The Daily EO: May 6th, 2013

Sent to my husband on morning of May 6th:

A significant buying opportunity has come to our attention from an unidentified party.

 Rarely available, these Round One, Vancouver Canucks/San Jose Sharks Game 7 tickets are looking for just the right buyer.  The discerning purchaser will see the unique chance to save significant money over face value.

 Appraised at $600, these can be obtained now for $25. If that seems too much, you might think of sharing them with someone, reducing your wise investment to only $12.50.

 Applications are now being taken from qualified applicants.

 For those concerned that the tickets might be sold to more than one person (say 60 people) and that no one would ever find that out, you will have the peace of mind that only a signed Declaration of Authenticity brings.

 In these once-a-year circumstances, we are able to accept Cash Only.

May 6th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:   Laugh at yourself – it makes it a little easier to take.

The Daily EO: May 4th, 2013

A gorgeous day and a forecast of more to come.  I awoke determined to find both more items to throw out of my warehouse AND to get outside to run run run.  I did the first while I waited for my running partner to get out of bed and get ready.  Emile is good at being on time and reliable, but given a fluid schedule, he is the best futzer I have ever met.  He could stretch anything into a 4 hour event.  But nonetheless we finally got out of the house.

I should mention here that I changed my rules for my running month of May.  I am not going to run every day – honestly Self! You are a Materials Manager you are busy – but instead run a  cumulative amount for the month.  This seems more realistic as I can definitely spend more time on weekends exercising then I can on my 12 hour days spent commuting and working.  So, my goal for the month is 130 kms.

But back to Saturday.  What a Day!  Sunny.  No Humidity.

But the Sea Wall was crowded.  Really Crowded.  I took a picture to show you:

photo

Okay – that actually was a picture of my view at the Vancouver Sun Run, but you get my meaning.  There were a whole bunch of people pouring of off the cruise ship and everyone was out enjoying the weather.  It made it feel like a race picking your way around people.  But I got in 9.2 kms.

Okay – that is another lie.  I am a liar.  I cannot claim 9.2 kms today.  My shins.  My poor poor shins.  They hate me after pushing through the Sun Run and having recovered yet.  So, I probably ran about 6. or 7 and then had to walk – at a lively pace – but walk nonetheless for the rest of the day.  There comes a point that pushing yourself is stupid if it is going to result in injury or longer lasting pain.

But it was such a beautiful day that we decided to register for the BMO marathon on May 5th.  Because we could.  Because we were right there.

Okay – that is another lie.  God – what is wrong with me?!  There was never any intention of signing up for the marathon or the 1/2 marathon.  Instead, we were going to do the 8k, but for some crazy reason whoever was in charge of the race – and it must not have been a sane person – scheduled it to start at 6:30 am.  Wha?!  The only thing I do at 6:30 is get out of bed into a hot shower.   So sorry BMO – and all the charities that you fundraise for – forget it.  I am keeping my shins in bed along with my 50 bucks.  Because I always sleep with my shins and 50 bucks.  Always.

But – the best part about not signing up for the BMO marathon was enjoying the “Expo” and getting free things like health bar samples, yogurt, weird BMO gloves that look like those gloves you buy for exfoliation in the shower rather than real gloves.  I must say the Vega booth was pretty cheap on their samples though – you had to go up and request that they cut a little piece of a bar or give a little sip of a drink.  If you are giving free samples – then don’t be cheap about it.  That’s what I say!  Put them out there – share your stuff.  Don’t make them beg for it!

Any hoo, back home where somehow it was already 4:45 pm (I blame Emile with his futzing not my walking) to shower and eat healthy things like kale.

Another LIE!  I am out of control!  Instead, we used my hidden credit card and coupon to buy $2 sweet fries at A&W and since we were there you can’t not have a diet root beer or apple turnover while sitting in the sunshine.  (not that I have a hidden credit card normally, it was just tucked away in my running shorts).

So, off we ran to see “The Manor” all the way across downtown as part of the Doxa film festival.  It was good – but I found it hard to watch sometimes as I wonder how the director was able to show his family warts and all.  (including his own warts).  The filmmaker was there, and we joined in a lively discussion after the movie to learn more of his story, and went for drinks with the producers after the show.

Okay.  Yep.  That too is a lie.  We left immediately afterwards – alone – and headed to Chill Winston’s (best location in Gastown), sat outside, had a beer and wine and shared a pizza and watched the world go by.

And that is no lie.

May 4th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  The best day of my life!  Okay.  No.  Really, what I mean, is there are no regrets moving to Vancouver today.  And Oh!  That heat lamp at Chill Winston’s was pretty freaking awesome with the sun setting and the temperature dropping.  And the wine was excellent.

Run Today:  6.5 kms
Cumulative Total:  16.3 kms

The Daily EO: May 3rd, 2013

“Well, look up into the sky tonight and if you see blue streaks, you’ll know what I am saying.”  That is my grandma told me tonight when I called to wish him good luck for Game 2 of the Shark and Canucks series.   When my grandpa watches a game he is either sleeping in his chair or cursing at the TV.  There is no in between.

I enjoy a game of hockey – like cheering for the home team – but I am not a rabid fan.  Or a fan really.  But it’s this time of year that I want to buy a jersey just so I can cheer along with everyone else.  Most of my updates come from the television in my building’s elevator.  But I checked the status of game 2 on the internet, and watched the sky for blue streaks.  Bit my nails during the OT – hoping that in my grandpa’s life time the Canucks would finally get a Stanley Cup.

Sigh.

May 3rd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  My grandpa says it is all over now.  I wonder if he is right.

Run Today:  5.6 km
Cumulative:  10.1 km

The Daily EO: May 1st, 2013

I’ve not participated in enough exercise to merit the results I got in the Sun Run.  When I looked up how fast I should have been able to run it based on my fitness level and training level, I got “the average time for runners to complete a 10K race generally falls between 75 and 80 minutes”.   Not only that, based on a bunch of internet “calculators”, etc, considering my best time on a 5K (running regularly), my time was pretty darn good for a 10K (um, also considering it was the second time *ever* I have run a 10K.)  considering the lack of training.  75 minutes is quick average and I feel pretty good about this.

So, I started thinking about what if I was actually training?  What the hell would I be able to pull off then?  Whoa.  I could be sub 1 hour.  That’s crazy talk I know, but . ..  hmmm. .   I wonder. . .

Aside here, am I the only one who 2 days after a race forgets the pain and only remembers the glory and starts looking for the next race?  Really, how many technical tees do I need?

Anyways, since I really hate May for many reasons – though the Spring melt is not a May problem here in Vancouver, loving that – I thought that I need to do some exercise and training.  So for the month of May, I am going to try to run every day (a min of 2 kms).   Today I started out with 4.6 kms (shortened from 5k only because I was distracted by a big event in Victory Park with police presence and torches, and flags, and ambulances!  I couldn’t take the long route home – I had to Check! This! Out!)

May 1st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  A challenge to keep my superstitious mind occupied, and my ass a little tauter.

May 1st:  4.6 km
May Cumulative:  4.6 kms

The Daily EO: April 30th, 2013

Today I am thinking about summer.  It’s been so sunny – but cool – hints of what is to come.  A summer of possibilities and reasons to go places.  I’m looking forward to this summer, and the hope to see more, and promises of friends and family to visit.

I’m talking about possibilities a lot, I know.  I’m getting into my grove finding my place, feeling better, getting to see the light often.

On the West Coast, Ferries represent freedom, isolation, destined to somewhere special.  I love riding one, with the wind whipping at my hair, watching the kids walking against the wind.  The seasoned travellers who have a routine.  We’re all going some place together.

ETD_7280
View from a Ferry

April 30th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  A ferry to any where is a good day.  And I am going places.

The Daily EO: April 29th, 2013

I watched “Super Size Me” before any one had ever heard of Morgan Spurlock.  I enjoyed the ridiculous debate in a dozen locations within in Europe all claiming to be “The Centre” of it all.  I watched with concern and skepticism the “World according to Monsanto“.  I wondered what was wrong with Americans in Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” and “Roger & Me“.  I got sucked into Al Gore’s message in “An Inconvenient Truth“.   I fumed and shook my fists at the idiots who destroyed the financial stability of the world in an “Inside Job“.

I am a sucker for a documentary.  Everyone can relate to the human condition, and yet every person has their own story.    But in all my years in Ontario, I only ever got to Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival once.  So, when I saw Vancouver had a smaller, but similar festival coming up, I bought tickets immediately.  For some reason, watching documentaries make me feel like I belong in the educated world where gossip is shunned, and ideas are examined.  Possibilities abound for a better world.

If you’re looking for me, here’s where I’ll be (because I took into account some of Emile’s tastes too):

April 29th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:   Striving for Self-Actualization in a movie theatre.  *Love* a documentary!

The Daily EO: April 26th – 28th

I went to Whistler this weekend.  It’s been 15 years since I’ve been and Emile has never been.  The sea to sky highway – while still amazing – seems much more robust.  I guess that is the Olympic legacy.  This trip had all the makings of a disaster:  We left on time, but our travelling companions didn’t, so we spent a bunch of time waiting.  Our suite was occupied when we arrived as the company had made a mistake on the confirmations.  The weather was awful – rain, cold and wind.  The mountain was socked in with fog – we couldn’t tell that we were in a mountain resort.  The children decided to awake at 6 am the first morning after being up until 11 pm the night before.

Emile and I spent an hour or two enjoying ourselves at Howe Sound Brewery pub in Squamish.  The people who were in the suite were really considerate and worked with us to solve the problem.  The weather stopped our friends from skiing, but also made it much easier to justify staying inside and getting an Indonesian style massage.  The kids were so bloody tired on Saturday night that they went to bed with nary a peep.  Sunday’s weather was warmer, dryer and stiller than Saturday and in comparison seemed downright lovely compared to the day before.  Our friends went skiing, Emile got a pic or two and we had an early departure, getting us home to Vancouver just in time to receive our final ice cream delivery, have my nails done, catch up on chores, get some groceries bought and wind down the weekend before the work week started again.

Had a really good time and glad we went.

Last Weekend in April Extra-Ordinary:  Silver Linings

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