I am ... disappointed in myself. Almost TWO months since my last blog post. What the heck. Also, I am a mom who identifies as a woman, and prefers the pronoun 'she' in the gender fluid world. (The last medical forms I filled out asked me those questions.)
I love ... driving past my new condo. And I love my kids. And I love pasta. And I love God.
I have ... alot of crap I need to get rid of in 2021; my new place is teensy.
I think ... I wasted my money buying that Keto membership. Haha. I haven't even downloaded the app.
I know ... less and less the older I get. My brain is leaking information. Or I have Alzheimer's. (Please God, no.) (I just watched Season 4 of This Is Us and my heart ACHES for Rebecca and her kids.)
I wish ... I had a bigger mouth, wider lips and a smaller, flatter stomach. Also I wish I could see my kids more than once every 8 weeks. WHINE WHINE WHINE.
I hate ... oysters (I've never had one, I've just made up my mind that I hate them.) Also getting needles. And selfish people. (OK. FINE. I don't 'hate' anyone.)
I like ... sleeping in a cold room, painting rocks, buying greeting cards, walking beside rivers/lakes/oceans and sitting in Danica's stylist chair.
I fear ... dementia. And poverty. And being unloved.
I search ... for my keys. And opportunities to make a difference.
I am not ... looking forward to my next birthday. Also? I am not prepared for retirement.
I never ... drink beer, offer to cook dinner, wear blue eye shadow, or turn down the chance to have a good conversation.
I always ... offer to drive. And I always pray if I say I'm going to.
I need ... time alone.
I am scared ... of mice. (Or maybe I just hate them?) And spiders. And snakes. And the 'end times'...
I smell ... Yup. Tamoxifen and killer hot flashes. But only my right pit. My left underarm was zapped with radiation, so it doesn't sweat.
I believe ... I was created for a purpose. By a creator who loves me. And has a plan.
I can ... apply dots of paint to rocks. (Actually EVERYONE can. I'm not so special.)
I ache ... when people I love are hurting. Also my left knee and right hip are sore.
I eat ... all the livelong day. With joy and enthusiasm.
I crave ... fresh air/a gentle breeze while I work.
I miss ... holding hands, Creationfest summers, having thick hair on the top of my head, lying on the tramp with my kids looking for shooting stars, road trips, my Murrayville house, and the joy my dad brought to family gatherings.
I regret ... not making an effort on my appearance for Drew and Dani's wedding.
I win ... rarely.
I lose ... my mind when someone turns left in front of me at the corner of 112 and 160.
I listen ... and then talk. It's called a conversation. I love them.
I confuse ... names. All the time. I think I might have Alzheimer's.
I dance ... rarely and poorly.
I am happy ... yes.
I work ... at checking things off To Do lists all day long.
I write ... quickest with a fine ball point pen.
I prefer ... having my camera off during Zoom meetings.
I hope ... my cousins can find a place for my Aunt Mary to live. I hope my kids won't be scrambling to find me a place to live when I'm 90. I hope some of the Covid protocols will be lifted so friends can visit their parents in care homes. I hope Donna, Lea, and Joanne's cancer treatments will be easier in the days ahead. I hope my cancer doesn't come back. I hope my mom loves her new condo. I hope this house will sell easily. I hope those that are out of work will be employed soon. I hope I can collect a ridiculous amount of cans and bottles for that guy who is out of work. I hope my twitter friend and her sister get some medical help and some relief. I hope there isn't a 'second wave'. I hope we have a sunny October. I hope those with broken hearts will experience love again. I hope I can travel to Europe again someday.
I'm thankful ... that Rock-star Julie taught me how to paint mandalas onto rocks. I'm thankful that SO MANY PEOPLE bought those rocks, enabling me to raise money for Twitter friend. I'm thankful for Maxine and Sister-Julie and their enthusiasm to help me feed the hungry and homeless. (Maxine wants to serve a turkey dinner in October. Julie wants to serve a ham dinner in November. I was thinking tuna casseroles would be an option. Haha.) I'm thankful for full moons and meteor showers and thunder and slippers and good books and actors/directors/producers/screenwriters ... And I'm mostly thankful for answered prayers and the God who answers them.
My plan had been to give each member of my family a sheet like this (below) to fill out on Christmas. I'd save them in a sealed envelope to open in ten years. Haha. This was not an activity that anyone was interested in. HOW ARE WE EVEN RELATED? Maybe you or YOUR family would want to do it for New Year's?
·I am
·I love
·I think
·I know
·I have
·I wish
·I hate
·I like
·I miss
·I fear
·I smell
·I crave
·I search
·I wonder
·I regret
·I eat
·I ache
·I am not
·I believe
·I dance
·I sing
·I cry
·I win
·I lose
·I am employed
·I never
·I always
·I confuse
·I listen
·I can usually be found
·I need
·I am scared
·I am happy
·I imagine
·I write
·I work
·I hope
·My superpower
·My favourite possessions:
·Words that I live by:
·If I could be totally wild, I’d:
·I still can’t get the hang of:
·I’d like to learn:
·I wish I’d known:
·First thing (or two) I’ll say to God:
My answers for the end of this decade:
·I am a woman (in this gender fluid time in history). My preferred pronouns are her/she.
·I love God, my fam, sunsets and long, rich, deep conversations.
·I think I daydream too much.
·I know I live a blessed life.
·I have too much crap. Also, breast cancer.
·I wish "divorced" wasn't my marital status.
·I hate oysters, getting needles and selfish people. Also coffee.
·I like getting head massages, everyone in the kitchen helping with meal prep, and having people who call me mom.
·I miss holding hands.
·I fear dementia.
·I smell ALL THE TIME. Yeeeesh. Hot flashes are the worst.
·I crave fresh, cool air all day long while at work.
·I search for my keys FOR HOURS EACH MONTH.
·I wonder if I'll be able to retire. I wonder what that will look like?
·I regret letting myself go. Why oh why couldn't I have found a (physical) activity that I'm passionate about?
·I eat alot. Often.
·I ache, well my heart aches, when people I love are hurting.
·I am not an athlete. Or extroverted.
·I believe I was created for a purpose.
·I dance rarely, self-consciously, but with joy.
·I sing poorly but enthusiastically if the music is loud enough.
·I cry easily and often.
·I win sometimes but really just enjoy playing.
·I lose my mind when I'm with indecisive people.
·I am employed, full time, doing something I'm pretty good at.
·I never drink beer or get out of bed happily.
·I always pray in my truck when I drive out to the lake.
·I confuse names all the time.
·I listen to 80's rock, friend's fears/sorrows/dreams, and sermons.
·I can usually be found easily in a crowd because of my blonde hair. Or so I've been told.
·I need to feel loved and needed.
·I am scared that everyone I love won't be in heaven.
·I am happy in the summer. Especially when I've got my feet in the lake, a book in my hands and sunshine on my face. Even better if someone I care about is sitting beside me.
·I imagine an alternate life just before I fall asleep.
·I write lists all the livelong day.
·I work at being kind and encouraging. Sarcasm is my natural first language.
·I hope to be a grandma, someday. No hurry. No pressure, kids.
·My superpower, sadly, is the ability to cry on demand.
·My favourite possessions: camera and laptop.
·Words that I live by: "this is just a chapter in the story" or "this season won't last forever"
·If I could be totally wild, I’d: take a one year leave of absence to travel. And maybe have plastic surgery.
·I still can’t get the hang of: communicating easily with my boys.
·I’d like to learn: three things, (just to ward off Alzheimers ...) another language, to swim and how to play piano.
·I wish I’d known: about pensions earlier. I should've got a government job back in '98.
·First thing (or two) I’ll say to God: Thank you. And why mosquitoes?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three things I'm thankful for:
1. A daughter (in law) who sends me pics of her, her sister and the boys in Sunpeaks:
2. I'm thankful that I had the energy and resources to help them learn how to snowboard when they were young. Such good memories of being on the school snow trips and those early days of Sunpeaks holidays.
3. I am thankful for the past decade. The last of my kids graduated from high school, Clint graduated from SFU with a BA, Max graduated from BCIT with a DipTech in Marketing Management. We travelled as a family to England, California. I joined Sue in Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan. Accompanied Sandra on her business trips to Florida and Arizona. Saw a concert at Red Rock Amphitheater. Hosted a birthday cruise for 18 friends from San Diego to Vancouver. Max got clean. We said goodbye to my dad. We welcomed Dani to the Ofam. Had two major break-ins; 2012 at our house in Murrayville, then again in 2017 at the lake. Learnt so much about myself as a result of both. My time at Arrow ended, and my season at Focus began. My circle of friends expanded. As did my waist. I learned how to pray without ceasing. And I read a couple hundred books. I have a good life.
The other day Max posted this pic to our family chat thread:
... he'd aged himself by about 30 years, making himself the same age I am now.
It's a little freaky.
Then he did his brothers and Dani:
(Not sure why the app doesn't do anything with hair on female images. )
My kids always thought they were the cloned generation of the older set of Obros (Mike, Mark, Kevin and Jason). I love that the app made it quite obvious that my boys are their own men. I wonder if I'll still be alive when they look like this?
I took a quick selfie at my desk and asked Max to age me as well.
Drew observed that I'll get my dad's nose as I get older.
And WHOA those are some nasty wrinkles. (This, tho? Is the face my eyes see in the mirror every morning...)
I downloaded the app (for a 3 day free trial) and noticed they have a 'Hollywood' filter (in addition to the 'age' filter) and I'd like you all to please apply this app TO YOUR EYES, so that when you look at me in real life, my face's bumps/lumps/divots and creases are all smoothed out.
Also? I should learn to apply make up better. What a difference it makes when your foundation is the right colour and your eyes have liner.
Also. My bangs are grown out.
So I may just keep the app and pay $2 per month to Hollywood my face on all future selfies. CHEAPER than plastic surgery.
(My funeral slide show is gonna be so kickass.)
In other news, I've made some progress on my Summer To Do List:
Make summer playlist. Might need help. Ask Facebook hive for recommendations.
Have pretty feet all summer. ⬜Pedicure - July DONE ⬜Pedicure - August
Go to dentist a million times. APPOINTMENTS MADE ⬜Get tooth #1 capped. ⬜Get tooth #2 capped
Replace/upgrade phone AND GET A SEXY PHONE CASE THIS TIME SO DONE. Went from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 8, (PHONE WAS FREEEE) got 4 times the data, and 4 times the storage for $5 less per month. The phone matches my laptop. Rose gold on one side, white on the other. All housed in a (boring, but feminine pink) Otterbox case.
Download a yoga/stretching app (or find something suitable on Netflix?)
Read all of Louise Penny's books - Books 3 - 16 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ Wish I knew how to add check marks to those lil boxes. I'm on Book 8 of the series. Halfway done. I'll need to read more than 1 a week if I want to meet this goal.
Empty Master Bedroom closet at the lake
Sort through my bedroom closet in the basement
Take all resulting bags (of cleaning out closets) to Thrift Store (before Fall)
Bring contents of Under-the-Stairs closet upstairs for mom to sort through
See Spiderman movie with kids We're seeing Lion King instead. This Friday. So excited.
Level up in Pokemon Go (Level 37) Done. I might aim to level up to 38 by Sept 1. Nothing like having meaningful goals.
Buy new runners
Buy new shoes for work Done. I don't want to step foot into the mall again this summer.
Attend NT Wright event (July 24) Gahhhh! It's next week. So looking forward to this. I have 4 tickets; Girls Night Out.
Temporarily suspend gym membership.Walk 50,000 steps each week of summer. 12 weeks: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ FAILING miserably with this.
Learn a new skill (?) DONE? I know how to age someone. And glam someone. That's a skill, no?
Get camera repaired. DONE! $500 later, it's back in my hands. I missed it.
Plan, prepare, offer a Basecamp 3 training session at work DONE. Twice.
Lead devos once Will do on Aug 28
Do not accept/use a single plastic bag when shopping for groceries. Enter stores prepared. I've improved about 50%.
Think about trying Whole 30. In August. But don't beat yourself up if this doesn't happen. It sounds awful
Tackle the filing at work. Maybe do this in 4 efforts. File for two hours ⬜⬜⬜⬜ I reassessed the situation today and may have underestimated the size of the project.
Read bookclub book: The Eyre Affair
Walk in 8 different neighbourhoods. Drop off books in a shared library stand. ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ Walked in East Van, forgot to bring books. I suck.
Take 5 sunny days off work (unused vacation days) Go to a different beach each time: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ First one will be this Monday.
Try kayaking. Or not. I looked at the kayak last Sunday.
Watch the sun set from the lookout/viewpoint on Cypress Mountain
Talk to someone smart about trees, specifically about the ones in front of the house at Cultus.
Go to Bard on the Beach or Theatre Under the Stars Going to BOTH. Daughter-in-laws are the best.
Ride the Roller Coaster at Playland.
Make some decisions about May 2020 trip with kids
Move furniture into alcove in basement. Will need boys help. Be creative in asking.
Celebrate July birthdays DONE. Maxine. Patricia. Marg.
Celebrate August birthdays
Read Brene' Brown's Dare to Lead book
Try blogging 3 Things I'm Thankful For five times a week? WHOA, major fail.
Possibly come up with 12 more things. Was aiming for 50 items on this list. Attend a White Rock FREE CONCERT night. Bring lawnchairs and a friend; watch the sunset, listen to cover bands. DOING THIS TONIGHT! Beatles and Eagles songs for the win.
See Louise Penny at the end of the summer. TICKETS BOUGHT. 4 of us going. It's a Penny Summer... I love seasons with a theme.
Do a few photo shoots in front of grafitti'd/mural-ed walls in Vancouver. FIRST ONE DONE. Anyone want to pose/model/have a photo shoot done next time?
Make appointment to have moles removed from back. OH MY GOODNESS, so DONE. It took two and a half hours. Felt like 1000 angry bees were stinging me. Worked from home for 3 days covered in an ancient, secret, smelly, magical Indian ointment. My back has been itchy for a week. Starting to heal now; except for one. I think it's infected. Blechhhh.
Get suspicious lump removed from left boob. (Biopsy results came back last week. Betty's gotta go. Odds are in my favor; 90/10. So I'm only 10% worried.) WILL BE DONE on Friday morning. Aach, Summer 2019 -so much slicing and dicing and burning on my body. I love a season with a theme. Haha.
Go for a ride on that lil boat on the Fraser River in New West.
Is there still an umbrella art installation in Yaletown? I want to go there and take pics.
Be ready and available for an unexpected opportunity.
Put away my Christmas decorations. HOW EMBARRASSING. Haha. My display is still up. I hardly even notice it.
Buy colourful pillows for my very white room at the lake.
Go on a picnic.
Listen to a sermon series/Back to the Bible series.
Wednesday morning, as I was engaging in an extreme sport getting dressed (more specifically, pulling up my pants) I heard my shoulder crunch. And then I felt it. Shooting pains. And an immediate inability to move my arm in certain directions.
"This is going to be bothersome" I predicted.
After work, I drove into Vancouver to walkntalketc with a friend. We walked through her neighbourhood; me catching Pokemon and capturing images (absolutely committed to not allowing my impaired shoulder to interfere with my fav activities) - her talking about a recent thing in her life.
"Yeah, so this guy, who I met last year, but lost touch with, asked me if I wanted to sing back-up for him. He's in a band and they had a gig coming up at the end of May in White Rock ...
... so I said, sure, I'd love to.
We met and talked and he was great. He works in two different gyms as a trainer, and he sings in a band. He's around my age (early 40's), tall, black, fit..
... the other night, he put his hands on my shoulders and suggested I walk taller, with my head held high and my shoulders back... he's a really nice guy...
... Anyway... the band practice was coming up on Monday, so I told him to text me the address and I'd be there.
But I didn't hear from him on the next day. Or the following one. So on Saturday evening, I texted him and reminded him I needed the address...
I hadn't heard from him on Sunday, so I thought, "hmmm. Maybe he changed his mind, and doesn't want me there. Maybe he found someone else. Maybe he doesn't like me anymore. Maybe I did something wrong...
... so I checked Facebook to see if he had unfriended me.
... and it turned out, he had died.
He'd had a heart attack.
And died.
He's gone."
I was not expecting her story to end that way.
I had to stop and take a breath.
SO young. (From where I'm standing.)
So random. (He works in gyms. He's FIT.)
So .... something. I don't know what. But it was like a sucker-punch to the gut. And I didn't even know the guy.
About two minutes later, my shoulder needed attention. So as I lifted my arm to change equipment (alternate light phone for heavy camera) my shoulder yelled, my grip loosened and my camera crashed to the sidewalk. The lens was in pieces and the body was broken.
I picked up all the pieces, tucked everything into my vest pocket; then carried on walking and talking about men and dating and ice cream.
After we had our McDonald's McFlurrys, hugged and said goodbye, I sat in my truck for a few minutes looking at my messed up camera. I texted my kids. Who were immediate in their responses:
Drew: Oh no, mom!
Max: (who has the same camera as me) You can use mine, mom.
Clint: Good thing it was the 50mm lens. Sounds like it took most of the impact. Cannon cameras are very durable. It's probably fine.
I felt so known and so loved.
(I popped in on Clint at 11 pm on my way home, to show him the camera. Which he thinks might be repairable. He'll take it in for me.)
But today? (I'm writing this on Sunday May 5)
I do.
I spent the day reading one of her books;
On April 12 she tweeted: Between my trip to San Francisco and the flu, Dan has basically been solo parenting 2 little kids for a week and a half. When I thanked him for stepping up, he looked adoringly at our little girl and said, “Well look what I’ve got to work with!”
On April 14:
If you’re the praying type - I’m in the hospital with a flu + UTI combo and a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotics they gave me. (I’m totally going to miss GOT! )
And then a little while later...
Note: We’ve got HBO Go! So I won’t miss it entirely. Was just looking forward to the live experience. Thanks for your concerns on this which far exceeded concern for my health. Ha!
On April 19, her husband updated Rachel's blog:
During treatment for an infection Rachel began exhibiting unexpected symptoms. Doctors found that her brain was experiencing constant seizures. She is currently in the ICU. She is in a medically induced coma while the doctors work to determine the cause and solution.
And on Saturday May 4:
Early Thursday morning, May 2, Rachel experienced sudden and extreme changes in her vitals. The team at the hospital discovered extensive swelling of her brain and took emergency action to stabilize her. The team worked until Friday afternoon to the best of their ability to save her. This swelling event caused severe damage and ultimately was not survivable.
Rachel died early Saturday morning, May 4, 2019.
She was 37 years old; wife of Dan and mom to a 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter. And she was a history maker.
My Facebook timeline is bursting with posts of how her writing and her ministry have impacted lives. Quotes from her books are all over my Twitter feed. A hashtag to follow right now on Instagram is: #becauseofrhe
If you are a woman of faith, open your Insta account, search that hashtag and be inspired. Her one, short life, made a difference.
The book I read today, had these as the first words, written in the Foreword by Glennon Doyle Melton:
"Whenever I want to scare myself, I consider what would happen to the world if Rachel Held Evans stopped writing."
I started to cry when I realized I was reading those words the day after Rachel stopped writing.
Jen Hatmaker wrote this:
I have been unable to know how to talk about Rachel Held Evans since we lost her. My brain cannot catch up to my shattered heart. I can't make sense of the loss of her nor the future without her, so I've just been flattened. Irrationally, my mind keeps thinking, "But we need her." And why can't that obvious objection reverse this terrible loss? Doesn't God know we need her? Dan needs her. Her babies need her. Her sisters and friends need her. Her readers need her. This world needs her. This is patently unfair and unjust. I wanted to be by her side for another forty years.
So all I know to do is join the TENS OF THOUSANDS of people bearing witness to her faithfulness. The stories of her influence and friendship have laid me flat. I texted our friend group: "She was even better than I knew." I invite you to pay attention to #becauseofRHEand see what good fruit actually looks like.
It looks like beloved people who came back to Jesus because of her kindness. It looks like marginalized folks welcomed, celebrated, elevated, and honored; thanks be to God. It looks like righteousness. It looks like life and joy and abundance and godliness. It looks like a sister who led with courage, a lead blocker who cleared the way for hundreds of thousands of image bearers to move forward in Jesus. It looks like faith leaders from all across the spectrum, even those who sparred with Rachel on key issues, taking off their hats to honor a woman of great valor and even greater faith.
Thank you Jesus that you allowed me to be loved and led by Rachel. I know you have welcomed your faithful servant into glory. Tell her how much she was cherished. Tell her we love her and will see her again. There will one day be a line fifty miles long in heaven to thank her for her witness.
If you want to heal, you will always find the balm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also on Facebook today?
A post made by my friend, Brita:
I have real sadness to share.
My nephew Ron Renville, 47, passed away last night unexpectedly as he and Kristi were watching TV. We don’t know why yet. He was a Vancouver Firefighter, super Dad, followed Jesus, loved his wife and kids and family SO much.
HE is just fine.
We are all devastated.
My niece Kristin is strong and deep, but her beloved is gone and Ethan 14, and Zoe 12, have lost a guiding light.
We mourn with them and their friends, even as we all have hope, and know and rejoice that Ron is truly ok in heaven. They are so well loved by their strong friend group, church, firefighting community, and families.
Pray for courage and peace as many decisions are made. They are in the midst of building a house on their property and the visual reminder of their future will be ever present as it goes up.
We don’t ask why. Death is a guaranteed part of life. But we grieve.
So thanks in advance for your love and prayer.
~~~~~~~~~
Three deaths in the past 3 days.
I didn't know any of the deceased personally, but am feeling some strong feels about their passing.
They were all young (37, early 40's and 47) and my heart hurts for those who are grieving with their whole beings.
God, comfort the hurting and fill their hearts with hope. Please. Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things I'm thankful for: (written in my journal at a picnic table on beside Mill Lake on Saturday May 4 evening. Due to an accident on the freeway, I was 40 minutes late for church. Instead of walking in late, I drove over to the park and wrote out a few things I was thankful for:)
1. Spring
2. green
3. fresh air
4. city lakes
5. families that walk, laugh, spend Saturday evenings together
6. couples who hold hands
7. weekends
8. non-rainy weekends
9. hope of eternal life
10. joy-filled people
11. the energy and enthusiasm toddlers have
12. birdsong
13. picnic tables
14. walking paths
15. patient friends who wait for me to take pics along the way
16. patient friends who don't mind if a catch a Pokemon or two while we walk
17. patient friends who listen to me talk and talk
18. friends
19. my kids' friends
20. young women who support and celebrate each other
21. water parks
22. warm breezes
23. comfy runners
24. fully loaded external batteries
25. sons
26. daughter in laws
27. tax refunds
28. friends who like to hang out, and read
29. book clubs
30. MY book club
31. lily-of-the-valley scented handcream
32. co-workers who help with challenging tasks
33. king size beds
34. ice cubes
35. inspiring sermons
36. good books
37. challenging talks
38. Advil
39. pretty
40. friends who feed me. :)
41. flat screen hi def TV's
42. British shows
43. notebooks
44. friends who sacrifice entire evenings to binge-watch your favorite actor with you
45. kids who love traditions
46. super hero movies
47. the smell of cut grass
48. people who don't cringe when I take pics of them
49. my team at work
50. forgiveness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This week" is actually about 2 and 1/2 weeks... from April 22 - May 10:
Proudest
moment this week: Instead of going to the accountant who's done my taxes since 1983, (last year they charged me $750) I stopped in at an H+R Block kiosk at the mall and got them to deal with my 7 tax papers (T4's and recepits). Only cost $150. How proud am I? Not as proud as I will be NEXT year when a friend will help me do it for free. But still. It was my proudest moment since my last blog post.
Most
embarrassing moment of the week:
Funniest
moment of the week:
Biggest
achievement of the week: One of my senior designers is going to Israel for a year, and because we don't have a HR person right now, the process of hiring a replacement kinda fell on me. SO very grateful for the support of an amazing team who are standing by my side as we go through resumes and conduct interviews. Wasn't expecting to care so much for those who are applying. I've learned so much during this process; the biggest one being I sure whine when I have to do something new for the first time. Sorry to everyone who's had to listen to me.
Best
moment of the week: I've just looked through my calendar to see what I've been up to. MAN. SO many good days in a row. All have been 'the best' ... walk Ft Langley with Andrea, walk the seawall with Heather, binge watched TV with Jenn, read-a-thon with Sherri and Kim, celebrate Clint and Dani's birthdays, walk through Vancouver with (the other) Kim, caught Pokemon with Heather, walked around Aldergrove Lake with Maureen, walked the promenade in New West, walked around Granville Island and False Creek with Sandra ... (you'd think all this walking was making a difference wouldn't you? Life is unfair sometimes.) But maybe the best moment was today. Today is Thursday May 9. It was 28 degrees out, so I took the day off. I drove up to the lake last night, and slept in (natch) this morning. Then sat in the sun on a lawn chair and breathed deeply. I was By Myself. No make up. Minimal clothing. Delightful breeze. Warm sun. Soft grass under my bare feet. Birdsong to break the silence. And an entertaining book that I read in one sitting the way the author intended. I surprised myself by sobbing near the end; I was utterly caught up in the story and it just touched a soft spot. Best days are always those days when books make you cry.
Best
holiday memory of the week: There were no official holidays this week, but Flex Days and Birthdays SHOULD be counted as holidays. So, with that in mind, the best holiday memory of the week was last Sunday when Clint, Max, Drew, Dani, my mom and I met at The Keg to celebrate Clint's and Dani's birthdays. Everyone was in good moods, the food was delish, as per usual, and someone from our way back past popped by to say hi. (One of the Van Dyke boys from Killarney Park, then Fraser Heights days. A fun blast from the past.) Afterwards, as per usual, the Ofam wandered over to Colossus to watch Avengers, End Game, where a few tears slipped out. Because the best superhero movies make your eyes sting and your heart hurt. Everyone knows that.
Best
advice I heard this week: It was suggested that I should try intermittent fasting.
Most
grateful for this week: At the risk of sounding terribly materialist, I am most thankful for an unexpectedly large tax refund. Yay! More teeth getting capped this year. Haha. (I've used up my lifetime allotment of dental work on my work plan. Sucks to be me. The hair follicles on my head may spring forth much fruit, but my teeth are crap.)
Favorite
family memory of the week: While Sunday April 28 was fun and good, the three sentences on our family chat the evening I dropped my camera was my favorite family memory.
Biggest
regret of this week: Only made it to the gym twice. I am ashamed and embarrassed and avoiding going back to my doctor's because, despite all the walking, I haven't lost a pound or an inch and I probably still have crappy blood sugar scores and why the hell can't I hate chocolate?
Best
thing I learned this week: With Clint's (somewhat) patient prompting, I learned how to connect my laptop to my TV with a HDMI cable. I also learned that there is no difference between a $200 HDMI cable and a $14.99 HDMI cable.
Biggest
change I made this week: Sad to say, my phone has been back in my bedroom at night. Arrrgggh.
Best
gift I received this week:
The words in the card were more than enough. But the lined, coil-bound notebook was lovely too.
She bought a new one, for the camera feature, and gave me her old one as a birthday present. More storage. Newer than mine. Just need to figure out sim cards. Or something.
... and a freshly bake craison orange glazed scone. Yummers.
New
friend this week: Haha! 17 NEW friends this week! From all around the world' Japan, Italy, Brazil, Indonesia, Sweden ... All I had to do was tweet "Anyone want to be my Pokemon Go friend?" SO many friendly Pokemon catchers around the world.
Most
inspiring person this week:
Rachel Held Evans
Word to
describe this week: Rich
Unexpected
obstacles I faced this week: My office is so hot. Some afternoons it was a real challenge to stay at my desk.
Even on rainy days when I wear my boots, my feet are on fire. I sit barefoot at my desk when no one's watching.
And I wear sleeveless tops exclusively.
I bought a full size fan and have it on all day, hoping the circulation of air will help with the temperature issues I'm having.
This is my new Facebook profile pic. I hate selfies.
But this is what I look like at work. Reading glasses all day.
Unexpected
surprise this week: My team did a "Creative Types" online test (takes 3 minutes) and I thought I'd be a Producer (seeing I'm a Project Manager n all) but it turned out, I am a DREAMER (which is horribly accurate and not anything I'm particularly proud of.) Oy. Dreamer. What are you?
The world is a place of beauty and magic in the eyes of a DREAMER. Where others see facts and figures, you see symbols, metaphors, and hidden meanings.
You’re deeply emotional and intuitive, with a vivid imagination—the quintessential idealist and romantic. The inner world is always where you’ve felt most at home. You’re happy to roam your mental landscape of thoughts, emotions, and fantasies for hours on end.
You’re naturally drawn to express your inner world through literary pursuits, music, and the visual arts. Think of yourself as the “magical realist” of the creative types: like the literary masters of that genre, you naturally infuse your everyday life with the beauty and wonder of the imagination.
Your greatest gift is your depth of sensitivity and empathy, which allows you to give voice to universal human emotions in a way that touches people on a profound level. Your greatest challenge is learning to balance dreaming with disciplined action—which starts with coming back to the present moment. Let your mind roam free, DREAMER, but don’t forget to return to the here and now. Practicing mindfulness will go a long way in helping you turn your dreams into reality.
Best
place I visited this week:
New
skill I learned this week:
Biggest
obsession this week: Trying to find a way to get all the crap out of the garage.
Best
food I ate this week: Anything not prepared by me. Italian pasta made by Kim, cinnamon pullaparts made by Sheri, chowmein made by Heather, steak and shrimp at The Keg... THIS IS WHY I LOOK LIKE I DO.
Best TV
I watched this week: Who has time to watch TV? (Other than the 6 hour binge that Jenn and I did...)
Best
movie I watched this week: Avengers End Game.
Books I read this week:
Best
song heard this week:
Most
excited about this for NEXT YEAR: A trip! With my kids! Next May! Not sure where yet, but it will be epic.
New
skill I want to learn NEXT YEAR:
Place I
want to visit NEXT YEAR: All the places. I have a list about ten miles long.
