Marshmallow world in the winter

Well I'm happy to say that sleep finally came that week. Insomnia for 1 week was more than i could take so I was very happy to have that cured.


I've never been a good sleeper. Sometimes it takes forever to fall asleep, sometimes I need to have music on to get there. I can't sleep in unless I'm really sick. Just like I cannot for the life of me take a nap midday unless I'm sick. It's weird to some people, but I can't explain why or how. The idea of staying in bed late into the morning/afternoon can be appealing, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't happen for me. When it does though...I relish in it :)


Kate and I were catching up via email yesterday about our respective weekends and she was sharing with me that she finally got some sleep of her own, and therefore had a relatively uneventful weekend. She's been really under the weather for the past few weeks and on top of it is quitting smoking (which is AMAZING and we are so happy and proud of her for taking this on), and hasn't been sleeping well at all. Many many sleepless nights that rival my own insomnia. So after a late Friday night out with us girls, Saturday meant sleeping in and, how did she spend the rest of her day? Snuggled up with her fiancé who visits from Toronto every weekend. That may not be an eventful weekend but it sounds like a pretty perfect Saturday afternoon to me!


Looking back at the first month of 2011....I am amazed at how different a schedule I have been keeping. Girls nights have been far and few in 2010 - we've all just got lots on our plate and when it came time to get together, we usually opted for something low key and affordable. In the recent weeks, I have gone out almost every weekend. There was always something to go to or do, a show to see or people to meet up with. But...wow have I already started feeling the effects of it. Living downtown is the biggest culprit. Everything is either a short walk or cab ride away, which means less money spent getting to and from places, but apparently this also means money that i dont have being spent on cover and drinks that should be going to other things...like that big ol' scary thing i reference from time to time: my credit debt.


Which is why Monday morning's string of emails from Michelle and Steph were exactly what I needed to put things back into perspective. Starting a new budget, which is an item on my 101 list, and getting things under control is going to be how I will make this a good year financially. I've also added a resolution which is to have a certain amount of money saved up by this time next year. It is now included in my budget and fingers are crossed I can make it happen. I know that I can, it's just a matter of following through.


A few other items to check off for the month are two new recipes tried. The first was dinner on Sunday (so technically this item belongs to the month of January). Sunday after returning home from a window shopping excursion with the girls and realizing I hadn't really eaten much, decided that it being 4 pm meant that lunch and dinner were going to be a single meal. Being low on ingredients I was pleasantly surprised to find the frozen shrimp I had bought a few weeks ago. MMmmm. Shrimp linguine and a cream cheese based sauce with some diced veggies tossed in the pan. Ended up being a much more elaborate meal than I originally thought. The other recipe I tried was last night out of pure boredom and lack of anything "bad" (i.e. chips) to eat. Though it's a one-ingredient dish I'm counting it towards the "new recipe" category as I've never done it before. I made this: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/stay-cool/how-to-make-creamy-ice-cream-with-just-one-ingredient-093414. So tasty especially with chocolate added...as peanut butter is not my thing. I love thektchn.com. 


Outside my window is a snow globe. We are supposed to get a pretty decent dumping of snow today as a storm roars through Southern Ontario and up our way.... and that we can expect to only see half of what is expected elsewhere. I heard something about Chicago getting close to 50 cm today?? So that said and looking outside I have to say that yes, yes, we are getting an ok deal here in Ottawa in that case. But...I am again day dreaming back to my NC road trip that found me on a surfboard in the Atlantic and ohhhh if I only that were me right now. Sun beating down, waves rocking underneath and getting prepped to catch the next wave. Bliss. Ohh and there were dolphins, did I mention dolphins ?? :)


Though with all this snow, maybe what I should be thinking is "show me to the hills and pass me my board". A surfboard and hot weather it may not be, but my confidence in snow boarding is renewed again. That now said though, what I REALLY wish for .... is to be at Tremblant again. 

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream...

And I mean it quite literally. Sleep has managed to evade me the past few nights. I'm not sure why but the tossing and turning is starting to take effect. I feel tired and kind of like I'm loosing my marbles.


It may not be helping that I've been getting to bed late, but when I get there, as tired as I feel I'm suddenly wide awake. And then my brain kicks in. I don't even know what I am thinking about. I have not had this many sleepless nights in a long time. Usually I can pin point the problem but at the moment I am clueless. Something is keeping my mind so occupied it won't stop perhaps? Or is it just an off week?


As this post today is brought to you by my lack of sleep, I'm going to share the random thoughts that have made up my morning so far. Oh what gems!


Cold days like this make me wish I could be somewhere warm with a surfboard beneath me, paddling out and catching a wave. I had a really hard time knowing how to spot a good wave without Doug giving me the heads up to start paddling hard. Brad was a natural and Steph knew what she was doing, and they were also great motivators. NC still stands out as one of my favourite weeks ever. 


Also, maybe not even catching a wave, just lying on the board and listening to the ocean and the sky. That is the mood I am in today. Mmmm, warm, sun, beach, board and the smell of coconut sunscreen - those are what sweet dreams are made of.


Going for coffee after work today is a brilliant plan, just what I need to get me through the rest of the day. That is exactly what I was thinking about 30 minutes ago. And I will be in good company which gives me that much more to look forward to. However...now that I think about it, as I have already had two cups today and possibly another on its way not before too long.... will coffee be the demise of what I was hoping would be my first night of a good night's sleep??? Maybe hot chocolate would be the wisest choice here. Yes. hot cocoa, that'll do :)


I'm so tired that I forgot my work pass, and my office key that is attached to it, along with proper shoes. Thankfully I had a pair stashed at my workspace in Marketing. Its days like this I'm thankful that my unorganized ways, as well as two workspaces, worked out well for me. I was not looking forward to wearing boots all day.


I'm getting stoked for Tremblant. Michelle and I leave in just over a week's time :) I really only have one big hope for the weekend.... and that is that I doesn't land me in the emergency room again. Especially being so far from home. I was very thankful fort that, Dan's smooth driving back from Wakefield that night all the way to the Civic in Ottawa while I cradled my arm in the makeshift splint and sling, and for my dad and his comforting manner that got me through the 3 hours that followed. Other things I look forward to are possibly ticking off some list items...not sure what off the top of my head, but i'm positive there are at least 1 or 2 that could be accomplished while away and have the days free to do whatever I please.


Alright, I think this is a good place to end my sleep deprived mumblings -

Outer Banks, NC

The one and only surf shot of the surf trip

Last day in Wilmington, NC

Fractured wrist on 1st day and 2nd run of the season :(
(I look fine here but I was not so happy sitting in the ER)

My lovely cast tattoos :)

Happier days! Monte Ste Marie. (The year before I fracture the wrist) 

Cruising with Steph and B-Rad towards the Outer Banks. I am so happy and calm here. Blissed out on sun, sand and love :)

Whenever I talk about my past year, I tend to often sum it up as not a great year, mostly in part to the rocky start it had 2 months in. This, however, really isn't a fair assessment. I can hardly base an entire year on a rough patch. As profoundly as it affected me it is also what I think in turn made 2010 what it was for me. When I really look at it I can honestly say I had a pretty damn awesome 2010! Good times with friends and family and oooh the parties, and the campouts, star gazing, amazing live music, amaaaaazing food, engagements, babies, milestones, and oh my it's been a busy year! 

So I don't usually make resolutions, but if i did, one of them would definitely have to be to keep up my blog as I have been sooo very bad at doing. I haven't crossed many other tasks off my projectzero list since the fall. Over the next week I want to look at my list and start pick a few things. On the top at the moment, is to take an art class. I thought maybe painting at first but now I think it's going to be drawing. It's what I've always loved best. Drawing in my sketchbook for the Art House Co-cop Sketchbook Project has shown me my skills are VERY rusty. Speaking of which...that book which is also very empty...considering i need to mail it by January 14th. *eeep*.  As long as I can get some time in I will fill out the pages with views from my window and maybe a spot along the canal (or at least in my head cause it might get hella cold between now and next week!). Wow that's so soon. Way to drop the ball again Jamie Elaine.

So the past few months have been peppered with great memories :) Birthdays and dinners and fun activities. Highlights include a fall bbq at Jay's one night as well as pre-drinks there another night followed by wine at BDT and then beers at Le Troquet in Hull to celebrate his, Laura and Tanya's birthdays in October. Great friends make the best memories :) Birthday fun, dinner drinks and dancing at The Velvet Room for Jossie's 26th, and snuggly, comfy and snack filled movie night for Tor's birthday. Um and gingerbread house making, as per the tradition :) Cooking and baking for friends, working my tail off at the Gallery and Jacob (sigh) but knowing this will help make 2011 a better year because there will be a nice big chunk out of that debt! Not to mention, I love the girls I work with at the store. They are all so lovely and funny. The Gallery is also going well, it's been one hell of a year that's for sure. Ups and downs but wow have we got sooo much going on now. It makes for days that fly by. I particularly like to think back about the many coffee dates with coworkers, cause sometimes you just need to get that little break and just go look at pretty things in windows while sipping our Starbucks' to break up the day :)

And reflecting back, as the start of the year often conjures up all of these recent things, I can definitely say that 2010 was not just a good year, or a great year, it was a year of growth for me. In small steps, but growth none the less. I can only hope to keep going forward in this way :) I've come a long way from where I was last March. I know many of us go through it in some way and its usually unexpected, as mine was, but once you've healed enough to poke your head out of the sand, there's still a little ways to go. I was lucky to have friends who just kept pushing me on. By summer time, i was back to my old self, or rather, a new happy self. Oh this summer was amazing. As was the fall. 

Things I'm really looking forward to so far for 2011 are fast approaching -  Michelle and I are heading to Tremblant for a week. I've never been and I'm very stoked for this mini-holiday. I'm also a little anxious, have not been on my board very often since I fracture my wrist two years ago. And my sister's own accident last year definitely had me less enthused about hitting the slopes again. I made a trek up to the hills last year with Grant and while it was accident free this time, the wipe outs were not encouraging, but he was. Oh yes and then there was the deer that nearly took us off the road on the drive home. Poor car, not like it didn't already take enough beatings! So me + snowboarding in 2011 = it's going to happen! I enjoy it so much but just need to get the bad experience out of my head. Tremblant here I come {please be kind!}.

And so much more. Kate and Derek have a wedding to plan now, and I cannot wait :) I couldn't be more excited for these two. And maybe this year I'll get to go surfing again. It's been nearly 2 years but that experience has left me ready and waiting for my next chance, so why not this year ? And off, striking more things of my 101 things to do in 1001 days list. Art classes, as i mentioned will hopefully be in the works starting this month. Maybe I'll get to fly somewhere.

Tonight however, will find me tackling the ever elusive fitness goals. Michelle and I are hitting the gym for what I can only expect will be an exhausting test of my endurance. An hour of Body Combat and then an hour of stretching in Body Flow. Yes, we will be braving it along with everyone else jumping back on their fitness resolutions, so i'm expecting a jam packed class tonight at the gym. 

Update: yep, so...body combat is crazy and insane...but also amazing. I definitely got my butt kicked in those 60 minutes...too dead to stay for body flow. I'm so ready to go back next week. Here's to hoping I can walk tomorrow :)

At Relay for Life 2010

Bday shenanigans at ESD post dancing :) I'm so talented!

Sandbanks August 2010

MOctoberfest, mustaches were a must :)

Halloween :D

Jossie's Bday!

Good friends...  The best I could have wished for.

<3 love my girlies!

It's here :D

My sketchbook was waiting for me in my mailbox this afternoon :)

Can't wait to start filling the pages. YAY!!!

Catching up

93. Try two new recipes a month.

I definitely abandoned this somewhere way back...but have been making strides to giving myself more time to do items like this on my list. I've definitely succeeded this month, with a few new dishes under my cooking belt..or, err, apron...

I was off from work sick for a week with a bad case of asthma - induced by a sore throat from a few weeks back. Stuck on my couch for a week, 3 days in, and I was B.O.R.E.D. I can only watch so many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, CSI, Criminal Minds and Tommy Europe whipping people into shape on shows like The Last 10 pounds or Bulging Brides. Ugh those last too made this sicky rethink her spot on the couch and think back to the fitness goals I had set forth for myself and how they have not been met. I had thought of this about a month or so ago when I ran into a friend - my former fitness trainer - and he asked if I was still working out hard...and sadly I couldn't say "Oh yeah!". At the time of running into him I was still going to my dance classes and the odd workout here and there, so I think what I offered up in response was a half-hearted"Yeah, I try". But now when I think of this...being sick with asthma doesn't really make me wanna run down the street to the gym and pump some iron or do yoga for the fear of, you know, passing out from lack of oxygen. So I would have to find something else to get me off the couch. At least I could move.

I could cook! This only contributes to the work I will need to do once I do get back to the gym, BUT...ahh who cares. Under the suggestion of my mom, who knew I had a chicken sitting in my freezer, I finally made my first attempt at cooking at whole chicken. I found a tasty sounding roasted chicken recipe in the latest Food & Drink book, mixed it up and prepped my little chicken for the oven. It was still a little frozen so I knew it would take a bit more time, and I checked it thoroughly as I don't have a meat thermometer to go by. The result....an AMAZING success. I pat myself on the back. It was juicy, it was tender and just the right flavours I had been aiming for with the seasoning. I'd say cooked to perfection. I cut a few slices off and made a quick salad and ta-da: dinner :)

Another recipe I tried my hand at was homemade chicken soup soup. I made this the other night. With the chicken being so small the bones and carcass didn't leave me too much to work with to make the stock, but, it worked none the less. After the stock was made I threw in veggies, some chicken, and rice and I must say, for my first chicken soup it was a WIN!

Lastly, I tried my hand at making Alfredo sauce. I've never made it from scratch so I was a little anxious it would be a pasty mess or a drippy, thin catastrophe. Overall, it gets a passing grade, but I think I can still perfect it. The consistency was almost right and the taste could use just a little something i can't quite figure out yet.

And now that I think about alfredo sauce... I did get another dish under my cooking belt. A couple of weeks ago I had a friend over for dinner and while I had been planning on using the ground beef my mom had given me for my first ever meatloaf, it ended up being put to use as a pasta bake. My friend as it turns out is not the biggest fan of meatloaf (but insists it's due to her family's recipe). She said she didn't care what i made, but seeing as i wanted to make something we would both definitely enjoy, I went with a pasta bake. I used Fusilli pasta, and I cooked up the ground beef and veggies. Layered cheese on top and tossed in some leftover slices of Italian sausage from the day before. The result was tasty cheesy goodness. It was pretty amazing if I do say so myself. Meatloaf, I will make you one day. One day soon!

Anyhow, enough about cooking. There are a few other tasks that I think I will be making good on in the coming weeks. As mentioned in an earlier post, I am making cookies for our Workplace United Way Campaign silent auction (#100). I'm also looking into a new workout schedule (#38) with my workout buddy. We live close and this will make for a great motivation to actually get out and go to the gym, I'm hoping to start light with once-twice a week then working up to more frequent visits. My task mentions a trainer, but I haven't been to her in over a year so this has fallen by the way side. Its also part of my "being smart with money" effort (#16). Speaking of which, I plan on visiting the bank in the coming weeks and meeting with an advisor to get further in my reduction of debt, which I must say, I've come a long way since I first tacked this onto my list. It was a lot scarier then, now its manageable.

My last update is art related. I signed up for this really cool art project being organized by Art House Co-op and the Brooklyn Art Library. http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject It's a really different idea and I'm kinda stoked at the idea that the work that I put into this book is going to be available for mass viewing. You order a sketchbook and all you have to do is fill it. You can pick a theme from the ones offered or have them choose for you. After the books are all returned completed to the Library, they are catalogued and inventoried and then they are taken on a tour to the following cities in the States: Brooklyn (NY), Austin (TX), San Francisco (CA), Portland(ME), Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), Washington (DC) and Winter Park (FL). It is my hope to make the trek down to one of the shows in the spring when the tour is on, most likely either to Brooklyn or perhaps on its stop in Portland.

Even if my work only gets checked out a handful of times knowing that something with my name attached to it can be considered published work is kind of exciting...and intimidating. Now that I've signed up and picked a theme (Down Your Street), I'm hoping that I will not make this a flop. Eeee... Also...this means new art supplies.....oh exciting!!! To Wallack's I will go after next pay day. Have not been this excited about a new project in a while. I haven't really done art in a while and I can feel the excitement bubbling up inside me. A new focus, a new project, and something to express myself...I'm curious as to what I am going to come up with in the 40-50 pages.

A little something to consider...

My good friend Cherry sent me this link last week. The idea is genius. I am thinking of participating...I just want to be sure I can fill the book up. What a brilliant idea for an art show.

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

Summer time

It's been two months, and even with gentle nudging from Gen...I have left my blog on its own to fend for itself. This summer has been quite the whirlwind despite not feeling like I've actually done a whole lot. But looking back at some recent adventures...that isn't entirely true!

Things to mark off...

3. Visit at least 3 of the 5 Great Lakes :: Visited Lake Ontario for our camping trip August 13-15 when we went to Sandbanks. It was one hell of a weekend. I had the best time.
42. Ride a rollercoaster. - Not quite a rollercoaster story, but I went to Ottawa'a Super-EX with J just over a week ago, and we rode the Fireball and, while its not really a rollercoaster I also went on The Zipper for the first time. I don't totally count them as rollercoasters, but as they are fair rides and Fireball was crazy I'm gonna put it here as an honorable mention :)
73. See a shooting star. :: More shotting starts! While camping at Sandbanks August 13-15 we went out to the beach and watched an incredibly clear sky lit up by stars. I counted about 10 shooting stars.

74. Buy a lottery ticket. :: Done. I bought a Lotto Max ticket in June.

75. Go on a picnic. :: Done! Had a great picnic with friends at Westboro beach. To make it more interesting the organizers decided on a theme. The letter M. That whatever we all brought to share had to have something to do with the letter M. I brought mimosa's and made rice crispie squares for dessert, as they are made with marshmallows.96. Plan and embark on a random weekend getaway. :: A plan is in the work for a girls getaway with Michelle.
100. Make something to put in the silent auction for our United Way Workplace Charitable Campaign. :: In the works: have notifies the organizer that I will be baking my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies for the auction.

I still have so much to accomplish and will be looking to my friends for the help!! They are fabulous and so supportive, we are all doing these things together and it makes me really happy to know that I have managed to surround myself with some pretty amazing individuals.

I had an amazing summer. My 26th burthday was another for the books. We celebrated on my rooftop and hit Elgin street for some dancing and some late night celebratory ESD poutines....

I also checked out some great acts at Bluesfest this summer. I saw Arcade Fire who were amazing. I was not a big fan before seeing them (i had no real opinion as I had never really listened to them before), and seeing them made quite the difference. I also saw Drake with the girls, and checked out a bit of the comedy tent and also got to spend a little time in one of the VIP suites thanks to some passes from work which I shared with my sister and Mike. That was a great night. Throw in all the random get togethers, dinners, breakfasts, dance parties, camp-outs and Mayofest shenanigans...this has been an amazing summer.

After the start to the year, I had been putting a lot of faith into having a good summer. I was hoping that the majority of my healing, mentally and emotionally, would have occurred. As it turns out, I wasn't too far off. I've taken a lot more time for myself and doing things that make me happy. There is only so much you can do when you wake up one day and realize nothing was how it seemed. There's a lot of rebuilding just on an emotional level, which I found has been the hardest part. I have always been a very open and trusting person and to have that blow up in my face I was very worried about how that would change me. And I really can't know until that is tested...but for now, I am feeling almost whole again, like myself, if not a happier version :)

Below: a shot of our picnic at Westborow beach, chilling in the hot tub at Mayofest, a group shot at Sandbanks provincial park beach and a gorgeous shot of the sunset over Lake Ontario.

I hope everyone had a great summer. And it's not over yet so if there's something you've been wanting to accomplish this summer you've still got just over 22 days to go!

Next on my to do list: start painting again (thanks for the suggestion Joce).