Awaiting Erindale

As I ponder the changes that are coming to Empire Avenue next week in the Erindale iteration and how it will affect not only my stock but also those of my investments, I was pleased to see this recommendation from (e)ANGLER on his blog, eavproblog.com.

However the rumours are true, yes they are. Peter Dutton has an amazing flickr influencer score of 46. Check out his flickr profile HERE.

Flickr has long been one of my favourite Web2.0 sites. For more than five years my photo's have been part of the community there and I have easily spent more time there than any other social media site. I'd be happy if you could pay it a visit and if you use Flickr, please feel free to add me!

The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier

When I first visited Ottawa (about nine years ago) I had an entire day to myself. I was staying with a friend who lived along the Rideau Canal but he had to work so I set off to explore Ottawa, walking along the Canal (beautiful, btw) until I eventually got to the end by the Locks and then headed up towards the Parliament Buildings. Between that point and where I was going I came across the National War Memorial and of course, the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, who had been buried there just the year before (repatriated home from the Vimy Ridge burial grounds in France).

When I came upon the Tomb I was ill prepared for the feelings that overcame me; feelings that ran the gamut from sorrow to thankfulness and finally to brotherhood and kinship. I sat beside his Tomb for a couple of hours, just sitting and thinking about who this person must have been and what his life meant - both at the time he gave it for our country and now, to me (to all of us really).

I could not visit Ottawa without visiting this old soldier again. He may not have a name and we may not ever really know who he is but we do know that he gave us everything in the hopes that we would continue to live free in this world as Canadians. I owe him everything.

His Inner Cowboy

"There is no try, only do."

Wes spent this past weekend with a friend north of Edmonton. They were supposed to do a three day trail ride so Wes went a day early to learn how to ride a horse. We'd been on a couple of rides before - hour long rides - but really he'd never ridden independently.

The weather ended up preventing the three day ride so instead they took the horses to the Gymkhana in Josephburg. Wes and his friend competed in the Intermediate 15-17 yr old division, in events that included barrel racing, pole bending, flag race and something called a keyhole race.

Did I mention he learnt to ride three days before that?

He came home with 3 ribbons - placing second in two events and third in another. He's quite pleased with himself and I think he might be hooked on the whole equine sport thing. Just goes to show you never know what you can do until you actually try!

I Was Here

I remember once when I used to take the bus I was coming home from work on a particularly full bus - people were crammed so close together but everyone was ignoring everyone else. I remember looking at my patch of window, staring out at the traffic (also crammed together) and feeling strangely ... alone. I wanted to reach out and write in the condensation on the window I WAS HERE.

When I was a kid, to be a smartass, I liked to write "Kilroy was here" on various surfaces. But years later I realize the commonalities. I do want to leave my mark on the world... and some might suggest that I have, or that I will, but really in 1000 years (or more) what will I mean to anyone?

Kilroy (and Allie) was here.

Brave Battalion

Spent the afternoon at the Canadian War Museum today. I found it profoundly moving. I didn't have time to find all of the medal sets there from my unit (16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish) and since Piper Richardson's, Pte Milne's and LCol Peck's VC are there I might go back tomorrow.

EDIT: I did go back to the museum but was disappointed to discover that the medal sets, while part of the collection, were not on display. They were actually locked in the vault which apparently needs two people with two different keys to open (similar to a nuclear launch). This intrigued me to learn but the day I went back the other person had called in sick so there was no way for me to view these medals. I will have to make an appointment to come back next time I am in Ottawa.

There are snails in my belly

I pursuit of my goal of eating five new foods this summer I have thus far tried camel, boar and today, escargot. I need some suggestions on what to try next as I am running out of summer. It should be foods that I could actually eat in Canada and I'd prefer no one suggest bugs. The snails were hard enough for me to wrap my head around, even covered in cheese!

Assuming that I have eaten all the regular western diet foods (Canadian and British), I've compiled a list of meats I've had already: Elk, Bison, Venison, Caribou, Moose, Emu, Ostrich, Llama, Alligator, Shark, Lamb, Mutton, Rabbit, Squid, Octopus, Goat, Duck and Pheasant. There was also a cat "incident," but I don't usually talk about that.

I usually am quite interested in trying anything new at least once, so don't be afraid to suggest more than two things.

Ottawa!

We have arrived in Ottawa and had a great day yesterday visiting the Parliament Buildings and then a wonderful evening out with friends at a place called Sweetgrass in the Market area. I had the best buffalo there that I have ever had in my life! Very good.

I am taking pictures with both the camera and my iPhone (with the Hipstamatic App which is responsible for the affect you see above). I have started loading the iPhone pics to my flickr page. You can check them out here.

Might be Time for a Diet...

Duncan said today "My cat might need to go on a diet. She just asked me to bring her Solo and the Wookie..."

Tonight's the Night!

Earth has entered the debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, meaning the annual Perseid meteor shower - the best shower of the year - is upon us. August 12th (tonight) is the peak night of the shower where observers (best to be outside of the city if possible) could witness between 60 - 100 Perseids per hour. Friday and Saturday should offer good opportunities for viewing as well.

Also in the sky tonight (at sundown) will be Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon in a tight conjunction in the western sky - AND if you stay up late into Friday morning there are two International Space Station passes over Edmonton to watch. The first flyby happens at 3:54am (look SSE) and the second at 5:26am (look WSW). The ISS is quite bright and will take about 2 minutes to cross the sky.

Tonight has a lot of promise if the skies stay clear. I suggest getting out of the city - Elk Island would be perfect but there is no need to go so far.

Other things to do - Listen to the meteors on radar, check out pictures from people more talented than I and watch NASA's Fireball Cam.

Enjoy!

Biking in Edmonton?

Recently I've witnessed several close calls with bikes in traffic, mostly related to bikes not going fast enough and people trying to get around them in their vehicles. It frustrates me and scares me.

I have a beautiful bike that I love, but it has sat in my basement for almost the entire time I've been in Edmonton because the drivers here scare me (as a driver myself sometimes the cyclist's scare me too). The roads are not bike friendly, yet it is against the law to ride on the sidewalks. To me it almost seems like a battle between rider and driver.

Today on twitter I saw Michael Janz pass along a link for the Canadian Cycling Association CanBike 2 Course being held in Edmonton in September. CanBike 2 is an 18 hour, on-road cycling course that covers both theory of on-road cycling and practical riding techniques. Worth the time for anyone who commutes to work by bike. Click on the link for more info or to register. And stay safe out there.

Send Just Five More Hugs!

As the Edmonton Food Bank nears it's goal of 7500 virtual hugs (that Kraft will turn into 7500 jars of Peanut Butter) I just wanted to ask everyone to please take a minute to send 5, 10, or 15 hugs to aid this process along. Anyone can send hugs, residency doesn't matter.

Send a Bear Hug Now!

To track the progress as the hugs add up, click this link HERE. The Edmonton Food Bank has until this Friday to meet it's goal.

And thank you.

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Today's Livestrong newsletter broaches the topic of Vitamin D, something that I have been interested in ever since the Cancer Society of Canada suggested that large doses of Vitamin D can help prevent or fight cancer. Other health experts have suggested that Vitamin D deficiencies (hypovitaminosis D) of Canadians could be attributing to our higher instances of auto-immune disorders, like MS.

Vitamin D (commonly referred to as the "sunshine vitamin") plays an important role in both our physical and mental health. The vitamin is made by our bodies when our skin is exposed to direct ultraviolet rays from the sun for at least 20 mins at a time. The problem with living in Canada is that we don't get a lot of sunshine and we often don't go out in the sun unprotected (sunscreen hampers this process).

I can't recommend to you how much Vitamin D you should supplement your diet with as I am not an expert, but I can suggest to you to go off and research it yourself to determine what would benefit your lifestyle. Personally, in the winter I will take up to 1000 IU a day and in the summer I often drop it down to 400 IU a day and will sometimes even skip it (because I am a sun worshiper and often forget my sunscreen).

Vitamin D is one of only four vitamins that are stored by the body and as such we have been long taught not to take too much of it. This way of thinking is changing with new research and from what I've come to understand it would actually be difficult to ingest enough Vitamin D to produce toxicity (In healthy adults a sustained intake of 50,000 IU per day can produce toxicity after several months). Currently most information I've found suggests the "Tolerable Upper Limit" of Vitamin D is around 2000 IU per day.

Vitamin D is easy to obtain and take in pill form - I would suggest asking your pharmacist to recommend a trusted brand to you if decide to add a supplement to your diet.

Help Spread the Feeling

This week in Edmonton KRAFT Peanut Butter is gearing up to stock the shelves of the Edmonton Food Bank and you can help!

For every virtual Bear Hug you send (via email), KRAFT will donate a 500g jar of Peanut Butter to Edmonton's Food Bank. You don't have to do anything else. You don't even have to live in Edmonton!

Send a Bear Hug Now!

Edmontonians have already started sending their virtual hugs and have until Friday August 13th to send more! At the time of writing this the total was at 2649 jars!

Edmonton’s goal is 7,500 hugs (that's a lot of peanut butter). You can keep an eye on the progress HERE.

For those that prefer a more hands on approach, the Kraft bears Smoothie and Crunchie will be giving out bear hugs at West Edmonton Mall this Saturday (August 14) near the Ice Palace from 11am to 4pm. Just like the emails, for each hug Kraft will donate a jar of peanut butter to Edmonton’s Food Bank.

Let's go to the Market!

This past summer Duncan and I have developed a weekend ritual of hanging out at a Farmer's Market. We walk around the market checking out all the wares and making selections that allow us to support the local economy. Eventually we return home with an armload of locally grown fruits and veggies and sometimes some buffalo or specialty sausage to BBQ. Every trip brings something different.

Normally we go to the City Centre Market but today Duncan suggested we go to the St. Albert Farmer's Market, which happens to be the largest outdoor market in western Canada. With 250 vendor's to choose from you really could find everything here that you might need (except a cool basket to carry it all in). Today we bought some Rosemary Garlic Chicken sausages from Sunworks Farm, an SPCA certified family farm that raises their animals ethically, organically and free range. They were very good!

If you haven't yet been to this market (Saturdays 10am-3pm) I highly recommend it. We will definitely be back.

Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Today this song is running through my head like my theme song.

I'm heading back to the Food Bank today with my kids to volunteer. I'm both excited and looking forward to it. A lot of really good people work really hard under that roof to help a lot of people. Everyone's motivations for working there are different but they are all genuine and pure. For me it's nice to be in a caring environment for a change. And I really like how happy they are to see me.

And while the circumstances of my having free time at this point aren't optimal, I'm starting to feel like the universe really does have my best interests at heart with it's small and seeming strange twists of fate recently. I'm going with the flow and we'll see where the current takes me!

My wish for a happy Friday for everyone is that they see a place of value for them in their lives - have a great weekend!

Stop, Hammertime!

What does it mean?

Originally found in the 1990 lyrics from MC Hammer's song "Can't Touch This" Hammer sings "Break it down, Stop - Hammertime!" right before he breaks into a dance solo.

According to Yahoo answers, the saying has evolved to mean that "it's time to get busy" or "do something like get to work."

An entry on Urban Dictionary says that Hammer Time is one minute every day that is dedicated to awesomeness. "The official time of Hammer Time has been set by the internet community to 11:42 AM."

My favourite, out of all the explanations I collected, is that this phrase is commonly used right before hitting someone with the Gravity Hammer in Halo 3. Now I want to play Halo so I can get some Hammer Time!

Get out and Make a Difference

Volunteering for Edmonton's Food Bank

This past weekend we volunteered at the Heritage Festival, taking donations for the Edmonton Food Bank. It was nice to have an opportunity to volunteer as a family activity and the people at the food bank are wonderful to be around.

Volunteering has always been a way for me to ensure I can have a positive impact on my community. Even a couple of hours once in a while can make a difference to a local organization and leave you feeling accomplished and needed.

If you don't have an organization that you normally support then I urge you to call 311 in Edmonton to find some opportunities to get out and make a difference.

Everywhere a Sign

Enough Said...

Today included an impromptu trip to CFB Wainwright to pick up Wes. It's been one of those weeks so when I saw this sign at the Junior Ranks Mess I knew it was speaking directly to me.

So yes. Thank God It's Friday

Have a Heart?

I want to blog about recycling - but not the kind that comes to mind when someone says "recycling." We can be recycled. Yes, you read that right.

Most of us have a cursory understanding of organ and tissue donation - likely from stories in the media about people waiting for heart or kidney transplants - but I don't know how many people realize that almost ALL of us is recyclable. In addition to our organs you can also donate your eyes, skin, tendons, bones and cartilage. In fact, just one person can provide usable parts for up to 75 different people!

Now that's the ultimate act of recycling!

I like this idea quite a bit but I am ridiculously paranoid about carrying around an organ donor card so I've made other preparations. I've let my family know that should I meet with an unfortunate and untimely death that I would be happy if they donated whatever they felt they could part with. I've also included this in my Will and Power of Attorney documents.

You should think about this too. For more info (in Alberta) check out Alberta Health Services. For other places just google "Organ and Tissue Donation" with your location.

Come Along For The Ride!

In the latest Empire Building Network blog post titled "Breaking News: Empire Avenue Adds Influencer Scores," William Pitcher writes about the new social networking scoring introduced today by the Empire Avenue development team. He calculates an "iRanking" based on the unweighted averages (as they are listed today) of the twenty five influencers on the Leaderboard.

Today my scores are EAv (62), twitter (46), facebook (48) and flickr (37). William's calculations of the top 25 leaders on Empire Avenue makes my iRank at number 1.

"Clearly, there are differences between share price and influence scores with someone like ALLIE scoring well on all four measure plus being number one in weekly earnings while only ranking 12th in share price. Expect to see her move up."

When I read this I was pleased - but also a tiny bit perplexed. I think the only way I can move up in share price at this exact moment is to buy the upgrades to offer more shares for people to buy. While this seems to be a no brainer the upgrades are pricey and will come at a considerable cost to my portfolio.

However there can be no gain without some risk and forward movement is the name of the game - I owe it to my shareholders to continue to build on the investments they have made in me. There will be upgrades forthcoming to offer more shares of ALLIE to anyone who wants them - watch out for your chance to own some of the best producing stocks on Empire Avenue. I can't predict exactly where this new adventure will go but I am confident it will be worth coming along for the ride!

See you on the Avenue!

Sunday Morning Coffee

Duncan makes the best Coffee

As much as I love the whole experience of going out to a coffee shop and sitting in nice chairs while enjoying a hot beverage, nothing at all can beat Duncan's coffee. He crafts the perfect cup from grinding the beans to percolating it through the AeroPress with love and no certain amount of skill. And sitting outside in the yard on a sunny summer morning is better than any coffee shop anywhere.

The Right of Way

CFB Wainwright

We spent last weekend in the bustling Alberta town of Wainwright, there to visit Wes for his birthday, which conveniently coincided with a leave pass weekend. Before we went we had compiled a list of "attractions" in Wainwright and the surrounding area, all of which we finished/saw/did on the first day. The biggest attraction for sure was the Trestle Bridge (literally) and the town's Buffalo statue was a close second.

It was great to see Wesley and hear his stories. He has grown up so much in just two short weeks. It was good also to see the base again, although a lot has changed since my time there - for example they now have fancy barracks to sleep in (we slept in these tiny "H Shacks" with shared showers... ah, memories).

You can see the pictures of the Wainwright trip HERE.

Help Us Find Our Parents

Lyle & Marie McCann

I think about Lyle and Marie McCann and their family all the time.

I can't help but feel that there is nothing I can do except hope, pray and watch from the sidelines. Of course, there isn't really anything I can do. But this family has been an amazing inspiration to me, the way they have remained positive and focused during this crisis. Their simple plea "Help us find our parents" touches my heart and makes me want to help in any way possible. I never knew Lyle and Marie McCann but I feel like I do now, or would very much like to know them.

If you have any information that may be helpful in the search please contact the St. Albert RCMP Detachment immediately 780-458-4300 or 780-458-7700 24 hour complaint line or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Hiding...

You're doing it wrong

Wesley is trying to teach Raven the basic rules of camouflage...

Wainwright Birthday

Happy Birthday Wesley

We went to Wainwright to celebrate Wesley's 17th birthday with him. This picture was taken at dinner in a place called the Honeypot. He seems much older than 17 years old now, he's grown up a lot in the past two weeks and it suits him. We had a lot of fun together and on Saturday we went to all of the Wainwright "attractions." Soon there will be more pictures on Flickr.

My Baby Boy Turns 17

Happy Birthday Wesley!

Wesley has always been very active, even in the womb. He used to kick, turn somersaults and every once in a while jam his feet into my pelvis and stretch up as far as his little body could go... as he got bigger this became harder for him and some time in the last month of pregnancy, unbeknown to us, all of his antics got him stuck. On my bladder to be exact, with his umbilical cord wrapped around his shoulders.

Being trapped made him "late" and I was induced 10 days after my due date. The medication worked wonders and within six hours I was beginning transition labour which I am told is the final, shortest and most rewarding stage of childbirth. However 12 hours later I was still in transition - fully dilated but the baby hadn't moved. Then his heart rate started dropping and it became apparent that something was really wrong. I was pretty out of it by this time but I do remember the flurry of activity as the town hospital tried to prepare a surgical team at 1:30am and by the time I was wheeled into the Operating Room his heart beat was not above 16 beats per minute. I felt like I was observing everything from a detached, safe distance. Until that moment I hadn't even considered not coming home with a baby.

My GP was there with me, standing beside me stroking my forehead, while the OB started the C-Section. Then words I never dreamed I would hear came out of my OB's mouth - "Oh MY GOD look at this bladder!" Apparently as he made the incision my bladder finally succumbed to all the pressure and was ejected out of my body. I recall my GP soothing me with "Don't worry about it, we'll talk about it later." It wasn't too long before they had pulled Wesley out - but instead of any kind of crying there was just my GP with new words to combat my immediate panic "Just let us do our jobs right now" and they whisked him away. My baby was blue, he wasn't breathing or moving. I wasn't breathing either.

They suctioned him, he finally breathed and colour returned to him and to my world. As he cried for the first time I felt a joy that leapt up inside of me and chased all the demons away. He was alive, I was alive, we had clearly both been given a second chance. It wasn't all easy right away, things like incubators and heart monitors dominated for a while but in the end I got to take my baby boy home to flourish.

On his birthday I can't help but think about the story of his entrance into the world with retroactive awe at the role that fate plays in our lives. Things can change so quickly, certain decisions have outcomes you wouldn't have predicted and nothing is ever as simple as it first seems. I also marvel at the power and will of life itself - given the right chance life will always find a way.

17 years later I can't even begin to explain how happy I am that I am wishing him a happy birthday. Happy birthday Wesley!

Look Who's Influencing Now...

Today I am the featured Influencer on the website Empire Building Network. Head on over and check it out!

Big thanks to Joanne Costello for a great article.

You Know You Want Some

Today ALLIE is the highest dividend-earner on Empire Avenue. I only have a few shares left today, although I will try to free some up for new investors if possible. If you are on Empire Avenue already head over to ALLIE and invest before the available shares are all gone!

If you're not yet trading on Empire Avenue and don't want to be left out any more send me a message. I'd be happy to give you an invite.

Looks Like Morning in Your Eyes

Good Morning Edmonton!

I woke Duncan up at about 5:00am on Sunday so we could go watch the sunrise over Edmonton together. Although I seldom see it (as I am a night owl rather than a morning person) I love this time of a summer day.

This is one of many photographs I took as the sun rose but I haven't had a chance to process the others yet. When I do they will be up on my Flickr.

Be All You Can Be

Wesley had some free time for the first time in a week yesterday and he was able to call home. He's doing well, enjoying the challenges and the camaraderie and didn't even complain too much about the extreme heat that Wainwright seems to get in the days. He describes training with technology that I've never seen and I am excited for him (and maybe even a tiny bit jealous).

It was really great to hear his voice. It was a chance to connect with him telling me his stories and me describing what has happened here in his absence. But what really struck me was his voice - and how it had changed. He sounds like a man. He is a man and I'm proud of him!

Upgrade, Upgrade, Upgrade...

Empire Avenue is growing fast - if you have an online presence at all you do not want to be left out of this. Currently the site is invite only so you have to know someone who can invite you to join. Soon the site will open to everyone so there is a benefit to getting in now and building your profile and reputation before that occurs.

Empire Avenue is the perfect place to promote your online influence and personal brand. Aside from the fun aspects of playing the game (it's a stock market game), I have been enjoying the networking opportunities and really like how people are building communities in Empire Avenue - both online and offline with communiteam meetups. The communities are a place for discourse with a global audience and to find people with similar likes and interests. Participation in your social media connections and on the site itself is rewarded.

I've been reading everyone's advise on how to excel on Empire Avenue and there really is a multitude of great information out there. If I were to add my advice to people on Empire Avenue it would be to upgrade. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. Check out the different upgrades you can get in the shop and consider them goals to work towards. They are significant investments but they pay off as your portfolio value grows and your dividends increase.

Oh yeah, and invest in ALLIE!

Can You Handle The Truth?

Tonight Raven had us do a quiz to discover our conflict resolution types. This involved rating value based statements as to how well it matches our typical responses during conflict situations and how we react or behave (not necessarily what we think is the correct response).

Most statements were easy for me to rate as soon as I heard them. Others, like the following statement, made me think. This one for a long time.

"Truth lies in knowledge and not majority opinion."

Being an educated, politically motivated individual who studied religious traditions, this statement first demanded I consider the question "What is truth?"

We all know "facts" change as new knowledge is discovered and we have all seen the power in grassroots movements and spiritual belief. It's hard to dismiss the importance of these phenomena in what we would liberally consider the pursuit of truth. Further, if a "truth" is believed by all but there are no facts or empirical evidence available to back it up, does that make it not true? Or is the majority belief in itself enough to make it a "truth" for everyone?

Of course this simplified argument doesn't allow for an understanding or definition of a variety of truths - we all deal daily with subjective, relative, objective, or absolute truths and might even hold different criteria for deciding which is which.

This statement gave me pause because, while I hold knowledge in the highest esteem I also value greatly the will of the people. I think, for the most part, that if the majority of people believe in something then that is enough to make it true in some sense. However, I do hold minority positions in issues I care fervently about - like equal rights for gay people and families - where I believe strongly the religious majority is just plain (and factually) wrong. I can't have it both ways, can I?

It might just be that there is actually no right or wrong way to find or place value in this statement. This might even be a discussion that doesn't have a natural conclusion. What do you think?

Choose Your Own Adventure

Destiny brought us together - our choices formed the path

Today Duncan and I celebrate 2192 days of marriage - our sixth wedding anniversary.

Dr James Dobson said "Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without." I couldn't agree with this wisdom more. I can't imagine a world without Duncan in it and as long as he is there holding my hand through our many adventures I will be happy and content.

The Paradox of the White Raven

When I was pregnant with my daughter the place that I lived was at the foot of a mountain and on the edge of the ocean. Often the Raven’s would fly down from the mountain and as I was sitting outside they would play in the sky, tumbling and "speaking" to each other. It actually sounded like they were laughing at times.

This is part of how my daughter got her name. The other part is owing to the native traditions of that region where we lived. The Coast Salish and the Haidi believe that Raven is the creator of the people. The name, when used for a baby, means "magic and creation."

The role Raven plays in the creation stories of the BC coastal people is an integral one. This ensures Raven a place of honour in the subsequent mythos that developed as the people struggled to define their relationship with the divine.

These beliefs become more meaningful when a white Raven is born, like has happened this year (and a past few years) in Qualicum. White is often considered the purest form or expression of something and it’s equally true of the raven - who normally comes only in black.

I don't know if the white Raven is a sign or not (like Miracle) but for me it is something special. You can see some beautiful pictures of them on this blog.

And if anyone came here looking for the Paradox of the White Raven, based on my title, perhaps try here. But you should know that not all Raven's are black.

Back To The Future

Who needs roads? Apparently I do...

The modified DeLorean DMC-12, that appears at the end of Back to the Future, is now a hoover car. We're told wheels aren't needed where they're going (2010). It was a tantalizing look at the expected advance of technology over time.

But today we all woke up to greet July 5th 2010 and came to the stark realization that we don't yet have hover cars. Flying cars can't be that hard to develop can they? When, exactly then, is our future?

In the fifth season of West Wing there is a conversation between Josh and Leo I often think about. Josh is relating a meeting with NASA and Leo complains:

"My generation never got the future it was promised... Thirty-five years later, cars, air travel's exactly the same. We don't even have the Concorde anymore. Technology stopped... Where's my jet pack, my colonies on the Moon?"

Where IS my jet pack? I think it's safe to say I at least expected jet packs!

EDIT: It's actually 2015 where they start out in the second movie, not 2010. Seems the internet has fooled me. But I like the post so I will leave it up.

He's Ready to Go...

Hurry up and wait...

Because his Basic Military Training finished in June, Wesley didn't get course loaded for his Basic Infantry Training, which technically starts tomorrow. Wes is second on the priority waiting list, which means if two people didn't show up for their training today then tomorrow he will get a call to go.

All his bags are packed, he has purchased all the supplies he'll need for the month of July and he has cash for a taxi in case I cannot drive him. It's weird to go to sleep tonight knowing that tomorrow he might be rushing off at a moment's notice and would be gone for the entire month. That will be the longest he has ever been away from home.

I think I am having pre-empty nest anxiety... he is going to be 17 this month and really is quite grown up (I am so proud of him and the man he is becoming). Next year he will be choosing universities and going off to start his life all on his own. It almost seems too soon to me, time has gone by so fast. It's a great thing, growing up and I am so happy for him. I have to find a way to let go as much as he needs me to. I wonder how other parents deal with it?

Happiness and Prosperity

July 1st Fireworks in Edmonton

We watched the July 1st Fireworks from the River Valley by Government House. It's a spot with a great view that doesn't get too crowded. It was a nice way to wrap up another Canada Day. Afterwards we drank hot chocolate outside while watching the International Space Station flyby. Pretty much a perfect evening in my books.

I love fireworks even if the are hard to shoot by hand (which is my modus operandi). I've had the pleasure of seeing July 4th fireworks in DC, watched the Celebration of Light competition in Vancouver and seen fireworks displays at both Disneyland and Disney World. It is one of my favourite things to do after dark.

Fireworks originated in China around 7th century (after the invention of gunpowder) and were used to "frighten away evil spirits" and to pray for "happiness and prosperity." Eventually, as most technology seems to, firework lead to development of pyrotechnic weapons with a military application (and the large explosions we love so much). Today fireworks are used around the world as a way to celebrate holidays and special occasions or simply to entertain. There seems to be some controversy around fireworks (like the pollution discussion) but I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like them. What do you think?

You can read more about fireworks HERE.

Rule #1 - Cardio

Today was much easier to get out to our workout as it is Canada Day. As the gym didn't open early today I was able to sleep in, which was a bonus all in itself.

The gym wasn't very crowded (it usually isn't in the mornings, but less so today) so access to the machines was plentiful and I was able to do my usual circuit without much waiting. My Doctor had outlined 30 minutes of weight/resistance training he wants me to do, but some of the machines I like to do more sets on (like the calf raise) so I actually spent 45 minutes on this part of my work out. Cardio is next, another 30 minutes is what the Doctor ordered. I was going to use a machine but my son wanted to do the track so I walked/ran on the track.

I realize that my workout is a little haphazard and that I should likely focus a tad bit more on what I am actually doing (i.e. trying to build muscle and tone) so before I left I booked an appointment with a personal trainer. That's for next Tuesday evening, which unfortunately means I am going to have to miss Yoga but it was the only appointment time available for the entire month of July.

I told my daughter that I would run the Bloomsday Run with her in 2011. Seemed like an easy thing to promise at the time (haha) but if I am going to be running 12 kms by the beginning of May next year I should develop a training plan for that as well.

After our work out this morning Wesley treated me to Booster Juice - I had a 12 oz Brazilian Thunder with extra fibre, which was tasty and only amounted to 220 calories, less than what I burned this morning at the gym.

Life is good :)

Happy Canada Day!

Motivation Comes From Within

Sometimes, I have a tiny bit of problem with motivation.

Don't get me wrong – I manage my own time well enough. I set goals in the real world and are able to see them through to completion, often with great success. I tend dream big and on occasion manage to bring even the most outrageous plans to fruition. I have no problem with sacrificing something if it is a means to an end.

But despite it all, when it comes to certain things (or perhaps more accurately certain times of the day) I have a motivation problem. Case in point, this morning – my son arrived at my bedroom door the allotted time for our prearranged work out date (5:45am for anyone interested) and my (gloriously creative) brain quickly calculated everything needed to convince my son to allow me to sleep for another 45 minutes or so. Turns out my son didn't need a whole bunch of convincing and we both went back to sleep.

When I woke up I was disappointed in myself. When I went to bed last night I wanted to get up to go to the gym, I really did. I was even looking forward to it. So what’s wrong with me? How can I motivate myself in the morning and stop sabotaging my best laid plans?

As you might have guessed I am not a morning person. I know for a fact that I require about 7 hours of sleep to feel rested, but I like to stay up late so often there are just not enough hours in a day to have it all. This is no excuse, though. I have decided that my health and wellbeing are a priority for me and I have to find a way to motivate myself to carry through with this goal.

So it was pretty fortuitous this afternoon when an email arrived from livestrong.com about understanding motivation. Not one to believe in coincidence, I opened it up right away.

I learned there are "six stages of change," which according to University of Rhode Island researchers James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente, are: pre-contemplation (mindset before you even think about making a change); contemplation (the stage in which you start to think about making a change); preparation (the stage during which you start to get ready for a change); action (in the midst of changing); maintenance (remaining consistent with new behaviors); and relapse (falling back on former behaviors). You can read more here.

Currently in my grand scheme of things I am somewhere between preparation and maintenance. I set a goal to make myself healthier in 2010 and I have put into action all sorts of lifestyle changes in my near success of achieving that (not quite there yet). I really want to get started with this new phase of working out that I have outlined for myself, which of course will aid in the maintenance of the other changes I have made.

What I need to do:

1. Remind myself why I WANT to do this.

2. Outline a specific plan for getting this new workout regimen in place for the next three months.

3. Solicit support in achieving this goal (in this case go with my son).

4. Realize that I am also helping him achieve his goals and I need to be supportive.

5. Start small and celebrate the continued successes.

6. Do some form of exercise daily - make it a habit.

7. Go to sleep earlier on the nights before work out mornings.

The next morning the alarm will be going off is this Thursday. I'm hoping now that I've declared my intentions publicly that I will hold myself accountable. The best motivation is self motivation!

Rock Down to Empire Avenue...

Empire Avenue is a new Social Networking site developed by a team of people based out of Edmonton, Alberta. Empire Avenue is "a revolutionary online influence stock exchange" that measures influence and allows users to convert that influence into revenue.

Empire Avenue is still in the beta testing stages and will go public on July 20th 2010. If you would like an invite to get into the site before then, please contact me to ask for one.

My stock can be viewed and purchased here. Duncan is here, Wesley here and Raven can be found here.

Down the Rabbit Hole...

Everyone Needs an Escape Hatch

Available escape routes during emergencies when other means of egress are not readily available can be an opportune gift. It can also be, as Alice discovered when she tumbled down the rabbit hole, a means to adventure outside (or inside) our mundane world.

And in this crazy world where stresses and responsibilities sometimes force us to forget to play, everyone could use an escape hatch. I'm going to remember where I found this one - just in case of "emergency!"

School's Out for Summer!

Junior High is done!

Today was the Junior High Award Ceremony at Raven's school. Raven earned her IBMYP Diploma and graduates grade nine with honours. In addition to these distinctions she received Best in Subject Awards for Art, Mathematics and English.

All her determination, hours of homework, studying, flash cards and practice tests have paid off. Congratulations Raven - you deserve it!

Losing It

They say you learn more from losing than you do from winning. I think this is, for the most part, true - yet depending on what exactly it is you are losing you might just be winning too!

This year I have lost about 55 lbs. I say about because, as anyone who has struggled with weight gain and weight loss knows, this has been a complicated process where some pounds have been lost over and over again. The picture above shows me last July (left)and me this month (right), significantly sized differently. Mostly this weight loss is a result of a medically supervised diet I partook in from January - May of this year, but more important than losing this weight is what I learned while I was losing it. I learned alot but I am going to select five things to write about here.

The first thing I learned is we eat way too much in our culture. We are taking in so many extra calories our bodies have no choice to store them as fat even if we are active. While for the most part this is a straight numbers game (eat calories over what your body needs and you will gain weight, eat less and you will lose) not all calories are the same. You need to choose your food wisely and cut the portion sizes - way down.

The second thing I learned is that we do not drink enough water. While I was on my low calorie diet I was drinking between 60 and 100 ounces daily. It is amazing the affect drinking water can have on your weight loss efforts, but also it makes you feel great and get's your system moving again. Try it.

The third thing I learned is that most of us have a metabolism that isn't functioning properly (mostly due to over eating or eating the wrong/same foods) and that no matter how hard you try to lose weight if your metabolism isn't working you're not going to lose anything. You might just have to kick start it first.

The fourth thing I learned is that sugar is in everything and you have to avoid it. I switched to sweetners and eliminated refined sugars (no junk foods, etc) and tried to focus on the raw foods with the lowest sugar counts. This change made a noticeable difference right away.

The fifth thing I learned is that protein is used by your body and not stored. You need to eat protein as an important part of any diet regime so your muscles can function properly. Since your body eliminates the protein that you don't use or need you can focus on good protein sources as a healthy part of a weight loss diet.

Father Can You Hear Me?

Kananaskis Country is beautiful country

Once we left Canmore (our trip in early June) we decided to drive through the mountains, along the Spray-Dorien/Smith Trail, into Kananaskis Country. Duncan and I drove part of this roadway ten years ago but we've never done the entire trip. Needless to say it was beautiful, but better than the more populated touristy areas in the mountains there was hardly another soul. Just us and the wildlife. We stopped along Spray Lake (pictured above) and the silence was wonderful - just the wind in the trees and some loons calling to each other across the lake. These are the types of places in the world that soothe me and put me at peace. In the absence of noise you can hear... everything.

If you're interested, pictures from our Kananaskis Country road trip can be found HERE.

Faith is an island in the setting sun...

But proof is the bottom line for everyone.
~Paul Simon

I'm Photoblogging!

Don't forget to check out my other blog at fotojournal.com. It's direct link is here.

Also, the links to the left of this post house my other homes on the web, come along and visit me there!

It's Ballet Recital Season!

Raven on stage for her recital dress rehearsal

Raven dances with the Lecky School of Dancing, which holds its annual recital at the Citadel Theatre (on the Shoctor Stage). It's a wonderful venue for such an event and it's always lovely to see your child perform on stage in front of an audience. Her actual recital is this weekend, but it's a lot easier to take pictures at the dress rehearsal of her up on the stage. I love this picture because of the smile on her face at this moment - I know she loves what she is doing!

I Can Haz Geek Pedigree?

Tonight I attended the inaugural Edmonton Girl Geek Dinner. It was a wonderful gathering of like minded women from the Edmonton area and I am very much looking forward to being a part of this new community.

At the dinner we were asked to introduce ourselves and part of that introduction was to describe what makes you a geek. This got me thinking about my geek "credentials" and as I listened to everyone list off theirs I realized, with some shock, that EVERYTHING I do makes me a geek. More so, I've pretty much been a geek forever - even back when it wasn't cool to be one.

I'm not sure if people still hold stereo types of the traditional "geek" but for all intents and purposes I look/act fairly normal (or so I think). So, what makes me a geek under the hood?

1. I love the internet. Twenty years ago I was using the "internet" in the army before it was even the internet. Two years later I was Co-Sysoping a 10 line STS Chat system, using new technology called "dial up" from a computer in my own home - a snazzy new 486 that I don't even want to think about how much I paid for. The internet has come a long way since those times. I grew up in, and live in, the Internet Age.

2. I work in the Technology Industry. I work at a local software company called Yardstick Software Inc. and we offer a proprietary software that allows our business partners to offer training, testing and certification - online, of course. I'm not a programmer but I work with some real uber geeks so that's got to count for extra, or something.

3. I'm a Gamer. I spent many childhood hours in a place called an "arcade" plunking quarters into games like Pac Man and Space Invaders, but my life changed forever around the age of 10 when my Dad brought home our first home game console - the ColecoVision. Sometimes I would wake up in the night actually hearing the sounds of Frogger even though everyone was asleep. By 1985 Nintendo ruled in our house and gaming was an entrenched part of life. I once actually got tendinitis from playing too much Super Mario/Duck Hunt and had to wear a wrist brace for 6 months! I'm nearing 40 (no, not really) and I still game - Diablo2, Civilization, Dragon Age, HALO, etc. I can't imagine a time in life when I won't want to game. Actually I like to imagine a time in life where I am inside the game itself... holodecks, virtual reality, the matrix - here I come!

4. I love all things SPACE. From the first time I stayed up all night just to watch the stars move across the sky, to the first planet I ever saw, the first time the Space Shuttle flew over me to actually knowing someone who was on the International Space Station... my dreams have always been somewhere in outer space. When I was a child I wanted to be an astronaut more than anything else and even though today that is highly unlikely I now live in an age where space is perhaps more accessible to me than it ever could have been then. If I wanted I could even be buried in space!

5. I love technology and the gadgets that come with it. I remember taking a course 20 years ago to learn something called DOS so that I could use the new "laptop" computer we had in the army. While I was fairly impressed with that piece of kit back in the late 80's/early 90's I still would not have guessed (and if you had told me I probably wouldn't have believed you) that I would one day carry around a small tablet like device that could access the entire world via the internet, satellite and telecommunication systems - in my pocket. Today I can't imagine not using a tool like my iPhone.

6. I love the geekdom of popular culture. Before I was even 7 years old there was Star Wars, Battle Star Galactica and then Star Trek to cement a life long obsession with Science Fiction (I recall having quite the crush on Starbuck - then fast forward to 2004 to find I once again had a crush on Starbuck). I later developed a love affair with fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter), anything that offered some form of societal critique and the the early internet meme's like HI BINGO, All Your Base, Weeeee and Badger, Badger).

7. I live in a Social Media world. Given my relationship with the internet, online social networking makes a lot of sense to me and my web presence grows accordingly: I've been blogging since 2003; Flickring since 2003; Facebooking since 2005; Twittering since 2007; and, starting this year trading on Empire Avenue. I have, and will continue to, used social media to meet people in places I travel too and to converse with celebrities whom I previously would not have had access too.

8. I have Geeky hobbies and interests. This is where it is hard to nail everything down. I collect things (like hockey and Pokemon cards, rocks and shells); I love firearms, explosions, jet fighter planes and am awed by weapons technology; I appreciate a good car (a Lamborghini will make my heart skip); I am interested in both politics and religion and LOVE to mix them whenever I get the chance; I adore "end time prophecy" and know more ways for the world to "end" than most people dream up in their nightmares; I am fascinated by things like UFO's, crop circles, ghosts, theoretical physics and afterlife studies. Oh, and Terry David Mulligan signed my grade 12 yearbook at my graduation. Now that's geeky.

Technology is propelling us into the future by leaps and bounds but to me it seems like a logical flow. The events of my grandfather's lifetime must have seemed more abrupt - he went from horse and buggy to man on the moon, what a whirlwind of excitement that must have been. I'm not sure I can imagine the kind of world my children will raise their families in but I sure am game to get my geek on!

The Bear Necessities

Duncan's Black Bear

This past weekend Duncan and I traveled south to visit a town called Canmore. Canmore is a small mountain town, nestled in the Rockies, which is close to almost everywhere you want to go in the Banff National Park area. Duncan and I first stayed in Canmore about three years ago and since then we've been steadily drawn back time and time again. We look forward to our next trip there and sometimes even talk about moving there. It's fair to say that Canmore is very much a Duncan and Allie kind of place and we've become quite enamoured.

This past trip saw Duncan as a speaker at a conference so I had a day in Canmore largely to myself and then the rest of the time we spent together exploring the area around Canmore. The day we left to go home we drove from Canmore south along the Spray Lakes Road into Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (in Kananaskis Country). We've never been all the way along this road and I must say it's some beautiful territory. I can't wait to get the pictures online. We saw loads of wildlife, including this black bear (pictured above), who literally appeared about 2.5 minutes after Duncan said "I hope we see a bear on this trip." Soon the pictures from the trip will be viewed here.

Fears No Foe

Family picture June 6th 2010

Our family commemorated the 66th Anniversary of D Day in a special way today - we attended Wesley's Graduation Parade at the Battle School that marked the end of his 4 month long Basic Military Qualification course.

Graduation Parade

Wes has been participating in a program that offered a Co-Op opportunity for high school students to complete their first stage of military training during school hours and receive credits for work experience towards their diploma. So he attended school in the morning and BMQ in the afternoon and also take two of his courses as correspondence on his own time - nothing short of a challenge, but he was focused on what he wanted to do and he got it done.

Wes now starts parading with his unit, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, this Wednesday. I know he is excited. I hope he is proud of what he has achieved because I know we sure are.

My Summer Bucket List

Inspired by Duncan, Alex, Andy and James, I too am putting into writing a list of things I would like to do this summer.

Albertan summers tend to be too short (imho) so you need to be organized to make the best of it. In addition, this summer is already getting quite full with the kid's activities so more than ever I need to focus to ensure we don't lose a moment. Obviously my summer activities will include supporting Duncan in his stated desires but I won't re-list anything he's already posted and hopefully my list won't create any conflicts time wise.

It's fair to say that since we have a National Park Pass this year I have been more focused on spending time as much time in our National Parks as possible, which you will note as a theme in the bucket list. So without further explanation, here is the list:

Visit the Fallen Four Memorial in Mayerthorpe
Pilgrimage to Lac Ste Anne
Experience a Train Robbery
Visit Waterton National Park for the first time
Visit Spirit Island in Jasper National Park
Visit Banff National Park
Canoe on Lake Louise
Watch a Meteor Shower at Elk Island National Park
Do a 5km Running Clinic

Less specific desires (but still important):
Go Camping/Hiking (maybe in Lac La Biche)
Get my bike fixed
Spend most of my lunch hours outside
Lose another 10-15lbs (by September 2010)
Try five new foods (I've never tried escargot!)
Continue to photograph Alberta's Grain Elevators

It's worth mentioning as well that I've already hammered off some great things this year, like visiting Vancouver and Victoria, our road trip to Jasper, having a photograph published and losing 55lbs! I'll write more about my diet later and if I can bear it I will post before and after pics for comparison.

Dare to LIVESTRONG!

This year I've been focusing on certain lifestyle changes aimed at living and feeling healthier. I've read and learned a lot about diet and activity but some of the best information I've found is on Lance Armstrong's website Dare to Change Your Life. I highly recommend it, both as a resource and for inspiration.

Introducing fotojournal

I have a new blog at fotojournal, which is specifically for photographers and photoblogging and is a gorgeous looking site (and an easy interface to use). I highly recommend it to anyone who might be interested - please go check it out.

Happy Bloomsday!

Here are Raven's Bloomsday 2010 results:

Finish Time (12km): 1:17:59
Pace: 10.5 mins a mile (avg for age group 14.47 min)
Placed 70th out of 638 14 yr old female runners
Placed 183rd out of 1887 13-15 yr old runners (age group)
OVERALL: 10,981 out of 49,674 runners

Faster every year! Congrats Raven!

West Coast Spring

Those that know me well know that the winters here in Alberta drive me almost right round the bend by the time spring has sprung a province over in BC. The winters here are long, cold and brown (and did I mention frozen?).

Since I can't make spring come any faster here I find that I have to take myself to spring, which means a semi annual trip out to the coast to smell the flowers, sit on the green grass and enjoy the sunshine. Traditionally it means I hook up with my childhood best friend Dawn and we hang out near and around her home for a weekend while I get my fix.

This year however, since our kids are older, we decided to travel together. We spent two days in Vancouver and two days in Victoria. We had a tonne of fun and talked and ate things that were not even remotely on my diet!

We were meant to be in Victoria for the Royal Visit of Princess Alexandra to my unit (the C Scot R) but her trip was canceled due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland. That was a little bit disappointing but did not deter us from carving out a grand adventure in our own style. You can see pictures of Vancouver HERE and Victoria HERE.

Happy Easter Weekend!

For Easter long weekend Duncan and I went to Jasper for a mini vacation. It was the first time in a long while that the kids were gone for a weekend to visit their Dad in Calgary so we thought it was the perfect opportunity for a spring road trip!

Canada's National Parks are beautiful in all seasons and I love exploring them at every chance. April seems to be a wonderful time - everything remains frozen but it's not too cold to enjoy yourself. This year we actually have a Parks Pass so I am hoping to get in as many trips as possible to Jasper, Banff, Elk Island and perhaps even Waterton.

Here we are standing together on the frozen Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, one of the most beautiful places in the world. A passer by was kind enough to take our picture for us.

You can see more pictures from the trip HERE.

Published!

My picture of Walt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon was published in The Color Companion to Walt Disney World (March 2010) - it's on page 326! I took this picture on our family trip to Walt Disney World in 2008.

Turning 38 years old...

Happy Birthday to me!

For my birthday this year I was spoiled! Gifts, new clothes, a 5 hr Spa Date, two meals out, a trip to IKEA and gorgeous weather that made me happy! A wonderful day spent with my family to celebrate getting one year older (but not yet 40). 2010 has been a really great year so far and I think this was one of my favourite bdays of all time. Thanks everyone for making my day!