An Inconvenient Truth

I recently had a chance to watch Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and I think that everyone should watch it regardless whether you are a "science" person or not.

As a science person, the facts were good, and the explanations clear.

As a non-science person, I think that Al Gore does a great job of making the climate crisis tangible and understandable AND he still manages to be interesting.

I was browsing the site and found a cool pledge to see the video widget and thought I'd throw one on my blog. Do you see it in the sidebar on the left? Click the widget and see the movie - it's good stuff, regardless whether it is a review or completley new for you.

kudo's to my brother

I keep forgetting to send the proper recognition my little brother's way. He recently spent some serious time re-modelling our fireplace, which used to be an atrocious pile of nasty painted tiles.

NOW, as you can see, due to my brother's brick-laying skills, the fireplace looks AWESOME!


Our kittie's are always cute too.
Thanks - you kick ass!

ps. if you are wondering, he is also going to do the mantle, as soon as we buy some brick without the texture so it can lay flat. He did such a great job, the old crappy mantle fit right back over the top - it looks infinitely better than it used to.

wine = more garbage?

Ok the truth is, I don't have more time to browse, but I did get a new computer complete with Google Desktop. My old computer would have laughed at me if I tried to run something like google desktop at the same as anything else, but this new dell can handle it.

I particularly like the "web clips" which allows me to get a brief synopsis of a multitude of articles, thus allowing me to read the ones of interest, like the one below.

It seems that Australian's have come up with an innovative way to sell wine - with an acrylic glass attached to the bottle. This would of course be amazing if the point was to encourage people to re-use glasses at a party rather than use disposable
cups, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the message attached to this particular acrylic cup. Instead, there is hope that this will allow customers to be served with more expedience and efficiency.

Hmmm, I'm not entirely convinced and neither are the people at Treehugger which is where I found the original article.

new links - CLICK THEM!

I had a friend send me some very cool enviro-links.

I really like this website, lots of pictures, little information blurbs and overall a very user friendly site.  I particularly liked the green gift giving guide for the holiday season.
http://www.inhabitat.com/ 
 

This site has a lot more reading and lot less pictures, but since I don't mind reading so much I don't mind this site so much. :)
  http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/ 

 

This site "Connecting Environmental Professionals" is for a local group (there are also groups in Toronto, Calgary & Edmonton) that has monthly meetings/gatherings for networking purposes and also has an excellent job posting listserv.

http://www.yepcanada.ca/vancouver.htm

That's all for now.  I've been sick and haven't had much time to think let alone write and blog...but C'est La Vie!

 

Did you click them?  What did you think? I dream that one day people will leave me a comment...

bridge club skier?

Are you a bridge club skier?

With all the snow and cold, it's not surprising that I overheard some gals on the bus chatting about heading up to the mountain to ski and ride. I found myself nodding along as one of them went on to say that she was perfectly happy on the blue runs and had no desire to head up to the blacks. You see, she explained, black runs have any or all of trees, narrow sections and moguls which do not interest me.

Yes, yes...I'm not interested in those things either.

She then went on to say she just wanted to have fun, not push and push and push to be better because the result of all that pushing is nearly always a very tired and sore body the next day.

As I listened, I knew we were in the same boat - when I snowboard I do it for enjoyment and pleasure, and although it is not true in all aspects of my life, when it comes to riding it's not about the pursuit of excitement or the challenge.

One of the other girls laughed and called her a bridge club skier to which she simply giggled and agreed.

The truth is, as much as I love to ride, I sure love that steaming cup of hot chocolate that comes at break time. In fact, I often look forward to it.

If that makes me a "bridge club snowboarder", I'll take the title with pride.

Bottom Trawling Moratorium

Have a look at this video that Green Peace has made, simply titled "Blame Canada (and España)" which uses South Park as their means to discuss Canada's lack of participation in the recent Bottom Trawling Moratorium.

I honestly don't know as much as I should about this issue, but from what I understand, this moratorium is for international waters and is not actually talking about a full ban, but rather is looking for bottom trawling to cease while the actual process is re-evaluated.

Bottom trawling is fishing that involves dragging large, non-specific nets along the ocean floor. For more check out Wikipedia.

It seems that Canada doesn't feel that trawling is damaging in our country because we have sandy sea floors rather than corals or other sensitive sea life. Although the moratorium only applies to International waters, there is fear that agreement may eventually lead to exclusion of trawling in our own waters.

That's how I understand it at least - watch the video...it's entertaining at the least.

thoughts on Kyoto

I just used the David Suzuki Website to send an email to the Prime Minister about how important I believe the Kyoto Protocol to be.

This is the first time I have ever felt inspired to use one of those "form email" things, but the truth is I think it is a crock that Canada is ignoring their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

Here's what the letter says:

Dear Prime Minister,

I’m writing to let you know I’m concerned about global warming and I want Canada to do something about it.

Climate change is a global issue and the Kyoto Protocol is the only global agreement we have to address this challenge. We made a promise to the world that we would reduce our heat-trapping emissions and to ignore this promise would be an international embarassment.
>
Kyoto was always designed to be the first step towards the long-term changes we need to make to protect our health, our environment and our economy. Like the vast majority of Canadians, I support Kyoto and expect Canada to take a lead role in this critical global issue.

Please don’t let us down.

Sincerely,
(your name and address automatically added here)

The form also allows you to add your own comments, so this is what I added:

As a Canadian I am embarrassed by the knowledge that Canada was the second country to sign the Kyoto Protocol and despite this excitement and eagerness we continue to look the other way with regard to Canada's contribution to Global Warming.

We all have to do what's right for ourselves - check out the website for more information.

moving desks

I spent all day yesterday moving offices.  Packing stuff up, hauling it to my brand new desk, in a brand new building and then attempting to organize--what can only be described as--my semi-organized clutter into a resemblance of a normal desk.  When I arrived this morning, I was surprised to find that my desk did in fact look similar to the multitude of neat and tidy desks that make up our open office space. 

 

Now, I simply have to keep it this way.

I have a feeling that's going to be the deal breaker for me.

Not that I don't want to keep it clean and tidy and beautiful.  I appreciate neat - A LOT.  I just have a hard time keeping things that way.  I'm hoping that my husbands theory (that if everything actually has a home then it becomes a lot easier to put away) is going to ring true, be effective and possibly even help me to improve my cleanliness in our home.

Time will tell.

Bubble Tea

Mmmm...I just had a HONEY MILK TEA with PEARLS.

Delicious!

If you've never had one, you should try. Although it's probably safer to try someone else's first. The tapioca pearls creep a LOT of people out!

(note: picture nicked off the internet - although mine was the same colour!)

siblings

It's curious, I'm not sure where it came from, but I was driving along today and had a bizarre realization. My dad is a "because I said so" parent, and though many things have changed over the years, I know that his attitude was consistent throughout both my own and my siblings upbringing. And despite this, or perhaps more likely as a result of this attitude, all three of us have a problem with authority, especially being expected to blindly follow instructions without explanation, rhyme or reason.

My sister is the baby and the princess, and she knows how to work it. She pours on the charm, looks you straight in the eye and tells you how SHE wants things to be when confronted with unexplained authority.

My brother has the strength & resiliency of steel, which will forever amaze and inspire me. If you don't respect him, you can expect less than nothing from him and he will take your punishment without question.

Myself, I am the weakest in this respect. I am the oldest and I strive for a harmony that comes with taking care of others. If a request is reasonable, if it is spoken to me with respect, if I can understand the need I will agree. However, if I feel taken advantage of, or disrespected I WILL stand up for myself.

Perhaps the truth is that none of this has to do with the "because I told you so" parenting style we encountered but rather is just the natural trend of our family: strong willed and persistent. I really don't know what the answer is, but I certainly found the idea to be extremely ironic.

changeeverything.ca

I heard about the http://www.changeeverything.ca website for the first time on the radio. I didn't really know what it was, but I was intrigued.

Then I heard about the changeeverything.ca website at work. I heard it was a vancity initiative that had their look and feel, but wasn't about banking. I was told it was a website designed to help real people make changes in their lives and connect with other people with same values, moral and/or goals.

Cool. I've been meaning to check it out for ages and I finally did.

It was easy to register, it's easy to post things you want to change in your life, your community or your world and it's easy to discuss a plethora of topics of interest to you. Of course for me, the environment is my primary interest for discussion, but that's certainly not the only topic people are discussing. I've already posted two changes I strive to make in my life and just finished commenting on a different discussion thread.

I think it's a great initiative, it feels proactive and I'm happy I've jumped on board.

bus-ly inspiration

I ride the bus a lot now, nearly every day, and though it can occasionally be slow, annoying, sweaty and smelly there are also a few benefits. First, I don't have to drive in traffic, I can listen to my ipod, I can play sodoku puzzles (sometimes), I can sleep and best of all, I can people watch. During my approximately 1hr commute I see a lot of people get on and off the bus and I often find my mind wandering, thinking about what their lives must be like, where they are going, what kind of job they must have - you know, people watching.

I often find myself inspired and composing blog posts in my mind. Unfortunately, when I arrive at work, it turns out I actually need to work and those lovely thoughts often dissipate throughout the day. Why not write them on the bus you ask? I have two responses to that, first off I am prone to motion sickness and have been working my way up to reading. So far I can do sodoku on the way to work, most of the time. I tried writing one day and I had to stop because I felt sick and that lovely feeling stayed with me for the remainder of the bus ride - ick!

Just the other day however, someone or something on the bus must have reminded me of my brother, because I found myself envisioning something a little more substantial than a blog post. I was imagining a book, the lessons my brother has taught me. Please don't misconstrue, my brother is not older and wiser than me, he has not sat me down at the kitchen table and taught me much of anything, but he had a hard time growing up and I was his rock and THAT taught me everything.

I could easily cover a chapter each about love, compassion, strength, courage, morals, anger and of course pain simply by recalling the experiences of our childhood.

Maybe I should.
Maybe I will.

just a few honeymoon photos

Downtown Playa del Carmen - Despite the heat, locals play soccer on the beach, and you can see the ferry to Cozumel in the background.


The Beach Club view of the ocean - the weather was changing and the waters were choppy, but it only added to the beauty.


Xcaret "ecological reserve" was full of brightly coloured and beautiful animals - here you can see the Macaws.

Invasive Plant Survey

If you know me at all, you know that I spend OODLES of time out in nature removing invasive plants from our natural areas.  These nasty plants have made their way into our habitats accidentally or occasionally on purpose and they are able to grow extremely rapidly and aggressively.  As these plants are often very far from their natural range, they exist in our habitat without any natural controls such as predators or disease and thus are able to outcompete and often crowd out native species, dramatically reducing native populations and thus the biodiversity of the ecosystem...

 

Take a few moments and fill out this survey put out by Simon Fraser University (even if you don't know much about invasives) and contribute to the knowledge base that these researchers are trying to establish.

SFU Invasive Plant Survey

Seriously...click the link and check it out!

Grand (Flamenco) Occidental Xcaret

We've been home from our honeymoon at the Grand (Flamenco) Occidental Xcaret; for about 36 hours and though we are glad to be home - DAMN was it cold out at the bus stop this morning. The resort is located
about 10 minutes from Playa Del Carmen which is about 50 minutes from Cancun. Playa Del Carmen was first known for the ferry to the snorkeling and diving haven of Cozumel but has become its own bustling town full of shops, tourists and time share opportunities.

IF you exclude the regular horrors of travelling for over 12 hours to arrive at a destination that would take less than half the time if you had been able to fly direct, our honeymoon was fantastic. The resort was beautiful, It lived up to our expectations as a 4.5 * resort, with friendly and helpful staff, well cared for (not to mention lush) grounds, numerous pools, a gorgeous and serene beach club, and of
course an abundance of food to eat, water to drink and of course you could find alcoholic beverages every step of the way.

During our 7 night stay we were permitted to eat out 4 times at our choice of 5 excellent a la carte restaurants; in the end we only made it out for dinner 3 times, but c'est la vie. In addition to all of these resources there was also a SPORTS BAR and DISCO on the premises. Although the disco seemed to have some potential, we only made it there one time and despite our large consumption of Mojito's (with new friends) and being the last to leave for the evening, we never did make it out to the dance floor to shake our booties.

Once we found the SPORTS BAR however, we seemed to continue migrating that way as our evening progressed. We watched baseball, played pool (surprisingly well) and enjoyed the beverages of the bar.

There's more to say and pictures to upload, but for now, I will say the resort was beautiful, we rarely left and we spent the majority of our time swimming, eating or sleeping...ahhh isn't that the life?

Granola Girl's RECIPES

This is just the begining, but I intend to slowly amass my favourite recipes here. Please be patient and remember to check back.

GLUTEN-FREE Recipes
Gluten-Free Ponderosa Cake
Gluten-Free Bagels
Gluten-Free, Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza (also Yeast-Free and Egg-Free)

NOT GLUTEN-FREE Recipes
Easy Quiche Lorraine

3:56am

3:56am, I welcome the crisp ocean air against my sweaty, tacky skin. The hard plastic of the lawn chair presses coolness into my back like an ice pack. The only sound interrupting the pure silence of early morning is nature herself. The rhythmic lapping of the ocean waves along the rocky shore. Though the waves may vary in strength and sound, they will never stop - such beautiful white noise. Within moments I am ready to return to my toasty haven and drift back to sleep.

back to love

People often say that marriage is about compromise and that much is true, but just yesterday we tackled yet another issue that I'm certain will come up time and time again.

I promised to care for J when he is sick, weary or simply in need and it is the last statement that I am referring to now. We have had 5 years to learn each other, to begin to understand the subtle nuances of each other, and yet it's obvious, marriage has affect one important factor - trust.

Not trust in each other from an honesty perspective, but rather trust in your partner that they will watch out for you and take care of you, always. That it's ok to give into your demons for a few moments if need be, because the love of your life is there to guide you and bring you back.

Back to life & back to love.

Married

Nothing has changed and yet everything is different. We are just two weeks in and I still giggle when I say husband. It seems surreal sometimes - I HAVE A HUSBAND.

I feel like an adult, like a grown up, I feel like I've finally begun to loosen my grip on the life of a youth. Not that I ever acted overly stereotypically.

But I digress, being married is wonderful. Our friends and family embrace us as a whole. They see us as two parts of the same, just as we do and it's incredible. No longer are our commitments secondary to anyone else's. We are the beginning of our own family, and people respect that.

And yet within our little family, our little unit, we have maintained the status quo. We continue to take care of each other, watch over each other and provide for one another when we are in need. Truly, nothing has really changed between us, we just made our commitment official.

wed 140
Originally uploaded by granola girl :).

The wedding - simply perfect

Well it's official - I am now a MRS and I couldn't be happier.

The sun was shining, the guests were smiling, and the love of my life was waiting for me, to claim me as his own.  The day went fabulously and I wouldn't change a thing, there were no major crisis', no tears (except a few out of pure joy) and there was an overall glow of love and happiness over the entire day.

A special thank you to everyone who made the day possible and to everyone who was able to make it out to share in our special day.

There is so much to say, but for now...the lyrics of OUR song...

"Better Together" by Jack Johnson

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? and where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing its always better when we're together

MMM its always better when we're together
Yeah, look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that theyll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
For tomorrow night you see
That theyll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll Sit beneath the mango tree now

Its always better when we're together
Mmmm, we're somewhere in between together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm
I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're Better together.

on being flexible and adventerous!

Another good read I found in my email box...gg :)

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."
 

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she/he is open to adventure and available for trips. She/he keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her/his enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her/him for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
 

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not just something on your SHOULD DO list.. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"
 

Food for thought

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's
greed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi

We cannot command Nature except by obeying her. ~Francis Bacon

The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist
is the man who cleans up the river. ~Ross Perot

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the
rest of the world. ~John Muir

The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human
ambition. ~Carl Sagan

It appears to be a law that you cannot have a deep sympathy with both
man and nature. ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

The human race will be the cancer of the planet. ~Julian Huxley, attributed

The word "wilderness" occurs approximately three hundred times in the
Bible, and all its meanings are derogatory. ~René Dubos, The Wooing
of Earth, 1980

In an underdeveloped country, don't drink the water; in a developed
country, don't breathe the air. ~Changing Times magazine

http://www.quotegarden.com/environment.html

bus stop etiquette

I know that I am far from an expert on etiquette - nor do I generally
feel the need to follow such socially defined rules, and yet this
morning I found myself shaking my head as I boarded the bus.

When at a major bus stop that serves many routes, people generally
congregate near the bus stop and there is inevitably some budging,
pushing and shoving as people make their way onto the bus.

When however, you are at a single bus stop that only services a single
bus into town and people are peacefully lined up in the order they
arrived, it is common courtesy to stand at the end of the line and
happily wait for your turn to board the bus - even if that means you
have to stand.

It annoys me even more, when these said people make their way to the
front of the line with the guise of checking the bus schedule, after
which they just happen to be the front of the line to board the bus.
At this point, they avoid eye contact and continually check their
watch as they wait for the bus that they are about to board in front
of all the other passengers at the stop.

What makes these people think they are so special? I hate to be the
bearer of bad news, but people were already waiting patiently, and
though no one had the energy to tell off the bus stop etiquette
offender at my stop this morning (myself included) I know I wasn't the
only one frustrated by this behaviour. There were definitley some
shared smiles and eye rolls. <b>Wait your turn to board the bus, just
like everyone else!</b>

The engagement: T minus 2 weeks 1 day

Wow, Wow, Wow!! The wedding is sneaking up fast. While not exactly sneaking up, more like barreling forward. Thoughts of the wedding constantly permeate my mind. Fortunately, most everything has been "sorted out" and/or "dealt with" meaning as far as I can tell there is nothing left that still needs to be "planned". There is still much to do, but at least there is a plan. :D

Work has been crazy busy to boot, so I feel like I have accomplished so little over the last few weeks, but I know it's not true. I'm going to spend the day doing errands, just as I did last Friday, and hopefully I will feel a sense of accomplishment when I lay down to sleep this evening.

Tonight is J's pseudo-stag: I call it that because a) he didn't want it and b) he's informed his friends he will be leaving if they try and embarrass him and make him do stupid stuff...Although time will tell.

Tomorrow is my make-up consultation and my second wedding shower, this time with some of my friends present.

Weddings sure take up a lot of energy - but I can't wait to be J's Mrs!

The engagement - we finally met our photographer yesterday...

an attempt to kick laziness in the ass

With softball officially finished for the season, I made an executive decision...

• I will not become lazy.
• I will not procrastinate working out because I need a break from life.
• I will not procrastinate working out because I'm busy.
• I will not let a lack of exercise make me cranky.
• I will not feel sluggish and out-of-shape at my wedding.

In fact I decided that:

• I will go back to Kick-Boxing immediately (I did - yay me!). 
• I will feel buff(ish) at my wedding (as long as I keep going, I will!).

And I am proud to announce that I went to kick-boxing on Monday and I will be going back this evening.  My abs are killing me (a sure sign I haven't done any crunches in months) and it feels great.  In that hurts but feels good exercise kind of way, my spirits are already lifted and I remember how happy I am when I work out regularly.  Plus I didn't totally suck ass when I went back.  J tells me that your muscles remember quickly, so we will see.  If they come back quick I'll be super ecstatic, although exercising in general has that effect on me.

If I have told you about kick-boxing and tried to convince you to come - YOU SHOULD.

• It's cheap $4/1.5 hours (you buy a ticket with 10 for $40 and there's no expiration, you use them when you can make it) and he will let you try it for free the first time.
• If you like it you will need to buy your own gloves and wraps but that's only $40 and cheaper than any of the local sporting good stores - plus you get to pick your own glove colour.
• It's a serious ass-kicking and incredibly fun - if you've got some aggression in you, kicking and punching the bag is so incredibly satisfying.
• The class is small, rarely more than 10 people (over 90% women), and usually all at different levels, so you don't have to worry if you're new - it's unlikely you will be the only one.
• The instructor is relaxed, funny & gives you enough instruction so that you feel comfortable and enough space that you don't get creeped out.
• It starts at 7:10pm on mon/wed which gives more than enough time to get home and possibly eat something before working out and a little earlier (6:15pm?) on saturday's so there is still time to go out, and if you work, still time to get home.
• Oh yeah, and you'll get to hang out with me...although hang out may not be quite the right term for it, perhaps I should say you get to sweat with me.  But seriously, it's fun - you should try it!
  

The engagement - a wedding weekend

My weekends seem to be getting busier and busier, although I guess that is to be expected, my wedding is approaching in just over 1 month.

Friday had me out with my mother in law for a wonderful afternoon; after about 15 minutes at the dress makers the "chores" for the afternoon were done. The outfit is going to be beautiful, stunning and of course it will fit me "just so"...I'm very excited. We spent another few hours perusing Army & Navy where I found some wonderful pink bebe pants and a couple of fabulous shirts.

On our way home we stopped at a local blueberry farm where I couldn't resist buying a LOT of blueberries - I want to freeze some and last time I bought a huge box, it wasn't huge enough. I think 10 pounds of blueberries ought to be enough. :D Mmm...blueberries, yogurt & granola for breakfast, I love it. But I digress, my mother-in-law then agreed to try "pho" and was delighted to find that she quite enjoyed the simple vietnemese noodle soup.

Then Saturday was MY Bridal Shower put on by my lovely aunts. It was the mom & her friends shower, but was fun nonetheless; lots of goodies to eat, sangria to drink and and an amazing mango custard cake. We played some shower games, including "clothespin" stealing when you cross your legs, making a brides dress out of tissue paper, ribbon and tape and "memory" with my outfit...and of course I had to wear the ribbon hat...

Tags:/wedding shower/dress fitting/engagement/

Introducing Fred

J kept telling me I had to wait until Saturday for one of my birthday presensts, and I had no idea what he was talking about, but resoutley decided not to make a big deal of it.

When I arrive home however, I forget all about this promise. We chill out and relax, eventually finding our way to the spare room, where I instantly notice something different.

Lemmiwinks is gone*!
OMG...and there is a hedgie in there!



We spent some time getting acquainted yesterday, he ran around the metal pen on the living room floor (protected by a towel of course) and man is he smart...he pushed the cage around and ALMOST climbed out!

Thanks J for an amazing, sweet and heartfelt present...I still can't believe you got him for me!

*What a sweetie, J took Lemmmiwinks to the pet store with him and although they can't sell him, he was such an adorable gerbil that one of the girls was going to take him home.

Tags:/birthday/hedgehog/hedgie/

Happy Birthday to me...

Well, I am a quarter of a century old today...

It really doesn't feel any different than yesterday, and the truth is,
I feel that way every birthday. Although it does sound more adult and
dignified - twenty-five, hmm maybe there is something special about
it.

I started off the day by a special treat. A caramel machiato from
Starbucks and a ham & cheese croissant from Cobs bread. Since it's my
birthday I also go a spinach and feta croissant which I have every
intention of enjoying this morning.

I'm working today so that I can take the weekend off. Fortunately, I
had some long days last week and I am flexing the hours today so that
I can have a half day. After which I plan on meeting Jason at his
work for lunch, then heading home for a nap. Then in the evening, it
looks like off to the local pub for cheap beer and good eats with good
friends. Sounds like a plan to me.

Oh yeah, and the sun is shining and my brother sent me a happy
birthday text message first thing this morning - made me smile. Looks
like it's shaping up to be a great birthday!

must sleep...

Last week kicked my ass - hence the lack of posts.

Monday through Wednesday was spent getting up early, driving to work, driving back across town (and then some) to the beach where we trudged through the mudflats and removed Spartina for about 6 hours, before driving back to work, then back home to play softball playoffs each night. Wow, I'm tired again just thinking about it.

 

But seriously, it was both fun and satisfying.  I love my job and I love softball, although I must admit to being at least mildly relieved that we didn't win our series in softball and the season is finished.  With all the wedding planning going on, there's only so much time.

I spent all day thursday at a workshop for developing a Biodiversity action plan for the region - too cool!  Did I mention I love my job? :D

My mom and I have been working on wedding favoursthis week - I promise they aren't almonds or mints or anything equally as lame.  Well at least not to me - I was aiming for HIPPY COOL, and if that's your thing too, you'll like them.

 

That's all there's time for right now, but I'll try and come up with something of interest soon.
~gg

Lawn Ecology a divine perspective

There have been a lot of essays written on the issue of urban/suburban landscape homogenization (aka the lawning of North America), here's looking at it from a "higher" perspective. 

It's amazing what fun can be found in my email box these days! ~gg

Lawn Ecology

GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast
garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sodworms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:  Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn leaves fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.

ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No fooling? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie about....

GOD: Never mind. I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

The Engagement - The Ring (close up)

Not that the picture even remotely does the ring justice...and you can see I've had some sun this weekend, but it's better than nothing!

Happy Canada Day

As the beer commercials say, I'm Proud to be Canadian and not just because of the beer.

• I'm proud to be part of a country that values ethnicity and culture.


• I'm proud to be a part of a country that sends peace keepers and not soldiers.


• I'm proud to live in a country where we have so few murders that they all make the news.


• I'm proud to live in a country where I don't know anyone who owns a gun (I think).


• I'm proud to live in a country that accepts marriage as a union between two people - regardless of their sexual orientation.


• I'm proud to be a CHINESE-CANADIAN!

And I'm proud to live in a country that doesn't vote Bush in for two consecutive terms. I try not to bash other people or other countries, but there was something about this picture that totally entertained me, and I figured the web would already be flooded with Canadian flags, so today, something new.

Plus it's not like any of you ever comment, so I'm not overly concerned about nasty comments - plus I have the power to delete them!

Tags:/Canada/Canada Day/Canadian/Proud to be Canadian/

The engagement - resolution?

And after all that drama...the Golf Course is completely booked anyways.
Go Figure.

The Engagement - Do whatever you want...

I'm exasperated.

Everyone keeps telling me to "do whatever I want", yet when I tell them what I want they make me feel bad as if I am just the other parties puppet to do with what they will.

ARGH!

It's so frustrating. What do I want? I want everyone to be happy - or at least pretend to be happy so that I can relax.

I'm not good at being selfish, at ignoring everyone close to me's feelings, wants and desires. Those things play a huge roll in my decision-making process, and for some reason no one's willing to give in and make me feel better, only give in and make me feel f*k*n guilty.

"Guilt is primarily an emotion experienced by people who believe they have done something wrong."
-Wikipedia

Seriously, I don't think I've done anything wrong and yet I'm so concerned for all of your feelings that I'm the one crying, racked with guilt because there is no possible way for me to make you all happy.

Shame on you!

The Engagement - The Family Argument

A good friend of mine is getting married this weekend and as such she has been planning her wedding for the past few months.  As I chatted away about my annoyances with wedding planning she told me that her experience and those of everyone she had talked to led to to one important piece of insight.

You will have at least one major fight with the family. 
It will happen.

It is inevitable.

You will figure it out & it will pass.

As I mentioned previously, one could say that my dad is mildly disappointed that I will not be having a large "do" for my wedding.  In fact I nixed the idea of having the wedding at his golf course before he had a chance to argue his point.  We don't even golf and we just aren't interested.

 

About a week after the initial discussion my mom approached me about possibly having lunch out rather than having it catered to the house...Now I'm sure you can see where this is leading.  They almost had me completely convinced that it would be no hassle to get everyone loaded up and to the golf course for pictures and food and that miraculously J and I would still have time for some serious mid-day relaxation.

 

After some chatting with J, friends and the like, I am not entirely convinced things will be so easy.  Nor am I convinced that I want the hassle.  The golf course is definitely beautiful &  I want my dad to have his glory, pride and excitement and of course the opportunity to show-off for his friends - but he pretty much has free reign with the Open House.

 

What to do...What to do?!
I guess it's probably time to head back over to Mom's for another chat...Wish me Luck - I know Dad's been on her back.

The Engagement - dress shopping

Now that we are officially getting married in just over 2 months, it is suddenly time to get a move on making it all happen. Of course one of the most important issues is the wedding dress. I wasn't particularly interested in getting a big poufy dress, but rather was hoping for something a little bit more hippy-casual. I was hoping for separates rather than a dress and just in general I just wanted to find something that suited my style.

So today, my mom, my sister-in-law and I headed out to wedding dress lane and proceeded to browse and peruse. We arrived at 10am, but it turns out that wedding dress shopping starts at 11am. No need to worry however, we didn't seem to have any trouble passing the time; we found some stationary to make the wedding invitations, and some great materials to make thank you cards. We found fabulous purses for my mom, and once she picks her outfit I'm fairly certain we will be back to buy her a matching purse.

We were back home by 1:30 and in that time, we accomplished A LOT. The first thing we found were the shoes (if you click the picture in the link you can see all different views) and as soon as I slipped them on my feet, I was an owner. They are beautiful, comfortable and will match anything.

We also found a dress, it's more traditional than I expected, but it suits my personality and style. Oh yes and did I mention it makes me look DAMN THIN!

I can't say too much more as J reads this too, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Email me if you want more details, or maybe even a picture if your lucky.

Tags:/wedding dress shopping/

Spartina anglica

Work is great. I love my job.

Last week I spent three days roaming the local mudflats in search of Spartina anglica (English Cordgrass) an invasive, perennial, salt grass. Spartina is a threat to the biodiversity and productivity of our local estuary, due to their aggressive and opportunistic characteristics. Without any natural predators or disease, these plants quickly out-compete native mudflat species and can convert and entire area into a monotypic stand. Unfortunately, once this occurs it becomes nearly impossible to eradicate from an area.


Spartina
Originally uploaded by Dovekie.

Fortunately, Spartina was first found locally in 2003 and since then local groups (including the one I work for) have been working together to "nip it in the bud" so to speak.

Last week we walked the flats with handheld GPS units and mapped the location of Spartina clones, and in the coming months we will take to the flats and manually remove these weeds. The clumps larger than 3m will be removed using an excavator and buried far beneath the surface.

It's satisfying to know that the areas where these efforts were concentrated last year, showed very little re-growth.

It is possible - we CAN beat Spartina and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Tags: /Spartina/Spartina Busters/Invasive Species/Invasive/Stewardship/work/

The Engagement - admire my ring

Doesn't it just look perfect on my hand?!



This was less than half an hour after he put it there!

Lazy Food

Although close to comfort food, LAZY FOOD is not exactly the same thing in my books. You know when you get home and you are sooo tired that you consider not eating as a perfectly valid alternative to cooking? If you choose cooking, you probably pick lazy food.

Today was one of those days - I just couldn't get my ass in gear. Generally in these situations I will eat one of the following meals. I can't really say that any of them are my favourite, although I do tend to binge on one for a while and then switch to another and eat that on consecutive lazy days until it no longer feels like the enjoyment I get from the food outweighs the efforts of making it. At which point, there are always other alternatives.

• Ramen noodles with an egg-If you have never eaten this, I know it sounds a little gross, but MMMmmm it is DAMN good. Boil your water, throw in your noodles and sauce packet and when the water starts to boil again, crack an egg into the pot and stir it all up. Cook for a couple more minutes - throw in any leftover meat or veggies you may have on hand and enjoy. Delicious!


• Perogies and Cheese-Even if you don't have sour cream (although it is preferable) the enjoyment of the meal far outweighs the effort of boiling water and grating cheese. Once boiled, I always put a little butter atop those yummy potato morsels before smothering them with grated cheddar and sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper on top. Mmmm, perogies...*drool*


• Mac & Cheese-Seriously is it really possible not to love mac & cheese? Especially KD! I like it straight up plain with a bit of salt and pepper.

I bring this up because today I couldn't resist having a meal of mac & cheese at work (since fridge was grocery free I couldn't make a lunch) and then I returned home to a meal of ramen with an egg.

Two lazy foods in one day, I'm not sure whether to celebrate or hang my head...Nah, seriously it was a good day for food!

Tags:/lazy food/

The Engagement - Let the planning begin

So we have decided on a date:
Saturday September 2nd, 2006
That's right, THIS September. My dad is in shock, I think he was dreaming about a big golf club kind of wedding, but I have a sister and we often call her Princess, so he will get his chance. But other than that the families are happy for us and supportive of our ideas.

So here's what we are envisioning. A beautiful backyard wedding at my parents home with only our immediate family members present. It's not that we don't like our friends, but rather we refuse to invite some, but not all of you, and well if we invite all of you then we're no longer talking about a small wedding are we?

Following the short civil service, we will take some pictures and enjoy a catered lunch with those very important guests before escaping the excitement for a few hours.

After which we will re-convene in the backyard to have a fabulously relaxed and fun open house with lots of food, relaxing music and no obligation to come, go, or stay for any defined period of time. We're low key people and we want the celebration of our love to reflect who we are rather than follow someone else's traditions.

Although our backyard wedding will have much less to plan than a traditional big wedding, we have to cram all of our preparations into the next two and a half months...Something tells me it is going to be a very busy summer.

Tags: /wedding/engagement/backyard wedding/wedding planning/

The Proposal

The proposal, the engagement, marriage: some girls spend countless hours giggling, dreaming and fantasizing, but not me. I always knew that I would get married, that I would find "him" but I was no more interested in pursuing the elusive "him" than I was in studying math. I always cited a lack of imagination when asked questions about the future, but I now see that was never the problem it hand. In fact it wasn't a problem at all.

I've refused to create possibilities in my mind, I've refused to chase perfection, but instead have appreciated the offerings that my life has brought forth. In each moment there is inherent beauty, if only we embrace it, and my efforts have been fruitful.

The Proposal - Sheer Perfection

He's holding me so tight, he's whispering his love in my ear, the sun shines warm and bright overhead and all I see before me is an abundance of trees and nature. We often joke that J is 10 steps ahead of me, and this is no exception, as I process the beauty before me yet another beautiful moment is unfolding.

As we stand together at the edge of the ridge, he turns me slowly as he sinks to his knee and proposes, presenting me with a ring that catches in the sunlight and takes my breath away.

As I had never imagined and created my proposal in my mind, my response also lacked the energy and foresight of childhood dreams. Instead the simple "yes" that slipped from my lips was the purest form of love that we could possibly have hope for. And from the moment he proposed I have found myself reveling in the absolute perfection and beauty that I have found in our engagement - a sure sign of our future together.

Pictures & more to follow - I promise.

Tags:/proposal/engaged/romantic/

Bogey-man

I remember Bogey as a puppy; he had this teddy bear, with a purple bow around its neck, and he took him everywhere. He carried him gently in his mouth as he followed my mom around the house, he placed him in his bed when he went to sleep. And oh, how he cried when my mom put him in the wash. Bogey and his bear were absolutely adorable.

I remember Katie trying to get rid of Bogey - hoping she could make the little puppy everyone loved disappear. She snuck out of the house with Bogey in tow and then left him a few blocks away, while she ran home to her spot beside the ditch and acted like she knew nothing. She was always tricking Bogey; running into the back yard so that he would follow her, and then sneaking back in the house just as you shut the door. But still, she loved him, she kissed and cuddled him a lot in his last days - she will miss him dearly too.

I remember Ad trying to get him to act like a dog, trying to make him go for a run. But he was having none of that, two blocks and he was panting and ready to walk - you know how it is with dogs, if they want to walk, you walk.

Bogey is the first large pet that I remember from the day he came home, until the day he passed on. He's the first pet I've been old enough to remember through and through, and I promise I will never forget him. His loving nature and kind eyes, his soft-albeit oily-coat and the way the only thing in the world he wanted was to be touched and loved and paid attention to.

He was well loved and he had a happy life. He touched all our hearts, and will be with us forever. Here are just a few pictures of Bogey, mostly from just the other day, they make me sad, but it's ok, because it makes me realize how much I loved him.

May he rest in peace.


Bogey.ppt
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This may take a minute or so to load, but just click it once and wait. It works, I just tested it.

Tags:/loss/pet/dog/golden retriever/R.I.P./bogey/

1997 - 2006

weekends & buses

Wow, do real weekends ever fill up? For the second weekend in a row J and I were busy busy busy, but I'm not entirely sure with what. We visited family, we visited friends and suddenly it was Sunday night and time to start getting ready for the week.

My last post was not all bollocks and I have taken the bus to work for the past two days and in all honesty, I like it just fine. The last two days have been exceptionally challenging because I needed to catch an extra bus on the way home to make it to the softball diamonds for a game each night. Monday was easy as pie and I was at the diamond in 70 minutes. Tuesday however was an entirely different story; I started off 10 minutes later and subsequently had delays at both my transfers and it took me an hour and 50 minutes to go the exact same distance. But hey, them's the breaks right?

On the whole taking the bus is definitely easier and less stressful and quite honestly I don't mind it a bit. I have volunteer training this evening, so I get a leisurely morning before driving to work in non-peak hours. Yay!

Tags: /bus/transit/weekend/

traffic - another vote for transit

My new job is very flexible with regard to hours on office days. That means that I get to choose what time I come in, but since my journey includes 3 bridges each day traffic is definitely a factor. This week I have been working with the coordinator I will be replacing (while she is having a baby!) and have been coming in for 8am, which works out fairly well. It allows me to leave by 4pm and thus miss the bulk of the really bad traffic.

Yesterday however, was the worst day yet (traffic-wise) and it started first thing in the morning. Despite leaving at exactly the same time the day before, yesterday was considerably busier - there was no accident, it was just busy. As my little bar chugged its way up the second bridge of my trip, I notice a pickup truck is coming up the carpool lane beside me. The two lanes merge into one and there was a significant amount of space behind me.

I had JUST let a person merge in front of me only moments before, so of course, I ride the car in front of me, assuming that the truck will back off and slip in behind me. No dice.

Instead he speeds up and just starts moving into my lane. Does he put on his blinker? Nope, he just moves over and if you've ever seen my car I'm sure you can imagine that in a fight between a pick-up and my Toyota, I would probably lose. Fortunately there is room in the next lane over and I jerk my car into the other lane, with little time to spare.

Now of course I'm angry and don't want to go behind the truck--out of principle--but will the bitch in the car in front of me (whom I already let in) allow me to merge back into the lane in front of her? Nope, she speeds up and rides the space.

Eventually I manage to merge back over and make my exit - I think I actually may have made it in front of the truck, because they passed me again on the road. Only this time the man in the truck (with two teenage looking boys - way to set an example) gave me the middle finger while pretending to pick his nose. Give me a f'n break...What an asshole.

On the way home, it takes me half an hour to get through the traffic to get over the same bridge, which takes less than 5 minutes when there is no traffic. Grrrr.

The point of this rant, is that before I even started the job, I thought perhaps transit would be the way to go. I imagined (and schedules confirmed) that in terms of time the bus would be close if not faster than driving, plus I wouldn't have the stress of driving after a long day of work.

Take into consideration the fact that I will likely have to drive the same distance to and from work sites with regular frequency all summer long, and that's another vote for transit.

Work also provides an employee bus plan that discounts your monthly pass by about $10 so I think I must be up to three votes for transit now.

Next week, when I don't have to meet anyone first thing in the morning at work, I intend to try getting a ride part way with J and see what time that gets me to work. I'm anticipating 8:30, which could work fabulously for me, except for the days when I have softball...

Tags:/traffic/transit/

Weekend BBQ's

Yay Yay Yay...On our first normal weekend off together in over a year, J and I attended not one, but two barbeques for the long weekend.

Mmmm, Burgers & Beer...

It's so great to be able to have a life!

Summer is going to kick ass this year, even though I will be working most Sundays. But that won't matter at all because I love stewardship work and I'll still get Saturdays with J.

Although it could hamper all those camping plans...

Tags:/BBQ/

New job - two days complete

I'm two days into the new job and I am still so incredibly stoked. Everyone in the office seems amazing and the facility itself, well let me just say if you knew where it was, you'd be jealous.

I am covering a mat-leave so this week and next week I am getting the introduction to the program and the work from the coordinator, so things have been a little slow, but still very interesting.

I attended my first staff meeting yesterday where we did a personal colour analysis and I found out that I am a yellow under normal circumstances but a green-blue-red when I am stressed. What does that mean you ask??

Yellow means that I am:

Being curious about what other think and feel...Being open minded and willing to adapt...Experiments with different ways of acting...Proud to be a "member"...Likes to know a lot of people...Likes to be known by a lot of people...Likes to be known as flexible

and that I exhibit the following characteristics in a rewarding environment:

Friendly, involving, sociable, democratic, playful, changing, flexible...Encouraging interaction...Being heard and listening...Sensitivity to feelings...Consensus building

More interesting the fact that I respond to stress in a Green-Blue-Red fashion means I am:

a person who first meets conflict with caution, examining the situation carefully and logically and waiting for all the facts to come in before making any commitments. If this does not work and there is no important principle involved, they would defer to the other person in the interest of harmony. If the conflict continues, they would come out fighting, but only as a last resort.

It's surprising how accurate these statements are.

But I digress, the pregnant coordinator and I did site visits yesterday, reviewing the potential sites and the work that needs to be done. Now that I can see how much work there is, I am eager to get outside and get dirty!

Tags:/jobs/color analysis/

the importance of money

It's not every day that you turn down a position that makes significantly more money than your current position (or at least it is the first time for me). Especially when you have yet to start your current position, but that is JUST what I did today.

*ring*ring*
I can see from the call display that this is a potential employer calling, however they told me they were hoping to call within a week and it has now been two and a half, so I'm ready for the rejection message and a quick hangup.

After some idle banter that includes telling him I have a new position (as he had called my old place of business and been informed I was no longer an employee) he cautiously asked "So I guess there is no point offering you this position?" I took a moment to be sure, but then replied that I was sorry but unfortunately it was true.

He was understanding, stating that sometimes things are "feast or famine" which is entirely true, since I applied for this particular position all the way back in January.

Now surely you are thinking "girl - your crazy" but the truth is, I had already made this decision when I decided to take on the stewardship & outreach position. Although this job is for a considerable amount of money, the entire position included washing glassware (beakers etc) and acid washing (swirling chemicals such as HCl, acetone etc in the glassware to ensure sterility)...Nope that's it guys. There isn't any more to the job posting, the job is basically cleaning other peoples glassware all day long. Additionally, the job is a minimum 45 minute drive away but much closer to 60-70 minute commute during rush hour.

I'm positive that all those things combined will result in a very miserable granola-girl as cleaning and acid washing in the lab was already one of my least favourite activities.

Since we can afford to live on the lower stewardship salary, my happiness in worth more than money.

Wow..Sometimes being an adult is hard.

Tags:/jobs/happiness/money/

mothers day

Ok so I've been lazy - I admit it, I'm back dating this post. I know my mom deserves better, but hey she gets a post and that's what's important.

I love my mom. She's open, understanding and loving and I am glad there is a special day devoted to all the mothers who sacrifice so that their children can have more. My mom was the one who skimmed off the grocery money when I was a child so that she could save the funds that made it possible for me to attend University and that's only one example of her sacrifices.

I want to say Mothers day was amazing, but the truth is, I did have to work. Fortunately, it was my LAST DAY EVER working in the lab and as such, I was unsupervised and didn't work all that much. After arriving late, I worked for a few hours before rushing off to meet J's mom & family for a wonderfully delicious lunch buffet. We chatted, visited and enjoyed the smorgasboard of food.

After work, I met j back at his mom's before heading over to my parent's where we enjoyed a yummy ham that my dad had cooked and basted on the BBQ.

All in all it was a tiring, but enjoyable day - it feels nice to celebrate mothers and all their accomplishments and sacrifices.

I love you mom.

Tags:/Mothers day/

Make a difference now

So every day you do something little that benefits the environment, you don't do it for recognition nor do you do it because it's the law, you do it because you care. You might turn the tap off instead of letting the water run, take the bus, carpool, make five mini-trips into one organized errand trip or you may simply refrain from littering - it doesn't matter how small, the Earth appreciates your efforts.

You may have heard the radio ads, the Ethical Funds Company is sponsoring the Make a Difference Now Campaign to allow eco-friendly Canadians the chance to share what they are doing to help the environment AND potentially be rewarded for their efforts. All entries to the program will be entered in a draw to win an eco-vacation for four valued at up to $20,000.

So why not click over, show that you care about the environment AND get a chance to win an eco-vacation...How cool would that be?

Tags: /makeadifferencenow/eco vacation

compost harvest

I have had a worm compost for about 5 years. In that time, it has been loved and it has been ignored, but the worms have always been fed and they have always survived. Today I harvested my compost for the first time at the apartment. It really didn't take all that long and I have a large vinyl tablecloth that I use to work on so that I don't make a mess.

The harvest and re-fill took less than an hour to complete and if I keep feeding the worms and harvesting regularly, I can have a bounty of wonderfully rich compost for my plants.

If this all seems like a little bit beyond the scope of your knowledge, let me first direct you to the Worm Woman's site. She has written THE BOOK on worm composting called Worms Eat My Garbage.

So here are a few basic Worm Composting Facts:


• The worms used in a compost are called "Red Wriggler Worms" and though they can be found in your yard or garden, they rarely are.


• Red Wrigglers can eat their weight in organic food waste (ie. fruit, vegetables, coffee/tea grinds, eggshells) per day (if my memory serves me correctly)


• The worms use small granuals of sand in their gut to break down the food, creating compost


• When properly maintained worm composts emit no scent and can be used in apartments, townhomes or other small areas


• Worm composts do not require turning or aeration


• Maintenance of a worm compost requires only regular feeding and regular harvesting

Composting is just another way to reduce waste...and I always feel better when I'm doing that.

Tags:/compost/worm compost/vermicompost/

New Jobs - All Round!

I am pleased to announce that some major changes have been happening in my blogging absence. First off, J & I accepted new positions within a day of each other, which is excellent as it means that we both get to start fresh simultaneously. I am looking forward to excitement and happiness all round once we get settled into our new positions, but we will see.

I have actually accepted two jobs, although the second is VERY part-time at only 5 hours every three weeks, but regardless it is a job and I am very happy about it. It is a community position attempting to raise awareness about healthy cooking, eating and nutrition choices within the youth in the community. We hope to achieve this by helping the teens prepare easy, healthy, cost-conscious meals. The only drawback, is that the events take place on Friday evenings between 9pm and 12am - last night was the first shot, and damn am I tired this morning. Thank Goodness for Starbucks!

My other new position will be starting in a few short weeks and involves coordinating a local environmental stewardship and outreach group for the next year. It is very similar to the summer work I used to do and enjoyed immensely. Although the opportunities and pay in this field is a little less than if I continued to pursue my science career, I have come to realize (in the past year and a half) that outreach work, is close to my heart, and I have missed it dearly, so for now, it is worth the sacrifice. (Email me if you want to know more!)

So I am ecstatic to report that I am officially transforming from a science dork back into a COMMUNITY DORK! It feels so good to know that I will once again be making a difference in the community that I live - positively impacting peoples lives and the environment.

Wow, I really am a community dork aren't I?

Tags: /community/environment/job/

Enviro Fact 2: Wetlands as Habitat

Wetlands are multi-functional and extremely important. In this case I am referring to an estuarine (where the river meets the ocean or where fresh water meets salt water) wetland, although the theory should hold strong regardless.

Wetlands as Habitat are important because they can provide a home, hotel, nursery or restaurant to a host of different species.

• Home-some animals such as herons, beavers, crabs and shrimp inhabit the wetland year round.


• Hotel-some animals such as salmon and birds may merely pass through the estuary as a stop on route to their destination.


• Nursery-some animals such as frogs, salmon and nesting birds use the estuary to lay their eggs and rear their young.


• Restaurant-all animals in the estuary use it as a food source.

This information from the Vancouver Aquarium's Riverworks Program Website...GO CHECK IT OUT!

Tags: /Enviro Fact/wetland/habitat/

quick catch up...& more pictures

After what seems like forever, I finally have a few days off with very few commitments. Mussel project seemed to go on forever and all I have wanted to do is sleep - I have been in bed before 10pm numerous times over the past weeks, but it's finally over for now.

In addition to mussel project, softball season has finally started. We have only played one game, but we started off strong and won that game, which is never a bad thing. I have another game this evening, but it sounds like we are going to be short men, which is never a good way to start the game.

Additionally the pursuit of new jobs and careers continues for both J & I, hopefully our respective searches will prove fruitful in the near future, keep your fingers crossed.

Since I have already had one day off, I finally had time to upload those new pictures I was talking about from our trip to Harrison. I really like this picture of J checking out the shoreline for rocks to put in our fishtank, and it seems fitting as I was in the last picture I posted. Not to mention the random msn messenger message I got from someone on the list whom I never talk with (we all have those - let's be honest) telling me how much they liked this shot - If that's not a bit of an ego stroke I don't know what is. :)


water's edge
Originally uploaded by granola girl :).

Tags:/photography/Softball/

down by the river

After arriving home from work yesterday, I quickly realized that I was in need of some serious relaxation. I also decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and my wonderful camera, which resulted in this (and a few other) pictures that I quite like.

river relaxation
Originally uploaded by granola girl :).

Although this photo is not quite as clear as I would like (due to lots of sun and high film speed) I was happy to get a chance to try out the tripod I got for Christmas with my lovely Nikon.

What a beautiful city that I live in - this is less than a 10 minute drive from my home.

In terms of my photo's, I'm a bit of a snob and pretty much ALWAYS get my photo's developed at London Drugs. Of course the people who work there never take as much time adjusting the photos as I did and thus I have been slightly dissapointed in the colour and density of my photos as of late.

So today, I decided to give Shoppers a try. I dropped the photos off on my lunch break and picked them up after work, I got a free cd and mini photo album and it was cheaper than LD. I am happy with the quality of the pics and the the level of service. It's likely I will trust them with my photos again in the future.

I have actually developed another roll of film prior to this one, but only JUST got motivated enough to scan the pics into the computer after getting to see this new batch on the computer so easily. I promise to upload them soon.

Don't forget to check out all my pictures on flickr.


Tags:/photography/relaxation/

Bald Eagles

Although Eagles generally represent the United States, I have heard that in some areas on the U.S. the populations have declined to the level where anyone who observes an eagle in the wild is required to report the sighting to the government.

Here in the west coast of Canada, the opportunity to view an Eagle in the wild is not quite as rare. There is an Eagle's nest in a tree across the street from where I work AND I pass a second Eagle's nest on my drive home from work each day.

Screen shot (from today)
taken from the forum associated with the site.

If you are interested in Eagles check out the Handcock Wildlife Channel Eagle Eye Live Cam. This is a free live feed of a pair of Eagles and their two eggs (that are anticipated to hatch in the next week) and allows you a close up and personal view of the Eagles. Apparently, this pair has used this same nest--located on private property on Hornby Island--for 19 years.

Go!
Look at the Eagles and learn all about them!

Tags:/Eagles/

Earth Day

April 22nd is Earth Day

I'm sad to say I have in the past neglected to celebrate Earth Day, but this year at the very least I will remember and respect the importance of such a day. I will probably be volunteering (on my lunchbreak from work) at my local Community Earth Day Celebration demonstrating natural cleaning products. Oh, the irony.

Anyways, I hope that the mussel project stays on schedule and I can afford to leave work for an hour and do this. I also hope that posting this will help motivate me to ensure I volunteer (I imagine it will seal the deal).

I'm off to bed, if you want more information check out the Earth Day Canada Website.

Tags: /Earth Day/

*NEW* Alias tomorrow

I have been waiting for what seems like FOREVER to see the conclusion of the fifth and final season of ALIAS and tomorrow is the day that the end begins. In this case FOREVER really equates to about four months, as the last new episode aired December 14th, 2005.

This long--and oddly timed--break was of course due to the birth of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's new baby girl Violet. I won't get into this whole ordeal, although I will say I can't believe that Jennifer Garner dumped Michael Vartan for Ben Affleck.

But I digress. I got hooked on Alias when I was away at University, I love the kick ass (I hesitate to say "girl-power") attitude, lovely outfits and incredible story-line that makes up this fabulous show.

To mark the return of the final installments of the show, ABC will be airing a 2 hour special from 8-10pm tomorrow evening. Though I will be taping it, do NOT call here during that time as I will be otherwise occupied.

If you have never watched the show, but are sitting around bored, I recommend giving ALIAS a try. You can't really get hooked as there are only a few episodes left, and they are guaranteed to give a good introductory synopsis with enough information to enjoy the show after such a long break.

Trust me...If you like action shows - it will be good!

Tags:/ALIAS/

not sure

My three year old nephew is currently being potty-trained. To be honest, once he understood what he was supposed to do on the potty, he caught on fast. After only a few short weeks he now often walks into the bathroom to do his business without having to be asked.

Of course we still regularly ask him "is the pee coming" to which he responds appropriately. Yesterday I found myself on the floor playing with both of my nephews when someone realized it had been a while since the older guy had been to the bathroom.

So of course we ask him - "Is the pee coming?

He looks at me and says "no - not coming"

To which I respond, "are you sure?"

He looks me dead in the eye says "not sure" before proceeding to jump on top of me and continuing to play.

J and the rest of the family are now laughing quite hard at both myself and my little buddy. So I decide to ask him again, and I get exactly the same response. Only this time I tell him "I want you to be sure before you jump on me", but this only results in fits of laughter from the surrounding adults.

Fortunately, despite his uncertainty, the pee was NOT coming and we continued to play, rolling around on the ground for quite some time. What fun!

HAPPY EASTER

Tags:/playing/nephew/

Enviro Fact 1: Soil Nutrients

Since starting this blog, I have wanted to share random little bits of natural knowledge, but have lacked the motivation and time to get anything organized. BUT I have decided to SLACK NO MORE and grabbed a notebook from school and am prepared to share a very small tidbit of knowledge with you. Hopefully this will become a bit of a trend as I have tons of books, tons of information and tons of knowledge, and you know what they say, "Use it or Lose it" and I am certainly not ok with losing it!

So without further adieu:

WHERE DO SOIL NUTRIENTS COME FROM?


• Parent Material - often in a wet environment due to leaching


• Dryfall - dust from the atmosphere that is picked up from throughout the world


• Precipitation


• Volcanic Ash - can cause worldwide temperature changes


• Seepage Water - landscapes where water flows to the surface


• Nitrogen Fixation - N-fixing bacteria provide the nitrates/ammonia that plants require in the soil

Well, hope that satisfies your environmental curiosity for today!

Tags:/Enviro Fact/Soil Nutrients/

MP is back!

It's mussel project again so expect the posts to slow down...Unless I get ridiculously motivated! :)

It officially starts on Monday, but we started socking yesterday so that everyone doesn't have to work through Easter weekend.

Although I of course still have to work!

I'm off - starting at 8:00 today!

Tags:/mussels/

the inevitable softball debate

Nearly every year - right around this time I have an important decision to make. I have decide where I want to be play softball and the level of commitment that I am willing to make. I have played on my mixed orthodox team for the past five years and enjoy the laid back (yet slightly competitive) atmosphere of playing with men. I have also played women's fastpitch pretty much as long as I have been old enough to throw a ball.

The issue at hand is relatively simple:

• Do I want to play on one team or two?


• If I only want to play on one team, how do I choose?


• If I play on two teams, which one becomes the primary and which one becomes the secondary?

If I break it down to the pros and cons of each, I still generally end up at the same place - uncertain what the best course of action is.

Mixed Ortho

PROS:

• Fun and relaxing atmosphere


• Men are faster and stronger which makes me work harder and results in a vast improvement of skills


• I generally get along better with men - they are so much easier to understand


• Loyalty - I have played on this team for the past five years


• The field is close to home


• Beer...mmmm


CONS:

• Regardless how good of a player you are, as a woman you will ALWAYS be in the bottom 30% with respect to skill level - which sucks (this is a fact, please don't try and dispute it with me)


• Drinking beer sometimes leads to sucky plays and getting your ass kicked


• I run slow compared to women so I can rarely outrun a ball thrown by a man

Women's Fastpitch

PROS:

• I've learned to play shortstop in the past few years and DAMN is it fun to be in the center of the action


• I can throw harder, faster and more accurately than many other women


• I consider myself in the top 30% at the house level of ball that I play


• I can play with friends I have played with since I was about 11


CONS:

• Up to 15 women in one place - competing for 9 positions (that's a lot of estrogen)


• Women are bitchy (It is a rare occurence to attend a game where at least one woman isn't on a rant about something - myself included)


• Women complain (A LOT & about everything & anything)


• Women can be self-centered and look out for themselves rather than the team

So, as you can see I'm rather torn (and have felt this way since the last season ended). Over the past few years I have alternated playing just ortho and playing on both. When I only play ortho I feel unfulfilled as I spend much of my time playing first which I can do well, but gets a little boring in all honesty. However, when I play both, I tend to get overtired, overworked and feel like I have to be a million places at once.

I fully intended to give up the girls team this year but I just found out a good friend (and my favourite person to play fastpitch with) is playing on one of our old teams. Since I know some of the girls, I have inquired whether I would be welcome as a part-time player - perhaps committing to only one game a week.

The problem is that the last time I tried to play women's part-time I ended up feeling guilty saying no and was playing two-teams full time. Well, I guess time will tell, but for now I am definitely considering a busy summer full of softball, softball, softball!

Ooh yeah...and one more thing:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
TO MY VERY SPECIAL BROTHER!

Tags:/softball/women's fastpitch/orthodox/