two weekends ago, mark and i hung out with jimi
after a million ideas
or what seemed to me that amount
we figured out what to do.
remember jimi, you drive me crazy!
the fringe we went
jimi got root beer
mark got green onion cakes
jimi got a waffle
i got pizza
jimi got ice cream
mark got ice cream
after the eats, we decided to go to a movie.
BUT before,
we had a mini waterfight
courtesy of jimi-jam
in the car...
...while mark was driving...
...i was amused!
at the movie we laughed hysterically at the film
or atleast jimi laughed.
then i laughed because his laugh was so darn infectious
then we both started re-enacting the scenes that just happened...
...while the movie continued to play...
...in the theatre
mark looked slightly embarassed
ahhh, i just love the good times with my brother.
and mark, you are pretty awesome for putting up with us!
love
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
the half marathon continues
as i look back at this post i laugh a little because i was right. i did do it again. but this time around i felt fantastic. i used the same training program as last year but instead of running four times a week (something i felt i was overdoing and causing unnecessary soreness and potential injuries) i ran three times a week with hills on one day and progressive distances the second and third days. in between i rode my bike to work and did some weight training (plus a monstrous hike) so the strength and cardio were there...
....and guess what!
i felt great. wonderful morning of sun, slight breeze and zero cold. did my warm-up and off i went. this time around i ran solo as jeff was in training for a marathon. so my strategy was to stick to the back in the beginning and do the passing. it seemed to work! PLUS it was flatter than the hillier one i had done previously.
best of all was my friendly supporting team. RIGHT when i was about to walk (seriously) within the last kilometer jeff spotted me. shouting my name he ran right with me leaving me no excuse to stop until he left during the last portion (and really who walks that part). jeaninne and dj caught the finish this time and cheered me on and mark rode his bike effortlessly to find me (unfortunately to no avail) but he was there for me in the end and that is really all i can ask for! :) thanks guys, you make a girl feel so special, so glad you could spend your sunday morning with me! :)
overall i got my goal time sort of. i had wanted to get under two hours. well my total time was two hours and one minute. ooooo one minute i will love you for ever as i enjoyed my water breaks and small walks in that time! i am actually really excited to do it again....we will see if i can make it happen! ;)
here is a little photo slideshow of the ending with my lovely friends. note jeaninne posing as a pregnant marathon runner! yes she is that amazing! :) lol
have a good night,
love
....and guess what!
i felt great. wonderful morning of sun, slight breeze and zero cold. did my warm-up and off i went. this time around i ran solo as jeff was in training for a marathon. so my strategy was to stick to the back in the beginning and do the passing. it seemed to work! PLUS it was flatter than the hillier one i had done previously.
best of all was my friendly supporting team. RIGHT when i was about to walk (seriously) within the last kilometer jeff spotted me. shouting my name he ran right with me leaving me no excuse to stop until he left during the last portion (and really who walks that part). jeaninne and dj caught the finish this time and cheered me on and mark rode his bike effortlessly to find me (unfortunately to no avail) but he was there for me in the end and that is really all i can ask for! :) thanks guys, you make a girl feel so special, so glad you could spend your sunday morning with me! :)
overall i got my goal time sort of. i had wanted to get under two hours. well my total time was two hours and one minute. ooooo one minute i will love you for ever as i enjoyed my water breaks and small walks in that time! i am actually really excited to do it again....we will see if i can make it happen! ;)
have a good night,
love
Saturday, August 20, 2011
awesome
so i came across this book at the library and started to read it last night. it contains "daily" excerpts of little things that this person (or others) consider AWESOME. overall it is a little pick me up to look at the little things in the day that are actually pretty good and make you smile.
this book came from a website where you can also get daily update or even go to their facebook page. this was a post that i particularly enjoyed about napping. napping is one of those things that i never thought of as AWESOME and sleep lines...well. but i do nap and reading his perspective is pretty AWESOME! :)
enjoy your saturday!
this book came from a website where you can also get daily update or even go to their facebook page. this was a post that i particularly enjoyed about napping. napping is one of those things that i never thought of as AWESOME and sleep lines...well. but i do nap and reading his perspective is pretty AWESOME! :)
enjoy your saturday!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
hair drama
mark and i got engagement photos done yesterday.
trying to plan ahead for any kind of mishap as the drive to our "site" was far:
thankfully in my life i have wonderfully supportive and fantastic-ly great friends and an equally supportive and fantastic boyfriend. call jeaninne, she plugged in her straightener (my old one) and told me that i could come right over. mark cut his dinner conversation short and with his ice cream cake in tow we drove to sherwood park earlier than expected. he may have even driven me to the mall to buy a new straightener (as my old one, isn't mine for a reason). at jeaninne's house, she was there by my side to help do my hair in 10 minutes flat (the back had never looked better, he he he). off to elk island we went.
the photos were done and we actually had a lot of fun, joking around, enjoying the scenery and having many laughs. AND my hair was straight so i was happy, seriously i can be such a dork! he he he
love
trying to plan ahead for any kind of mishap as the drive to our "site" was far:
- our clothes were washed and laid out from the night before.
- both of us got home at reasonable times.
- he showered.
- i showered.
- he got changed.
- so did i.
- i plugged in my straightener to do my hair...
- yes, the power button was on...
- but the plates were cold...
- totally broken.
thankfully in my life i have wonderfully supportive and fantastic-ly great friends and an equally supportive and fantastic boyfriend. call jeaninne, she plugged in her straightener (my old one) and told me that i could come right over. mark cut his dinner conversation short and with his ice cream cake in tow we drove to sherwood park earlier than expected. he may have even driven me to the mall to buy a new straightener (as my old one, isn't mine for a reason). at jeaninne's house, she was there by my side to help do my hair in 10 minutes flat (the back had never looked better, he he he). off to elk island we went.
the photos were done and we actually had a lot of fun, joking around, enjoying the scenery and having many laughs. AND my hair was straight so i was happy, seriously i can be such a dork! he he he
love
Monday, August 15, 2011
jump, jump
so the other day i went to see friends with benefits with my girlfriends. quite funny and it played this song...totally reminded me of grade 6 and the overalls we used to wear (although i never wore mine backwards...that is just silly). enjoy and see if you still know the words! :)
love
love
Sunday, August 14, 2011
remarkable women
while i was on vacation i read a great book. i don't know if it was great because i had no worries, no deadlines, no work. OR was it just great because (to the author) it was about a great person. it was by jeanette walls. i had previously read the glass castle, a book that i found triumphant but heart-breaking. this book, half broke horses, was a true-life novel about her grandmother. a woman who lived a HUGE life.
i like books that make me feel good, that show me how people live extraordinary, yet ordinary lives. this women was probably like many in her time, BUT she took chances like flying a plane, breaking horses, playing poker and getting her teaching certificate in an unconventional way. she lived her life as it was her only life so she made ever moment count. i love that message!
this made me think of my grandmother. her desire more than anything was to go to university not a common sentiment at that time (even within her family). her determination brought her to the university of new brunswick where she graduated with a degree in entomology. she substitute taught in the states and when she later came back to canada (air force wife) she did research in her passion of bugs. love it. not only that but she managed to travel to far places and had (what i think is one of her greatest achievements) my mom, my aunt and uncle. simple things, yet so extraordinary all the same.
one does not have to be in a position of power, receive a pulitzer prize, a grammy or nobel peace prize to be remarkable. just to live a life of both hard work and HAPPINESS (and take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way) can leave an imprint on the lives around you. it did for jeanette walls and me. the ordinary done day in and day out, when looking back in time will seem extraordinary to others. at least it will to me!
love
i like books that make me feel good, that show me how people live extraordinary, yet ordinary lives. this women was probably like many in her time, BUT she took chances like flying a plane, breaking horses, playing poker and getting her teaching certificate in an unconventional way. she lived her life as it was her only life so she made ever moment count. i love that message!
this made me think of my grandmother. her desire more than anything was to go to university not a common sentiment at that time (even within her family). her determination brought her to the university of new brunswick where she graduated with a degree in entomology. she substitute taught in the states and when she later came back to canada (air force wife) she did research in her passion of bugs. love it. not only that but she managed to travel to far places and had (what i think is one of her greatest achievements) my mom, my aunt and uncle. simple things, yet so extraordinary all the same.
one does not have to be in a position of power, receive a pulitzer prize, a grammy or nobel peace prize to be remarkable. just to live a life of both hard work and HAPPINESS (and take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way) can leave an imprint on the lives around you. it did for jeanette walls and me. the ordinary done day in and day out, when looking back in time will seem extraordinary to others. at least it will to me!
love
Thursday, August 11, 2011
if you happen to go...
so if you decide to ever do the west coast trail can you do me a favor? if you decide to go on day 5 or possibly day 2 and you get to tsusiat falls, (one of the more beautiful sights i have ever seen) can you look for our buoy? its by the toilets (where i figured it will not blow away). it is our little landmark that we did the trail and i would like to know if it is still standing. cheers!
love
love
let's talk about food
one thing i forgot to mention about the west coast trail was something that is very near and dear to myself. what is it, you ask?
yes this trail is so fantastic-ly unique that not only does it have one...but TWO restaurants set up along the trail. now when i say restaurants it was not a chateau louis or for that matter a denny's. BUT for a backpacker who has been eating dehydrated food for 4 days, it was heaven.
the first one was chez monique's serving fresh fruit, juice, chocolate and chips, not to mention hamburgers with lettuce, tomatoes, relish, ketchup, mustard AND cheese. located just off the beach on our day 4 adventure. one lady, monique, taking the orders and three cooks/servers. it was awesome!
day 5 we got spoiled too. this was the ferry crossing (or boat crossing) from one side of a salt water lake to another. along with the boat ride, the guys running it will serve fresh salmon and crab caught on that day (obviously for an extra price!). no matter the cost, it was delicious. i may have been accused of whacking my poles at a certain blond hiker within our crowd (aka anita). but in my defense, i was starving and saving all my hunger for the food at the boat crossing. really, people should no better than to let me starve. ;) BUT there might be an unhappy picture of me prior to the food.
probably one more post coming of the trip...so stay tuned...or avoid! :)
love
FOOD
yes this trail is so fantastic-ly unique that not only does it have one...but TWO restaurants set up along the trail. now when i say restaurants it was not a chateau louis or for that matter a denny's. BUT for a backpacker who has been eating dehydrated food for 4 days, it was heaven.
the first one was chez monique's serving fresh fruit, juice, chocolate and chips, not to mention hamburgers with lettuce, tomatoes, relish, ketchup, mustard AND cheese. located just off the beach on our day 4 adventure. one lady, monique, taking the orders and three cooks/servers. it was awesome!
day 5 we got spoiled too. this was the ferry crossing (or boat crossing) from one side of a salt water lake to another. along with the boat ride, the guys running it will serve fresh salmon and crab caught on that day (obviously for an extra price!). no matter the cost, it was delicious. i may have been accused of whacking my poles at a certain blond hiker within our crowd (aka anita). but in my defense, i was starving and saving all my hunger for the food at the boat crossing. really, people should no better than to let me starve. ;) BUT there might be an unhappy picture of me prior to the food.
probably one more post coming of the trip...so stay tuned...or avoid! :)
love
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Sunday, August 07, 2011
a week on the west coast trail
it has been about a week and i am starting to get back in the grind of things. the camp stuff is FINALLY packed away for another year so i thought i would work on some posts as i do have plenty to say about this trip. first up (because my mother is dying to see some pics) is a little slideshow of what we saw (and if you are going) what to expect on the west coast trail. enjoy!
ladders: there were tons of these. one section with 200 rungs alone. let's just say i probably have buns of steel right now, he he he. our friend anita, knew extensively about the ladders as they were her nemesi. BUT she conquered them even with her fear of heights! even though she may have (a couple) war wounds here and there...regardless, GOOD JOB ANITA, YOU DID IT!
mud: yes, like the north coast trail this one was full of mud. luckily for mark and i we were quite used to it, and the trail seemed FAR better maintained as there was extensive boardwalk. i was extremely thankful for my gators as they kept me clean during the majority of the trip (a christmas present) well used. some of us did not fare so well as anita's boyfriend, fraser soon gave up and just trounced through the mud pits.
other mud things: also amongst the mud was the slugs. everywhere. one was roughly 9 inches. i was lucky enough to hold one as it was smack dab in the middle of a ladder as i was coming down. he, sadly, didn't make out as well (i have a tight grip, what can i say??)
bridges: another conquered fear of anita's. yes the log bridges and suspension bridges. i personally loved them as i felt i was at circus camp and i was a trapeze artist. she, didn't take to them as fondly. but she did do a far majority (when mark and her had the chance they would go down and back up, hence the upward shots of me on them). i did enjoy the suspension bridge as well as me and fraser may have swung on it....
wildlife: probably one of the more magnificent hikes for mark and i when it came to seeing things. at one point there were two bald eagles in the air to the right and grey whales bobbing up and down in the water to the left. where does one even look? plus many anemones, starfish, a black bear (forgot to put that picture in) sea lions, birds of all shapes, crabs, and fish...it was amazing. our own private wildlife zoo! :) my favourite part (similar to the north coast) was running through the seagull flock and watching them fly...until they started defecating....he he he
beauty: again, in terms of beauty it was amazing (although i probably would still pick hawaii for the warmth and tropical atmosphere). but where do you go when you get not only one but two gorgeous waterfalls that you can swim under? i hadn't found that place until now. not only that but the ocean was gorgeous during fog, sun, and rain. we saw all sides of it with tide going out (up we went on the sand beds or reef) or in (walking on the sand). oh water how i love thee! :)
love and friends: going on this hike gave me quite a new perspective on hiking. i thought back to some of my hikes and some have been less than joyous compared to others due to injuries or difficult terrain. this time around i was approaching the hike with a certain amount of apprehension as i wasn't fully willing to trust what we were about to do (last year's hike was so difficult). having friends around, watching them as they truly appreciate what we were doing, giving the area a vast amount respect, and greeting it with new excitement helped me get more excited and be more appreciative of what me and mark have been doing for 4.5 years. for that i am grateful as my friends have given me a gift! :) AND to watch mark, glow with happiness at everything around him from the wildlife, to the gigantic trees, to even the mud on the ground made me realize how much he really does love this and have such a deep passion for it. so this hike gave me so much more and to my love and friends THANK YOU! :)
love
ladders: there were tons of these. one section with 200 rungs alone. let's just say i probably have buns of steel right now, he he he. our friend anita, knew extensively about the ladders as they were her nemesi. BUT she conquered them even with her fear of heights! even though she may have (a couple) war wounds here and there...regardless, GOOD JOB ANITA, YOU DID IT!
mud: yes, like the north coast trail this one was full of mud. luckily for mark and i we were quite used to it, and the trail seemed FAR better maintained as there was extensive boardwalk. i was extremely thankful for my gators as they kept me clean during the majority of the trip (a christmas present) well used. some of us did not fare so well as anita's boyfriend, fraser soon gave up and just trounced through the mud pits.
other mud things: also amongst the mud was the slugs. everywhere. one was roughly 9 inches. i was lucky enough to hold one as it was smack dab in the middle of a ladder as i was coming down. he, sadly, didn't make out as well (i have a tight grip, what can i say??)
bridges: another conquered fear of anita's. yes the log bridges and suspension bridges. i personally loved them as i felt i was at circus camp and i was a trapeze artist. she, didn't take to them as fondly. but she did do a far majority (when mark and her had the chance they would go down and back up, hence the upward shots of me on them). i did enjoy the suspension bridge as well as me and fraser may have swung on it....
wildlife: probably one of the more magnificent hikes for mark and i when it came to seeing things. at one point there were two bald eagles in the air to the right and grey whales bobbing up and down in the water to the left. where does one even look? plus many anemones, starfish, a black bear (forgot to put that picture in) sea lions, birds of all shapes, crabs, and fish...it was amazing. our own private wildlife zoo! :) my favourite part (similar to the north coast) was running through the seagull flock and watching them fly...until they started defecating....he he he
beauty: again, in terms of beauty it was amazing (although i probably would still pick hawaii for the warmth and tropical atmosphere). but where do you go when you get not only one but two gorgeous waterfalls that you can swim under? i hadn't found that place until now. not only that but the ocean was gorgeous during fog, sun, and rain. we saw all sides of it with tide going out (up we went on the sand beds or reef) or in (walking on the sand). oh water how i love thee! :)
