One of my favorite pictures – I love the movement, and how it captures the essence of Granville Island.
Emile’s first trip to Granville Island, Vancouver in 2004.
April 24th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: I don’t know where that boy is today (he’s probably not wearing balloon animals on his head), but we still are good friends with Colin & Alison in there in the back.
I wasn’t alive when they said “Never trust anyone over 30”. Back in the 60s anything went – right? I don’t know, but my university days were much different. Yeah, if I wanted to I could have found any mind-bending drug I wanted or I could have taken 8 years to get an undergrad degree. I met some of those types. But I also met a lot of people who really thought they knew what it was all about. In my 20s, I knew what it was all about. I was never going to have to “find myself”. I wasn’t going to sit around and “expand my consciousness.” People like that were flakes. I was firmly within the straight and narrow and happy to be there.
There is a belief that as we get older we get set in our ways. Less able to learn new things and accept new ways of thinking. I don’t believe that now that I am getting older. I think I am less certain of what it is all about than I was in my 20s. I am more open to thinking that perhaps I don’t know everything, that perhaps following all the rules in the mainstream world may not work for me or for someone else. I guess I am more willing to say Perhaps.
My friend is trying to find her way right now. And 20 years ago – when I met said friend – I would have rolled my eyes at her and said “Seriously! Angels? Spirits? Breathing? Come one! Pull yourself together! ” But now, I think “Well, who am I to know? If it is working for her (and others) then well . .hmmm. . . Maybe there is something there.” Maybe it is me who is missing out in living my life to the fullest by not partaking in as many schools of thought and methods of introspection as I could? I too have had to search for my path, spending long days wondering how could things have gone so wrong if I had done everything right?
Last year I tackled religion and spirituality in this blog on Good Friday. In rereading today, I still think there is more to out there than we can understand, truth that we choose to see to the best of our ability coloured with our bias and perception. I certainly didn’t begin my adulthood with openness, and while I am certainly opinionated on things like wedding etiquette, but now I am willing to say “Perhaps” on may other things.
I guess that is the wisdom that my mother told me about.
We should really start out with it.
April 23rd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Find your way your way.
The day after 10k that you weren’t prepared for is a tottering one. Yes, you have that ground swell of pride and good feeling, but sitting down to pee is problematic.
Nonetheless, I still think it was worth it.
Ow.
No more water, Thanks.
April 22nd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Knowing today’s pain is better than tomorrow’s will be.
Today was the 2013 Vancouver Sun Run – a 10k run through Vancouver’s downtown and Kitsilano areas. I signed up about 30 days ago, certain that it would motivate me to get running and exercising. It didn’t. And since all I have been doing during the last week is blowing my nose or coughing, I was uncertain of my ability to join the run and actually make it through without stiffened sleeves due to . . . well, wiping my nose the whole time. (sorry about the graphic image)
I was still toying with skipping when I awoke this morning, but cheapness and knowledge that I would regret not making it spurred me out of bed to the longest and hottest shower I could stand. I took a Drixoral, ate some oatmeal and greek yogurt, had a sport drink (with caffeine), blew my nose for the 15th time that day, stuffed my pockets full of kleenex and hit the road.
I am glad I did. I can’t explain what it feels like to walk from your house and see almost everyone around you sporting numbers indicating they are doing the same thing you are. It’s like this weird sense of community that makes you say “Hey! Me too!” to everyone.
I’ve only run a 10K once before and logged in about 1:22. But I was determined that I was not going to break the rules of my colour which was runners between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes. Could I run that fast with my snotty nose slowing my pace? My strategy was to make up a lot of time in the early part where most was downhill, then I could slow up and walk during the other portions.
I use an ap to track my pace and generally it is fairly accurate – it lets me know every 2 minutes and every 1/2 kilometer what my pace and time are. So, as I bolted out of the starting gate – well, it felt like a bolt – I was blown away to hear after two minutes that I had a pace of 3 mins 40 seconds. What?! That’s crazy town. Maybe I did bolt! Look at me go! Then as I passed the 2 km mark, my ap announced that I had moved 2.5 kms. Sigh – little GPS problems somewhere I think.
The sport drink I had consumed earlier now wanted out, but I would be damned if I was going to wait in a line and hurt my time, so I held it for 8 kms.
False information, kleenex stops and full bladder aside, I pushed through and did feel a twinge – well, wave – of sadness passing the 5K mark where I usually would be finished. Oh, god, I have to do the same distance again!
My left ankle hurts, my right shoulder hurts, my shins hurt, I have a headache, and I am starving (yes, weirdly I get hungry during and directly after exercise). Surely, I can’t be too far now. Oh, good, here’s the last bridge.
I have a rule in all races or runs I undertake – I have to run across the finish line or the end regardless of how I feel. So, as I came down off Cambie Street bridge and could see the finish line in sight, I spurred my aching body on. For the first time in my life, I felt nauseated due to exercise and I thought I was running on a sprained ankle. I think I had a bit of a bladder accident too, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to cross the finish line running.
April 21st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:
The Vancouver Sun Run: Vancouver, British Columbia, April 21st, 2013 (10K)
Emile Results:
Time: 1:01:24 (current personal best)
Gender Overall Finish: 9089th
Category Finish: 822th
Susan Results:
Time: 1:14:53 (current personal best)
Gender Overall Finish: 11535th
Category Finish: 1122th
And now for some sweet cream and rhubarb ice cream.
I’ve been sick – yes, yes, I know I’ve told you – but my looginess resulted in a couple of funny things today picking up our race kits for the Sun Run:
First I approached the girl to get my bib number. She looked up my name and told me my number. Then she looked at me and said “You are a white.” My addled mind hesitated on this piece of information as it seemed direct and almost rude. I looked back at her and wondered what the appropriate response would be. The words were out of my mouth “Yes, I am white .. .” when I realized that she – despite the differences between me and her Asian background – was not pointing out to me that I am Caucasian, but instead telling me that my bib category and colour was “White”. I quickly amended my phasing to “Yes, I am white. . . A white.” I casually walked away hoping she didn’t notice my gaff.
Later, while swinging through the shopping area and free sample section, I was admiring some work out clothes on a couple of mannequins. In my defence, I had been too lazy to put my contacts in that morning (thought they are somewhat weak). So, when of the mannequins moved and offered me a free sample of Milk 2 Go Sport edition, I jumped back about 1 foot. The pure white and headless female mannequins had little in common with the fleshy and shorter male offering samples. Everyone at the booth thought it was hilarious. I tried to be cool – strolling up and take the aforementioned sample – and moved along as they compared white mannequin skin with human flesh tone. Hoping the stadium lights hid my blushing cheeks.
I need to lay down.
April 20th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Honestly. What is wrong with me?
I’ve touring retirement residences with my grandma and aunt of late. My grandma is going through a 3 year journey where she is recognizing the increasing problems walking are not likely to change. She has lived with the hope that her problems in her legs were strictly due to a lupus flare-up and would improve with time. Nobody – including me – was to keen on telling her that although the lupus causes some problems but it was more likely due to a combination of age and lupus and was not going to get better.
She’s leaned on my aunt’s arm and life for almost 3 years now, struggling to accept that grocery shopping, taking care of everything herself and walks on her beloved quay boardwalk are no longer easy or always pleasant tasks.
So, when she had a bit of a melt down with me one day during the simple discussion of a birthday present, I knew something else was really the root cause of her upset. When she told me “that we don’t do things like that in our side of the family” – excluding me from my her and my dad’s side – I knew she was fighting anger and frustration and sadness and despair in the realization that things were not going to get much better.
Fortunately, I recognized that instead of her meaning that I was out of the family – she really needed direction on how to start considering other living arrangements. And being the direct type that I am – I told her that it is time for fact-finding – not decisions – just facts. Then she could start crystallizing things in her head. As I always say – “Have a plan – you’ll feel better.”
So, we toured two places – Thornebridge and Mullberry – both within 15 minutes of where she is living now to see their offerings. The first day was quite emotional for her and “simply overwhelming”. But she was “impressed”. The second tour was less emotional, and different and “closer to her doctor” of whom she doesn’t like much (Um? Okay Grandma).
When I called her today to see how she was doing, she was fixated on whether the first place has window coverings included in part of the rent – as they can be “quite dear”. And also working on cleaning out her filing cabinet because its “much too big to take”. This is a step forward from pondering how it could be possible to get her bed out of her condo as it was so big “it was terrible to get in”.
And each time I call her, she is deep into lists and and thinking things through, trying to figure out the best way to make her decision. She asked me “What do you think of the second place? But don’t you tell me what do to!” Really, all things being equal for the most part (price, location, service comparison, etc), I thought the food and the servers at the second one was, well, wretched. Well, the food was wretched, the server was okay. My grandma said she didn’t like the server or food too much either, she thought the server at first place was much friendlier and better. And just in case I didn’t know, she told me it doesn’t matter to her about “ethics”. Which I took to mean that she believes all people – including those of different ETHNIC backgrounds – are created equal (both servers were of asian descent).
April 19th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Grandma is finding her facts, and is doing much better thanks to having a plan. And I’m back in the family.
There is a weird employment provision in all companies I have ever worked for – a probation period. They usually last 3-6 months, and may be tied to the earning of conditions of employment like benefits or RRSP contribution matching etc. The weird thing about it is that the Employment Standards Act does not recognize probation as a special term in employment. Either you work there or you don’t – meaning that if you get terminated without cause you are still entitled to the severance etc that is outlined in the act. Yeah, it is going to be tiny, but nonetheless, you can’t be hired then fired within 5 1/2 months with no repercussions to the company.
So, it is a weird provision and it also says “Hey, I haven’t quite decided about you. You’re in, but not quite really.” I don’t get to caught up in it really except when the starting of benefits is tied to it. But, I understand – getting a new employee all signed up for everything and then to find they are not quite the right fit? Costly, so probably not a terrible idea to say “We’ll see how it goes.”
My current position has a 6 month probation period – which is funny because I worked for my current boss for 3 or 4 years prior to this. So she knows me and what I bring to the table. And little was tied to coming off probation, so I didn’t concern myself too much with it at all. It also helps that I knew my boss already and that I knew whatever came up would be dealt with fairly.
The nice thing about probation is it forces a conversation when you come off probation about how things are going, how you’re feeling, etc. And after a while, you start thinking “Hello? Do you like me or not? Am I here or not?” So it’s nice to get it sewn up.
April 18th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:
I can barely hold my arms and head up to type tonight. It isn’t from sickness or tiredness – though I am both – it is from languidness. My shoulders have the satisfying ache from use, I smell really good and I am well moisturized. My skin feels just right to be in, and I have a bit of the feeling Burt Reynolds would had with those boots in Striptease. Which causes me to twitch my toes back and forth.
Ever since I discovered that I had benefits that covered massage back at Celestica, I’ve been getting massages regularly. Not salon massages – the best ones are from RMTs that have their own practice. And last year when Emile and I were happily using up the maximum amount of benefits before he got laid off – well, I had a massage every 2 weeks.
I like my new RMT here – she is just around the block – and she likes to press hard. I can’t say I enjoy every minutes of that, but I find it a challenge to take the pain without wincing or jerking. And then afterward my muscles feel accomplished and well worked.
April 17th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Feeling pretty good for the first time in a week.
It’s been one full week since I undated The “Daily” EO. I’ve been working, attending a trade show, battling a cold, visiting retirement homes, putting Vaseline on my flakey nose, and eating Ice Cream.
Saturday was an industry trade show – I was able to meet a few of our customer and a few of our suppliers. I am not sure if I made a good impression because the Drixoral was – while unclogging my nose – clogging my brain. It was right here in downtown Vancouver, so an easy walk with lots of samples.
Sunday was spent with more Drixoral, some Benylin and a whole bunch of time touring a retirement residence with my grandma. She is finally considering moving to one, and it is slow going with a whole bunch of strategic moves to convince her it is her idea. We had our weekly ice cream delivery and this week the flavour was “Cracker Jack”. Which was good, but not as good as Meyer Lemon Buttermilk.
Monday I was home from work because kleenex up my nose is satisfying only to me.
And frankly, right now, I can barely remember what I did last week, let alone come up with insightful or funny things that were extra-ordianry.
But I am starting to heal up and will be back my normal routine tomorrow!
She looked forlorn sitting quietly amongst the busy area. An old woman unnoticed by others moving through urgent and mundane tasks of the day. She was shrunken and grey and unfocused. Uncertain and worrying.
I was the opposite in my new glorious and flowered pumps and vivid pink shirt – but I wonder if it was youth (in comparison) and confidence in my body, limbs, and mind?
We visited and talked and considered the future together. She was expecting release soon based blood test and x-rays. Besides her knees – swollen from a lupus flare up – she was doing okay.
April 8th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Where will I be at 93?
The Daily EO 