My favourite of the week

15 Sep

When we started looking for an apartment we had a long list of things we wanted. A dishwasher was one of them. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but it was for the other half of this decision-making team. After looking at over twenty apartments, that long list of must-haves dwindled down to a few would-be-nice items and a please-God-let-us-live-somewhere-larger-than-a-storage-closet.

Well we found a place that we could picture most of our furniture fitting in, had lots of light, was in a convenient location, but it did not have a dishwasher. With a promise of buying a portable dishwasher, we moved in.

Well it only took us two months before we were unpacked enough to fit one in the kitchen. We came across a decent used one on Craigslist. We’ve used it a few times this week and so far so good!! I’d say it’s a little louder than the “Whisper Wash” it says on the front, but it’s still quieter than I was expecting. And the dishes – they come out clean!

I’d forgotten how great it is to eat lunch and know that the dishes are going in the dishwasher. They don’t sit on the counter for hours. Ok, for days, if we’re being honest.

This dishwasher – it really is my favourite of the week! Here’s to doing more cooking and baking during the week. And not doing the dishes!!

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Going Yogi

30 Aug

I’ve suffered from back pain for years. It used to be an episode or two a year and then it started flaring up more frequently. I’ve gone to physiotherapy, but truth be told, I’m horrible at doing the exercises on my own.

Thinking back, there was a period where my back felt pretty good. It was when I was regularly going to yoga once or twice a week. I’ve always had a hard time justifying the cost of yoga. It’s an expensive hobby for something I can do in my own living room. But it’s like physiotherapy, I just don’t do it. I try. I’ll get my mat out, my bolster and blocks. I’ll get settled in child’s pose, breathing, relaxing…and I’ll get a text message. I end up only getting 15 minutes in before I’m distracted by the world around me.

A week and a half ago I bought a two-week membership to YYoga. I was a little nervous and intimidated to take that first step. What if I can’t keep up? What if I do something wrong or against the “rules”? What if I have to go pee in the middle of class?!!! The yoga studio: a great place to manifest all your social anxieties.

Well I jumped right in. Turns out the staff at YYoga weren’t snobby or unfriendly like I’d imagined in my worst case scenario brain. They were actually quite helpful, explaining where everything was and what to do. I’ve mostly stuck to restorative and yin classes which are quite passive. I feel like I’m not doing anything other than lying on the floor in different positions. It’s not until I’m walking home when I realize that I’m walking without pain. I feel taller. I notice that I can get up from my desk at work the next day and feel very little discomfort.

I remember reading a New York Times article about how yoga can actually be harmful to your body. Those horror stories has been in the back of my mind. Is doing this pose going to make things worse? Is that a good pain or a bad pain? I guess it’s fair to say I’ve jumped right in, but cautiously and knowing that I trust myself to know my body. I don’t push myself, but consider that just the act of doing the pose and feeling that I’m in it is enough. Over time I’ll be able to go deeper into them, but for now, I’ve just got to get moving again.

The true test will be on Sunday when my two weeks are up. Will I make the 3 month pass commitment? I still have a few days to get cold feet, but until then, I’m off to class.

Makes Me Happy

26 Aug

Last night we went to The Main to see the Blue Rich Rangers (Rich Hope‘s blue grass band). Much of the restaurant was taken up by a wedding reception, so essentially we’d become wedding crashers. Sure, we paid for our own drinks and we didn’t bring a gift, but we still got to witness the couple’s first dance. Rich and his wife joined them on the dance floor while he continued to sing. The rest of the evening couples who may or may not have been a part of the wedding crowd joined in with the dancing.

I realized that I was sitting there watching these people dance with a huge grin on my face. I just love watching people let go and not care who’s watching them. I guess it’s like the old phrase, dance like no one’s watching. Usually, it’s the act of dancing that brings me great joy, but last night I was beyond content just watching these different characters get down.

This morning I came across Mighty Girl’s post “180 Things to Be Happy About” so I thought I’d share mine with you. Her list is a good reminder of all that there is to be happy about. I need a reminder every now and then, so tell me, where does your happy come from?

It’s about time!

5 Aug

April 3. Really? I know it’s been a while since I last posted anything, but 4 months?

Well, there’s been a lot going on. There have been weddings (not mine). There are new babies (not mine) and new babies on the way (also, not mine). I do have a new job, and get this, I’ve recently moved into a new apartment with my boyfriend. Gasp! I know, right?

I’m struggling to not feel like the summer is slipping away while I’m focused on work and setting up our new home. I was interviewing for my new position during the same time that we were apartment hunting. I thought that was stressful. And then, we entered the final stages of packing and moving just as I gave my notice and started my new job. Phew. I won’t do that again! I either move, or start a new job, not both at the same time!!

But here we are. 3 weeks in the new apartment and over a month into the new job. There are still a few boxes sitting around and doubles of a few household items. Do we need 2 Magic Bullets? Probably not. We’re definitely taking advantage of our storage unit.

Hopefully life will resume some sort of normal routine soon and I’ll be back to blogging, baking, knitting, running and all those other things that keep me sane. Like in a month or so. After another wedding (still not mine) and a week’s worth of vacation on the island.

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It’s important to take appropriate rests while moving.

Retiring to the Island

3 Apr

I posted on Twitter and Instagram the other day, that Mittens and I were discussing who was going to keep the blanket. We weren’t just discussing who was going to get the blanket for the night, but rather for the next few months, possibly even years. 

Whose blanket is this anyway?

For the past few months Mittens has taken to meowing at night. Sometimes it feels like ALL night long. There have been several nights where I’ve ended up sleeping on the couch in order to have her quiet down and allow us both to get some sleep. I’m not sure why she couldn’t do this on my bed, but at the time I was just glad for some quiet. Knowing how paper thin the walls in my apartment are, I often worry about her keeping my neighbours awake too.

I haven’t been able to narrow down what the problem is. She’s been to vet. We’ve tried playing before bed, tried cuddling before bed, but still she has SOMETHING TO SAY DAMMIT!! 

My parents have generously offered to have her come stay with them. They have a big enough house that Mittens can be downstairs at night and not keep the everyone awake. So this weekend we’ll be packing up the car with all things cat related and heading to the Island. 

It will be a trial run for a month or so to see how we all do. I suspect I will be the one who has the hardest time with it. Mittens on the other hand will have several more laps to cuddle on, people around during the day and a fenced back yard to explore. Sounds like a pretty good retirement home to me.

And she gets to take the blanket with her.

A cat and her blanket.

A Reader

29 Mar

It’s been a while, hey? Have you noticed that I’ve kind of disappeared? I haven’t been around Facebook or Twitter quite as much lately either. Even my addiction to Words With Friends and Scramble With Friends has died down a bit. I guess you could say I’ve taken a bit of a break from the internet lately. After spending all day at a computer, the last thing I’ve felt like lately is to come home and sit in front of the computer.

So what have I been doing with my time? Well, you’d think I’d be doing a lot of knitting, right? Sadly, I’ve not. How about baking? Nope, not that either. I’ve been reading!!

This shouldn’t be such a big deal, but to me, it is. I’ve always wanted to be a reader. Someone who devours books and goes through them one after another. In reality, I’ve always been one to read half a page and fall asleep. I started reading The Help in August when I was on vacation. I finished it three weeks ago. I guess I just never made the time to sit down and read.

Well, after I finished The Help, which I quite enjoyed by the way, something made me check out different eReaders. The more I read about them, the more I thought I might want one. Pretty soon it was a bit of an obsession. I did some investigating and decided to go with a Kobo.

I thought it might be just another gadget that I wouldn’t actually use. Turns out it’s been a good investment for me. Remember, it took me seven months to read The Help. And now, I’m on my third book in just over two weeks!! I love how I can slip it in my purse and read a few pages when I’m waiting around or eating lunch. I can make the font as large as I want in case I’m lying around and am too lazy to go find my glasses.

In the past few weeks I’ve read One For The Money by Janet Evanovich, Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen and now I’m reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Apparently I’m on a role with reading books that are being made into movies. I’m going to go out on a limb without having seen the movies yet and say that the books were better.

I’ll be on vacation in approximately 163 hours (oh, I’m not even going to deny that I’m counting down the hours), and I’ll need to stock up with a few titles before hitting the road. So, any recommendations for what I should read next?

February Photo A Day – Week 4

5 Mar

I’m a little late in posting the final week of the February Photo A Day challenge, but better late than never, right? I’m just amazed that there wasn’t a day where I forgot to take a picture. Sure, there were some close calls. Like almost being in bed and taking a picture of the door to my apartment while standing in the hall in my pyjamas. Regardless, I did it and here are the final shots!

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