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Happy Halloween!
This could be a poetic post about fall and Halloween; however, it’s not. It does contain a big announcement though.
Tom and I had a fabulous fall day.
We were full of Halloween nostalgia and there were leaves blowing around everywhere.
Tom tried on a hundred pairs of pants.
We invented a new city game that is the sequel to the ever popular “bluetooth or crazy?” called “costume, couture, or clothes?”
We discovered a gorgeous street that is beautiful, quiet, close to the subway, across the street from a park, and full of young couples with dogs. We want to move there. Today.
In the same neighbourhood we had a maple latte and a gluten free orange chocolate loaf at the Linux Caffe.
I played in the leaves.
We got home late, made “Thai food”, and watched a few episodes of our new favourite show “How I Met Your Mother.”
We’ve decided to bring back the freeze frame high five.
And now time for the big announcement . . .
WE’VE BOOKED OUR TICKETS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. I arrive in Deer Lake on the 16th of December and Tom gets in on the 17th. Sadly, we’re not home as long this year as we were last year (though it’s nice not to be on strike) but we’re still really looking forward to it. And perhaps, for Katelyn, we’ll put a countdown on! Just 6 1/2 weeks from today . . .
Subscribe to the comments for this postThree posts in one day?
Tom and I were in separate rooms vowing to do homework. He came out for tea and I said “Be proud of me. I made a blog post.”
He replied, “I made a blog post?”
I answered, “No, I made a blog post.”
He said, “I made a blog post.”
So, we both made blog posts without the other knowing. Great minds think alike, but it means you have to read slightly redundant posts. Luckily, mine is funny - to keep you entertained - and his has pictures to distract you from the bad grammar for visual stimulation. Please read them both.
So, grape puree is not such a great idea either. . .
Yeah, what can you do with concord grape puree? We have about a litre of it in the freezer. I think I’m going to add it to some apple puree to make “grape leather” (we’ve had relatively good success with apple/berry leather) but nonetheless the grapes have been an interesting adventure.
Life, on the other hand, has not been that interesting. I’ve spent most of the past two weeks working on those PhD scholarship applications. It’s difficult to talk about what I plan on spending the next four years of my life doing when I don’t even have this degree finished yet. I’m not even sure I want to do a PhD. However, I am spitefully trying to prove those naysayers wrong by getting ridiculous amounts of funding and keeping my options open for next year. I handed the applications in today, now I just have to wait until May to hear the results. Seriously. May.
Tom and I also struggled through a sugar/sweetener-free week last week for a little immune and mental boost. However, the spectre of public transit prevailed and I ended up with a head cold. I’m feeling better now, just in time to get on the germ and infection party bus (otherwise known as an airplane) to . . .
Go home for a week!
That’s right, we’ve barely settled back into Toronto life and we are heading back. Although I’ll still have tons of work to do it’s a great way to break up the fall. I can’t wait!
Here we go, Here we go, Here we go.
Somewhere along the way we said we would update more often. Hm.
It seems that a lot of the craziness of the first few weeks of school has past, and now we’re back into some sort of routine. That is, until we fly home in less than two days. Which we’re both super pumped for. Just knowing over the past few weeks that we’d be heading home to rejuvenate for a week in October made everything way easier. Not that things were difficult. Coming back to a place that was already “yours” was way easier than having to move again (a la last September). And only doing three courses makes things a little bit easier, and makes it easier for me to participate in non-class related things (ie. school doesn’t get in the way of my education as much).
Since I’m (hopefully) graduating in April, I’ve also spent a lot of time thinking about graduate schools. The easy part (deciding that I want to go) is done, so I’ve been trying to find out information about a bunch of different programs at a couple different schools. One of the biggest problems is narrowing down the field I want to look at. I’ve been a little fed up with studying math for a little while now, so I know it’s time for a change to something different. I had an awesome time at my summer job (er… month long surprise job?) at the Environmental Policy Institute at Grenfell so I’ve considered some sort of Environmental Studies program. Urban Planning and Post-Secondary Studies have been in the mix for a while as well. There are a couple schools that I’ve been looking at for each program, but I haven’t figured much else out. I’ll fill you in when something, like a decision, happens.
Currently, I’m most looking forward to going home. I have tomorrow off so I’ll be heading downtown to pick up some last minute things and perhaps eat some spicy food… or some raw food… or sushi… which in some respects could fall under the raw category. Either way, if you’re in Newfoundland, see you in a few days!
New Post!
New year. New, positive outlook. York: Not So Bad.
In an effort to make positive changes to our environments up here, one of the first things I did when we got back to Toronto was quit my job at Staples.
Yep, frig that place.
Funny thing is, the other night I ran into a (former) co-worker, who informed me that he had also just quit (and he’d been there for a couple years). He also informed me that a large group of other employees are also in the process of quitting.
I’m clearly a trendsetter.
I’m glad to not be going back there, and to be going back to my position with the students union here at York - something a little more my ’speed’. After working with the Environmental Policy Institute for a month while we were in Corner Brook, I realized a lot about how I like to work and the types of things I like to do. For example, I do not like to have someone watching over my shoulder all the time, but I do really enjoy working on projects that matter and that fit with my values. Sure, I got lots of hours with Staples (and I appreciate that), but just working for a paycheck isn’t worth it.
Anyway, now we’re back in class and attempting to find some sort of routine. I’m in two courses which seem dreadfully boring, but once I actually start working on them they might get a little better. One of them has a group partners project though, which I’m a little nervous about. Partly because I don’t really know anyone in the class, partly because most of the class is masters and Ph.D. students, and partly because nobody really speaks English very well. I’m sure I’ll be blogging about that when it rolls around. I’m also doing another (first year) course which seems somewhat interesting, and the first years haven’t been too annoying yet. I realized yesterday that most of these people are actually younger than Kimberly and Katheryn, and that totally weirded me out. Anyway, graduating is on the (finally) on the horizon… now just to figure out what lies beyond the horizon.
Living in Toronto: Year 2, Day 2
We made it back to Toronto safe and sound.
Saturday was crazy as we packed up all of our belongings for the 100th time this year. This has become a rather horrific fun event that involves round after round of Suitcase Tetris, Guess the Suitcase Weight, and Try Not to Die While Wrestling a 49.5 lb Suitcase Down the Stairs. However, the ordeal was worth it this time as we brought a stereo and our CD collections with us so we can finally have some music fun times. It’s a pretty big deal though. Once we find a CD rack we’ll have to debate over how the CDs get organised (I’m a fan of by genre, then by favourites) but then we will have to merge our CDs. This is scary. We must be pretty serious about each other.
Anyway, or flight was pretty uneventful. We ended up leaving Deer Lake later than expected but our flight from there to Montreal was very smooth. After a few tears and sookey faces as were taking off I decided to watch “The Proposal” and Tom watched a comedy special and kept laughing really loudly. This distracted me enough to make it to Montreal. Once there we had about 1/2 hour in the airport. Then, after boarding, we had about an hour sitting in the plane on the runway. This was less than fun. Eventually, just a little more tired and hungry, we did make it to Toronto, took a cab back to the apartment and went to bed.
It’s hard to believe that is was over a year ago that we moved here. It’s nice coming back and not having to learn everything about the school and the city the way we did last year. I remembered that there are some things that I like about the city: the food, the weather, the recycling. But, there are also things that I hate: ummm, it’s not Newfoundland.
We’re spending today getting geared up for a busy year, but are already looking forward to getting home again in October!
Tom tries on Wedding Rings
So I tried on a wedding ring today.
holycrapholycrapholycrapholycrap
was my first instinct. Mostly because I couldn’t get the ring on over my large knuckles, and I was afraid if I pushed and got it on I wouldn’t be able to get it off and then they’d have to amputate my finger and once when I was younger I got a ring for being a ringbearer at a wedding and it had my initial on it and some years later I tried it on and it got stuck and it took me a really really long time and lots of slimy stuff to get it off and it was fairly unpleasant.
*and deep breath*
Then I tried another size (which was actually too big) and things went fine. But this made it all seem so real and that was really exciting. I mean, even through booking the venue, the caterer, and the reception venue it didn’t really click in. But looking at rings was real and official. It was wicked.
I got bored of them quickly (where are the rings with cameras and projectors and whistles and decoders in them?) but it was another of those “Yep, this is going to be wicked“ moments.
Our wedding is going to be wicked. Pretty much.
I need to get a new “agenda-book”
I’ve mentioned a few times how busy we’re going to be next year, but I thought I’d write a post to fill everyone in on what my plans are. Maybe Tom will do the same?
- School. This year I will be working on my Major Research Paper. I’ve already done a fair bit of writing, researching, and interviewing, so I hope to do some more interviews and observations in October, and then have a draft completed by Christmas. The project is looking at male dancers and how their experience of recreational ballet classes is unique and also allows them to build different relationships and social circles than other organized activities. Whoo!
I also have to take one more course, and since there is nothing being offered that can benefit me right now, I’ve decided to take a “reading” course with a professor that I really like in Dance and Popular Culture. Basically this means that her and I will devise a (ridiculously long) set of readings for me to work my way through during the semester rather than going to a class.
- Work. This year I have also been offered a position as a TA in a Fine Arts Cultural Studies course called “Arts and Ideas.” Basically I will be responsible for attending their lectures every Friday and then holding a tutorial for a group of them immediately afterward. I will also be responsible for some marking. The course runs all year and while I’m sure it will be a lot of work I’m looking forward to a new challenge.
I’m also going to be teaching some classes at York’s gym. So far they have offered me several classes, but I have decided to take a Turbo Kick class on Thursday mornings (only during the peak times of the year) and a Ballet class and a dance fitness class on Wednesday evenings (if enough people sign up). I’m really looking forward to this. It’s been a long time since I’ve taught any movement classes and I really love it. Hopefully I’m not too much out of practice! I’ve already started planning some of the classes.
- Dancing. I still haven’t decided what my dancing plans are for next year. I had a slight breakdown last week and thought that I might give up dance all together since it seems like I am getting worse and not better and my hip and ankle tendons are really limiting my movement. However, on reflection, I just think it’s been a long time since I’ve had a good class and probably should go back. Now I have to decide between taking a ballet or a modern class. I’d like to do both but 3 hours of dancing a day might not be the best idea with everything else I have on my plate . . .
Still in Newfoundland,Re-energizing for the Fall
With just one week left at home and just over a week until school starts Tom and I have been busy gearing up for the coming (insanely hectic) year and spending as much time as we can enjoying our friends and family.
Last weekend we disappeared from the internet for a while when we headed into St. John’s and took Katelyn along for the ride. Though our trip was brief and spurred by an unfortunate situation, we made the most of it using the drive in to work on our wedding playlist, spending our day and a half there connecting with friends, and exploring some new podcasts on the way home. We were also able to have a quick visit with some of my family and my sis and I relived our childhood a little.
During this past week I’ve been doing some of the interviews that will provide the main data for my thesis research. It’s exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. The project that I want to do is far bigger than what I have time and resources for. I also don’t have a supervisor for next year yet so it’s been hard to get any feedback as to where I should make the cuts. I’ve also been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to do next year. With both of us graduating next Spring our options are wide open again, though I’m not sure I’m ready for another big move to start another new program.
But, on a lighter note, some of our friends who have been living in St. John’s are home this week and we’ve gotten to spend some time with them. I cooked supper for a set of couple friends one night which was nice because I haven’t really done any cooking since I’ve been home, we went to the Backlot for open mic one night, and then yesterday we ventured to the Insectarium which was cool/”ewww bugs.” Tom has taken loads of pictures, so I’m sure they’ll be up on the Flickr soon.
Spending so much time with great people has been the best part of my time home. I have laughed more in this past month than I did all of the past semester. I’m glad that we will be home more often this year than we were last, and am starting to get really excited for the wedding when we’ll be able to be surrounded by tons of people that we love.
I did a bazillion bicep curls today. How many did you do? None? That’s what I thought.”
I think the internet ate my last post. Did anyone read a post from me a few days ago about my workout adventures? It seems to have disappeared into oblivion, so this post will repeat some of the same things. My apologies if you’ve already read them.
So, my workout adventures. With the stress and craziness of moving and then being on strike I experienced some (rather disheartening) muscle atrophy during the first half of this year. I was still managing to get a fair bit of cardiovascular exercise in, but I barely had the strength to carry our groceries home or even push the old lady cart when we bought heavy things - like potatoes and milk. (Okay, so I probably did have the strength to push the cart, I just prefer when Tom does it because he doesn’t hit the other pedestrians and light posts with it like I do).
Anyway, after putting it off and making (bad) excuses all year (”how can I strength train when I should to be writing blog posts for our loyal readers?” or “How can I strength train when I’ve already scheduled this hour for eating cookies and doing the sudoku?”) I decided to suck it up, invest in some weights (oh, and getting 60lbs of weight home on transit was another fun adventure) and start a training program. I tend to do well with assigned programs of strength training. That’s actually the only thing that has ever worked for me. Without them I tend to think that doing four or five bicep curls and a few crunches once or twice a week is adequate.
Because I have really enjoyed the “Turbo Jam/Turbo Kick” program for cardio, I decided to try a strength training program (called ChaLEAN Extreme) developed by the same person. The program was very sensible and followed all the guidelines I have ever read (though never employed) about effective weight training. It is a four month program that changes every month to focus on working your muscles in different ways. Each week there are three days of strength training and two days of cardio interval training. I began doing these workouts in addition to the cardio I was already doing back in mid-April.
Last Saturday I finished the fourth month. It was a great sense of accomplishment - I followed the entire program without missing one day. And while I didn’t see the dramatic results I was hoping for (likely because my body is just not designed to build muscle quickly or efficiently) I have certainly noticed a difference and feel back to my “old self” and by the end of the fourth month I could get through most of the workouts without wanting to throw up or die. And, as an unexpected result, it has also done a lot for my confidence. Even though the workouts were very hard and often times made me want to cry I never stopped. I told myself that I could get through it and always did. I always finished the day’s session, and then the week’s plan, and finally the full four month program. Now I feel that I can take on any kind of physical challenge that comes my way and, even more unexpectedly, practicing that “I can” mental attitude every day has transferred into aspects of my life beyond fitness.
Alright, so this post has gotten too long and is starting to get to inspirational. The point is, this is what I have been up to physically and mentally for the past 1/4 year. I’ve taken this week off from weight training (seriously, I deserve that) but am also in search of a new fitness goal. Inspired by some of my NL friends who have recently become superstar runners I’ve been half-heartedly working on a new running program, but it’s a little too painful for my feet. Hopefully I’ll come up with something in the next few days and be ready to start something on Monday!
(Oh, and the post title is one of the lines that the program host tells you can can say to your friends after you do about, well, a bizillion bicep curls.)