Christmas Past-life Reading

Alan and I went ot a wonderful Christmas party last weekend. One part of it was past life readings. I think that he was quite good too.

First he said that I lived in the Netherlands around 800 AD. I left the area as a result of famine. I made tapestries. My struggle then was to choose to be a housewife or to choose creative pursuits...isn't that a riot! Apparently someone will be coming into my life to guide me in the next year...let's hope he come soon!

Life is a Real Bitch Sometimes

Whoever said the glass ceiling has advanced a few floors is full of it!

Let me explain. With all my experience and skills...which I still believe are many, I was asked to head up the United Way Campaign. I liken this lead role to be the head of the queens tea party: it is all women...running bakesales...dressing up in costumes and raffling turkeys and selling junk, every which where ...while the male managers sit back saying "good job ladies". So, I refused the role. I did not want the pigeon-hole of- Charity Cheerleader...which I am not. Lord knows they would come knowcking again next year.

Today we received the results of the Senior Offer job...the top three- guys, that last three ladies. It says a lot that #3 on the list even said he didn't understand how he could have beat me...whatever...no one ever said life was fair...adn this just proves it.

So, being a real bitch may pay off afterall - Not sure...but I am willing to try now.

Keeping an Art Journal

I religiously keep a journal. I have always kept a journal...since as long as I can remember. I have alwasy dodled in the journals, but never though much of mixing the artsy stuf with the written stuff - yet I love found poetry and drawing immmensly. While I already don't have enough time to keep a regular journal...I think it would be very cool to keep an art journal with collages and drawings alongside the words...

THe modern gypsy site is super cool. I knoww how I will use my abandoned sketchbooks an drevitalize thier place inn my life..yippee cool...

I might even be able to use some of my early Polaroid transfers for the first few journals...I am totally excited.

Week 2 - Boot camp - Take two.

I have definately acheived a hieghtened awareness that I lack self-discipline. This will have to be a crack down week. I think there are obvious glaring areas for improvemnt. Eating is definately one of them. New strategy with two goals.

1) Cut sugar intake at work ( no candies and less sugar in coffee)
2) Keep busy at home to avoid snacking after 7 - Do photography work and Italian homework.

That's it. If I can't do that over the next 5 days...I'm doomed.

THis reminds me of when we did the 24 hour famine in university....I lasted less than 2 hours because I uncounsciously went straight for the fridge that evening ;(. Arrrgh.

Sorry the blog is so boring lately...

Day 3 - SD Bootcamp 5/10

Still not doing too well on the SD mission. But maybe a step closer to building awareness. I must perserver...trudge trudge trudge...

Bricks
Snacked again after 7pm. But not as much as usual.
Still ate those blasted hershey kisses and m&ms at the office. Need to work on reducing sugar.
Still not getting to bed before 11.
Still not kepping mouth shut at work.
Did not complete Italian homework.
No excercise.
Need to spend at least an hour on Photography.

Flowers
Did bring a healthy lunch of beet soup, salad and yougourt prepared the night before.
Was on time for work.
DId not bitch too heavily about being bored at work.
Took my multi-vitamin

For Tomorrow
Get 8 hours sleep
No unnecessary snacking after 7.
Review and complete italian home work.
Excercise
Make some time for photography.

Clear Blue Easy

It was either October 27 or 28th, under the eclipsed moon, that it happened. I work up the next morning and, call it intuition, but I knew.

As of today's date that makes me a week late for my period and 3 weeks pregnant. It is not time to announce anything yet, babies need at least a threee month test drive to figure out whether they would like to stay.

That means, by the third week in January I will be three months. Then it's announcement time.

I have already got myself on a midwifery waiting list - it would be so great to have a midwife get me through this.

So how does it feel? Well it feels like I ma goign to have my period in 3 days..that feeling when you know it's coming? Sort of like that. So far no sickness or tiredness...not more than normal, but maybe that will change...in fact a lot is about to change. I will just have to close my eyes and ride it through ;).

The Interview

Well it is finally over! Whew!

Everyone was in and out of there in 20 minutes, but they were the people most likely to know most of the answers. I was in there for an hour. Mmmmm - how ironic would it be that I come in last! God I hope not. I just need to have my dignity in tact when tyhe process is over.

I ma so excited to go home tonight...I am going to download my pics from the Cinque Terre and Tuscany and prepare them for Printing. I can't wait to pick some for enlargement.

My Vivatar slide printer should be here soon also. I have already prepared some shots for transfer and can't wait to get that started.

Now that I now longer have this interview haning over me...I can watch TV too!

P.s. Day 3 is not going perfectly, but better. Will report later.

Day 2 - SD Bootcamp 5/10

Day 2 - downward trend? Maybe I need to re-evaluate the goals... Maybe I just need to get the stress of the interview off my back.

Bricks
- ate so many hershy kisses at work- I can't remember (was very stressed about job interview)
- Did not focus on studying for interview today at work - wasted time all day adn was very unproductive
- ate a Shwarma for lunch when I had already lovingly prepared a beautiful salad.
- ate after 7 pm again..but tried to limit myself to only a handful of nacho chips.
- ate two lean cuisines ;(...and they werent even that good.
- ate custard.
- will not get to bed before 11:30.
- procrastinated preparation for my big interview tomorrow - very bad me.
- did not excercise...bad bad bad

Flowers
- did contain myself enough to only take one sugar and a bit in my the and coffee today.
- Did focus on job interview after watching Dr. Phil, and stayed off the Internet...mostly.
- Will get clothes, lunch and dog stuff organized for the morning.

For Next Time
- Need to avoid food sources as pacifiers when under stress.

Day 1 - Self-Discipline Bootcamp 6/10

How did the first day of self-disipline boot camp go? Not bad...could've been worse. But it is only the first day...

Bricks
- very unconsciously stole two peices of a smartie filled chocolate
- ate after 7 PM (slice of cheese, Mini-go and A bite or two of roasted chicken while makeing lunch).
- arrived to work late because I did not make whole lunch night before, and slept in and did not prepare my clothees in the morning.
- did not make time to complete studying for interview wednesday - instread watched Dr. Phil and CSI Miami.
- Did not get to bed on time....
- did not excercise ;(

Flowers
- ONLY stole 2 pieces of smartie filled chocolate - could've eaten whole bar.
- Had green tea sans suger in the evening
- Had breakfast coffe with 1 suger not two.
- Got out of bed relatively on time
- sat down for 2 hours to complete my italian work
- forced myself to go to bed before 11:30
- Stayed off ebay.

To work on:
- prepare lunch night before - have ready to go
- Put clothing out for next day ironed and ready to go
- get out of bed on time
- Go to bed before 10 PM
- focus on studying for interview Wednesday.
- 1 hour of TV per day.
- don't get distracted by phone calls and ebay
- Continue to minimize suger intake.

Standing Between Me and Greatness

“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” -Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.)

So it becomes clear to me - what stands between me and greatness - Self-discipline and focus.

I am pretty sure that I have rarely, if ever, been able to discipline myself to the point where I could declare success. I greatly admire those taht can achieve great hieghts through focus and determiniation. I want the secret potion that would allow me to focus long enought to a) keep up with a fitness program and yoga, b) write c) become a good photographer d) accumulate wealth e) resist shopping at winners and H&M.

“Rest not! Life is sweeping by; go and do before you die. Something mighty and sublime, leave behind to conquer time.”
-Johann Goethe (1749 – 1832)

I certainly have no problem living with great abandon when I can, or pampering my moments here on earth. I have travelled all kinds of places an have been on great adventures...but for the most part I come back broke and 10 pouinds heavier... ;)

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”
-Buddha (568 – 488 BC)

So final victory and I will never meet at this point. So how does one cultivate that kind of endurance?

“One should act in consonance with the way of Heaven and Earth, enduring and eternal, the superior man perseveres long in his course, adapts to the times, but remains firm in his direction and correct in his goals.”
-I Ching (1150 BC)

Ah, back to the self-discipline, focus and perserverence thing. I am doomed. Evidence that I am doomed is inherent in this posting...but there is a small ray of hope - apparently I have to set different goals for myself: self discipline goals:

Self-discipline-oriented goals are essential to generating self-control, motivation, and persistence, the other three key ingredients needed for self-discipline. Here is an example of self-discipline goals:

1. I want to have total control over when, how, and what I eat for the next 30 days.
2. I am going to gain control of my finances by sticking to my scheduled budget each and every day for the next 90 days.
3. I want my fellow co-workers to look up to me as a leader and example of discipline by the way I speak, act, and dress in 60 days.
4. I will gain control of my emotions by disciplining my anger, depression, and attitude around my family, friends, and co-workers.
5. I am going to set aside one hour every day to work on my goal of being self-employed in one year.

Now these are not MY goals, rather samples of self-discipline goals that I could articulate. So here we go...

1) I want to have total control over when, how, and what I eat for the next 15 days. I will not snack after 7 PM, I will cut suger intake in half.
2) I will have control over my health and fitness in the nex 15 days by doing some physical activity fpr at least 30 minutes per day.
3) I will spend an hour each day improving my photography skills and knowledge.
4) I will be in complete control of my emotions and stress at work and will refrain from freaking out.

That's all I can do. So I will report back each day on progress or lack thereof :

Does she have the self-discipline enought o be a success?
Will she fail and be doomed to life that lacks achievement?
Will she gain another 10 pounds trying?

Stay tuned....

Vespertine - things flourishing in the evening

There is nothing much happening here this evening...I am enjoying Bjork's greatest hits on Winamp and marvelling at the sheer abandon with which she creates music and explosively expresses herself. Her music is very visual - a bit of a strange comment, but if you listen you can hear all the layers and see them moving. She takes some of the unusual sounds in her music from nature and manipulates them - like audio-digital photography.

First Episode Psychosis

We went to see him in the hospital. I wanted to cry, then I wanted to shake him back into his skin. This was not the boy I know. I feel angry that this has happened to him. Will he ever come back to be the person we know?

The scariest thing is that he is aware and yet not completely in control or able to change his capacity to come back. He paces around, plays ping pong, paces, watches TV, paces, stares and listens to the voices in hesd head. He told me he did not want his friends to see him this way - he knows there is something terribly wrong.

I never thought that this could be real - and yet when it is so real it gives you a feeling of absolute powerlessness. I cannot hold him adn make the voices go away, I cannot compete with power the voices have over him... Who can help him and how will he ever find his way back.

I want this miracle to happen...I want god to show me and have mercy .

When life goes surreal

I don't know how this could be happening or what the coincidence could be that I have intimate knowledge on the matter, but I wish it was not happening...again.

Over Thanksgiving he was not himself - agitated, paranoid, scared, distant and even violent. This was not the successful ambitous third year business student and brother we know. This is someone new and quite honestly, I can't believe this is really happening.

He is being cared for in a psychiatric facility....I am staring at the page...did I make this up? It may be schizophrenia - I am almost certain. I could not bear Anna having to go through what we have gone through with Donna. It is a nightmare. We will never know him as we did.

I am flying there to be with Anna and Mom. I don't know how to make this better.

This could be a good thing...

Mei has referred me to her friend who is getting marries next summer. Another Photography gig. In addition, I will also be taking photos at Luisa's wedding. And I am very excited about taking some maternity photos for rebecca. I am really starting to mass a good portfolio of images, but I have definately got to make a web site. I could have a real thing going here.

A Portrait in Smells

Smells fade in the wind eventually, but if you want to remember someone or something...some event some place there is nothing more powerful that the sense of smell... it is directly linked to being more than anything else in my opinion....it is a sensory linkage that taps right into the visceral aspects of who we are...

Meryn Cadell said it best in her Sweater song...bringing back the thrill of teenage angst when she wrote:

The sweater has that faintly goat-like smell which all teenage boys possess, and that smell will lovingly transferto all your other clothes
If you get to keep it for a few days you can sleep with itbut don't let your mom see, 'cause she'll say,"what is that filthy thing, and who does it belong tobesides the trash man?"
So you have to keep it under the covers with you
You can kind of lie it beside you,or wrap it around your waist,or touch it on your legs, or whatever
That's your business....

How else could you get close to that boy and feel like you could take a pieceof him with you...ahhh it's that smell...

So this gets me to thinking, not only why we like the smells that we do, but what smells do people remember me by, what is the smell in my home, on my clothes. I hope it is not a goat-like smell.

Anyway, then I got to thinking about some smells that I am attached to:
Estee Lauder's Beautiful - My grandmother wore this -I remember her by this smell.
Guelain Samsara - I remember Leslie and I wore this throughout University.
Oregano, Basil, Thyme - South France
Olives - Italy
Plumeria - Hawaii
Lilacs - Manor Park
Cedar - Rogers Pass/Montana
Pine and Sulphur - Banff
Eucalyptus - THe Spa in Hotel Kamp - Helsinki

Smells I love:
Orange
Sandlewood
Grapefruit
Amber
Cedar
Eucalyptus
Pepper
Cardamom
Jasmine
Patchouli (a little bit)
Ylang Ylang

I think that my attachemnt to nature and exotic food has shaped some of my preferences...warm, spicy, yummy, and exotic.

Strike Strike Strike

We have spent the lastw eek on the picket line. Today was the first day back,a dn it looks like we will be back out again if they cannot come to an agreement this weekend. While picket lines are not so bad... it doesn't pay really well.

But you can bring your dog to work!

Still Life: Nude and Food as Narrative

This is an excellent link to some beautiful images from a local photographer and writer...

When you combine nude with food you get much more than sexy still life. You get a sensual and fundamentally human narrative.

Small Wonder

I cannot remember how it is that I first picked up a collection of essays by Barbara Kingsolver, but I remember that it was a welcomed discovery. It was called high-tide in Tucson, and the story of the hermit crab "Buster" set me up for a lifetime of reading Kingsolver till she would write no more.

There is a special sensitivity that she brings to her writing...it is just beneath the skin and transcends the nervous system. She understands the heart both as an organ and as a spiritiual conduit. There are too many things that she writes that I wish I could take from the page and wear them as a pearl on my neck...to never forget the beauty and the small wonders of life she reveals.

Excerpt
If you ask me, when something extraordinary shows up in your life in the middle of the night, you give it a name and make it the best home you can.

Lake Como Basilica

Lake COmo,
originally uploaded by Viva.

In fron of this church was a square full of resturants and a chalk artist creating a beautiful rendering of the last supper.

Me in the Milan Train Station

Me in Milan,
originally uploaded by Viva.

I thought there was something so magnificient about the Milan Trainstation...like being in the belly of whale!

Geneva

Geneva,
originally uploaded by Viva.

While in Geneva...before we wen tback to the Hostel to sleep we spent some time a beautiful park by the water.

Bellagio at Night

Bellagio at Night,
originally uploaded by Viva.

This is a romantic little town on Lake Como.

Lake Como

Lake Como,
originally uploaded by Viva.

On our boat tour of Lake Como

One of the Oldest Churches in Milano - St. Augustine?

One of the Oldest Churches in Milano St. Augustine?,
originally uploaded by Viva.

Church in Milano

Church in Milano,
originally uploaded by Viva.

St. Augustine in Milano

Church in Milano

Church in Milano,
originally uploaded by Viva.

While in the church we came upon some young military recruits doing their mandatory service...

Geneva - Walking in the old town

Geneva - Walking in the old town,
originally uploaded by Viva.

After a long sleep in the Hostel, we walked into the old town through the cobble stone streets and the exquisite shopping.

To Populate and Complicate? That is the Question

So everyone is having babies. Arne and Shari are now pregnant as well. While I guess I am happy for them, I also ask "why now?". Arne is still in med school and has huge debts still to pay off. Under those conditions doesn't bringing a new person into the mix make things more complicated? Life seems complicated enough already. I can't figure out why I can only associate having a child with loss; loss of money, time, oppourtunity, relationships, adventure and my already struggling figure. Your body is never the same : Hemorrhoids, bladder control issues, hormonal changes…etc. I need to know whether I don’t want children or that I have just convinced myself that it is a horrible experience without knowing enough. I'lll figure it out…tick tock tick tock...

Reflections on Seperation

Michele is leaving her husband after 20 years...
20 years...she said they stayed together for the kids, but they knew 10 years ago.
She married him at 30 - she wanted children and figured that he would be a good father. He was, but a terrible husband...for twenty years.

She said she was tired.
Tired of waiting to be important enough to him for him to want to make an effort...
Tired of being the only one that thought there was something worng...
Tired of feeling like she was his parent....waiting up for him to get home from having fun with his buddies...
Tired of lowering her expectations...
Tired of being dissaponted...
Tired of carrying him for so long...
and growing resentful and feeling invisible...

He would have been happy if nothing changed in his marriage...she was invisible.
She is buying out his share of the house and sending him on his way...

How awful to spend that long with someone who didn't have fun with you, that didn't share with you, didn't have the same dream with you.

I am told that when women reach their 50s that men and marriage become less and less important...choosing instead to be independent.

I am still trying to distill the lesson here.

Making your Koosa and Eating it too...

Well, given that this is the season for Zuchinni giving... I thought that this would be an apprpriate way to deal with excess Zuchinni. Koosa is a delicious Lebanese main dish that is out of this world! Definately one of my favorites.

Koosa (Stuffed Squash)

12 Koosa
1 c Rice
1 sm Can tomato sauce
1 cn (16 oz.) tomatoes
Cinnamon Pepper & (Cloves) allspice to taste
1 1/2 lb Ground lamb (or you can use ground beef...or Tofu beef substitute)
1 ts Salt

Cut stems and scoop out seeds of zuchinni and wash.

STUFFING: Mix rice, lamb and all spices together. Stuff squash with mixture, do not pack tightly. Arrange in pan. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and pepper over squash. Add enough water to cover, bring to a boil; then reduce to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes. Same stuffing may be used for green peppers and small eggplants.

Why I love Val: Reason #46 - Finds GREAT Stuff

While there are too many reasons to love my friend Val - reason #46 could e one of my favorites. Valerie has a talant for finding great stuff....maybe that's why she is such an awesome librarian. Here is her latest find:

" Speaking of creativity, I bought this great "Candlelight ecstacy Romance" novel at the Edmonton Public Library booksale. Here is the description from the back, how could I resist?:
"He'd invented a housekeeping robot that threatened to destroy her business. She had no choice but to sabotage Harrison Kent and his infernal machine. But Brit McIver hadn't reckoned on the mad genius's boobytrapped home- or the Adonis who greeted her clad only in a towel! She'd arrived just in time to organize his home and supervise an important investors' dinner. It was a setup for disaster. Now the real challenge was clear: to prove that The Quintessential Woman could guarantee satisfaction that no robot could provide!"

val "

Watch the "Candlelight ecstacy Romance" books spike in sales after this...

The Mirror Project- Adventures in reflective surfaces

Today I discovered the mirror project, with the help of Pippa. What a cool project. Another example of an idea being only as good as the action that follows it. I love looking at all the different interpretations of the portrait in a reflective surface. It is so refreshing to see the abundance of creativity... .

Add to "To Do" list for Italy: Prepare submission for the mirror project.

Internet as Oracle

It occurred to me the other day that I was offically old and could be put in the category of those who tell tales of how "when I was a kid we walked 5 miles to school"...club. Only the modern version of Iam old story sounds a little more updated. When I was a kid we had to go to the library to look up infrmation... on microphiche...microfish...what's that?

In my university days (in the late 90s) we had archaic email that very few people could use...no hotmail then... it was like an FTP application. The only people you could email were other people in Universities brave enought o go to the computer centres and get an email account as well.

Now as I ponder the great questions of the universe...I email the Interent oracle...and hope this communal mind has more brilliant insights than having to ponder the universe over a cup of Java...

Weekend in the Soo

My very good friend Lisa got married to Paul this past weekend. It was a great wedding. The food was amazing: depp fried calamari, gnocci, salad, chicken, antipasto, bread, and sorbet for dessert.

We were all in sage green dresses that looked better than they sound. We had a wonderful time - Lisa is very happy.

Canon Give me my Camera!

I am grumpy because I do not have my camera back. We hardly had a chance to bond before it was taken back for that blasted errorr 99 catch all.

I want to upload and edit my pics from the wedding. I have so few good shots I will need photoshop to do something special with them to make everyone happy.

I need a new computer as well - the old one Alan has can't handle the file sizes and on-going downloads.

I need my camera - we need to get to know eachother before I go to italy.

Resolution: Purchase kick-ass graphics computer to make beautiful things.

Net Effect of Giving up Coffee to date

So it has been sometime now that I have given up coffee on a daily basis. I have instead taken to drinking green tea (The Chinese gunpowder variety) without sugar each and every morning while I am at work. I also began drinking a litre of water every day while I am at my desk.

Unexpectedly I have not experienced the "I just can't think" starring blankly at my computer screen sensation since. Is it hydration or a lack of caffiene?

In any case I have broken the shackles of the modern chic consumer culture. I am no longer inticed to give away $4- $6 a day to feel part of the new " I'm successful yuppie, sipping grande shade grown, caramel machiatto, hold the whip cream, sprinkles on the side with an espresso chaser" club. I have discovered a new taste landscape - less commercial and more in the tradition of a mountain tea house and less urban coffee pub in shopping district.

I enjoy a delectable variety of tastes. Light, smoky, floral, herbaceous, spicy, smooth and eclectic. I ahve grown my camomile in my garden this year and it is s splendid hoey tasting tea when brewed fresh from the garden...I enjoy it while I sit in the shade of my garden on ice and before bed all warm and steamy.

I find tea brings me closer to the beautiful plants I enjoy - truly drinking the sunshine that grew it and the earth that stengthened it.

I ma finding it hard to crave the rich dark taste of coffee... like mud in a cup really - in favour of the more light fluid that my grandmom used to enjoy through her day.

I ran 5 K in 25:09!

I went for a run with Kona yesterday and couldn't beleive that I actually ran that well - I did the same run a month ago in 28:03!

I am going to check the distance... it must be wrong ;)

Camera Doctor

My camera is in to Canon...I am having some major issues with the flash and the body. I keep getting error 99s and the flash is shorting on me.

I am somewhat dissapointed with the photos that I got back from the wedding. I found that on auto the images were either under or over exposed.

The bottom line is that I need to learn how to better use the manual settings on the 300d. I ma going to plan a little outing with my friend Diana and stop hermitting.

Life is happening right now...

When you are faced with a difficult situation you will always find someone who is on your side affirming the difficulty and frustration... but ultimately you need a new way of seeing to work your way out of it.

Life cannot be measured by expectations, nor can it be planned. It is a journey through the bush and each person carves their own path - we will all experience the unexpected and we will all waste precious time.

Life is happening to you right now...every moment.

This is my other super dog "Rocket" - Go Rocky go! 

Alan 

Manitoulin Bocce Champions!

James

Every July first weekend we spend at Kevin's cottage...these are the usual suspects...drinking the summer happy juice. 

That is one handsome Weim! 

This is my beautiful companion pup "Kona" 

Tuckerman's trail.

It took us four and a half hours to the top. It was a beautiful clear day, so we could see the panaorama of mountains that surrounded mount Washington when we finally reached the top. We didn't realise until we were halfway up that this was no beginner trail. WE hike nad hiked and scrambled the final two hours. Even while Michele's sight was poor that day she perservered to the top. I felt like the luckiest young woman around to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of ladies. Their wisdom and strength make my life so much more.

Here we are in New Hampshire at the Dana Inn enjoying a lovely dinner before we take on MT. WAshington the next morning.  

There's nothing we can't do together!

The Loo at Sandy's country kitchen Upstate New York

Taken with tea

Drinking green tea started out as a was to boost my thermogenic capacity but has turned into a part of my daily routine - get into work, make a pot of Tazo green tea and ginger and finish before noon.

I have recently given up on coffee to see if there is any net effect at all on how I feel. I have noticed that I don't feel hit by a bus first thing in the morning... a very good start to the day. But I have discovered some wonderful teas to replace my coffee habits. There are so many lovely teas. There is such a wide range tastes and pallets - unlike coffee which always in some way tastes like coffee.

I have discovered the pure joy of Morroccan tea http://www.ummah.org.uk/family/recipes/tea.html. There is a Morraccan resturant that got me started on it - it is a must try. Mint leaves with a touch of orange blossom water and a touch of suger...heavenly on a warm summer days.

Another lovely tea is a flower-based tea from lebanon. It is amixture of roses na dit tastes amazing as an iced tea. You can probably get it at any middle eastern grocery.

I ma quite taken with tea.

I think the organic Costa Rican coffee that I brought back from my trip with last a while.

Love came in the form of a camera

I recently purchased the Canon EOS Digital Rebel 300D... I never thought love would come in the form of a camera. I shot a wedding this past weekend with it and I could not get over the performance. It was quick and responsive.. much more so than my G3. THough I do have to say that the G3 is like my first love - a trusty little camera that never let me down.

I will be signign upf ro some advanced photography courses and will bring home some wonderful shots from italy.

I need to remember to download the photos from Mt. Washington to give to the ladies. There are some great shots there as well. Oh yeah - I climbedMt. Washington last weekend! The weather was amazing and we made it to the top (a parking lot on the top of the mountain!) in 4.5 hours. The next day we hiked the 19 mile broook trail - just lIly and I. Wil post pictures soon.

Planning italy

I am getting ready for my first Italy experience.

I have drafted an itinerary that will get us to milan, venice, florence, cinque terre and backt o milan.  Hopefully we will be able to pick-up our car in florence and drive up the cost of italy to the riviera.

I really need an adventure, It has been so boring here at work...so boring I have even considered mat leave as an escape - that's crazy.  Maybe I will feel different after my trip.

I need to get some new lenses for my camera. Can't wait to try them out.

 

Room 610 - Hotel Kamp - Helsinki

Alan miscalculated the time change from Sweden to Finland which set off a chain reaction of events.  We had ten minutes to get the the Ferry to Estonia - it was rush hour in Helsinki. When we finally arrived at the Viking terminal it was departure time. We were 20 kronos short for the cab but thankfully he let it go. I burst into tears as I watched the ferry depart from the terminal gate.  I was banging on the gate yelling "don't go!".  At that I could hear the departing horn and the griding of its engines and it was moving off the dock. There we both stood watching...not sure what we would do.  It was then I realised htere was like a hundred people staring at me. Scandinavia is a very civilized place...

Our tickets cost $200 US and were non-refundable. Our first course of action was to se if they could be transferred to another ticket by some great act of mercy. I beleive in miracles.  It turned out that the woman at the counter was able to get us on a later ferry to Turku - from there by bus to Helsinki.  With no sleeping cabins available - this meant that we would spend the night on the deck or in the resturants till morning.  So still a bit jet lagged we prepared for sheer exhaustion.

We boarded to Turku and quickly made friends with some other deck folk also making the best of it. We were offered a cabin for 150 Euros...yeah right...whydon't you just ask for my credit card to go duty free shopping too...

Speaking of shopping...we made like the locals and visited the duty free on the ship - there we purchased some booze, chips,  and a pack of cards to hunker down with. We played a version of "bullshit" - known locally translated as "Man full of shit". with a swedish labourer,  a Swedish father on his way to get his daughter from camp and 3 highSchool students: Andtti, Aino and Ina. We spent the night laughing and partying ... and making the very best of the very long trip. When we were far too tired to stay upright we crashed on the cafeteria floor. I woke up to people being seated around the table infront of me helping themselves to a huge breakfast buffet. It was a bit embarrassing - I felt like a vagabond.  A Vagabond on her way to the most prestigious hotel in HElsinki: the Hotel Kamp.

We caught our bus from Turku to Helsiinki wihtout a hitch - things were looking up.  It was 2.5 hours to Helsinki.  We slept the whole way.

Arriving in Helsinki, I was amazed at all the beautiful lush parks along the waterway. This set a backdrop for the beautiful elegant modern and antique buildings. THe city was marvellous. Pedestrian walkways , groomed parks and shopping all combined. 

We arrived at teh hotel Kamp - as beautiful as imagined. OUtside is a beautiful parka nd a street lined with cafes and shops. Flowers are everywhere. As son as we checked in to room 610 we fell asleep to the sounds of a russian man singing outside inth esplanade playing the accordian outside.  And later went to the spa to enjoy the Turkish sauna and the eucalyptus grotto... and slept again int he heated chairs.

Bliss.

 

Bored Stiff

It has been over 12 weeks now that I hardly done anything at work. I have taken to coming in late and walking the 40 minutes to work. I figure that I might as well take the extra time to increase the level of my health while my career deteriorates.
 
I have researched several interesting items on the web:
1) I have taken to planning my trip to Swtzerland and Itlay in September. That helps me feel that my wasted time here will at least come to some value.
 
2) I have decided to purchase a Ford Escape Hybrid - I need the extra cargo space for the Weim, the Dachsund and all our gear.
 
3) I have recently taken a test on webMD that has described me at severely ADHD - well that would have been good to know a long time ago eh? http://webmd.com
 
 

Awake - Finally

The clock radio mumbled in the background as I lay curled up in the sheets. It was 6:45 am. It was time to make my way to work. As I lay there with my warmth pressed into the sheets and a tired dullness that seemed to permeate everything around me, I wondered if Jason had started a pot of coffee. I need a reason to get out of bed.
 
I lingered a little longer and gave the feather pillow an extra hard squeeze in my arms, propping my head a little higher up. My legs spanned the length and width of our queen sized bed. I wanted to hang on to the peaceful dull feeling for as long as possible, even knowing that it was impossible – every moment brings a change.
 
I knew already I would be late for work. This would be a morning where nothing was going to flow easily. I didn’t feel like taking a shower. I would use a neatly twirled updo and a suit as a facade. 
 
I walked to the ensuite to wash. I looked tired. I was tired from a lack of sleep, from boredom, from working against my grain. I was tired, because the neatly twisted hair and ironed suit always feels like a disguise.  If someone had told me years ago that I would be working at this job for the rest of my life, I probably wouldn’t believe it, and would be disappointed to learn the climax of my story was so ordinary. It is like watching a bad movie and not being able to walk out. Biding time.
 
I put on my lipstick and proceeded down the stairs for a cup of coffee. Jay had already left. A note on the table read: I love you.
 
I poured my coffee into a large cream colored coffee mug stirred in two sugars and swirled in a dash of cream. It was quiet and still in the house.    I needed to get to work.