Running a fun 5K tomorrow morning

I don't know if I mentioned it to you all before but ever since the marathon I walked in '11, I've been pretty much off of organised races. I thought I'd stick to races that were either fun, for a good charity or gave out interesting medals or cool tee shirts. I'm not proud, I want the bling. There's a race called the Resolution Run on New Year's Eve where they give you a fleece instead of a t shirt. A fleece, people. How can I not run that one?

Seriously sweet jacket, amirite?

So anyway tomorrow's race is a called the Run or Dye. As you run by, you are pelted with powdered paint. You get covered in colour and a good time is had by all. I'm all ready with my white t shirt and knee socks (and garbage bags to sit on during the ride home). Plus I have a friend coming in from Montréal so I'm all set. It looks like it may rain (but remember, I love that?) so it may be a bit like this race... a riot!

kxx

I'm sorry, I can't help it

I'm about to gush about my job (again). It's been 3 years at this place, and I honestly have nothing bad to say about it. I love it so much. You know when they say when you find your dream job you never work another day in your life? Well I should have been collecting unemployment for the last 3 years. I love it.

It's my second day back after the summer break, and after the hugs and encouragement (I have a new position there), I started preparing my classroom. It's going to be a beautiful, enriching place where my class will learn and grow. There's a reason the school is called "Ganon". It means garden in Hebrew.

My kids won't only learn English and French, but Hebrew and American Sign Language. And they're only 3. They'll learn to cut in a straight line, how to take turns and how to put a straw in a juicebox without squeezing too hard. All valuable life skills. We'll learn all that in a fun way and they won't even notice how smart they're getting. But their parents and I will.

The only thing that makes me sad is that in 5 years they won't remember who I am. I remember every kid I've taught since 1990 and that's a lot of kids. In fact, I was stalking er... looking for some of my first ever students and some are actually married with kids. Crazy. One day they'll be my doctor or my funeral director and they won't even recall that I taught them their alephbet or how to say "toilet" in ASL. But that's okay. I'll know. And that makes me smile.

kxx

Rain = Fun

I have to admit I love a rainy day. I'll also admit that I love the excuse to stay inside when it's raining. You can watch a video, go to a movie or go to a museum without feeling guilty about spending a gorgeous sunny day indoors.

I love a warm rain. The air is damp and muggy, puddles are super fun to splash in and you have the potential for an excellent cracker of a thunderstorm. So great. When I really dislike a summer rain is when it rains during a dragonboat festival.

Last year we had the worst rainstorm in recent memory and it happened on a day where it was necessary to spend 8 hours of it under a tent. Try to picture over 30 people with chairs and coolers and at least 3 big dogs huddling under a tent that looks like this:

Plus a driving rain that was like standing clothed under a shower, crazy wind and frequent lightning that sets the whole event back as we wait for it to pass. Rain sluiced past our feet like little rivers and the smell under that tent, even though it wasn't enclosed, was a nasty mix of armpit and wet dog. It was the only time that I could call a dragonboat festival miserable. Because there isn't just one word for the-fricking-worst-possible-day-to-be-paddling-except-for-maybe-the-day-that-Noah-left.

kxx

At 2:01 today I...

Was doing last minute back-to-school errands with the high-schoolers.

At this precise moment in time I was waiting in line to get their bus pass ID photos taken and about 10 minutes away from dropping $170 on the whole works. Ouch.

Deep, nerdy thoughts.

I ran through the park this morning, and when I was done I sat by the duck pond. As I gazed into its depths, I thought about my life and why I'm here on this Earth.

I pondered my family, my extended relatives, my friends, and wondered how they were doing on this lovely day.

I thought about what I'd make for dinner tonight and said a little prayer for those who are going hungry today.

I thought about my new job and hoped I'd be amazing at it.

I thought about my past, my future and... coooool, those leaves in the water look just like Star Trek insignias.

kxx (live long and prosper)

I had a dentist's appointment this morning

For most people it's just another appointment in the world of boring appointments but for me, the dentist is an ordeal. It probably starts 2 nights before the appointment with sleeplessness. Then it moves on to err... "gastric issues" for about 18 hours. When I finally get to the office, I'm sweaty and tense until they call me. Then I'm even more sweaty, and I'm so tense that my back is literally arched the whole time I'm on the chair. In fact, I think if you take the chair away, I'd be levitating. And my jaw is clenched so hard it's actually sore for a day after I'm done.

Nine times out of 10 I have nothing dire wrong with my teeth. I haven't had a cavity since 1979 (seriously) and I brush and floss every day so there isn't much scraping. So why all the fear? No idea.

I had braces for 5 years when I was in high school. Even my first crush was my orthodontist Dr. Samuel Israelovitch. He made me wear a humiliating headgear for years, but that's no reason to get the cold sweats before a dental appointment. Or maybe it is...

Oh dear lord, it was just like this one. Do they still make kids wear them? No wonder I had no social life...

Anyway, I'm safe now until February. I'll just keep flossing and massaging my gums and maybe I'll stave off the err... "gastric issues" next time. But I wouldn't bet on it.

kxx

Can she do it?

Just realised that I hadn't blogged today. With 10 minutes left until tomorrow, I'm going to fire one out right now. It may not be good but it sure will be fast.

Today Audrey and I decided to go to Britannia Beach. I love that we can do this with little to no planning. The beach is literally a 5 minute drive away (and really we shouldn't have driven but biked but we had big unwieldy blankets and that's my story and I'm sticking to it). We stopped for a couple of magazines then sat under a huge maple for 2 hours, reading and talking. It really was a nice time.

Later we had a hot dog barbeque because summer and watched some dumb reality tv.

Now I'm getting ready for bed by blogging. Have I mentioned that I'm having a great summer? Because I am.

kxx

At 2:01 today I

Was about to make myself a snack. I toasted a pita for chips (didn't have any tortilla) and made guacamole for one since no one else in the house likes it. Philistines. Let's not mention that 2013 is the first year in all of my previous 45 that I've ingested a tomato. And an avocado. Yeah. Something happened to my tastebuds this year that I just can't explain. Who cares...

kxx
(oh, and if you have any yummy guac tips, they would be much appreciated)

Whatever happened to the "good old days"?

I silently crept up the last flight of stairs and peeped carefully around the corner. There they were. My prey. One long and lanky, one curly-haired, both with a high concentration in their various electronic devices. They were mine. As I took aim with my rubber band guns I fired.

One shot lands slightly wide of its mark. A look of surprise and shock slowly spreads across her face. The other weapon's projectile (in my stronger hand) hits my victim square in the afro. Success!

I came around the corner and the kids marvelled at how I launched the rubber bands. Really? Had I not taught them this already? I tried to show them for probably 15 minutes, they barely got it then gave up and went back to their devices. Cue failure music.




Remember when we spent hours playing with nothing but junk and crap (not literally) we found outside? Remember blowing annoying (and loud!) grass horns? What happened to having an absolute ball with absolutely nothing? It's a lost art I tells ya...

kxx

Unbelievable.

It is an utter and complete shock to me that I've never been outside in the real dark. In my 46 years, have I never been so far away from the city that I've not "properly" seen the night sky? I know The Big Dipper and Orion and that's pretty much all there is, right? Apparently not.

Witness this exchange between Scott and me while on our road trip. We were at a tiny motel on a tiny island (ironically the largest freshwater island in the world) in the middle of nowhere, sitting outside our motel door on plastic lawn chairs. Just for perspective, the closest "big" town was 35 minutes away with a population of 2700. So maybe 6 streetlights?

Me: How can there be clouds when all the stars are out?
Scott: Those aren't clouds, that's the Milky Way.
Me: Are you kidding me? No way.
Scott: Yes "Way". See what I did there?
Me: Seriously? (I get up from my chair and walk to the middle of the parking lot) This is flipping amazing. How have I not ever seen this before? It's beautiful.
Scott: You can come camping with me anytime.
Me: Still not worth it. (Still marvelling at the bigness of it) When people see all this, how can they still say we're alone in the universe? There have to be an endless number of combinations up there. We can't be the best thing that infinity can come up with. It's impossible.
Scott: You need to watch less Doctor Who.
Me: Says the man who got me series 5 for my birthday.

That night I stayed gazing up with my neck craning for so long that I had a sore back the next day. Plus I got the see some of the Perseid meteor shower. Incredible. And if you hear that I cried a little thinking of the enormity of it all, I'll call you a damned liar.

kxx

See? To this city girl, they look like clouds

At 2:01 Tuesday I...

Was on my way home from a family road trip to visit Elliott at camp. We had an amazing time filled with bagpipes and kilts, shopping, mini-putt and a trip down memory lane. Awesome.

Walking Dead magazine

One awake and...

One asleep.

Thankfully this one stayed awake.

kxx

Road trip!

Tomorrow we are going to visit Elliott at camp. He's 5 hours away near Barrie at cadet camp. He has called 3 times, all in the first 2 weeks he was gone so we haven't heard from him in almost a month. I thought he'd call for Scott's birthday, but what are you going to do? He's a 17 year old boy away from his family for the whole summer. I'm trying to let it go. Acknowledged (deep breath in) and.... released (deep breath out).

Anyway, I don't care about why we are going on the trip, just sleeping in a hotel/motel/B&B is the treat. I don't even care what the place looks like, as long as when I look out the window I don't see the neighbour's house (no offense Willie and Deb). So Barrie here we come.

We plan to take Elliott off base for the whole day Sunday, return him that night and continue on for 2 days to Manitoulin Island where Scott and I got married. We haven't been back there for 20 years, and I'm looking forward to taking the kids to see all the places that meant so much to us. I can hear them now... "I'm bored", "Is this it?", "Don't they have WiFi?" (oh wait... that last one was me).

So, all that is to say that I probably won't be able to post tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday. Unfortunately, that means you won't be able to wish me a happy 46th birthday on Saturday and shower me with love, praise and gifts. Please feel free to do so in my absence and I'll catch up with all your adoration asap.

Have a great next few days and I'll see you when I get back.

kxx

Happy birthday honey!

Scott my husband turns 51 today, and he's not much of a birthday person. I don't know how that works exactly since your birthday is the best day ever. Even more cool than Christmas because it's all about you.

In case you didn't know, my own birthday is Saturday. This poses a few problems for someone as self involved as myself.

Problem #1: Day Issues. His special day comes first which means that he gets lots of attention. No problem but then people are all birthdayed out when mine comes along just 3 days later.

Problem #2: Cake issues. I've made a kick ass chocolate cake for him for today. I'm a great baker but even between the 5 of us, we can't finish the cake before my birthday comes around. And even if we could, we're experiencing icing overload by then. That combined with the fact that I made him his favourite chocolate, and I'm not a fan of the flavour, I can't even put candles on what's left because I don't love it.

Problem #3: Gift Issues. Again, because his birthday comes first, we have already independently bought presents unseen and unknown by the other. Normally, the husband sees what the wife has bought and has months to buy something commensurate with her purchase. So let's say the wife bought him tickets to his favourite sporting event and the husband was planning to buy her gas station flowers. Ordinarily he'd have time to rethink that shitty present and shell out for Cirque de Soleil tickets. Scott has no such luxury.

Problem #4: Party Issues. The classic dual party. For someone as self involved and narcissistic as myself, when I have a birthday I want it to be all about me. It's been over 20 years since I've had a birthday party that I didn't have to share (I obviously don't play well with others). Especially with a wannabe curmudgeon who'd prefer to spend his birthday alone in a tent at the waterfront of a national park.

All that to say Happy Birthday to the man I married. See how I even turned his birthday post into a selfish composition focussed all about me? I'm a terrible person (whose birthday is coming up...).

kxx

At 2:01 today, this happened.

It may never happen again.

kxx

The Doctor is dead. Long live the Doctor.

Please allow me to completely geek out for today's post.

Yesterday on a live simulcast to the English speaking world (I'm not even kidding). We found out the name of the actor who would play the 12th incarnation of the Doctor on the tv programme Doctor Who. When I woke up in the morning I was positively giddy. I want to compare it to Christmas morning, but that would be ridiculous. Wouldn't it? Someone online compared it to waiting for the "white smoke". That may be more apt.

Anyway, when the time finally came, I held my breath and the man (thank goodness) walked out. His name is Peter Capaldi, and now that it's official, I can't wait to get my first t shirt with his likeness plastered all over it. What will his signature outfit be? Cosplayers around the planet are waiting to descend on thrift shops the world over. What will his catchphrase be? Oh and he's a man "of a certain age" which is to say I think many fans will complain that he's too old. All I know is that I'm thrilled at his "advanced" age. Two reasons:

1) The current companion is a nubile young thing so I can't see the writers making their "companionship" a thing. Which means I won't have to watch her panting hopelessly after him (I'm looking at you Rose and Martha)

2) That said, it stands to reason that, naturally, I can pant hopelessly after him. I'm just being real, here. The last Doctor was young enough to be my son, and my shameless drooling and pining were just straight up creepy. This doctor is closer to my age without being way too old for me (I'm looking at you Jean-Luc Picard)

Here's my favourite clip of New Who being all sexy and adult in a previous acting gig. This is definitely NSFW, folks.





After all that I'm thinking that "Get your goddamn arse in the fucking TARDIS!" in a thick Scottish brogue would be a great, edgy new catchphrase. I hope they let him keep it (the accent not the swearing. Although...)

kxx (Still giggling at "come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off")

Saw an old friend today

We went to a very big high school and when I say big, I mean there were about 500 kids in the graduating class alone. That big. Our school had a full kitchen, an auto shop, radio and tv station facilities. See? Big.

Anyway, Nathalie and I were in the same graduating class in 1984 (what?) and knew of each other but we never hung out together. When we signed up to facebook we found each other, but left it at that. In the winter she saw all the hats and headbands that I posted and asked me to make something for her cousin. I did but wondered if I'd ever see her to hand it over.

Well she called last week, and we finally made plans. When she came over today it was as if we were best friends all through high school. We talked about old times and old friends and our lives now. We laughed and laughed, and she was positive and fabulous. It really made me wish I'd known how awesome she was nearly 30 (holy crap) years ago.

It's a lot like when you meet a fellow countryman when you're travelling. You instantly become fast friends just because you share the same place of birth.

It was super amazingly great to see you, Nat, and I'm looking forward to doing the Run or Dye with you at the end of the month. This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship. And a long long time coming...

kxx

Bored.

I've done this before you know. Been bored. It was raining, and I felt cooped up. I was watching the Castro verdict (disgusting man and he got every second of jailtime that was coming to him and that's all I'll say on the matter) and felt the overwhelming need to bake and not tackle the epic pile of laundry waiting to be done. But what to bake? Cupcakes? Overdone. Cookies? I recently made over 100 for my Elliott at camp, and I'm over them. Squares? A little too... I don't know. Square?

I know! Didn't I recently watch a cooking show where one of the bakers called something she had to bake "crooked bush"? I knew what she was hilariously referring to. Plus I had all the ingredients at hand. Could I really do it? Could I really pull off one of the most skillful and beautiful desserts on one rainy day? Could I actually pull off the tricky pain in the ass called croque-en-bouche? A stunning pile of cream puffs decorated with caramel that looks like a dream?

Nope.

But it kept me busy all day and I didn't have to do any laundry. And it'll taste better than it looks so there's that.

So what kept you busy today?

kxx