Committing 101: Snowboarding

And I thought January went by quickly.... turns out I missed out two months of updates. How did I let that happen? Don't think I wasn't busy though. Let's start with February.

My goal for February was to snowboard in the mountains. My prior snowboarding experience was limited - it pretty much consisted of me struggling to stand up on the board, avoiding the dozens of 7 year olds on the bunny hill at COP, and my brother patiently waiting for me to stop crying after a hard fall. Clearly, this does not a pro snowboarder make.

I signed up for two adult lessons at COP before I ventured to the mountains. And after the instructor taught me how to stand (I swear it's much harder than it looks) I knew I was headed in the right direction. The biggest hurdle I faced was committing to snowboarding. I had to put my fear of falling aside and commit to the turn and commit to going faster. It was a huge challenge, but once I did it snowboarding and I connected. Facing the fear of commitment helped in another area of my life too, but I'll save that for my March update.

Those two lessons gave me enough confidence to tackle the mountains. Two of my girlfriends (who were new skiers) and I decided to start with the least intimidating, easiet and closest hill: Nakiska.

After buying our lift tickets, and suiting up. We were ready to tackle the hill. For the record, snowboarding and skiing is not a glamour sport. Your jacket/helmet colour is basically the one way to tell if you're male or female.

We began our day with a green run - the glorified bunny hill, but it was still pretty high up there!

We did about ten runs before breaking for lunch, and after regaining our energy we decided we needed a bigger challenge. Ignoring our nerves, we got on the chair lift for the blue run and about ten minutes later we were at the top.

Ok, yeah.... we're a bit higher here, but I was happy to find out it wasn't that much harder. Everything I learned about snowboarding still applied, nothing had changed except the distance to the bottom (and from time to time the steepness of the hill). But I could do it! And I wasn't terrified.

After our day I felt proud of myself (and my girlfriends) for what I accomplished. I faced my fear of snowboarding head on and found out that it wasn't really that bad....not even close actually! And in fact, the reward made facing that fear worth it. I was on top of a mountain and had an amazing view. From now on I'll look forward to our winters knowing I'll be able to enjoy the view a little more from the top. 

Looking Back: January

January has come and gone...wait, what? It's really February??? It feels like September was just last week, but I will trust my computer's calendar. It's never lied to me after all, and I do remember screaming "Happy New Year" not too long ago. It must be right.

2012 is a big year for me. You know that Seinfeld episode where George yells, "It's the summer of George!" Well, just picture me in my rocking chair with my knitting needles, surrounded by dozens of cats screaming "It's the year of Kathryn." But seriously, I don't have a rocking chair.

I may feel like a crazy spinster lately, but 2011 was rough one for me and I knew I had to make big changes.
So late last year I sat down and made a lot of plans and set a lot of goals for 2012. I looked at who I wanted to be and made three categories of goals - finances, health, work - to help me become that person. From that I made dozens of smaller, attainable goals that would get me on the right track overall. While I've stuck to the majority of my goals, there's always room for improvement.

FINANCES:
I made an extremely detailed budget (of course I did) and have been diligent in tracking what I'm spending. My biggest downfall? Shopping. I knew this would be my achilles heal from the start. I love to shop when I'm happy, I love to shop when I'm sad. There's no escaping it and it's really what is preventing me from meeting my financial goals. Even knowing this I find it hard to stop. Has anyone ever been on Intervention for a shopping addiction??

HEALTH:
This is the area I'm proudest of. Sure there's times (such as tonight) where I've bailed on workout plans, but overall I have dragged my butt to the gym/pool/yoga studio more times than not. I feel stronger, sleep better and - best of all - I CAN ALMOST TOUCH MY TOES. I have never been able to do this before (I swear my legs are too long), and I can't wait for that day to come.

WORK:
I had a performance review last week that went extremely well. There will be lots of exciting opportunities in the near future for me, as well as some intense training programs. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

I started 2012 off strong and heading into February I'm more determined than ever to complete all of my goals. My challenge for February is to snowboard in the mountains. Tomorrow night I have my first lesson at COP. I'm terrified that I will fall and break something, but a little fear in life never hurt anyone. *knocks on wood*

The Lemon Meringue Cupcake

A few Christmases ago, my brother enrolled me in a cupcake course at the Cookbook Co. I absolutely loved it and walked away with some delicious cupcake recipes. I've made most of them since, except for one: the lemon meringue cupcake. Why have I not revisited this recipe? Well, it was one of the hardest recipes in the class - meringue is a hard thing to master, in case you've never tried.

For the past few weeks I've been itching for a challenge in the kitchen and for our first book club meeting I decided it was the perfect occasion to break out the lemon meringue cupcake. I made the vanilla cupcakes (the base) on Saturday so I could focus on the meringue on Sunday.

I got home from yoga Sunday afternoon and went straight to the kitchen, rolled up my sleeves, and broke out the whisk and egg whites. It only took about ten minutes until the egg whites started to form "soft peaks." I felt good about where it was going....then I added the simple syrup. Suddenly my soft peaks were gone and I was left with a runny mixture. I kept whisking away, determined to see this to the end.

Another 20 minutes passed and there were no changes. My arms hurt and I was feeling defeated so I decided to break out the electric mixer. I had avoided this from the start for fear of it ruining the meringue, but I was close to giving up and thought "how much harm could it really do?"

After mixing for 15 minutes I could see a difference. It was getting so close! I kept mixing, and mixing.....and mixing. And finally, it was holding its shape. I had done it.....after an hour of whisking and mixing.

SERIOUSLY? How did women do this 70 years ago without any electric appliances? Their arms must have been jacked. Forget yoga arms, let's all aim for meringue arms. That's where the real definition is at!

With all the work I put in them, I was delighted with the final product.

It might have been short on the lemon, but they looked adorable and the meringue made up for the missing lemon. Now I just need to add whisking to my workout plan.....

My So-Called Dating Life

Since I moved to Calgary, I have dabbled in the online dating scene. Usually it plays out in the following way: we message, move to texting and decide to meet. If we make it to meeting, this is when I realize, contrary to their online profile and messages, they are nothing like how I imagined. (Insert my Mom, “Honey, maybe your standards are too high.” Really Mom? Do you want me to settle??) It’s a shame the online world leads me to interpret their messages with my tone and sense of humour. I should read messages in a computer voice to determine if I’m truly interested. If you can hold my interest while speaking in a monotone then I think you’d have a fighting chance.

My friends keep telling me to continue with online dating, but it’s a big time commitment and, to be honest, it’s a bit annoying. Do I really want to filter through messages from 40 year old creepers telling me that we are meant to be together because of my beautiful eyes? While I appreciate the compliments, I can’t help but gag a little. What women fall for these lines?

On the other end are the guys who take time to write something original, and try to be funny while doing so. Unfortunately, I am rarely interested or attracted to these guys. One guy wrote “I'm sure you're a cool, intelligent person and all, but what I'm still debating about is, in my experience the prettier a girl is, the more insane she is, which would make you quite insane.” When he referenced the hot-to-crazy-ratio, I laughed out loud and then I looked at his profile and realized we had nothing in common, I wasn’t attracted to him and he was short. A for effort – at least you don’t make me gag.

Somewhere between these creepy and funny guys are guys that I’m actually interested in. They have good jobs, families and friends, and are witty, smart and caring. The conversation was easy and interesting, and when we decide to exchange numbers or emails I have no reservations about it. I recently did this with “Dave,” but as soon as the first few text messages were exchanged, red flags appeared. He mentioned it was his birthday, so I wished him a happy one and asked what he wanted. “Health for my friends and family, and a girlfriend that loves me. We’ll see what you can help with :)” Could this message scream co-dependent any louder – I don’t even know the guy and he’s dropping the words girlfriend and love? CALM DOWN! I wanted to reply “Well, I’ll make sure I start eating salads and hit the gym to stay healthy.” Instead I changed the subject and said something came up and I couldn’t meet later that week. Smooth. (after re-reading this I realize how I sound like a commit-a-phobe.)

As I mentioned, when I do decide to meet a guy they usually turn out nothing like I imagined. Take Hippie Boy. I dubbed him Hippie Boy because on our first date he told me his parents raised him vegan, but that he had recently become a vegetarian. That should have been my first red flag, but I looked past his meatless diet because he was nice, funny, smart and SO tall. We went on five dates, had chemistry, great discussions and he always told me how cute I was. He even took me for a float down the Bow River and prepared an island picnic for us (go veggie burgers!) complete with homemade potato salad and beer. *swoon* The problem? He never even tried to hold my hand, let alone try anything else. I’m a modern woman, but I believe men should take the lead in areas like this. You’re trying to woo me remember Hippie Boy? An awkward hug at the end of the date will not help you do this. Grab your balls and make a move already.

I know a lot of friends who have had success in the online dating world, and I know their standards are not lower than mine, so why do I attract all these duds? Is my Mom right – are my standards really too high? But if I'm not attracted to the guy, or I'm put-off by something he said, should I really continue with it? Why waste my time? Maybe instead of perusing these dating websites, I should be looking at the Calgary Humane Society to find my perfect cat. My perfect cat would never do any of the above. Just saying.

Single White Female, Addicted to Retail

I have an addiction. No, I'm not talking about my problems with Diet Coke (that's an entirely different can of worms,) I'm talking about my shopping habits. If you've seen my bedroom, or spent any time with me, you'd understand.

I have so many dresses, skirts, tops and pants that I could literally go for months without wearing the same thing twice. If I switched up the shoes, accessories and purses I could go for years. My mother has repeatedly told me that I have more clothes than she's had in her lifetime. It's her 57th birthday today, so that's a lot of clothes.

Every month I have a budget and every month I tell myself: NO MORE SHOPPING. My budget for January was so detailed that I mapped out all my weekend plans and allocated my funds accordingly. I thought this would give me a greater chance of staying out of the mall.

Everything was going great until today....when I found myself at the Gap on my lunch hour. Sure, I was there to make a return, but did you know their Spring line is out? Did you know it's full of bright colours and amazing prints?? I did because I was on their website earlier in the week (mistake number one.

I decided to "just have a look around" before I made my return (mistake number two.) That's when I stumbled upon this:
I saw it online and thought it was adorable, but I knew I'd have to see it in person to know if it was love. Turns out I fall in love easily and "just had" to try it on (mistake number three.) As soon as it was on I knew I had to have it - it was as adorable as I imagined. And when I find an item I love, there's no getting between me and it. You wouldn't come between a drug addict and their drugs, right? Well, maybe if it was an intervention, but those don't happen everyday, right?? RIGHT??

Ok, I'm starting to sound crazy. It's been three hours since I was last in a mall and I'm wondering how long I can go until my next fix. I practice safe shopping (i.e. I use my credit card only when I can pay it off within the month) so am I really doing harm? Just tell me I'm not. Enable me. Please.....I beg of you.

The Dip

When I first decided my 2012 goals, I couldn't think of a better way to kick them off than participating in the Courage Polar Bear Dip (que the "you're crazy" comments.)

Since I was a kid this event had such strong appeal for me. Why? Probably because I grew up swimming in the lakes no matter what the temperature. Every May 24 long weekend we would go camping and I would always swim. Some years the water was surprisingly warm, others it was a struggle just to get waist-deep. But I always did it and felt so happy afterwards.

I was willing to do the dip on my own, but I thought it would be much more fun if I could recruit some friends. Most friends responded with "Ummm, no. Do you think I'm crazy?" Thankfully, my best friend Marie said yes - and was excited as I was!

We arrived in Oakville on New Year's Day with towels, blankets, water shoes and hats. We undressed to our bathing suits and got in line for the beach. The anticipation was the worst part of the day - we stood there waiting for the first heat to finish their dip, wondering what we had got ourselves into.

When it was our time, we left our towels and blankets on the beach and went down to the water. My Dad was our spotter (there to ensure we got out of the water safely), but he mostly just took pictures. My Mom and Aunt were up higher on the shore cheering us on. Right before the countdown Marie and I were both excited and terrified.

When the crowd yelled "one" we ran into the water. I'm sure the houses across the street could hear us scream. It was cold, very cold.

We came back to shore and grabbed our towels and blankets, laughing at what we had just done. The craziness of the event was evident - who in their right mind runs into Lake Ontario on a warm day, yet alone in the middle of winter? - but the energy felt on that day was incredible. Everyone was laughing with each other, sharing stories of past polar bear dips and keeping the new dippers optimistic about what they were about to do. We were welcomed into this small community instantly and enjoyed every minute of it.

Would I do the dip again? Heck yes. It was an amazing experience that I was able to share with my family and best friend. If I ever struggle with one of my challenges I'll think back to this day and realize that whatever I have to do isn't that bad in comparison.

It's been a while, but I'm back

My dear blog, how I have neglected you. I had such high hopes when I first started you, and then well, I guess I gave those up...or forgot about you...or something like that. I really don't have a strong excuse for my negligence. If this was court, my sentence would be read right about now.

But since it's not, and since blogs don't have any real feelings (at least none that can be proven) I'm back. And my hopes are high again for this place. Sure, there's a bit of dust in places, and it looks a bit outdated, but with a little TLC I'll have this baby up and running again.

Why the sudden interest in you again? My goal for 2012 is that once a month I will complete something that challenges my comfort zone. Not only is this blog a good place for me to document everything, it is actually something that challenges my comfort zone itself. It's scary throwing yourself out there saying "hey internet (read:world), this is me."

Do I know what I'm going to blog about? Not really. Am I scared that I will discover no one cares about what I have to say? Isn't everyone? I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I would run into challenges, but that is exactly what 2012 is all about.

So, hey internet! This is me.

Fishing in the Wrong Pond?

Well, here I am. Officially moved into the new place (pics to come I'm sure) with only a few things left to do.

There were two fatalities during the move in - the first being my dresser. It literally fell apart as soon as the guys started to move it. They think they can repair it, but I have yet to see proof. No biggie, right? Secondly, our box springs do not fit up our stairs. For the past week I've been sleeping with my mattress on the floor. Not great for the back, but damn do I feel artsy.

I've also set up with my POF profile and tonight was the first opportunity I've had to really look around the site (and the guys). I must say, I'm at bit disappointed. Sure, it looks like there's cute guys on the site, but I never thought of the daunting task of the first message. What do I say? "Oh hey there, I see you like _____ too. Neat-o."

I've received a few messages so far. Unfortunately, the senders are lack-luster and, ahem, not my "type." I'll give it some more time and see what happens. First impression: not all that it's cracked up to be. Le sigh.

The Dating Pool

Calgary is full of men. Rugged men. Manly men. Available men. There's definitely more men than women out here. But there's one obstacle that's in the way of me meeting these available men: Men, 0f the friend genre.

Of our group of about 15, there are 4 girls. Setting foot in bar with 11 guys and trying to get the cute guy across the room to notice you is difficult, almost impossible. Either the cute one assumes you're with one of them or you brother (who is part of the group) sabotages any possible chance for a relationship. Note: leaving the bar with a guy is not something that should be done in the company of your brother. Trust me, I've done it. It was with his friend. Talk about an awkward next morning....

So I've taken it upon myself to meet men. And the only viable option to my generation these days seems to be.... internet dating. Enter Plenty of Fish.

I've heard positive and negative things about this website. From random hookups to long-term relationships, there seems to be something for everyone. Err should I say someone for everyone? But is there someone there for me? I'm taking that question more as a challenge.

To successfully conquer this challenge, I need to come up with the perfect description of myself. It has to be full of my wit and my charm. But describing myself is one thing I despise. What do I say? "I like long walks on the beach and reading poetry."??

But I don't like long walks on the beach and I don't like reading poetry. I like short walks to the bar and reading fashion magazines.

This weekend I'll not only move my stuff to the new place, but I'll work on the perfect description of myself. I really wish it was a 3 day weekend.....

And life in the Wild Rose continues

I've been so neglectful to my blog lately. Why is that? Well, I really don't have a good excuse. Perhaps I've had nothing good to say, or maybe I felt nothing was good enough to share - but in the past month there has been a lot going on and I feel it's time to post again. So here goes nothing....

We've been busy for the past month searching for the perfect new place to move to. "We" being my current roommates Jeff and Aly. About a week ago we finally found it - only a 15 minute walk downtown, three bedrooms upstairs, two full bathrooms, a large backyard, and a quaint front porch. We've slowly begun to move and this weekend we will be doing the majority of it. I'm pretty excited to move into a place that's clean and clutter-free!

I found out two weeks ago that I am now the assistant manager of the store. Not a big deal since I had taken on all the responsibilities to begin with, but it's nice to have the title and to get a bit of a pay raise. Still hard to find the job I want out here - the opportunities are lacking to say the least. It's even hard to get people to talk to you about their career paths.... sheesh!

All in all, I am having a great time out here. The home-sickness gets less and less every day and I think that scares me a bit. I mean, who would think that I would EVER be okay being this far away from all my friends and family?? Maybe it's constant party feeling this town has and the aroma of cowboys in the air. It's quite intoxicating.

3,600km Later

Last week was a week that I will always remember. My Dad and I drove my car from Woodstock to Calgary - 3 1/2 days, 3,600km. With that much time spent driving, I ended up hearing a lot of interesting stories from my Dad. He also taught me a few things about Canada (and the world in general).

1. My Dad has passed out on a picnic table more than once.

2. After his first year of university, he flew to Calgary, hitchhiked to Banff and camped for a week. (All without telling his parents where he had gone).

3. A police car can radar you from anywhere (including when they are coming towards you.....)

4. Moose are very big!

5. The windiest corner in Canada is Portage and Main in Winnipeg.

6. My parents drove out east for their first wedding anniversary. After seeing the east coast, they woke up very early the next morning and drove straight home because they missed it.

7. My Mom really misses my Dad when he is gone.

8. Potash is used as a fertilizer.

9. The prairies are even more boring the second time around.

10. My brother is becoming more like my Dad every year.

11. My Big Nickel really isn't that exciting.

12. My Papa lived in Brandon, Manitoba as a child -which is on the 100th Meridian (Tragically Hip song).

13. Driving for 16 hours is hard and exhausting - I could never be a trucker.

How Quickly the Tides Turn

Talk about a quick turn around. Two weeks ago I loved my job, last week I started hating it. Hating it to the point that I quit on Thursday.

The job wasn't what I expected and I felt a bit mislead - turns out I was a salesperson and had to make 100 calls a day. Not exactly my cup of tea.

It's all for the better though - I have a feeling there's something better waiting for me. Or so I hope.

I see London, I see France...

...everyone in Calgary can see Kathryn's underpants.

I've been working for the Underwear Affair for two weeks now and I LOVE IT! I get to walk around Calgary, be out at the bars and go to various expos and events to promote the event - all while wearing my underwear. Yes, it may seem strange, but believe me it's beyond fun. The crazier we dress, the better response we get....and it's also a good excuse to walk up to cute boys and talk to them ;)

But don't worry, I'm not in sexy underpants - I'm in Joe Boxers as they are our national sponsors. This is about the only place where being sexy doesn't sell - it's all about costumes and being fun.

Not much else has changed around here - still getting to know the city and liking it more each day. I'm starting to really miss home though and all the small things about it. Lucky for me, we have free long distance so I can make as many calls as I want to make me feel closer. Hopefully the time will continue to pass quickly and June will be here before I know it and I will be at home for a visit. Fingers crossed.

The Pros and Cons of Calgary

Pro: The business men that wear suits downtown.
Con: The homeless men that collect bottles all over the city.

Pro: Chinooks.
Con: The dry wind.

Pro: The city doesn't use salt, therefore I don't have to worry about salt stains on my boots or the bottom of my pants.
Con: The piles of hard snow that turns into ice, which never goes away because there is no salt to help it melt.

Pro: The c-train gets me downtown quickly.
Con: The 20 minutes it takes to walk to the station.

Pro: I share the same sense of humour with my roommates.
Con: Our jokes remind me of the people I left behind in Ontario.

First Encounters

It's official. I live in Calgary. Does it feel real yet? Almost.

Today my brother took me to Ikea and in the distance I could see the mountains. That definitely made it feel more real. The closest thing to a mountain at home was the hill at Southside Park, or maybe the hills on some of the country roads, so when I saw the mountains I knew I wasn't in Ontario anymore.

When I look at my bank account it also becomes more real. Who knew groceries would be so expensive?! Thankfully, I begin work on Saturday and after speaking with the manager I may be able to get by with just a part-time job until I find something more up my alley. She mentioned something about 30 hours a week? Splendid.

Tomorrow I'm venturing out in the city by myself to explore a little, get lost and hopefully make it back to my house in one piece. It's a bit frustrating not knowing the city, but I know I'll soon understand the set-up of the streets and will find a few favourite spots of my own.

Waiting for Eighty

Whenever people talk about how old they wish they were, they always give me a confused look when I say I want to be 80 years old. I get that it's weird - most people want to stay in their teens or their 20-somethings. But not me. I can't wait to be old.

Besides the ailments that will come (bad hips, backs etc.), it's the one age I look forward to the most. It's a time where I'll be able to look back on my life and be proud of what I've accomplished - in both my career and my family.

My face will be filled with wrinkles, every one of them telling a different story. I'll chat with my grandchildren and tell them stories about "floppy disks" and sing them Backstreet Boys songs. I'll be amazed with what they are learning and where they are travelling to. I'll wonder how we ever survived without the newest technology.

But most importantly, I'll be full of advice and wisdom. I'll have tips and tricks on everything from doing laundry to finding the best deal on canned soup. When my children have a problem, I'll be the one with the right solution.

My plan is to be the hippest Grandma around, changing with the times and keeping up on all the trends. I only have to wait 57 years.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Come January I'm sure I'll be shaking my fist at the weather, but there's something about snow during the holidays that makes me feel giddy. Maybe it reminds me of my childhood, when my brother and I would run outside on Christmas morning to see reindeer footprints on our front lawn. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

Or perhaps it boils down to all those Christmas movies where something good happened when it began to snow. Case in point, Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy's passionate kiss on the street....and when Kate Beckinsale's and John Cusack's characters find each other in Serendipity.

Whatever the reason, when the first snowfall comes it feels like Christmas right away. It seems to get everyone in the holiday spirit - something I've been feeling for the past month so I was happy to look outside yesterday and see the snow falling to the ground. Warning: expect me to full of even more holiday cheer now.

What's in a Name?

Apparently everything.

While I've wanted a blog for nearly six months, the idea of naming it had been so over-whelming and intimidating that the task continually got pushed to the bottom of my to-do list. When my desire to blog resurfaced this week, I decided that now was the time to act. I could not go to bed another night as the "blogless girl." But there was still one little problem I had to address: the name. I mean, without a name I couldn't have a URL, and without a URL I might as well write a diary and hide it under my bed.

When it came time to brainstorm my mind was a complete blank, void of any idea worth mentioning. I sat in front of my computer starring into space. It was hopeless.

Thankfully, my trusted co-worker Marsha, who rarely suffers from a lack of ideas, was quick to come to my rescue. Off the top of her head she threw out titles that embodied everything I wanted in a name - wit, personality, pizzazz!

Unfortunately, upon checking the availability of these titles we realized that *gasp* people out there were just like us - witty and into blogs - but were much quicker when creating their accounts. Name after name was stolen from us - but the worst part? The majority of them stopped blogging in 2003! And all of them had ONLY ONE POST! One post? ONE POST?? All that was standing between me and my perfect blog name was one post from 2003?? SERIOUSLY?

As I was pulling out the white flag, believing it was a sign that the online world just wasn't ready for me, Marsha pulled out a doozey of a name (after checking its availability of course). And thus, That's What Smith Said was born.

Soooo....ummm....enjoy it?