who needs spirit?!

you can get a dose of it here.

thanks to my sis, for sending it along.

my score was 19/30 on this seasonal movie quiz, what's yours?

feeling like kind of a big deal!

the cat's outta the bag.  i can finally tell people about this incredible honour that i received recently.  one of avenue magazine's top 40 under 40 in calgary.

and well, i am posting it here because sometimes i suppose it is ok when private and professional lives collide.  and i feel pretty fantastic about it, especially having met some of the other recipients who were wonderfully inspiring.

i had to have the online article revised with a word change because apparently i was one who felt the need to overcome 'diversity!'  i know i was nervous when they interviewed me, but i am pretty sure that it was adversity that i think is essential to overcome in order to grow!

my lovely sister was the one who nominated me and i found out back in july that i was going to be recognised and i had to keep quiet until last week when the magazine was released.  there was a lovely event to announce the 40 and it was pretty fantastic to spend it with my sister, brother in law, and one of my best friends.  and i wore this.  and you can't go wrong when you wear betsey.

and i am surprised to see who has come out of the facebook woodwork to express their congratulations and well wishes.  i am not complaining in the slightest, but it has been slightly overwhelming, but very reassuring that there are a lot of people behind me even if i don't talk to them regularly.  and of course there are those people i do talk to regularly.  and they are pretty damn awesome.  including my youngest brother who told me that i sounded intelligent.  and well, there are very few reassurances stronger than that.

so, there you have it.  part of the reason for my silence lately.

i'll have more of the same

finally, it seems that 2010 has cleaned up its act and has decided to stop being such a jerk.

as mondays go, this one was pretty stellar.  and why?

• not waking up to an alarm
• still smiling from the high of getting together with my new book club full of wonderful, dynamic women
• a new outfit of a skirt on the sale at the gap and a shirt that fits perfectly from my sister paired with a bold necklace with a giant flower and my favourite italian boots purchased in ireland
• checking off and throwing away my To Do list at work
• an hour long presentation to the most notorious of the law enforcement agencies in canada (you just try breaking into our borders!) met with positive feedback
• won ton soup
• proofing the text for an ad that i will appear in
• setting up a meeting with someone who wants to learn more about my 'consulting services'
• an invitation for a south african wine drinking and luggage packing date
• a raise.  a totally unsolicited raise!  a potentially retroactive raise!!
• a meeting with my volunteers who continue to inspire me, challenge me, and humour me
• purchase of a wall hanging off etsy to bring a little feng shui into my nest
• a new episode of weeds
• a glass of dry red wine

long may it last.

it started with a seed

over 4 years ago (and i remember this because it was just before the last world cup), i went to london with my bf at the time and my parents, who were visiting from canada.  we rented a sedan, took ourselves for a holiday of live theatre and sightseeing, and visited portobello market.  and in that lovely market, we bought some seedy bread.  and one of those seeds got stuck between my teeth.

like, really stuck.  stuck so badly that for a few days i had a constant dull ache on that side of my mouth.

eventually, with my mad skills in the flossing department, i got that seed out and there would always be a larger space between those two teeth than any of my others.

i adapted to this by carrying around my favourite kind of floss to make sure i thoroughly floss after eating anything that had a tendency to get stuck in there.  apples, beef, anything stringy.  gross, but i never got the 'floss more' lecture from the dentist because i became mildly obsessed.

and when my sis and bro-in-law and i were sitting down to a cold beer and a bite to eat in victoria last weekend before boarding our plane back to calgary, i noticed that i had a hole in my tooth.  a hole in my tooth!  i had my sister investigate it (yes, in the restaurant) and we agreed that it was most likely a cavity, which seemed inevitable.  i made sure to get in to the dentist the very next day and when they told me that my tooth was actually broken and that they suggested repairing it with a crown, i braced myself for the freezing, the drills, and the awfulness of the dentist in general and went for it.

but being frozen that evening really threw me for a loop and put me in a bit of a funk that lasted through the week.  the miserable weather and confusing text message dating certainly didn't help, but the invasion of having someone's hands in my mouth and not being able to feel half of my face for a number hours seems to have had quite a psychological impact.  and it wasn't nice.

i dug myself out of the funk that week and had a lovely weekend full of beers on patios, hikes in kananaskis, and a patio-hopping fundraising event full of food, wine, and good friends.

but that was not what was on my mind later in the evening after i was at the dentist, as i was on the phone with a call centre in india, half my face frozen, having an ugly cry because i didn't know the difference between a modem and a router.  but the nice, young fellow on the phone wasn't bothered and sorted my internets while i felt sorry for myself.  but i bet that if he were located in canada, working at midnight, and having to put up with a whiney mess like me, he would not have been nearly as patient!

who doesn't like the gingers?

in keeping with my goal # 6 to eat more balanced, regular meals (and the recap of the disaster of pub food that was last week), i made a delicious dinner tonight.  my sister, who can sniff out a piece of ginger from a mile away, would certainly not agree, but i thought this soup was rather tasty (and not to mention, so easy) and whipped up a salad to go with it.

ginger carrot soup

3 tbsp butter or olive oil

3 leeks, white part and 2 inches of green, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 hand of ginger, cut into 8 pieces

2 pounds of carrots, trimmed, peeled, and chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and quartered

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken stock

minced green onion for garnish

1 - in a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
2 - add the leeks and onion and cook, stirring often, until soft (about 10 minutes)
3 - add the ginger, carrots, and potato, season with salt and pepper, and stir with a wooden spoon to mix together.
4 - pour in the stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5 - reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and summer until the carrots are very soft (about an hour).
6 - remove from the heat and remove and discard the ginger.
7 - let the soup cool slightly and process until very smooth in a food prcessor or blender.
8 - season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with sprinkle of green onions.

my basic stand-by greek salad

put the following in a bowl, after chopping to your preferred size:

tomatoes

red onion

cucumber (but not too many or they are always left over)

red or yellow pepper

add:

capers (or olives, if you like those better or are in an olive mood)

oregano (this is essential)

salt & pepper

feta cheese (the kind in the brine that gets a bit gooey)

make a simple dressing with lemon juice and olive oil in equal parts and drizzle over the rest.

i didn't take any photos, but i think i will make this for a friend later this week so perhaps i can get a few snaps then.

i adapted the soup recipe from The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook, which also says you can add sour cream as a garnish or serve it cool.

if you like the flavour of ginger, you will enjoy this soup.  if, however, you are like my sister, and can pick out ginger in anything, i would suggest staying far away from this soup or anyone cooking it.  the finished product has quite the bite and the green onion garnish is perfect to cool a burning palate.

yum.

sunday sense of accomplishment

i have had a full weekend and it was nice to have a weekend packed full of fun and rewarding things.  here is a list of all that i managed to accomplish:

• a date with a tall, accented gentleman
• ice fishing with my brother-in-law, where i proved not to be the best fisherwoman as i caught nothing (but neither did anyone else)
• my first double cheeseburger.  it was delicious.  totally worth all that saturated fat.  and, i'll admit it, maybe even better than a single cheeseburger.
• a lovely nap on my sister's couch
• an impromtu stir fry dinner for two
• a completed application to be called to work in emergencies, such as haiti
• an 8km run (even though i was only mentally prepared for a 7km run)
• shopping at mec for a new jacket (sale!), a new pair of mittens, a new pair of wool running socks, and a new running shirt (sale!).  not sure why i felt the need to clarify that all those items were NEW...
• a trip to buy new runners only to find the shop was closed
• coffee with my best friend of over 10 years
• coffee with a new friend who will undoubtedly be a friend for a long time
• shopping for 2 skirts at the gap that cost me all of $16, bring on the lucky lady deals!
• shopping for 3 shirts at jacob that cost me nothing as i had a gift card
• a quick trip to the grocery store for soup ingredients
• leek and potato soup
• dishes done
• a viewing of The Hangover, which did not make me laugh out loud.  not even once.  even though everyone and their dog claims it is hilarious.  verdict?  not hilarious.
• reading research on 'sex buyers,' otherwise known as johns.  for work.  yes, i read this stuff for work.  if you are interested, you can also read it online.

and now, to tackle the ever-growing pile of laundry that is on my floor, both dirty and clean.  and then maybe a bath.  or a read.  or an early night.  because that is how i roll (or how i am trying to).

oh snuffy!

my sister sent me this link that shows the 101 muppets of sesame street and it made me smile on a monday morning.

snuffleupagus was my favourite (but i thought it was spelled snuffalupugus), who was yours?

q: what makes a good day?

a: dinner with my family, who are funnier than anyone i know.  really.

a: praise and recognition from not one, but two, of my bosses.

a: two of my orders from etsy arrived in the mail today.

a: my mama's roast beef dinner.

a: so you think you can dance AND glee on tv in the same night (and i didn't even need to pvr them!).

a: a cheque arrived in the mail.  and who doesn't love cheques arriving?

a: two requests for dates.

a ghost in my nest

i have a ghost. or my house has a ghost. either way, there is an apparition lurking around my living space. and you know what? i really don't mind much. my ghost seems relatively harmless and might even be good company now and again.

i had come home a few times to feel that someone else had been in my space, which was naturally a little disconcerting, but i figured it had something to do with the upheaval of my life and not knowing my own nest just yet. then i had a friend over for dinner and when i realised the tap in the bathroom was running, i just assumed either he or i had left it on after washing our hands.

but then one time, when i was all alone i found the bathroom tap on as high as it could go and as hot as it could go so i knew that even if i had left it on, i would never have had it at full blast such as it was.

and then last night, i was having a chat with my sister on the phone and noticed that my upstairs light was on and i had distinctly remembered turning it off earlier when i was surprised that it was on, so i think my ghost was at it again.

harmless, i am sure, but i hope that it knows that i recognise it is there so it can stop turning things on that i need to run around after!

madly, deeply in love

i have fallen madly and deeply in love with my new nest. you might think that this is an impossibility (to be so in love with an inanimate object), but you would be wrong and here are the reasons why:

• i have a dishwasher! this probably does not come as a surprise to anyone in north america, but in any of the places i have ever lived on my own i have never had a dishwasher. and that is a lot of dishes to do by hand. here, i get excited when i have used up enough dishes to necessitate a wash (and it doesn't happen with only little ol me here)
• living by myself is amazing and i had forgotten how wonderful it really is. i can sleep with my door wide open, wander around in the nude looking for my dental floss, listen to music or talk on the phone as loudly as i like, and when i want it, the silence is just grand.
• i can see a grocery store, a liquor store, and 2 starbucks from my front door. really.
• although incredibly expensive, buying furniture for my nest is fun.
• having people over for meals is one of my favourite things. especially when they cook everything, bring it all over, defrost crave cupcakes for the occassion, drag along picnic blankets to sit on, and give me housewarming gifts that have my name written all over them. my friends are great.
• my fam helped me move my stuff in, wash all my new dishes, and christen my home by cheers-ing with ice-cold beer. my family is awesome.
• my to do list has grow exponentially. i love lists. and i love checking things off to do lists.
• baths on sunday mornings because you don't have a shower curtain yet are fine, just fine.
• i now live 5km away from my office. and my own home office is pretty swell too.
• spending a whack load of money on fine, german flatware is sort of like a big 'eat this!' to the universe. i love a substantial spoon. and i love that i can afford to buy own.

summer in the city

i am deeply, deeply in love with summer this year and this past week pretty much sums up why. i will give you a point form description of how it all went down:

• i have sat on a total of 5 patios this week
• i have been on 3 dates, with 1 more to go tonight
• i finally got myself to Farm for the first time and got back to Alloy for a second time
• i had made an executive decision that instead of sitting in my dank office, i would take tuesday afternoon off and drink white wine with a colleague
• i have worn skirts, dresses, or shorts to work everyday this week
• i have not had to bring a coat in case it got chilly or i was afraid it would rain
• i looked at 2 places that could be my potential new home
• i have been out for lunch 4 days in a row
• i have eaten creme brule twice in as many days

sass-travaganza: a photo essay in reverse

here are some of my favourite photos from the sass-travaganza. for some reason, i cannot reverse the order in which they appear, so just start from the bottom if you really want to get the chronological sense of the trip.

my favourite parts of the trip included:

- the retarded goat (ok, let it be known that the word 'retarded' is totally not a part of the vocabulary of either me or my sister, but there was this stupid goat that wouldn't get out of the road when we were driving up to the trailhead and it was sort of funny to use a totally politically incorrect word. and then continue to use it for the rest of the day, knowing it was so, so wrong)

- the label maker! who knew such an organisational tool could be so much fun?! oh wait, me.

- figuring out that ha ling must be the chinese translation of 'chinaman' since chinaman's peak was renamed ha ling peak (again, with the politically incorrectness)

- the no-name brand camelback, otherwise known as the teat (i know, we are such classy ladies)

- the best snow angel my sis had ever seen!

- my wipe outs and my sister killing herself laughing rather than asking if i was ok

- the best cheese burger and salad EVER

- my sister's costume change and the photos i have of her ironing her dress in her panty (which i kindly did not post!)

- the inappropriate conversations overheard by the other hikes (whoops!)

- admiring the majestic peaks in all their glory

- the best brunch buffet EVER, oh sweet jesus, that food was good eating. and that coffee. oh my, that coffee

things i have learned recently

• nest shopping is FUN (although i suspect it will get stressful when decisions must be made)
• when i don't run, i really miss it (and it's only been 5 days)
• dairy queen blizzards continue to rot my insides (that was just a confirmation)
• eharmonising is FUN
• if you back into a parking stall at the calgary transit stations, the park plus ticketing system can't get you
• my sister gave me a day at the spa for my birthday and i had forgotten until i tidied my room and found the card, she's the best!
• all my years of defending canada as not being as cold as people assume it is was all for naught as it is bloody cold and i am sick of having to brings scarves with me to cut the chill
• i didn't love the book Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, i felt it was rather sad and i am not sure if that was my own mood reflecting on the story or the story reflecting on my mood
• opi's nail envy really works. pricey, but effective at strengthening your nails and preventing them from cracking or breaking

a busy week behind and ahead

here are some things i have to say:

• have you seen the movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas? it is really good. i watched it with my bro and we agreed that it should be shown in high schools when they study the second world war and the holocaust. this movie is great and shows a side of the war that we haven't seen much of - a german soldier's family that lives near a concentration camp and from the perspective of a 10 year old boy.
• i bought my guidebook for san francisco and have started to read it. i cannot wait to get there! and the fact that i am going alone isn't so daunting when i think of all the places i'd like to see, the walking i would like to do, and the photos i would like to take (although anyone wishing to join me is more than welcome!)
• both my presentations went really well this week and i think i have a host of new friends resulting from them, which is great. i have 2 coffee dates with potential new friends coming up and another presentation at a high school next week.
• i slept for 15 hours yesterday and it was all because i had what i think is called a migraine. i have never had something like this before, but i am convinced the universe was trying to tell me something in making me stay in bed for so long. it was weird.
• i have 2 dates next week! and 2 more in the pipeline. it must be spring.
• i seem to have hurt my shoulder, the one that is lacking in the cartiledge department. blech. it feels like i should put it in a sling.
• my sis and i went for an 8km run last night and it was awesome. only 6km more and i can convince her to run around the glenmore reservoir with me (but no wrong turns this time!). my new shoes felt like pillows with great grips on them, which i am sure helped me up those hills.
• i am ready for the sass-travaganza in banff this weekend!

sass-travaganza!

as i might not have time to post between now and the aftermath of the sass-travaganza that is the sisters' trip to banff for a hike in canmore, a stay at the fairmont banff springs, and the rocky mountain food and wine festival, i wanted to say that i am excited and it is going to be great!

i have never stayed at the banff springs hotel before and although i am anticipating our room will be approximately the size of a closet and/or a small pantry, i am looking forward to my first stay in the historical landmark in the town of banff.

the springs' sunday brunch has also been recommended to me, so we might have to check that out as long as we are not a) too hung over to appreciate the goodness that is a fairmont buffet or b) still too full from all the delights of the previous night's festival of wine and food.

i am hoping to get some snaps of the sass-travaganza so stay tuned!

it's all true

borrowed from this lady, here are 10 things about me that you may not have already known.

1 - most people are surprised to learn that by nature, i am an introvert and shy, sometimes painfully. although i do enjoy public speaking.

2 - things i love include writing, learning new cities, q tips, david suzuki, the smell of scotch tape, earl grey tea, chocolate fudge cake from nairobi java house, kofi annan, alberta beef, barack obama's smile, the smell of pine trees, music that almost makes you cry, going out for breakfast even though i don't like most breakfast foods, airports, novels, daytimers, creme brule, medium or dark roast black coffee, that feeling that you get two days after you've used your muscles, french red wine, tulips, buying clothes, and receiving mail both electronic and snail. that list is not exhaustive.

3 - i could tell my sister anything. while i wouldn't tell my brothers anything, i could be anyone or do anything with them.

4 - my recent love life reads like a soap opera drama. do you know anyone who actually went to an airport expecting someone to arrive only to find out they had never bought a ticket for the flight? well, now you do.

5 - i have really big feet for my size. i would quite like to trade them for a more user-friendly pair.

6 - i want to be famous. but not in the celebrity way. in the way that i am known for something. and i google myself regularly.

7 - my newest canadian hero is louise arbour. she will soon be the executive director of the International Crisis Group.

8 - i am neither a cat person nor a dog person, i am both. and i don't think you should have to choose between them. my dog has one eye and my cat sleeps on my bed every night. my brother says that although you are never supposed to talk about a girl's weight, my cat seems to have lost her waist line in recent years. that is also true.

9 - blueberries are my favourite berry.

10 - if i won the lottery, i would go back to uni and study my little heart out. i would also travel around the world, staying in the cheapest as well as the most luxurious hotels i could find. i'd drink san pelligrino exclusively and provide numerous microfinance loans to people in canada and abroad.

things be good

so far, this week:

• i am rather busy!
• i got my first paid job to write something. i am a paid writer!
• i've been given more responsibility at my day job, which means that the economic downturn can kiss my arse (until, of course, someone decides to come and take over my company and they get rid of all the consultants)
• i received positive feedback on the meeting that i facilitated on tuesday for my Other Job and the hot cop was sitting right across from me, giving me a a pleasant view the entire hour and a half
• when one date had to reschedule, i went on another of pints and dog walks with a different gentleman suitor, it was swell
• another job posting for a short term consultancy in east timor was sent to me and i will apply, just in cases
• my congested head is improving with each passing day
• i learned that ojala in spanish is derived from insha'allah in arabic, which makes sense because you can't translate it into english. in arabic it means 'if god wills it' and it more or less is used in the same way in spanish
• i booked a sisters' food and wine getaway in banff

today is a new day

today:

• the forecast high is -20 degrees. that is the high!
• i had the interview for the job in kenya and it went really well. it is nice to be interviewed by your former boss who knows you, better than i had anticipated, in fact.
• i set up dates with two gentleman callers.
• i will be registering for a 3 day course to help me do my job. i love the idea of going to classes to learn new things on someone else's dime.
• is a good day because i still have not taken off my winter boots and i like to judge the day on how long i can keep my cozy boots on before changing into work appropriate shoes.
• i met a nice engineer who did not speak in engineerspeak and who was very helpful.
• i am soliciting company for a potential vegas weekend minibreak in two weeks' time. any takers?!
• i wish my sister was home. i am happy for her that she is on her honeymoon, and no doubt having a great time, but i miss talking to her everyday.
• i could really use a glass of wine. and it is 3pm...
• i am going to watch my bro play in a playoff game and i am already nervous.

could i give up my shopping habit?

just when i thought my life was going to settle down and i was going to stay in one place for awhile, my former boss has asked if i want to be interviewed for a position in my old office (that same one that was mentioned in the book What is the What that i recently read that put thoughts in mind...) in kenya. the job would be better than the one i had when i was based in nairobi previously and one that i would enjoy, but am i ready to give up the luxuries of developed world living?

like having friends you've known for decades a phone call away, having a ladies' night once monthly with these women, eating dinner with my family regularly, having lattes with my sister, making oil and gas money, watching my brother's hockey games, catching matinees with my other brother, breakfasts with visitors from out of town, changing seasons, central heating, bad television at my fingertips, dependable public transit, my little dieter, my running routes free of rabid dogs and speeding trucks, and, i shamelessly admit, shopping?

yet, one of the biggest reasons i came home was a person who shall not be named and now that that is no longer an issue, i am just not sure what to do with myself. i had always planned on a career in international development and my favourite experiences and stories that i have come from the time i spent pursuing that.

the universe will just have to tell me what to do in this case. but until it is clear, i will keep my options open.

and there's more!

my sis' photographer, kristy reimer, has posted more photos of their wedding day!