Perceptions

Are your impressions of strangers' behaviour coloured by materialistic things?

On my way to work today, on a single lane road, I was in front of a Porsche. Don't ask me what kind. A small sporty one, not one of the SUV's, that's all I know.

When our two cars pulled onto a wider road, now a two-lane, he pulled out from behind me, gunned his engine, and proceeded to zoom past me. Only to come to a stop in front of me at a red light. I had not been driving particularly slowly.

Show-off.

That's what I thought, anyway.

Then, sitting at the red light, I reflected for a moment. Is he automatically a show-off because he's in a fancy sports car? What if he had been in a beater (Young Punk??), or a car like mine?

What would my impression have been then?

5 Pounds

That's all.

That's my first goal.

If I can achieve that, I can set another goal. A bit more ambitious, but still within reach.

Than another, and another.

5 years it's been nagging at me. 5 years I've made half-hearted attempts.

I love you, babies, but this is one reminder of my pregnancies I do not want hanging around.

Joyous Heartbreak

In one week, two things have gotten me thinking of how my boys are growing up. First, the return of a co-worker who just spent 2 weeks split between the east and west coasts of Canada getting her children settled in at university. Second, Tracy's post about their 13th anniversary.

In one moment I am counting down the years. In the next I am holding on so tightly to the present.

In one moment I am trying to picture them ten, fifteen years older. Trying to imagine their faces, their personalities, their interests and pursuits. In the next I am struggling to memorize every twinkling eye, every goofy grin, every painful tear.

In one moment I am longing for easy days, quiet morning coffee. In the next I am providing the vocal stylings for a female superhero, helping to rescue an innocent victim.

Last week we had a glimpse of the future, as we both were off work while the boys were in school. It was wonderful and confusing at the same time.

Sometimes I am caught off guard by what we have done by becoming parents.

It's getting old, isn't it? Gosh, it's been so long since I posted...blah, blah, blah.

If anyone, anyone, is actually still reading here, I will be shocked. And flattered.

I think summer has officially ended here. It's turning into an early, cold, wet fall. The boys wear their rain gear to school more often than not. And it rained during our family photo session. And while I actually like rain, I do prefer it when it is broken up by periods of sunshine.

Leaves are starting to turn yellow. Already. Mountain peaks are turning white.

This summer brought a lot of fun. Hubs and I went to France for 2 weeks, my parents took the boys while we were gone. We've had some time in the mountains, but mostly have been enjoying our own front yard and all our city has to offer.

This summer also brought some self discovery. Goals that once occupied my mind have diminished in importance and been replaced. A veil of jealousy has been swept aside to reveal that some things just ARE and that's all right. And new experiences cemented my thought that I know so little of this world and its people. This is what travelling does to me. Seeing a different country and culture, and realizing how well it fits with my outlook.

I see changes in my future. Not quite near, but not so distant as they once were. And I find this comforting.

Hangin' By A Thread

I had to get a post in before 31 days had passed before my last one! I couldn't let this go a whole month without reaching out!

I've found a new hobby. Something to throw my attention at with total abandon, foresaking all else. Cleaning, dishes, laundry, child care, blogging. Work continues because, well, they give me money!

I've learned how to knit. And I love it. In the space of 3 weeks, I have completed a short scarf and a dishcloth.

And have added about 20 projects to my "queue" on Ravelry.

Seriously dangerous.

I'm currently trying to figure out how to link my WIP's to my sidebar with no luck. Because pics are always nice.

Yes, I Had to Stop Working to Post This...

So, living in Calgary, smack dab between peaky (is that a word?) mountains and bald-ass prairie, we get some interesting wildlife within our city limits. The city deals with skunks, gophers, rabbits, deer, and coyotes on a regular basis, and the odd cougar to spice it up a bit. Porcupines can be common too. And, every now and then one of the peacocks escapes from the zoo and ends up terrorizing some urbanite.

The type of wildlife you see is usually dependent on where you live:

1. Near the large provincial park within the city limits
2. Near urban park spaces or the river
3. In the suburban outskirts (we had a salamander vacationing on our back porch when we first moved in)

Now, having live in or just outside of Calgary my whole life, I've seen quite a bit. Deer, bears, and cougars are regular visitors out by my parents' place.

Working downtown, the most common sighting is the Canada Geese. Around now, they are setting up home, laying eggs, and soon will be wreaking traffic havoc as they push the babies out of the nests (commonly built on the second floor roofs of the office complexes, and apartment balconies), and hustle them across streets and down sidewalks towards the river. It's an awesome thing to slam on your brakes during your morning commute to allow a mother goose to herd her babies across the street. They don't like to be confined by crosswalks, you see.

But I've never, ever, seen this.

Fantastic. 'Nuf said.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday Afternoon

We've started booking our 10th anniversary trip. France and Belgium. Yay! I've been wanting to go for years. 5 years ago we were booking our last pre-baby trip. I wanted to go to France, Hubs wanted to go to the Carribbean. We compromised with St. Martin/St. Maarten. Probably best anyway, I would have gone crazy in France...

7 months pregnant + all that wine not being consumed = 1 unhappy me.

So, now we are going, sans children. So far we've booked our first 6 nights. 5 in Paris, 1 in Mont St. Michel. Then back east through Normandy and into Belgium we will head. Bayeux, Juno Beach, Rouen, Lille, Vimy...so many things to see.

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It's review time at work. I dislike filling out those forms. I'm always chastised for not seeing my strengths, which stems from a fear of sounding like I am in love with myself. So, this year I tried to at least make it fun for my supervisor to read.

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My typing is atrocious today. I don't know what my issue is. And Blogger keeps messing with my font and layout. Grrr...

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It seems spring has finally arrived to our corner of the world. I'm always hesitant to declare that before the May long weekend, but I am eager to work on our landscaping. A new shrub, some new herbs, some potted flowers. We just had the lawn aerated this week. The boys have spent the better part of the week trying to avoid all the little dirt pellets that resulted from that. Ah, they take after their mother.

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My little project is just about done (close to 6 years after I started it!) I'll post a picture before I take it in for framing. Still not sure where it's home will be, it's not really my style. It had started out as a gift for my niece, but she's definitely grown out of it now.

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Hubs and I had the pleasure of a weekend away in Victoria, B.C. a little while ago. I was there for a conference and he joined me afterwards. It had been over 5 years since we'd been there. We used to go at least once a year. It was so nice to walk around, relax, enjoy each other's company. And the accomodations weren't too shabby either. Next year hopefully we can take the boys for a holiday and introduce them to a city we love and all it has to offer.

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Hubs turned 35 this week! He says it's a big number. I can't really comment, being a year away from that. But it does seems like a big number. Big enough that I now have this urge to create a list of things to accomplish before I'm 35. It will have to be a short list. I've only got 10 months.

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We cleaned out our closet this week. Donated 2 bins, 3 diaper boxes and 1 large bag full of clothes and shoes.

Two Months

That's how long it's been since I last posted.

Almost as long since I last even opened Blogger to check my favourite blogs.

Yes, I've been busy, but I've also been uninspired.  And rather than leave a string of posts discussing my lack of anything relatively important to say, I've taken a break.

I've fought with computer programs.

I've embraced my new little piece of technology.

I've picked up an old project.

I've travelled and continued booking more trips.

I've played with my kids.

I've gone on dates with Hubs.

Basically, I changed up my routine a little bit and have refreshed myself.  This year, when February rolled around, I was in a rut.  I was no longer interested in work, keeping house, cooking, my health, and writing here.  I was going through the motions, but there was not a lot of enjoyment there.

For my birthday, Hubs bought plane tickets for me and our youngest to go down to southern California and spend a week with my parents at the timeshare in March.  I am not at all ashamed to admit that when I opened that confirmation paper with our flight itineraries, I broke down into tears.  It was just what I needed.

We spent that week in the sun, shopping, playing at the park and at the pool, at a classic car rally, seeing all the grandparents, at the beach...so rejuvenating.  And I always love seeing all our parents so relaxed.  There is something intoxicating about the home away from home they've made for themselves.  In the evenings, once the little boy was asleep, we relaxed with tea, cookies, and old TV shows.

And now, I am ready to embrace spring and all that comes with it.  Playing outside, gardening, deep-cleaning (big kudos to Hubs for cleaning out the garage already!), grilling, going for walks (and maybe even runs!).

It is warming up outside, Easter is coming, and the grandparents are coming home...spring MUST be here!

When You Need A Pick-Me-Up

This song always puts me in a great mood. From what I understand, this was all one take. Done in Montreal (doesn't the late 60's Canadian university architecture bring back memories?), it was shown a while ago on CBC. A friend passed along the link, and I thought I'd share it.



You gotta love the guy in the hot pink leotard.

Her Peeps

Two years ago this day my Dad threw a surprise party for my Mum's 60th birthday party. He gathered her friends at the golf clubhouse, arranged for some entertainment by a close friend's singing group, and had a wonderful spread of food. My sister-in-law flew up from L.A. to be there. All my Mum's closest friends (that hadn't already flown south for the winter) were there.

My Mum has some wonderful friends. She forms these fabulous friendships with fantastic ladies. The support, love, and laughter they offer each other is inspiring. They come from different places. Some are my father's colleagues' wives, some are golf team members, some from church.

About 9 years ago, her closest friend moved from Calgary to Ontario, and I remember her heartbreak. The two of them were so close, and I wondered what would happen to Mum after V left. She's a pretty friendly person, deeply spiritual, and, I think, a very classy lady. But fairly private too. Another blow came 4 years ago when my Godfather's wife passed from cancer. J was such a light in all our lives, and such a good friend to my Mum.

Then my Dad started edging closer to retirement. Less hours in the office meant more time for golf in the summer and travel in the winter. A few years ago they bought a timeshare in southern California, a place frequented by Calgarians. Their friends. There's always another couple there, everyone overlaps their time. Trips to Las Vegas for concerts, to B.C. and northern Canada for adventure.

There's C, a rector with a wickedly smart sense of humour. There's K, who lost her husband to cancer and subsequently found love with a widower. And T, a real estate agent who has become a favourite walking partner. M was a nurse, and is an avid shopper. And then there was P, a housewife and doting grandmother who made everyone feel like family. We lost her to cancer last spring.

I watch these women as I move further into adult- and motherhood. Along with my mum, they are all an inspiration to me. In their relationships with each other, their partners, and individually.

I find myself thinking of my girlfriends. There are the gals I danced with. We share a bond that's so hard to describe. My dear co-worker who shares my passion for food, inspires me in photography, and gets my sense of humour. My sisters-in-law who are all different from each other, and from me, but we have come together as only the brothers' wives can. My co-worker's wife, the one who was able to put up with his antics and dish it out as well as she could take it.

Some of us are married, some are single, some divorced. Some of us have children, some are pregnant, some have no desire to procreate. None of us are in the same place in life at the same time. However, I can still see those support networks strengthening as we move through life, dealing with all it throws at us.

Activities

So, Kami's post about hockey got me thinking.

We talk a lot about what we're not willing to have the boys do. I'm not a fan of hockey (for so many reasons). Hubs likes it, but never played when growing up (at least I don't think so). He played football and volleyball. We're not willing to spend every night driving our children around to various activities, eating in the car, rushing through homework, not getting enough sleep, etc.

We don't often talk about what we are willing to do though. Hmmm.

Of course, they are only 4 and 2. I think we have a bit of time before they start getting passionate about their extra-curricular activities.

Last summer we had our oldest in soccer. So far he doesn't really seem to be into sports, that one. His little brother was out kicking the ball around more than he was.

This year we have him in Ukrainian dancing. Five months of dancing to date and he's loving it. He loves his instructors. I went to parent viewing night and watched him skip, kick, point his toes, twirl the girls. His first performance is this Saturday at the annual fundraising dinner. His first Zabava. Little kids dancing, great food, a dance. Ah, the memories.

Hubs & I danced. We met through dancing. I'm sure I have pictures somewhere of the two of us in our full get-ups. The shirts that were made for us so lovingly by friends and family. The ridiculously tight headpiece of flowers and ribbons (always under the threat that if it were to fall off, it would be stapled onto my head). The red boots that set you back at least $200 per pair so you better take good care of them!

We spent hours in the studio. Hours in the board room. Hours on the tour bus. Hours working on costumes and props. Hours working on fundraisers, bingos, casinos, mail-outs. Blood, sweat and tears were poured into that ensemble.

Hours building memories. Hours building relationships. Hours building lifelong friendships. Bonds were created that can't be explained. When you spend over 20 hours a week with someone that's not part of your school or employ, working towards a common goal, and then 3 weeks with them on the road, sharing experiences, triumphs and heartache, a special relationship develops. Even now we laugh, cry, shake our heads at the antics, the emotions, the memories.

When I take my son to the studio, I show him the ensemble pictures on the wall. I point out myself, Hubs, his aunt and uncles, friends he knows. I choke up when I think about what that group of people meant and still means to me. The education I received.

I want that for them. Not necessarily the dancing, but the feeling, the passion, the friendships, the memories.

I am willing to help them achieve that.

Welcome 2010, Won't You Come In?

We celebrated a lot of Christmases this year. Four different get-togethers with family, to be exact. And one more tomorrow night as my Mum introduces a bunch of her friends to a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve meal.

Christmas was quiet this year though. Not once was either of our entire families together, except at the beginning of December when we all trooped down to Lethbridge to celebrate with Hubs' brother and his family.

I worked throughout December, taking a whole 3 days off during the holiday season. I like being at the office when there's less than 25% of the staff there. It's quiet, but there's a cameraderie among those present. We share Christmas treats, go for coffee with people from the other side of the floor (oh, wait, that's every day).

And we even brought the New Year in quietly, at the family cabin in the mountains. Just us two, watching a movie (that now we can't even remember which one, how memorable is that?), boys asleep in their bed.

And now I'm ready for 2010 to come into full swing. There are projects I want to work on, things I want to do around the house, books to read, food to try, photos to take. (It was Varsity Blues, Hubs just remembered.)

I'm normally not a person to get very excited about the New Year. "Just another day," says I. But this year is different. This year I am excited. Excited for the possibilities, the learning, the decluttering, the time spent with close friends and family. Hubs and I are planning a big trip this summer to celebrate our anniversary, but there's more and more about my home city that I want to learn too.

I'm looking forward to my boys growing another year. Both of them will be going to school this fall, the youngest is learning new words daily, he's a regular parrot. And the oldest is so interested in everything. The solar system, the continents, colouring and drawing, dancing, languages. He's a human sponge.

I've spent the last couple of months at work learning a new software (really, trying to break it) and the last few weeks leading a group of people towards our project's first deadline, tomorrow afternoon. It's been such an experience, and I haven't had to e-mail our boss on his Blackberry as he lounges on a Hawaiian beach nearly as much as I thought I would have to. I've learned a lot about what motivates our team, what they respond to, their strengths and weaknesses. I've made some mistakes, and spent the better part of a day fixing them. And when our boss returns from his tropical vacay, I will be ready for a couple of days break myself.

2010 is starting out a great year (I know, we're only 5 days in), and I think my resolution (if I made one) would probably be to appoach the coming months with a sense of optimism and wonder. I plan on exploring and learning a lot this year.