Missing you always

Remembering Ruth

Ten years, a decade of loss

Has it really been that long for us?

You were our laughter, you were our love

Hard to believe, you now watch us from above

That fateful November day, broke all our hearts

Bodies with no souls, we were just moving parts

Time heals everything, but this still aches

Wanting it to stop, where are the brakes?

Finding solace in one another, this strong family

A mother of mothers, you are our legacy

Roses still grow, their sweet scent of you

Raspberries ripen, I pick them for you

So many changes, we got through them somehow

Do you know you have 26 great-grandchildren now?

George is our rock, he's so strong inside

Loving us all, taking it all in stride

Holidays are the worst, and the best

With a toast and a "Ho-Ho," you are blessed

Remembered by all, even the new

For the love you gave us, we thank you

The youngest of the old, the oldest of the young

I promise to keep faith, what you created will never be undone

And I'm at peace, knowing you found the fountain of youth

Living on forever through us, our dear, sweet Ruth

Written in loving memory of my great-grandmother, Ruth Creuzot

November 29, 1920-November 8, 2000

Journal Entries of a TIC (teaching in training)

I am currently attending University in a post-degree program to become a secondary school teacher. Along the way, I am discovering things about others, and myself that really reflect on this profession.

Today’s topic: Students with learning disabilities.

We (myself and my peers in the program) are all taking the same courses, obviously. On Thursday during lunch break, 5 of us sat together and began discussing which classes we liked, which ones we did not, homework, etc. Sounds like normal stuff right? Wrong. We eventually began discussing a class that is teaching us how to educate students with learning disabilities as well as gifted students. This is a brand new course, never put in the curriculum before. Considering more students than ever are displaying learning disabilities (physical and mental), this is an important topic to consider. Future teachers need to be made aware and educated on how best to deal with student with disabilities.

I won’t get into too much detail, but one of the things we recently learned is that many students with disabilities never get the help they need because they are put on waiting lists for resources because funds are limited. Teachers are responsible for not only recognizing a students’ needs, but also in assisting them to make sure their needs are met. It can be very overwhelming as a teacher can be responsible for up to 30 students per class, for a potential of more than 100 students in a day. The trick is finding a balance between assisting those who are considered average learners and those who are not, in order to give equal assistance to all. We were discussing how to make sure everyone’s needs are getting met when one of my peers said something that really disturbed me.

I will not mention names, that’s not fair or necessary. It doesn’t matter who said it, it’s the fact that it was said. In trying to determine how to assist each student’s particular needs, this one peer said that it would be easier to turn away from the ones who didn’t need that much “obvious” help rather than trying to deal with it because it was too overwhelming and they would probably get put on a waiting list anyway.

…

This did not sit well with me.

I was immediately ashamed for this person that they were coming into this profession with that kind of thinking. If you don’t plan on giving equal opportunities to everyone and you are not prepared to work hard to make sure everyone succeeds, then why would you become a teacher? No one has ever said that it’s going to be easy. It’s hard work and it’s a struggle, like any other job. But I believe it is THE MOST rewarding job a person can have. That being said, you are responsible for assisting students’ educational development and you should only have their best interests at heart.

The peer was embarrassed and tried to laugh it off but another peer said they were "disturbed,” and two others remained silent. I spoke up (no surprise, I’m not one to keep my opinion to myself) and stated that approach was the wrong way to enter this profession and that it was the exact opposite of what we were being taught to do.

We kind of let the conversation drop because it could have gotten very heated, but I can’t get it out of my mind. I can’t help but think, what if that were my kid? What if my kid was struggling in school and a teacher decided to “overlook” their learning difficulties because it was easier on them? It’s just awful; it makes me feel sick inside. I would be so furious with that teacher, who chose selfishness over my child’s right to learn. As a teacher, I believe you have to approach each student as if they are YOUR child. You want each one to succeed and get there as easily as possible. They aren’t yours biologically, but why would that matter? They are all there to learn and you are there to guide them and help them in everyway that you can.

Growing up, I struggled with math. If I didn’t have teachers who went out of their way to give me extra help, I never would have graduated. My brother is dyslexic and school was a major struggle for him. Without his resource teachers, he would not have graduated elementary school (or at least not with a lot of difficulty), never mind high school to become the successful, educated person he is today. I myself have worked with students’ who have had learning disabilities and I know how hard it is for them. To be so frustrated at yourself for not understanding something that everyone else seems to get “so easily.” But watching their faces when they figure it out, that “ah-ha” moment is priceless. It makes the extra time, the many explanations given in as many different ways as you can think of, totally worth it. That is what teaching is all about.

I liked this person, but now I’ve completely re-evaluated their worth and my respect for them has dropped considerably. In fact, I can’t help wondering why they got into this profession if they aren’t planning to give it their all. Is it summers off? Did they think it would be easy? What is in it for them if not to help everyone achieve higher learning for all of their students? I’m so disappointed because this gives teachers a bad rep. My only hope now is that they learn something over the next year to change their way of thinking for the better.

“The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.” -Unknown

Michael Buble!

What a fun weekend! On Saturday morning, Alana, Janice and I headed over to Vancouver. It was supposed to be Lindsay, Janice, me and Sandra but Sandra had to cancel because of a family emergency and Lindsay wasn't feeling well. So she was kind enough to give her ticket to my aunt and the three of us headed off. We knew it was going to be a crazy weekend because the first thing we saw when we got off the ferry was a red pickup truck caught up in the tide. Three guys with rope were trying to save it but the water was up to the steering wheel..bummer dude. Shortly after, some Jersey Shore wannabe hit on Janice, he was so drunk he reeked of alcohol. Janice kept repeating, "I'm married" but he wasn't listening to her. It was hilarious for us observers but Janice was annoyed. When she didnt give him the response he wanted, he turned to the girl next to him and asked her to put her number in his phone. What a creep.

We got to our hotel (Sandman) around 2pm and we went for lunch at Moxies where we had delicious raspberry-kiwi margaritas. We went shopping at Pacific Centre, but I didn't buy anything. We saw a couple of people dressed like zombies and we had no clue why until later at the concert when Michael Buble pointed out that it was zombie day...who knew?

We met up with my friends Jyoti, Sukh and Nav for dinner (at Moxies again). We had terrible service but it was great to see pieces of the entourage again and everyone got along really well. Us three ladies went directly to the concert afterwards and it was amazing! I wasn't impressed with the opening act, Naturally 7 or whatever, I just wanted to see Michael Buble. He didn't disappoint. He was funny, charismatic and amazing. He sang all my favourites plus two songs I didnt know. He also donated all the proceeds from his concerts to the Vancouver Children's hospital. wow, what a guy. I noticed he had a ring on his finger and I was heartbroken until he announced that it is an engagement ring. Yess, there is still time for the wedding to be called off, hee hee.

At one point in the concert, Michael came down into the audience. We had floor seats and right beside our row was a small platform. Michael came and sang two songs on it and I was right at the edge. He reached out into the audience and grabbed my hand! I was in shock. He then put his hand on the railing and I put my hand over his...I know it's creepy but I have no idea what came over me. I turned into one of those screaming 14 year old girls! Whatever, I touched Michael Buble!

Ha, after the concert we went to the Shark Club but we didn want to pay the fee to get in, so we went back to Moxies. Sean and Ryley joined us for a drink and then we headed up to our hotel. None of us slept well. AJ talked in her sleep and kept me up. At one point she got up and forgot where she was and walked into the wall! We've been bugging her ever since. She also walked into my suitcase twice and after the second time we heard, "F*#G suitcase!" Hilarious, it was so hard not to burst out laughing.

The next day we met up with Sean, Ryley and Meg for brunch at Glowbal in Yaletown. They served us a basket of mini donuts when we sat down...heaven! It totally reminded me of the Calgary Stampeded, how I missed mini donuts. Of course I ate 3, I couldn't resist. Meg and I split two breakfasts but Sean actually ate two breakfasts! Well, he didnt finish his pancakes because he ran out of whipped cream. Ryley nibbled on two poached eggs and some fruit and Janice had issues getting a tea latte from the waiter. He had no idea what it was and ended up serving her something that resembled swamp water. Poor Janice just wanted some tea!

Sean and Ryley went their own way after breakfast but we ladies went to Canada Place and then to Robson Street. It was nice of Meg to spend the afternoon with us. She dropped us off at the train station around 3pm and we skytrained it to the ferry terminal, which is cheap ($2.50) and easy. We made the 5, had dinner and then we were rather exhausted. I slept well, nothing like your own bed. It was a fabulous weekend.

Jyoti's Wedding

Wow, what an incredible weekend! I am finally recovered, lol. Jyoti and Harj's wedding was the best I have ever been to. I will have to go day by day to describe everything.

Thursday July 29, 2010

I flew to Vancouver in the evening and Jenny and her boyfriend picked me up from the airport and took me to Richmond to have dinner at Goo. We ate SO much sushi, it was fantastic. Jenny and I were so consumed with the food that we completely forgot about our connecting flight! ha, thank goodness Jon was on top of things. We unfortunately flew on a shitty Dash 8, which creaks, shakes and makes you feel like you can drop out of the sky any second. Thankfully we arrived safe in sound in Penticton just after 11pm and we were expecting Neil to pick us up (Jyoti's oldest brother), but Suhkdeep greeted me with a huge hug. She has spent the last 3 months in S.Africa working on her Masters for her World Health studies. Her sister Nav was waiting in the car for us, we stayed at their place. These girls are just lovely, they are such great people. Anyway, they took us to the house where Jyoti was trying to dry out her Mehndi. There were two huge tents in the backyard, tons of family members, music and drinks. Neil asked me if I wanted to play beer pong, but I politely refused. We were all exhausted. We quickly tried on our saris (perfect fit) and then headed to Suhk and Nav's house to get some sleep (I only got 4 hours).

Friday, July 30, 2010

Suhk made us breakfast and then we all headed to Jyoti's house around 11am. I forgot how hot it gets in the Okanagan. Because Jyo only lives 10mins from the girls, we decided to walk and we literally melted on our way over. I actually tanned! There was a ceremony (I forget what it was called) where we rubbed a yellow paste on Jyoti to cleanse her. Her mother stood behind her with her hands on her head and ladies of the family took turns holding a blanket above Jyo's head and it had coconuts or something in it. We all got a turn at 'cleansing' Jyo. It was pretty entertaining. Afterwards Jyo got cleaned up and the rest of us got our Mehndi done. It only took 10 mins but has to dry for at least 3 hours. I only got the tops of my hands done, it was pretty cool. Then us ladies (we nicknamed ourselves 'Jyoti's posse/entourage) took Jyo to get her hair done and then we went back to the house to get ready for the engagement party at the Penticton Temple. We had to cover our legs and heads, so we got all dressed up. Jenny lent me a dress and we all had shawls to cover our heads. I've never been in a temple before and really its like a huge living room with carpet and a runner down the middle leading to the, well I will call it an alter. A man (priest?) chants and you walk up to the alter, donate some money into the box, bow by kneeling to the floor and then sit on the left hand side (men sit on the right). It's not as strict as a regular church because you can speak and move around while the prayers are going on. It was rather long as Harji's family was late, but afterwards there was some really good food. I love Indian food. Jyoti's family was in charge of the food and they did an excellent job.

After the temple, we went back to Jyoti's family home and there was another ceremony where her maternal uncles put bangles on her wrists after dipping them in water and milk. They are gorgeous red and gold bangles and she had to sleep in them, she isnt supposed to take them off until after the wedding. Then there was dancing! This was really fun and we all took turns dancing in the middle. We all had to get up early the next day for the ceremony, so we didnt stay too late. Luckily, I slept real good that night (poor Jenny didnt).

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Wedding day! I was up at 6am and Suhk drove me to Jyoti's house at 7am. Jyo was getting her hair and makeup done (I had done my hair and makeup at the house and Jenny put fake eyelashes on me). I quickly got dressed and then Preet (the other bridesmaid) and I put on our jewellery and bindis (jewellery on our forehead) and put them on the little flower girls (there were 4). We helped Jyoti get dressed and then I made sure we all had our flowers. Jyoti's family escorted her out of the house to the limo (of course we were late leaving Penticton). It was just the wedding party in the limo (Me, Preet, Jyo, the flower girls and Jyoti's cousin Tasha). We were all so tired, so it was a mostly quiet ride to Kelowna. The flower girls were hilarious because they were in car seats, but whenever the limo stopped, the car seats would all slide foward and crash the girls into one another. We freaked out, grabbing them and pulling them upright, but they thought it was so much fun! They were giggling like crazy and we eventually gave up and just let them have fun. Preet fell asleep on my shoulder.
We got to the Kelowna Temple at maybe...9:30am? My parents were the first people I saw when we stepped out of the limo. I hugged them quickly and then we rushed Jyoti up to a private room and then I came back down to get her food and water. I managed to chat with my parents a little bit and introduce them around and get some pictures. Then I was back in the room and the rest of our posse showed up soon after.

Harji and his family showed up and us girls all blocked them from entering the temple with red ribbon. We wouldn't let them in until they gave money to the flower girls (they got $20/each).

Jyoti was so calm before the ceremony, it was amazing. She looked stunning, all in red and gold with gorgeous jewellery and her gown was breathtaking. Plus it was heavy and she wore it ALL day. She wasn't nervous but I was! I totally had butterflies in my stomach right before the ceremony, which Jyo thought was pretty funny.

The ceremony was long but very interesting. I didnt understand a word of it but Jyo and Harj had to circle the alter 4 times, Jyoti following Harj and being escorted by a male member of her family at each corner. After 4x, they were officially married. Then everyone in the temple lined up behind them and gifted them with money. It was a loong line but after it was done, there was more delicious food! I stole a couple of mins to say goodbye to my parents. I feel bad that I never got to really visit with them and that they had to head home, but a maid of honour's duty is never ending. I had to make sure Jyoti's money was safely given to her mom and then I had to make sure her and Harj got to eat. Preet was with me and we were the last to eat, I'm sure of it. There were some traditional games after the food and then lots of pictures with people before Jyo, Harj and I piled into vehicles with member of his family and we left everyone behind at the temple on our way to Vancouver to meet Harji's family. We did stop at a park to get pictures done. It was beautiful and Jyo and Harj looked radiant.

I must admit I'm not a great traveller and I slept for most of the trip. It was the lack of sleep, excitement and good food and I literally passed out. I rode in a vehicle with Harji's sister in law Anita (super nice) beside me, Jyoti and Harji in front of me and Gupreet and Makesh up front driving. Gupreet was a great driver, she got us to Surrey in 3.5 hours. Then there were more traditions as Harji's family greeted them and fed them sweets and welcomed them into the house were more prayers were given and money and then dancing and food. I'll admit that at this point I was just going through the motions. I was a zombie I was so tired. I have no idea how Jyoti managed it all, she's amazing. We headed to downtown Vancouver around 10pm and there were fireworks that night so the streets were utter chaos. We dropped Jyo and Harj off at their hotel and then Gupreet and Makesh dropped me off at my brother's apartment in Yaletown around 11:30pm.
Sean was great, he was still up and he had my bed ready along with some soup and a bun. It was delicious. We chatted for a bit but then I literally passed out I was so tired. I slept on an air mattress and come morning there was no air left in it (I swear it was revenge on Sean's part, hee hee).

Sunday August 1, 2010
Sean took me out for a really good breakfast at Cafe Medina and then I did my nails and Sean drove me to my hair appointment (he was pretty much my chauffer) and then we went to the reception. Jyoti was getting her hair and makeup done and then off for more pictures with his family, so I didn't want to interfere in any of that. Sean came with me to the reception where we met up with the rest of the entourage. The hall was decorated beautifully and Jyoti and Harji's guest book was filled with gorgeous pre-wedding photos of them together, they turned out really well, I had to write on almost every page of the book! We had a great table near the front and Jyo and Harj entered after about an hour to the Black Eyed Peas song "Tonight's gonna be a good night." They looked fabulous. I was the first one to make a speech. I was so friggin nervous I couldnt eat and thankfully the bar opened before I went up. Sean got me a triple vodka something as they werent serving wine. It did the trick. I don't remember anything about my speech, I always forget them as soon as they are done. But I got lots of compliments on it, which was nice. There was a wicked dinner and then dancing for the rest of the night. Oh my goodness dancing and everyone dances! There wasn't anyone who didnt hit the dance floor at some point. It was all Indian music but towards the night they played 2 english songs, one which Neil requested, (Snoop Dog) and one I requested for the bride (Temperature by Sean Paul...her favourite!). It was a lot of fun and I got some good pictures. Poor Jyo never got to eat anything and I pretty much dragged her out of the hall for some fresh air and made her eat fruit and drink some water. The night never ended until 3am, but I didnt want to leave until I saw them get safely into their limo. It was an insane weekend but def the best wedding I have ever been to.

Congratulations Harj and Jyoti!

As Time Passes...

I feel very sentimental today. I keep reflecting on past things. I think it's because Jyo is getting married in two days and, although I'm thrilled for her, I'm also kind of sad. I just remember back when we were kids, goofing off, going shopping, playing with make-up, running from our brothers. Crazy fun times. 21 years later and we are still the best of friends.
One of the guys at work today admitted that he and another co-worker used to make fun of me behind my back when I first returned from Australia because I picked up slang and accent. I really didnt think I had, so this surprised me. They would msn back and forth whenever I said an "Australian" word like "ye" or "I reckon." Little creeps! Actually, I find it amusing. I had no idea I picked up stuff that was noticeable. I certainly didnt keep it long but it is fascinating how you pick up other languages from being around them.
My Grandpa had to have surgery on his heart, we had quite the scare. He is just fine and recovery nicely now but it wasn't a pleasant couple of days. Thank goodness my grandmother is so strong and was able to cope with it all. She's a trooper. My parents were also there to help out, which was really great. They are on holidays this week, enjoying wineries, boating and visiting with friends in peachland. I think this is their first kidless summer holiday. Wow.

Jyoti's Bachelorette

Whew, what a weekend! It was a whirlwind of fun! I took the 8am ferry and Jyo picked me up. We checked into the hotel downtown just after 11am and Gina was waiting in the Starbucks across the street. She met us in the lobby and Jyo was really surprised to see her, which was great. We put our luggage in our room and sat on the King bed chatting for awhile. But I was starving, so we walked to the Vancouver Art Gallery and had lunch on the patio. It was very hot and I lightly burned my shoulders (again!). After that we walked around downtown before going to Jyo's apartment to meet up with her cousin Preet. Luckily everything was downtown and close, so we didn't have to cab it everywhere. We met up with the other girls around 3pm for the dance lessons (which was a hoot). However, we made a promise to one another just to share those pics privately, so I won't post any.

After the dance lessons (where some of us started drinking), we went back to the hotel and had chips and cupcakes that Preet made and chatted and everyone got to know one another. We started to get ready for dinner and I opened the champagne and we toasted Jyoti. The champagne was really good, I'm pretty sure I consumed half a bottle! I was tipsy for dinner. We were all looking pretty foxy, rigged up in pink and pink accessories! We put on pink tattoos, makeup, accessories and jewellery, and we made Jyo wear a tiara with veil, a sash, carry a purse with a stuffed dog in it and a flowered lei bracelet as well. It was a lot of fun.

We ate a ton of sushi for dinner and I tried sake for the first time. It was disgusting, tasted like turpentine smells! Gina and Jyo were the only ones who liked it and they got a bit tipsy off it. After dinner we all walked back to the hotel, making Jyoti do things on her "Scavenger hunt list" which of course, are all embarassing. We have great photos. At the hotel some of the girls left and the rest of us put on pink face masks and pink glow stick bracelets and headed to the club.

We went to Tonic, as I had VIP passes for us. The music was really good but the club was lacking in cute guys. We got Jyoti drunk (again) and wandered the streets again some more, making her complete the list. I won't go into great detail about what happened that night, it was just a lot of fun and there were a lot of laughs. We returned to the hotel around 3 and, thankfully, slept in.

Shoes, shoes, shoes

Wow, okay it's been a long time since I've written a new entry. Let's just start by saying I am not running and no chance of it now that I have a second job. It eats up all my spare time and I'm much too exhausted to run when I do find some.
Yes, I've got a second job at a shoe store. Hilarious, I know, yes I can see the irony. However, I love it. I get a discount, I work with nice people, there is no stress and I love the social aspect of the job. I'm good at it too (shocker). The hard part is being on my feet for 4-6 hours. I'm not used to it and I have to soak my feet in cool water when I get home because they are so sore. However did I serve 8-12 hours shifts? I must have been used to it or I was just younger and adjusted better.Sean thinks I will get used to this in another week ortow, I hope he's right. At the moment, I work 3 shifts/week but I've asked for more hours.
I'm no longer on the cleanse but I am taking the Candida Stop pills everyday. Sometimes I take 2/day, sometimes I take 3/day but it's improved my skin and my headaches and I'm also sleeping again without any troubles. I don't restrict my eating but I don't go nuts either. I have an egg white omlette everyday for breakfast, I have a salad with protein for lunch and I eat plain yogurt everyday. I eat veggies and meat for dinner and I NEVER eat pasta. I haven't had pasta since March and I'm fine with it. I am trying to control how much carbs I eat, some days are better than others but it's definitely what my body does not like. I am almost out of HIT and I truly believe the yogurt is the best substitute for it. Plain yogurt has the natural, much-needed good bacteria for your body. I'm still consume sugars (yes, I'm aware they are a carb), but again, all in moderation.
Jyoti's stagette is coming up in Vancouver on the 17th. I've arranged everything and paid the deposits and everyone is coming. I'd get excited if I wasn't so stressed. It's a lot of responsibility. Her bridal shower is the following day, hosted by Amina and myself. I hope Jyo has fun, that's the only thing that matters. The wedding is at the end of the month.
I'm adding Ryley's blog address on the right side of this page. She is Sean's girlfriend, who is currently modeling in Tokyo and it sounds like a great experience. Her blog is interesting and she's a sweetie.
Oh yeah, I've also updated my blog layout. I hope you all like it, I think it's refreshing (and I love the books)!

May Days

I am still on the diet...but no longer on the supplements. My first week off the cleanse I didn't go crazy but I did start eating 'regular' things and my body was not happy with me. I started getting headaches-major ones. I also had troubles sleeping and my skin broke out and my stomach was upset. Sigh. So I'm back on the 'plain diet' again. I don't mind actually, its kind of a way of life for me now. I am still not eating dairy and I'm avoiding sugar and carbs but I did have a slice of banana bread yesterday and I'm fine. I think I just have to be careful, so I will have carbs but only a few times a week. I had a small portion of fruit on Tuesday and that was fine too. I think I will just stick as closely to the diet as possible and have treats and every now and then. I'm feeling much better this week and I'm running again!

I started running on Sat, I just went out and ran 10k. It was not difficult and I went at a reasonable pace. I ran another 5k on Sunday but took Monday off as I wasn't sleeping well. I ran 10k Tues and last night, at the suggestion of my friend Matt, I joined a group at the Running Room. I am not great at being consistent, so maybe the group will motivate me. I ran with the leader of the 10k training group. She runs at 5'30 while I run at 6'00 but as it was only a 4k run, I pushed myself to run her speed and it was fine. We even had a conversation while we ran and I was fine. So I think this will be good for me. I also learned a new route, which is a really pretty trail run. I am planning to go every Wednesday and Jan and Lindsay want to join me, so it will be fun if we can keep consistent.

I recieved some very good news yesterday. I was offered admission into the Uvic BEd PDPP (Bachelor of Education Post-Degree Professional Program (secondary)). I am very happy and relieved because I've wanted this for so long! I had my interview a couple of weeks ago and I did not think it went well, I was very nervous. But I made it and I head back to school full-time in Sept for 15months. By Christmas 2011, I will be a certified high school teacher. Wahoo! I told my mom before anyone else because she, more than anyone, has been my support towards this goal. Thank you mama!

Finished!

I am all done the cleanse now, Wednesday was my last day. I was just...done. I ran out of supplements too, so it just made sense. I'm going to be careful with what I eat, try to keep it down to two cheat days a week and remain on the regular eating pattern the rest of the week. Hopefully I can keep it up.
School is done! I'm looking forward to this summer, lots of fun stuff coming up. Janice and I are going to try and go for a run tonight...I'm not really holding out hope that will materialize. We are excited because in two weeks we will be in Vancouver for a girls weekend with Meg! We decided last night that we would both take a half work day on the Friday so we can catch the 2pm ferry and start the fun early! I'm really excited! I get to meet Sean's girlfriend that weekend too, which will be nice.
I am in Vernon for the May long weekend again this year. I think I spend every May Long there. I hope its hot, I could really use a tan and I'd love to lie out in the sun.
It's my parents 30th anniversary this year...wow. It feels like I just threw them their surprise 25th wedding anniversary party, hard to believe its been 30 years! Wait, that makes me...never mind. My birthday will be celebrated this year, just not sure how yet. Maybe some ziplining with friends?
I have friends coming down this weekend from Nanaimo. I'm excited because i've known them for over 10years and we only see each other twice a year at the most. Her girls are amazing and beautiful and I love spending time with them. Its hard to see them as teenagers when I used to baby-sit them when they were toddlers! Again I'm aging myself.
Jyo's wedding will be the big event this summer and I'm currently planning her stagette. I've never been to one before, let alone plan one, but I'm going to make sure she has a great time!
The weather here in Vic needs to warm up. The sun is great but the breeze is still really cool and I really want some hot weather that warrants drinking mararitas on a patio somewhere. Here's hoping it warms up soon.

And so it continues...

Hello, yes I am still on the Candida Cleanse-day 33. I figured...why not? I made it this far, surely I can go a little longer. Yes and no. It's a struggle as I am starting to tire of eating the same, plain diet day after day. I would love to have two slices of toast in the morning, yet I'm full with only one. I'd love to have a slice of cake at work, but then when I run in the evening I'm really glad I didn't. It's so up and down right now. I was going to end tomorrow, seeing as it is Jan's birthday...but now I'm thinking another week wouldn't kill me. I keep reading testimonials of other cleansers to motivate me. Some people have been on this cleanse for 3 months! I couldn't imagine. I don't want it to take that long for me. I do want to pass the spit test with flying colours and I didn't last week...there was some cloudiness and that concerns me. I watn to be 100% sure because I never want to do this again.
Thankfully Riley helps keep me distracted. He came limping home Saturday morning and his poor leg was swollen to 4x its size. I immediately took him to the vet hospital (9am Sat morning...) but they couldn't find any wound and figured that his shoulder received trauma of some kind. They gave him a shot of antibiotics and sent us home with antibiotics as well. Riley pretty much slept for 96 hours straight! He could get on the couch, but he couldnt get off, so I was picking him up (gently) and putting him down. He was in so much pain. The first day he didnt even want me to sit next to him. By Sunday afternoon he came and sat on me and on Monday he was running around and only limping a little bit. I let him out last night as his leg was back to normal size. I am still going to pump antibiotics into him for the next couple of days. I have lots of pills but I am going to save some for the next owie he gets, maybe save myself a vet bill. Randi told me to look into pet insurance and with Riley...it's not a bad idea!

Last Day!

Today is the last 'official' day of my cleanse. I put that in brackets because I am going to continue taking the supplements for another 4 weeks. I am also going to try and maintain 4-5 sugar free days/week. I can't believe that it's over. I remember starting it and feeling skeptical and unsure of whether or not I would last 4 weeks. I also thought the first week would be the hardest but actually the third week was the hardest. Surprisingly, most people were supportive of me. I've had a few people look at me like I'm trying to starve myself but that isn't it at all. It's NOT a diet, its a cleanse and I certainly didn't starve. I didn't do this cleanse to lose weight, as that is not the point of it. I just cleaned out all the toxins in my system and what a difference! Here are a few of the changes I have noticed:
-no more troubles sleeping
-improved energy
-I'm always happy/positive
-no more headaches
-no more numb hands/feet
-good skin
-things taste different (better)
-clear thoughts (no more 'fuzzy' confusion)
-my concentration has improved (no more ADD ;) )
Thanks to my mom for recommending this cleanse to me (and for being so supportive) and thanks to dad for trying to torture me by emailing me whenever he was making cookies! lol

Week #4-day 24

4 days left! I'm excited but I also feel really great! I just realized I don't have troubles sleeping anymore and I've only gotten one headache in the past month (probably because I am sleeping). I feel energized, I lost 5lbs and I'm really happy I did this cleanse. I was considering extending it but I think Friday will be the last day. I do plan on watching what I eat and taking it easy for the first week off this cleanse. I do not plan to overindulge, but I won't be extreme with my restrictions anymore either. I'm considerably more aware of the foods I consume, more importantly what is in them. It's amazing how much processed sugar is slipped into our food and I've learned to make wise choices at restaurants. I think the best thing I've learned is how to NOT be lazy when it comes to food. If I come home later, there is not stopping at Wendy's!! Instead, I come home and make a salad or burger but I do not eat fast food! It's very important to stay away from that poison. Also, I've learned healthy alternatives to starchy/snack foods. Yams are way better than potatoes, almonds are better than chips and stay away from pop and juice! Fruit is also loaded with sugar, so everything in moderation.

My grandmother sent me a care package (she rocks) and included was a bag of pancake mix...love her to pieces! That will be my first breakfast off the cleanse! yummy, I've craved pancakes this entire time. I would rather eat them than cake!
I'm really glad I did this cleanse and I would recommend it to anyone.

Day 20

The end is in sight! I have to say that week 3 is the hardest but I'm past it now. I'm fine at home and at work but when I'm at someone's house it's hard to watch them eat whatever. Easter weekend was tough but I feel really good now. I might stay on it for 6 weeks, its my debate right now...

Janice's birthday is coming up at the end of this month and she wants me to drink some wine with her, which I would love to do but...I could do without. It's funny, I don't miss wine, tea or pasta-staples I lived off before this cleanse (except for the wine). I do miss cake and today I wanted mini-wheats but I still want pancakes more than anything! Anyway, we are thinking of going kayaking for Janice's birthday. I think we need to stop NOT wanting our birthdays and start celebrating them again but doing different, fun things together. So we are working on it.

I had my last day of classes today-thank GOD. I am so done with school right now, I really need summer to begin. April bring us some heat please!

Week #3/Easter

Okay, I'm done now. Seriously, I am so tired of eating the same things over and over again. I am also tired of watching people eat cake and cookies, I really want to eat cake and cookies too! I will admit that I sleep really well these days but its not enough for me to stay on this. I am more conscious about what I eat and what ingredients are in stuff, but I really miss eating 'normal' food. Two more weeks and counting.

Sean just left an hour ago. He came over to have Easter dinner with GG and myself, which was really nice. What I wasn't counting on was the power outage. We had a terrible storm Thursday night and around noon on Friday I lost power. A lot of people all over the island lost power. It was terrible. Whatever do you do without power? no internet, no lights, no nothing. Within 3 hours I was freezing cold and my laptop battery was running low. So I went down to my cousin's place because they still had power. They are out of town but I have a key and she knew I was going there. I ran into my GG and ended up taking him to his hair appointment and then he took me out for dinner. I got home around 7 and there still wasn't any power. So I called the radio station (how else was I to get information?) and they said no power until Sunday. So I packed up food and clothes as quickly as I could (it was getting dark) and headed back to Jan's house to spend the night. Thank goodness they had power.

Sean arrived on Sat and it was a gorgeous day. I had power again just after 1pm, but by that time I had moved all the food for the dinner to Jan's house and so we just stayed there for the night. The dinner was very nice. On Sunday GG took us out for breakfast at A&W (I watched them eat) and then Sean helped me move everything back to my place. We chilled for a bit and then went to the movie "How to Train your Dragon 3D" and it was INCREDIBLE. I really want to go again, it was a great movie. We watched "The Hurt Locker" the night before and it was pretty good too. Now I'm cleaning sheets at Jan's house and trying to get motivated enough to write an essay. I also have to create an outline for a test I have on Thursday. I cannot wait until school is over. But it was a pretty good Easter weekend, I'm really glad Sean came down because we had so much fun.

Day 12

Okay, so almost at the 3 week mark and I'm feeling great. I have been sleeping well, my skin is nice and I've lost 3.5lbs. I'm really into the routine of it all now and I'm starting to change things up. Yes, I can only eat certain things, but I'm learning how to make them interesting, thanks to my friends on the Food Network (Michael Smith). Last night I made a burger and wrapped it in lettuce, it was so delicious! I'm allowed 5oz of cheese, so I melted it on top with mushrooms, divine. I have another one for lunch today, I'm a little bored with the salads but I have to eat them everyday, so dinner will be a salad with salmon on top. I love all the veggies though, no problems consuming them.

There were 2 cakes at work yesterday and I didnt even want them. I pretty much never eat cake anymore at work, we have them so often and its unecessary calories. Even before this cleanse I refused cake. I don't know what I'm going to do about my birthday, especially if I try to stick to the 5 sugar free days a week...

Week #1-Complete

Well, I survived. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The evenings are definitely the worst, when I'm used to snacking on whatever I want. I lost 2.5lbs and I feel pretty good. I did crash Wednesday night, for 3 hours I was very moody and I hated the diet and all the food and I just ended up going to bed early and renting a movie off iTunes. But I was fine the next day. I've learned how cheap and delicious things like yams, sweet potatoes (yes, two different things) and squash are. They don't even need anything except cinnamon for flavour, but I'd sure love it if I could have margarine. I'm allowed butter, but I don't have any because I dont like it. I was raised on margarine and its margarine I want. I have been tracking my calories on an application on my iTouch and I'm allowed up to 1,600 calories a day but I'm lucky if I get 1,000 and I only hit that because I eat pure almond butter everyday. I'm only allowed 2tblsp but its so delicious. I never have to eat peanut butter again, this is so much better tasting and better for you. It's my dessert every night now. Today is the first day of week 2 and I'm allowed one portion of grains or one portion of fruit a day. I already had mine, a piece of whole wheat rye bread with almond butter on it. Tomorrow I can have a cup of strawberries or raspberries or half an apple. It's Georgia's birthday, so when everyone is eating cake, I will have some fruit and plain yogurt. And I don't think I will even mind.

I didn't run at all (except for the short run on Sunday) but I did do some exercises and I'm hoping to run today or else start fresh again tomorrow. Next weekend is the long Easter weekend and I'm cooking dinner for my brother and our 92 year old Great Grandfather. It should be really fun and the only hard part will be dessert. I will have my almond butter and maybe raspberries and I think I will serve them chocolate cake. 3 more weeks and counting!

Day 4

Well, I'm on day 4 of the cleanse and I'm doing pretty good. I decided to start on Saturday, that way I will finish the program on a Friday and celebrate on a weekend (I won't binge). I had a splitting headache for the first day and a half (die-off) but since then I've been just fine. Now that I know I am ok with everything, I put in a second order for the rest of the supplies, which will arrive tomorrow.

I have never seen my fridge so full of food! Yogurt (plain), pellegrino and every veggie you can think of. It's crazy. I find my food very plain but then I discovered I can eat salsa. I eat it with my eggs (way better than ketchup) and with the meatballs I had last night. I love yams, they beat potatos any day! They are like a hidden treasure. Unfortunately, I get full a lot faster on this stuff and last night I couldnt even eat my yam and it was only 1/4 portion. Lunch is my favourite meal of the day because I make a gigantic salad of romain, spinach, and lots of different veggies including avocado and for a dressing I use freshly squeezed lemon juice. I usually put canned chicken, salmon or tuna on the salad-heaps! I bought 5oz cans of V8 (reduced sodium) and I usually hate V8 but at this size it was easy to chug. I eat almonds, pickles or celery with peanut butter on them as a snack and things are good. Dinner is usually chicken or pork chops with a portion of yam and lots of steamed veggies (broccoli, beans, mushrooms, carrots, etc).

I had cravings for cheese buns and cookies the first 3 days but none today. I drink so much water, 8-10 glasses a day and the biggest pain so far is that I have to pee every 10mins, its ridiculous! But oh well, it will be worth it in the end.

A different kind of run

Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day, so I decided to go for a run. I always run the same route, Galloping Goose in Colwood. It's a great path and there is even a place for me to park my car. Anway, I decided to go in a different direction than normal, since I'm not runing for time I didnt think it would matter to hit the lights that come with the other direction. So I took off down the hill and up ahead of me was a cop car, two cops and plenty of yellow tape. Uh-oh, I assumed some kids had gone joyriding and had crashed their car into the ditch. Not even close. The cop stopped me and said that they were doing an investigation in light of the recent event. I didn't know what he was talking about and when he asked "didn't you hear about it on the news?" I shook my head. I never watch the news, I always read it online and never on the weekends. Anyway, he told me they had found a body in the creek by the bridge and they didnt know if it was a suicide, natural causes or murder and wouldn't classify it until they got the coroner's results. At this, I stopped the clock on my NikePlus. He then asked me a bunch of questions such as "how often do you run here, when was the last time you ran across this bridge, have you noticed anything suspicious lately, etc." Of course the day I decide to run the bridge route! I told him I hadn't as I just started running again recently and always in the opposite direction of the bridge. He was really nice and took my information and then told me I could proceed across the bridge ( I saw on the other side there was another cop car and cops). I told him I would rather not and he smiled and said it was 'perfectly fine,' but it was anything but. I told him I would stick to my normal route (and find a new one ASAP). Anyway, needless to say I had a shitty run.

When I got home later that night, I called Jan to tell her and she freaked out because Colin said it was a 20 year old female (BS as the age has not been identified as anything but 'young'). She told me that from now on when I run, I should text them before and after. It sounds rather extreme to me and uneccessary as I always run in the day and there are plenty of people around. However, for the next little bit I will run closer to home.

I looked up the news online late last night and the papers are eager to call it a 'homicide.' I dont know if that is truth and the policeman didn't want to freak me out or if they are just assuming it. It was a young women's body but nothing more has been said.

This afternoon I went on facebook and noticed a Victoria friend of mine had joined a club about a missing girl. The date caught my eye because it was within the time period. I clicked on the link for more information and an 18 year old girl from Colwood has been missing since the 18th. I feel completely sick about it and I really, truly hope the body is not this girl. I guess in the end its someone's daughter or friend or sister. I hope they find whoever did it so the family can have some closure. I know a few girls through friends who are missing right now, it's so very sad.

*Update: The missing girl has been identified as the one I mentioned above. I removed her name so that I would not offend anyone. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Eliminating the sugar bug

For the past few months I have been working up the courage and mentality to attempt a ‘sugar cleanse.’ I eat (and enjoy) sugar as much as everyone, but it’s not the treats I am worried about. It’s the everyday processed sugars found in the food we eat, such as bread, pasta and condiments. Even fruit is loaded with sugar and I love fruit! However, I love my body more and it’s not happy with me. I’ve struggled with many personal health problems over the past year and I have confidence that this cleanse will cure a lot of these issues. So, starting Sunday, I will be killing the sugar bug. It’s called Candida and you can research it if you haven’t heard of it before. I’m not going to go into great detail on what it is, but to give you an overview; it’s going cold-turkey without sugar. Eventually the program works sugar back into your diet, but naturally (eg. a piece of fruit) and with the assistance of herbal supplements to help rid the body of the ‘sugar bug’ that lives inside of you. I am not an organic freak; I do not think sugar is bad, I just think my body is riddled with too much of it. For the next 4-6 weeks, I am going to use this blog to chronicle my journey/challenge in killing off my sugar bug. I think the first week will be the hardest but I am determined and I just feel like this will be really good for me. Wish me luck!

Vancouver Weekend #2

Another fun weekend in Vancouver! I took the 1pm ferry on Saturday and my nice brother came and picked me up. The weather wasn't great-it rained all weekend, but that's ok. Sean lives in Gastown, not far from the Olympic Torch and so I made him take my picture in front of it. The fence is really tacky but Sean said it used to be on the street but after complains they moved it closer to the flame.
Sean and I met up with Jyo and Harj in Surrey and some of Harj's cousins had dinner with us. It was fun and the Canucks won the hockey game-bonus. Afterwards Sean, Jyo, Harj and I went to a hotel beside Jyo's apartment and visited with Harj's best friend whose fiance works for the Paralympics. They had a nice room and we chatted until about 3am. Of course the boys were hungry so we took them to McDonalds. I absolutely hate that we lost an hour with the time change, so we didn't get to bed until after 4am.
On Sunday I went with Jyo to her hair and makeup consultation, as she is getting married at the end of July. She liked her hair but didn't like the makeup so she will go back for another consultation with a much more natural look. I think she looked gorgeous but she hardly wears any makeup and wanted to keep it norm. Jyo's parents arrived in town and us ladies went fabric shopping and we looked at Saris for me (for the reception). We didn't find one but we did find material for the bridesmaid saris. It's a really pretty gold. Jyo's wedding dress is amazing, she is going to look fantastic. We went to her aunt's house for yummy Indian food and I got to visit with her aunts, cousins and grandma. I have known her grandma as long as I have known Jyo, she is so sweet and 92 years old although she looks 70. We had a good time and Jyo's youngest brother Rajeev came back with me on the 9pm ferry. I dropped him off and got home around midnight. Another late night (I feel old) but totally worth it.
I'm glad we got so much wedding stuff done and Jyo answered my bazillion questions so I feel like I know what is going on now. I also got to meet the majority of the wedding party. There are 300 people coming from as far away as India and Australia, so I'm really excited.

Vancouver Weekend #1

I went to Vancouver this weekend to spend time with my cousin Megan. She lives in Kitsilano, one block from the beach and maybe 3 blocks from some incredible shopping. She has a Safeway just up the road, along with a Cobbs and a Shoppers Drug Mart. If I lived in that area, I would never have money. Sean was supposed to hang out with us, but when I was boarding the ferry Saturday morning, he sent me a text stating that he was at the airport going away for a job and that he hoped we would have fun. I replied asking him where he was going and what he was doing but I never heard back from him. It is now four days later and I still have not heard back from him. This is not unusual for Sean, but I can’t help but worry about my brother. I assume he is in an area with no cell reception, probably in a remote oil field in Alberta. What a stinker.

But Meg and I had a great time. We did so much shopping (I’m scared to get my VISA bill) but I finally got some new jeans and a coat. The weather on Saturday was gorgeous, so we walked from her house to Granville Island and wandered around. Then we took a ferry (see pic) to Yaletown and shopped around and then had drinks on the roof of the Keg. We went out for dinner later that night and we did more shopping on Sunday. It was a lot of fun and so nice to get out of Victoria for a weekend and I got to see the remains of all the Olympic celebration sites. Meg is now on her way to Portugal for a friend’s wedding, so I’m trying not to be jealous. Meg’s husband Mike (a pilot for Air Canada) was out of town all weekend, so we had the house to ourselves. They haven’t lived in it very long and they are renovating it bit by bit but it’s a very nice condo and they’ve done a great job with it so far. I absolutely loved my room, it was bright and the bed was super comfy.

It sucked to come home, but I plan on going back to Vancouver next weekend to see Jyo, so there will be another fun weekend. I went for a run yesterday afternoon and about halfway through it started to hail. It was very cold, so I’m not surprised. By the time I got back to my car, my hands were blocks of ice. By the time I got back to my house, the hail had turned into giant snowflakes! They didn’t stay but it was very odd weather. I can’t help but remember that it snowed on Jamie’s birthday last year (as I was leading groups of girls on a scavenger hunt outside for her birthday party), but it was much worse then, as the snow actually stayed. I remember I had to put 2 dozen 9 year-old girls’ socks in the dryer once we went back inside for cake. Of course no one thought to dress for snow! Anyway, it was a fun weekend and I hope to visit her again soon. In fact, Janice and I are planning to go to Vancouver to visit Meg one weekend in May, so that will be a crazy fun time.

Starting over yet again

Okay, it really sucks to start running again. Everytime I stop, I kick myself because I know how hard it will be to start again. It doesnt matter how good of a runner you were before, starting after 4 months off really kills a person.

I had my first run in a long time on Sunday. I only ran 3k and I was breathing heavy. Pretty disappointing. I ran again on Wednesday, which was a horrible run filled with cramps. I figured that I was starting off too fast. My pace was 5'30 and that is ridiculous for a beginner! So I slowed down to 6'00 and that was difficult too. I couldn't find a steady pace. One second I was running 6'40, the next 5'30, but finally I managed to get into a good 6'00 pace. And it was a good run. I'm almost up to running 5k, hopefully this weekend I can manage it. By the end of next week, I should be fine running 5k. I'm not too worried about my pace right now, I just need to get comfortable running again. The pace will improve eventually.

This weekend I am going to Vancouver to spend the weekend with my cousin and great friend Megan. She's been running her whole life and can hold a conversation with you while she runs a marathon-she's that good! Anyway, she's promised to do a short run with me this weekend and we will probably meet up with Sean at some point. I really need to get out of Victoria for the weekend, it is so boring in this city, no one ever wants to do anything but stay at home. I'll try to remember to take pictures and then maybe post a blog about our weekend. Her husband is out of town, so we may get a little crazy!

Calvin & Hobbes

Some of my favourites...

Thanks Bill Watterson!

This be the verse

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you

But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepends like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.

Philip Larkin (1971)

When did Universities start acting like high schools?

I returned to new classes at UVic on Monday to discover that professors have a new way of treating students…like children. I am taking two English 400 level classes and both of my profs feel it is their responsibility to monitor class attendance like high school. I find this very disappointing. First of all, being an adult and attending classes at a University, it is taken for granted that we are all responsible for our own attendance. After all, we pay the money so we can make the choice whether or not we attend class right? Wrong. Both profs stated that they were trying to encourage students to come to class by making attendance worth marks. How ridiculous. So someone gets 10% just for showing up? What a bunch of crap. I work hard to get good grades and it pisses me off that they would just give away 10% like that to some students. Who cares if someone shows up or not? Everyone learns differently and some people learn better from a book than a prof. I am not one of those people, I actually like showing up for lectures, but I’m just saying. There are days when I feel it is not necessary to come to class (eg. movie days bcs I always fall asleep), so I feel it is my right to NOT attend on those days if I so wish. I’m a good, dedicated student, so why should I be punished for not attending a class in which I wouldn’t learn anything anyway? I’m majorly pissed at this. Especially for a 400 level class, Uvic I am so disappointed in you.