Last night did not go as planned...
I had a in my head a relaxing evening of making bread in my new machine, posting blog stuff, catching up on chores and visiting a friend to bring him some thanksgiving nibbles my Mum sent home for him. Instead I spent the majority of it cleaning up the tornado search for a costume hat that went through my house (sigh), then finding this hat in a bizaree obscure place and delivering it (by public transit) to where J needed it for a project. I have had it reaffirmed that we need to complete our reorganising projects. Big time.
Finally, about 8:30, I could go home, have some food and drop quickly by my friends house to deliver the yummy goods before rushing home to do some more chores and squeak into bed at around midnight. Whew.
I had grand plans to get up and do my Dance Fusion Workout this morning and have homemade toast for breakfast...but instead I slept in and had some oatmeal. It'll do.
Life is always throwing a little bit out there to keep you alert! I'll get it together eventually :)
And I now know, if you need a hat delivered on time...just call me. I know people. I can hook you up :)
So much to be thankful for
Whew!
I had a nice relaxing weekend up at the lake. It snowed (and snowed and snowed) so it seemed more like christmas, but it was beautiful. The roads weren't too bad so we all made it up there OK. My sis in law wasn't feeling well so she stayed home with the cats, which made it a little less hectic in the cabin. Plus a few people didn't make it up to the lake with all the snow, so the number of people at the big turkeyfest was narrowed down to 20 - which was the perfect size. There was lots of space, and great conversation with friends and family.
My hermity old uncle brought up borscht (who knew bachelors made good soup? :) ) and I helped Mom figure out her new bread maker. With her arthritis she can't knead bread properly anymore and was getting pretty frustrated at the flat wimpy bread and buns she'd been making, so she picked up a black & decker breadmaker...we diddled with it a bit and I wrote down the reader's digest condensed instructions for her (too many buttons for her to just dive in and use it on her own...mom is cute that way: she could save a life in the hospital but give here more than 3 buttons on any machine and she'll freak out and run away!). We made dough for buns and some herbed bread for the big supper....YUM...AND as a bonus, one of Mums friends had that very bread maker and she never uses it so she sold it to me for cheap...he heh...carbtown here I come! I haven't been convinced of bread maker's being worth it until I played with mum's. I am now. I'm pumped to make my own bread more often...I always skimp out on the kneading part. I love bread and I love knowing it will be homemade from now on, instead of just occasionally when I have a day to diddle around. Yum.
Dad & J built the shelf, and it looks great. We bought way too nice wood considering it will be painted (oops) but oh well - I love having furniture my Dad made. It means a lot to look around and see him in the things we have here at home. I even had time to make surprise cookies with my brother's student Yukiho. They are amazing. I'll post the recipe on my food blog later when I get the chance...peanut butter surprise filling inside a chocolate cookie. Seriously amazing.
And then it was turkey supper at J's parents on the way home...and then finally home. Yes, it's nice to be home. I'm all visited and turkeyed out. :) I have so much to be thankful for: My mum's health, my wonderful family, a great cabin to spend holiday time at and my wonderful husband to spend it all with. Luv you J.
Well, back to the lab. Have a great day everyone!
I had a nice relaxing weekend up at the lake. It snowed (and snowed and snowed) so it seemed more like christmas, but it was beautiful. The roads weren't too bad so we all made it up there OK. My sis in law wasn't feeling well so she stayed home with the cats, which made it a little less hectic in the cabin. Plus a few people didn't make it up to the lake with all the snow, so the number of people at the big turkeyfest was narrowed down to 20 - which was the perfect size. There was lots of space, and great conversation with friends and family.
My hermity old uncle brought up borscht (who knew bachelors made good soup? :) ) and I helped Mom figure out her new bread maker. With her arthritis she can't knead bread properly anymore and was getting pretty frustrated at the flat wimpy bread and buns she'd been making, so she picked up a black & decker breadmaker...we diddled with it a bit and I wrote down the reader's digest condensed instructions for her (too many buttons for her to just dive in and use it on her own...mom is cute that way: she could save a life in the hospital but give here more than 3 buttons on any machine and she'll freak out and run away!). We made dough for buns and some herbed bread for the big supper....YUM...AND as a bonus, one of Mums friends had that very bread maker and she never uses it so she sold it to me for cheap...he heh...carbtown here I come! I haven't been convinced of bread maker's being worth it until I played with mum's. I am now. I'm pumped to make my own bread more often...I always skimp out on the kneading part. I love bread and I love knowing it will be homemade from now on, instead of just occasionally when I have a day to diddle around. Yum.
Dad & J built the shelf, and it looks great. We bought way too nice wood considering it will be painted (oops) but oh well - I love having furniture my Dad made. It means a lot to look around and see him in the things we have here at home. I even had time to make surprise cookies with my brother's student Yukiho. They are amazing. I'll post the recipe on my food blog later when I get the chance...peanut butter surprise filling inside a chocolate cookie. Seriously amazing.
And then it was turkey supper at J's parents on the way home...and then finally home. Yes, it's nice to be home. I'm all visited and turkeyed out. :) I have so much to be thankful for: My mum's health, my wonderful family, a great cabin to spend holiday time at and my wonderful husband to spend it all with. Luv you J.
Well, back to the lab. Have a great day everyone!
Turkey for me, turkey for you
It's thanksgiving weekend up here in Canada. I'm looking forward to some family time up at the lake. My brother's wife has decided to take their 2 cats and exchange student up to the lake, so I don't know where we'll sleep, but I'm sure we'll figure it out. I'm the youngest, so I'm used to being shoved in a closet for sleeping at family gigs. I think the closet is big enough to fit J and I in!
Mom has invited (gulp) 35 people for supper. Heh. I'm a bit nervous...I'll help her with everything, and hope we can all squeeze in!
Dad & I are gonna build a bookshelf. Mom and I are gonna build a turkey dinner.
Should be great!
I've been humming the thanksgiving song by Adam Sandler all morning...I'm ready for the holiday. I feel as tho I can control myself around the food, so I think it will be a good time.
Pass the cocoa please. Happy thanksgiving :)
Mom has invited (gulp) 35 people for supper. Heh. I'm a bit nervous...I'll help her with everything, and hope we can all squeeze in!
Dad & I are gonna build a bookshelf. Mom and I are gonna build a turkey dinner.
Should be great!
I've been humming the thanksgiving song by Adam Sandler all morning...I'm ready for the holiday. I feel as tho I can control myself around the food, so I think it will be a good time.
Pass the cocoa please. Happy thanksgiving :)
No more outddor runs for miss injurious
It's snowing!
Lots of fluffy white stuff coming down.
I'm now stuck with indoor workouts until it melts (yes it will melt shush now) so I don't slip on a flake and land spread eagle. (I've done it. Lots. Believe me...it is for the best)
I pulled out my harem pants and stuff for my bellydance class tonight...and I can't wait. :) Snow be damned, I'll have a great jiggly evening!
team photos
I just heard back from our team leader and together we raised about $3000 for the breast cancer run. The Pathletic Lab team (eh? pathology and athletic? we're so clever...) is a great group of people made up of doctors and techies (and their families) from the path department and cancer clinic. Pledges are still trickling in from far away (thanks Kristi :) ) but despite the cold chilly day (yes, I wore a toque and fuzzy bunnyhug under my run shirt - I'm a wimp) we all had a great time. 
Here's me getting my pink ribbon tattoo...which later did not want to come off. Here I was worried the rain would smudge it. We all had one on our right cheek...I'm sure these were designed for the apocalypse and were not a problem to keep on :) Now that summer craziness is done, I'm looking forward to bellydancing and morning workouts...the gloomy weather lately has made it harder to get up, but once the rain switches to snow (*sniff*) I know it'll be easier to get up and do morning things.
My bellydance instructor wants me to take both basic and intermediate lessons for a while and I'm happy to. It'll reinforce the old stuff, which I'm really lacking after not being able to bellydance int he summer from my knee thing. The intermediate class is so *cool*. I picked up some kneepads last night, as we're learning floorwork, and will continue to learn sword dancing and other trio group work. And then the zills and veils...it's nice to be challenged and have so many things to work on. I'm the newest person int he intermediate class, but I'm determined to work hard and catch up. I'm rather proud of myself, because a few years ago being the slowest/newest in a class would have made me feel bad about myself and maybe even give up the lessons...but now? It's a challenge. I'm in this for me, and for the joy of it, so how can learning anything be bad? I certainly won't do any performances or hold the group back by learning....I know know just what I can do when I put my mind to it. It's going to be so much fun!
Well, off to science town. Much to do on this grey rainy day. Have a great day everyone :)
I love you sleep
I slept in this morning and went to bed early after going out to see a great movie with friends.
(Zombieland is a hilarious movie - if you like cheesy horror movies and find movies like Army of Darkness funny...then my friend, this film is for you).
You don't realise how tired you are until you get sleep...not too much...just enough. 2 weeks of overdrive is enough to wear you down.
I feel like a millions smackeroos.
Off to the lab to do some.....SCIENCE!
(Zombieland is a hilarious movie - if you like cheesy horror movies and find movies like Army of Darkness funny...then my friend, this film is for you).
You don't realise how tired you are until you get sleep...not too much...just enough. 2 weeks of overdrive is enough to wear you down.
I feel like a millions smackeroos.
Off to the lab to do some.....SCIENCE!
Tah Dah!
It was a busy weekend...contrasting one day of exhausting cold work and utterly terrible eating and a day of getting up early, speed walking 5K on the Cancer run and then going out fro an awesome breakfast and then a family dinner later.
Saturday I helped J shoot a halloween episode for the music show he works on. It turns out there is a Camp Crystal Lake a few hours from where we live, so we took the crew and gear there and set up on the shore of the lake to shoot a Friday the 13th themed episode. It was fun...but cold, slightly rainy and full of crap food. Small town highway gas station and pit stop sort of snacks. Normally I pack snack for this sort of thing, but having lived 2 weeks at the work/pledge drive mine there wasn't much for food for me to pack, so we just winged it.
Ech.
The next day I made myself get up and had a much better day. It was the breast cancer walk...a chilly misty day, but very inspiring. I really enjoyed it, and raised $250 for the cause...I walked in memory of my friend Shirley and in honor of the smile bringing Missicat, who is currently undergoing her breast cancer treatment. It was so encouraging to talk to the survivors and feel the hope - and see that so many people beat cancer. To feel like I'm helping a bit in my own little way. I'm hoping all the positive energy from the day somehow made it down to her...:)
After that and a family dinner J and I got out to a gypsy punk show. I was tired (still am), but Gogol Bordello puts on a great high energy show...it was a fine end to a truly insane 2 weeks.
I cannot tell you how glad I am to be back into regular life. No more takeaway food (yes I'm actually tired of takeout. I didn't think that could happen), my evenings back AND maybe even catching up on my sleep? Pllus, in the more advanced bellydance classes this year we're learning floorwork and (BwaHAH!) balancing swords on our heads. On our heads people! Meep.
Cool...
Saturday I helped J shoot a halloween episode for the music show he works on. It turns out there is a Camp Crystal Lake a few hours from where we live, so we took the crew and gear there and set up on the shore of the lake to shoot a Friday the 13th themed episode. It was fun...but cold, slightly rainy and full of crap food. Small town highway gas station and pit stop sort of snacks. Normally I pack snack for this sort of thing, but having lived 2 weeks at the work/pledge drive mine there wasn't much for food for me to pack, so we just winged it.
Ech.
The next day I made myself get up and had a much better day. It was the breast cancer walk...a chilly misty day, but very inspiring. I really enjoyed it, and raised $250 for the cause...I walked in memory of my friend Shirley and in honor of the smile bringing Missicat, who is currently undergoing her breast cancer treatment. It was so encouraging to talk to the survivors and feel the hope - and see that so many people beat cancer. To feel like I'm helping a bit in my own little way. I'm hoping all the positive energy from the day somehow made it down to her...:)
After that and a family dinner J and I got out to a gypsy punk show. I was tired (still am), but Gogol Bordello puts on a great high energy show...it was a fine end to a truly insane 2 weeks.
I cannot tell you how glad I am to be back into regular life. No more takeaway food (yes I'm actually tired of takeout. I didn't think that could happen), my evenings back AND maybe even catching up on my sleep? Pllus, in the more advanced bellydance classes this year we're learning floorwork and (BwaHAH!) balancing swords on our heads. On our heads people! Meep.
Cool...
The C word. No not *that* one
Cancer.
In my family there has been a lot of it. My grandfather...my Dad's 2 brothers...close friends...their parents...sisters...brothers...fathers.
I see the faces of people every day who come in for chemo. For some, it's a relapse and they're ready to fight. Others, for the first treatment are nervous and twitchy, waiting to see what they're in for. Moms trying to comfort their kids...kids trying to comfort their moms. Some days it gets to me. Other days the strength and humor of the people I meed staggers me and feeds me.
Every year we have a breast cancer run here in town. This year it's this sunday. I'll be out there in the rain with a lot of great people, remembering the people we've lost and celebrating with the survivors. The funding raised helps the families of those diagnosed with breast cancer...and helps fund research of people like me who are trying to figure out how this whole cancer things functions anyways, so we can try and figure out how to stop it. I didn't raise as much as I'd like, but I know it helps. Awareness helps. Everything we do helps.
I've had people ask me why with all the money they donate and we receive for cancer we haven't cracked it yet. Why we haven't found a cure?
I wish it was that simple. I truly hope that in my lifetime (maybe even in my lab) someone will make the link that will allow us to treat cancer effectively. You have no idea how much I want that.
My big concern about it all lately has been prevention. I know, genetically, some people have the deck stacked against them...but we can do some things. Little things. We can make smart choices and look after ourselves. We can force companies to stop putting chemicals and "food like substances" into us and our children.
Most importantly, we can live every day fully...try and make things better. Live. Love. Be who you want to be. Every day.
I truly believe cancer can be beaten.
Let's do it. Together.
In my family there has been a lot of it. My grandfather...my Dad's 2 brothers...close friends...their parents...sisters...brothers...fathers.
I see the faces of people every day who come in for chemo. For some, it's a relapse and they're ready to fight. Others, for the first treatment are nervous and twitchy, waiting to see what they're in for. Moms trying to comfort their kids...kids trying to comfort their moms. Some days it gets to me. Other days the strength and humor of the people I meed staggers me and feeds me.
Every year we have a breast cancer run here in town. This year it's this sunday. I'll be out there in the rain with a lot of great people, remembering the people we've lost and celebrating with the survivors. The funding raised helps the families of those diagnosed with breast cancer...and helps fund research of people like me who are trying to figure out how this whole cancer things functions anyways, so we can try and figure out how to stop it. I didn't raise as much as I'd like, but I know it helps. Awareness helps. Everything we do helps.
I've had people ask me why with all the money they donate and we receive for cancer we haven't cracked it yet. Why we haven't found a cure?
I wish it was that simple. I truly hope that in my lifetime (maybe even in my lab) someone will make the link that will allow us to treat cancer effectively. You have no idea how much I want that.
My big concern about it all lately has been prevention. I know, genetically, some people have the deck stacked against them...but we can do some things. Little things. We can make smart choices and look after ourselves. We can force companies to stop putting chemicals and "food like substances" into us and our children.
Most importantly, we can live every day fully...try and make things better. Live. Love. Be who you want to be. Every day.
I truly believe cancer can be beaten.
Let's do it. Together.
kids today
For our pledge drive local businesses donate prizes and gifts to give to the people who donate to our pledge drive...it is a way of saying thanks to the donors for us, and a bit of free adverts for them.
One of our donated gifts this year bothers me. Deeply.
It is THIS:
Yes - it is a kids "first fitness" exercise walker. I'll say that again so you can feel how creeped out I am:
A kids exercise walker
Jesus, Mary and Joseph on a pogo stick...
The company also makes a an indoor exercise bike for kids...Awhah??
Now, I should clarify that they're not all bad...they have a Rainy Day playset...which is a swing you can mount in a doorway. That IS cool. I get what they're trying to do, I just look at it and think...do kids need this kind of forced exercise? Are we really that terrible of role models that this is the only kind of exercise we can show them? Are we that paranoid or just lazy about our kids that we can't put them into scouts, soccer, ball or...go for walks with them or something? If nothing else we can shove them out in the yard or on a bike or into a park to play a bit. Gods...I even know someone who took their kids to ballroom dancing class just to get them out doing something. To teach them this WE have to be doing something...
I think one of the reason this bugs me so much is I grew up an overweight kid. I would have been horrified to have been given this. I'm sure all the softball, soccer, volleyball and track teams I got stuck on to do a bit of activities hated me being there...I pretty much sucked at everything except volleyball and figure skating. I wasn't even remotely a top athlete...but my home town was so small we all had to play all the sports or else we didn't have a team. And I played them all. I really hated broomball so I got to finally quit it, but I did have to at least try it out before I quit. My mo
m sent me to day camps and summer camps, took us swimming and walking and even got me a "Mousercise" exercise LP. We skipped and biked and played hopscotch. We played "near and far" with Grover on rainy days running around the living room. Plus Mousercise was AWESOME. It had dance around exercisey type stuff to do to Disney songs...it was fun. My friends came over just to do it. Mom tried, I'll give her that!
Thing is, I was an active kid...I just ate WAY too much. Mom worked nights so Dad & I fended for ourselves or ate what she left...and I learned to eat as much as my Dad, or eat quick before he ate it. Dad's a big guy. I had no sense of portions and he never took food away from me or was able to limit my snacks much...had I had some lessons in food portions and healthy food eating and I'd have been much thinner...I think a lot of issues in kids being overweight is less activity, but also WAY more food for ALL ages.
If my Mom had brought this home to try and help me lose weight I would have been HORRIFIED. It wouldn't have been fun. I wouldn't have used it and I likely would have hated the elliptical that I now (for whatever reason) love to use when it's blizzardy or rainy...I wouldn't have realised fitness could be fun or know the rush I get from a good run.
When I see something like this I want to gather parents together and go NONONONONO! Be examples to your kids! Be more active. Teach them how to PLAY! Give them good food. They will be what we let them be.
Help me out here? By giving our kids this aren't we teaching them to live sedentary lives with bursts of planned exercise? I'm not dissing the exercise, really I'm not. I just don't see how you make active adults starting out with this...? Everyone I've asked at the pledge drive says they would never give this to their kid...it's more $$ than a bike, so they'd get them a bike and some skates or skis instead...I don't have kids so I largely feel like I"m talking out of my ass but it just seems so very very wrong to me :)
What do you guys think?
I leave you with this dance track I like to run to...partly as it has lines in it I sang when I would double dutch skip singing Hot Dog as a kid...you know...playing? :)
(yes the video is lame...the song? Good...)
One of our donated gifts this year bothers me. Deeply.
It is THIS:
Yes - it is a kids "first fitness" exercise walker. I'll say that again so you can feel how creeped out I am:
A kids exercise walker
Jesus, Mary and Joseph on a pogo stick...
The company also makes a an indoor exercise bike for kids...Awhah??
Now, I should clarify that they're not all bad...they have a Rainy Day playset...which is a swing you can mount in a doorway. That IS cool. I get what they're trying to do, I just look at it and think...do kids need this kind of forced exercise? Are we really that terrible of role models that this is the only kind of exercise we can show them? Are we that paranoid or just lazy about our kids that we can't put them into scouts, soccer, ball or...go for walks with them or something? If nothing else we can shove them out in the yard or on a bike or into a park to play a bit. Gods...I even know someone who took their kids to ballroom dancing class just to get them out doing something. To teach them this WE have to be doing something...
I think one of the reason this bugs me so much is I grew up an overweight kid. I would have been horrified to have been given this. I'm sure all the softball, soccer, volleyball and track teams I got stuck on to do a bit of activities hated me being there...I pretty much sucked at everything except volleyball and figure skating. I wasn't even remotely a top athlete...but my home town was so small we all had to play all the sports or else we didn't have a team. And I played them all. I really hated broomball so I got to finally quit it, but I did have to at least try it out before I quit. My mo
m sent me to day camps and summer camps, took us swimming and walking and even got me a "Mousercise" exercise LP. We skipped and biked and played hopscotch. We played "near and far" with Grover on rainy days running around the living room. Plus Mousercise was AWESOME. It had dance around exercisey type stuff to do to Disney songs...it was fun. My friends came over just to do it. Mom tried, I'll give her that!Thing is, I was an active kid...I just ate WAY too much. Mom worked nights so Dad & I fended for ourselves or ate what she left...and I learned to eat as much as my Dad, or eat quick before he ate it. Dad's a big guy. I had no sense of portions and he never took food away from me or was able to limit my snacks much...had I had some lessons in food portions and healthy food eating and I'd have been much thinner...I think a lot of issues in kids being overweight is less activity, but also WAY more food for ALL ages.
If my Mom had brought this home to try and help me lose weight I would have been HORRIFIED. It wouldn't have been fun. I wouldn't have used it and I likely would have hated the elliptical that I now (for whatever reason) love to use when it's blizzardy or rainy...I wouldn't have realised fitness could be fun or know the rush I get from a good run.
When I see something like this I want to gather parents together and go NONONONONO! Be examples to your kids! Be more active. Teach them how to PLAY! Give them good food. They will be what we let them be.
Help me out here? By giving our kids this aren't we teaching them to live sedentary lives with bursts of planned exercise? I'm not dissing the exercise, really I'm not. I just don't see how you make active adults starting out with this...? Everyone I've asked at the pledge drive says they would never give this to their kid...it's more $$ than a bike, so they'd get them a bike and some skates or skis instead...I don't have kids so I largely feel like I"m talking out of my ass but it just seems so very very wrong to me :)
What do you guys think?
I leave you with this dance track I like to run to...partly as it has lines in it I sang when I would double dutch skip singing Hot Dog as a kid...you know...playing? :)
(yes the video is lame...the song? Good...)
The end is nigh
Two more days of insanity and double shifts and a weekend of hurry hurry.
Then I sleep.
Then I can workout in the morning like a regular person again...
My lovely J is minding the pledge drive for an hour tonight so I can sneak away to my first tribal bellydance lesson of the fall. I can't wait. It's at an actual dance studio this year...I haven't kept it up over the summer, so expect there will be much to relearn in muscle memory, but it will come slowly...
I just have to stay awake for it :P
Then I sleep.
Then I can workout in the morning like a regular person again...
My lovely J is minding the pledge drive for an hour tonight so I can sneak away to my first tribal bellydance lesson of the fall. I can't wait. It's at an actual dance studio this year...I haven't kept it up over the summer, so expect there will be much to relearn in muscle memory, but it will come slowly...
I just have to stay awake for it :P
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