. It was very cute. But, 1K into the run she started howling... she was covered HEAD TO TOE in snow. See, we are all crazy because it was snowing and slushie and cold. It was -1 Celsius and did I mention wet and cold? I managed to run, however, and beat any time that I have had in Calgary this year! I did 10K in 1:05:26 and to make things better, I blew by 2 girls just before the finish line... made me feel so great! (Very sick, I know, happy that I beat 2 lovely ladies - but seriously, one was in a pink tu-tu... how could I let her beat me?) I actually sprinted for the last 100 metres or so and it felt so good... The last 4K I picked up my pace too and passed quite a few people who were petering out at the end. Nothing like preying on the weakened... I sound evil! (insert evil laugh here!)

Other than running A LOT (last 1/2 marathon this season on November 15th), and working I have been crafting. A while back I stopped at my cousin Cathie's house and she - being a crafter extraordinaire - revived that urge in me to create. So, I have a couple projects on the go, some that are still 1/2 done from my un-employed era and some new ones. It is nice being able to craft again - not sure why I put it all away and stopped! I will try and post pictures when I am done some of my projects!

My brother and sister-in-law are in Egypt right now and I have to admit, I am green with envy. It is horrible being jealous of them as they really need a vacation. It is great that Rowan was healthy and happy enough for them to go. I know that they will worry about their children while their gone, but they are going to have a great time, and they will learn a lot about ancient days, and they will rest... they will see amazing things and be places that I have dreamed about seeing. So... wishing them happy and safe travels, super jealous but I will get over it. After all, we are going to Iceland in August, so I can't complain that much! :o)

Fall has arrived

2009-10-08T11:22:00.000-06:00

The chill in the air, the frost on the car windshield, the leaves rustling beneath my feet indicate that fall has arrived. Fall often reminds me of being a little girl and going to school, the new clothes and fresh scribblers, the start of the skating season. Fall makes me feel very nostalgic.

THIS fall, looking into the future, sees me working, finishing my course and running a lot. I am working towards a 1/2 marathon in November and after that I am free until March (maybe) of next year! It is nice to train for something and have a plan, but it is nice knowing there is an end in sight. I am looking forward to this race as it is flat, I have a great training plan, and I have a group of people that will be cheering me on... it is going to be super fun!

I am moving along with the course that I have right now... 1/2 way through it actually and although I haven't gotten any marks back (as I sent them in one after the other) I feel good about it! :o) I am not sure if I will be taking another class right after this one ends, but if things go like I wish them to I just may! :o)

Lots of potential change on the horizon in that I am looking for a new job - and not necissarily in Calgary. Turns out that the job I have isn't very fulfilling and really doesn't pay me what I should be making. I want something that is more challenging and of course pays more, so I am out there again, looking, scouraging for a new opportunity that I can sink my eager, young teeth into and learn. Here's hoping something comes to fruitition! :o)

That's all I have for you cool cats! You have a great Canadian Thanksgiving this coming weekend. D and I are headed to my bro's for some good eating and a visit. Although it won't be the typical "Turkey dinner" it will be delish! ( Thanks for the invite bro!!!) Ciao and remember that we have a lot to be thankful for. If you can read this, you are blessed in more ways that you think! You have access to a computer, you have power, you can read... all things we take for granted every day. Time to be thankful folks and be safe!

Our Anniversary week!

2009-09-14T06:51:00.002-06:00

The first Anniversary came and went and it was a great time!

On the actual day, we hung out and spent the evening curled up on the couch watching a flick and eating pizza... I know, not the romantic ideal of an anniversary but it was so relaxing and wonderful! We did watch our wedding video again however, and Derek's vow's that he wrote all by himself still bring tears to my eyes. It was such a beautiful day and I am SO very glad that Jeff the videographer extraordinare got it all - the feel, the action, the emotion... the beauty of the day! (Thanks again Jeff!)

The next day, my husband surprised me with a massage at home. We had a massuse come to our house and give the both of us a massage. It was glorious. We lit some candels, put on some tunes and spent the 2.5 hours in wonderful, painful, relaxation. It was pure bliss!

The following day found us on a flight to Chi-town or Chicago for a weekend get-a-way for the celebration of one fabulous year of marriage. We did ALL sorts of things... rode segways, visited museums, saw amazing architecture, visited the 3rd tallest building in the world (Sears Tower), went on a sail on a tall ship and spent 3 fantastic days getting lost in a totally new city. We were exhausted by the time our little heads hit the pillows in the morning, but judging from all the pictures, it was SOOO worth it!

A couple highlights, the Segway tour - so fun!; The Tall Ship - since seeing "White Squall" I have always wanted to board a sailboat and hoist sails; eating Deep Dish Pizza - it has changed my take on pizza forever; and spending a wonderful weekend connecting again with my husband. It was a great trip; fun, fulfilling, action packed and worth every penny!

I am not sure if we could have spent the weekend in a more delightful, and "Us" way than traveling, spending quality time with eachother and just enjoying our surroundings and our life together...

I don't think we (as in the world) take enough time to just enjoy where we are and what we are in that given moment, and be thankful for it... we should be more thankful for what we have and what we are able to do... all of us. I know that I am very thankful for a wonderful husband, strong and rewarding marriage and a life that I could only have dreamed about.

One Year ago today

2009-09-02T02:05:00.001-06:00

One year ago, today, the man I love and I climbed into a helicopter with some friends that were professional video, camera and rescue people and flew to the top of a mountain. We hiked down that mountain while engaging in a sacred union that will unite us forever... we got married. ONE YEAR has already passed in our lives of wedded bliss, I can hardly believe it, and it seems like so much has happened, yet the days flew by without me knowing it and lo and behold we are standing at the threshold of one year.

One year means a lot to me. It shows that we do still really like eachother and get along well enough to stay married. It says that we are united, and even though many have said the first year is the easiest, we are still the same Heather and Derek that helicoptered to the top of Mt. Charles Stewart that beautiful day. It is a mark in time that shows we have some history, and that the best is yet to come. One year means I am in this for good... I am happy, healthy, being present in my life and sharing every moment I can with someone whom I love more than I thought possible... One year means there is more, and it only gets better!

I want to say Thanks to my husband. Thanks for putting up with me when I am grumpy, sad, stubborn, indecicive, scared, sobby, and well, bitchy (I know, it never happens! :o)). Marrying you was the best decision I ever made and I am so very lucky to have you in my life. As I said one year ago today... "having you in my life makes me feel whole". Thank you for everything you do for me - you are the best husband I could have asked for! Please remember "For all eternity, I love you".

The blogging world, Banff and an Ice Cream Truck

2009-08-31T01:43:00.005-06:00

I recently saw the movie "Julie & Julia" which is about a young woman (about my age) who is an aspiring writer and she blogs about how she is working her way through Julia Child's book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". While that is something I would NEVER conceive of doing (seeing as I would eat about 3 things made from that book and all of them without some ingredient or other) the idea struck me as wonderful. Why should a person who is putting their heart and soul on the line (and on the web) and not get some recognition!? God knows there are enough bloggers out there, and some REALLY great ones at that, that should get some recognition! Although my dreams of being one of those people is very limited (I am not sure what would make my writings stand out amongst the millions) I have to admit that I fancy the thought of one day being world renown for my writings, I will have to seriously re-evaluate this blog if that were to happen... as in, there is no topic that I write about ALL the time... it is, you have to admit, pretty random.

The past week I was in Banff for a couple days (one evening of which was spent in the movie theatre watching the aforementioned movie) visiting the husby (my new nickname for the husband) as he was working out there. I have realized, as I always do when I spend time out in the mountains, how much I love it out there... the air is so fresh, the views so inspiring, humbling and quiet. We are so incredibly lucky to live so close to the amazing mountains, and as I was saying to Derek, we don't spend enough time out there! I was thinking and chuckling to myself of how wonderful it is to be close to a place that people save YEARS to come and see... I mean, if it blows me away every time I see the mountains, and I live here... imagine what THEY must feel. The other day I was sitting down town having lunch with my sister-in-law and we saw some tourists posing like they had their hand on top of the Calgary tower... kind of like what you see people doing to the Pyramids of Giza or the Leaning tower of Pisa... and the thought came to me... Is that what we look like when we are in foreign lands? How different is it to look at tourists in your own country and appreciate what they are going through from what you have experienced in your own travels! This is what I was thinking about when I was in the mountains... could the feeling that I got when I did yoga on Manchu Picchu or saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, could they be having the SAME feeling when they drive to the mountains? I have so many things on my bucket list, but how many people LONG to see the Rocky's and have them on THEIR lists... how lucky we are to have them in our back yard! And how we should enjoy them more... Derek and I really want to spend more time out there - and hopefully our schedule will oblige a bit in the fall (unlikely but somewhat possible!?)

While spending some quality time in the mountains, I went for a run on one of the mornings I was out there - a quick little 6K that had me begging for mercy by the time I was done. I am not sure if it was the altitude difference (2000 ft higher than home) or the cold that I was developing (and am still recovering from) or the fact that I had just worked a night shift, driven to Banff only to find out that we couldn't check in until 1pm (so the obvious thing to do was go for a run....) Anyway, this run that was supposed to be enjoyable and scenic has me worried to the maximum seeing as the race I am running is IN BANFF and is in 3.5 weeks (and .5 of those weeks we will be in Chicago!!!). I am worried, not that I won't finish... the bull will not be defeated, but that my time will suck, I will hurt myself and that it will be 2.25 of the most painful, death take me now, hours I have ever endured. SO... what am I doing about this you ask? Why... working nights, eating cereal, apples and popcorn and sleeping until the stupid ice cream truck's*** silly jingle wakes me up mid evening, all to do it over again! Yes, this bull may have to run through agonizing pain in a little over 3 weeks... but... I won't let one bad training program get me down! I will do better, starting... er... Wednesday? I am not busy Wednesday!!!

As I have said before in previous posts, it seems like we over plan our lives (there IS such a thing, and even I am saying it...) and we seem to want to do everything on our lists. Sometimes, we don't get to do everything we want due to finances, obligations like work or family, or the fact that there aren't enough hours in the day sometimes. Although this is the case, and we have to pick out the things that we REALLY must do and want to do, we can still do the things that we are passionate about - we can still do what motivates us and drives us... but these things have to be a priority. People spend holidays with their families because they make it a priority, athletes get gold medals because their training is a priority, sick people get better because their health becomes their priority. SO... what are my priorities? My husband, first and foremost... he is my family, my best friend and the person who helps make all my fears go away. Second, my family... they helped shape who I am today and I am pretty happy with the result, how could I abandon them now?! :o). Third, my running - and although this has been put on the back burner I need to re-light the front burner and get some serious training in before the big race in Banff!! Although I am on nights for the next 3 weeks, and I am really quite busy on top of that, I making a commitment and making it a priority to get some runs in - log some distance - and thus feel better about the upcoming 'doom-fest' that is Melissa's Run in Banff... wish me luck on the next 3.5 weeks, I am sure going to need it!

*** Just a note about the effing Ice Cream Truck... this guy drives around all day (and I mean ALL DAY) around our neighbourhood playing his high-pitched annoying-as-all-get-out anthem that makes all the kiddies come and run for ice cream. He drives by our house at LEAST 20 times a day on a hot Saturday or Sunday which makes it next to impossible to sleep when on nights. On the day that I actually decided to succumb to the ice cream anthem and ran up to meet and greet the man, he drove right past me, thus leaving my broken heart frustrated and ice cream-less. It is tragic... effing ice cream truck, he should be banned!!!!!

Summer is here, and almost gone

2009-08-17T11:16:00.004-06:00

It is amazing to me how much faster time goes now that I am a big person. Seriously, time NEVER went this fast - especially during summer - when I was little. Sometimes, ok quite often, I long for those lazy summer days when I was a kid where I would ride my bike all over the place and play war with my brother and the neighbourhood boys. I recall how summer faded gently into fall and how not only the chill in the air would mark the change, but the smell of the air. Nothing makes me think of my youth like the smell of the air in fall... such good memories come to mind.

Looking at our calendar, fall will be here before we know it. We have the next 2 weeks fully booked (and Derek is away for most of it) and then we are off to Chicago for our first wedding anniversary (see what I mean about time moving so quickly!). Sometimes, I fear that we get so caught up in what we have to do, or what our schedule says and loose the moment that we are living in. I know this happens actually... we both (Derek and I) need to live in the moment more. I really felt this last week as Derek grew very busy with work and preparing for his week long course in BC. There was so much prep to do and so much that we had to organize, that we missed out on some quality time with eachother before he left. Sometimes this can't be helped... but I can't help but think that we could have MADE time... even if that means I didn't get the full 7 hours of sleep, or all the laundry didn't get done. Sometimes, we just have to make the time.

I have started my course via correspondence, and it is interesting and exciting. It is Mass Communication and the Media... should be a good time! :o) I am looking forward to diving into the whole process, so far I have unit 1 read... now for the questions! I hope that I will have the determination to stick to the courses and finish with a communications degree... but as I told myself when I went into this... every course I finish, they can't take back and I can eventually use it for something!

Five and a half weeks until the big race in Banff... yikes, I feel really un-prepared. I haven't been running as much as I should be, can't seem to get motivated this time around! I have revised my schedule to hopefully help me get to the finish line in around 2:10:00 but I have to stick to it to pull off a personal best! Right now, it is ALL about interval training and hills... it has to be... otherwise I think I would die on a hilly course! Exhibit A - the road from the Travelodge in Stoney Plain to Eden... HILLY and boy was it HOT... +26 C in the mid-day sun... 2.5 litres of water didn't hold out for the 2:45:00 it took me to run 20.6K... it was a LONG and HARD run - but I finished and although I wanted to curl up in a little ball and sleep for a year, I did it and know that if I need to I can pull out a 21.1K from sheer determination... the Bull will not be defeated as a friend of mine says when racing... determined like a bull!

I have also realized as time is passing that I have to get in gear and put together my fundraisers for the fall... I was hoping to have a comedy night or something along with another silent auction - I just hope this time people will show! I also want to do a "crave cupcake bake sale" or something in the office... and water bottles I think - I could make some serious money if I sold 200+ of those things... not sure I want to fork out the doe to begin with tho! SO much to think about and plan for, and if I want to make my goal of $12,000 then I have to kick it up and make sure I get my ducks in a row! As I said before... we get so lost in the things that we have to do - we need to take time to be in the moment!

So, friends, I will leave you with this thought... "The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases." - Carl Jung. I picked this quote for 2 very obvious reasons... one, it is about shoes and two, it is so incredibly true... what is good for one person isn't always true for another. One person may look at our life and the craziness it is (especally in summer) and say "you're crazy, I would never live like that" and then we look at it and think that we have a great little life going on. It is like fashion... not everyone wants to wear the same clothes, not everything fits and suits everyone... that is why there is so much selection! SO, my advice (like you need it) is to go with what you love, live the life you want... no one can tell you you're doing it wrong! As I have said so many times before... live the life you imagine! Be free, live in the moment and enjoy the beautiful life we were given... that is my goal for the remainder of the year!

Those rainy days...

2009-08-06T15:39:00.004-06:00

It is those rainy days that make me feel all cozy and warm inside, desperately wanting to laze around during the day in my big woolen sweater with a cup of tea and read... it has been a rainy week and I get a little nostalgic about days when I used to be able to sit on my couch and watch days like today pass. It is days like today that make me thankful that I don't live in Seattle or Vancouver... not sure if I could handle days on end of this gloomy, hazy, damp drizzle. I know for certain that I couldn't run everyday in this... I would die I think!

Since last I wrote, we have been to the Family reunion. It was great to see the whole family again, but it is weird in that I never feel like I can sit and get to know any of them well... we all seem to be just skimming the surface of each others' lives and not knowing each other. I did get to chat about my up coming run in Iceland tho, as I was selling Calendars. It was a great icebreaker and I got some great advice because of it - apparently I need to focus on my core and upper body more as it more beneficial that I thought it was... who would have thunk it! :o)

I sold many Calendars, so that is great but I have a bit of work to do on it. It all seems to be going along just fine - I have some great photos that Derek and I took at the farm to use and I got most of the birthdays confirmed so they are accurate. It will be a great way to celebrate the centennial year of the farm. NOW... I should make something for the Hamilton family to purchase... fair is fair! :o) I am thinking of getting some metal water bottles made with "Heather's Road to Reykjavik" (or something) on them and selling them... not sure if I want to put out the coin to buy a whole bunch of them and have no one buy them... we shall see!

We are heading up to Edmonton this weekend... Derek is teaching a course and I am hoping to get in a 16K run and some reading... With any luck, my course package will be in and I can get some of THAT reading done (although I still have over 900 books on "The List" that need my attention... this weeks book "Captain Corelli's Mandolin"). Next week we will be hanging out and then Derek is off to Comox for his annual August jump camp with the SAR boys... I think he is looking forward to it, as I think he feels like he has been too busy to be a serious "skydiver" this year!

We are getting excited for our anniversary and have scheduled a get-away to Chicago... why Chicago? Because we have never been there before, I could get free accommodations and it is the 3rd largest, most densely populated city in the US... why would we NOT want to see it. There are so many things to do that we are going to have to narrow down the list... one thing is for sure - I want Chicago Deep Dish pizza and I would LOVE to see Wrigley Field... I am sure that I will fill you in with all the dirty details once we are back...

Until next time Mi Armoure... have a great day, enjoy the weather where ever you are... and live life to the fullest, you never know what this day will bring!

The end is nigh

2009-07-28T10:52:00.002-06:00

The end of July is within our reach and it seems that so much has happened!

After Hay River, we both got in a groove with working and spending some time playing! I have been reading and working on my tan on patio's around Calgary and Derek has been skydiving.

We had a guest for a week by the name of Honey - she is the kitty of one of our friends who needed a cat sitter while away on holidays. She was a playful, delight to have around and I really missed having a cat. Now that she's gone, you can almost hear the faint echo of her meowing in the empty rooms.

Derek went off to Montreal to do some "Master Course Facilitator" work and was treated to a stint in the Montreal Wind tunnel... lucky bugger! He had a great time, was treated like the Prince he is, and brought me back a fantastic t-shirt. Thanks to Mario and Minon for treating him like a million bucks and for getting him home to me safe! :o)

While Derek was away, I helped my brother and his family move into their new home in the NW. It is a cute little place that will be nice and cozy for their growing family. We painted for a couple days and then moved in their stuff... it is amazing how much stuff people can accumulate, but they do have 2 little girls so I guess it is a given. It was nice to spend so much time with their family tho!

On Saturday, I went up to Sylvan Lake to watch 2 of my good friends swim, bike and run their way through a 1/2 Iron man... wow is that a feat! Swimming 2K, Biking 80K, and running 21.1K - and they both did it in under 6 hours!!! It was great to be able to cheer them on (I even made them a sign!). I am not sure if I could do a 1/2 iron man... it is quite physically demanding, but something was sparked in me that Triathlon might be something I'd like to try... perhaps in a year or two when I am done with the whole "Marathon in Iceland" thing...

Now we are gearing up for the Annual family Reunion in Vilna. We should be there for the festivities on Friday eve - and unfortunately will have to leave on Sunday as we both have to work on Monday... I should have my fantastic Calendar ready for viewing by then so everyone can buy one and I can make mooola for Team D! :o)

Other than all of this, I have been getting excited about my course package coming in from Athabasca U... I hope to have my Communications degree by this time next year (or maybe Dec of next year)... we shall see how it goes! I am really looking forward to getting this project started, because the sooner I get started, the sooner I have this degree and I can then work as the press secretary for the Prime Minister or something! :o) Here's to new experiences and upcoming opportunities!

Happy July...

2009-07-14T12:02:00.003-06:00

This July has brought a ton of events already... and we're only 1/2 way through it!

We went to Westlock for Derek's skydiving provincials at the very beginning of this month. The weather wasn't as cooperative as it could have been, but they managed to get all 6 rounds in and place 2nd - the team that got first place has been jumping together for years and spends a lot of time and money in the wind tunnels of the south... much more than Derek's team. Maybe next year they will over-take them! :o)

After the event was completed, we drove 9 more hours to the land of the midnight sun - yes, we returned to Hay River for a visit with the folks... it was relaxing and restful and eventful and really a nice visit! It rained 1/2 the days we were there, one of them being the day we decided to rent kayak's and cruise down the lake from Paradise Gardens to the beach... we put the boats in the water and sure enough 30 mins after they were in it started to rain... and at times the wind picked up so much that if we stopped paddling we went backwards! It was still fun, tho, and despite the cold, we managed to make it to my parents house before hauling the boats out of the water (and up the giant embankment)... We could have made it all the way to the beach had we BOTH had rain jackets (thanks to Derek for giving me the one he brought for himself) and gloves... our hands were frozen. A shower never felt so good tho, and we were warmed up in no time!

We also took some time to go on a couple nature walks... I refrain from calling them hikes as they are really "nature walks" and we weren't really hiking up anything per say. They were great fun, and on the trails the bugs didn't seem that bad... it was when we got to the road that the bugs came out. The walk between the 2 falls was great - relaxing and very pretty and the Rotary walk starting at the school I graduated from was like I remembered it. It was interesting to see where the ice road starts and stops in the summer and Derek thought that was very interesting. We went to Dad's jail for a tour and a coffee as well as to Jen's work and took a picture with Derek and the now famous and on a stamp Inuksuk... over all, our trip was great. I got to spend QT with the parental units, show Derek around my town, see my Jen and relax all in the same week. Ahhh, the sound of a relaxed human!

Now on to the projects Mom and I concocted while in the Hay for Team Diabetes... I am working on a Calendar... I hope to sell it at the family reunion this year... fingers crossed!

OH... a quote I found on a friends blog " Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things it will come and sit softly on your shoulder..." Thoreau - I just thought this was a beautiful thought and so very true about the Happiness that I have found in my life! Sometimes letting things be is the best method for finding out how to be happy.

Liberating or devastating?

2009-06-30T03:14:00.003-06:00

What I thought would be a liberating move, turned out to be a devastating event... I deleted most of my facebook page... and by most of it, I mean all the photos, my profile information, my quotes... and I thought that I would be happy about it... feel free from having people look at my life with scrutiny and commenting on the ins and outs of my life. BUT - it feels like I have lost a small part of me. Derek looked at me with his beautiful sad eyes and said "all those memories... poof... gone!" and right he is.

I have endless e-mails sent out to all the facebook and help people I can find in hopes that they help me... I have checked my cookies to see if I had a saved version of the page prior to the mass exodus of the info - no luck - there HAS to be a way... we live in the land of technology - where anything is possible - they can send people to the MOON and stuff, can't they find my pictures on the inter-web??? siiiiiiigh...

I will keep you posted on this dilemma - that I created for myself... silly, lame me!

What I do know is that this blog will never - ever - ever - ever be deleted... it has too much of me and who I am in it... how could I delete that!?

What does it mean when you google OCD?

2009-06-28T03:55:00.003-06:00

Does it mean that you are SOOO OCD that you just neeeeeed to find out if you are infact OCD? - OR, it is a result of having WAY too much time on your hands to look up random facts via google?

I am not sure if I would be considered OCD, but I am sure that I would make a couple shrinks shake their heads... I have things... weird things, that can't be changed or I feel weird. An example, cupboard doors... they can't be open - I have caught myself getting up from the supper table at friends houses to close their cupboard doors all the while chatting like I am all normal and like I am doing nothing wrong... some days I think myself to be certifiable!

However, when your google-ing at 4am (and google-ing OCD amongst all things) interesting things pop up and you realize that you are in fact normal and the majority of the world that posts comments on forums are nuts - loony - just bonkers! I am not talking about washing hands excessively I am talking about stalking, reading spouses e-mail, cracking into computers to satisfy their compulsions CRAZY! It made me realize that A - I am some what almost normal (what is normal anyway?) and B - I can get over any small compulsion I have, I just have to get it out in the open and change my mind about it... to use a phrase I coined in Grade 10 - "It's all Psychological!"

So... I am making a clean slate, getting my obsessions out in the open and dealing with them, making it so I see them for what they are - crazy - and then change them! Wish me luck on this endeavour!

Another thing to note... Training resumes!

Sunday (which is technically today - but to my body - tomorrow) is the start of my new and more intense training program. I have rest days on Tuesday and Fridays this go-round and as such, will be running 5 days a week... lets hope it sticks!

It should be interesting training for the first 2 weeks seeing as I am on nights currently (note time stamp of this posting!) as well as we will be travelling to Derek's competition (GO Vertical Express GO!!!) and then moving on to Hay River to visit the Parental units and Jen (my dear, sweet friend). As hard as I try... I can't imagine a hill in Hay River that will aid me in the "hills" portion of my training... interesting. I am looking forward to the Kayaking and Hiking that Derek and I have planned and the visiting and general camaraderie and tomfoolery that comes with a visit to the Hay... Life is good - busy and good!

A quote that I thought was amusing... "There is no "I" in "team" there is, however, an "I" in "initiative" - in fact, there are four of them, so chew on that, you dull little sheep" - it just made me giggle and is from a book I bought Derek called "A Dictionary of Bullsh*t..." by Diane Law. It is about stupid "Buzz words" in the corporate world that drive Derek crazy... it was good for a laugh! Pick it up if you have a chance!

(Having re-read this, I notice how random and piece-meal it is... lots going on in this noggin I suppose! :o))

Isn't it funny

2009-06-22T03:16:00.005-06:00

When you have time on your hands, isn't it funny what you end up doing?

Take for instance, a night shift in front of a computer and a phone that rings on average 1.5 times per shift... one can find some pretty interesting things to do. I find myself roaming Facebook for - honestly - hours looking at pictures of people whom I have no interest in... I also roam the Internet looking up everything and anything that seems interesting. Tonight, I found a gem really... a blog about a guy who is RUNNING across Europe - how I found it I may never know but I have just spent about an hour reading about his journey. He is running with only an extra change of clothes, a rain suit, a toothbrush and a phone that takes pictures, had GPS and world-wide capabilities. He is NOT staying in hotels but is "couch surfing" http://www.couchsurfing.net and basically asking for places to stay along the way. He is 31 days in as of today and has yet to not find a place to sleep. What a great adventure that would be... makes me want to go and travel like a gypsy - once we have some things organized perhaps! Check out this dudes crazy journey if you want a good read! http://ryanrunseurope.blogspot.com

Another thing I found my self doing tonight was voting for my favorite Robert Munsch book... I love Munsch... The favorite seems to be "I love you Forever" which is undoubtedly an amazing book. My favorite however, is "Moira's Birthday" - the picture of Moira's dad is SOOOO Mr. Green - and the fact that they live IN A GREEN HOUSE... just amazing... I loved that I used to walk to school with Moira every day in Grade 9... There is a Munsch exhibit going on right now at the Telus World of Science... perhaps I should go and show my Munsch love!!!

Well folks, on to viewing more interesting things on this crazy interweb... very cool how a few mouse clicks and a cup of coffee can keep me occupied for hours! :o)

Enjoy the sunshine... while on nights, I sleep with the blinds drawn and come out when it is getting dark... feeling almost like a vampire! :o)

The race was run

2009-06-15T04:22:00.005-06:00

This is me... crossing the finish line of the 1/2 Marathon I ran this weekend. It was a great relief, sense of pride, sense of sadness and happiness all in the same stride across the mat.

After 15 weeks of training, it is a relief to know that I did it, the training paid off when it should have (the last 3 - 4 km's and up hills). It was a great sense of pride as not everyone can say they've ran 21.1km's and lived to tell about it. A sense of happiness that it is over and on to the next race, but a sense of sadness as I didn't reach the goal I set for myself. In runners' terms, I wasn't even close - 10 mins off is HUGE - that's about 2KM's behind in your pace... how do you get that behind your pace... all I can say is - I did it, I have my first one under my belt and on to beat that time (and blow it out of the water!)

My next race is 22K in Banff (which has higher elevation and is hillier) and I am running it with a friend who runs at a 2hour 1/2 Marathon pace... If I am going to keep up with her at all, I am going to have to get a move on! I have a training program all ready to go - and it is more intense, and more targeted to being faster and more effective at hills. I think I have this one ready to go! I am also working on a nutrition plan so that I don't sabotage my training with milkshakes and licorice! :o) Oh my weaknesses are great! I am not sure how training will work with my new schedule - as you may be able to tell, I am on nights - which makes it difficult to go for that "after work" run or the "before work run" as I am totally tuckered when I hit the sack in the AM and it is dark by the time I would be ready to run... only time will tell I suppose!

I guess I should tell you about the run. Nothing too exciting to report actually... I put one foot in front of the other. I kept hydrated with thanks to my wonderful husband who brought my 2nd water bottle to the 1/2 way mark. He was sitting there with the volunteers as I zipped past throwing my empty at him and grabbing my full bottle. He is my biggest fan and keeps me in line when I want to stop at Pete's Drive in for a milkshake. He encourages me on those long runs, and with out him I am certain that some of them would not have been as successful or as long. So, thanks Husband/coach/cheerleader extraordinare... you are wonderful, you believe in me and I couldn't thank you enough for helping me these past weeks.

At about the 1 mile mark, I came up over a hill and behold... a pipe band of about 10 playing the tunes of my ancestors with vigor and such rythm. It was so inspirational and emotional when I realized that they were playing "Amazing Grace". This song was played at my Grandfather's funeral almost 11 years ago, and 9 years ago I recall my father and I standing on a street corner in Edinburgh listening to the same song played by a blind piper and his faithful dog. Having just ran about 19K I was pumped with endorphines and emotion of almost being done and thus... the water works started. I was bawling for a good 500 metres and the poor guy that I passed as I ran probly thought I was in agony. It was nice to have that gentle kick at the end - as I knew that my Grandpa was smiling down at me encouraging me and being proud of me. I felt his encouragement in those last kilometres...

So, I get to the finish line (but not before I kick it up a notch and pass about 3 people in the last 500m) exhausted, nausious and so happy to be done. I couldn't help but feel disapointment with my time... I get an idea in my head and I am peeved if it turns out different. BUT... I know that next race I will do better, train better and thus get a better time! As Charles C. Noble said "You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures." My long term goal is to A. Stay fit and healthy B. Run a Marathon at least once in my life and C. Run until I don't enjoy it anymore. I did get my first finisher's medal which is great (and it has feet on it which is so very cool to me) and so the collection begins!

Training begins for the next race in 2 weeks... Time will tell how that goes, but until then... I am going to rest up, relax, eat and be merry - the 2 weeks will be gone before I know it and it will be in full training mode again! :o)

I have a job

2009-06-09T12:12:00.000-06:00

So literally, a day after I posted the last post... (and to be honest, I didn't even post it on that day) I got a call from a potential employer and went in for an interview. I got asked to go in for a secondary interview and "voila"!! I now am employed... phew, thought I was going to have to resort to something like a walking the street in a banana suit! - long story, don't ask! :o)

I am working now as a Data Support Analyst for a technology company... I will have to work shift work, but it will help pay the bills and give me something to do! :o) Besides, it is a foot in the door with a great up and coming company and that never hurts!

About 3.5 days until the 1/2 marathon and I am confident that I will finish it... in the time that I want, perhaps not, but it is my first one and I was injured for 2 training weeks so I feel confident that I won't be the last one to cross the finish line. That is my main goal. Really, however, I would love to cross the finish line in 2 hours, but would settle for 2 hours 10 mins (and really, secretly, as long as I beat 2 hours 20 mins I will be happy!).

SO... Quote of the day time! "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different" - Coco Chanel. Now, for those of you that know me well know that when I was 16 years old I went to France and fell in love with the perfume "Coco Chanel", named after - you guessed it - the creator of the Chanel brand - Coco. It is unique and different and everything I wanted to be at 16 and even now, ehem, 12 years later, I still love putting on my Chanel perfume because it is different and unique and everything I want to be at 28! I fell in love with that quote when I first saw it, just like I fell in love with that perfume when I first smelt it.

Another piece of giggle from me this fine day... again, for those that know me, know that I have a THING against the colour purple... I have gotten HEAPS better but still am not crazy about the colour. I saw this when I was reading a blog that I often peruse "For a long time all the girls I met who loooooved purple were... well, how do I put this... crazy. So, when I say happy PURPLE weekend, well, you know what I mean. " - it made me giggle... the ladies who love purple are crazy, so, lets substitute Crazy for Purple... LOVES IT!!!

Hope this brings you love, happiness and a life that is unique and different! May we live lives that are irreplaceable, as Coco Chanel wishes us to! :o)

Time flies when your unemployed!

2009-06-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

So, it has been over a month without an update to speak of... what have I been up to you ask? NOTHING... ugh, this not having a job is for the birds... I mean what does one DO all day when they aren't working... I still haven't figured that out and with 5 months of unemployed "bliss?" checked off the calendar, one would think that I have some semblence of a routine... nope, not even the slightest!

I have been running a lot, trying to achieve my goal of running a 1/2 marathon in 2 hours... the race is in "gulp" 1 week and 5 days and I feel so un-prepared and not able to run in my goal time... so, I have adjusted it so that my goal is 2 hrs and 10 mins... I am pretty sure I can do this! Why do I feel un-prepared? Well... I had to take 1.5 weeks off of training because my right hip was sore. This hampered my training in the peak weeks so I feel out of shape and under-prepared... why was I so lazy at the begining of the 15 weeks? eeek!

So... I have been sitting and waiting for the call for an interview... sending in 50 resume's to potential employers per day... what makes me so un-employable? Is it my charm and good looks? Nope, they don't even see me... perhaps I should attach a headshot!

Anyways, lets all keep our fingers crossed for me shall we?

A quick journey, a weird week!

2009-04-28T17:31:00.000-06:00

I always find it interesting how the lives of people who know eachother criss-cross around each other's lives. It is like an endless braiding of stories that touch eachother but never fully unite to form a product or relationship. I also find it interesting who this blog reaches, and it is always the most interesting and least expected people. Sometimes it makes me angry if someone I don't want to gets a glimpse of my life... but then I think, why am I writing this for but to share with the WORLD my life and everything that is in it. SO, with that... read away all you who must and share in the journey that is my life... :o)

This past week saw my friend Jen in Edmonton for some tests. We had a great time relaxing in the hotel after and dying my hair and chatting about what has happened in our lives since we last saw eachother... I must admit, despite the fact that I have travelled for almost 2 months this year and gotten married, she still won. That is one tough cookie... and despite her trials and tribulations this past 1.5 years, she has remained a rockstar and solid to the core. We should all aspire to be Jen's in my mind. So, after much chatting and discussing how she was to get back to Hay River we decided that she was going to come with me on a trip to the past. We had a great trip up, 11 hours of solid driving and reminising. It was a trip that shockingly we had never done in the 15 years of friendship, so it was long over due. We fell into our friendship like we hadn't missed a day - and to me, that is what life long friends are; friends that can go a year without seeing eachother but not skip a beat when the day comes that we see eachother again. It was so nice to have the opportunity to spend 2 whole days with my bestest girl friend in the world!

3 hours short of hitting Hay River we decided to call my mom seeing as it would be 11:30pm by the time we rolled into town. She was elated and shocked that we were on our way and so very close. Mom and I stayed up and chatted until the wee hours in the morning even though Mom had to get up early for work. Jen and I spent the next day driving around and visiting all our old hang outs and checking out what had changed. It is weird going back to the place that you grew up and realizing that everyone has grown up and bought houses, cars, boats and had kids. It makes you feel OLD! That evening mom and I spent the whole night chatting and really had an excellent visit; I would say the best visit we've had in years! Friday saw Mom and I spend the day shopping and visiting and trying to get rid of our headaches because of all the wine we drank the night before. Friday also saw us going to pick up Dad at the airport as he flew in from YK. He was shocked and so happy that I was there, even if I was leaving the next day. We had a great, but quick visit.

The supposed 15 hour drive home was quick and easy and honestly - Fun. I love to drive and I really don't mind driving alone, that way I can turn up the tunes and play all the Country Music I want! It was great to meet up with Derek just South of Edmonton and convoy home.

Although it is nice to be home, it was nice to visit the place that my parents live and will always feel like "going home" to me. Althought they have renovated, the house still feels the same as it did when I was a tiresome teenager, and the memories of creeping in later than cerfew or shaving my head in the kitchen still run in my head as I walk through the kitchen. I have nothing but warm memories from that house, and it was great to have some more wonderful memories to add to the arsenal. Love you Mom and Dad and thanks for the great time! I always get treated like royalty when I stay with you!

In one of the shops in Hay River; Emmanuels, there was a quote by Dr. Seuss it said "There's no one alive who is youer than you" - isn't that the truth.

When I was a little girl...

2009-04-10T09:49:00.001-06:00

We would play this game on road trips where we tried to find as many license plates on cars that were different from our own... well, this past road trip Derek and I (ok, it was mostly me, but he helped) played this game. I am sure that Mom and Dad just used it as a way to keep us quiet but it worked and it was fun and I still do it... so, without further ado, here is the final tally:

40 = US States
6 = Canadian Provinces
2 = Canadian Territories
3 = Mexico Plates (I couldn't read Spanish so I didn't know what province/state they were from)

Here is a list:
US STATES:
Washington, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Connecticut, Virginia, Michigan, New York, Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa, HAWAII, Mississippi, Indiana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maine, New England, Vermont, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia

Canadian Provinces/Territories:
NWT, Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Yukon.

There you have it friends, the biggest list of license plates that I have ever gotten... I was so pleased when I found Hawaii... I have NEVER seen a Hawaii license plate, we were in California so that could be why! By the end of the trip, this list had almost become an obsession - you see, I wanted to get ALL the states! We have time to get all the provinces as we will one day drive across Canada, but ALL the states, that is just a goal that must be achieved!