random procrastination

I need to clean, I need to finish a report, so I'm going to blog since I haven't done so in months. As with most "resurections" of blogging, I'm going to start back with a few random thoughs from my brain.

1. I don't understand why everyone is complaining about how cool it is... So we haven't had smog days, wouldn't you rather be able to breathe in some fresh air? I know, I know, we're Canadian, so we have every right to constantly complain about the weather...

2. I love the blackberry commercials promoting the new U2 tour... or the U2 commercials promoting the new blackberry... whatever way you look at it, all I see is my wonderful Bono singing... only 2 months to the day and I get to see him perform again!

3. What's with the old man hat syndrome going on around town...I'm talking kinda like a fedora, or a straw hat with a ribbon around it, worn by all sorts of men...

4. I really like the new BYP song I got a feeling... it makes me happy. I like how positive it is. Who wouldn't want to hear that before going out for a night. I think this would even a great first dance for a wedding... I'm just throwing it out there...

5. Anyone elese think this has been a really long week? Anyone even bother still reading my blog since i haven't updated it in forever? yeah I didn't think so....

where i wish i could be for st. paddy’s

Ok so I’m trying Windows Live Writer as the editor before posting… So far so good. So I’m trying this map feature. How fun is this! Here’s Paddy’s Pub in Gananoque. Our favourite little pub in Gan!

Paddy's Pub, across the bridge from where the boat will be kept this summer!

Alright… that’s it for now.

xoxo
Gan Girl

summer lovin'

you know what I love about summer?

It's unpredeictable! Well, its planned unpredictability. I think now weekends are pretty much booked till the end of august. Fine by me considering I'm booked to spend some great times with good friends.

A trip to wonderland with my niece, a concert with Jack Johnson, a weekend walking the planks with pirates, a week off roaming the high seas (i.e. river) with nao'r and a trip to MTL and O-town.

Think I can manage my planned unpredictable summer with a bum foot? Yep remember how just sentences ago I said I like unpredictability? yeah how's a super injured foot that either has a stress fracture or just a big blotch in it... I saw my bone scan as it was happening. There is a white spot right where I'm sore, and the doctor will tell me tomorrow what it is and the course of action... or inaction...

so in the meantime, no planned baseball, or planned booty camp, but move over for planned rest and reading.

pretty sure i can find a beach or two around here to do that too... ahh who am I kidding, summer still rox!

Is it really over?

October 1st 2007.

While officially fall began on September 23rd, I'm pretty much a die-hard in keeping the summer alive. But considering it's now October, the leaves are changing colours and are even falling and rustling around online, I think it's time to actually succumb to the fact that summer is over.

I hate to admit it. I think it's actually over.

I love summer. This summer was so amazing. This was the summer. So many great things happened. In particular, Nao'r came into my life officially at the beggining of June and things are progressing quite well just the way they are meant to be. The sweetheart that he is thought it would be most fitting if we wrapped up the summer the way we began it- on the water and in Alexandria Bay. I'd post pictures, but they're still trapped in his camera... so I won't have any till the weekend. Oh well. I'm sure you'll survive.

Now what...

Its Monday night.

My schedule today was as follows: work, pick up the cat from the vet and uh nothing. Yep you read it right folks. It's Monday night and I did NOT go to dragon boat practice. But what about the beautiful summer-like weather it would have been perfect! Yep it would have- but here's the thing DB season is O.V.E.R. Am I sad? Nope not in the least bit. Don't get me wrong, you all know how crazy I am about this sport, but it makes for a long season when you start practicing on the side of the pool in March and not finish till Sept. 24. practicing 2 or 3 times a week plus a few weekend festivals certainly takes a toll on a body... my ankle, knee, shoulders, back, you name it, it hurt at some point within the last 6 months. So with my monday's and wednesdays free- now what? Well tonight I hung out with my BFF at her new house that she jus moved into. I brought her dinner, helped her bring in a few boxes and we vegged and stared at the boob-tube watching hottie Wentworth Miller in Prison Break. Then we started watching the Bachelor. It felt so good to do nothing and spend time with one of my favourite people on the planet. Not really feeling guilty about not doing the laundry that I know I have to do after the weekend in MTL.

Right- the weekend in MTL- this past weekend was the last DB festival of the season. The Quebec Cup was the culmination of many months of work, many hours of practice. I left on Friday night since we had to be on site for 7am Saturday. Having 2 mixed boats, a men's and a woman's boat meant Saturday's race schedule was 5 x 500m races and one 2000m race. Sunday- 5x 250m races and one 2000m race.

(Paddle Demons racing at the Olympic Basin)

Nao'r came along to MTL for the weekend. He watched a few races, but mostly wondered around the city, hanging out at the old port, and getting us tickets to see the Sens vs. Habs at the Bell Centre on Saturday night! We didn't actually find out about the game till that morning, so this was definitely an impromptu evening out. So much fun!!! I must admit I was a little conflicted- having been a habs fan for as long as I can remember, living in O-town for the last 9 years, and after the Sens trip to the Stanley Cup last year, how can I notcheer for my (now) hometown boys??? I was so hoping for a tie! While MTL completely dominated the game, gerber saved the Sens collective butts and the boys from O-town took the game 2-1... oh well- la prochaine fois boyz!

(Me and Nao'r at the Sens vs. Habs game in MTL)

Thank goodness the game started at 7pm, cuz that meant we were able to crash by 10pm since I had to be on site again for 7am Sunday morning. Nao'r decided I should take the car and go on my own- he was going to stay in downtown for the morning then join me at the Olympic Basin for the afternoon races.

We finished around 4:30 or so on Sunday, so got home at 7pm Sunday night... I was asleep a mere 2 hours later, and (barely) woke up to the sound of my alarm this morning.


Tomorrow I'm heading to my second NHL game in 4 days... not a bad stat if you ask me! This time, ther'es no mistaking it- GO SENS GO!!!

Sound the trumpets she's alive!

Ok bloggy peeps- I know, it's been quite some time. I'm sorry. Well only sorta sorry. I'm sorry that I haven't taken the necessary time I need to blog. So I'm kinda apologizing to myself, kinda apologizing to you, my faithful three readers. No excuses, just some good reasons: IT'S SUMMER! ok it was summer. Well officially it's still summer until Friday. And despite not having any weddings for me to go to, I was still incredibly busy! Dragon boating, softball, the new man, work, trips home, trips to Gan to be with the new man (who lives there). Let's give the new man a name. let's call him nao'r.

So where to begin...well I know I blogged about City Chase that Robin and I did, but I hardly said anything about my trip out east to Moncton- oh wait I did mention a bit of that previously... I know for a fact I didn't mention anything about the long weekend in August when Mom and Bailey came up to visit and they met (and love) nao'r. I think mom was just happy to see he wasn't a figment of my imagination. Poor nao'r, he also was subjected to the whole extended family out in Metcalfe, including my lil cousin Andrew, who's more like a brother. He was cute and kinda pulled the "protective brother" thing, it was quite sweet. A couple of weeks later, nao'r was subjected to the rest of the gang, including my older sister and little brother. It was matt's 25th birthday and that same weekend was the Tomato Festival... the Tomato Festival in Canada's Tomato Capital. My brother even marched in the parade, and that night, we had a lovely time at the good ole' beer tent- cuz a country-bumpikin festival just isn't the same without a beer tent! What a walk down memory lane- so many familiar faces. Not sure how much fun nao'r had there- I think he just enjoyed laughing at me the whole time. Yet again, nao'r's approval rating went through the roof. The whole family loves him, even Carmen, Jen and Lisa- my extended sisters... their approval was a must, and he passed with flying colours. It was so great to bring him home and show him that part of my life.

Here's a pic of me and my bro out the night of his B-day:



And of course, an introduction to Southern Ontario just isn't the same without a visit to the Dairy Freez- the best ice cream on the planet! (if you can see the size of our ice cream cones- you'll be happy to know those were the "medium"... the x-tra large was three times the size.)


When not at a dragon boat festival, or heading home, we spent much of the summer on the boat, cruising the thousand islands...heading to Alexandria Bay on more than one occasion- including the famous Pirate days- we even rented costumes if you can imagine (ok here's a pic, so you don't have to waste the energy imagining!)

I've had quite an amazing summer... filled with lots of new people, new laughs, new adventures...It's hard to believe October is just around the corner.

Unfortunately, I don't see a whole lot of blogging time available this week... But I promise (to myself) to get back to regularly scheduled blogging. Cuz I know you're all dying to know what's going on in my crazy world!

City Chase pics

Thought you'd enjoy some pics of our crazy City Chase day!

Robin and I starting out our adventure at 10 am.

This is for the clue "Take a picture of one of the participants and an animal". I'll save you from the picture that we took that went with what Robin read: "Take a picture of one of the participants as an animal".

Robin had to eat wet cat food- I lucked-out with sardines! YUM! later on, we both enjoyed natural dog biscuits! Apple and peanut butter flavoured!

Growing up in the Tomato Cpaital of Canada- I decided I would take one for the team and have a tomato smooshed on my forehead...funny how for the reinactment we did to get the picture taken, Robin still felt the need to actually squish the tomato!

To the left we have us at the finish line....

5 hours and 57 mintues after we started.

And finally...enjoying our beer at the after party at the Honest Lawyer..... mmmmm...beer

Ottawa rox!

I love living in Ottawa (most of the time) . This morning is one of those days. I had a meeting downtown that was actually very very interesting (those don't come around all too often) and on the walk back to my office in incredibly uncomfortable shoes on an incredibly uncomfortably hot as hell day- ok the shoes are fine in AC but with the swelling of the feet on such a humid day made them uncomfy...ok back to why i love O-town. Right...so walking back from my meeting around sparks street area, I decide, oh why not, I'll walk along Wellington and walk past our parliament buildings... why? BECAUSE I CAN! the joy of living in Ottawa is that I get to enjoy the splendour of being in our nation's capital. Today- as luck of timing would have it, as I got closer to Wellington St, I heard a marching band! by golly, this wasn't just any marching band, this was the changing of the guard ceremony that happens every day at approx. 10am. So I veered up O'Connor and hung a right on Wellington and marched along on the side the dudes with the red coats, fluffy hats and big guns... it was lovely.

Oh right- can't forget the fact that when my colleague and I went for RibFest last week Ken Dryden walked right in front of us while we were standing in one of the lines (no he wasn't trying to cut the line)... That was pretty cool- not in the "he's a politician" sorta way, but in the "he was a Montreal Canadien" sorta way... we'll add him to the list of famous people I've seen in Ottawa

Go Paddle Demons Go!

This past weekend was the annual Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival held at Mooney's Bay. This is the largest Dragon Boat Festival in North America, with 190 teams participating... with 22 people per boat, this translates into over 5000 paddlers (not rowers!).

This year, I'm with a new team, and couldn't be happier. My team embodies sportsmanship, athleticism, balance and positive attitude. And while there was no celebrating in the beer tent between races or even after Saturday's races, once Sunday afternoon came around and tent-city was brought down, we headed over to the beer tent to celebrate a phenomenal weekend of paddling our best and of course to collect our hardware. One of our mixed crews won bronze in the B final with a time of 2 minutes, 8.6 seconds- making us approx. 11th overall fastest team of the festival (out of 190 teams). Our women's crew made the A final making us the 7th fastest women's crew of the festival and in the top 50 of the entire 190 teams with a time of 02:26.86- quite an accomplishment for a crew who only practiced together 4 times prior to the festival- and who had never raced a 500m race together before (let alone the four that the weekend called for).

I love this sport so much- the camaraderie, the exhilaration and rush of 20 paddles hitting the water at exactly the same rhythm for 2 solid minutes catapulting a 1000lb boat to glide over the water like a hovercraft- it's insane... I love it.

Brown Eyed Girl - live in concert!!!!

This weekend, it came to my attention that the singer of the namesake of my blog is coming to O-town for Bluesfest. I haven't paid much attention to the bluesfest lineup because I'll be gone on a vaca out east with my best friend Dom. We'll be gone from July 5-July 13th- the bulk of Bluesfest. So last night while exhausted and trying to fall asleep, i remembered this very fact- so opened up ye ole' laptop and away i googled...Sure enough Van Morrison is coming to Bluesfest. Not only that- but he's coming on the night before i leave for vaca- July 4th! For some odd reason, his ticket is the most expensive single day pass of them all- I could download Brown Eyed Girl from itunes for 99 cents or I could spend $51.50 to hear it live... so worth it... so so so so worth it. Dag- i just realized I'm on vaca in 2.5 weeks! Gimme a hell-ya for that!

Sunshine, Patios, Runners oh my!

It's here folks... the best season of all- PATIO SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although we had that terrible nor'easter this weekend, it's here. It's really here. And I don't care if you all think I'm jynxing us by proclaiming it loudly (and by loudly I mean in Captial letters). PATIO season has arrived. In Ottawa, it's quite the busieness. Patio building that is. We loose 4 feet of the sidwalk, because every single restaurant, café or pub must have at least two tables outside or it risks closing down forever. (I've decided not to take this opportunity to complain about the smokers invading the patio spaces, because frankly, I don't want to think negatively right now about the patio season.) It's here. In all it's glory.

To celebrate, I even just bought a super cute patio mat to put on my super-tiny balcony. Needless to say it's green (not super-green, just green hehe). But you better believe, when I get home tonight, I'm cleaning off the balcony (safe for my bike) and tying that puppy down so that I can then perhaps finally buy the cute patio set I've been eyeing so that I can start enjoying summer evenings drinking reading on my balcony overlooking the city. It really is a lovely view.

I am now super excited for Softball and Dragon boat season to officially start, both only a few weeks away now. We've already booked rooms for our trip to MTL for our DB training camp.

aaaahhhhh.... it's here.