Awesome!

Wow! Thank you to the lovely people who came out to support me and my Relay for Life team at our Yard Sale last weekend. We raised over $650 dollars!!! Thank you, Thank you , Thank you! It ended up being a great day with great weather. Overcast at times, the sun would not fail to come out and warm us all up for a bit and brighten our spirits :) It also felt good to get rid of some old things that will now get a new life with someone else.

Other fun news: I feel like I'm one of the last to join this bandwagon but I recently heard about 1000awesomethings.com and the book that was just recently published based on the blog. I've started reading recent and past entries at least once a day, and I think it's absolutely brilliant!! Or I guess I should say, I think its awesome :) It's sort of like a daily reminder of how many seemingly insignificant moments in life are often worth taking the time to enjoying them to their fullest and realizing just how awesome these small things are in the bigger picture.

I stopped by the display in Chapters the other day and flipped through the book (The Book of Awesome) and the first page I opened it to read (and I am paraphrasing because I do not remember the exact wording) 'when you hit the elevator button and it's there waiting for you.' "Ding! AWESOME". And isn't it? If you live in an apartment building with tempermental elevators like I do then you completely understand this. We have three elevators in our building and it seems that one is always sitting on one of the high floors, the other is in service for moving things, and the other one is out of service and has been for weeks/days/sometimes months. So when I get home from work after a long day or when I'm running late in the morning and that elevator is waiitng for me as soon as I hit up/down, it really is awesome :) So I thank Neil Pasricha, the creator behind 1000awesomethings.com, for giving a nod to all the awesome things that happen to us daily, and pointing out that we should celebrate more often the awesome small things and worry less about the small not-so-awesome things.

More awesome news: I will be moving in to my new place soon. I can barely contain how excited I am. And then I look at my stuff and realize how much I need to scale down or else I will be living in very tight quarters with all of my belongings with little room to move around! So I've made that my project for the week along with painting a few things and then in 2 weeks time, I will be on the move. Time flies when you're busy and having awesome times :)

As I've mentioned a couple of times in past posts I'm participating in the Ottawa-Neapean area Relay for Life this year with a group of good friends. The Relay takes place on June 11th 2010. In addition to our individual fundraising efforts we are hosting a Yard Sale this weekend, thanks to the very generous hospitality of Theresa Stanley for letting us use her front yard for the sale along with giving us a place to keep many items over the past few months. Consider this another plug for the event. If you're in the area please come out and visit us and say hi and make a purchase or donation. Everything is going towards the Canadian Cancer Society. We are all really stoked for this weekend and my fingers are crossed that the weather will be kind to us. (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!)

http://ottawa.en.craigslist.ca/gms/1735494079.html

In other news...I'm getting ready for the fast approaching end of the month and my move. I'm getting very excited and stressed over the idea of moving everything out of here and into another, smaller, space with an even smaller elevator to do the job. This elevator at my new building is like, half -if not 2/3 - the depth of your average elevator so...there is at least one item (ie. my mattress) that will have to get trekked up the 10 floors to my place... sorry AND many many thanks advance to the friends and family that will help make that happen. You get an extra beer, cookie, or heck even a full meal for being the ones who help me make those trips. All my other furniture can be taken apart and brought up in the elevator. I am going to be in serious debt to those who can lend me a hand :)

I've just finished reading "If You Have To Cry, Go Outside" by Kelly Cutrone. If you follow/followed either one of MTV's The Hills and/or The City, you know her as the no b-s'ing, and sometimes scary, brilliant mastermind behind the very successful PR firm People's Revolution. Well this book...was amazing. I love her writing style and I love a lot of what she had to say. Not all of it was applicable to me, but the ideas behind her words and stories pretty much all hit a chord with me in some aspect of my life. It essentially details how she got to where she is, what she had to do to get there and the reminder that one day you can have it all and everything feels right in your life, the next its blown up in your face only for you to realize you weren't really on the path you were meant to be on. But it's ok, because with this new realization, you've been given the chance to make yourself a new path which may be even better than the one you just fell off of. To do something with your life that you are meant for, not only the things that you have been taught to believe you are meant for, but to do the things in your life that enrich your soul because it speaks directly to who you are under all the surface stuff.

I just found it a very positive, motivating and interesting read. It was my own little reminder that with the number of road bumps I've hit lately, that they have all happened for a reason and it's because there are other greater things that are going to come in my life. And I'm working on making them happen.

If you know me then you know the the Twilight series has managed to find a way into my heart. I mentioned in an earlier post that I saw the first movie before deciding to the read the book to see why all these people where either crazy about it or poking fun at the people who were crazy about it. ...And then I read the 4 books in the span of one weeks and fell in love with the story. There is just something about the way their love story is written that kept me reading.

The movies...how..do I say this. Well..I enjoyed Twilight and also enjoyed New Moon. But I have to stress that to anyone who hasn't read the books then PLEASE do not judge the story by the movies. The movies have their own merits, but the books are sooo much better.

That said...the recently released extended trailer for the 3rd installment, the film adaptation of Eclipse, got me giddy with anticipation to see how one of the more interesting and back-story packed novels in the series is played out. I have a feeling many things are going to be left out (sadly) but it also looks like we'll get to see a chunk of the fight that goes down in the baseball field that we miss in the novel since that whole time is spent witnessing the drama unraveling between Bella, Edward and Jacob up on the mountain top away from the battle. Interesting.

This is definitely on my summer movie list :)

New beginnings...

1 month and 2 weeks and I will be in new surroundings. A new home base, that is. Very excited and very anxious at the (fast) approaching idea that I am going to be living on my own. Like a real grown up, oh my!! I'm very excited about the new place, but also kind of sad to know that I will miss my river view and AMAZING sunsets from our balcony at my current place I share with Steph. This, however, has given me the much needed kick and inspiration to start on my art-oriented tasks from my list. I received the perfect sized canvas from Jocelyne for my birthday and I plan on using that to create a lanscape of the view from my balcony. I'm thinking a near-sunset shot, when the light is just as I want it. It will also serve as a great piece to remind me of my first apartment and what a great time I had over the two years.

It's a weird feeling. I'm scared. Because as most of my closest friends know, I'm a totally baby when it comes to being alone at night. Just knowing someone is in the other room is a comfort. That said, I'm am really looking forward to this new experience. A change to have a space of my own. When I start to get nervous, I remind myself about how excited I am to decorate my own space. I've been playing around with mini floorplans which I think will be essential. I'm moving into a much smaller space and therefore I think I need a more laid out plan going in to this than the one I didn't really have when I moved into my first apartment which had a generous amount of space to work with. I'm going to be getting rid of some furniture and hopefully doing a full wardrobe cleanout as well. An honest to goodness new start. Somewhere that is my own and untouched by my recent past. Memories that I will be happy to no longer be reminded of on a regular basis.

The other big exciting thing about it is that it is right downtown. I am so stoked to live dowtown! Being within walking distance of work is a plus, not to mention being closer to friends who already live downtown. I think this will make for a very interesting/fun first summer at my new place. There will be so much more to discover that I haven't yet. One of my closest friends is coming to Ottawa this summer for an intership on the Hull side. She has found a place to live for the summer downtown not very far from where I will be. We just know its going to be a fantasic summer with her hear and living so close.

Soo...more news. List related there isn't much..sadly!! I have been keeping up with my goal to try out new recipes every month...unforunately I have been remiss in keeping track!! My mind has been going crazy for the past few months that I have gotten pretty disorganized in regards to my goals. But that is soon to change. In addition to the apartment hunting I've also picked up another job on the side. This goes hand in hand with my goal of regaining control over my financial situation. What's better is I am really enjoying it so far.

My guilty pleasure this week was re-reading the last Twilight installment, Breaking Dawn. I don't know what brought it on. And I was just as hooked as I was reading it the first time. Indeed a guilty little pleasure and oh so satisfying. So I have already re-read a book on my list...so..I can't say I've made progress. But I am enjoying myself :)

Relay news! My Relay for Life team and I are making great progress in fundraising! And might I add that Ashley is making AMAZING progress! Everyone is doing well, but she is our shining star. Many thanks go out to her and her coworkers who indulged in her home baked treats in exchange for donations. Coming soon is our yard sale in May, and there are 2 other possible events, but I won't mention them till they are solid. But trust me, they are big and we hope will be a great source of raising funds. If you wish to donate to help our team make our fundraising goal to help beat Cancer, please click here!

I seem to have just lost the words I was going to continue this post with...but I'm anxious to post now.

Wishing all of you a lovely weekend! Its a little rainy but it's the playoffs. I plan on finding a spot on Elgin to watch the game and then celebrate the night away. TGIF with some good friends and a big pitcher of beer!!!

New focus

I was thinking this morning how with the recent turn of events seems like a great time to re-focus on the goals I set for myself in my 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days list.

Another item to knock off is a book! Like most chick-lit material, once I picked it up I was done it in no time. The only reason it took me 3 days is because I forced myself NOT to read it in one sitting. Last night however I did blast through the last 3rd of it last night when I couldn't sleep. Twenties Girl is the latest book from Sophie Kinsella (of Confessions of Shopaholic 'fame') and it's a very fun read. Just the thing I need!

This weekend I will be doing something new! While it's not an item on my list it is something I have wanted to do but never really thought about doing it. If that makes sense... ? Jocelyne and Dan had the brilliant idea to head up to a sugar bush and as the weather has been getting warmer and warmer (curiouser and curiouser!) they thought now is the time to go before we lose anymore snow! So that is the plan for this weekend and I'm very excited to go out and do something different than what I would normally be doing with my weekend.

I have been working hard at keeping busy and distracted and so far it has only been turning out in my favour :) I have been able to focus on making some important decisions that I have been putting off for some time. Though I am occasionally sidelined by negative thoughts about recent events, and no matter how often I let my mind go to places I dont want it to, I remind myself that no matter what I may or may not have done differently, the end result would be the same. I can only be thankful that things came to an end when they did, and not a few months from now when I would be moving in with someone I clearly didn't know very well. I don't mean to sound like a victim, but I was fully betrayed and that's been the hardest part and why my mind is still attached to things I wish it weren't. Eventually, this will be easier. I know this. And I DO appreciate those reminders. My friends are superstars :)

In the meantime, I am focusing on my list. I was going through a bunch of my files (music, photos, cv's) the other day and remembered I have some organizing tasks on my list which I think I will tackle this weekend along with maybe start on another book. And room organizing, which has been put off for too long. It's time for a little spring cleaning!!

A few other things...

Added to my Reading list on the right
What I am currently reading is Natalie MacLean's "Red, White and Drunk All Over". I don't know if it just that I am wine lover myself, but this book is brilliant: it's funny and smart and makes me want to become a wine critic, if not just to enjoy fantastic wines but to also get the chance to travel to all these beautiful spots around the world.

I also added two sites I have been frequenting as of late. Check out the links to the right.
Questionable Content is simply just one of the funniest online comic series I have encountered. If the title doesn't say it all, it's revealed in the cleverly created cast of characters and plot lines. If you check out the site, I earnestly suggest you begin from comic number 1. Not only do you get the full story, but you see the progression of the artists work. There are, however, are over 1500 comics to date, so it might take you a while. This will also cause you to possibly adore it as much as I do.
The other site is a current favourite and may not be up and running if you go looking for it months after this post. It's essentially a live feed set up by a Shiba Inu breeder of some of the cutest puppies ever. What more is there to say?

I suck

I do! I physically cringe when I see my last post dated in October 2009. I will not waste time chidding myself, but just to say that...ouch, I have really let my goal slip away. I can only offer that it can only be blamed on all the wonderful people in my life that keep me busy and away from my computer! (that and my tendencies to procrastinate on everything!)

It feels like I should have so much to say as so much time has gone by - and in fact, there have been changes and new developments since my last post - but it feels like I have nothing to report because life still feels the same.

It feels very much like having lunch with an old friend whether it be weeks, months, even a couple of years since you've seen each other. The moments when you feel like the answer to "So, what's new?" is "....Not much, actually". Maybe it's just the way my life has been going that "not much" is really happening that is reeally new over the span of a few months, even stretching back a couple of years. I am still in the same job I began 7 years ago, with some but little change in my role. I have lived with my lovely roommate for almost 2 years now and things are still going very nicely :) I am still very much in love with the man I met only 10 months ago. It's the day tyo do changes that often go un-remarked because they seem like just that - the day-to-day things that seem like they are of not of much importance to anyone but ourselves.

But you can always start somewhere...so where shall I?

My LIST. The whole driving force behing the creation of my blog!!

- The blog :The list has fallen by the wayside. I can only say - thank goodness I have lots of time...but even that seems to shorten as I think about all the things I want to do. So what can I check off?

- Number 22. Steph and I have hosted several "family" dinner parties with our friends over the past year, and another one is coming up this weekend. The guests often change, but they are all like family. Great good. Great wine. Great company.
- I have also gotten back in taking my health and persoinal weight issues more seriously and putting my gym membership to use. Number 38. I am not going to make any progress if I am not doing anything to cause progress! It has been a slow start but now that I've gone to a few classes at the gym, combined with my once-a-week pole fitness classes, mixed in with other activities like skating, free yoga classes at Lululemon in westboro from time to time, and a home work-out plan (yeah!), I am starting to get back into a routine. I have always run well on routines.
- Ooh I just found another one to check off. Number 72: Do Yoga.
- Number 65, I WON something :) I won a book through a local newspaper only a couple of weeks ago. Thank you Metro News :) The book which I still have yet to read. My roommate, however, snacthed it up I think the second she saw it sitting on the front bench. She devours book like the world is going to run out of them. It is the latest novel by the author of the Time Traveller's Wife. My roomate shared with me that it was a big departure from the Time Traveller's Wife, and the synopsis of it has really got me interested. This is the review I read prior to entering the draw. Thank you, NYTimes :)

More updates to come, this time, I will write again! If not only for myself but for Gen whom I told I would post something the first week in January... In time, I come around!