Steve finally arrives!

Today, I witnessed probably the most depressing presentation I have ever seen. It had nothing to do with children starving in Africa, or the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. It was a presentation on the future of the World’s energy. Most people are well aware that the large majority of our energy is derived from non-renewable resources such as oil, natural gas, and coal. But does it ever cross our mind while we are filling up our cars at the pump that the resource is finite? I admit that I rarely think about it and when I do, I usually imagine it well into the future with hovercrafts and floating cities. It’s not going to happen in our lifetime, right? The world’s scientists always seem to find new oil reserves or develop new technology to extract more or produce more to meet our ever expanding appetite for energy.

Climate change has been a main feature in the news as of late, with our non-existent winter during December and January, David Suzuki’s cross-Canada tour talking about Global Warming, and of course the recent Academy Award for Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”. I admit that I haven’t seen “An Inconvenient Truth” yet. For some reason, seeing a movie about Al Gore’s Power Point presentation isn’t high on my list of things to do. And, I think I have a pretty good handle on Global Warming – why it’s happening, Kyoto (why some people like and others don’t), what we can do, and what the best guesses for the future are.

But, I never really had a grasp on the world’s energy resources. I knew that energy supply was going to be a big issue in the coming decades, but I never knew the gravity of the situation until today.

The presentation, titled “Energy Supply/Demand Trends and Forecasts: Implications for a Sustainable Energy Future for Canada and the World” was given by J. David Hughes of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). He is a geologist with more than 30 years experience studying the energy resources of Canada for the GSC and the private sector. He has made presentations across Canada and the United States to Federal, Provincial, and municipal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Potential Gas Committee, U.S. National Petroleum Council, Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Industry Canada; and a slew of other policy forums, conferences, etc. All this to say - he knows what he’s talking about.

I wish it would be possible for everyone to see the presentation. In fact I wish everyone had to see it. I can’t explain the overall mood of the audience. You had to be there to see the looks on people’s faces. The most depressing part was seeing slide after slide of statistics and charts of our historical and predicted consumption, with forecasts on production limits and overall supply. I won’t be able to do the presentation justice, nor cover all the material here, but I’ll give you some highlights. If you want to take a look at the complete presentation, you can download a similar presentation he made in early February here. It’s a PDF document around 5MB in size, so be patient and you’ll need Adobe Acrobat to view it.

Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights):

- hydrocarbons (oil, natural gas, coal, etc.) provided 88% of the world’s primary energy in 2005
- forecasts suggest that by 2030, 86% of our greatly expanded energy demand will continue to be provided by hydrocarbons
- 56% of the world’s energy is currently consumed by developed countries, making up approximately 18% of the world’s population
- energy demand in the developing world is projected to more than double by 2030
- as of 2005, China was importing 48% of its oil, and India was importing almost 70%, meaning that with the projected increases in demand and the fact that India and China produce very little of their own oil, there is going to be much more competition for oil on the world market
- 90% of the oil consumed by the human race has been used since 1958, 50% since 1984, 10% since 2002
- production of oil has exceeded discoveries since 1984, and as of 2005, we’re consuming approximately 4 barrels of oil for every 1 barrel we discover
- OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is made up of 12 countries – (Algeria, Angola, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela), has three quarters of the remaining reserves, and 6 of those countries (Libya, Venezuala, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Indonesia) reached their peak production capacity in the 1970s. Not the friendliest list of countries either, so the geo-political ramifications are quite obvious
- World oil production could peak in the 2008-2012 timeframe
- Even with four- or five-fold expansion of production from the Oil Sands, Canada will only produce about 3% of the world’s forecasted energy supply in 2025.
- 90% of the natural gas consumed by the human race has been used since 1963, 50% since 1988, and 10% since 2002.
- Three-quarters of the remaining natural gas reserves are located in the Former Soviet Union and the Middle East, which is a problem for North America since liquefying natural gas for international transport, is expensive, and entails approximately 15% to 30% energy loss.
- Canada has consumed 63% of our discovered natural gas resources. At current production rates, the remaining reserves will be gone in 15 years. It is HOPED that undiscovered resources will account for another 45 years of natural gas supply at 2005 production rates.

Again, that is just sampling. I didn’t even extract info about coal or electricity.

Another neat little tidbit is, as most of you have likely heard, Canada is one of the largest, if not the largest, per capita consumers of energy in the world. We consume almost twice as much as the average European citizen and 10% more than the U.S. But, why are North Americans such huge consumers? Mainly because the large majority of our infrastructure was built after we started drilling oil (1859), meaning oil was cheap and we built based on that premise, while Europe was built before oil. Hence European cities are much friendlier to bicycle and foot traffic and have much better public transit, while here in North America we continue to build subdivisions without sidewalks because why do we need to accommodate alternative modes of transportation when oil is cheap?

So, what does this all mean? Well, in the next 10-20 years, energy prices are likely going to increase a lot and we’re all going to feel the impact. The impact on my generation and future generations will be profound unless we do something about it. Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out.

So, what do we do? There is no magic solution in the future. Technological developments aren’t going to produce a silver bullet. The fact of the matter is gasoline and diesel fuels have two of the highest energy densities in comparison with other energy carriers. Hydrogen isn’t going to solve anything because it takes energy to create hydrogen. If you’re going to consume hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, then why not just burn the hydrocarbons directly and avoid the energy loss? Hybrid vehicles aren’t the answer either. They’ll definitely help, but remember it requires energy to build a hybrid vehicle. It’s estimated that a hybrid car has to be driven 65000 miles before it saves more energy than it took to build it.

Again, what do we do? In Mr. Hughes presentation, he gives a lot of different solutions which all should be pursued. However, the main answer is conservation. Consume less. It’s really our only choice. If we don’t consume less then increased efficiencies, technological advancements, and renewable energy use aren’t going to mean anything.

So, the question is – do we want control over the solution or should we let Mother Nature take care of it??

-Steve

Lights...Camera...Action...!!!

I've always believed that when you decide to do something and fully put it out into the universe (perhaps via a blog site!), then it tends to take on a life of it's own and the experience can lead you in many directions. That was the case for me this weekend when I was given the opportunity to be in a commercial being made for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation. I've never enjoyed being on film and I usually avoid it like the plague but, in this case, I thought it was best to bite the bullet and see where this would go!!

The commercial was being filmed for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, who is the charitable partner for the National Capital Race Weekend (all funds raised that weekend are given to the Foundation). The idea was to have a race in the hospital hence, filming took place in the Emergency Room, the O.R. and through various wings of the departments. It was pretty wild and I'm looking forward to seeing the final product!! The initial plan was to have me be the pace bunny for the race (since I am pacing the actual race as well) but, it was later decided to change it because they felt that the average public may not know the significance of the pace rabbit. Hence, I was asked to be one of five doctors who joins the "race" with the other runners! Yeah for me...I got to wear scrubs!!!

My day began at 5am and was on set by 6:30am for make-up and wardrobe. There were thirty of us all together (not including the film crew and production team) and I didn't get home until well after 5pm. It wasn't uncommon to see many of us curled up in a hospital bed somewhere catching a cat nap throughout the day!! Our lovely make-up lady followed us around everywhere to ensure that we looked our best (while still looking like runners!) and we had to share our time between the production team, the CBC and the Ottawa Citizen.

I was later asked to do a photo shoot for the poster that is to be distributed in the next couple of weeks. That was a bit unexpected but, just one more thing to add to the list of things that I've never done before!!! I won't know for awhile yet if I will even been seen in the commercial because, with thirty of us, it's likely that we won't all be seen in the final thirty second shot. At the very least though, I will know how long it took us to get that final thirty second shot...TOO LONG!!!!

We had a terrific time and was ready for a good night sleep after nearly eleven hours of filming!! The challenge of filming in a hospital is that it's still business as usual regardless of what other things are going on. We spent the better part of the morning filming in the ER, which meant that when an ambulance would show up with a trauma patient...we had to bring everything to a halt and start over again when the coast was clear again! I'll admit, that was a bit weird...running up and down the halls surrounded by patients...but, us actors gotta do what we gotta do!!!

Check out some pictures from the filming on my running blog. I may not make the final cut but, atleast I have pictures to prove I was there!!!!

It's a Girl...Soon...!!!

My beautiful friend, France, and her husband Francois, are expecting their first baby this coming July (us July babies are the best!!!). She recently went to find out the sex of the baby and sure enough...I was right all along!!

While everyone, including the soon to be parents, thought they were having a boy...I said from the very start that they were having a little girl...cause I just can't picture it any other way!!! I should have put money on it!!

Congratulations you guys...I look foward to seeing HER!!

You're ONE...!!!

Happy First Birthday Baby Kellen!!!

Will You Be My Valentine...??

As I wake up on the morning of my fourth Valentine's Day since no longer being a part of the "Single Girls Against Valentine's Day" coalition...I can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside at the sight of my very favourite Valentine.

As cards, chocolates and flowers get passed around today, we should all be thankful that Valentine's Day isn't how it used to be!!

St. Valentine, the patron Saint of love, was imprisoned for secretly marrying young men in a time when marriage was banned. Emperor Claudius felt that married men made poor soldiers, hence he banned all marriage from his empire. Once imprisoned, Valentine fell in love with the blind daughter of his jailer, who, thanks to his great faith and love for her, miraculously healed her of her blindness. Before he was taken to his death, he signed a farewell message to her, "from your Valentine", and this is the phrase that has been used on his day ever since!!

As a tribute to my Valentine, here is just some of the things that I adore most about my husband, Steve...

I love how brilliant you are in so many ways. I love how you share in my morning grumpiness. I love how your boxers show just above the waist line of your pants. I love how kind and loving you are. I love living on the sun with you. I love going to sleep every night with you. I love waking up every morning to you. I love spending our nights curled up on the couch together. I love how you are at every finish line that I cross. I love how much you care about the environment. I love how much you aim to be the very best person that you can be. I love how you try to be the best pirate in the carribean. I love how great you are to my friends. I love your determination and ambition. I love building a home with you. I love how you always listen to me. I love how much you make me laugh. I love how amazing your cooking is. I love how crazy you get about Excel spreadsheets. I love how spontaneous you are becoming in your old age. I love your shoulders. I love how excited you get about new glasses. I love sharing my life with you. I love ballroom dancing with you. I love learning how to surf with you. I love how you push me out of bed to do my runs. I love eating junk food with you. I love that we laugh at all the same jokes. I love how amazing you look in an old pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. I love what an amazing husband you are. and and and....

Most of all, I love being your Valentine!!!!

Bonne Fête Christina...

Happy Birthday to one of our absolute favourite girls!!

(and we have impeccable taste!!!)

We love you, miss you and wish you a FABULOUS start to your new year!! We wish we were there to celebrate with you!!

Own the Bunny...

I remember the day vividly...I ran to class to hand in my last exam and then hopped on a plane to go visit my Mom in the Queen Charlotte Islands for two weeks. As I sat on the plane for the next four hours, I remember thinking how I had finally made it...I had graduated university and was about to throw myself into the "real world". I had been in school since I was five years old and now, for the first time ever, I was really done.

Here's the thing though...no one ever told me just how scary the real world could really be! Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled to be done school but, at the same time, school is a safety net and for so long, school had been my life. The protection of recess, high school dances and campus were no longer there and suddenly, I felt sad. So much of my life had been about my advancement in academics, my goals determined by my education, then, at the age of 22, I finally reached the only goal that I had ever really known.

I spent the two weeks with my mother feeling like I was in a state of limbo; half excited about this new part of my life and half mourning the life that I was leaving behind. I just didn't feel ready yet to let go and life just seemed to be "happening" too quickly.

I arrived home on a very late flight and took the bus back to campus. It was late April and we were just experiencing our first warm spell of the year. Many people were still writing exams so campus was still full of life, even in the middle of the night. As I walked home from the bus stop, I was overwhelmed with a sudden sense a loneliness. Heidi, Jane and Amanda had all just moved out of our apartment, my boyfriend at the time had recently moved to Kingston for his new job, my cat had travelled with me to the islands to stay with Mom and the only life that I had ever known had just been handed in with my twenty page essay on theories of communication.

Life really is about balance but like many things, balance is also one of those things that is easier said than done. More often than not, we don't notice the lack of it until something throws us off kilter and we are struggling to regain our footing. It had become clear that somewhere between kindergarden and my fourth year communications final, I had begun to wobble a bit.

When I finally "recovered" from the trauma of graduating, I came to learn that what had been lacking in my life was goals outside of school. So much of my identity had been wrapped up in my studies that once it was over, I found myself lacking an identity beyond what I had just achieved. But of course, hindsight is 20/20 and doesn't do anything to change the past. I could however, take my new found enlightenment and use it as preventative measures for the future!!

The result?? A list of 100 things that I wanted to do before I died!!! Well, I actually only have 42 right now but, like anything else, it's a work in progress!! It covers everything from seeing a space shuttle launch to learning how to drive standard (which I just learned this past December!!). Doing this list has forced to me have goals beyond my day to day life. It has forced me to dream big and always have things to work towards regardless of changes that occur.

So far, I have managed to achieve two or three of these goals each year (one at the very least) and 2007 is no exception!! This year is the year that I will achieve #17 on my list...to be a pace bunny! Ever since I graduated, running has become a very big part of my life for various reasons and a whole village of people have helped me along the way...including pace bunnies...the admirable runners that help to pace other runners during races and help them achieve their goal times. I've always been in awe of pace bunnies and regarded them highly for the responsibility that they take on for the betterment of other runners. Even more so, I've always wanted to be one!!

Tonight, I start my training as the 2:30 pace bunny for the National Capital Half Marathon as well as being a group leader for one of the training groups. I'm pumped...I'm terrified...I'm praying that I will be able to do this well and make those that have believed in me proud. This role has been entrusted to me and because running is so important to me, this goal doesn't just get crossed off the list...it's going to get documented the entire way!!!

So ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to my new running blog; Own the Bunny. An online journal of sorts about the road to achieving #17 on the big list. Some dreams and commitments are best shared with others because achieving such goals is never a one man mission. I look forward to sharing with everyone the ups and downs of making this happen and even more so, I look forward to seeing you at the finish line...I'll be the one with the bunny ears!!!

"I guess this is living...would you come again?"
- Thornley

Are We There Yet...

Whew...what a weekend!! As Friday slowly rolled to close, I was really hoping for a weekend of relaxation and winterlude fun. Though much of that was had, I feel like I've just survived an emotional rollercoaster!

Friday was madness! Usually on Fridays, I have my routine. I get my morning coffee and more often than not, I run into my co-workers doing the same and we walked to work together and discuss the likes of Grey's Anatomy and the ever approached series finale of the O.C. (**sniff sniff**). This particular Friday, my morning routine happened like clockwork but, with the exception that the second I stepped my foot into the office, it was as though a whirlwind crisis as swept in and taken Friday away from us!! What would normally be a fairly relaxed day spent catching up on the week's loose ends, ended up being literally eight hours of choatic running around that didn't end until approximately 4:22pm when I sat down for the first time that day. Needless to say, it didn't encompass the usual "unwinding" head space that I usually enjoy from my week's end but, alas, I did survive!!

Saturday, Steve and I went snowshoeiing in the Gatineau Hills!! After having lunch with my Dad, we eagerly packed our stuff and planned for an afternoon in the woods. The only problem...??? Quebec is CRAZY!!! That's right...apparently in the province of Quebec, you can put up one side indicating the direction of the highway and you magically enduced with the power to know where you are going. It's like the jedi mind trick of the francophones!! However, what they seem to forget is that some of us are used to urban planning that includes multiple and continuous aid when it comes to finding your way around! Anyways, all this to say that we spent far too long going around in circles and just hoping to make it back to Ontario in one piece!! We did get in two hours of snowshoeing however, we have no idea where we were!!

Saturday night was pretty quiet. We were in and out, but mostly, we were so wipped out from snowshoeiing that we couldn't bring ourselves to do much more (who knew that dragging around big, plastic feet would make five kilometres that much harder!!). The movie Little Black Book was on tv last night, so I spent the last two hours before SNL watching that when I quickly realized a pet peeve of mine...; I really dislike it when a film is marketed as a comedy only to find out that it's super depressing. Nothing is worse than accidently bumming out your saturday night so much that you need to spend an hour watching the Simpsons just to get your groove back!! Why do they do that?!?! Needless to say that this was one of those movies!! It had it's funny moments and for the most part, it was light-hearted but, just when the happy ending is due to roll around...BOOM...they hit you with the "moral of the story"...(which nobody wants on a Saturday night!). Consider yourself warned...!!

Sunday (like all Sundays) started out nicely. I slept in and had nice dreams (except for the one where I lost my engagement ring and was being poisoned at work!). Steve and I went skating on the canal, which was fabulous except for the fact that as each year goes by, my skates seem to fit less and less. I got my skates back when I was figure skating and hence, they were custom made to my feet. It worked out great when I was wearing them four to five hours a day but, now, the slightest change in the shape of my foot makes my favourite part of skating putting my shoes back on!! Being in my running shoes so much and having orthotics has made my feet change a lot in the last year...so getting those suckers on was torture this morning. However, once we were on the ice long enough, the numbness set in and it wasn't so bad!

As it turns out though, my Sunday was going to take a sad turn when we got a phone call to let us know that our nephew, Rohan, was back at CHEO with pneumonia. He was airlifted there from Deep River last night and will be there as long as necessary. We went down to the hospital to see him and as we were driving, all I could think about was how our family has spent far too much time at this hospital, for one reason or another. Enough is enough please.

Anyways, having spent quite a bit of time at CHEO with him in the fall, I wasn't at all nervous or anxious about going back however, we walked into the unit and I could hear him crying down the hall...and that was it...my limit had been reached and I too began to cry. As we arrived, doctors were using tubes to suck out the congestion from his nose and chest...and he was none to happy about it. I just cried as I listened to him and caught glimpses of the nurses working away at him. I just want him to be better and to be healthy. A co-worker of mine once said that as long as we have our health, everything else is manageable. It's one of the most truthful things that I've ever heard but, we usually don't realize it until some form of our health is at risk.

I went back to the unit to see Rohan a couple minutes later when I had calmed down, and by then he was sound asleep...thank goodness. He looked calm and peaceful and was as best as could be expected given the situation. I left feeling better but happy to be out of the hospital.

The rest of the afternoon was also stressful as the weather got really bad and I had to drive for the standard in it for the first time. Drivers are nuts in this weather and let me just say that the Loblaws parking lot is a danger to ones health!! However, the Haagen-Daaz sale (3 for $10.00) more than makes us for it!!

The Superbowl is on as I write this and during the pre-game show I decided that I wanted the Colts to win...they are not. The one time that I take an interest in football and my team loses!! Figures!

I never thought I'd see day but...Is it Monday yet?!?!

Living on the Edge...

It recently occured to me that this summer would commemorate ten years of me living in Ottawa. It will be ten years in August that I packed up my things and my life, and moved onto the 13th floor of the Thompson Resident at Ottawa U.

More than this though, it would be ten years since my mother and I last lived together. And when you have spent your entire life living with someone...it's a big change.

I think that my mother and I could both easily admit that our last few years together were tumultuous at best, and we needed our space. Shortly after I came to Ottawa, my mom moved out west. Though not everyone supported her decision to do so, I always understood why my mother needed to go. After spending nearly twenty years being a single mother and raising an only daughter, I easily recognized that it was important for her to reconnect with the person that she used to be, outside of being a parent.

I think that we would both also agree that moving away was one of the best decisions that either of us made and it was likely the only way to salvage our depleting relationship. However, what we didn't take into account was that such distance would make it next to impossible to rebuild again. When you've spent a lifetime being a part of each other's day to day life, living across the country from each other does indeed give you space...and nothing else.

After we both moved, we have since never been able to be in a room together harmoniously. Old angers and resentments never fail to rear their ugly head and remind us of why we put five provinces between us. The reality is that we have both grown and changed so much in ten years but, never put in the necessary effort to include the other in that growth. Now, being together is like having to get to know each other all over again. Something that can't be done in a ten day visit.

I would never go so far as to say that my mother and I ever stopped loving each other but, I'm quite sure that there have been numerous times when we stopped liking each other. Even now, the only thing that we really have in common is our past. I question whether or not our relationship could ever be what it was however, I don't know that I would ever want it that way again because I'm not seventeen anymore and I think the reason it was so hard was because we were growing out of the relationship that we had.

With this being said though, I have very much missed my mother over the past decade. She was my very best friend for most of my life and the love that I have for her is very unique. I have missed being able to talk to her without arguing with her. I have missed her support and her acceptance for the person that I am (as opposed to the person that I didn't become). I miss going out to dinner with her and laughing at life. I miss talking about everything instead of having to pick and choose what topics to bring up. I wish that she could have been a part of the changes and growth that I experienced but, I also have to believe that the way our lives unfolded were for a reason, and I find comfort in that.

It all seems very sad when you look back at ten years of butting heads and never being able to get along but, alas, all new relationships have to start somewhere, and I think that we are starting to find that place once again.

Like myself, my mother is very "self-aware" person. She spends a great deal of time by herself and in turn, spends a lot of time writing and reading. I think that I attained a great love of words from my mother (I just so happens that we don't know how to use them properly all the time!!). I have always turned to writing when I've felt anxious or angry, and I have always turned to books for endless reasons. Sometimes, the written words surpasses everything else.

In recent months, my mother and I have started emailing each other. This is something that we seldom did before and somehow, has become a way of reconnecting. It forces us to listen without interruption, judgement or walking away. It enables us to connect without letting our hurt get in the way. Even if we are not in a position to be open at that time, our emails are always there to go back to later. In turn, we have to opportunity to really think about what we are saying to the other. My mother and I never really did learn that words cannot be taken back and often times, it only takes a few of them to rip a family apart. Emailing has been a lesson in rethinking what it is that you really want to communicate.

I don't know if I created this blog more for myself or for others. I never really thought that it would be used to scrapbook our life but, sure enough, it has become just that. I often get told that friends and family come by to visit as a way of keeping up with the ever changing lives that we all live in and I'm glad for that. I suppose, in my own way, it allows us to be a part of each other's day to day life again..because oddly enough, it is often those little things that make up who we are and who we become.

My mother, at the age of 58 (sorry Mom!) has also just created her own blog, called Living on the Edge, and I hope that he can be as cathartic for her as ours has been for us. I just love reading it and it really helps me to see her life through her eyes, as opposed to through my lens. I have learned in recent years that understanding is often the biggest hurdle to overcome in relationships. Often, we are so busy expecting from others that we don't allow ourselves to accept others. And accepting is all we can really do. Relationships take time and effort (regardless of what Hollywood tells us, love is not enough. I don't say that to be cynical but, the reality is that commitment is what makes the difference, not love.) and until both parties are willing to put forth that effort, than you're not likely to get very far. But every little step counts and brings us that much closer to understanding. For us, this is our step and (I think), a step in the right direction.

So, please drop by and visit my mom at her blog. As her daughter, if there is anything that can be said about my mother...it's that she's worth getting to know. She's had quite a journey and many stories to tell! And while you're there...ask her for her spaghetti recipe...it's to die for!

Check her out here.

On the Run...

Ladies and Gentlemen...I have an announcement to make...

My absolutely fantastic friend, Marie, has been riding the "I want to be a runner" bandwagon for too long...her time is up!! 2007 is the year in which she is going to join us and cross her first official finish line!!

Everyone knows that a commitment isn't really a commitment until you announce it to the world so, Marie...I'm "outing" you!!! We are letting all of cyberspace know about your plans hence, there is no turning back now!!

The Plan of Attack:
The 10km race of the National Capital Race Weekend

The Day of Attack:
Saturday, May 26th, 2007

The Prize:
(with the exception of the obvious accomplishment of having finished her first race) A Double Chocolate Chip Blended Cream Frappucino from Starbucks (size of her choice)...the most calorie laden drink on the face of the planet!!!

So, Christina and Sarah (who are both running the full marathon...how awesome are they?!?!), be sure to make your way to the Gallery on the Monday after the race...we will have some celebrating to do...and we will need to show Marie how it's done!!!

My dear friends, family, cyber buddies and running addicts...leave your words of encouragement for Marie here...any journey to the finish line can be a bit daunting at times but, even more so, is the journey to the start line.

GO MARIE GO!!

Sleeping on the Job...

...with the new man in my life!!!

Smile...!!

I found some random pictures today while going through our photo files...some even worth sharing!!

Steve & I on the canal...obviously not this year!!!

Eryn and Rachel's little guy, Calvin.



Oh so pretty Sandra!

Colin's spirit is everywhere!

It's Here...!!!

Fusion...

I got harrassed today by Marie for being a delinquent blogger...what can I say other than I've been busted!!! I'm realizing now that starting a blog commits you to a whole other realm of responsibility!!

2007 has left me with writer's block!! That, or it's just left me with anything but a dull moment!! I keep finding myself in so many different directions that frankly, cyberspace is one of the last places that I get to visit when the day is done!!

Truth be told, I love being busy...as long as I can keep it organized!! Once I lose track of everything then it just becomes randomness that sucks the life out of me! I am border-lining on that right now!!

At work, things are amazing!! We are two weeks away from opening Davidson, three weeks away from our Renoir Media Tour and six weeks away from opening Mueck. The Ron Mueck show is the single most exciting thing that I've ever been a part of at the Gallery. It's all I can do to contain myself. His art is amazing...the build-up is amazing and I just know that the results are going to be amazing as well.

As great as things are though, the reality is that I still have to open two exhibits and coordinate five events in twenty-eight days (while three of my co-workers are lounging in the sun...buggers!!!). I'm not complaining or worried...I am just accutely aware of the time and intricate organization all of this is going to require on my part!! Stay tuned...

My Steve is his usual fantastic self who never fails to make me smile regardless of what the day has thrown my way.

Meanwhile, wonderful things are happening on the home front!! I am now officially the 2:30 pace bunny for the National Capital Half Marathon. This was on my list of 100 things to do before I die and honestly, I still haven't wrapped my brain around the reality of it happening yet...but I've still got time!! In the meantime though, I begin training as a group leader on February 8th. I can't wait but, it is a really big commitment. I will be leading the 2:30 group through their training and hopefully, help them to achieve their own goals as well. It's certainly a new and exciting endeavour!! Look for me on race day...I'll be the one with the bunny ears!!!

I'm still working on repairing my neck muscles from the intensity of our annual holiday family puzzle!! They are coming along!!

My Mom has launched her own blog site called Living on the Edge. It's great and I love love love reading it!! I'll post more about it later!

I've decided that I'm writing a book...get ready...I'm going to expect you to buy it!!

My new year's resolutions are going alright...not great...but not yet a lost cause either!

AND...the best news of all...our loser housemates are getting the boot!!!

Oh yeah...and I LOVE CHOCOLATE PUDDING! (only the cooked kind though...not the instant one. Boo to instant pudding!!!)

Happy Birthday Jim!!

Men With Brooms...

One of our fun adventures this past holiday was to go curling with the gang from Chatham. I don't think that most of us had ever really curled before (with the exception of phys ed classes) so, for the most part, we were going at it inexperienced!!! The Smits, The Brinkmans, The Alexanders and two sets of Smyths gathered for a fun filled evening of rock throwing and ice sweeping!!!

While this new sport did come as a bit of a challenge, I think that most of us would agree that an annual Bonspiel is in order!

I think that it's also worth mentioning that the Smyths basically rocked the scoreboard (even if Kelly and I slacked a bit in the sweeping department!!)!! Yeah Smyths!!!

A Crisis of Faith...

This is a great article that I discovered in the Ottawa Citizen while going through some old papers from the holidays. It poses the great question of "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Read the full article here.

"That which dominates our imaginations and our thought will determine our lives and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Aloha Baby!!

Our Hawaiian Adventure may have come and gone but, to ring in the new year, we finally got around to putting our most memorable pictures together in a slideshow to remind us of where we left our hearts behind!!

Check it out here!!

Four Hours To Go...

It's 7:59pm on New Year's Eve. I can't believe it. It feels like I just blinked and suddenly the year was coming to an end. Amazing how that happens sometimes!!

Two nights ago, we were in Tilbury doing our annual family Christmas jigsaw puzzle and managed to finish in record time. Unfortunately, before I thought to take a picture of it, it had already been taken apart in preparation for tonight's festivities. Our annual puzzle is so great because it gives the family tons of time to sit around the table and catch up on the year gone by. Sometimes though, we catch ourselves in silence, relentlessly trying to fit a thousand little pieces together!! It was during that time that I began to reflect on 2006 and think ahead to the year ahead.

I always love the New Year. There is something terribly comforting to me about knowing that every January we are given a clean slate in which to start over. I always anxiously await the new year with great hopes and a lot of optimism about the future. While most of the population sinks into a deep depression due to visa bills and dreary days, I am usually at my best in January, roaring to go and filled with a renewed sense of vitality. I love it!!

Yes, I'll admit, I'm a sucker for resolutions!! I make a fairly standard list of commitments for the new year and, for the most part, I'm pretty good at sticking to them. I do, however, tend to make resolutions that only impact on a superficial level; like being more punctual or being more adventurous with my cooking.

This year though, I've decided on something different...something more personal and more meaningful. Something that has been a long time coming!! This year I really hope to bring myself that much closer to the ever distant idea of balance...that fine line between the small stuff and bigger picture. I have a number of small stepping stones that I hope will help me get there but, one of them is to finally cut ties with a particular Kingston resident (not you Heather...we love you way too much!!!!). For nearly four years this person has become one of the most tumultuous relationships that I have experienced and for those entire four years, I have consistently "gone back for more". Initially, I endured because I believed that there was good to be had in the relationship but, in the past year (even after a nasty falling out), I have continued to keep in touch, mostly in hopes of finding validation that I wasn't entirely wrong about this person. Really, the only thing that I ended up learning was that some people are always going to think that they are better than you.

With that being said...my new year's resolution this year is ME!! For the first time, a very conscious effort is going to be made to address what makes me happy and pursue some of the goals that I have envisioned for a long time. They aren't necessarily big goals but, they are valuable none the less.

So, as my wonderful Christina and some other friends find their way to our place to ring in the new year, I will kiss 2006 goodbye...along with some of the ties that bind. No one ever tells us that some of those ties are chains that, if we only stopped struggling long enough, we would realize that we held the very key that would unlock us from them. But, alas, some things take time to learn and with that comes another great quality about January 1st...the New Year also seems to bring new clarity!!!

Good Night and Good Luck!

Portrait of a Strange Year...

Paul Gessell, writer for the Ottawa Citizen, finally printed his 2006 yearly art review...for those of us in the art world...it's much anticipated!! It's equivalent to the best and worst dressed reviews for the year and as for 2006...let's just say that he didn't hold back!!

His review, titled Portrait of a strange year, clearly had some stronge personal views between the lines (sorry Jason and Stefan St-Laurent...he doesn't appear to be a fan!!!). As for us, we didn't score well and we didn't score poorly (if you can call "ending artist apartheid" scoring points!) but, for all his "anti-contemporary talk" that he threw at us...he'll have a lot of explaining to do when Mueck comes to town in March. It doesn't seem overly justified to say that we don't make contemporary art a priority when we are about to host the largest Ron Mueck exhibit in the world. I will be patiently awaiting his apology!!

All in all, personal biases aside, it's a good article and as always, highly entertaining!!

Here's a brief exerpt of today's review. Check out the rest of it here!

"In the year that was 2006, Ottawa scientists discovered the secret of Mona Lisa's smile. Even more startling: For the first time a gallery admitted it was exhibiting "bad art". And two old-fashioned art salons emerged to inject some pizzazz into the national capital art scene. Oh yeah, and art apartheid ended at the National Gallery.

But, unquestionably, Ottawa's most fascinating art story of 2006 was the Portrait Gallery of Canada. The saga of the gallery just kept getting juicier as the year unfurled."

- Paul Gessell, Ottawa Citizen