At Last...I Found It...

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing
but in rising every time we fall."
- Confucius

Baby Rohan Update...

Baby Rohan is now here in Ottawa at CHEO and is doing much better (I'm telling you...it's all about being in Ottawa...it makes everyone feel better!!!). He's still in the neo-natal intensive care unit but, in very stable condition.

I held him for the first time on Sunday night and though I was terribly nervous at first, I calmed down eventually and he just dozed off to sleep (thank you Rohan for being so nice to your Auntie Gen!!!).

He will probably stay at CHEO for a while longer...though Monica's goal is to have him home by November 30th. I've been telling Rohan that given one of his first homes has been Ottawa, that it's only right to grow up to be an Ottawa Senators Fan in due time!!!

Really, what are aunts for?!?!?!

Into Thin Air...

Just last week, I finished the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It's actually been sitting on our book shelf for the past three years and I just picked it up for lack of any other book to read at the time. It's about Krakauer's climb to the summit of Everest as a writer for Outside Magazine. As an experienced climber already, he jumped at the opportunity when he was asked to join an expedition and later write an article about the commercialization of Everest. Instead, this expedition ended up being the worst tragedy that the summit has ever seen, leaving many guides, climbers and sherpas left dead on the mountain.

I wouldn't normally have had any interest in a book about climbing. It's not a sport that I've ever enjoyed though I have tried it many times. However, as an athlete myself, I'm always in awe of the extremes that people manage to push their bodies through and more so, the pure determination that it requires to surpass such limitations.

The real reason however, that I was intrigued by this story was because of a very inspiring person that I met this past summer while training for my half-marathon. Gavin was my 2:00 pacer for the summer and one evening, told all of us the story of how he became a runner; After being very out of shape and having adopted many bad habits, Gavin just decided one day that he didn't want to live this way anymore and was determined to be a healthy person. Bit by bit (and some things cold turkey!!), he changed his life around and became an athlete. Last year alone, Gavin did numerous marathons, a couple of triathlons and had the rare opportunity to travel to Base Camp on Everest.

Travelling to Everest at any altitude is incredible but, Gavin had the even more unique priviledge of going with Dr. Sean Egan, a professor of Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa. Dr. Egan was a person who was passionate about the health and well-being of all Canadians and had climbed the summit of Everest three times in his life. Gavin was a film producer setting up with his crew at Base Camp to document Dr. Egan's ascent. Unfortunately, Dr. Egan died on Everest during that trip due to respiratory and heart problems, and Gavin found a new passion for life in himself.

Upon his return from Everest, Gavin decided to start a legacy of his own called "Find your Everest". It's a website where people can submit their health and fitness goals, and find the encouragement that they need to accomplish them. When they have reached their goal, Gavin sends them a small piece of Everest as a reminder of the huge effort that was put forth in the betterment of their life.

I just love Dr. Egan and Gavin's story. I love the inspiration that was taken from such a sad experience. I love what both Dr. Egan and Gavin were trying to do...help people become the very best version of themselves. After having read "Into Thin Air", I can only imagine what Dr. Egan went through in his last moments and the despair that must have been felt by everyone there trying to help him reach the summit. It's no easy feat to be that brave and to follow your true calling, whether it be to the ends of the earth or the top of world!!

What's your Everest??

The Great Toronto Run and the Great Mind Shift...

This past weekend was the Toronto International Marathon and as many of you know, the half marathon was to be my first race in a year and a half. Truth be told, I don't really have a very good track record when it comes to racing!!! I am a very strong, disciplined and consistent runner when I am in training but, for some reason, come race day, I lose all ability to pace myself, to focus properly and I end up spending the entire race "chasing" everything...chasing the finish line...chasing the pace bunnies...and most of all, chasing a goal that I always seem to forget isn't etched in stone!! Frankly, it's exhausting (and running 21.1 kilometres is tiring enough all by itself!!!).

Throughout my running career, I have run two 5km races, four 10km races, two half marathons and one full marathon, and for each and every one of those experiences, I have crossed the finish line feeling incredibly sore, terribly ill from the degree to which I have pushed myself and worst of all, never quite satisfied with the time that I clocked. It's a frustrating pattern to have and over time, has depleted my spirit when it comes to racing.

Despite the fact that I have had one of my best training seasons to date (training consistently at a 2 hour pace), as we were driving to Toronto on Saturday morning, those feelings of anxiety and apprehensiveness came rushing back with blunt force. I had butterflies in my stomach, nervous energy and I wasn't sleeping well...all of which were familiar signs of the race to come.

Sunday morning came with beautiful sunshine, brisk air but fortunately, no wind...all very good running conditions for this time of year. Right away though, I found myself getting lost in the excitement of the crowd and all the runners. My breathing was short and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest...and along with that came the discouragement that I had seen and felt this all before.

We started our race on time and like my previous races, I was out of pace, my breathing was very shallow and in turn, my muscles were beginning to feel sore and tight. Already, I could feel the sickness setting in and the anticipation of how I was going to feel at the finish line was making me cringe. About four kilometres into the race, I spotted the 2:15 pace bunnies and for the next eight kilometres, I proceeded to run my little heart out in hopes of moving ahead enough to potentially reach my goal of a two hour finish. Instead, every time I watched the pace bunny catch up to me, I felt a little more discouraged and my heart broke a little bit more at the thought of watching yet another race become "unsuccessful".

At about ten kilometres, we left the excitement and chaos of Yonge street and proceeded into a five kilometre stretch through a beautifully calm and peaceful residential area. I took my MP3 player off and decided to try and regulate my breathing enough to make another pass at finding the 2:00 pace bunny. By this time though, I was sore and the temperature was dropping really quickly as the clouds took over our formerly sunny sky. I finally needed to stop on route to stretch out my legs (and pop two more tylenols) when I saw the 2:15 pace bunny starting to catch up to me again. I immediately, despite the screaming calf muscles, sprinted ahead, determined not to let this race be like all the others.

Suddenly, just past the twelve kilometre mark...something happened!!! Actually, something more than just "happened"...something changed!!! At that moment, I decided that I was tired of living my life constantly "chasing" things instead of enjoying things...and that included my running!!! In turn, I ended up stopping dead in my tracks and I waited there, on the side of the road, until the 2:15 bunny not only passed me, but was out of sight. Somehow, in doing so, it released me of my need to evaluate my success solely by the numbers on the clock. Shortly there after, a smile crept up on my face and I began to run again, slowly at first and then as I started to feel better, my pace increased with my smile!!!

The Running Room often jokes that some of the slower pace groups in training are called the "smiling at the finish" groups!!! Though it's certainly said lovingly and affectionately (because it's quite often that much harder the longer you take), there is something to be said for this statement and also something that all of us (atleast me) can learn from it.

Running is a sport that is often measured by numbers; your time, your distance, the number of hills you fit into a training session, your heart rate, the number on the scale and and and....but just like in life, there are times when you come to realize that you've truly done everything you can do and that it's time to just sit back and enjoy the ride and start measuring your success by the quality of the memories you have. When I stopped running at kilometre twelve, it was because I very suddenly and abruptly realized that this race had absolutely nothing to do with the finish line because no amount of effort I put into this race was ever going to compare to the amount of effort it took me to get to the start line. That was what really matter...that I started in the first place.

I always thought that the reason I wasn't a very good racer was because I got too caught up in the crowd and the excitement, and would end up losing my focus. Yesterday I realized that doing so wasn't a bad thing, in fact, it was the very reason that I loved racing in the first place...the excitement!! I learned that there was no point in putting so much effort into getting myself to the start line if I wasn't going to enjoy the priviledge of being able to run and be smiling at the finish line!!

I spent the last eight kilometres of my race taking everything in!!! Though my muscles were quite sore from the hills (you don't realize just how flat the canal is until you race somewhere else!!!), the wind and the decreasing temperature throughout the race, I had the most amazing time!!! I stopped to hug friends and family along the way who had travelled to watch me run...I helped an injured runner get to an aid station (and later watched him finish)...and I even stopped to go to the bathroom (something that, as many runners know, can easily add five to ten minutes on your time that are not easily made up later on...hence, you try to hold out until the finish line!!). It was a race unlike anything I had experienced before because, for the first time, I decided to enjoy the journey and not just the destination!!!

2006 has been a tumultuous year for me, wrought with challenges, both medically and personally. It has been both physically and emotionally exhausting to try to overcome them but, in a split second after twelve kilometres of running...the light bulb finally turned on and the road ahead seemed so much brighter. Life (and racing) didn't have to constantly be a means to an end...it could be a bunch of baby steps that eventually finds you with a medal around your neck...not for winning but, for enduring...for going the distance inspite of the obstacles, the challenges, and most of all, inspite of the things that we tell ourselves during those times.

I finished my race in two hours and eighteen minutes! It was the most fun that I ever had in my running shoes and for the first time ever, I cried at the finish line...happy that I had finished...sad that it was over...and excited at all that was to come.

In the past, I would have spent the next five hours just trying to keep something in my stomach long enough to refuel my body but this time, all of my friends and family joined me for a nice warm coffee (complete with whipped cream, caramel sauce and chocolate shavings on mine!!!) and we shared all of our funny stories. My husband and I later drove back to Ottawa and instead of taking in as much Tylenol as I could...I just watched the world go by and could hardly wait to lace up my shoes again!!

I've always believed that life offers you signs every day in order to help guide you in the right direction. More times than not, the problem is that we either don't take the time to look for them or we just refuse to see them. I've passed many signs in my time and never given them a second glance but, when I crossed the finished line yesterday, a gentleman in front of me had a sign staring me right in the face that said "Your greatest legacy will not be never having failed, it will be the number of times you get up when you fall."

For the first time in my life...I would have to agree!!

Apologies All Around...

Sorry!

I have been slacking on my blogging duties!!

I have had three back-to-back special events at work...Thanksgiving Weekend to partake in and this coming weekend is my race in TO.

I'll be back soon!!!

Who's On First??

It was a really cold and rainy day in Ottawa today. Actually, it was exactly the kind of day that I was hoping for...where there is no place better than being under the covers with a good book and interrum naps!!

I was especially pleased today because, for many months now, I've been meaning to scan a bunch of childhood pictures that I found and wanted to add to our digital collection. I had so much fun going through all of them and remembering my days back in London when all of us kids were so little. I found myself laughing out loud at many of the photographs (and wondering how I let anyone do that to my hair!!!).

One of the funnest things about my afternoon project was noticing that almost all of my best childhood memories include one person...my uncle Victor!!!

As I was going through some pictures, I just couldn't help but laugh at so many of the funny things that we did together when I was growing up. In turn, I also remembered some of my hardest times that I went through, and again, he was the one that was taking me out for ice cream or bringing me home after having run away.

My Uncle Victor and I have always had a particularly close relationship and looking back, I think a big part of the reason that I value family and connectedness so much is because of him. I would have to say though that my uncle and I have always been friends before anything else. That is what I think makes us so unique. I can tell my uncle anything and there is huge level of respect between us that has enabled us to share a great deal of trust and honesty.

For as long as I can remember, my uncle and I have always been together. I had the priviledge of always living nearby and much of my childhood (and most hockey seasons!!) were spent with his family. As he started to have children, we just became a bigger family that had that much more to share.

I don't think that it ever occured to my uncle and I that one day, marriage, school, children and life would one day get in our way. Over time, our relationship became something that was only reflected on during the holidays or when one of us was passing through town. It's always sad to acknowledge but, it is reality sometimes and often, we unintentionally take those relationships for granted and assume that they will just always be there.

About a month ago, my uncle and I found ourselves with some time to visit again, just the two of us (which was the first time in a long time)...and as we seemed to pick up right where we left off so many years back, we suddenly realized that we had let go of the miracle that is that kind of relationship. We had stopped putting the effort into it and in turn, missed so much about each other. My uncle and I were the best of friends and, fortunately for us, were able to recognize our mistake before it was too late but, how many times to we just let life get in the way of our most important blessings...each other?? We get bogged down with our day to day worries and so often, forget to reach out to those that bring us perspective.

When I was looking through my pictures, I couldn't help but wonder how different my life would be if I knew then what I know now?? I wondered what I would tell that little girl and what advice I would give her??

I know that I would certainly tell her not to sweat the small stuff and I would tell her that even though a heart may be broken...it still beats just the same (and I would tell her to watch "Fried Green Tomatoes" every chance she gets!!). Most importantly though, I would tell her to never let the people she loves slip through her fingers...because though she may have ice cream a thousand more times in her life...it will never taste as good as it does with Uncle Victor!!

Hmmm....

...Maybe Starbucks' "random act" (see "Oh Happy Day") was just their way of easing us into this!

Oh Happy Day...

Regardless of any comments I may have made in the past, I would like to officially state that the past twenty-four hours has fully renewed my faith in humanity and made me a full supporter of random acts of kindness!!! The past day has erased all memory of cranky sales ladies, being hit by a van and watching him drive away, and any silliness that the U.S. Government may have done recently (!!!). Today, has been great!!!

First of all, as I walk into work this morning, my very adorable co-worker (imagine a much more bearable version of Rachel Ray!!) stopped me to tell me just how envious she was of my long legs and tiny waist. Now, for anyone who knows how devastating a bad hair day can be, they also know that you can never really get enough of compliments of this nature...especially when it's on a day other than your wedding day!!! I stood there stunned and still half asleep but, none the less, a tornado could have torn through our office and it still would have been considered a good day!!

Then, I was waiting for Steve at Chapter's during a time that is normally fairly quiet but for some reason, every square inch of this place was packed with avid readers and there wasn't even a tiny little corner of carpet to be found. Meanwhile, I was at a super good part of "Shopaholic Ties the Knot" and no where to read it!! Until, that is, this wonderful older gentlemen showed up out of nowhere (it was sort of like parting the Red Sea) and said in the most gentlest of voices "Here Dear, please take my seat and relax!". And he didn't just have a normal chair, he had one of those huge, cozy chairs that you could sit in all day long and never leave. I insisted that I couldn't take his spot but, he wouldn't take no for an answer! So he did the next logical thing...he lied!! He told me that he was just leaving and was happy to pass his seat on to me (though he hadn't taken so much as a sip of his latte and his paper hadn't even been opened yet!), so I enjoyed his chair for my time there and was sure to pass it on to someone else when I left.

Later this afternoon, my other co-worker and I were discussing corn on the cob (though I don't remember why!) and I had mentioned that I hadn't actually eaten corn on the cob since I was a teenager (I remember it being a very high maintenance food!). In the grand tradition that is Louise (a completely and overly thoughtful woman!), she went out and bought corn on the cob "that I absolutely had to have"...and so, Steve is cooking it as I write this!!

If all of this wasn't great enough, one of my very favourite places had to step in and make everything that much better...Starbucks!! As I was walking home, I passed one of the new stores that is to open this week and found it to be absolutely packed with people. Being a little bit confused (because I knew that it wasn't opening until tomorrow), I went over for a closer look, only to find out that today all food and beverages were on the house!!! Are you kidding me?!?! How often can you get a $7.00 coffee for free?? Apparently they were celebrating the fact that they were one step closer to taking over the world and thought that they were share with the rest of us (let's be honest...it's not like they can't afford it!!). In the midst of my excitement, I even got a brownie to go with my wonderful drink (which I never do because when it comes to their pastries...what they lack in nutritional value, they make up for in calorie count!!).

Since the world was obviously paying it forward today, I made sure to tell a random stranger in the grocery store (who was looking a little run down) that there was free caffeine and sugar to be had two blocks to the left!!

Last, but certainly not least, I want to acknowledge the CTV's random act of kindness of making Grey's Anatomy part of their Thursday Primetime Lineup!!! That's right, tonight is the season premiere and it can't get here fast enough!! Though losing Denny was too sad to watch twice, my life is truly a much happier place with George, Izzie, Meredith, Christina and Dr. McDreamy!! And let's not forget Finn...we've been debating all summer who Meredith should pick!!!

So, as I drink my tall, non-fat, no whip, peppermint mocha, while our corn on the cob is boiling on the stove and there is only one hour and forty-eight minutes left until Grey's Anatomy...let me leave you with one thought...

...what a wonderful world :)

On The Run...

Okay...it's official...life has been busy!! Now that Steve and I have had two straight weekends of sleeping in, it quickly occured to me just how busy we've really been. Between our canoe trip, my trip to TO and our FABULOUS visit with Colin & Sandra in Port Elgin, we really have been going a mile a minute!!

It's not over yet though!!! I suddenly realized this weekend that I have a mere four weeks until we are off to Toronto again for the Toronto International Marathon. For anyone that really knows me, you know that I just love running and even more so, I love racing! In my four years of running, I've never hesitated to say that I'm not a very fast runner... I've always been more like the tortoise than the hare!!

Generally speaking, I tend to do most of my intense training during the winter months leading up to the National Capital Race Weekend. Truth be told, I've always been a much better runner in the winter than I've ever been in the summer due to the fact that it's much easier to regulate your body temperature in the winter. This year though, I decided to take a little break from training (for the first time in four years) and give my body a little bit of time to recover. I won't say that it was an easy decision to make...it broke my heart actually but, work, life and running were becoming a bit much at the time and my health required that I take a bit of a step back and give myself a rest.

This summer though, I realized that I couldn't take it anymore and I absolutely had to get back into my running shoes!!! So after four months of rest, I laced up my shoes again and decided to make my big comeback!!! So Toronto it is!! There are many reasons why I chose to do the half-marathon instead of the full distance:

1.) I adore my husband too much to spend all that training time away from him...he's just too cute!!
2.) Given that I generally don't run much in the summer, I thought that I would take summer running in baby steps.
3.) Regardless of how much I've trained...I'm seldom smiling after 42.2 kilometres!!!
4.) Half Marathon training is a great opportunity to work on speed instead of distance.

Toronto also provides a great new route (apparently a fairly flat route too!), lots of family and friends in town to cheer me on and a terrific reason to eat as much as I can bear over Thanksgiving weekend!!

So far, my best time for a half-marathon is 2:35:47 and I've been hurting at the finish line!! However, this past Friday, I ran one of my fastest times yet...18km in 1:50:06!! Yeah for me and yeah for the Double Latte Power Gel with 50mg. of caffeine that I tried for the first time!! Though I was still quite sore at the end (my calves are still screaming at me), I still maintained my speed throughout most of my run and kept a good pace. All in all, a great start to the weekend!!

All this to say...watch out Toronto...I'm back...and with caffeine induced power gels in tow!!

Tragedy Strikes Again...

In the middle of a rainy, gloomy day, twenty people were shot in a Montreal College today. Two people are dead, one of them being the shooter. I was stunned when I first heard the news and even more stunned when I found myself saying "not again". More so because I came to the very abrupt realization that this appears to be happening more and more often. Our younger generations appear to becoming more violent than ever before.

I called my aunt this evening, who lives in Montreal, to ensure that her and the family were all fine and hadn't been in harms way. While discussing the incident with her, I asked her "what kind of anger has to exist in someone to make them do that?". Strangely enough though, I think that I already knew the answer; though nothing has been reported regarding the shooter's motives, my initial assumption was retaliation, likely resulting from years of bullying.

When the investigation after the shooting at Columbine High School finally started to come together in 1999, it was made clear that the two shooters had suffered from years of bullying from their peers. You can also read countless stories about teens who have committed suicide from enduring the trauma of bullying and I can't help but wonder...what's really happening here??

Without a shadow of a doubt, what happened today in Montreal, at Columbine High School and in numerous other places...were tragic, heartbreaking and is an example of the ever changing society we are living in. It seems like everywhere we turn, innocent victims are dying for someone else's cause. However, though I know that the coverage of the Montreal shooting will likely last for weeks, I am interested in knowing how much time will be spent on the issue that potentially led this shooter to such extremes measures??

As everyone knows, adolescence is a terribly tumultuous time to begin with. Our self-esteem is fragile, we are still trying to find our way in the world and basically, it's just eight years of trying to avoid embarrassement. For many of us, we look back fondly on our bad taste in clothes and the endless "firsts" that we experienced but, for many others (likely more than we think), those years were wrought with trauma at the hands of their peers. Bullying becomes like a cancer in your body...a poison that encompasses your being, taking over until eventually, it breaks your spirit and all there is left to do is survive.

The shooter was described as a white male, dressed in black with a mohawk. For all intents and purposes, he sounds like someone who might have stood out in a crowd. Someone who might have been a bit different from the norm (whatever that may be...though is usually defined by the likes of the GAP and Levi's in our teen years). The reality is that kids can be cruel, and even more so in groups. Given enough time and persistence, bullying can chip away at someone's self-esteem until there is a mere shell of that person left. I think that it's worth noting that this young man likely didn't just go in there to kill his peers but, whether he was shot by police or not, I don't think that he was expecting to live through the day either. This alone, brings on sadness in and of itself.

It's easy to say that, if bullying is the cause, then he could have just told someone but, realistically, if a ten year old can take a toddler from a mall, then torture and kill him without so much as a note on his record when he turns eighteen, then what kind of protection can a bullied student possibly expect in their school hallways?? And the thing is that psychological and emotional scars don't photograph nearly as well as battle scars do. There isn't any tanglible proof of the damage that has been done.

A woman once asked me shorty after 9/11 if it's really considered terrorism if you have been bullied your whole life and you are merely trying to protect all that you have left?? It's a good and valid question. Whether it's your country or your dignity...people, by nature, will do whatever it takes to protect themselves.

We are living in a time when bombs are always being dropped on other countries, where gangs are having shootouts in the street on Boxing Day and we are suing fast food companies for making us fat. It's the age of retaliation. So should we really be surprised when bullied and tortured teens are finding their own way to strike back?? And in turn, was the terrorism in shooting people randomly at school or was it in torturing and instilling fear in someone in the first place just because they were different??

I don't know.

All I know is that the problem is more than the violence and more than gun control. The problem is that we are forgetting what it's like to love and respect one another as we are. We are forgetting to live and let live. We are forgetting that peace is not only an end but, also a means to achieving that end. We are forgetting to teach our children this and in doing so, they will never teach their children this.

In the end, all that I am left with is a broken heart, more questions and something that St. Augustine once said:

"Hope has two beautiful daughters; Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are and Courage to change them."

God Bless those who are suffering tonight and those that can make a difference tomorrow.

Cutest Three Amigos Ever...

Where Was I...??

So, last weekend I left my husband for the big, bad city of Toronto where I had the chance to catch up with some old friends and family and do a couple of good deeds at the same time. I never seem to get over just how big Toronto is and most of all, how busy it is all the time. Each time that I visit (which isn't very often), Dundas Square is looking more and more like Times Square...and I'm just not sure that the world is big enough for two of those!! I think that I should mention that "Bob the Cat" escorted us to Toronto from Markham and had his picture taken at select attractions around town. Meanwhile, Eric roamed the city with the most beautiful chicken hat that I've ever laid eyes on (if I recall correctly, a fabulous purchase by Marisa!). I was quite impressed that we didn't get beaten up at any point in time!!

Anyways, while I was there, two things awakened me to the shocking reality that I may not be as "with the times" as I thought I was!! The first one happened on Saturday evening, amidst all the hussle and bussle of downtown Toronto. Marisa, Eric and I had some time to kill before our dinner reservations so, what better thing to do in Toronto but shop (right Eric?!?!). Given that I'm not overly familiar with Toronto's assortment of spending options, I let Marisa lead the way. About two blocks later I found myself in two spectacular floors of fashion/interior design heaven...Urban Outfitters!! Where had I been all this time to have never seen this store before?? I'll tell you where...OTTAWA!! Don't get me wrong, I love O-town and would be happy to spend the rest of my life here but, when it comes to retail therapy...we leave much to be desired! No Pottery Barn, no Abercrombie & Fitch and now, no Urban Outfitters...it's just sad! But thank you to Marisa for making my world (and our living room) a brighter place with your impeccable taste!!

The second one occured after dinner that night when we thought that it would be fun to hit the CNE. After having gone to our own little Super Ex the weekend before (which isn't quite as super anymore!!), I was really excited to see what the big city had to offer in terms of the carnie world! I remember when I was younger and you bought little tear-off tickets to go on all the rides, each ticket was maybe fifty cents or so and, at the most, would cost two or three tickets to go on a ride. Needless to say that I was a bit surprised when I saw that the entire CNE functioned on a debit card system!! You bought "credits" for a dollar a piece, which went onto this card and each time you went on a ride, they scanned your card and the credits were removed. Okay, so this is the technological age and I can accept how advanced this has all become however, what I do struggle with is how much the cost of the rides has increased over the years. I get the whole inflation thing and so on but, seriously, since when did it cost $18.00 for three people to go on a ferris wheel?? WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?!?! They didn't even serve champagne or anything!! Where was I when this all happened?? This one clearly can't be blamed on Ottawa. Atleast the mini donuts and funnel cakes have stayed the same (the price even seems reasonable), and the games still offer the same cheap prizes that they did ten years ago...it's good to know that some things just never change!!!

On that note though, I want to congratulate Marisa on finding the cutest game prize EVER without having to play twelve rounds in a row. Let me tell you, this girl knows how to get the most return on her investment (she wasn't kidding on her shopping habits...!!!). She managed to scope the entire fair grounds for the cutest stuffed animal and found a surprisingly adorable stuffed Panda bear. It was love at first sight for Panda and I!! Marisa ended up winning him on her first try by using all her youthfulness to her advantage and betting a carnie $5.00 that he couldn't guess her age!! Sure enough, he was wrong and we walked away with Panda and a new playmate for "Bob the Cat". Kudos to you Marisa...well played!!!

Just Another Night on Powell Avenue...

Who's Life Will You Change...??

Serendipity: to make discoveries, by accident and sagacity, of things not in quest of. (Wikipedia)

Ever since I was a teenager, my Uncle Neil has been telling me the story of a woman he met on a Greyhound bus one day while en route to meet his girlfriend at the time. During their short time together, she managed to convince him to apply to law school at the University of Western Ontario, which diverted completely from his initial future plans. Ultimately, he got accepted to UWO, started law school that fall which, in turn, is where he ended up meeting is wife and the reason that most of our family ended up moving to London in the first place (which also led to my other uncle meeting his wife). He loves this story so much because it is one of those very distinct moments in his life where the chance meeting of a stranger at the right time changed the entire course of his life and many of ours.

When he tells me that story, it often encourages me to reflect on my own days gone by and look at many of the choices that I made along the way. And though it's not an easy task to pin point the moment in which a specific corner was turned, I believe that there have been certain serendipitous encounters that have altered the entire course and direction that my life was taking at the time.

The one that stands out the most to me is during the summer of 2001 when I was working in an ice cream store just after graduation. During one unusually quiet day in the market, a girl came to the store that I had gone to high school with back in London. She was a senior the year that I started grade nine hence, I really didn't know her other than to recognize her face and we had never spoken before that day. While having some polite conversation regarding our lives and what we were up to, I mentioned how I was finding it difficult to decide what field to go into now that I had graduated. She had mentioned that she was just leaving one job to start a new one and asked me if I would be interested in passing on my resume in the event that they hadn't already found a replacement for her. With absolutely zero expectations at all, I forwarded her my resume later that week and went about my life. By the end of that summer, I had been hired to replace her on Parliament Hill...

Had it not been for that right moment at the right place, I never would have met my co-worker who was moving out of his apartment and looking for someone to take over his lease (and I had been looking aimlessly for an apartment that was suitable)...I never would have met my friend that "encouraged" me to give online dating a try...hence I never would have met my husband. I never would have had to work for the absolute worst person in the history of the world which encouraged me to look for work elsewhere...which lead me to the Gallery...and so and so on.

All this to say that, although I didn't see it at the time, that moment changed everything. What's even more amazing is that I'm sure my fellow school mate and the woman that my uncle met on the bus had no idea that the brief moments spent in their presence changed someone else's life forever. It sort of makes me wonder if a conversation that I ever had with a stranger produced such a ripple effect?? Then again, maybe we are never meant to know.

As incredible as some of these stories are, our lives are always touched by others in less obvious, more subtle ways. The admiration and inspiration that others can create on a day to day basis equally effect our lives, sometimes in ways that even we can never really know the depths of. In light of this, I've decided that it's time to recognize some of those people that truly impact our lives and helped us become the people that we are today.

I have had the very fortunate blessing of meeting some of the most outstanding people in my life and frankly, you should make every effort to try and meet them as well!!! Hence, I am going to put together a list of all the people that you should try to meet during your life...trust me...you won't regret it!! Let's call this new series of blogs "Style & Substance" (because that's what it takes to change the world...even if it's just one person's world!). Sit back, relax and make your plan...because those featured in S&S should certainly be a part of it!!

Stay tuned...

Returned Safely...

Ladies and gentlemen...I did it!! I survived my first canoe trip and amazingly enough...all in one piece!!! We actually had a fabulous time! The weather was perfect, the canoeing was fairly easy and we managed to avoid any dumping of boat/passengers/supplies throughout the entire time!!

We left on Monday morning to a beautifully sunny day and made it to Kinnissis Lake around 1pm ish. The dam was pretty busy with campers returning home and cottagers coming out for the week. Once we got our boat in the water however, we didn't really see too many other people until we returned two days later. Our first portage appeared to have gone well until we discovered that we had actually jumped the gun and put the boat back in a little too early. We figured this out when we suddenly felt the current getting stronger and the sound of rushing water alerted us to the fact that we were about to hit a set of rapids that neither of us could turn back from!!! We held our breath...went for it...got soaked and then took a break so that we could stop and reflect on how terribly reckless and foolish it was of us to not look ahead after the portage!!!! That being said...we didn't make that mistake twice!!


The rest of the trip was terrific! It never fails to amaze me how peaceful the outdoors can be and how refreshing it is to be away from the likes of email and telephones for a few days. Even your food taste better out in the woods!! Though I have to admit that regardless of how much I love it, there is a side of me that can't help but anticipate the return of my bed and a clean bathroom! As the saying goes, you can take the girl out of the city but, you can't take the city out of the girl!!!

I would also like to mention that, as someone who has camped a fair bit at various sites/parks, the campsites on these lakes are, by far, the very best sites that I've ever been to. They are all incredibly private, fairly large and would make a terrific waterfront property!! Our only complaint about the trip was the new system that the township had put into place regarding sites. Up until about four months ago, you didn't have to pay for the use of any sites, however, this also meant that it was basically first come, first serve. During busy times, you could end up sharing a site with others. Recently however, they implemented a charge for the use of the sites, but your site was reserved for your use only.

All this to say that we showed up at our site on Clear Lake on Tuesday night to see that it was occupied by a family of four!!! When we approached them about having reserved the site, they assured us that they had booked it three weeks ago (though we think that they are lying because they look guilty!!!) and had no intention of leaving! Fortunately for us, there were a couple of other sites on the lake that we could use however, in such a situation, what is one to do?? Because all of the booking is done online and there aren't any "park rangers" that you can call to sort out the mix up, what's stopping anyone from taking any site they want and claiming that they booked it. Chances are, if you are like us, you didn't venture out to the great outdoors only to have to share a site with a big family of people that you don't know...hence, you move on to another site...even though that one is rightfully yours! So really, it becomes a battle of honesty out in the forest. An honour system if you will, which works fine most of the time but, I certainly wouldn't want to be there during May 2-4 weekend!!

Our Paper Anniversary...

It's a good thing that we had the date engraved in our rings so that we wouldn't forget ;)

Check out our anniversary slideshow here!

Finally...

After eight years of dating bliss, our little France (and we say that affectionately at under five feet tall and cute as can be!!) finally got hitched to her long time boyfriend, Francois!

We have all been anticipating her wedding ever since Francois wisked her away for Banff (she thought that she was going to the Casino in Gatineau!!) last fall for a secret proposal with the platinum eternity band that she loved. Really, after eight years of dating, there is no way that he would get away with simply proposing over Cheerios one morning at breakfast!!

There was talk that they were originally going to get engaged the day of our wedding because they were coming to the ceremony but couldn't make it to the reception due to "plans" that Francois made but didn't tell France about. I called her from the airport the following Monday to find out and it turns out that he had planned a romantic dinner in Montreal...but no ring! This guy obviously had more secrets up his sleeve!!

Anyways, not only was it exciting to see them get married, but we also got the chance to have all the "original" girls (and Yves!!!) reunited again at Stanley's Old Maple Lane Farm, complete with bug spray, for the big event. We had a terrific time!!! We laughed, danced, drank and learned very quickly that stiletto heels, regardless of how cute they are, don't work so well in grassy farm lands (a story for another time however!!!).

Felicitations ma belle France!!

Reality TV Madness...

2006 has definitely been the summer of reality television. It has become our new addiction of choice...our new drug...our new reason for not cleaning the bathroom!! And with the dreadful heat that has plagued us this summer, we find ourselves being caged in our air-conditioned room with nothing to do but get sucked into the world of planning our scheduals around who's being "voted off the island"!! It's terrible, I know...but with the ribbon of terror scanning our television screens everyday (honestly, nothing beats waking up to the breaking news of a high terror alert...good morning to you too!)...it's nice to lose ourselves in something a little more light-hearted. There are two shows in particular that have captured our attention this summer...Last Comic Standing and Rockstar: Supernova (and for those of you reading this and judging our taste in television programming...judge all you want...if you watched an episode, you'd get sucked in too!).

Last Comic Standing won our respect last summer when we found ourselves splitting a gut laughing every Tuesday night when comics battled it out by performing for three minutes each and then the audience and viewers would vote for the funniest. Really, what's not to love about laughing for an hour at stand up comedy (and good comedy at that!)?!? This year though, I am especially proud as it turns out that the individual that I picked from day one ended up taking home the prize last night during the season finale.

This year's competition was tough as all three of the finalists were all really good in their own way. It ended up coming down to Chris Porter, who has a bit more of a "stoned" approached to his comedy...Ty Barnett, who is a bit more traditional (ie. the whole "the difference between men and women" bit), but really funny nonetheless, and Josh Blue, a really young comic with Cerebral Palsy who uses his disability as the main topic in his routine. My money was on Josh right from the start and not necessarily because he was the funniest all the time but, because he always had the most fun all the time!! I was thrilled when he won last night...he deserved it and I think everyone really enjoyed watching him win as well. He took us for a good ride and gave us a good laugh...way to go Josh! By the way, Josh is performing at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario on November 1st...go see him...you won't regret it. And if you do, tell him that Gen voted for him!!!

Now, about Rockstar:Supernova...last season, my fearless leader, Yves, gave me no end of grief for not watching Rockstar: INXS and hence, not providing him with someone to debate the potential winner (though I did redeem myself by falling victim to Lost, which enabled us to create our own little support group...for those of us who have a hard time chasing a carrot on a string for months on end!!). This season of Rockstar isn't much different, except for the fact that Steve has started watching it and we have ended up flipping between Rockstar and LCS each Tuesday night during commercials.

Rockstar has the same premise as LCS except that the contestants belt out selected rock tunes in hopes of being the lead singer for the new band named...you guessed it...Supernova! I haven't watched this show very consistently until Ryan Star caught my attention last week with his AMAZING rendition of R.E.M.'s "Losing my Religion" on the piano. It was incredible...gorgeous...memorable and also took us over an hour to find a version to download for my MP3 player (a special thanks needs to go out to MSN for letting all of us Canadians sign up for your email but not letting us download your music. Really, we can't thank you enough for that minor oversight...JERKS!). If you haven't watched the show (admit it...you've caught glimpses of it...everyone has!)...atleast watch this one performance. Especially since Ryan isn't going to win anyway (I think that Steve, Yves and I would all agree that Dilana has it in the bag!!!)...we should support his moment of glory!


Check it out here!

Baby Boy Smyth Update...

Well, our little nephew now has a name...Rohan Jeffery Smyth! That is terrific news. What isn't so terrific is that Rohan is now being moved to the Children's Hospital in Halifax to undergo surgery on his teeny tiny little body. He's been on oxygen all night but, is doing well. Monica is on her way to Halifax and Jeff is on his way to Fredricton...everyone is on the move!

Oh yeah...and Noal and Brennan are at a water park tackling the Silver Bullet!

Holding Our Breath...

Okay, so we got home last night around 5:30ish and not long after walking in the door, we received a somewhat frantic phone call to let us know that our sister-in-law, Monica had just delivered her baby. Under most circumstances, the arrival of a much anticipated new family member is great news however, in this case, the baby wasn't due until nearly October!

So, much to our surprise, we listened as we were told that her water broke and then after only an hour of labor, our nephew came into the world. As unexpected as this was however, the circumstances couldn't have been better because right now, Monica is visiting her parents in New Brunswick. Had she been home, in Petawawa, this could have been an entirely different story.

Because her husband, Jeff, is in the air force, they are currently living in Pet and were planning on having the baby in Ottawa. Once Monica received the "cue", they would pack up their three year old, Priya, call the Smyths in Tilbury and head up to Ottawa (while dropping Priya off at a friend's place in Stittsville along the way). While Jeff and Monica would be at the hospital, the Smyths would be on their way to Ottawa and step in taking care of Priya until they returned to Petawawa. That was the plan anyways!!

Jeff had to leave town for work for a couple of weeks, so Monica decided that it would make the perfect opportunity to go visit her parents in New Brunswick. So they hoped on a flight and were intended to be there until this coming Monday. Now...let's look at the potential sequence of events that could have happened had she not made that decision...

Monica would have been by herself in Petawawa when her water broke and she would have had to pack up Priya and try to make it to Ottawa (though most likely would have gone to Pembroke instead)on her own. If she ended up going to Pembroke, it's likely that someone would have had to go there to pick up Priya since it would have been a good eight hours before the Smyths would have arrived.

All this to say that, if this little baby boy was so insistent on arriving early (at a mere 3 pounds and 8 ounces), then he certainly chose his timing right! Jeff received the call that his son was early and had to fly back to Ottawa and then drive out to New Brunswick...so he may be arriving there as I write this. Both mother and baby are healthy but, Steve and I do have a bone to pick with Baby Boy Smyth (not yet named as they thought they had a couple more months to decide!!!)...we were all excited about being the first ones to get to see the baby...so we feel a bit ripped off!!!

A small price to pay however for everyone to be happy and healthy!

We'll keep you posted as we find out more details...