Getting my last "Blog Every Day in May" just in under the wire. (Gotta leave here soon for a rock show too.)
Well, I made it! I missed out on three of the topics last weekend when I went camping, but 28/31 is a pretty good score.
Thanks to Rosalilium for creating this challenge. Hundreds of bloggers participated. It was great having a focused topic to write on every day. However, it was challenging to find time to write every day. Also, I wish I had time to read more of other bloggers' #BEDM posts like I did at the beginning of the month, but man, May is a busy time.
My favourite post was the one that I wrote about pets. I'd forgotten that I had such an interesting pet history growing up! It was really fun to look back at my childhood again. I definitely want to take some more time to remember and reflect upon growing up in a small Ontario town in the 80s/90s. Fun things happened.
So now it's back to my regular blogging schedule: whenever I feel like it/have time. I'd definitely like to do something like #BEDM in the future, but will enjoy going back to freedom. :)
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
#BEDM - Who Inspires You?
1) My Mom: I think I've shared this before, but my mom has multiple sclerosis. She inspires me because despite the fact that she's had this awful chronic illness for 33 years, she always has a positive outlook, and doesn't get down on life. I need to keep this mind when I get all emo about my silly problems. I wish I could be half as optimistic as my mom.
2) My colleague-friends: I'm lucky that I have a close circle of friends at work who are amazing teachers. We joke about starting a super school together. Anyway, it's truly inspiring to work with such a committed group of educators who are "here for the right reasons" to borrow a quote from the Bachelor/Bachelorette.
3) My students: Today was student council election day, and, as always, I am inspired by students who are brave enough to go up in front of their peers and run for student government. It's not only student council kids who inspire me. I'm inspired by so many of my students for other reasons. Those who persevere despite enormous challenge, and those who are kind and giving.
2) My colleague-friends: I'm lucky that I have a close circle of friends at work who are amazing teachers. We joke about starting a super school together. Anyway, it's truly inspiring to work with such a committed group of educators who are "here for the right reasons" to borrow a quote from the Bachelor/Bachelorette.
3) My students: Today was student council election day, and, as always, I am inspired by students who are brave enough to go up in front of their peers and run for student government. It's not only student council kids who inspire me. I'm inspired by so many of my students for other reasons. Those who persevere despite enormous challenge, and those who are kind and giving.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
#BEDM - Morning Ritual
Today's Blog Every Day in May topic is morning rituals: "What do you do every morning to help you get ready for the day ahead?"
My mornings are ritualistic, and they are dull.
The first part consists of a few hits of the snooze button, usually with me getting up once during the snoozing to give the treat monster (Rilo) some treats because she'll be poking and meowing at me. At least I don't *really* need an alarm clock.
After that, it's breakfast: most likely plain Greek yogurt with stevia sweetener, berries (today was blueberries) and almonds.
Then it's a shower, get dressed, dry hair, do makeup, pack bag out door.
If I've timed everything properly and there are no transit delays, I'll have time to stop for coffee on my way to work. That's the most important step, and man, it's a rough day if I miss out on that. Caffeine is the ultimate day maker.
My mornings are ritualistic, and they are dull.
The first part consists of a few hits of the snooze button, usually with me getting up once during the snoozing to give the treat monster (Rilo) some treats because she'll be poking and meowing at me. At least I don't *really* need an alarm clock.
After that, it's breakfast: most likely plain Greek yogurt with stevia sweetener, berries (today was blueberries) and almonds.
Then it's a shower, get dressed, dry hair, do makeup, pack bag out door.
If I've timed everything properly and there are no transit delays, I'll have time to stop for coffee on my way to work. That's the most important step, and man, it's a rough day if I miss out on that. Caffeine is the ultimate day maker.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
#BEDM - Bad Advice
"What's the worst advice you have ever received?"
Unlike yesterday's topic, this is a topic that I have an answer for right away.
My worst advice came from my high school guidance counselor.
I didn't frequent guidance much in high school. I could figure out all of my course selections on my own, and even though I had some problems in life (who didn't?), I would have never felt comfortable to talk to someone in guidance about them. (Although in retrospect, as an educator, I really wish that teenaged me would have felt comfortable talking to a caring adult about things going on her life.) However, when it came to the university application process, I realized that I did need some guidance and made an appointment.
My question was simple: which college at the University of Toronto should I apply to? I didn't even really understand U of T's college system. Basically, since U of T is a ginormous school, it's divided up into seven colleges. All your college really determines is which registrar's office you go to, and where you'll live in residence (if you live in residence). However, since I didn't understand that back then, off to guidance I went.
I was called down to guidance during my Algebra & Geometry class. My guidance counselor asked how he could help me, so I asked him the above question: which college at the University of Toronto should I apply to?
"Hold on there!" he exclaimed "You are asking too many questions at once!"
Hmmm, I thought to myself, I counted only one question there.
He proceeded to ask me about all of my career plans and what other universities I had applied to. I had the rest of this all figured out. I told him that I was leaning towards applying to U of T's pharmacy program after completing one year of Life Sciences, and therefore I wanted to go to U of T. I had also applied to two smaller universities, because you could apply to three schools.
Even though I had a pretty decisive and well-thought out path, I recall him taking out all of these career flashcards and asking me if I'd considered these paths. Seriously, I remember sitting there for a good ten minutes where he'd hold up a flashcard that said "construction worker" and I'd reply no. Then, "marine biologist" and I'd say "maybe". It went on and on.
After this exercise, he agreed that it seemed like I was interested in a career related to science. He asked me the schools I was applying to, and then pulled up my marks on his computer. My high school marks were quite good. I don't think there was any school that I wouldn't get into. However, he was glad that I had a "safety" school on my list, just in case.
Then, he looked at me (and this is where the bad advice comes in) and said "Listen, Christine, I know you well."
This was clearly untrue. First of all, no one who calls me Christine (unless it's a joke) knows me well. Secondly, this was our first conversation ever.
"And since I know you so well," he continued, "I think that you should go to a small school. Maybe one of the colleges at the University of Waterloo would suit you. You are quiet and you have a small circle of friends. You would get lost at massive school like the University of Toronto. I went there. I know. I hate not recommending my alma matter to a student, but I think it would be a bad choice for you."
I believe I just looked at him blankly. I knew my plans. 45 minutes of math class gone and still no answer to my question.
"But, you can still apply there if you want and see what happens. But don't go there. If you do apply, choose St. Mike's as your college. That was my college."
Finally, after missing 46 minutes of my math class, my question was answered.
I did not take his advice, and I went to the University of Toronto, and I loved it. You know what? I am a quiet-ish person with at least a medium-sized circle of friends and I LOVED U of T. I met some of my closest friends there. I have to admit that I actually liked the hugeness of the campus: I could just be myself and sort of get lost in the crowd. After growing up in a small town, it's nice to be able to get lost in a crowd. I liked that not everyone knew me as "the smart girl" or "the geeky girl" or whatever, nor did they pester me for help/answers and I could just do my work, succeed and get on with it. I had no problems meeting friends. I have many friends from U of T to this day.
I am very glad that I did not listen to that advice. When I was a kid/teenager, all of my dreams revolved around myself living in the city. However, lots of people (friends, family, and clueless guidance counselors) feared that I would not make it. Well, I did.
Who knows what would have happened if I'd clung to smallness, familiarity, and comfort? I definitely would have not been who I am today and I like who I am today.
However, to my clueless guidance counselor's credit, I am glad that I listened to him and chose St. Mike's as my college. If I hadn't, I would have never been randomly placed in a residence room with my dear Becca T. What would life be like without my BFF?
I guess that's a lesson: with bad advice, sometimes comes good advice. You just have to be able to sort it all out.
Unlike yesterday's topic, this is a topic that I have an answer for right away.
My worst advice came from my high school guidance counselor.
I didn't frequent guidance much in high school. I could figure out all of my course selections on my own, and even though I had some problems in life (who didn't?), I would have never felt comfortable to talk to someone in guidance about them. (Although in retrospect, as an educator, I really wish that teenaged me would have felt comfortable talking to a caring adult about things going on her life.) However, when it came to the university application process, I realized that I did need some guidance and made an appointment.
My question was simple: which college at the University of Toronto should I apply to? I didn't even really understand U of T's college system. Basically, since U of T is a ginormous school, it's divided up into seven colleges. All your college really determines is which registrar's office you go to, and where you'll live in residence (if you live in residence). However, since I didn't understand that back then, off to guidance I went.
I was called down to guidance during my Algebra & Geometry class. My guidance counselor asked how he could help me, so I asked him the above question: which college at the University of Toronto should I apply to?
"Hold on there!" he exclaimed "You are asking too many questions at once!"
Hmmm, I thought to myself, I counted only one question there.
He proceeded to ask me about all of my career plans and what other universities I had applied to. I had the rest of this all figured out. I told him that I was leaning towards applying to U of T's pharmacy program after completing one year of Life Sciences, and therefore I wanted to go to U of T. I had also applied to two smaller universities, because you could apply to three schools.
Even though I had a pretty decisive and well-thought out path, I recall him taking out all of these career flashcards and asking me if I'd considered these paths. Seriously, I remember sitting there for a good ten minutes where he'd hold up a flashcard that said "construction worker" and I'd reply no. Then, "marine biologist" and I'd say "maybe". It went on and on.
After this exercise, he agreed that it seemed like I was interested in a career related to science. He asked me the schools I was applying to, and then pulled up my marks on his computer. My high school marks were quite good. I don't think there was any school that I wouldn't get into. However, he was glad that I had a "safety" school on my list, just in case.
Then, he looked at me (and this is where the bad advice comes in) and said "Listen, Christine, I know you well."
This was clearly untrue. First of all, no one who calls me Christine (unless it's a joke) knows me well. Secondly, this was our first conversation ever.
"And since I know you so well," he continued, "I think that you should go to a small school. Maybe one of the colleges at the University of Waterloo would suit you. You are quiet and you have a small circle of friends. You would get lost at massive school like the University of Toronto. I went there. I know. I hate not recommending my alma matter to a student, but I think it would be a bad choice for you."
I believe I just looked at him blankly. I knew my plans. 45 minutes of math class gone and still no answer to my question.
"But, you can still apply there if you want and see what happens. But don't go there. If you do apply, choose St. Mike's as your college. That was my college."
Finally, after missing 46 minutes of my math class, my question was answered.
I did not take his advice, and I went to the University of Toronto, and I loved it. You know what? I am a quiet-ish person with at least a medium-sized circle of friends and I LOVED U of T. I met some of my closest friends there. I have to admit that I actually liked the hugeness of the campus: I could just be myself and sort of get lost in the crowd. After growing up in a small town, it's nice to be able to get lost in a crowd. I liked that not everyone knew me as "the smart girl" or "the geeky girl" or whatever, nor did they pester me for help/answers and I could just do my work, succeed and get on with it. I had no problems meeting friends. I have many friends from U of T to this day.
I am very glad that I did not listen to that advice. When I was a kid/teenager, all of my dreams revolved around myself living in the city. However, lots of people (friends, family, and clueless guidance counselors) feared that I would not make it. Well, I did.
Who knows what would have happened if I'd clung to smallness, familiarity, and comfort? I definitely would have not been who I am today and I like who I am today.
However, to my clueless guidance counselor's credit, I am glad that I listened to him and chose St. Mike's as my college. If I hadn't, I would have never been randomly placed in a residence room with my dear Becca T. What would life be like without my BFF?
I guess that's a lesson: with bad advice, sometimes comes good advice. You just have to be able to sort it all out.
Monday, May 27, 2013
#BEDM - Secret Talent
Today's prompt: "What are you good at that nobody knows about?"
Answer: Nothing. When it comes to my talents I like to share them and don't keep them hidden, I guess.
Answer: Nothing. When it comes to my talents I like to share them and don't keep them hidden, I guess.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Fallen Behind on the #BEDM Challenge
Unsurprisingly, my weekend away has led me to fall behind on the #BEDM challenge. I've missed the posts on "What's in Your Fridge?" (Friday), "Five Favourite Albums" (Saturday), and "Fantasy Dinner Party" (today). My initial plan was to write them all today and post, but I'm too exhausted to do this. I'm bummed that I didn't get to the top 5 albums post, but that one requires a bit of thought. Maybe I'll just use these topics when I have blogger's block in June.
My camping weekend with my Kenya group was great! We went to a farm outside of Mount Forest (rural SW Ontario) and spent the weekend doing various physical tasks and doing some prep work for our Kenya trip. It was a really great weekend. The weather was paradoxical: both really great and awful at the same time. It was an unseasonably chilly weekend, but really sunny. This was great for working outdoors: no sweating and no being eaten alive by insects. However, it was awful for sleeping. It was really really really cold at night... I think the temp went down to 2 degrees Celsius, and who knows how cold that actually felt. I'll admit it - I didn't survive sleeping outside. I moved into the house. I'll blame it on the fact that I had a tent to myself. If I was sharing with others there would have been more body heat and it would have been bearable.
Still, it was a great weekend. The group of students really bonded with each other and they are a great group of kids. My level of looking forward to Kenya has really increased after this weekend. I like all of the other adults who are going to. I took a break from work to go geocaching with one of the other chaperones, and it was fun. The owners of the farm were great people too; it's always nice to meet new people.
I got back to the city today at 3 pm, spent an hour decompressing, and then went for a run. This is some nice running weather. Then I had some dinner, and watched one episode of the new Arrested Development. It was really good... I so badly wanted to watch a second but I was too tired so I shut my eyes for what I thought would be a half hour nap, but what turned into one and a half hours. Then I caught up on some emails, called my mom, and here I am.
Blogging, but not catching up on #BEDM.
That's one thing about challenges in life, whether they be sleeping outside in freezing weather. You have to think about whether pushing through them is worth the payoff. With both of the challenges that I've reneged on this weekend, I really think that there wasn't much payoff. I could have gotten sick from sleeping outside, and I need to rest, not write.
That's life. But at least I didn't renege on running!
My camping weekend with my Kenya group was great! We went to a farm outside of Mount Forest (rural SW Ontario) and spent the weekend doing various physical tasks and doing some prep work for our Kenya trip. It was a really great weekend. The weather was paradoxical: both really great and awful at the same time. It was an unseasonably chilly weekend, but really sunny. This was great for working outdoors: no sweating and no being eaten alive by insects. However, it was awful for sleeping. It was really really really cold at night... I think the temp went down to 2 degrees Celsius, and who knows how cold that actually felt. I'll admit it - I didn't survive sleeping outside. I moved into the house. I'll blame it on the fact that I had a tent to myself. If I was sharing with others there would have been more body heat and it would have been bearable.
Still, it was a great weekend. The group of students really bonded with each other and they are a great group of kids. My level of looking forward to Kenya has really increased after this weekend. I like all of the other adults who are going to. I took a break from work to go geocaching with one of the other chaperones, and it was fun. The owners of the farm were great people too; it's always nice to meet new people.
I got back to the city today at 3 pm, spent an hour decompressing, and then went for a run. This is some nice running weather. Then I had some dinner, and watched one episode of the new Arrested Development. It was really good... I so badly wanted to watch a second but I was too tired so I shut my eyes for what I thought would be a half hour nap, but what turned into one and a half hours. Then I caught up on some emails, called my mom, and here I am.
Blogging, but not catching up on #BEDM.
That's one thing about challenges in life, whether they be sleeping outside in freezing weather. You have to think about whether pushing through them is worth the payoff. With both of the challenges that I've reneged on this weekend, I really think that there wasn't much payoff. I could have gotten sick from sleeping outside, and I need to rest, not write.
That's life. But at least I didn't renege on running!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
#BEDM - Compliments
"What's the best compliment that you ever had?"
I've had the day to think about today's BEDM prompt. I'm lucky: I've received a good number of compliments in my life. I think genuine compliments are important. It feels so good when you get one; and it's equally important to give them. I often resolve to give more of them to my friends, colleagues, students, and family.
Anyway, it's hard to choose just one best compliment, but I think the ones that are most important to me usually come from my students.
I've been an itinerant teacher for most of my career; this means that I didn't have a classroom of my own and I get shuffled from room to room during the day. Heck, I used to be happy if I had two classes in a row in the same room. It's so nice not to have to pack up all of your stuff and move in five minutes.
This year I've been lucky enough to be in one room for all of my classes. It's an older science lab, and not the prettiest room. The cabinets are old and an ugly shade of brown. Their doors are made of glass so you can see the older equipment inside. Old hotplates don't look pretty. The room is just plain worn, and there's not much you can do to make it look sparkly.
However, it's mine, and I've been able to beautify it somewhat. I've added some colourful science posters that I've collected over the years, and while one bulletin board at the room has info that we're required to post hanging on it (assessment policy, school rules etc.), I've turned the other into my Science Wall of Fun with all of my favourite science cartoons. I have some Sea Monkeys at the front of the room, which are an easy and surprisingly entertaining classroom pet. The sides of the room are usually covered with chart paper with students' ideas from some recent activity. I like that the topics on the side are ever-changing.
The point of this is that it's nice that I have a space that's mine, and I find that students have come to associate the space with their experiences in my class. The best compliment I get is when a student from last semester drops by to visit at lunch, or is passing by randomly during class and sticks their head and looks around the room and says "I miss this class".
It just reminds me that I'm pretty great at creating a welcoming learning environment for my students and that they enjoy my classes. It's not that they didn't when I was traveling from room to room, I just feel that it's nice this year to have a permanent spot that kids can come back and remember the good times. I just really feel good when they say that they miss my class. It's a great compliment. :)
I've had the day to think about today's BEDM prompt. I'm lucky: I've received a good number of compliments in my life. I think genuine compliments are important. It feels so good when you get one; and it's equally important to give them. I often resolve to give more of them to my friends, colleagues, students, and family.
Anyway, it's hard to choose just one best compliment, but I think the ones that are most important to me usually come from my students.
I've been an itinerant teacher for most of my career; this means that I didn't have a classroom of my own and I get shuffled from room to room during the day. Heck, I used to be happy if I had two classes in a row in the same room. It's so nice not to have to pack up all of your stuff and move in five minutes.
This year I've been lucky enough to be in one room for all of my classes. It's an older science lab, and not the prettiest room. The cabinets are old and an ugly shade of brown. Their doors are made of glass so you can see the older equipment inside. Old hotplates don't look pretty. The room is just plain worn, and there's not much you can do to make it look sparkly.
However, it's mine, and I've been able to beautify it somewhat. I've added some colourful science posters that I've collected over the years, and while one bulletin board at the room has info that we're required to post hanging on it (assessment policy, school rules etc.), I've turned the other into my Science Wall of Fun with all of my favourite science cartoons. I have some Sea Monkeys at the front of the room, which are an easy and surprisingly entertaining classroom pet. The sides of the room are usually covered with chart paper with students' ideas from some recent activity. I like that the topics on the side are ever-changing.
The point of this is that it's nice that I have a space that's mine, and I find that students have come to associate the space with their experiences in my class. The best compliment I get is when a student from last semester drops by to visit at lunch, or is passing by randomly during class and sticks their head and looks around the room and says "I miss this class".
It just reminds me that I'm pretty great at creating a welcoming learning environment for my students and that they enjoy my classes. It's not that they didn't when I was traveling from room to room, I just feel that it's nice this year to have a permanent spot that kids can come back and remember the good times. I just really feel good when they say that they miss my class. It's a great compliment. :)
***
I'm probably going to get behind on Blogging Every Day this weekend because I'm going camping with my Kenya group on a farm. There will be hard labour apparently. It's to allow for bonding/preparation for the summer. Wish me luck. :D
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
#BEDM - A letter to 13 year old me
Dear Young Christielli,
Be confident. You can do way more than you think you can. Take on challenges. Never hold back. Don't be ashamed that you are super smart.
Love,
You in 20 years
Be confident. You can do way more than you think you can. Take on challenges. Never hold back. Don't be ashamed that you are super smart.
Love,
You in 20 years
***
In other news, I have some SUPER nerdy news to share with you. It's no secret that I'm a nerd, who came from a family of nerds. Naturally, Jeopardy! was watched in my household every weeknight. My parents still watch religiously. I'm careful not to phone them between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm.
Back in November, I think it was, my parents told me that Jeopardy! was holding an online test for people who could potentially make auditions in Toronto. More to make them happy than anything, I signed up to do the test, and was online at my appointed time. The test consisted of fifty questions (not in Jeopardy! format) and I got 30 seconds to respond to each one. There were lots that I knew I got right, a few I made good guesses on, some I made ridiculous guesses on, and some I drew blanks on. I figured that maybe I got between 35-40 right. Anyway, it was fun taking the test and I completely forgot that I'd even taken it...
Until this evening. I got an email from the show saying that I'd passed the test and was granted an exclusive audition in Toronto in July! Oh my goodness! I feel smart that I made it to step 2! I'm totally going to do the audition. I'll have no expectations, other than it'll be interesting to audition for a TV show.
Anyway, that news kind of made my day. :) 13 year old me would be proud/mortified that I'd go on TV showing my nerdiness. 33 year old me is stoked.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
#BEDM - Dream Job
When it comes to reality, I think I do have my dream job. It's something for which I have the qualifications, and capabilities. I get to actually apply what I learned in university to my job, and it challenges me daily. I get paid a good wage with good benefits. I enjoy going to work each day. Yes, it has its frustrations (like how we've hit the point in the year where students are getting closer to summer and their attention spans wane), but overall it's a great career for me and I am thankful for it.
However, what would be my absolute dream job?
I think I'd have two part-time jobs.
One, for when I need downtime, would be working in an independent book/music store. I'd love chatting with customers about books and music, and just hang out reading during slow times.
My other job would be to write travel guides. Getting paid to stay in different hotels, try out different restaurants and experience different attractions. And then have some time to write about it. That would be great.
I think I would tire of all of the traveling and need quiet time, and that's where the book/music store job would come in. And then when my publisher would need a new travel guide, off I'd go.
However, what would be my absolute dream job?
I think I'd have two part-time jobs.
One, for when I need downtime, would be working in an independent book/music store. I'd love chatting with customers about books and music, and just hang out reading during slow times.
My other job would be to write travel guides. Getting paid to stay in different hotels, try out different restaurants and experience different attractions. And then have some time to write about it. That would be great.
I think I would tire of all of the traveling and need quiet time, and that's where the book/music store job would come in. And then when my publisher would need a new travel guide, off I'd go.
Monday, May 20, 2013
#BEDM - Newsflash
Today's Blog Every Day in May topic is to write about something in the news.
Well, I think the biggest piece of news for Torontonians is that there is supposedly a video of our Mayor smoking crack-cocaine with some drug dealers. This story was originally broken on the US website Gawker: apparently a couple of gentlemen invited the dude from this gossip site to view a video of Rob Ford smoking crack. They wanted to sell the video for six figures.
After the Gawker story broke, the Toronto Star published a similar article where two of their reporters saw the same video and were certain it was the Mayor in the video.
The next day, the Mayor's response was that the claims of the video were "ridiculous" and that it was just the Toronto Star going after him.
The story has made international news: CNN, the BBC, The New York Times, etc. Perhaps it's a surprise to the international community that the Mayor of North America's fourth largest city is being accused of smoking crack.
However, I think it's shocking to Ford-supporters and detractors alike here in Toronto, but entirely plausible. This is a man for whom scandals have followed him closely both during his days as a city councillor and as Mayor.
DUI and marijuana possession charges in Florida. Domestic disputes here in Toronto. Campaign finance irregularities. Calling 9-11 on a comedian. His denial of, and then apology for, shouting awful things at a couple during a Leafs game. (He blamed beer.) The fact that for a short while, his Mayorship was revoked by a judge for conflict of interest (however he won his appeal). Being accused of ass-grabbing by a former mayoral candidate at a party. Being asked to leave another party for being under the influence of something. And now this. His scandals have been summarized nicely by NYMag here. (Hey - if our Mayor is making so much international news, does this finally mean we're a world class city?)
When there's so much smoke, there's got to be fire somewhere.
If a video surfaced of PM Harper, who I equally dislike, smoking crack, I'd be highly skeptical. I don't agree with the man's politics at all, but he's fit for leadership. Our Mayor, on the other hand, is a different story. There's so much controversy and irregular behaviour. There seems like there is definitely a problem, and if he has addiction issues, it's time for him to go get treatment and leave the city in someone else's hands.
It will be interesting to see what happens with this scandal in the coming days... There is a crowdsourcing campaign by Gawker to raise $200,000 to buy the video. As of now, they are over $81,000 there. I'd hate for drug dealers to get that cash, but seriously, I think the video needs to see the light of day so that its veracity can be determined.
Until then, you can have lots of fun playing who said it? Mayor Rob Ford vs. Diamond Joe Quimby.
Well, I think the biggest piece of news for Torontonians is that there is supposedly a video of our Mayor smoking crack-cocaine with some drug dealers. This story was originally broken on the US website Gawker: apparently a couple of gentlemen invited the dude from this gossip site to view a video of Rob Ford smoking crack. They wanted to sell the video for six figures.
After the Gawker story broke, the Toronto Star published a similar article where two of their reporters saw the same video and were certain it was the Mayor in the video.
The next day, the Mayor's response was that the claims of the video were "ridiculous" and that it was just the Toronto Star going after him.
The story has made international news: CNN, the BBC, The New York Times, etc. Perhaps it's a surprise to the international community that the Mayor of North America's fourth largest city is being accused of smoking crack.
However, I think it's shocking to Ford-supporters and detractors alike here in Toronto, but entirely plausible. This is a man for whom scandals have followed him closely both during his days as a city councillor and as Mayor.
DUI and marijuana possession charges in Florida. Domestic disputes here in Toronto. Campaign finance irregularities. Calling 9-11 on a comedian. His denial of, and then apology for, shouting awful things at a couple during a Leafs game. (He blamed beer.) The fact that for a short while, his Mayorship was revoked by a judge for conflict of interest (however he won his appeal). Being accused of ass-grabbing by a former mayoral candidate at a party. Being asked to leave another party for being under the influence of something. And now this. His scandals have been summarized nicely by NYMag here. (Hey - if our Mayor is making so much international news, does this finally mean we're a world class city?)
When there's so much smoke, there's got to be fire somewhere.
If a video surfaced of PM Harper, who I equally dislike, smoking crack, I'd be highly skeptical. I don't agree with the man's politics at all, but he's fit for leadership. Our Mayor, on the other hand, is a different story. There's so much controversy and irregular behaviour. There seems like there is definitely a problem, and if he has addiction issues, it's time for him to go get treatment and leave the city in someone else's hands.
It will be interesting to see what happens with this scandal in the coming days... There is a crowdsourcing campaign by Gawker to raise $200,000 to buy the video. As of now, they are over $81,000 there. I'd hate for drug dealers to get that cash, but seriously, I think the video needs to see the light of day so that its veracity can be determined.
Until then, you can have lots of fun playing who said it? Mayor Rob Ford vs. Diamond Joe Quimby.
#BEDM - Traditions
This post is a day late, as I was visiting my parents in Stratford over the Victoria Day long weekend. (I'm back now.)
It's ironic that the topic of traditions came up over the long weekend. Most of my traditions are related to Christmas - work friend gatherings, family traditions, and high school friend gatherings. However, even though the ultimate May 2-4 tradition only happened when I was in high school, i.e. over a four-year period more than 15 years ago, I can't have the Friday of this long weekend pass by without thinking of this tradition.
And that is my friend Sandee's legendary May 2-4 pit parties.
They haven't happened in eons, but I feel that on the Friday of the long weekend in May, I should be convincing someone of age to buy me a lot of booze, and getting a ride somehow to my friend Sandee's place, way out in the country. These parties grew by the year, and I barely remember them, but they were part of my teenagehood.
This year, I had a small bonfire with some of my high school friends last night. We didn't drink much, nor reminisce about the old days, but I guess as long as some of us get together over the long weekend, the tradition is kept.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
#BEDM - Best Friends
This is going to be a quick post, because I gotta catch a train this morning!
I'm really lucky in life because I have many awesome friends from different places.
I have a great circle of friends on work, on whom I can rely on for anything, whether it be for professional or personal reasons. One thing I notice about my circle of friends at work: we are all passionate educators, who are in the profession for the "right reasons" (to quote the Bachelor/Bachelorette, ha-ha). It goes to show you how people with similar energies attract each other. Anyway, they are awesome and I am thankful for them.
I spend a lot of time from my friends from university days. Even though some of them have moved away (like my BFF Becca T) we still get to see each other and keep in touch. I find that sometimes I don't get to see people as much as I'd like to (damned adulthood) but I'm thankful for birthdays and other occasions that bring us together. I'm lucky to have my friend Mathew from my university days as a close friend too. He's the type of guy who will drop by my house to talk to me when I need a friend even if he's hit his head at a volleyball game and might have a concussion.
Likewise, I love my friends from high school. I still travel, run, and hang out with many of these women. I always think that high school me would be absolutely shocked that my buddies and I are running 10K races in our 30s. (I couldn't run 0.5 km in high school.) This weekend I'm heading home to Stratford, so I'm looking forward to seeing some for dinner/drinks.
I love my friends from blogging too. I had a great summer last year getting to visit with lots of them, and would love if I could win the lottery and travel about visiting people when I need it. That'll be the dream.
Also, I have to say that my mom is an awesome friend these days. Long story short: I've always had a good relationship with my mom, but there were areas of my life that I didn't share with her. I was closed and very selective. However, in the past year or so, I've been more open with her and it's been awesome.
This long weekend is going to be friend-filled. Last night I had a monthly date with my pal Elaine (we joke that we're once a month friends... which is significant actually) and my work spouse (BFF from work) called me 'cuz she needed to get out of the house. I invited her to come out with my pal Elaine and I, and Elaine brought a friend, so it was fun. Tonight I'm seeing my friend Vern, and tomorrow night I have drinks with various Go9 people. Mathew and I are going to try to catch the Jays' game on Monday.
So yes, I'm super blessed with many best friends. :)
I'm really lucky in life because I have many awesome friends from different places.
I have a great circle of friends on work, on whom I can rely on for anything, whether it be for professional or personal reasons. One thing I notice about my circle of friends at work: we are all passionate educators, who are in the profession for the "right reasons" (to quote the Bachelor/Bachelorette, ha-ha). It goes to show you how people with similar energies attract each other. Anyway, they are awesome and I am thankful for them.
I spend a lot of time from my friends from university days. Even though some of them have moved away (like my BFF Becca T) we still get to see each other and keep in touch. I find that sometimes I don't get to see people as much as I'd like to (damned adulthood) but I'm thankful for birthdays and other occasions that bring us together. I'm lucky to have my friend Mathew from my university days as a close friend too. He's the type of guy who will drop by my house to talk to me when I need a friend even if he's hit his head at a volleyball game and might have a concussion.
Likewise, I love my friends from high school. I still travel, run, and hang out with many of these women. I always think that high school me would be absolutely shocked that my buddies and I are running 10K races in our 30s. (I couldn't run 0.5 km in high school.) This weekend I'm heading home to Stratford, so I'm looking forward to seeing some for dinner/drinks.
I love my friends from blogging too. I had a great summer last year getting to visit with lots of them, and would love if I could win the lottery and travel about visiting people when I need it. That'll be the dream.
Also, I have to say that my mom is an awesome friend these days. Long story short: I've always had a good relationship with my mom, but there were areas of my life that I didn't share with her. I was closed and very selective. However, in the past year or so, I've been more open with her and it's been awesome.
This long weekend is going to be friend-filled. Last night I had a monthly date with my pal Elaine (we joke that we're once a month friends... which is significant actually) and my work spouse (BFF from work) called me 'cuz she needed to get out of the house. I invited her to come out with my pal Elaine and I, and Elaine brought a friend, so it was fun. Tonight I'm seeing my friend Vern, and tomorrow night I have drinks with various Go9 people. Mathew and I are going to try to catch the Jays' game on Monday.
So yes, I'm super blessed with many best friends. :)
Friday, May 17, 2013
#BEDM - Walk to Work
For today's Blog Every Day in May post, the assignment was a photoessay of our trip to work.
I left my house at 7:35 listening to Andrew McMahon's Pop Underground EP.
I take the bus from my apartment to Eglinton Station. I wasn't able to get a picture of this part of my journey because my neighbour was leaving at the same time and we had a nice chat. He and his family used to live in the apartment next to mine, but moved to a different unit recently. I had no idea they'd moved.
I hopped off the bus at Eglinton Station and used my Metropass to transfer outside the station instead of inside, since it shaves about 3 minutes off my travel time.
Here's a photo of all the crap I was carrying with me today. Giant black Lululemon bag that fits my laptop, gym clothes, and etc. Lunch in the flowered bag. Clipboards from yesterday's field study in the red bag. (I went straight home from the site instead of coming back to school.... hence more to carry.)
Today I was on one the TTC's newer trains. Subways aren't as packed on Fridays as on other days of the week.
I have to change trains at Bloor station.
I arrive at Dufferin station, which is under construction right now. All of the tiles are new, but there's still lots to be done. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks upon completion.
Next stop is Tim Horton's for coffee. (How Canadian of me.)
Then I have to jaywalk across Bloor Street.
Last, here's a picture of the tree-lined street I walk down to get to my final destination.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
#BEDM: Pampering
Today's Blog Every Day in May topic is pampering: what is your ideal way to pamper yourself and relax.
Three words. Treat. Yo. Self.
I don't say that I'm pro at something unless I am. And I'm pretty pro at treating myself.
The BEDM question is what is your ideal way to treat yourself. I have to say that I agree with Donna and Tom on this one: clothes, fragrances, massages, mimosas, fine leather goods. Treat yo self.
I must admit that perhaps last Saturday was Treat Yo Self 2013 for me. (Who I am kidding... I don't limit Treat Yo Self to one day.) My pal Heather and I spent the day treating ourselves before the big race on Saturday.
15% off sales at Anthropologie? Treat yo self. (Two new summer tops.)
New book at Indigo? Treat yo self. (Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris.)
New black Toms at The Sporting Life? Treat yo self.
Going for a beer with my personal trainer?* Treat yo self.
Indulgent Italian dinner at La Vecchia with two more beers and dessert wine? Treat yo self.
That's pretty ideal pampering. I think Heather and I did a great job.
*My personal trainer has moved to Calgary! I'm pretty sad because I liked the guy. I get a new one though, and I start with him tomorrow. He seems nice, but maybe more intense (in a serious way) than my old one. I feel that my old one left at a good time: he got to see me lose 20 lbs, cut 6 minutes off my 10K run time (heck, I am still impressed that I can run 10K again), and for our last session on Tuesday, I ended by rowing 1000 m in 4 minutes and 44 seconds which blew away my old time.
Anyway, he was having a going away party so we dropped by for a beer which was nice.
Three words. Treat. Yo. Self.
I don't say that I'm pro at something unless I am. And I'm pretty pro at treating myself.
The BEDM question is what is your ideal way to treat yourself. I have to say that I agree with Donna and Tom on this one: clothes, fragrances, massages, mimosas, fine leather goods. Treat yo self.
I must admit that perhaps last Saturday was Treat Yo Self 2013 for me. (Who I am kidding... I don't limit Treat Yo Self to one day.) My pal Heather and I spent the day treating ourselves before the big race on Saturday.
15% off sales at Anthropologie? Treat yo self. (Two new summer tops.)
New book at Indigo? Treat yo self. (Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris.)
New black Toms at The Sporting Life? Treat yo self.
Going for a beer with my personal trainer?* Treat yo self.
Indulgent Italian dinner at La Vecchia with two more beers and dessert wine? Treat yo self.
That's pretty ideal pampering. I think Heather and I did a great job.
***
*My personal trainer has moved to Calgary! I'm pretty sad because I liked the guy. I get a new one though, and I start with him tomorrow. He seems nice, but maybe more intense (in a serious way) than my old one. I feel that my old one left at a good time: he got to see me lose 20 lbs, cut 6 minutes off my 10K run time (heck, I am still impressed that I can run 10K again), and for our last session on Tuesday, I ended by rowing 1000 m in 4 minutes and 44 seconds which blew away my old time.
Anyway, he was having a going away party so we dropped by for a beer which was nice.
***
I've also been having a really nice week at school. This week was the big dissection (fetal pig) for my grade eleven biology class. They did such a great job. It's really fun having an activity where your students are highly engaged in learning. They get right into it: making incisions, unraveling the intestines to measure the length, walking around the classroom with various organs in hand, and performing brain surgery. It's kind of gross, but really fun.
Today I spent the entire day outside and the weather was beautiful. I took my grade 11 environmental science class on a field study where we collected bugs from the bottom of a river to assess the health of the river. Again, it was so fun to watch kids so engaged in learning! They loved putting on hipwaders and going into the river, and we saw lots of "wildlife" today: they caught some crayfish, found a frog and spotted a weasel. Moreover, they spent over an hour staring into buckets of water to find and identify teeny tiny bugs. It was great.
I got high praise from one student: "Miss, I won't lie to you. Yesterday I thought this trip was going to suck and I didn't really want to go. But you know what, it wasn't bad!"
So yes, I've been also treating my students to some fun learning experiences this week. :) It's important to not only treat yo self, but the other selves in your life.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
#BEDM - Life's A Lesson
Today's #BEDM question is "What is the single most important lesson you have ever had?"
My honest answer is that I'm not sure. I feel there are some lessons that life keeps trying to teach me that I don't learn and I keep repeating the same mistakes. These lessons would be:
a) Listen to your gut (especially when you don't want to) --> I tend to ignore my gut when it's telling me things I don't want to hear. I'll make mistakes full on knowing that I am making them, but hoping against hope that they aren't mistakes. This has never worked in my favour, and I really should stop doing it but I can be stubborn.
b) Live in the present --> Again a lesson I understand, but I don't practice. I can spend way too much mental energy focussing on the past (which I can't change) and the future (which I can't control) and don't enjoy the present. Living in the moment is so much more difficult that you'd think.
c) Quit being so hard on yourself --> I am my worst critic. Even though I've been having some awesome victories this year when it comes to fitness, I'm still engaging in far too much negative discourse in my head. If anyone spoke to me the way I think about myself, I'd tell them off. Ugh, I need to get better at silencing that awful (and harsh) inner critic. It's not productive.
I feel like with these lessons, I'm like the kid who can get an A on her chemistry test but cannot perform an acid-base titration to save her life. (Actually that was me in high school.) It's all theory, but no practice.
But one lesson I've learned that I do practice is humour is a pretty awesome antidote, so I'll stop this post with a hilarious chemistry cartoon that relates to my nerdy analogy.
Oh Dubstep Kitty. :)
My honest answer is that I'm not sure. I feel there are some lessons that life keeps trying to teach me that I don't learn and I keep repeating the same mistakes. These lessons would be:
a) Listen to your gut (especially when you don't want to) --> I tend to ignore my gut when it's telling me things I don't want to hear. I'll make mistakes full on knowing that I am making them, but hoping against hope that they aren't mistakes. This has never worked in my favour, and I really should stop doing it but I can be stubborn.
b) Live in the present --> Again a lesson I understand, but I don't practice. I can spend way too much mental energy focussing on the past (which I can't change) and the future (which I can't control) and don't enjoy the present. Living in the moment is so much more difficult that you'd think.
c) Quit being so hard on yourself --> I am my worst critic. Even though I've been having some awesome victories this year when it comes to fitness, I'm still engaging in far too much negative discourse in my head. If anyone spoke to me the way I think about myself, I'd tell them off. Ugh, I need to get better at silencing that awful (and harsh) inner critic. It's not productive.
I feel like with these lessons, I'm like the kid who can get an A on her chemistry test but cannot perform an acid-base titration to save her life. (Actually that was me in high school.) It's all theory, but no practice.
But one lesson I've learned that I do practice is humour is a pretty awesome antidote, so I'll stop this post with a hilarious chemistry cartoon that relates to my nerdy analogy.
Oh Dubstep Kitty. :)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
#BEDM: Food, Glorious Food
Today's post is about food. I'm going to write about some favourite meals of late.
1) Favourite recipe: Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
About a month ago, I had bought some chicken breasts on sale and had some sweet potatoes lying around. I had to figure out something to do with the chicken before it went bad, so I googled recipes using chicken and sweet potatoes and came across this.
Glad I did because it's really yummy and fits my diet! It's so good. I'm not sure if I'm using the chilis that are called for by the recipe... I just found minced chipotle chilis in a jar in the produce aisle and they work perfectly.
The rub that you make for this recipe is so yummy. I often increase the ingredients by 50% so there's a little bit more sauce.
When I first tried this out, I was so excited with the results that I texted my friend Fea to tell her that I was bringing her some for lunch. However, half an hour later she got a text saying that I dropped hers on the floor. :/
I made it again though, so she got to try some! Then, I made it a third time to bring some leftovers in for my pals the Alans.
2) Pre-Race Meal
On Saturday, my friend Heather and I went to an Italian restaurant (La Vecchia) in my neighbourhood for a carbalicious meal. It had yummy bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (is there anything better?). I had a pasta dish with a tomato-cream sauce, feta, and chicken. It was so good. For dessert, I got the creme brulee, and my friend Heather got the tiramisu. We shared. This was honestly the best tiramisu I've ever had. I also had some dessert wine. I'm loving dessert wine these days.
3) Post-Race Meal
For our post-race meal, I took my pal to what's becoming my favourite neighbourhood pub: The Granite Brewery. The brew their own beers, and I really like their Ringberry Ale, which is slightly fruity. It's becoming something I crave. I had a cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. They have really great sweet potato fries. The cheeseburger was a little bit over done, but after running 10K in the cold, one doesn't care too much about these things.
Of course, now I'm back to my diet and eating lots of fruits, veggies, eggs, etc etc. Oh, I cannot wait for my next cheat meal! :D
1) Favourite recipe: Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
About a month ago, I had bought some chicken breasts on sale and had some sweet potatoes lying around. I had to figure out something to do with the chicken before it went bad, so I googled recipes using chicken and sweet potatoes and came across this.
Glad I did because it's really yummy and fits my diet! It's so good. I'm not sure if I'm using the chilis that are called for by the recipe... I just found minced chipotle chilis in a jar in the produce aisle and they work perfectly.
The rub that you make for this recipe is so yummy. I often increase the ingredients by 50% so there's a little bit more sauce.
When I first tried this out, I was so excited with the results that I texted my friend Fea to tell her that I was bringing her some for lunch. However, half an hour later she got a text saying that I dropped hers on the floor. :/
I made it again though, so she got to try some! Then, I made it a third time to bring some leftovers in for my pals the Alans.
2) Pre-Race Meal
On Saturday, my friend Heather and I went to an Italian restaurant (La Vecchia) in my neighbourhood for a carbalicious meal. It had yummy bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (is there anything better?). I had a pasta dish with a tomato-cream sauce, feta, and chicken. It was so good. For dessert, I got the creme brulee, and my friend Heather got the tiramisu. We shared. This was honestly the best tiramisu I've ever had. I also had some dessert wine. I'm loving dessert wine these days.
3) Post-Race Meal
For our post-race meal, I took my pal to what's becoming my favourite neighbourhood pub: The Granite Brewery. The brew their own beers, and I really like their Ringberry Ale, which is slightly fruity. It's becoming something I crave. I had a cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. They have really great sweet potato fries. The cheeseburger was a little bit over done, but after running 10K in the cold, one doesn't care too much about these things.
Of course, now I'm back to my diet and eating lots of fruits, veggies, eggs, etc etc. Oh, I cannot wait for my next cheat meal! :D
Monday, May 13, 2013
#BEDM: Go Green
Since I've become a teacher (almost ten years now), the environment has been a topic close to my heart. Perhaps it always was, but I didn't really realize it until I started teaching science units about ecology, and talking to my classes about humans' impact on the planet, and simple everyday things we can do to be kinder to our planet.
I can find trying to be green frustrating sometimes: I simply can't afford to take every sustainable action out there, especially when it comes to food. And, I do enjoy consumerism far too much. I buy too many things that's for sure. I find sometimes that I can be hyper-critical of my lifestyle, but then I step back and remind myself about what I tell my students: that small actions to add up, after all, the ocean is made of drops of water, which in themselves are made from billions of tiny water molecules.
Even though I'm far from perfect, here are some the actions I take every day to be greener, kinder, and more sustainable.
1) I stop every morning at work for coffee at Tim Horton's using my favourite reusable Starbucks tumbler. (They don't mind me crossing companies like I do.) That adds up to 190 fewer paper cups being used a year. (And I save $19!)
2) I take transit. People complain far too much about the TTC. I've taken it to work for nearly eight solid years and been late only once due to transit. (I do live on a good route though.) I'm at the point in my life where I could afford a car, and I'm less terrified of driving in Toronto, but I stick to transit mainly for environmental reasons.
Ironically, I'm writing this from a Starbucks right now because I was on my way home from work, and my train was turned back because of smoke at Davisville station. Instead of standing on the platform waiting and grumbling, I've decided to chill here and I'll walk home (it's about 25 mins from here). I find being relaxed and willing to find a Plan B is key when relying on transit, because delays do happen.
3) I've been using re-usable grocery bags for years, even before it became common-place.
4) I've started eating less processed foods for health reasons, but eating whole foods and things you've cooked myself is kind to the planet as well as to my body. It takes a lot of energy to make, transport, and package those foods laced with sugar, fat, salt and other chemicals, and I'm glad that I stay away from them.
5) I try to buy local, and/or organic where feasible, practical, and affordable. In addition, I try to buy fair trade items when I can (chocolate, coffee & tea) because I also really believe in the importance of paying people a fair wage. In addition, companies who are fair trade tend to be more environmentally responsible too.
6) I drink only tap water. I loathe bottled water with every fibre of my being. All that unnecessary plastic. All that energy needed to transport something around that you can get out of your trap for free. Ugh. Bottled water is the worst. It also puts a price on something that's a basic human right.
7) I recycle, of course.
8) I educate. I moderate my school's environmental club. I teach environmental science. I weave the environment into every course I teach. And students do respond (moreso than adults a lot of the time). It warms my heart when I have a student tell me that she's taken her family to a farmers' market to buy local food, or starts using a reusable water canteen, or shows me an email she's sent to PM Harper about her concern over rising levels of GHGs in our atmosphere, and the list goes on. (This is probably my most important environmental action.)
9) I vote with the environment as one of my priorities when choosing a candidate.
I can find trying to be green frustrating sometimes: I simply can't afford to take every sustainable action out there, especially when it comes to food. And, I do enjoy consumerism far too much. I buy too many things that's for sure. I find sometimes that I can be hyper-critical of my lifestyle, but then I step back and remind myself about what I tell my students: that small actions to add up, after all, the ocean is made of drops of water, which in themselves are made from billions of tiny water molecules.
Even though I'm far from perfect, here are some the actions I take every day to be greener, kinder, and more sustainable.
1) I stop every morning at work for coffee at Tim Horton's using my favourite reusable Starbucks tumbler. (They don't mind me crossing companies like I do.) That adds up to 190 fewer paper cups being used a year. (And I save $19!)
2) I take transit. People complain far too much about the TTC. I've taken it to work for nearly eight solid years and been late only once due to transit. (I do live on a good route though.) I'm at the point in my life where I could afford a car, and I'm less terrified of driving in Toronto, but I stick to transit mainly for environmental reasons.
Ironically, I'm writing this from a Starbucks right now because I was on my way home from work, and my train was turned back because of smoke at Davisville station. Instead of standing on the platform waiting and grumbling, I've decided to chill here and I'll walk home (it's about 25 mins from here). I find being relaxed and willing to find a Plan B is key when relying on transit, because delays do happen.
3) I've been using re-usable grocery bags for years, even before it became common-place.
4) I've started eating less processed foods for health reasons, but eating whole foods and things you've cooked myself is kind to the planet as well as to my body. It takes a lot of energy to make, transport, and package those foods laced with sugar, fat, salt and other chemicals, and I'm glad that I stay away from them.
5) I try to buy local, and/or organic where feasible, practical, and affordable. In addition, I try to buy fair trade items when I can (chocolate, coffee & tea) because I also really believe in the importance of paying people a fair wage. In addition, companies who are fair trade tend to be more environmentally responsible too.
6) I drink only tap water. I loathe bottled water with every fibre of my being. All that unnecessary plastic. All that energy needed to transport something around that you can get out of your trap for free. Ugh. Bottled water is the worst. It also puts a price on something that's a basic human right.
7) I recycle, of course.
8) I educate. I moderate my school's environmental club. I teach environmental science. I weave the environment into every course I teach. And students do respond (moreso than adults a lot of the time). It warms my heart when I have a student tell me that she's taken her family to a farmers' market to buy local food, or starts using a reusable water canteen, or shows me an email she's sent to PM Harper about her concern over rising levels of GHGs in our atmosphere, and the list goes on. (This is probably my most important environmental action.)
9) I vote with the environment as one of my priorities when choosing a candidate.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
#BEDM - Collecting (& update on SL10K)
Today's BEDM topic is collecting. Probably my most significant collection (other than books and music) are my Starbucks mugs from places I've traveled.
I started my mug collection in 2005 when I went to Australia and picked one up in Sydney (1). I liked the mug because it had an image of the Harbour Bridge. I don't think I realized that collecting these mugs was going to become my thing, because I would have picked up others when I was in Australia. I do remember they had one for the province of Queensland, which I visited. If I'd known I was going to become a collector, I would have gotten the Queensland mug.
My next two Starbucks mugs were purchased in the summer of 2006 when I went to the UK. I got Wales (2) and London (3).
In summer 2007, I went to Vancouver and got the Stanley Park (4) mug. Then, I went to Seattle (5) and got a Pike Place mug that commemorates the first Starbucks. In the fall, I went to Montreal (6) and got a mug.
In 2008, I got a Central Park (7) mug in NYC. I went to Texas and got ones for Austin (8), San Antonio (9) and Dallas (10). My Dallas mug has a small crack in the handle now. I once mentioned this to my friend Fea, who had a friend going to Texas for business. As a nice surprise, Fea got her friend to buy me a new mug. However, she thought it was my Austin mug that was cracked, so I have a second Austin mug. (I keep it at work. It reminds of good friends, rock 'n roll, and Austin which was my fave Texas city anyway.) In the summer of 2008, I picked up a mug in San Francisco (11).
I went to NYC again in 2009, and got a different NYC mug (12). If I go to a location and they have a new/different mug, I will buy it to commemorate a new trip. 2009 brought me to Paris (13) and Scotland (14).
In 2010, I visited Paris and Nice, so I got the France country mug (15). I went to Boston over the summer and got a mug there (16).
In 2011 I added Barcelona (17), Niagara Falls (18) and Chicago (19) to the collection. Becca T (who also collects these mugs) and I had a tough time finding the Barcelona one, but we did it!
In 2012 I visited Paris again and they had a new version of the Paris mug so I got that (20). Also, I was going through a rough time, so my pal Claire mailed me the London/England demitasses in a care package. In the summer I picked up a Twin Cities mug (21), I got a new Vancouver mug (22), and Vancouver Island mug (23).
I have a friend at work who also collects Starbucks mugs from different locations. He doesn't care if he's been there, so whenever I go somewhere I usually pick one up for him. I have different rules for mine: I have to have visited the place myself in order to get a mug. When I went to Texas, AlieMalie brought me the San Antonio mug, even though we weren't originally going to go there. However, she had a work emergency, so we did end up driving to San Antonio for the afternoon and validating the mug, phew.
My friend from work went to Amsterdam this summer and brought me back a mug. It was sweet, but in my head all I could think is that the rule has been broken! However, I know I will go to Amsterdam someday (it's on my list), so the mug will get validated. I will not use the mug until then though. However, when I have a guest visit who's been to Amsterdam, they drink tea out of that mug.
Finally, in 2013 I've added Washington DC to the collection (24).
So that's my collection in total: 24 validated Starbucks mugs, one set of demitasses, 1 extra Austin mug, and 1 unvalidated mug from Amsterdam.
I like my collection even though it means that most of my kitchen cupboard space is taken up by mugs (some are on my desk though). It's something fun and uniform to get from each travel location, and I use my mugs on a rotating basis when I feel like thinking of a certain place. Or it's fun to just pick one randomly. However, not all of the locations I've visited have mugs. When I visited Ireland in 2006, they didn't have a mug yet. No mug for Cuba, obviously. No mugs either for the Maritime provinces, Cape Cod, Winnipeg, or Utah. Maybe I should buy plain Starbucks mugs and paint them for those places, ha-ha.
I started my mug collection in 2005 when I went to Australia and picked one up in Sydney (1). I liked the mug because it had an image of the Harbour Bridge. I don't think I realized that collecting these mugs was going to become my thing, because I would have picked up others when I was in Australia. I do remember they had one for the province of Queensland, which I visited. If I'd known I was going to become a collector, I would have gotten the Queensland mug.
My next two Starbucks mugs were purchased in the summer of 2006 when I went to the UK. I got Wales (2) and London (3).
My first mug from Sydney, and my Wales mug. They are from a very early collection of Starbucks mugs. I love the Wales one because it has the word Wales both in English, and in Welsh (Cymru). And since my paternal grandfather was Welsh, the Welsh dragon is a special symbol for me.
In summer 2007, I went to Vancouver and got the Stanley Park (4) mug. Then, I went to Seattle (5) and got a Pike Place mug that commemorates the first Starbucks. In the fall, I went to Montreal (6) and got a mug.
Pike Place mug. The blue & white version of City Mugs is my least favourite.
In 2008, I got a Central Park (7) mug in NYC. I went to Texas and got ones for Austin (8), San Antonio (9) and Dallas (10). My Dallas mug has a small crack in the handle now. I once mentioned this to my friend Fea, who had a friend going to Texas for business. As a nice surprise, Fea got her friend to buy me a new mug. However, she thought it was my Austin mug that was cracked, so I have a second Austin mug. (I keep it at work. It reminds of good friends, rock 'n roll, and Austin which was my fave Texas city anyway.) In the summer of 2008, I picked up a mug in San Francisco (11).
I went to NYC again in 2009, and got a different NYC mug (12). If I go to a location and they have a new/different mug, I will buy it to commemorate a new trip. 2009 brought me to Paris (13) and Scotland (14).
In 2010, I visited Paris and Nice, so I got the France country mug (15). I went to Boston over the summer and got a mug there (16).
In 2011 I added Barcelona (17), Niagara Falls (18) and Chicago (19) to the collection. Becca T (who also collects these mugs) and I had a tough time finding the Barcelona one, but we did it!
Some of my favourites from Europe.
Some U.S. favourites.
In 2012 I visited Paris again and they had a new version of the Paris mug so I got that (20). Also, I was going through a rough time, so my pal Claire mailed me the London/England demitasses in a care package. In the summer I picked up a Twin Cities mug (21), I got a new Vancouver mug (22), and Vancouver Island mug (23).
Summer 2012 in mug form.
I have a friend at work who also collects Starbucks mugs from different locations. He doesn't care if he's been there, so whenever I go somewhere I usually pick one up for him. I have different rules for mine: I have to have visited the place myself in order to get a mug. When I went to Texas, AlieMalie brought me the San Antonio mug, even though we weren't originally going to go there. However, she had a work emergency, so we did end up driving to San Antonio for the afternoon and validating the mug, phew.
My friend from work went to Amsterdam this summer and brought me back a mug. It was sweet, but in my head all I could think is that the rule has been broken! However, I know I will go to Amsterdam someday (it's on my list), so the mug will get validated. I will not use the mug until then though. However, when I have a guest visit who's been to Amsterdam, they drink tea out of that mug.
Finally, in 2013 I've added Washington DC to the collection (24).
So that's my collection in total: 24 validated Starbucks mugs, one set of demitasses, 1 extra Austin mug, and 1 unvalidated mug from Amsterdam.
I like my collection even though it means that most of my kitchen cupboard space is taken up by mugs (some are on my desk though). It's something fun and uniform to get from each travel location, and I use my mugs on a rotating basis when I feel like thinking of a certain place. Or it's fun to just pick one randomly. However, not all of the locations I've visited have mugs. When I visited Ireland in 2006, they didn't have a mug yet. No mug for Cuba, obviously. No mugs either for the Maritime provinces, Cape Cod, Winnipeg, or Utah. Maybe I should buy plain Starbucks mugs and paint them for those places, ha-ha.
***
Speaking of collections, I added another race medal to my medal collection today. Today was the Sporting Life 10K, which I've really been looking forward to.
I was supposed to race with my friends Jolene and Heather, but Jolene sprained her ankle so it was only Heather and I. Heather took the train in from London, ON for the night, and we had a nice Saturday shopping, going out for dinner, and going to bed super early.
This morning was really cold and windy. Not the ideal day for a race. Spring, why have you forsaken us?
This morning was really cold and windy. Not the ideal day for a race. Spring, why have you forsaken us?
However, I warmed up quickly once I started running. I had a great run! I was almost 6 minutes faster than I was last year! My chip time was 1 hour 3 minutes and 34 seconds. I was elated. I was hoping to make it in at 1:05 or 1:06. Super proud of my hard work! It was a personal best by far. I'd personally like to thank Yonge Street, for being so down hill.
In addition, my friends and family supported me greatly and I raised $270 for Camp Ooch by running today. Here's an excellent article from the TO Star about why it's such a great charity. I'm so glad that I was able to run for such a great cause today. 27 000 people registered for the race, and it was so awesome to run down Yonge street with so many people.
Stole this picture from the Nike Running Canada Twitter Feed. It's awesome being in a crowd of so many runners. This is the part of the course where you are heading downhill just before Mount Pleasant Cemetery (my usual training grounds).
I am definitely going to run the SL10K next year. I'm hoping that next year I will finish in under an hour! Better get back to training!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
#BEDM - Book Love
Today's Blog Every Day in May Topic is book love. I have a lot of book love. Here are five books that changed my life. Well, perhaps they weren't so life changing as they have been integral parts of my life.
1) The Twits by Roald Dahl - I got this book as a Christmas gift from my much older cousin when I was in grade 4 or so. I remember reading it twice the day I received it, and laughing myself silly. My cousin had a beard at the time, and there is a whole chapter that basically disses men with beards, so I thought it was hilarious that my cousin bought me a book that poked fun at him. This is one of my few items from my childhood that I keep in my own home (the other is my Care Bear) because it's such a fond memory for me. I consider this book life-changing because I think it's the first truly funny novel that I'd ever read, and it turned me onto the work of Roald Dahl, who also wrote Matilda, which carries the important message that being a smart book-ish girl is an awesome thing.
2) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - I never really got into any of the other Anne books, but I read the first book of the series over and over again. This is book that I've read the most times in my life, and I feel it belongs on this list as such. Anne is such a lovable and strong heroine, and the setting of Prince Edward Island so vivid and beautiful, that it won't leave your mind.
3) The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy - I spent a lot of my teenage years devouring the work of Maeve Binchy. This was my favourite novel of hers. Perhaps her books didn't quite change my life, but reading a Maeve Binchy book makes me feel safe, secure, and pleasant and it's nice having that out there.
4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - This is the Harry Potter book where shit gets real, and that's where the series goes from being for kids to being for absolutely everyone. When I finished this one, I knew that I was hooked, and that I would be at any store at midnight when the final three books in the series came out.
5) Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright - I think this is still one of my favourite novels ever. It takes place in Toronto during the Great Depression, and is written as a series of journal entries and letters. I loved this novel because it vividly depicts the Toronto of long ago, and is an interesting, rich and complex narrative.
1) The Twits by Roald Dahl - I got this book as a Christmas gift from my much older cousin when I was in grade 4 or so. I remember reading it twice the day I received it, and laughing myself silly. My cousin had a beard at the time, and there is a whole chapter that basically disses men with beards, so I thought it was hilarious that my cousin bought me a book that poked fun at him. This is one of my few items from my childhood that I keep in my own home (the other is my Care Bear) because it's such a fond memory for me. I consider this book life-changing because I think it's the first truly funny novel that I'd ever read, and it turned me onto the work of Roald Dahl, who also wrote Matilda, which carries the important message that being a smart book-ish girl is an awesome thing.
2) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - I never really got into any of the other Anne books, but I read the first book of the series over and over again. This is book that I've read the most times in my life, and I feel it belongs on this list as such. Anne is such a lovable and strong heroine, and the setting of Prince Edward Island so vivid and beautiful, that it won't leave your mind.
3) The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy - I spent a lot of my teenage years devouring the work of Maeve Binchy. This was my favourite novel of hers. Perhaps her books didn't quite change my life, but reading a Maeve Binchy book makes me feel safe, secure, and pleasant and it's nice having that out there.
4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - This is the Harry Potter book where shit gets real, and that's where the series goes from being for kids to being for absolutely everyone. When I finished this one, I knew that I was hooked, and that I would be at any store at midnight when the final three books in the series came out.
5) Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright - I think this is still one of my favourite novels ever. It takes place in Toronto during the Great Depression, and is written as a series of journal entries and letters. I loved this novel because it vividly depicts the Toronto of long ago, and is an interesting, rich and complex narrative.
Friday, May 10, 2013
#BEDM: Travel Dreams
Today's Blog Every Day in May topic is: "If you could go anywhere in the world right now where would it be?"
Tough question. I really want to answer this question by listing a bunch of different places. I mean I'd love to go visit Claire in London or Becca T in Paris right now. I miss those girls. Or, it'd be great to be able to jet off to visit friends in Vancouver, Victoria, or Winnipeg. Or even experience the glamour of Missouri (ha-ha) to visit my pal AlieMalie.
But, let's just say I won a contest and I pick anywhere in the world to go, where would it be?
Hmmm.
Tough.
Europe? Africa? (Probs not since I'm going there this summer.) Asia? South America? Antarctica? Other?
You know, I think I'd like to go somewhere exotic. And far away. And beautiful.
I'll always remember really wanting to go to Bali after reading "Eat, Pray, Love" years and years ago. I'd love to stay there for a month, ride my bike around the island, and get some sun and swim. See beautiful beaches. Climb a volcano. Meet a komodo dragon.
Yeah, I'll go to Bali.
:)
Or anywhere. Seriously. I'd go anywhere. I haven't travelled anywhere in 5 months and I can feel the bug in me just itching to go somewhere. But 2.5 months until Kenya, right? That's not long at all!
Happy Friday!
Tough question. I really want to answer this question by listing a bunch of different places. I mean I'd love to go visit Claire in London or Becca T in Paris right now. I miss those girls. Or, it'd be great to be able to jet off to visit friends in Vancouver, Victoria, or Winnipeg. Or even experience the glamour of Missouri (ha-ha) to visit my pal AlieMalie.
But, let's just say I won a contest and I pick anywhere in the world to go, where would it be?
Hmmm.
Tough.
Europe? Africa? (Probs not since I'm going there this summer.) Asia? South America? Antarctica? Other?
You know, I think I'd like to go somewhere exotic. And far away. And beautiful.
I'll always remember really wanting to go to Bali after reading "Eat, Pray, Love" years and years ago. I'd love to stay there for a month, ride my bike around the island, and get some sun and swim. See beautiful beaches. Climb a volcano. Meet a komodo dragon.
Yeah, I'll go to Bali.
:)
Or anywhere. Seriously. I'd go anywhere. I haven't travelled anywhere in 5 months and I can feel the bug in me just itching to go somewhere. But 2.5 months until Kenya, right? That's not long at all!
Happy Friday!
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