Bex

Buh Bye Blogger

2011-05-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well folks, now's the time for that announcement:

I have a new website: www.thebexfactor.com. Please visit me there.

Book Worm

2011-05-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a kid I've loved reading. While most kids would get in trouble for watching TV at the dinner table, I would get in trouble for reading my book at the dinner table.

I went through a period in college where I wasn't reading for entertainment. Far too much reading for learning purposes which made me not want to read much more when the day was done. I've since gotten into the habit of reading before bed, which isn't always as much time as I'd hope, but it's the best I can do with my busy schedule.

I just recently finished two books in the past couple weeks. The first was Kendra Wilkinson's tell-all Sliding into Home. I am so fascinated with biographies, even if they're easy reads such as this one, because I love to hear about how other people live their lives. Especially when they are lives I couldn't ever see myself living.

For those who don't know who Kendra Wilkinson is, she was one of the stars of the TV show The Girls Next Door, showcasing the lives of Hugh Hefner and his three girlfriends at the time. Kendra was one of the girlfriends. I'm not usually into the ditzy girly stuff like that but I got hooked on this show, especially after spotting Hef and his crew in Vegas a few years ago for his birthday party weekend. So it was definitely interesting to learn who this TV show character really was off screen. Even more crazy was the events that really took place at the Playboy Mansion. I suppose I can't really be surprised, but it's all so different from what the TV show portrays.

I read this book in about 2 days and had a hard time putting it down. But, if reading about the life of an every day girl who becomes a drug addict, nears death, turns her life around, and suddenly gets a call from Hugh Hefner to be his girlfriend doesn't interest you, I wouldn't recommend this book.

Next in my pile was The Lo-Down by Lo Bosworth, whom you might know from the MTV show The Hills. The tagline on this book is 'Life and Love in the Hollywood Hills', and I had thought it was another biography. I was mistaken, this was a relationship book. I have nothing against relationship books. I've read a few of them in my day to get over some nasty breakups or for entertainment purposes (I recommend It's Called a Breakup Because it's Broken, He's Just Not That Into You, and Check Please!)

This one focused on loving yourself, finding the right guy and maintaining a good relationship, written like it was coming from a close girlfriend. I'm not going to lie, I skimmed through most of it because I didn't feel much of what was being said applied to me and my current relationship which is pretty fantastic.

I'm excited to get into my new book, Neil Strauss's Everyone Loves You When You're Dead. Neil is one of my favorite author's. This one is a bit thicker than the previous two, so I'll let you know how it is in a few weeks!

Running vs Walking

2011-05-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

There’s no denying that cardio should be an important part of your fitness regime. Not only does it keep your heart strong, but it’s a great calorie burner. I have always gone for a short run around my neighborhood after my evening class.

My Running Trail

I’ve never been a strong runner; the farthest distance I’ve reached has been just under 5km. This season I was reaching just under 3 and was trying to work my way up to 10km so I can run a memorial race in my home town this August. Lately though my goals have been to burn some fat to define the muscle I’ve been working hard to build. Just recently I learned that walking is better for the goals I’m trying to achieve so instead of my 20 minute run, I am walking on the treadmill at an incline for half an hour.

This long slow distance (LSD) cardio is burning about 300 calories in 30 minutes which doesn’t make sense consider high intensity cardio is burning roughly 450 calories in the same amount of time. The difference is that following my weight training the 300 calories I’m burning is 80% fat which is 240 calories of fat. With high intensity cardio the 450 calories burned in 30 minutes is at 45% fat burned which only equals 202.5 calories of fat.

This doesn’t mean that you should avoid running if you’re trying to burn fat. You are still getting benefit from the higher intensity cardio, just not as much as you would with the LSD cardio. This isn’t something I will be incorporating permanently into my workout regime. I find the treadmill horribly boring when I’m not concentrating on pushing myself to run farther or faster. To curb the boredom I bring a book and have my phone handy. It’s a great time to catch up on emails, my Google reader and burn through the pile of books I have lined up for the summer. If the treadmill isn’t your thing either you could hop on a bike at medium intensity for the same low intensity results.

After I get back from my vacation in July I will go back to running where I will focus on doing specific runs three or four times a week so I can build up my length and hopefully be able to finish 10km for my August race.

So there you have it friends, the difference between running and walking. Keep in mind I’m not a fitness professional, this was advice passed down to me from someone who is. If you want to know more I suggest making an appointment with your own trainer to discuss your fitness goals.

Happy Cardio-ing!

Weekend Report

2011-05-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

After months of harassing my cousin (who's pretty much like a brother to me) to come visit, he finally made the trip down from Calgary to hang out and catch up. Apparently having a girlfriend has become more of a priority than hanging with his favorite cuz....Pfft. I still don't think this girl exists outside of photos since I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet.

Saturday started off with my usual Crossfit class. The cuz arrived shortly after and we caught up a bit before heading to the SPCA for my weekly visit with the little creatures. We had fun hanging out with Sherona, Jackie and the mullet bunny who I've renamed Garth:

How can you resist such an adorable creature?! I seriously want to take him home.

After that the cousin was hungry so we headed downtown to one of my favorite coffee shops, City Roast for some eats. I wasn't hungry since I had just finished my third meal of the day but couldn't resist a treat. I ordered a Macadamia & Coconut Latte with a homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. So delish. I love City Roast - everything about it from their specialty coffees, baked treats, sandwiches, ambiance, and community feel. A definite place to visit if you're ever in downtown Red Deer.

We then wandered around the downtown area checking out various boutique shops and suffering the ferocious wind before making our way up to one of my favorite secret spots, the graffiti wall. It's a super sketchy little spot by one of the malls where it's very likely to find kids doing drugs and homeless people's sleeping areas but I love checking out the art work. My cousin is a photographer and has been wanting to photograph the spot for awhile but last time he was down it was getting dark by the time we got there and that's definitely a spot you don't want to be without daylight so we skipped it.

Once we were done admiring the beautiful graphics on the wall it was conveniently Frappachino Happy Hour at Starbucks and conveniently there was a Starbucks right thurr. So we hit it up for some delicious Mocho Coconut goodness.

Heaven

We decided that all the liquid calories we consumed warrant a little physical activity so we headed down to another one of my favorite spots in the city, Heritage Ranch. We are so fortunate to have such beautiful trails in Red Deer and this spot along the river is so refreshing.

Then it was definitely time for dinner at The Rock where I enjoyed the Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza and a Bucket.

Everyone always is like, WTF! when I order a PBJ-za. It's not a well known menu item there as it's from the kids menu, which isn't available on the lounge side (obviously...). Then when it arrives everyone is in awe of how awesome my little heart shaped pizza is and how delicious it looks. They're even more jealous when they find out that it costs a mere $3.50.

Needless to say, not the best eats on Saturday and Sunday wasn't much better either.

Sunday Brunch this week was the last of the season as next weekend the farmers market starts! I'm so pumped for that but sad there will be no brunch. This week we checked out Moxie's. I had no idea it was even open for breakfast! The brunch menu was limited, especially considering I can't eat eggs which makes ordering a delicious breakfast a challenge. I'm not always a huge pancake/waffle/French toast kind of girl either which makes it even tougher if I'm not feeling those. The only thing left was a granola yogurt parfait so I rolled with that.

yum!

How awesome does that look? Notice the I <3 NY shirt in the background...The Cousin is going in 8 days and some hours, he has a countdown going. I'm super jealous and look forward to hearing about it, seeing photos, and receiving my own I <3 NY shirt since I gave all the ones I brought back from my trip away without keeping one for myself. Whoops.

Following brunch my parents came and we had an impromptu photoshoot back at the graffiti wall for this super cool project I've been working on. It was a bit difficult with the gail force winds that don't seem to want to give up. I always feel awkward having my photo taken because I don't really know what to do and this time there was not one, but two photographers. I'm a big deal like that. Somehow once we were done shooting it was Frappy Happy Hour again, odd how that turned out. I indulged yet again, how can I pass up such a good deal!

I then said so long to my cousin before he departed back to YYC and tagged along with my folks to see Water for Elephants again. I'm really loved the book and thought the movie was really great when I saw it the first time but I just feel like Reece Witherspoon wasn't the best person for that role. She didn't have good chemistry with either Robert Pattinson's character or Christopher Waltz's. Nonetheless it's a really great film and I highly recommend everyone read the book as well as watch the movie.

I definitely had a fun weekend with the fam and hope to have a few more of those over the summer once all the craziness that is my life currently dies down a bit. Maybe then I won't feel so bad for going haywire with my eats on the weekend when I'm not working so hard before vacation.

Hope you all had a great weekend too and have a great week coming up, mine will be busy with the usual work, school, gym and SPCA stuff. Oh, and eating clean again too!

Sweet Caramel

2011-05-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

A coworker brought me a little surprise the other day. She picked up these little sweet treats at Nutters and gave me a couple packs to try.

I take my coffee black as adding sugar and cream, while delicious, add so many extra and unnecessary calories to your morning caffeine fix. If I'm looking for a sweet fix, I keep some packets of Stevia in my desk at work but I may just be hooked on these little delights. Before pouring in my coffee I decided to try a little taste first. I nearly died. So much caramel sweetness. Half of a package is a perfect amount for one cup and even tastes delicious in a cup of Keurig brewed French Vanilla.

It's not quite the same as my frappachino or latte addictions from Starbucks, but those are only once in awhile treats and the Krisda Cafe Caramel will make a fine substitute in the mean time. They even come in almond and vanilla flavors, which I may have to pick up now.

Speaking of Starbucks: from now until May 15 it's Frappachino Happy Hour (1/2 price frapps!) from 3-5pm. I've been finding it very hard not to go everyday now that they have my ultimate favorite the Mocha Coconut, which I discovered only previously existed in Hawaii. I'm holding out until my weekend cheat day but I'm dreaming about it daily until then. If only they didn't have calories.....

My daily fix in Hawaii

Stay Tuned!

2011-05-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm very very very excited for an exciting announcement regarding this blog!
Stay tuned to find out more...

Or if you're really curious I will accept bribes!

Orrrr maybe I'll tell you when I reach 4000 hits to this thing?

May Showers

2011-05-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a very special day, my best friends bridal shower. I was very fortunate that her boss and coworker who are very close friends to her decided they wanted to take over the planning for this. They did a wonderful job hosting and made for a very memorable day. I'm so honored to have such an amazing best friend and to be a part of this precious time in her life.

Part of my duties for the shower was to bring some snacks. I wanted to keep some healthy options that were dairy free as the bride-to-be has a milk allergy. I started off by ordering two dozen custom decorated vegan cupcakes from the talented Sarah Thomas of Cuppitycakes Cupcakery in Innisfail. I gave her the freedom to choose the flavors and decorate it to fit the theme which was 'Naughty Knickers'. She did an amazing job, they were gorgeous, delicious and a huge hit with everyone! For a taste of her cupcake artistry, check her out at the Red Deer Farmer's Market that starts May long weekend!

I also decided to bring some hummus and veggies for a delicious and healthy snack. Most people don't realize how easy hummus is to make. It honestly took me 10 minutes to make two giant batches of it.

1 can (15oz) Chick Peas
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Throw in blender until smooth

I also made a roasted red pepper hummus, the recipe is the same as above but with the pepper. To roast, cut pepper in half and remove seeds. Place under the broiler until the outside starts to char. Remove from the oven and put in a sealed ziplock bag for a few minutes. This will loosen the skin so you can remove it. Throw that in with the rest of the ingredients and blend. So good!

What are your favorite health recipes to bring to gatherings?

Spring Cleanup

2011-05-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hey guys

I have had so many things I've wanted to blog about the past few weeks but my life is so hectic right now I just can't seem to find the few minutes to sit down write!

Work has been picking up which is AWESOME! I recently had the chance to sit on a review panel for our Young & Free program's 2011 Spokester Search. I had to review each applicants and do some background research on them before grouping with the rest of the panel to select our top three applicants that It was such a fun experience. For anyone in the 17-25 year old demographic, head over to www.youngfreealberta.com and check out the applicants. Vote for who you'd like to see be your voice for the next year with good advice and money saving tips. I know I've personally used some of the tips and ideas posted to their blog in regards to my own personal finances.

I started a budget at the beginning of this year and it's been super helpful. I'm saving way more than I did before and have even managed a few decent shopping trips! Now that summer is coming and I have alot of exciting things coming up I need to sit down and re-work my budget. I have the honors of being the maid of honor for my best friends wedding in Mexico this July but that means paying for the trip, the bridesmaid dress, shoes, accessories, bridal shower gifts, stagette party, wedding gift, etc which is alot of extra cost. On top of that I'm going to Ireland with Mr. Fitness in June. I'm thankful I had enough to cover my costs in my travel savings account but I have to start all over for the planned trip to Vegas this fall for my birthday. On top of that gas prices are outrageous and I've already had to reduce my weekly spending allowance. I've also reached the end of my contract at my current gym so I will have to rework my new gym cost into the picture as well.

With all the financial changes it's definitely time to sit down and change the budget to maximize my savings. This is a great time for everyone to revisit their budgets, especially with the end of the school year for college or university students.

A coworker and friend of mine wrote a really great article on finding your financial balance after graduation that I thought I would share: http://www.financialpost.com/personal-finance/personal-finance/Young+Money+Striking+balance+after+graduation/4640168/story.html

I can't rave enough about how great creating a budget has been for both my spending and savings. I encourage everyone to take some time to sit down and look at ways they can improve both areas. There are lots of great tools and resources available to help young people, like the Young & Free site. Go check it out and don't forget to vote for your favorite spokester!

Not Feeling the Love

2011-05-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Loyal Readers:

I know you're there lurking. I've discovered I can check the stats of my blog. See where you found me, where you're visiting from, what you're looking at. Super exciting stuff! I know how many people creep me daily but I'm just not feeling any love from you guys.

There's a serious lack of comments, lack of feedback, lack of anything aside from creeping. I really want to continue to entertain you, share my love of music and quest for total health and fitness and all the fun stuff in between. I want to know what you think, who you are and what keeps you coming back!

So please, share the love, leave some comments!
xo
B

The Worst Concert Experience EVER

2011-04-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Every time I go to the concert I leave on this natural high thinking to myself that it was the BEST concert I had ever been to. Of all the bands and artists I've gone to see live, I couldn't pick out one favorite show as they all bring a unique experience.

Last night I went to see the I Am Still Music Tour featuring Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Travis Barker and Mix Master Mike. I can say without a doubt that this was the worst concert I've been to and I regret spending a large sum of money on. And before you go assuming that it was bad because it was a rap show, I must say that not all rap is crap and it wasn't the music that made this show so awful.

It started before we even got in. Door times pushed back an hour for some reason unknown to concert attendees. As is usual for spring in Alberta, we were stuck outside in freezing cold rain that was threatening to turn into snow. We wondered if we should go sit in the car until the new 8:00pm door time but decided we would end up standing outside longer at the end of the line and stayed put. We then learned the doors weren't opening until 8:30. An hour left in the rain without proper winter attire and a cold already pending was not an ideal situation for me.

Sometime after 8 cheering was heard near the front and we all seemed to tighten up a little which meant we were close enough to be inside. But we still weren't getting in and a few of the classy crew of characters that showed up for this event decided their time was better than everyone else's. Pushing and shoving, not always uncommon at concerts began and the event planner in me thought this would be the ideal situation for a disastrous crowd stampede to get inside. Thankfully that didn't happen and we made it in around 8:30.

It was another half hour before we were allowed to our seats. Rumor had it the crew hit bad weather travelling from Vancouver and the stage was still being put together. I'm wondering what the reasoning for keeping us outside was. Surely if they blocked us from the seats now they could have continued to do that for an additional hour! I was not impressed.

Thankfully there's a Starbucks kiosk inside so I warmed up with a nice hot tea.

The show finally started an hour and a half behind schedule to an atrocious act known as Porclein Black. This chick was a terrifying mixture of stripper and strangled cat. Thankfully her set was cut short to one song due to the delay in show start. No complaints there.

Next up was half the reason I suffered through the cold to get inside: Travis Barker alongside Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike. Unfortunately their set was cut short too but they still showcased some Drum & Bass behind a boombox stage set up. Travis's drumming abilities will always amaze me and create a pit of envy that I could never bring my drumming stint up to his level. I was a little disappointed he didn't go to epic lengths to please the crowd as he did during the Blink 182 reunion tour in 2009 where his drum solo happened on a suspended, rotating platform. However, given the release of his first solo album, he has to go out and make a name for himself at the bottom of the barrel like all the rest. Soon my drumming idol will be flying high again.

Following those gnarly beats was Rick Ross. I don't even think I could have told you a single song he sang before the show and the only thing I could tell you about him afterwards was that he liked sex, drugs and money, typical rap stereotype. Again, thankfully THAT set was cut short as well.

Then it was time for the money. The Young Money crew that is. Lil Wayne in all his post-locked up glory graced the stage with his quick rhymes and throaty words. I almost forgot about being chilled to the bone and kept up past my bedtime. He nailed out a huge mixture of songs, eager not to disappoint the fans that waited so long to see him grace the stage. Just as the last time I saw him, pre-jail sentence, he rocked it.

Pause for brief interlude.

Enter the atrocious Nicki Minaj. I don't get the hype over this girl. She may be more bizarre than Lady Gaga but without any sort of talent whatsoever. With an already shortened set, she wasted even more time by showcasing the retarded population of our province on stage in what was suppose to be her signature lap dance, but quickly turned into 'So You Think You Can Dance...Badly'. It was an embarrassment to watch and should have been ended much sooner than it was. Even more embarrassing was one of the camera man's discovering of one of Edmonton's classiest ladies in the audience showcasing her talent of clothing removal which was quickly becoming a live amateur porn. I was disgusting that this camera man continued to display such crude behaviour repeatedly on the big screens. If I really wanted to spend my good money watching a remix of 'Girls Gone Wild', I would have saved myself the trip to Edmonton and wait in the freezing cold to go to my local strip club. I paid good money to be entertained by live music.

Thankfully Weezy returned to the stage for a bundle more songs, ranging from his newest single 6 Foot 7, to some of my favorites from his classic album Tha Carter III, and even the edgier Prom Queen which he busted out his guitar for. I could have done for the rest of the Young Money crew that was featured intermittently, there was just far too much auto-tune and not enough real music.

(Source)

All in all, while I enjoyed Travis' and Wayne's sets, I am disappointed with the way this event was exacuted and would have been ok skipping that show. What I did take back from this experience was alot to discuss with my classmates in my Event Risk Management class and a nasty sinus cold.

Show Me Your Fit

2011-04-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today's blog is inspired by the Fitnessista. She put out a call to her readers to send in pictures of what they do to keep fit, whether it's something they eat, wear or them doing something active. I wanted to submit something myself but couldn't decide on one thing to include, so I decided to put together a little pictorial of a typical day for me.

I start my day off from the moment I wake up doing maximum reps of pushups that I can. I don't always remember to do this because I'm not much a morning person and am usually focused on emptying my bladder before anything else.

I then gulp down some water with my daily supplements. I take Young Living Core Supplements which include an Omega 3, antioxidant, multi-vitamin, and probiotic. I also do a 1oz shot of Ning-xia Red, an anti-oxidant juice and probably one of the best ones on the market. Great start to my day taking this stuff!

For breakfast I get one of my favorite meals:

1/2 cup oatmeal,

3/4 cup 1% cottage cheese,

1/2 cup blueberries

I head off to work where I guzzle a cup or two of black coffee and many bottles of water flavored with Young Living grapefruit oil.

For a mid-morning snack I have 175grams of Greek yogurt with 1 cup of fresh strawberries, sweetened with a packet of Stevia. So delicious, it's amazing!

Lunch and my mid-afternoon snack are the same thing: 3 ounces chicken or salmon, 1/3 cup brown rice and about 130 ounces of green beans or asparagus each.

(I swear the chicken was fully cooked. iPhone cam makes the color look weird)

Close to the end of my work day before I head to the gym, I get another one of my favorite things to eat; an Amazeball. So good, I can hardly wait to eat it!

After work I head to my gym for my FIT Camp class.

Note the Fitnessista inspired braid to hold my bangs back! :p

This week I got a gold star for being so committed that I still showed up before the Easter long weekend. So cheesy, but I'm proud of my dedication. I'd be lost without my daily workout!

After I'm done getting my butt kicked at the gym, I try and get out of a run but this doesn't happen every day. It's just starting to get nice enough outside to be able to run. There are still some areas on my trail that are covered in snow, but I work through it!

Rockin' the old Asics until the mud and puddles disappear

Yes, this picture was taken in April :-(

If I'm unable to make it to the gym, I try and get a home workout in, which isn't easy as I don't have much equipment or space. I like to try different workouts I find in magazines and also BodyRock.tv.

After my workout I'm pretty hungry and chug down a delicious protein shake that contains a banana, protein powder and water.

I was previously using Gold Standard Whey in Vanilla Ice Cream and I'd add a scoop of coco powder to make it into chocolately goodness. I recently switched to a whey powder that doesn't contain artificial sweetener. Gold Standard has a naturally sweetened product but my supplement store doesn't carry it and will be phasing out the Gold Standard line so it was time to switch. I was thinking of getting the Whey Gourmet but my buddy at Better Bodies Nutrition and Tanning suggested the 4EverFit, as it's better quality. So that's what I'm currently using, in chocolate so I don't have to add coco anymore. I don't notice a difference at all.

I'm waiting for some samples of Sun Warrior being sent to me from the Canadian distributer Raw Elements. I'm excited to try it as it's a brown rice protein and yet another thing the Fitnessista raves about.

Later in the evening, I eat my final meal, which is another chicken, rice, veggie mix. I'm fortunate that I love everything I eat and don't dread having to choke down any of my meals.

Following this routine keeps me in great shape and feeling the healthiest I've ever been! That my friends, is my fit. What's yours? Feel free to leave me a comment (don't be scared, it's easy & I love to hear from my readers!), or even email me a picture of YOUR fit beckyamurray at gmail dot com. Do it!

(If you are interested in more information on Young Living products, feel free to email me at beckyamurray at gmail dot com)

Earth Day!

2011-04-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Earth Day and in celebration both Starbucks and Good Earth Cafe are giving away free coffee or tea when you bring in a travel mug.

I've never tried Good Earth's coffee before but I'm headed there right now to try it out and plan on taking a walk down to Starbucks tomorrow.

Positive Monday

2011-04-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today's positivity comes from that Canadian hip hop artist I went and saw perform last week.

Classified - All About You

Life'ss not what you take, it's not about the promises you make.
It's not about the friends you might of made or love that is gone.
Life is what you give, it's not about the stupid things you did.
Its not about the way things could have been, it's about moving on.
It's all about you.
So every morning when you wake before the first step that you take,
Just think it's all what you make it, and you'll make it through.

This life will leave you stressed out, left out, with your neck out, ain't nothing changed.
Real life, so we deal right, but it feels like its something strange.
We wondering, the dumbest things, and let every thing get under our skin.
Trouble again, trying to impress somebody else is fucked in the head.
So do you. You'll never make every one happy, it just won't happen.
But the end of the day when all say is said, you better be ready to go back at 'em.
I learn slow, my verse show's my growth my wisdom.
If your positive or you negative, It don't make a difference not when you living.
Cause some of the most successful people on this planet, will kill them selves or somebody else. Life they really couldn't manage.
Then we got bums, alcoholics on the streets. With no stress, no where to rest, no where to dress, no where to sleep. And they say: fuck my morals, I'm drinking away my sorrow,
I'm living life and I'm happy, I ain't thinking about tomorrow.

It's all about you.
So every morning when you wake before the first step that you take, just think it's all what you make it, and you'll make it through.
It's all about you.
So every morning when you wake before the first step that you take, just think it's all what you make it, and you'll make it through.
Life is what it brings, it's not about cars and fancy things.
Or hair salons and diamond rings girls. Don't you lose no sleep.
Life is all about, the things you'll never figure out.
It's all about the people you love, and memories you keep.

This here is life, so tell me who chooses what's wrong and right.
Is it what we see on TV, get a job raise a family.
That's how I was raised, how I was brought up, get a wife a son and a daughter.
That's how I was taught to be proper, never thought anyone can get caught up.
But slowly I grew up, and the fairy tail quickly vanished.
Realized that life's a bitch, and shit you gotta be able to stand it.
And you gotta be able to handle it, the stress and the pressure you channel it.
And you learn to cope at the end of your rope, anyway that you can with liquor or dope.
Or work hard raise your kids, strip clubs what ever it is.
Smoke weed, shoot hoops. What ever you find your happiness through.
It's your life. Just make sure you know what you want when you go to get it.
Keep doing this shit for you. Not your crew, or the dude you tryin' to impress kid.
Life is simple, life is hard, and yeah life is fun.
So enjoy the things around you. Before your life is done.

It's all about you.
So every morning when you wake before the first step that you take, just think it's all what you make it, and you'll make it through.
It's all about you.
So every morning when you wake before the first step that you take, just think it's all what you make it, and you'll make it through.

So if you're having a case of the Monday's listen to this great tune and remember that life is short and it only belongs to you! Live it how you want and live it to the fullest.

Goal for the week: Get at least 3 days of cardio in.

Set yourself a goal for the week. It doesn't have to be fitness related, but just something you want to accomplish. You'll feel great when you reach your goal. Every little goal you make should lead to one big goal down the road. Baby steps will get you there!

Have a great week everyone, it's a short one!

La Casa Pergola

2011-04-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a lunch with my department for a coworker who’s off to get married (Congrats Kyra!). We went to a locally owned Italian restaurant, La Casa Pergola, right across the street, which has always been a great choice. I was a little concerned about what to order today as I wanted to keep it clean after a little indulgence yesterday. I was informed that the owner trains at the same gym I go to and that she would be happy to cook me a clean meal. I mentioned this to my server and she was very accommodating and happy to custom make me something fit for my eating requirements. It was a refreshing change from dreading all the things I ask them to change with my meals!

I ended up with a half order of Insalata Mista (artisan greens, tomato, cucumber, red onion & kalamata olives), grilled salmon made with no oil or butter and a custom made balsamic dressing with hot sauce (I can’t remember the other things she said she threw in there). It was perfect and so delicious!

As I was out with coworkers, I didn’t think it was acceptable to whip out my phone for a snapshot, so my apologies for no picture of my salad creation.
I wish customizing food orders was this easy and un-intimidating at all restaurants, it would definitely make eating out a lot less stressful for me.
If you are ever looking for a nicer meal, clean or not, La Casa Pergola is wonderful and their staff are amazing! Go check them out!

Stay Classy

2011-04-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

East Coast hip hop artist Classified made a stop in Red Deer last night while promoting his latest album 'Handshakes and Middle Fingers'. I was excited to see how Class has progressed since I last saw him at play at Shark's Garage on Canada Day, 2007.

Canada Day 2007 Me, Classified, Ashley

I was happy to see a stage band this time around. To me a band is always an enhancement to any act, a full set without a band can rarely be pulled off. With rumors of a short set I wondered how much old material Class would perform but was surprised to see most of it was older tunes and all of my favorites. Included in the bunch was 'Maritimes' from the 2005 release Boy-Cott in the Industry, 'Hard to be Hip Hop' and 'All About You' (which is my all time favorite Classified song) both from 2006's Hitch Hikin' Music, and from his first major studio album, Self Explanatory, 'Anybody Listening', which sent him mainstream and 'Oh Canada', Canadian hip hop's new national anthem. Amongst the mix some lesser known songs featuring tour mate Kayo, little brother Mic Boyd,, J-Bru, and ASHES rockin' the backup vocals on Classified's newest single, 'That Ain't Classy'. The entire show, lasting just over an hour was a depiction of full on Canadian talent, another reason I'm proud of my country.

It was refreshing to see he was still touring with brother Mic and J-Bru who were both supporting Class when he came through in '07. Missing from the group was Jordan Croucher better known as JRDN (which I didn't put together until Classified mentioned it in an on air interview on Kraze 101.3). Two of my girl friends and I were fortunate to have spent some time with JC, J-Bru, Luke (aka Classified) and the crew after their Sharks show which led to shenanigans involving blue Kool-aid, Malibu rum, a watermelon and chick flick's featuring Ashton Kutcher. But that's a story best told in person ;-)

The whole show at the nightclub reinstated why I've definitely grown out of the club scene. I have no desire to fill myself with empty calories in the form of alcoholic beverages and get close to smelly intoxicated people in a too small space, especially when I could be snuggled in bed reading! Being in a club full of drunks while I'm sober is a true test to my short fused patience. I can't stand it! I dislike having cocky dude after cocky dude approach me and my ladies thinking they are the smoothest jar of peanut butter. Trust me, you're not, quit bothering me when I'm having a night out with the girls. Guys, respectable girls like us don't appreciate your lame comments and getting in the way of the show we went to watch, back off. And putting us down when we respectfully decline whatever stupid offer you're trying to make is definitely not the way to our hearts. Just like Classified says 'that ain't classy'.

And for future reference, I prefer chunky peanut butter ;-)

Silver

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked my parents 25th wedding anniversary. With today's divorce rates being so high, it's so refreshing to see couples reach milestone anniversary dates. While my parents might not be perfect, they get mad at each other and disagree with each other once in awhile, these things are completely normal and at the end of the day I know they still love each other. They are each other's best friends and when the time comes I aspire to have a long lasting marriage like they've had. Here's to 25 more guys!

In celebration I met up with them and their friends in Sylvan Lake at Fuzion Restaurant and Lounge. I had scoped out their menu the night before to make ordering a little easier as I usually have to modify my meals to make them as clean as possible these days. I was pretty excited to try my choice, as I had never eaten here before.

I rolled with the Grilled Peach and Strawberry salad. Along with the fruit it has mixed greens, goat cheese and almonds (which I asked for without), and a chardonnay vinagerette that I got on the side and didn't really taste. I originally planned on ordering with grilled chicken but decided on salmon since I haven't had any fish forever. I think it would have been better with chicken though, the salmon didn't really go. It was a decent salad but by no means as good as the Rocket Beet salad from Earl's. The best part was the pumpkin loaf that I had about a quarter of after demolishing the entire salad.

I definitely want to try Fuzion out again, perhaps when I have a cheat meal. They have alot of yummy sounding things but alot of it has elements that make it an unclean meal for me, such as a rose sauce on the salmon or parmesan crust on the tilapia. I nibbled on mom's Sweet and Sour Fries (sweet potato) and they were pretty tasty. Almost comparable to Original Joe's epic sweet potato fries, almost.

I glanced at the brunch menu, and while there aren't many choices, the Frosted Flake French Toast really stood out to me (apparently I have a thing for French toast lately). The interesting thing about this place is that they have a gluten free meal, perfect for those that have a hard time eating out because of having Celiac.

My only complaint is their tables are WAY too small, five of us were pretty squished. But if you're ever in Sylvan and looking for something locally owned and freshly made, I would definitely recommend trying Fuzion.

What I'm Listening To: City and Colour - Fragile Bird (released yesterday on Itunes)
Extra Read: If you've ever wondered what you should be eating pre-workout, head over to my friend Josh's site for his recent article on pre-workout nutrition. He explains why the shredded coconut in my Amazeballs is the most important part for my pre-workout snack!

Bucket List: Be Involved With a Charity

2011-04-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Back in January I hinted that I was working on crossing a couple things off my Bucket List . I'm happy to finally share with you one of those things today!

Being involved with a charity is something I've always thought should be an important part of one's life. I've struggled finding the time to fit volunteering into my schedule as there never seems to be enough hours in a day. But this year I decided I was just going to make time for it, despite how busy I already was.

In January I started with the Red Deer and District SPCA Special Events Committee. I'm currently on a sub-committee for the upcoming Walk and Wag (formerly Bark at the Bend) and our Catch, Fetch and Release, which mimics the Cancer Society's Jail and Bail fundraiser. I thought not only would I be volunteering with my charity of choice, but I would also gain experience to coincide with my Event Management certificate that I'm currently working towards.

Along with that I'm also volunteering every Saturday with the small animal socialization program that has recently been implemented. This is by far my favorite thing. For anyone that knows me I'm a HUGE animal lover and I fall in love with pretty much anything cute and cuddly. I get to spend an hour a week hanging out with the SPCA's small animals, letting them out of their cages for exercise and giving them some love and cuddles.

It feels so good knowing that I'm helping these animals have a bit of a better life just by giving them some care and attention each week.

My current favorite at the SPCA right now is Sherona, a one year old, long haired, female guinea pig. She is the sweetest little piglet I've ever met. We spend all of our time cuddling on the floor. She'll nestle right into me and coo cheerfully. It absolutely melts my heart. This is where this volunteer position becomes dangerous, as I really really REALLY want to adopt her.

Maybe you would want to be the one to give Sherona a loving home? And then let me come snuggle, hehe?

If you have been thinking of volunteering or becoming involved with a charity, what are you waiting for? Find one that you're interested in and jump in. If you're not sure which charities are available in your area, hit the net. The Red Deer Advocate posts volunteer opportunities on a regular basis which makes it really helpful to know what's going on in the city. Once you get started volunteering you'll feel great afterwards, I promise.

I really can't tell you enough how awesome it feels to be involved with a charity. It's so little time commitment that I can fit it into my busy schedule so easily. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to make a difference in these little creatures' lives.

Stuffed French Toast

2011-04-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

I follow a pretty strict diet like I've discussed on here before. But the key to not going insane is letting myself have a cheat meal once a week. I usually do this at Sunday morning when I go for brunch with my favorite people. It's one of my favorite things to look forward to, not just because I go crazy eating whatever I want, but spending time with people I love.

We usually try somewhere new for brunch. If we really like somewhere we might go a couple times. This past Sunday we went to Glenn's Family Restaurant.. Glenn's is a locally owned restaurant that has a very extensive tea menu and a large home cooked food menu.

This weekend they were at the Red Deer Health and Wellness Show Vegan cafe, so if you are looking for Vegan options in Red Deer, Glenn's is a great place to try.

My meal for the morning was no where near vegan however. I always have a hard time ordering healthy breakfast as eggs give me horrible stomach aches which makes breakfast choices very limited. I decided to roll with the Stuffed French Toast with extra blueberries on top. It comes stuffed with cream cheese, topped with mixed berries and grilled to perfection. To me, anything with cream cheese is perfection.

It was obviously delicious because it sure didn't last on the plate long.

If you are ever in Red Deer looking for a good home-cooked meal, breakfast or not, try Glenn's, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Five: Albums I'm Listening to Right Now

2011-04-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Alright folks, it's been awhile since I've talked music so I thought I'd share the top 5 albums that I can't get enough of right now. It's a pretty eclectic mix, as all my music is.

1) Adele - 21 Adele is an English songstress who's captured my musical heart. She just released her second album and it's nothing short of amazing and a refreshing change from the talentless garbage on the radio these days. Her first single 'Rolling in the Deep' is so powerful it gives me butterflies. She also throws in a cover of a classic love song. Her last album, 19, she covered Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love'. This time around she's chosen The Cure's 'Lovesong', which is one of my absolute favorites and she does it beautifully. If you're looking for something mellow, something that speaks to your heart, you must check out Adele.

2) The Black Keys - Brothers If you don't recognize the name The Black Keys, you may recognize a few of their blues-rock tunes from various movies and TV shows such as Black Snake Moan, Son's of Anarchy, Zombieland and various TV commercials. This album won two awards at this year's Grammy Awards and I highly recommend if you're looking for something a little different than the regular rock sound out there today.

3) Travis Barker - Give the Drummer Some This album has been my featured running music this month. Travis Barker teams up with a bundle of artists from Ludacris, Steve Aoki, Corey Taylor, Kid Cudi, Slaughterhouse and many more to drum alongside some pretty sick beats. If you're into hip hop music and love a good beat, this is your go to album.

4) Various Artists - Songs for Japan I downloaded this on Itunes. 38 songs for only $9.99 with proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross in support of the tragic earthquake and tsunami that hit them earlier this month.

5) Britney Spears - Femme Fatale This is one album I DO NOT recommend. I won this album on a local radio station and gave it a quick listen the other day. Usually I dig most Britney tunes for the sole reason of them being great dance tunes to get you pumped up. This album on first listen made me want to vomit. The amount of auto-tune makes Britney's voice unrecognizable for the most part, and while we've all known that she's not known for the best talent, this album shows even less of that. Brit honey, you really should have quit two albums ago before you went crazy. I don't think there will be an redemption now.

Recipe: Amazeballs!

2011-03-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

So thanks to fellow Rocky Mountain Houser Danielle's addicting blog, I've now added another blog obsession to my daily must reads, Fitnessista. Gina is an adorable girl down in the States who blogs twice daily with recipes, workouts, etc. I'm obsessed.

A reoccurring food item in daily eats is something she calls 'amazeballs', which are little balls of protein goodness that I've always wanted to try and make. The look and some DE-LISH!

Well, the time has come. Yesterday my nutrition guy switched up some of meals to give me better pre and post workout meals. My pre-workout meal was a new recipe for a protein bar which is very similar to Gina's Amazeballz. Whilst making them I was a little skeptical of how they would taste but after a small sample I knew they were amazing. And hence, I now have my own amazeballz that I can't wait to consume before my daily workout. I'm obsessed.

Here's the amazeball recipe for you all to try and fall in love with:

4 cups oats, dry
4 oz unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
4 scoops Whey protein (I have vanilla but I think a chocolate would be super good too)
2 cups cottage cheese

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix with hands.

Roll into 24 balls (they will be a bit larger than a golf ball). I put them all on a cookie sheet and then popped them into the fridge to harden overnight but you can stick them into individual bags, or whatever storage you like.

No need to bake them, just mix, roll, chill and enjoy before your workout!

AMAZEBALLZ!

Nutrition Info for 1 ball:

150 calories

11g protein

5 g fat

14g carbs

1g fiber

2.8g saturated fats

2 g sugar

80mg sodium

14mg cholesterol

20mg calcium

5: Things to Do For Spring

2011-03-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

I have a few projects I want to work on in the coming months since I accomplished all my January goals.

1. Create a travel collage of places I've been and places I want to go. I want this created around a world map. A good friend of mine created something similar with a map on corkboard with colored pins for where she's been and wants to go with photos along the edge and I think it's amazing! I want to create something to showcase photos from trips I've been on as well as remind me of where I want to go (and that I need to save like crazy to get there).

2. Create an inspiration board. For those of you that don't know what this is, it's basically a collage of inspiring words, pictures, etc to remind you of your goals. A visual reminder that you can assist you with reaching your goals. I want one beside my vanity where I will see it every morning when I get ready for my day.

3. Clean out closet. There's alot of clothes I don't wear anymore and I really want to buy some new spring clothes. I want to clean everything I haven't worn in the past year out, take it to Plato's Closet and hopefully get some cash for it, donate the rest and then go treat myself to some new spring/summer gear!

4. Run 5k. By the end of the fall I had reached 5k which was a feat for me given I'm not a great runner. I haven't ran all winter and I really want to make more progress this year so I want to work to reach that 5k mark earlier in the season so I can maybe reach 10 by the end of the season!

5. Look into getting a website again. A few years ago I used to blog to Word Press and I loved my little personal site. I really want to have that again so I can have better layouts, backgrounds, etc and also to separate my fitness/diet posts from my regular life/music posts as I would really like to blog more about my health and fitness journey but don't want the other posts to get lost in the shuffle. I also have some plans for the future that could really benefit from a personal site as well if I get that off the ground so it would be an investment in the future. I need to look into hosting and give a special friend a ring about doing some design work for me.

So there you have it, a few little goals for me this spring. Along with those I want to make sure I'm keeping my budget under check. I've found I had to reduce my monthly spending allowance as I was running short at the end of the pay period when it came to groceries. I'm not sure if that was because I've been spending too much on my groceries or what was going on, but I took away $40 so I have $100 weekly.

I'm also working really hard on my eating, now working with a nutrition coach (who happens to be my boyfriends best friend which makes cheating really hard to get away with). My goal isn't to lose weight (it never is), but to become more lean and let the muscles I've been working so hard to build shine!

Do you have any spring time goals? I'd love to hear them!

3000 Letters for Japan

2011-03-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

You are all more than aware of the recent events in Japan, as I'm sure you are being constantly bombarded by devastating images of north-eastern Japan. Thousands of people are left without a home, school, and missing family members after last weeks tsunami. I live so close to the devastated area, but am hardly affected at all by it, and I feel like doing something proactive to help those most affected would be far more productive than constantly watching and reading the news.

I have a good friend who lives in Shiogama, Miyagi, a town greatly effected by the tsunami. Many homes and schools and buildings were destroyed, and many people are still missing. The people of this town - especially the children - can use a little bit of love!

I created a little project with my friend in Miyagi to collect letters from my friends and family for the children at her (and surrounding) schools. I will be collecting the letters at my house and sending them in one large package in the next few weeks, once post service has been restored to the area.

I am asking you as individuals, teachers, parents, and company employees to please write letters, draw pictures, and spread the word to everyone around you to spread a little bit of light to the children effected by this disaster.

The children will be Elementary and Junior High School age. Their English levels are very basic, and the younger kids can't read at all (but think English writing is cool!) Please keep your English very simple and write clearly. Feel free to draw pictures, add stickers and stamps, and decorate the letters as much as you can. For younger kids, simply drawing pictures instead of writing is fine!

Each letter should be inside an envelope. Please don't include anything else that would make the envelope bulky. Collect all the envelopes and send them to me in one larger envelope. Please let me know if your letters are aimed at much younger children (who can't read at all) or older JHS aged children who have basic English skills.

Please include a return address if you would like to receive a letter back, though I cannot guarantee the kids will write you back.

Send your envelope bursting with letters to my home in Japan at:

Jessie Zanutig
Gunma-ken Tone-gun
Kawaba-mura Yubara 2707-8
378-0102
JAPAN

My goal is to collect 3000 letters for Japan. Most schools will have about 300-400 students, so this goal will hopefully mean distributing letters to a few schools. Here's to hoping we can reach 3000 and even far surpass it! With a little effort on all our parts, I know we can reach this number.

Don't just write one letter -- write 10!! Ask your partner, your children, your friends, your students, and your colleagues. Write as many letters as your hands can handle and spread the word. Forward this email to everyone you know. Everyone is looking for a way to help Japan, and this is your opportunity to help the children who really need it.

Please aim to have the letters in the post to me by FRIDAY APRIL 22nd. This will give me ample time to collect the large package and send all the wonderful letters to my friend in Miyagi prefecture.

Please visit the facebook page for updates and more information. Feel free to invite your friends to join the page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/300-Letters-For-Japan/159472497443796
Thank you so much for all your help and love. I look forward to a mail box full of letters, and the Kawaba post man earning his pay this month!

Love,
Jessie Zanutig

I think this is an amazing idea and will be participating by writing a few letters of my own to reach out to the children of Japan. I encourage all of my readers to do the same, pass this along to family and friends, everyone you know. If you are local, I can collect and send your letters for you so all you have to do is write or draw something! Let's work together to bring a smile to Japan's youngsters in such a tragic time.

My Fitness Journey

2011-03-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

I often get comments that I'm obsessed with working out. It's true, I'd rather go to the gym than go out drinking. I'd rather spend an evening pre-cooking and measuring meals for the week than dining on leftover Chinese. I thrive on the burn of sore muscles and am pour of the stack of empty cottage cheese containers I compile in a week.

But I haven't always been this way.

In fact, growing up I was no where near the health freak I am today. In high school I often skipped gym class to go to 7-11 for slurpees, corn dogs and potato wedges. I occasionally pretended I wanted to play sports but never for more than a couple weeks. I lived on Kraft Dinner and Pizza Pops when left to cook for myself. How I maintained my slim 115lbs throughout my early years, I'll never know. Youthful metabolism I guess.

When I moved out to go to school I gained the notorious 'freshman 15'. I made a noble effort to walk to school for the first month until I decided sleeping in was better than getting up the extra 15 minutes to walk. My college diet consisted of the cheapest foods possible, Sidekicks and Kraft Dinner. Suddenly my metabolism from high school didn't move out with me and I was finding myself spilling over the top of my size 27 jeans in what we know as the 'muffin top'. After a comment from a family member about having gained alot of weight, I decided it was time for a change. I needed to get some exercise.

My start into fitness humors me looking back. I set aside time every Tuesday night when my annoying roommates were off doing their cadet thing to get fit by playing Dance Dance Revolution and working out with Carmen Electra's Fit to Strip DVD's. Ugh, I know, I can hear you laughing and trust me I don't know what I was thinking. But at least it was a start.

From there I signed up at our giant recreation center with a 'smart key' program, that tracked your workouts on a programmable key. The routine was boring and I didn't stick with it long, instead signing up for a weekly bootcamp which I came to really love. I faithfully signed up for bootcamp season after season for two years, which is where I think my addiction for fitness began. I dabbled in an outdoor bootcamp over the summer to expand my fitness time and even took up running, despite sucking horribly at cardiovascular activity. I tried out kettlebells, and crossfit and enjoyed new challenges.

During this time I decided to add something new to my routine, something to help boost my confidence a little. I joined a dance class for women to do just that. During this class the instructor made a call for girls wanting to join a modern day burlesque inspired dance group. I put myself outside of the norm and decided to join which spawned another obsession...dance. My life was consumed with various dance classes and practices, stretching and of course my bootcamps and running occasionally. I was beginning to love the person I saw in the mirror as I gained both confidence and watched the muffin top disappear.

Two years of non-stop dance came to an end but I knew I couldn't go back to doing nothing. I went back to the rec center for regular runs and occasional weight lifting. I had a trainer create a meal plan and exercise routine for me to follow. I slowly changed my eating habits and worked more exercise into my routine. However I found that I wasn't getting anywhere working out on my own.

I ended up winning a free month trial of a small group fitness class at a private training facility. I loved this class more than my regular bootcamp as the trainer was actually there to help to with your form and push you beyond your limit, not to mention made it funny with his silly personality. I felt like I was actually a person here instead of just a body in a room doing what I was told. I went for a consult to see how much their services cost and nearly choked at the cost. Someone I got sucked in to signing a year long contract to attend this class 5 days a week at a slightly obnoxious cost for my tiny salary.

My family thought I was nuts, my coworkers thought I was nuts, my friends thought I was nuts. But none of them knew how good I felt to do something healthy for my body. I've been at this class for over a year now, going faithfully 5 days a week. My diet is carefully monitored, keeping as whole, fresh, and clean as possible. I'm criticized for passing up baked goods and alcohol and laughed at when I pull out a contained of snap peas at the theatre instead of eating butter smothered popcorn. I'm told I don't need to watch what I eat because I'm already thin and often try to tempt me with food they know I won't eat.

They don't understand how good I feel on the inside and out. I'm not worried about a friend or family member making a comment about my weight in a negative way, I'm happy with what I see in the mirror, and I'm at ease knowing that I'm not putting bad things in my body. I feel good knowing that my efforts to eat clean and get plenty of exercise will pay off for my future health.

You too can change your life into one of health and happiness. You may not enjoy spending six or eight hours a week in a gym or giving up cheese and pasta, no one said you had to. But start making small, positive choices for yourself and you will begin to feel the effects of healthy choices as well.

Yes, I may pass up Friday night drinks to go to my Bikram yoga class and I may pack a giant bag full of food when I go out of town. I may not make sense to you, but I make sense to myself. I'm happy and I'm healthy and my journey is nowhere near the end.

Then

Now

Devastation

2011-03-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to hear news of an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hitting Japan, followed by over 30 aftershocks and a massive tsunami. This earthquake is the largest ever to hit Japan, and the 5th largest in the world. Death tolls are expected to be over 1,000.

This news breaks my heart - Japan is one of my biggest loves. I spent 4 years throughout high school studying the language and culture. During the time I became close with both sensei's, hosted an exchange student and became friends with other students from Japan. My dream for the past ten years has been to travel there.

While the schools we dealt with in high school were on a different island further north, I hope that everyone I have met over the years is safe and unaffected by this tragic event. My heart is heavy thinking of the devastation to this country.

Because of this I have donated $100 from my travel fund to the Canadian Red Cross to help with relief efforts. I urge you to donate as well, even if it's only $5, it can help in some way.

It only takes a few minutes to do online by Paypal or credit card - Canadian Red Cross - Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami

This weekend one of my best friends, Ashley, is donating half her tips from her waitressing job and her boss is matching whatever amount she raises.

My talented mother selling is ten 36"x24" stretched canvas prints for $195 (trust me, this is a steal of a deal) until March 17 will portion of the proceeds honoring the victims of the earthquake/tsunami. Details here

Pacifica Charity Print

What are you doing to help?

Say NO To Sugar Substitutes!

2011-03-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

No thanks! I think I'll stick to homemade goodies sweetened with Stevia.

Young Talent

2011-03-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 11, Lady Gaga released her latest single 'Born This Way'. Not a week later Lady Gaga posted a Youtube video on her Twitter stating "Can't stop crying watching this. This is why I make music. She is the future."

The cover was done by 10 year old Maria Aragon from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Following Lady Gaga's tweet, Maria's video went viral, reaching over 10 million views in only five days. Today, not quite a month later it is slowly approaching 20 million. Following Gaga's tweet, Maria was interviewed on a Toronto radio station in which Lady Gaga herself called in to express how moved she had been by the young girl's video, and inviting her to perform on stage at an upcoming tour date in Toronto.

A week later, Maria appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show. I'm waiting for the announcement that the young Canadian singer has been signed to a record label, perhaps to Ellen's recently created label eleveneleven.

Just last week, on March 3, Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour landed in Toronto, where the Youtube sensation joined Gaga at her piano onstage for a duet performance of Born This Way, and again at a more upbeat encore performance. Following the performance a teary eyed Gaga expressed 'if I could have just touch one person, that's enough for me, so knowing I touched just one person means the world to me'.

Lady Gaga and Maria Aragon

It's amazing how a little girl from Winnipeg can have her talents reach millions of people around the world by a simple video posted on the internet catching the attention of the right person. While I'm proud for young Canadians to find success in the entertainment industry, such as Justin Beiber who also grew famous through his Youtube videos, I'm fearful for these kids' future. Too many young people in the industry grow up in the wrong environment and end up with many problems. Take for example Miley Cyrus, posing in provocative photos and filmed taking hits from a bong before she's reached her 18th birthday, or Jodie Sweetin who played Stephanie Tanner on Full House and grew up with drug and alcohol addictions. These kids don't have a chance to be just a kid, they are forced to grow up and work hard at their careers like an adult and it doesn't always work out for the best. The spotlight is hard to cope with for anyone no matter how old.

My hope is for Maria Aragon to continue being a kid and treasuring her once in a lifetime experience onstage with Lady Gaga. I don't want to be reading that this adorable little girl is entering rehab for something or having her life picked apart over the current social media outlet. As Canadians let's produce wholesome and talented entertainers instead of fame hungry tarts.

Pay Yourself First

2011-02-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, my company provides courses for personal financial planning. The latest installment that I've taken was on Investment Planning. It talked about different investment products and strategies and what options are best for risk takers or more conservative investors.

It is something that I definitely want to allocate some extra money too when I am able to add it into my monthly budget. To start I want to incorporate one of the most basic investment strategies we talked about, Pay Yourself First.

With this strategy you save the equivalent of one hour's pay (this may take some calculation if you are on a yearly salary), and you put that money aside before you pay your mortgage/rent/bills/groceries/etc. It's up to you whether you want to collect this on a weekly or monthly basis, whatever works for you. Set up an automatic transfer for this before you can even think about spending it on anything else.

Instead of putting this aside into a savings account, where it won't accumulate much interest, put this into an investment account whether it's RSP's, long term investments or short term investments. Go sit down with a financial planner to figure out your options. It will bring you a much bigger pay out in the future. And really, who can argue with turning a little bit into a lot more money down the road?

Recipe: Banana Protein Muffins

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the recipe for the banana protein muffins I made to take with me for the weekend. They taste JUST like regular banana muffins and will probably become a new staple snack for me.

1 banana

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup cottage cheese

8 egg whites

5 single serving packs of Stevia (available at Costco)

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp Agave nectar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until oats have been chopped thoroughly.

Spray muffin tins and pour in mixture. Place in oven at 350 degrees C and bake for 20 minutes.

You can also pour mixture into a 1.5L loaf pan and cook at 375 for 50 minutes to make a banana bread instead. Upon removal let the loaf cool upside down in the pan for about 20 minutes to ensure it doesn't sink.

Makes 12 muffins or 6 slices of banana bread.

2 muffins or 1 slice of banana bread= 120 calories, 11.7g protein, 1.6g fat and 14.75g of carbs.

I hope you enjoy this little treat as much as I do. If you have any awesome recipes, please share. I am always on the hunt for something new to try!

Eating Out

2011-02-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm constantly taking two steps forward and one step back with my clean eating. I do so well during the week when I'm at home in my regular routine but the moment I have to eat out or go away for a weekend I fail and I fail horribly.

This past week I had to go out of town overnight for work. The plan was to be in Edmonton Thursday evening for a team building event at a sports pub, followed by a full day meeting on Friday. I decided it was also a great opportunity to visit friends for the weekend which worked nicely into meeting up with my boyfriends family for a birthday dinner. I had planned to bring my own snacks to cut down on the unhealthy eating.

I packed my own dinner and evening snack to avoid the pub food Thursday night. I only cheated a tiny bit by having a small helping of cactus cut potatoes, but loaded up on veggies and salsa that were provided and finished up with two hard boiled eggs back at the hotel room.

Friday's breakfast was suppose to be continental in which I had good intentions of filling up on fruit and eating my own protein banana muffins (recipe to follow). However they were behind getting the breakfast set up and instead invited us to enjoy the breakfast buffet for free instead. I had many options to keep that meal clean but my eyes glazed over at the sight of bacon, sausages and pancakes. I need to work on not letting myself be tempted at the delicious foods in front of me and keep focused on the healthy stuff.

Given that I ate too much at brunch, I wasn't very hungry come break time but still ate my healthy snack of an apple with almonds. Lunch time was also not the best. They served us salads, steamed vegetables and two different kinds of pasta with three choices for sauces and a very amazing array of desserts. I filled up on salad (no dressing) and steamed veggies with a small spoonful of pasta with a combination of meat sauce and tomato sauce. Not to bad given the selection. The downfall was the dessert table. I should have stuck to the one white chocolate covered strawberry, but it was so delicious I had to try a couple other things. I was so full afterwards I wasn't able to eat my complete afternoon snack.

By this point I was absolutely stuffed. I meet up with my friend and we wander around Whyte Ave while I'm trying to muster up an appetite for my all time favorite restaurant, Olive Garden. It's around 7 by the time we get there so I'm ready to eat a bit again. Of course I load up on salad and breadsticks and am barely able to eat the Ravioli de Portebello that I've ordered. I should have made a healthier choice, but it's the Olive Garden, nothing you order will compare to my regular dinners. I could have stopped there but we just had to gaze at the dessert menu and ordered desserts to take home to enjoy as we watch movies in our pajamas. The White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake was heavenly but I felt guilty with every bite.

I woke up the next morning feeling really light headed. I'm thinking it was from too many carbs and sugar and not enough protein the night before. I ate a couple of my protein pancakes and an apple to try and alleviate that and hopefully fill me up a little so I don't go crazy at breakfast. Given that IHOP had recently opened in Edmonton we decided to check it out and save the super long wait at our favorite breakfast place, Cora's. This was a silly idea as we still ended up waiting a good half an hour to forty five minutes to be seated. Here also had the option of choosing something slightly healthier, but it was IHOP, I had to order pancakes. To be fair I ordered strawberry banana and a side of turkey bacon. Covered my protein and fruit but still over loaded on the carbs. I was stuffed by the time I was done and definitely wasn't ready to eat by the time I met up with my boyfriends family for Thai food later that evening.

I ended up coming home with most of the snacks I had packed, a bloated stomach, feeling sluggish and hugely guilty for the horrible choices I had made. I need to learn self control when dining out. I can't always rely on the comfort of my own food and routine to get me through a day completely clean.

Five: Things to Show That Special Someone How Much You Care

2011-02-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

I've never been much of a supporter of Valentine’s Day. In fact over the years I've down right hated the holiday, despite being single or taken. These days I’m just becoming indifferent to it. I personally believe that you don’t need one day to show someone you care, you should do it all throughout the year. That being said, here are my ideas for ways to show your special someone just how much you care. There are so many different little things you can aside from the standard flowers, chocolates. While still appreciated and nice gestures, I think I can say that thinking outside the box will score you way more points.

1) Leave them a cute note. Write down a little something, even if it’s just to have a great day and leave it somewhere for them to find randomly. Perhaps in their coat pocket, wallet, or in a cupboard. A little, unexpected reminder out of the blue will definitely brighten their day

2) Surprise them at work with their favorite snack or beverage. I cannot tell you how many long days at the office I sit wishing I could have something other than the lunch room coffee. Bringing them a special treat during the day at work is a really good excuse to surprise them and let them know you’re thinking of them throughout the day.

3) Plan a little weekend get away or day trip. Most people get so caught up in the routine of every day life that they don’t take time for themselves and their relationships. A weekend getaway to Banff, Jasper or even Calgary or Edmonton is a great opportunity to do something out of the ordinary. Take them on a hike, to the zoo or an art gallery, something different than your usual weekend routine. Even a day spent out of town for a nice meal would be a great surprise.

4) Get a photo of the two of you printed and framed. A happy picture of the two of you together will serve as a great minder of the fun you had at that specific moment. With technology these days, people don’t print photos anymore and sometimes forget about photos deep in the files in your computer or cell phones.

5) Call them. People pick up the phone less and less these days. They rely on the convenience of texting, emailing, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Instead of sending them a text, pick up the phone to see how their day was or tell them you miss them. Guaranteed they will be happy to hear your voice instead of receiving the typical daily text message.

Honorable Mention: Make a mix tape (well, CD). I absolutely love mix tapes. Find a bunch of songs that remind you of your significant other, or memorable times you had together. Make them sappy, fun, something they've never heard before. If you want to get really creative, make your own CD cover to go with it! Personalized and original, you can't go wrong with a mix tape!

You can see I have a recurring theme of surprises! It doesn’t matter what you plan on doing, as long as your heart is behind it, it will make your significant other smile. Making someone happy is the best way to show you care.

Recipe: Protein Pancakes

2011-02-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

For anyone following my blog that is interested in eating healthier, I wanted to share a recipe passed on to me from my wonderful boyfriend, Adam.

When I first saw this recipe I thought these were going to be disgusting, but they are easily my favorite meal. Not only do they taste great, but they are SO simple to make. Enjoy!

1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup cottage cheese
3 egg whites

Blend together until it resembles a pancake batter. I throw it all in my magic bullet to blend in seconds.

Now here is when you get to be a little creative. You can add some cocoa powder or cinnamon and blend in some fruit for a bit of flavor. Be careful of what fruit you use though. I once tried blending in some frozen blueberries and it came out way too runny and wouldn't cook properly (they were a really pretty purple color though!).

Personally, once my pancakes are cooked I like to spread a tiny bit of natural peanut butter over them and top with a sliced up banana. Yum!

What is your favorite healthy recipe? I'm always looking for some new ideas, so please share!

Be Accountable

2011-02-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends! Can you believe we are already a week into February? Where is time going?!

I wanted to give you a little update on the progress of some of my goals so far.
The first being budgeting. Last month I mentioned one of my major goals for the year was to learn to manage my money better. Lucky for me, my company offers 'financial solutions' courses to teach us a little more about all areas of money management, from basic budgeting, to managing debt, investments, leaning about insurance, how to plan for retirement, and more. Before Christmas I had taken the introductory course which touches briefly on all of the topics. It made me realize that I should have a proper budget in place so I can maximize my savings and maybe allow for a bit more spending money. I also want to try and establish an emergency fund in case, which are really important to have in place.

Last month I sat down and determined all of my living expenses for a month. This includes my rent, utility bills, cell phone, internet, gas & groceries. From there I divided up the remaining money from my monthly salary into savings accounts. I set up automatic transfers for funds to go into two different savings accounts, one for travelling, and the other as my general savings, which includes my emergency fund. I'm not putting away ALOT more into savings than I ever did before.

What was left over from that I divided into a weekly allowance. I was kind of blown away by the amount I had to spend each week as it seemed like alot after paying all the necessities and putting so much into savings. I was second guessing myself thinking I had calculated everything wrong, but after giving it a second look everything seemed to add up so I went with it.

It's now been about a month of following this budget and so far I haven't ran into a single issue. Everything that needs to be paid has, and on time. All the alloted money has made it into the savings account it belongs in. I have managed to live with my weekly allowance and have even taken myself on a couple decent shopping trips. Anything that is leftover at the end of the week I stick in an envelope in case I need to make a larger purchase down the road. This has worked out great as I recently ordered my bridesmaid dress for my best friends' wedding and was able to pay for it fully instead of putting a deposit down! I'm so amazed that I've been able to do so much on this budget and never had to worry about being short money before pay day. Mind you I haven't made it through a full month quite yet, since I started the budget midway through January. So far though, it's been great and I definitely recommend taking an evening to go through your expenses and set yourself up with a budget. It has helped me realize I had no idea where my money had been going. I was always so broke, I didn't put very much into savings but I rarely bought myself things. I really truly did not know where my money was going!

Be accountable for your spending and you might be able to see better financial success, guaranteed.

The other area I'm becoming more accountable is my diet. Mid January I talked about having a really bad week getting into some chocolate (damn that Costco sized bag of chocolate chips). I put that chocolate away to make it a bit harder for me to get into but after a couple weeks I found I was back into it again. I had been following my meal plans perfectly but sneaking this damn chocolate here or there, or the occasional goodie left around work. There is temptation EVERYWHERE! I decided the best thing to do was remove the temptation from my house. If it's not in my home, I can't eat it! Last weekend I threw away the entire bag of Costco chocolate chips. I know it's a waste and I could have used them again, but realistically I only bake once or twice a year and it's not worth eating that entire bag for. I can always go to the bulk section next time I have the baking bug and buy the exact amount of chocolate chips I need. That way there will be no leftovers!

Then this past weekend I went through and reorganized my entire kitchen cupboards. I got rid of any other dirty foods that might tempt me. Looking through my fridge and cupboards you would think I don't eat anything. I do eat and I eat alot but the only things in my house are the things I need. You can't eat bad if bad food isn't in your house. Become accountable for your diet and get rid of anything you shouldn't be eating. If you don't want to throw it away, donate it to a friend who can eat it or even the food bank if it's non-perishable and unopened!

With the temptation out of my house, I just need to work on staying away from the little things when I'm at work or out and about. All in all, I've been doing pretty good. I bring my own snacks to the theatre or a friends house and I make healthier choices at restaurants. The 'extras' have meant getting back to my 'pre-Hawaii' look is slower, but slow progress is better than going off the rocker and getting no progress.

So again, look at the goals you have made for yourself. If you are not getting there, figure out what you can do to fix it. Be accountable for yourself and you will get to where you want to be. Only you can do it though!

Five: New Fitness Classes to Try

2011-01-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

When I first started working out, I had no idea what to do. I would go to the gym, use the cardio equipement a little and watch the people on the weight machines wishing I knew how to use them properly to more out of my gym membership. Luckily the Collicut Centre here in Red Deer will set up a program with you where they go through all the equipment, show you how to use it properly, what settings and weights work best for you and design it based on your needs. However soon that became boring and I wasn't feeling I was getting enough from my workouts.

The great thing about fitness is there are so many options out there for you. You just need to find something that works for you, something you enjoy doing. You should never dread or avoid your workouts! Here are five different classes that I've tried:

1) Yoga - yoga is amazing not only for your body, but your mind as well. Yoga helps you build strength and flexibility. It is for all ages and all abilities, anyone can do it. I started out with a beginner class at Living Nutrition and once I was comfortable with my practice I moved on to Hatha hot yoga at the Amaryllis Centre. I know practice Bikram yoga at Bikram Yoga Red Deer (you can read about my first Bikram experience here). When I took my very first yoga class, the feeling I had afterwards I described as a 'happy noodle'. I was so relaxed, refreshed and free of any and all tensions. After finished my first hot yoga class I felt even more amazing, incredibly energized and cleansed. After my first Bikram class I wanted to die, but with each class I feel better, stronger and more flexible. I now attend Bikram's karma class every Friday night. I highly recommend adding yoga into your life, you will feel amazing for it.

2) Bootcamp - I took a bootcamp class through the City of Red Deer for a couple years and I loved it. These classes are generally larger group classes that incorporates cardio and weight exercised to help you shed the pounds and boot on muscle. Another great class for beginners as you can go at your own limit. I currently do One to 1 Fitness's Fitcamp class. I've been doing this class for almost a year now and have had great results. It's a bit more focused then the city bootcamp in that the classes are smaller and the trainers are focused on ensuring you have proper form and are working to your fullest ability. They push you to reach your limits and it has definitely helped me to improve not only my strength but my knowledge as well.

3) Kettle Bells - When I first took a kettle class it was only half an hour long and I thought to myself 'what kind of workout is only a measly half an hour?' Let me tell you, that is one helluva workout! Kettle bell exercises combine cardio and strength for a full body workout that will leave you sweating more than you've ever sweat before. I have taken kettle bells at Kensei MMA and recommend to beginners however I suggest going to Keith Weber from Weber Physiotherapy who first brought kettle bells to Western Canada and even has his own kettle bell workout video!

4) Crossfit - If you want another intense strength and conditioning workout, Crossfit will do it for you. Ignite Fitness is Red Deer's very own crossfit specialists. Here you get a set workout with a set number of reps, usually to be done for time. Unfortunately I haven't been able to commit a great amount of time to Crossfit, but having been taking advantage of Ignite's free Saturday morning classes!

5) TRX - This is a new one to the fitness scene, especially here in Red Deer. TRX is a suspension system that allows you to use your body weight to build strength and balance. This system is great because all you need is the TRX. If it's too difficult or too easy all you need to do is change your angle. There is currently no where (to my knowledge) in Red Deer that specifically offers TRX classes, however the great thing about this system is it is relatively inexpensive and can be mounted directly to your ceiling or in a doorway. It even comes with a training video so you know what you're doing. I know that this will be a must purchase for me when I own my own home!

There you have it folks! If you're bored of your current routine, try out any or all of these for a new experience! Let me know what you think...

Stay Tuned!

2011-01-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited to tell you all that I'm currently working on getting not one but TWO items crossed my bucket list in the coming months! You will have to keep reading to find out what those are!

If you want to take a guess at what the two items could be, check out the list here and leave me a comment!

In the mean time I wanted to share this rockin' song that just got released today. Travis Barker featuring Swizz Beatz, Lil Wayne & Rick Ross "Can a Drummer Get Some". I cannot wait for this album!

Click Here To Listen!

Cheer Leading Session!

2011-01-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already the middle of January! It feels like just yesterday I was cursing all the delicious food that I couldn't stop eating over Christmas, making my goals for the year and getting back into my workout and diet routine.

For those that know me, you'd know I worked really hard for five weeks leading up to my family vaca in Hawaii. I was eating clean every day, leaving myself one day a week to eat normal, getting in some extra cardio before my daily workout, etc. I was happy with the results once those five weeks were over but they all went out the door as soon as I landed in Hawaii. I figured I was on vacation and could eat whatever I wanted without worry. That caught up with me before I even made it back to Canada and unfortunately lasted for two months right through to the Christmas season. It's amazing how five weeks of hard work can be reversed in a few short days.

Once the holiday festivities were over I told myself I wanted to go back to eating clean all the time, not just in preparation for anything. I reworked my meal plans to include more variety and more yummy recipes. Things were going great until this past week. I'm blaming part of it on the weather, it's been cloudy, snowy and friggin cold! My mood was in the dumps and I was craving chocolate like a mad woman. Conveniently I had a Costco size bag of chocolate chips in my cupboard from Christmas baking and found myself going for handful every day after lunch. If my mood wasn't bad enough, it was getting worse because I felt guilty for ruining day's eating with those extra calories. At times I questioned whether I was really going to follow through with this whole eating clean thing and miss out on all the delicious (and unhealthy) food there is out there.

It was a really bad week and I'm happy it's the weekend so I can relax, go for a guilt free brunch with some of my best friends and prepare for a better week. The sun is shining and I feel better already. I've even put that damn chocolate in a grocery bag and put it in a different cupboard to try and remove the temptation.

I'm not going to give up, I'm just going to accept the fact that it was a bad week and those happen sometimes. It doesn't mean I failed by any means.

For those of you have set goals or resolutions for yourselves this years, stick to it. Make your goals small, achievable and attainable. If you have a bad week like I did, don't beat yourself up over it. Acknowledge your mistakes and keep trying. You're capable of anything!

So now that I've gotten my motivational cheer leading out of the way, I thought I'd share with you my top 5 songs of the moment.

1) Shad & Dallas - Live Forever
2) Shad & Dallas - Listen
3) Grits - Ooh Ahh (My Life Be Like)
4) Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
5) Kanye West - All of the Lights

Five: Anticipated Albums for 2011

2011-01-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

With a new year comes an onslaught of new music to look forward to. I've already circled calendar dates waiting for certain albums to drop. The following are my five most anticipated albums for 2011.

1) Travis Barker - Give the Drummer Some
You probably know Travis Barker as the drummer of Blink 182 or lesser known The Transplants. He's been working hard on a solo album that's said to be a rap-rock hybrid with collaborations with the likes of Lil Wayne and Corey Taylor (Slipknot). Over the past year or two Travis has posted some sick remix's that he's drummed to which has got me hyped for his own disk.

2) Lady Gaga - Born This Way
This will be Gaga's second full length album after The Fame and last year's extension The Fame Monster. Gaga herself is claiming it will be the album of the decade. That might not be so far fetched. Her outfits and antics might be outrageous, but her talent is genuine. Another album I can't wait to hear, and even more excited for the tour to follow.

3) Britney Spears - not yet titled
Oops, she did it again. This is Britney's seventh album I believe. Up until lately there hasn't been alot of word, although apparently Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D is pretty stoked on Miss Brit Brit. While there's not much to say in the way of talent and skill, you have to admit she puts out some pretty good dance songs, and for me I love a good song to bust a move to in my living room. Even better than the album, getting to witness the trainwreck of Britney being back in the spotlight. Don't forget to bookmark TMZ following the release of this disk.

4) Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby
A good old Canadian girl who will always have a close spot in my heart. Pretty disappointed in her divorce from Sum 41 singer Derek Whibley and a little confused with her relationship to reality tv dude Brody Jenner but what does that have to do with her new album. The first single 'What the Hell' was released during her performance at Dick Clark's New Years Eve bash and it's a catchy pop song in typical Avril style.

5) Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV
I have to admit, I'm in love with Lil Wayne, but every girl falls for a bad boy once in awhile, right? Tha Carter III was my all time favorite Lil Wayne album, with my favorite Lil Wayne songs, hands down. I'm hoping IV will live up the III's epicness.

Surviving Bikram Yoga Red Deer

2011-01-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

I've just completed my very first session of yoga at the new Bikram Yoga Red Deer. Previously I practiced hot yoga at the Amaryllis Centre but it does not compare AT ALL to this yoga. I've already had a few people ask me how it differs and what to expect so here is the low down.

It is very hot. I mean that. They pump steam into the room, unlike Amaryllis that just turns the heat up high. It is much hotter and alot harder to get used to.

Wear as little clothing as possible, you'll be soaked. The website says wear no pants, I thought that was the silliest thing ever. I hate shorts, I don't really own appropriate yoga shorts. I will never, ever wear pants to this class ever. I wanted to remove my shirt within two minutes of entering the room. I'm telling you, it's really hot in there.

It is not relaxing. It's fast paced and they encourage you to push yourself as hard as possible.

For first timers, don't be intimidated. Make sure you drink ALOT of water before hand. I drink alot of water throughout the day but I still got dehydrated and as I type this I'm fending off a dehydration headache. That being said, make sure you drink alot afterwards as well. Your body definitely needs it.

Do your best on the poses, you probably won't be able to do them all, or will fall out of a pose. This is ok, everyone does it. Don't let the people at the front make you feel bad for not being able to go as deep as them. Do what you can.

Don't forget to enjoy yourself. Yoga is an amazing mind and body workout. Bikram may be harder than anything than you're used to, but you are doing amazing things for yourself.

For anyone interested in checking this out, they are offering *FREE* sessions this weekend only at 10am, noon and 3:30pm. Arrive about half an hour early to make sure you can get a spot on the floor. Any earlier is unneccessary as they have the doors locked between classes.

For more info on the studio, check out www.bikramyogareddeer.com. Let me know how you like it!

Namaste!

Oh, and one last thing. It gets easier. Don't let the first hard class scare you from going back.

Welcome 2011

2011-01-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's the start of a new year already. It seems like just yesterday I was reviewing an entire decade and here we are, another year has flown by!

Have you made your resolutions?

Happy New Years!

At the beginning of the year I declared it would be a year dedicated to health and happiness and I believe I succeeded with both. I joined a new gym that I've really been enjoying. I've learned a lot about what my body needs to be fit and healthy and this year will be spent focusing on keeping my eating habits clean to ensure my body stays as healthy as possible. This is always a struggle because people try to sabotage my good eating habits by trying to get me to eat or drink things I shouldn't be. I'm a fairly small person as it is so weight loss isn't a priority, but staying lean and strong and keeping my body free of junk/chemicals is what matters the most to me. A lot of people don't understand this, they tell me I don't need to diet, I don't need to lose weight but that's just not the point. It isn't all about how my body looks, but also how I feel. After working hard for 6 weeks to eat completely clean before my trip to Hawaii, I let myself go wild with what I was eating and quickly noticed how awful I was feeling. Less energy, more stomach aches and definitely less satisfaction when I look in the mirror. For someone that has been sick like clockwork for most of her life, staying healthy is important. I don't want to put an abundance of bad food into me anymore. I want to keep my foods fresh, whole and home cooked as much as possible.

I would also like to continue working on my fitness, running especially. I'm still eager to participate in a 5km run and hope to achieve that this summer. I am also going to attend more yoga classes to not only help my body, but bring peace and happiness to the mind as well. To keep myself on track this year, I'm keeping a journal of what I'm eating, what exercise I'm getting and how I'm feeling. This will be not only to keep myself accountable but also to look for trends in the effects of what I eat and what I do physically. I only get one body and I intend to keep myself as healthy and happy as possible through diet and fitness.

2010 saw me start school again, four years after graduating college. I was bored of my current job and decided to enroll in an online certificate program for Event Management. I completed two of the classes and am enrolled in my third for the beginning of February. Following that I will have 3 more classes and a final project to go, which should all be completed by early 2012. Going back to school has been a struggle to balance on top of a full time job, the gym, personal time and spending time with friends and family. But I'm enjoying what I'm learning and hope that someday I can put my knowledge to good use. Along with completing my classes this year I hope to find some volunteer opportunities so I can learn some hands on skills as well. Since starting school I started a new position that has opened up new opportunities for me making the need for new skills a little less necessary. I am enjoying my job once again and look forward to learning and growing in my new position to help move up in the company.

As usual, I attended a number of amazing concerts:
Tegan and Sarah
Daniel Wesley
Billy Talent with Alexisonfire and Against Me x 2
Muse with Silversun Pickup
Our Lady Peace
Thrice x 2
Rihanna with Kesha
Warped Tour
Lady Gaga
Sonic Boom
Alexisonfire x 2
LMFAO

I usually average about a concert a month each year, and 2010 was no different. With each concert I attend, I fall more in love with music. It's an expensive habit, but it's one of my biggest hobbies and what my life is based around. I want to keep up with my blog more and continue to write about music. I love hearing feedback on my writing and other people's opinions when it comes to musical preferences. I'm sad to report that I have zero concerts to look forward to in 2011 so far, but I know that will soon change. And if it doesn't perhaps my credit card will thank me!

One of my major goals for this year is learning to manage my money better. I've been preapproved to purchase my own condo and am excited to put my money towards an investment rather than throwing it away for rent. I have two major trips planned this year, one to Mexico for my best friends wedding which I was able to pay for completely with money I had saved already. Thankfully I still have enough in my Trip Savings Account to pay for a few nights in Vegas for my 25th birthday party in September. I want to create a budget for myself this year to maximize my savings and control my spending habits. After taking an introductory financial solutions course through work I've determined an emergency fund should be something to set up for myself and need to start putting money away for that, as well as those additional expenses that come with owning a home.

I would also like to be able to budget money to be able to spend on more clothing throughout the year. Since moving into an apartment without roommates my expenses have been high and I haven't been spending much on myself. I am feeling really down with the current state of my wardrobe and after reading Lauren Conrad's Style, I want to make more of an effort with both my work and casual clothes. I've been toying with the idea of starting my own clothing club, getting a bunch of girls together monthly, each contributing a set amount of money monthly. At every get together a name will be drawn to win the money pool for the month to which they can spend on clothing for themselves. It's kind of a like a monthly savings plan to be able to go on a shopping spree once a year, but also an excuse to get together with some girlfriends!

While I don't make resolutions come January 1st, I do make goals for myself. I achieved my goals from last year and have a brand new set to look forward to achieving for this year. On top of my health and fitness and budgeting, I hope to create new memories with my friends and family and perhaps even work towards crossing new things off my bucket list!

I wish you all the best for this upcoming year and hope you achieve your goals or resolutions, whatever they may be!

Five: New Albums

2010-11-30T07:32:00.000-08:00

I think I might try something new for my blog and periodically post a top five list of various topics. If you have a suggestion for a top five list, let me know. But today I'm giving you the last five albums I've purchased. Enjoy.

1. Bruno Mars: Doo-Wops and Hooligans

I am seriously obsessed with everything to do with Bruno Mars right now. After hearing his latest single ‘Grenade’ on the radio, I knew I had to go out and purchase this album in hard copy instead of downloading on Itunes and I don’t regret a cent of it. This Hawaiian crooner knows the way straight through my eardrums and right into my heart. He makes me smile and he makes me melt. If you’re looking for some true talent, a mellow listen and a feel good album, this is the one for you.

2. Luke Pickett: For Every Petal Lost, Another Gained

One of my best friends gave me this CD a couple weeks ago and it spent a solid two weeks in my CD player on repeat. It’s such a simple, beautiful album that I wish I would have discovered four years ago when it was first released. If anyone is a fan of my good friends in City and Color, you will fall in love with Luke Pickett as well. Luke, with his falcetto vocals and soft guitar melodies will capture your heart and make you want to shed a tear or two. He’s a little known secret that I’m sharing with anyone in need of a good cry over a great acoustic album.

3. Kesha: Cannibal

I think most people can agree that Kesha might not be the most talented or respected artist out there right now. She’s all about the party and fun and it’s very apparent in just about every one of her songs. The new album is only a disappointing 9 songs long, with one being a remix of ‘Animal’ from her first album. But there’s a few songs that get me pumped up and make me want to dance like a fool in my living room, and one that makes me laugh. If you’re looking for some mindless fun, this is the album for it.

4. Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown

I must admit I’m slightly disappointed in the new KOL album. After hearing the first single ‘Radioactive’ I was a little hesitant about downloading the full album. I went for it because I am so in love with their last album Only By the Night. My gut instinct was right, it’s just not as good. Only By the Night is one of those albums that I can close my eyes and listen to with my entire body, there’s not many albums that can do this for me, but trust me, if you see me lying on the floor with my eyes closed and the music cranked, you know it’s a good album. Come Around Sundown doesn’t have the same effect for me.

5. Jack Johnson: To The Sea

Another amazing Hawaiian artist makes it to my list this week. After just returning from a family vacation in the Aloha State, I may be doing whatever I can to keep the island spirit strong. Jack Johnson has been a long time favorite for many years and To The Sea is another great showcase of a talented man with his guitar. I can just picture him sitting on the beach, strumming away to the love of his life. This may not be my favorite album from Mr. Johnson, but it’s got the same great look and feel and is definitely not a disappointment. I extend a warm Mahola for sharing your talent on another great album Jack.

The Not So Feel Good Ripple

2010-11-25T18:18:00.001-08:00

Last year Servus Credit Union started a new movement called the Feel Good Ripple. They gave away $10 to anyone that stopped into a branch, along with ‘ripple cards’, encouraging recipients to do something good for someone else and pass along the ripple. I think this was an amazing idea, encouraging the random acts of kindness and creating a movement across Alberta.

This year Servus has brought the ripple back. In October, more $10 packages with ripple cards were handed out. People were encouraged to continue doing good deeds and to share their story on the Feel Good Ripple website (www.feelgoodripple.ca). Again, I was excited for this campaign and eager for the perfect opportunity to do something nice for someone.

Last week I had been out and about a bit later than usual and remembered I needed to pick up a couple things from the grocery store before I went home. Luckily, Red Deer now has a 24-hour grocery store so I stopped there to quickly grab what I needed. The lady supervising the self check outs looked like she was having a slow night, and I struck up a conversation about how boring it must get there during the night. She was a very friendly lady and I left thankful that there are such great people like that willing to work through the night to give people like myself the opportunity to get groceries at all hours. As I got in my truck and began to drive away I remembered I still hadn’t found a chance to use my Feel Good Ripple money yet. I turned around and went back to the store and found the lady I’d just been talking to. I asked if she was familiar with the Feel Good Ripple campaign and explained the concept. I told her I appreciated her working late hours and that since it looked like she was having a long boring night that she take the money and buy herself a coffee or treat to get through the night, and pass along the ripple.

What happened next shocked me. I was waiting for the thanks and appreciation that comes with receiving a random gift, but instead the lady in front of me offended by my offer. She told me her night was fine and she didn’t want to accept the money from me. I reinstated that it was just a random act of appreciation and kindness and the point was to do something nice for someone and have them pass the kindness along. She then replied that she had enough money of her own and that she didn’t need money from me. At this point I was so blindsided and flustered. I kept encouraging her to take the ripple card and pass along the kindness, even if she didn’t want to use the money to do something for herself, she could use it for someone else. She absolutely would not listen nor accept the feel good effort.

I left the store feeling very shattered and hurt that my effort to brighten someone’s day had failed. All I wanted to do was make someone smile and create my own ripple. To have someone so unwilling to accept generosity from a stranger baffled me. I think in today’s society, there is such a shortage of generosity and kindness that some people don’t know how to react or accept it anymore. To me this is saddening and we need to create change and become a more giving, generous, caring society again.

I went on to use my Feel Good money to help someone who was having trouble with their debit card at a pub the following weekend, but it didn’t leave me with the same sense of pride as I had hoped to receive from my first attempt.

I encourage everyone that may be on the receiving end of a ‘Feel Good Ripple’ or random act of kindness to think about not only what’s being presented to you in physical form, but the thought behind it and the opportunity to pass the feeling along to another deserving individual. We need to show others that it’s ok to accept kindness and it’s ok to pass kindness along.

For more information about Servus Credit Union’s Feel Good Ripple campaign, and to read other (successful) Feel Good Ripple stories, go to www.feelgoodripple.ca

Thrill Seeking Vacation

2010-11-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Aloha!

Some of you may remember a blog post from earlier this year in which I shared my bucket list, my list of things to do before I 'kick the bucket'. It's a relatively small list so far and it recently got a little shorter. While on vacation with my family in Hawaii I was able to cross something off that list, something I've wanted to do since the last time I was in Hawaii 9 years ago.

When I was younger I was fairly shy and afraid to do new things, especially on my own. This kept me from taking surf lessons on my first trip to Hawaii and I've regretted it ever since. Surfing has always intrigued me and was something I had always wanted to learn so when I decided to make a bucket list it was one of the top entries.

When my mom booked our trip to Hawaii this year I made it very clear that my number one intention for this trip was to go surfing and I would do whatever it took to make it happen. A friend recommended a surf school her family used called Hawaiian Fire which is owned and operated by fire fighters and who conducts their lesson on a more secluded beach, away from the crowds of Waikiki. They were amazing. The beach was empty, the weather was hot and sunny, it couldn't have been more perfect. HF supplied us with reef shoes and rash guards before giving us a quick safety briefing and an even quicker rundown of the surfing basics. A few minutes spent learning where to stand, how to stand and proper paddling led to us being in the water in no time. Once in the water I got into position beside an instructor who watched for the right waves. When one came along he would say when to start paddling, give us a push and away we went. Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle and shoot to your feet. I rode out the first wave that came like I had been born to surf! It was amazing!

Paddle back out to the instructors again to wait for the next waves. I rode nearly every wave I was pushed into and by my third or fourth run I was being taught how to do tricks (which I never did manage to land).

I had an amazing time out there and was disappointed when the time was up and we had to leave. I was thankful for such an amazing surf school with friendly instructors who helped me accomplish a long time goal and have fun while doing it. I highly recommend Hawaiian Fire to anyone looking to take surf lessons on Oahu.

I didn't think the rest of the trip would live up to that experience until we made our way to the North Shore and mom and I booked a tour to swim with sharks. Somewhere along the lines I've become a thrill seeker and adrenaline junkie and I was pumped to be able to fulfill another need for adventure. We were taken 3 miles off shore from Haleiwa Harbor where a pod of Galapagos Sharks were known to hang around collecting scraps leftover from the crab and shrimp fishermen. Once there we were handed snorkel gear and jumped into the cage off the side of the boat. There was probably 15 sharks swimming all around us, so close we could pet them had we been brave enough. Words can't describe how freakin' awesome (as mom puts it) that was. We had 20 minutes to chill in the cage and watch the sharks swimming around. These aren't any little tiny fish either, Galapagos Sharks can reach lengths of up to 12 feet!

For anyone visiting the North Shore of Oahu and feeling a little adventurous, I also highly recommend checking out Hawaii Shark Encounters. You won't be disappointed!

As for me, I'm back to reality after an amazing time with my family in a beautiful paradise and looking forward to future adventures and opportunities to cross more items off my bucket list.

Oh, and some slightly less exciting, but still interesting events from the trip:

- I was asked to be photographed by a random Japanese dude to show friends back home how beautiful the women are in America. They now know all the truly beautiful women are Canadian...

- Celebrity sighting on flight to Vancouver - Grace Park from Hawaii 5-0 was sitting two rows in front of me.

Gaga

2010-09-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

I sometimes feel like I am one of the few people that really understands Lady Gaga. To most people she’s an attention seeking pop-star, looking to make the biggest statement and attract the most attention, be it positive or negative. She’s weird, she’s eccentric, and she may even be offensive. But I think she’s using her power as one of the world’s biggest stars to send a huge, positive statement to our society.

A friend and I with Lady Gaga - November 2008 at Empire Ballroom in West Edmonton Mall

I recently attended one of Lady Gaga’s two sold out shows in Edmonton. I went to the show already a fan, but left an admirer. For one, Lady Gaga is truly a talented singer. There was no lip syncing, no singing over vocal tracks, it was all her. This is one of the most important things to me for a star such as her. I mean, yes Britney Spears may put out catchy songs and she may be a great entertainer, but her lip syncing takes away from the genuine appeal. Lady Gaga is someone that made her way to the top not by reality shows or famous families, but by learning, growing and succeeding as a true artist.

Add to the mix Gaga’s quirky personality (quirky may be a bit of an understatement). This adds more to the entertainment side and entertain she does. Her live shows resemble more of a Broadway production than a pop concert. Her shows have a theme, a story and an elaborate stage set up unlike no other to go along with. The theme of this year’s tour was the Monster Ball, in which Lady Gaga and her friends are on a troubled journey to find the said ball. They come across a few obstacles along the way with a broken down car, an interesting subway ride and one really large monster to defend. Finally in the end, the starlet makes it to her party. It was truly a whole new dimension to the live show, where very few have gone before. Not only was it about the music, but it was also about the story.

The other thing The Monster Ball Tour was all about was promoting a positive message, which is starting to show in more and more of Gaga’s antics. Since the release of her second album ‘The Fame Monster’, Gaga has been referring to her fans as ‘her little monsters’ and to herself as ‘Mother Monster’.

This goes back to her days at private school in the Upper East Side of New York City, where she was taunted and teased for being different. She told the crowd she was told she was a freak, that she wasn’t pretty enough and would never succeed. Her message to her little monsters was to not let anyone tell them those things and to love themselves for whoever they are be it straight, gay, bisexual, transsexual, black, white, or purple. It’s an empowering message to the youth of today who are bombarded with judgement on sexual preferences and highly influenced to look, act and be a certain way. Lady Gaga is trying to change those moulds and encourage people to be themselves and do what they want to do (and that it is OK to do so), because ‘you were born this way’.

This message is spilling over to Lady Gaga’s next record, which she just announced at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards will be called ‘Born This Way’.

And of course, what’s a conversation about Lady Gaga without talking about her fashion sense. Influenced by such people as David Bowie, the late Alexander McQueen, Donatella Versace, Freddie Mercury (Queen) and Boy George, Lady Gaga is always dressed to thrill and is a walking piece of art. Every outfit is set to make a statement. She was recently featured on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan wearing a meat bikini which received such negative attention from animal rights groups and vegan/vegetarians. Frankly when you think about it, an outfit made of meat is the bizzarist of bizarre. Gaga adorned another meaty piece at the 2010 MTV VMA’s when she accepted her award for Video of the Year in a full meat dress. She later appeared on Ellen DeGeneres in which she explained the reasoning behind her wardrobe choice, “Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian. As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. However, it has many interpretations, but for me this evening, if we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And I am not a piece of meat.”

Vogue Hommes Japan - September 2010

So while we have celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears giving a bad name to fame, Gaga steps up with her efforts to bring awareness to social and societal issues, and encourage individuals to be whoever they were born to be. Not only is she a talented musician, an outstanding performer, and a fashion icon, she is an inspiration to the world, to those that don’t fit in, and to those that are misunderstood. Her ideals, although more dramatic, fit into some of my own and maybe it’s because I too have felt like I didn’t fit in, that I feel I understand Lady Gaga a little better than the average person.

Song of the Moment

2010-09-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

The new Rihanna single 'Only Girl (in the World)' was released on iTunes today. I heard it on the radio last week and didn't really like it, but it's starting to grow on me, especially the lyrics.

I want you to love me, like I’m a hot guy

Keep thinkin’ of me, doin’ what you like

So boy forget about the world cuz it’s gon’ be me and you tonight

I wanna make your bed for ya, then imma make you swallow your pride

[CHORUS]

Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world

Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love

Like I’m the only one who knows your heart

Only girl in the world…

Like I’m the only one that’s in command

Cuz I’m the only one who understands how to make you feel like a man

Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world

Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love

Like I’m the only one who knows your heart

Only one…

[VERSE 2]

Want you to take me like a thief in the night

Hold me like a pillow, make me feel right

Baby I’ll tell you all my secrets that I’m keepin’, you can come inside

And when you enter, you ain’t leavin’, be my prisoner for the night

[CHORUS]

Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world

Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love

Like I’m the only one who knows your heart

Only girl in the world…

Like I’m the only one that’s in command

Cuz I’m the only one who understands, like I’m the only one who knows your heart, only one…

[BRIDGE]

Take me for a ride

Oh baby, take me high

Let me make you first

Oh make it last all night

Take me for a ride

Oh baby, take me high

Let me make you first

Make it last all night

[CHORUS]

Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world

Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love

Like I’m the only one who knows your heart

Only girl in the world…

Like I’m the only one that’s in command

Cuz I’m the only one who understands how to make you feel like a man

Only girl in the world…

Girl in the world…

Only girl in the world…

Girl in the world…

Old Friends, New Friends, Best Friends

2010-09-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Rose and Crown, September 4, 2010

Hiking, Hot Dogs and Shakes, OH MY!

2010-08-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today I took a much needed getaway out of Red Deer. Friend and I packed up bright and early this morning and headed out to Banff to hike at Johnston Canyon. It was a gorgeous day to go there, not a cloud in the sky!

We had nearly made it to our destination without seeing any wildlife and I was starting to wonder if we’d be lucky enough to see anything this trip. Before I could even complete that thought we came across one of the largest elk I may have ever seen in the wild. Ten minutes later there was another pile of cars stopped in the road with people looking in the direction we had just come. We had no idea what people were looking at until I spotted the black bear in the bush right beside me. There was a park warden there waving us along before I could snap a photo of it.

Big Elk

It was a short trek (1.1km) to the lower falls of Johnston Canyon which are 10m. Another 2.7km leads to the upper falls which are much larger at 30m. The falls were gorgeous and it was refreshing to stand in the mist. I was expecting that hike to take a lot longer than it had so we decided to make the drive worth while and continue along the trail to the Ink Pots.

Lower Falls

Upper Falls

This second half of our journey was a little more physically demanding. Lots of hills to climb and descend and our water bottles quickly became empty. The final destination was well worth all the 5.8km walk though, leading to an open valley with the Ink Pots.

The Ink Pots are six small pools full of beautiful green, bubbling spring water. We took a few moments to wander around the pools and catch our breath, refilling our water in the fresh stream flowing nearby. Man, you’ll never taste fresher, colder water than in the mountains. It definitely felt good!

Ink Pots

We made the entire journey in roughly 3 hours, which was a few hours less than expected. After devouring the remaining snacks I brought we decided we should probably make a pit stop in Calgary for dinner.

As most people know I have a thing for hot dogs, I had never had the chance to experience the epic 17^th Avenue delight known as Tubby Dogs and decided to make that our dinner destination. While the Cap’ns Dog peaked my interest, topped with peanut butter, jelly and Cap’n Crunch, I decided to keep it semi-normal and went with the Harlo (bacon, cheese, mustard, relish). There was nothing I can do to control the cheesy, bacony mess that exploded while I ate. It was hot dog heavenly!

Tubby Dogs!

With our full and satisfied bellies ready to leave the city down 16^th ave, we began approaching another Calgary staple, Peter’s Drive In. Neither of us could resist ending the day with a milkshake. There wasn’t much room left after the giant dogs, but we made them fit anyways.

Taking in the mountain views, wildlife, fresh air and some of Calgary’s most treasured food stops made for one of the best days I’ve had all summer. If anyone else is needing an escape from the every day routine, I highly suggest gassing up your ride and heading out to the mountains!

100 Cups

2010-07-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

A very good friend of mine has been on a never ending quest to better himself. He's started a new project called 100 Cups, in which him and a friend set out to have 100 cups of tea with 100 strangers.

The goal is to try and break down the barriers between strangers in every day life. We all go through our days performing our daily routines and rituals and we hardly stop to be social with those performing their daily routines along side us. If we all just stopped to say hello and maybe share a story or experience or two, we could learn something new.

And so, Greg has set out to make a change. Posting ad's in newspapers, message boards and at local shops, they search for 100 individuals who don't mind taking some time out of their day to sit down and share a cup of tea and conversation.

They've already had 2 cups and have posted their experiences on their website, www.onehundredcups.com. I look forward to reading more stories as their adventure continues and I encourage everyone else to follow along as well.

I think it would be beneficial for society to grow closer to one another again instead of going through live individually. Growing together could lead to working together to make even larger changes down the road. Greg is doing his part, perhaps we can too.

Rainy Days

2010-07-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

I sit here looking out the window to yet another grey and rainy day. It seems we’ve had far too many of these days this summer. With our monthly average rain falling in just one day last week, it’s made for some wet days and depressing days stuck inside. The sad thing isn’t the amount of rainy, cloudy days. It’s the fact that as we grow up and become adults, we forget that rain is just wet and we aren’t going to melt if we go outside during a rainstorm!

Last week some friends and I had made plans to attend the Calgary Stampede. We booked off a day during the week to go a few weeks prior, only to wake up to a torrential downpour. While some of our group was skeptical about spending the day in the rain and decided to spend most of the day in the casino, the rest of us put on our water proof jackets, cowboy hats and rubber boots. A little rain wasn’t going to stop our stampede fun. We were lucky that we didn’t have to struggle through crowds or wait in lines. It was almost like having the entire stampede park to ourselves and we still had a lot of fun. We may have looked like drowned rats and smelled like wet dogs, but we survived the wet weather!

Driving down the highway on my way to Edmonton this weekend and seeing water logged fields resembling lakes, I was reminded of heavy rainfalls on our acreage when I was growing up. With the land on our property already being swampy, it didn’t take long for the water to collect in pools. Even our backyard would often become a mini swimming pool which beckoned me to come out and play in it. On went my rain boots and purple raincoat armed with my bathtub toys to splash around in the standing water.

Maybe instead of sitting around complaining about how miserable all the rain is, more adults should go out and buy themselves a pair of the fashionable looking rubber boots to go splash in some puddles for some rainy day fun. We forget that it’s just rain, and a little water won’t make us melt!

2010-06-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

THRICE

June 7, 2010

Starlight Room, Edmonton

Mr Jonathan Kenna!

Back to School Blues

2010-06-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

I’ve recently taken a plunge and decided to go back to school. It’s been nearly four years since I completed college and entered the workforce full time, and my student skills are a bit rusty.

It was a long, hard decision to make.

Luckily I managed to find the program I was interested in was available online, which meant not having to move, apply for student loans and become the starving student again. I’m still able to keep my full time job, work from home in the evenings and the course fees are affordable. Not only that, the program has been a high interest of mine for a few years and the idea of acquiring new skills that may lead to new career opportunities had me excited!

I quickly enrolled for my first class and anxiously awaited the start date.

But the closer the beginning came, the more nervous I became. Will I fit in? Will the other kids like me? Will my instructors be friendly and helpful? What if I don’t get good grades? What if I just don’t like it!

The introductory class started nearly two weeks ago, with one week left to go. Within a few days of starting I still felt a bit worked up. I worked hard to get all of the course reading done, finished my first major assignment ahead of schedule and had a good start on a couple of the smaller assignments.

But it hasn’t been easy. The temptation of social gatherings has been a hard one to resist, and it hasn’t come without any mocking about being able to come out to play after my homework or staying out past curfew. Thanks, guys!

On top of that I’ve quickly reverted back to the stressed out student worrying about essay topics and finishing assignments on time. And who thought this was a good idea to start right at the beginning of summer?! I’m hoping as my classes continue I will work out a routine to manage my work life, personal life and now school life so I’m not missing out on any summer fun but still making sure I’m getting all my homework done and learning as much as then.

In the mean time, you can probably read all of my homework woes through my Twitter feed.

Song of the Moment

2010-05-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm totally digging this collaboration between new R&B artist B.O.B. and Hayley Williams of Paramore. Wishing Hayley's part was expanded.

♪ Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?

I could really use a wish right now ♪

Forgetful

2010-05-11T17:55:00.001-07:00

The frustrating thing about reviewing the concerts I attend is the fact that my mind is basically a sieve. I have a hard time finding a place in my brain to store song titles, so while I remember all the details at a show, I can never remember what song it was.

I often have to research online and see if I can find any articles that may have picked up on the same things, or ask friends who were also in attendance if they remember. Sometimes I’m successful, other times not so much and I am forced to leave out that particular observation from my piece.

While in a state of attempt to remember something important, I often think to myself that I should remember to bring a notebook and pen to write down key moments, setlists, quotes, etc. I mean, every good writer has a notebook, right? If only I could remember to bring one. Next time I will, along with the ear plugs I never remember to bring…

I must be getting old!

Reliving the Peace

2010-05-11T17:49:00.001-07:00

I was 11 years old when Our Lady Peace released their second album, Clumsy. In 1997, at the time of the release, they were sharing the charts with the likes of the Spice Girls, and still managed to break through the rock scene and become hugely successful, not only in Canada, but in the US as well.

The Canadian band recently spent two days in Edmonton performing at the Edmonton Events Center in West Edmonton Mall. Inspired by a recent Devo tour, in which they played full albums from start to finish, OPL played full sets from their diamond status record Clumsy, and less commercially successful, conceptual album, Spiritual Machines.

While I feel the trademark sound began to diminish after the Spiritual Machines album, I attended the first show solely to hear the entire Clumsy album, knowing that it would be nothing short of amazing. And I was right. This was, of course, one of the albums that shaped my youth.

Rumors were circulating that singer Raine Maida was no longer hitting some of his signature falsetto notes like he used to, especially after the style disappeared on the Gravity album in 2002. Those rumors were put to rest as the singer hit every note bang on, hardly differing at all from the original recordings.

Raine even took some time between songs to explain where he was coming from when the song was written, although I had a hard time hearing most of his vocals when he spoke. I always appreciate when artists share a little insight into their songs and wished I was able to hear more. I did manage to pick up that the emotional single “4am”, nearly didn’t make the record. Raine felt he was too young when he wrote it and it wasn’t good enough. I’m glad it made it, as it’s one of my utmost favorite tracks.

Maida also shared that he hated some of the other songs on the album and therefore they were never played live. But while the band was relearning and revisiting the songs for the tour, they fell in love again. It wasn’t always apparent onstage with Raine appearing listless and bored.

Upon finishing all the songs from Clumsy, the band took a break, where I’m sure guitarist Steve Mazur took some time to fix some of the strings he broke. Apparently this man knows how to shred, perhaps more than original guitarist for the band, Mike Turner.

During the break the video screens were pulled down and more lighting was added to the stage for the band to perform some of their other hits. This time, Raine lost his leather jacket and scarf and became more upbeat and enthusiastic as he pounded out “Monkey Brains”, from the newest album Burn, Burn. And the energy continued for the rest of the set.

Included in the second set were radio hits “Life”, “Somewhere Out There”, and the more recent “All You Did Was Save My Life” in which Raine became even more intimate with the crowd, walking along the tables along the back.

They ended their two song encore with the rockin’ track “Starseed” from their first record Naveed, which was also featured on the Armageddon soundtrack.

It seems that OLP may have been grasping in desperation with this tour to gain some popularity back after a few years of declining reputation and sales. Regardless, they brought out the nostalgia and rocked a packed venue for fans young or old.

Clumsy will always stand out as the best album released by the band in my mind, and is one of the top 10 best albums in my collection. It is and always will be a classic. I’m thankful for having the opportunity to see all of the songs performed in succession.

The Pretty Reckless

2010-04-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Bye bye Jenny Humphry, Hello The Pretty Reckless.

Taylor Momson's character from the popular teen drama Gossip Girl is being written out of the story for the end of Season 3 so Taylor can tour with her band The Pretty Reckless.

After hearing this news I had to check the band out to see if they were any good. I love chick music but the whole actress/singer crossover is really hit and miss. To my surprise they are actually pretty good! There is no album yet, but they're first single 'Make Me Wanna Die' was just released on I-Tunes. It's worth the $0.99 download.

The Pretty Reckless will be in Edmonton for Warped Tour 2010 in August. Can't wait to see how they are live!

Check it Out!

2010-04-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

Chop Stix Sushi Train

Brand new to Red Deer, located on 5004 48th street,next to Plaza Nightclub and around the corner from Classic Tattoo.

You sit around a little bar with a CP rail train that brings a selection of different kinds of sushi and non-sushi items for those that aren't into it. You select whatever looks good, or whatever you feel sorry for that no one else has chosen. Prices are based on the color of the plate you select. There is a menu in front of you that tells you what is under each color, and you may order from the menu as well if nothing is coming around that interests you. The benefit of ordering from the menu is they will usually put another plate on the train, so if you over hear someone ordering something interesting, chances are you can steal some too!

The best place to sit is at the back of the restaurant where you get first dibs on what comes off the train, to escape having someone steal something delicious before it makes its way over to you.

The food doesn't compare to other sushi places in the city, but the experience is silly and fun and I definitely recommend trying it out for something new.

And the best for last: order a fruit sorbet for desert. They come in a variety of flavors such as pineapple, coconut, lemon, apple and come in a fruit bowl. The coconut in a coconut shell apparently tastes like pina colodas! I sure wish I had known about those before I ordered my green tea ice cream!

Song of the Moment

2010-04-15T18:49:00.001-07:00

I'm in love with this song right now! It's got a great beat to dance around your living room too. Pumped for the rest of the album, "Bionic", which is released June 8th, 2010! Already marked on my calender. Fingers crossed for a tour stop in AB. Missed the last tour and I WILL NOT miss it this time!

Amused

2010-03-31T16:16:00.001-07:00

There aren’t too many musicians that I can list that compare to the mind blowing talents of Matthew Bellamy, singer/guitarist/pianist of British alternative rock band Muse. Up until a few months ago, Muse was nothing but a name to me. Thanks to a special someone urging me to check them out, they are now on my list of top bands and best live shows of all time.

As the lights to the Saddledome faded, 3 tall structures resembling that of office buildings stood onstage. Made of video screens, the pillars showed a line of human silhouettes climbing stairs, only to tumble down when they reached the top. Curtains dropped and in the middle of the structures, Matthew Bellamy and his band mates erupted into ‘Uprising’ and ‘Resistance’, two singles from their latest record, released last year.

The visual effects for this show were some of the best I have ever seen. Live video feed of the band jamming, along with various other video complimented the mood of the song and were streamed through the giant three dimensional screens throughout the show. It was highly comparable to the last Nine Inch Nails tour.

But what Trent Reznor was missing were the lasers. Midway through the show, green laser beams were emitted across the stadium, some straight into the crowd, others from the roof to be deflected off the stage and outward. They were nothing short of spectacular albeit slightly distracting. Regardless, I had seen nothing like it previous to this show.

Even the grand piano Matt played during ‘United States of Eurasia’ and ‘Ruled by Secrecy’ lit up with each key hit.

Some may say that over the top lighting and stage setups are for the less talented bands of the world. This is definitely not the case for Muse.

Matthew Bellamy may currently have one of the strongest, most powerful voices I’ve witnessed, but also brings his superior guitar, piano and even key-tar (we all know how much I love the key-tar) skills to the table, making the rest of the band look a bit meek in comparison.

With their at times operatic sound, it’s really hard to compare this band to any one of their predecessors. They are in a league of their own for a band in this generation in both sound and theatrics. I left this show blown away, much like the giant eyeball balloons dropped over the crowd before the show’s end, only to explode into a flurry of confetti. Needless to say, Muse is definitely more than just a name now.

2010-03-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

MUSE

March 30, 2010

Saddledome, Calgary

Young and Free

2010-03-24T11:59:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest moments in a young person’s life is the day they are set free from their family home and set out to make a life of their own. Free to eat what you want, go where you want, sleep in as late as you want, with no one forcing you to do chores or be home in time for curfew. Oh how great it is to be young and free.

But most kids don’t realize how difficult it is to establish life on their own. There’s rent to pay and suddenly you realize that your cherished internet and cable actually costs money, and that leaving every light on in the house makes your energy bill sky rocket.

After learning that it’s costing nearly $30 a night to order pizza for dinner, you hit up the grocery store in attempt to make your first meal, only to learn that all you can afford is a case of no name brand macaroni and cheese.

For most young adults, moving out means you’re on your way to post secondary, where you are slapped with student loans to cover the cost of high tuition costs. On top of that you have to buy your own text books and supplies. You’re forced to juggle a part time job in between studying so you can make your monthly vehicle payments, leaving you frazzled as you can no longer afford your cherished daily latte to help you through the day.

Gosh, adult life is sure hard. How are you ever suppose to be able to afford anything?!

Enter Servus Credit Union’s Young and Free program. Not only are they offering a free account to youth between the ages of 17-25, but they are working to help promote awareness among Alberta’s young adults, to help teach them about managing their own finances.

They have invited the youth of Alberta to submit a video application to win a chance to be the official spokesperson for this amazing program. For a full year, one of our own will be blogging and speaking out about the program and helping their peers learn more about managing their money.

On Friday, March 26, 2010, three finalists will be chosen from all of the applications for the Young and Free Spokester search. Voting will be open to the public to choose who you think should be the voice of the program and lead us to a financially secure future. I encourage all of my readers, regardless of your age, to check out all the applicants and vote for your favorite. Also, read up on the program and see what you can do to help educate yourself with your money.

With the right hints and tips, you might be able to set up a savings account and put money aside every month for emergencies, or to help you save for that big trip you’ve been planning. You might realize that racking up your credit card might make buying those $100 concert tickets to the hottest summer festival easier, but increases your monthly expenses. The money from those payments could be used for those new kicks you’ve been eyeing up at the mall instead!

We are the generation of tomorrow, we have the power and with the right knowledge, we can do amazing things! By getting educated early, we can set ourselves up for financially stable future, enabling us the financial freedom to reach our dreams!

For more information on the program and to vote for your favorite applicant, check out www.youngfreealberta.com

2010-03-18T00:23:00.000-07:00

Alexisonfire
March 12, 2010
Red Deer Centrium

Crowd Pleaser

2010-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Based out of Florida, Against Me! was the only US band mixed into the Canadian lineup for Billy Talent’s recent tour. Not only did they stand out as the only American band alongside the Cancer Bats and Alexisonfire, they stood out as the least interactive. In fact, the only words spoken at their stop at the Centrium in Red Deer were, “How’s it going Red Deer?”

This got me to wondering if they would have added to their performance with a little more crowd acknowledgement, or if it was fine just the way it was.

For the most part I highly enjoy bands that become involved with their fans. Encouraging crowd participation, clapping, singing along, jumping etc., provides a sense of camaraderie between the performers and the crowd and adds to the overall energy and excitement of the show.

Some bands offer personal stories and experiences between songs, sometimes unrelated to anything and other times pertaining to the particular song they’re about to play, their experiences recording the album, or happenings on tour. I find this helps connect the performer with the audience, giving the listeners insight onto the goings on of life in the studio or on the road, or perhaps the inner workings of their mind while writing their songs. I feel the sharing of life’s stories brings the musicians a little closer to earth and reminds us that they often have the same silly stories and strange occurrences that us ‘regular Joes’ experience.

However, not every band chooses to get that intimate with the crowd. I’ve found a lot of bands to include scripted lines into their shows such as the classic “You have been the best crowd on tour so far”. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard that line. Times like that I wish bands would find a little originality. Pick out something unique about the particular city to comment on rather than generalizing it. Or just stick to the music. After all, that is the main reason we pay to go to a concert is it not?

I don’t have a problem with a band that isn’t outgoing or comedic if the quality of their live performance is high, such as Against Me!. I thoroughly enjoyed watching their set, solely for their music. Sometimes the only thing that matters is seeing some good quality music and appreciating the talent on stage. This is heavily dependent on the band though; a less established band could be seen as boring and impersonal and may not leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Mostly the debate is based on personal opinion. Do you prefer to watch a band that focuses on nothing but the music, or would you rather have the added entertainment between songs?

The Bucket List

2010-02-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about a current MTV show The Buried Life. The show follows a group of guys who have set out to cross off all 100 items on their list of things to do before they die. After seeing the show I decided to dig out my old list and see if I had accomplished anything, or if I had anything to add. I was in fact able to cross something off, which feels pretty darn cool, and I have many more things that I want to achieve.

I decided that I would share my bucket list with you, in hopes of maybe inspiring my readers to make goals and work to reach them. To see a list of things to accomplish makes you want to work to cross them off your list. And when the time comes to actually be able to cross something off, let me tell you, it is a pretty cool feeling

Becky’s Bucket List:

- Go to Japan
- ~~Go to New York~~
- Backpack around Europe
- Bungee at Nevis Bungee in New Zealand
- Guinea pig ball down the hill in New Zealand
- ~~Learn to surf~~
- ~~Sky Dive~~
- Play the key-tar
- Get published in something bigger than the local newspaper
- Run a marathon
- Build a bear at the Build-a-Bear workshop
- Hold a baby gorilla and/or orangutan
- See the Vatican
- Get a puppy
- Be a flight attendant for West Jet
- Live in a big city
- Be an event planner
- Be in a movie
- Have dinner with someone important (besides myself)
- Tour with a band
- Get invited to a Geisha House
- Have my own family
- Own my own home
- Visit an Ashram
- Be involved with a charity
- Start my own website
- Own a Shiba Inu
- be on 'The Amazing Race'
- See Pink and Christina Aguilera live

The most important thing I want to accomplish is to make a difference in the world somehow. Maybe it’s only to make a difference in one person’s life, or many people, I want to be able to look back on my time here knowing that someone will always remember what I’ve done.

I may not have 100 things to accomplish yet, but I still feel that life is just beginning and I will come across many more things to add.

What do you want to do before you kick the bucket?

The Buried Life

2010-02-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

Much Music and MTV used to be staples in my tv viewing diets until reality TV took over. These days I’m not even sure how either of these channels can be classified as music channels, as there is a supreme lack of music videos and an overabundance of these horrible reality shows.

Shows like Jersey Shore and The Real World make me feel dumber by the second if they are on. I don’t see how anyone can find interest in such horrible shows, or why anyone would even want to be ON these shows. While I do admit I’ve fallen victim to a couple shows that I consider guilty pleasures, most of the shows today, I feel, are garbage.

But recently MTV debuted a brand new reality show that I highly support. It’s called The Buried Life, and is about four boys determined to accomplish everything they’ve ever wanted to experience in life, while helping others achieve their dream at the same time.

Duncan, Ben, Dave and Jonnie created a list of 100 things to do before they die, with items like skydive, dance with Ellen Degeneres, be in a protest, and sleep in a haunted house. Some things on the list are silly and for fun, others more serious, aimed at making a difference in not only their personal lives, but other peoples as well. They have set out across the world to achieve their dreams and conquer their fears.

That alone gives me some inspiration to go out and do the things I want to do before I leave this world, but that’s not the only point of this show. For every thing they cross off their list, they must help someone else reach one of their dreams.

They’ve purchased computers for a school that had never had any, took a little boy to meet the Stanley Cup, and helped a little girl face her fear of heights by taking her on a rollercoaster at Knott’s Berry Farm. The list goes on and every episode brings a new task and a new stranger to help.

Unlike shows with attention and fame seeking bimbos, this program is showing kids that it is possible for dreams to come true and that with a little kindness, you too can help someone else have a brighter day.

MTV and Much Music need to work on creating more shows such as The Buried Life, that encourage the youth today to create positive goals for themselves and to be kind and helpful to others. Most youth today have no idea what a simple act of kindness means to a stranger. The future is in the world of our youth, and we need to work together to teach them to be the best individuals they can possibly to keep this world a positive and safe place to live.

I definitely recommend you check this show out on MTV. To see the list and what they’ve accomplished, as well as pictures and videos from their adventures, check out www.theburiedlife.com.

I also invite you to think of what things you want to accomplish before you pass, whether they are for fun or to help make a difference.

Fake Plastic Girl

2010-01-26T18:23:00.000-08:00

Recently People magazine featured the MTV reality show The Hills star, Heidi Montag on the cover. The wannabe pop star was sharing the story of her recent and shocking operation in which she underwent 10 different plastic surgery procedures.

At 23 years old, Montag has received a mini brow lift, botox in various places, a nose job revision (following a surgery in 2007), facial fat injections, chin reduction, liposuction on the neck, waist, hips, inner and outer thighs, had her ears pinned back, a buttock augmentation and a breast augmentation revision which enhanced her previously enlarged chest to a DDD.

According to the star, it’s still not enough. She wants larger breasts yet, which already over power her small frame, and stated in the interview that as she ages there will constantly be maintenance to keep herself looking ‘perfect’.

In my opinion, Heidi was already a pretty girl when she debuted on screen in the first season of The Hills. She was someone young girls watching the show could somewhat relate to. I was disappointed after her first surgery in 2007 when she had her nose and breasts done, but she still looked ‘normal’. Then Hollywood swallowed up the best of her and she looks plastic and fake. It’s absolutely disgusting.

What is she teaching young girls today? To be successful you have to have the blondest hair, the biggest boobs, and the smallest waist? She is not helping girls improve their confidence and embrace their own bodies. In today’s world, the pressure to be thin and beautiful is everywhere. Another fake blonde wanting to become famous through her looks rather than genuine talent and smarts is exactly what this world DOESN’T need. And is she really becoming successful?

Alongside her media hungry husband, Spencer Pratt, she has claimed she will become more famous than Michael Jackson. Her recently released album has sold barely 1000 copies.

Her first live performance on Miss Universe 2009 was a train wreck. Decked out in a skin colored body suit, similar to what Britney Spears wore during one of her performances, she wriggled around on stage what she called a dance routine, while lip synching, although in an interview following the performance she insisted it was her singing. It was a horrible, talentless performance.

It’s a career already as fake as her chest.

We need to stop paying attention to these so called celebrities like Heidi Montag and start recognizing the celebrities that promote healthy habits and encourage girls to love their own bodies, imperfections and all. And never forget, that it’s really the personality on the inside that counts the most.

Before

After

Talented Twins

2010-01-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Tegan and Sara returned to their home town, and place of graduation for two shows at the Jubilee in Calgary January 9th and 10th. The twin sisters are on tour promoting their sixth album, Sainthood, released in October, 2009, and teamed up with the two-piece Australian indie rock duo An Horse.

They started the show with Arrow, the first song off their new album, and there was very little difference in quality from the live show to the recorded album. Backed by a three piece band, the girls pumped out song after song, making their way through all the songs from Sainthood, and throwing in a mix of songs from their past five albums.

No strangers to the music scene, the sisters have been performing for more than a decade, and they have come a long way since their days of playing in local bars. Partway through the set, Tegan took a break to tell a story about buying their first amp when they were kids. The comedic banter between the girls, often about childhood memories and various tour antics, is one of the best parts about seeing the duo live.

What comes as a surprise is that until recently, the girls had never written a single song together. Their songs are written separately and usually the writer will sing the main melody. The unusual writing process has proven to be successful over the years, but the girls decided to try their hand at writing together. While none of the co-written songs made it on the record, they informed the crowd that they weren’t bad songs, they just didn’t make the cut and we may hear them down the road.
After making it through the set list, the girls return for a 4 song encore, ending the show with my personal two favorite songs, the slower Call it Off and the angry, energized ballad, Living Room.

Starting off as two girls with a guitar, Tegan and Sara Quin have grown to be successful indie rockstars. Their talent and personalities shine through their music onstage and it is highly recommended to go see them play in their hometown.

You're Invited

2010-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

A Decade of Memories

2010-01-02T20:45:00.000-08:00

December 31 was the end of not only another year, but an entire decade. Looking back at the last ten years, I realize how much I've accomplished.

Ten years ago I was 13 years old and just beginning high school. During those four years in school I learned a new language and fell in love with a unique country, spawning my quest to visit Japan. In my fourth year of Japanese studies I even earned the 'Best Japanese Student' award, which was a proud accomplishment.

For my work experience class, I was looking for something to prepare myself for the journalism career I had planned to pursue and found myself working as a reporter for the local newspaper. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with a great editor who gave me the freedom to write on topics of my choice most of the time. I loved seeing my name in print!

I graduated high school and shortly after left home and moved to the city, where I was taking Business Administration at the college. I was disappointed I wasn't accepted into the journalism program that I had originally applied for, but didn't give up on my writing. I contributed to the college paper writing music and concert reviews. It was an exciting new chapter of my life, starting a life of my own at only 17! I did well though!

High School Graduation, 2004

Two years later, I had graduated from my program with a diploma in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. I believe I was the first one in my entire family to graduate from college at this point! I was even juggling a part time job at Music World, immersed in a world I love, MUSIC!

Following graduation, I was hired at the local credit union, where I worked as a teller for six months, before moving to the department I am currently working as an administrative assistant. I just recently received my 3 year service award and I couldn't have asked for a better team to work with over the past three years. They have become my second family!

In my free time, I was lucky to be apart of an awesome dance group where I gained some confidence and, well, learned to dance! Most of my evenings were spent at the studio, learning new routines and making new friends. I met alot of great girls and had some great experiences performing across the province. While I may be shy on the outside, I have always secretly loved the spotlight.

Chair Tease Dance

During these ten years, my love for music exploded, fueling my concert addiction. I've had the opportunity to see so many of my favorite artist live, even being lucky enough to meet some of them. Many people don't understand how I can spend so much money going to concerts all the time, but they don't know how much happiness I feel submerged in a crowd watching our favorite musicians onstage.

Dallas Green of City and Colour

Lady Gaga

Gwen Stefani

Britney Spears

Of course I can't forget to mention the amazing travel opportunities I have had. In March 2001 my family went on holidays in Hawaii, which was such a beautiful place! I would love to go back there. In December that same year, we traveled to Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo. We explored the hotels on the strip, checked out the Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire, as well as the Tournament of Kings medieval show and a magic show. It was an interesting time at the airports, being two short months after the 9/11 attacks in New York.

In 2002 and 2003 we traveled to Mesa, Arizona to visit my grandfather, which would be the last big family trips out of the country.

September of 2007 my grandma, uncle and aunt took me to New York City for my 21st birthday. Despite growing up on an acreage raising both sheep and goats, I have always loved big cities and always dreamed of seeing New York! We took in the Lion King and Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, wandered Times Square, China Town and Little Italy, saw the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry, rode the subway, saw Wall Street, bought a replica designer bag down an alley in a sketchy secret room down Canal Street, ate a hot dog on the street, visited the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and the Guggenheim, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, wandered through Central Park, bought designer dresses in the Upper East Side, watched Matt Lauer filming Good Morning America, and so much more. We accomplished alot in the short time we were there, but at the same time there is still so much left to see. I can't wait to return to that city

Statue of Liberty

Radio City Music Hall

Brooklyn Bridge

Wall Street

In April 2008, I took my first trip without family to Las Vegas for my best friend's 21st birthday. It was a blast! We all shopped until our credit cards were maxed, I bought yet another designer dress! We got the VIP treatment at all the clubs and were treated like queens.

May 2009 saw another girls trip to the City of Sin and it was another absolute blast. This time we managed to take some day trips outside of Nevada. One day spent lying on Huntington Beach, eating seafood and strolling Rodeo Drive, and another day spent sky diving, before a trek to Zion Nation Park in Utah, where we climbed Angels Landing. Angels landing is a 2.4 meter trek up solid rock trail, with nothing but a chain to hold onto to keep you from falling over the edge. What an unreal day that was!

2009 was obviously the year for fearlessness. Not only did I jump out of a plane and climb to the top of a mountain, I also put my nerves to the test by trying out bungee jumping in Nanaimo, British Columbia while visiting one of my best friends from high school. The search is on to find more ways to give my parents heart attacks and get the adrenaline pumping!

Climbing Angels Landing in Zion National Park, Utah

Just landed from sky diving in Mesquite, Nevada

Getting ready for bungee jumping in Nanaimo, BC

This past year saw the end of my dance career. But I quickly immersed myself in new activities, trying out yoga for the first time. I fell in love with yoga and am continuing to practice into the new year.

I also began running more seriously, and as of the end of December am able to run 3km continuously, in less than half hour. I am proud of this accomplishment being that I have never been very athletic and have always had trouble with any cardio exercise. My new goal for 2010 is to run a marathon this summer, I'm hoping even a 10k!

Now 23 years old, I realize I have grown a lot over the past year, not to mention the past decade. I've been a lot of places, made some amazing friends and memories to never be forgotten. I've done things I never thought I would do, and have had a lifetime of fun along the way. It's hard to even predict where I will be and what will happen over the next ten years, but I'm excited to find out!

To everyone in my life, all the best in 2010 and beyond!

Christmas For Me

2009-12-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

As I sit here stressing about the last minute gifts left to be bought and whether I have enough Christmas cards for everyone, I long for the days when I was a kid and Christmas was fun and magical, rather than stressful and draining on the wallet.
I remember getting a few weeks off school where I would follow mom around the kitchen, helping bake the most delicious cookies, or helping dad secretly wrap presents.

Evenings we would take a trip to town to look at all the Christmas lights, often driving by the spectacular display put up by a former teacher, a tradition I still enjoy doing now.

Christmas Eve at home was usually spent playing games together, and watching for Santa up in the sky. I would always put out cookies and milk for Santa, sometimes even a day or two early. Living in the country I made sure to leave some carrots and even oats for the reindeer, whom my parents would make look as if they were really in the yard, although I’m sure it was probably just the resident white tailed deer.

I couldn’t get up early enough Christmas morning, peaking in my stocking and snooping under the tree to see what Santa brought. We always began the morning opening our stockings first, before sitting down to a special breakfast that mom had cooked. Then came the rest of the present opening before the family started to call.
The rest of the day was for relaxing and enjoying our new things while mom prepared dinner.

This was, and is still my favorite routine for Christmas, but as dad worked shift work, this routine didn’t always work out. And sometimes we traveled to Calgary to spend Christmas with various family members.

Now that I’m older and off on my own, my days leading up to Christmas aren’t as fun. I’m left to do my own shopping, write my own Christmas cards, and do my own baking. I don’t put up many decorations, partially on account that I haven’t acquired very much in my time alone, but partly because it doesn’t really feel like home.

The only days off I get are Christmas day and Boxing day, leaving me to use some vacation days so I can have some extra time with my family. We still have a games night Christmas Eve, and it’s been extended to include my best friend and her family, as well as old school friends who are also home for the holidays.

So while I’ve incurred some more Christmas duties to add extra stress and financial strain during the month of December, I still enjoy the basic warmth of spending some extra special time with the people I love for the holidays.

From Bad to Good and Good to Bad - Live Edition

2009-11-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I found out one of my favorite bands from high school was touring with one of my least favorite bands from high school. I ranted about this for days. In the years since high school, The Used have taken a huge downturn with their music, and I am no longer a fan of their more current music, while Three Days Grace, whom I never paid much attention to, has become one of my favorite rock bands.
An hour after publishing that blog, I was invited to this show with a good friend. I was excited to see how different they have become and how they compare to each other live.

Starting off the show at Edmonton’s Rexall place was Canada’s own Default. They put on a decent set, playing a mix of their older hits and material off their newest record. Singer Dallas Smith has a great voice, but the overall sound of the band falls within the likes of other Canadian rock bands. They have yet to set themselves apart from the crowd, and are flying fairly low on my Canadian talent radar.
Following them was The Used, hailing from Utah. Not sure how the American post-hardcore band made it onto the roster between two Canadian rock bands, but I was interested to see them live again, despite not being a fan of their newer music.

They stared the show off with a few new songs of off their recently released album, which I was not familiar with. They were definitely a few steps away from the hardcore sound they started out with, and sounding more like your generic commercialized rock band.

The Used’s style has changed drastically over the years, replacing their angsty screams, with more mellow tunes and a calmer sound. For me, the appeal of the band was their raw emotion portrayed through their songs. I remember friends and me driving around town on our lunch break from school, screaming along at the top of our lungs. Their newer songs are not even worthy of me humming along to.
Following the less than stimulating new songs, the band then took a trip down rock and roll memory lane, playing a montage of songs from their very first release. This was the part of the show I was most looking forward to, but became quickly disappointed. The lead singer, Bert McCraken, can no longer sing or scream like he used to do to the fact that in his earlier years in the band, he would scream until he vomited onstage. These actions have caused noticeable and severe damage to his voice, apparent not only from the lack of screams, but from the shakiness of his voice midway through the set.

To help cover, bassist Jeph Howard has taken over Bert’s screaming parts and guitarist Quinn Alman also offers backing vocals that present no consolation.
I had high hopes that the band would play either of my favorite songs, ‘Box of Sharp Objects’ or ‘Blue and Yellow’. I was forced to slump back in my chair halfway through ‘Box of Objects’, it sounded nothing like it used to, and reinstated the fact that this is not on my list of favorite bands anymore.

I wonder if The Used was ever any good in the first place, or was it just a compliment to my angsty high school attitude. Has their sound actually changed that much, or did they always possess the over commercialized sound?

Unimpressed with the supporting acts, I was confident headliners Three Days Grace, hailing from Ontario, would make up for my disappointment.

With the release of their first studio record in 2003, Three Days Grace was another band that blended in with the current trend of rock. Their album mimicked the current release by fellow Canadians Finger Eleven, among others, and offered no distinguishable sound to set them apart.

These days they are still true to their alternative rock sound, but they have managed to write some really kick ass anthems that I can’t help rocking out to. Even their live show has evolved with their journey to rock-stardom, encorporating pyrotechnic fire balls to compliment the fierce attitude.
The rocking out began immediately as the band opened with their two singles from their recently released album “Life Starts Now”, before moving to some of their older songs.

Singer Adam Gontier offered a few words of thanks to the fans who have supported them and offered thoughts to the band after a family emergency earlier in the month, which forced them to cancel a number of shows in British Columbia. To those people who had nothing but complaints and ill words for the bands action, Adam says he hopes they never come to another Three Days Grace show or buy another Three Days Grace record. He then somberly dedicated the next song, ‘World So Cold’ to the woman in his life that was recently lost.

Halfway through the set the band took a break for Neil Sanderson’s drum solo. To me, no drum solo will ever compare to the epic-ness of Travis Barker’s solo during the recent Blink 182 tour this summer.
Following the solo, Adam reappeared behind the crowd by the sound booth, giving the people at the back an up-close view while singing an Apocalyptica cover before making his way back to the front of the stage. I can always appreciate a little bit of crowd interaction during a show.

They ended the set with one of my favorite tracks ‘Riot’, which left the rowdy crowd craving another taste. We were treated to three more songs for the encore, including ‘Animal I Have Become’, from the bands second studio release “One-X”.

While I found no value in the opening bands, I walked away entertained after Three Days Grace. They are your typical rock band, but they do it well.

Inspiration

2009-11-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

Most people that are close to me know that my number one dream in life is to visit Japan. When I finished college I opened a separate savings account to begin saving for this trip.

Since that time I grew restless and dipped my fingers in the cookie jar to take a couple girls trips to Sin City. I've also had my living arrangements change drastically, and I have alot less money to set aside then I used to. Paying off credit cards and covering living expenses isn't leaving me much extra funds to set aside. But I still haven't forgotten my dream, and still put away a tiny bit here and there, knowing some day in the future, I will be able to see that wonderful country.

My friends and family also help me out, by constantly reminding me what my dream is, and that I need to find a better way to save so I can board an airplane before life gets in the way. While sometimes I wonder if they are just trying to get rid of me, I appreciate the extra encouragement.

Last week I started my morning off by reading an email from an old friend. I'm going to share it with you, so you can see how wonderful the people in my life are for supporting me and encouraging me to reach my dream. And maybe his words just might inspire one of my readers to go for their dreams in life.

Hey friend!

It's been a while hey... I hope this message finds you well.

So, I am not exactly sure what prompted me to write to you. Actually, that is a lie. I read your blog, and was struck with the inspiration to attempt to inspire you... if that makes any sense? Haha...

My attempt at inspiration has a specific purpose however - that being to send you to Japan.

I read somewhere that the hardest part about travelling in making the decision to go. I made that decision a while ago, and now, after having seen Japan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam - I am sitting in Australia at fifteen minutes past midnight, writing to you, while I await my 9:30am flight to Singapore, for a visit there, and a couple days in Malaysia as well... hopefully.

I say this not to ignite envy - but to stir up motivation.

Reading your blog affirmed my opinion that you and I are a lot alike - and I guess that is where my decision to write this to you came from. I just know that before I had any desires to travel, you already had dreams to see Japan. And I know that the idea of packing a bag and getting on a plane to the otherside of the world can be a little nerve racking... but really, after you leave for the first time, it becomes easy... almost.

If you can afford to go to a million concerts - Japan can't be that far off...right? Just go. Work out a time frame. Make a budget. Book time off work. And book your flight.

I have attached a couple pictures - so that if my words don't inspire, they may back me up by igniting that envy I mentioned before... Deer that eat out of your hands in Nara; A mountain of monkeys in Kyoto; more history that boring old Canada will ever have! Do it already!

Deal?

Anyway - I'd love to hear whats new and exciting in good old Red Deer - so feel free to fill me in!

-Greg

Thank you Greg for your kind word and inspiration! I promise I will keep working on getting myself there. I've come to realize that I should probably be cutting back the number of concerts I'm attending and putting that money aside. It's so hard when there are so many amazing artists touring through here though!!

Bright Lights

2009-11-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

Ontario born Lights made a stop at the Memorial Centre in Red Deer for the very first time this past weekend. After finishing a tour across the US, she is now making her way across Canada promoting her new album ‘The Listening’.

Lights is the most adorable girl I’ve ever seen and perhaps the most eccentric. She is every nerds dream with her comic book heroine appearance, and love for video games and comic books. Anyone who follows her online is well aware she is an avid player of World of Warcraft (known as WOW), which is a highly involved video game. She’s even written a song based on the game. But she’s taken her love for superheroes and fantasy worlds even farther by creating her own animated comic, featuring herself as the protagonist, and which can be viewed in short episodes on her Myspace page online.

While being a bit of a geek (ok, a huge geek) with her love of comic books and video games, she is an incredibly talented individual. And her nerdiness definitely shows through her music, with her intergalactic beats, video game references, and even her album artwork and music videos. Lights showcased these interests, as well as her passion for creating unique music, on stage for her local fans.

At the age of 9 Lights had acquired her first guitar and wrote her first song from the handful of chords she had learned by the age of 11. Following that she learned to play the drums, keyboard/piano and synthesizer and as she showcased at the show, she excels at all of them. Not to mention she possesses one powerful set of pipes which is not always apparent through her radio singles.

I arrived a bit late at the show, missing the opening act, Jets Overhead from British Columbia. My friends and I kind of giggled at the fact that we felt REALLY old, as most of the other attendees were tweens and younger. There was a group of young girls behind us that couldn’t have been more than 5 years old. I think that was the first concert I’ve ever attended with children so young!

Armed with an immense smile bright enough to light up the entire auditorium, Lights took to her microphone and keyboards to an explosion of tiny, girlish screams. Backed by her band on the drums and synth, she proceeded to entertain the crowd with her poppy vocals and imaginative beats. She played most of the songs off her latest album, and all of the singles I was familiar with. Explaining the thought behind some of the songs, and explaining the way they were written, including ‘Pretend’, which was written to be played on the piano, but is synthesized on the record.
Filling the space between songs, Lights often turned to interludes reminiscent of Super Mario Brothers video games, or played snippets from her own animated comic. By the end of the show, we were left to wonder if Captain Lights managed to survive a confrontation between the enemy or not.

Before the last song of the evening, Lights takes the time to introduce her band and then Russell, the keytar. Yes, the keytar has a name. Following her last song, the giant, bright smile that’s remained on the young girls’ face for the entire performance doesn’t diminish a bit as she waves to the crowd and exits the stage.
The crowd erupts into cheering and chants for one more song. After a few minutes of tiny voices chanting for Lights to come back, she reappears back onstage, minus the band, for a two song encore, in which she played a cover of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’, and an acoustic version of her own single, ‘February Air’, which sounds just as good acoustically as it does with synthesized beats, as it was played earlier in the night. During this final song of the evening, my heart melted listening to the little girls with their painted up faces singing along, and they knew ALL the words. If I wasn’t already smiling at how great this show had been, I was definitely grinning at how adorable those little kids sounded.

Previously I was only familiar with the four singles Lights has released over the past couple years, but I still had a feeling she would put on a great show. And my instincts definitely proved me right, as I was blown away by her performance and her new album is now on the top of my must have albums. Lights unquestionably proves that good things come in small packages, Canada really does possess some amazing talent and that being a nerd is definitely cool.

Leave Love!

2009-11-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I was apparently having a bit of trouble, and no one was able to leave me any comments. It appears I have now fixed the problem and welcome you all to leave me some love (or not), but let me know what you think!

Cheers,
B

My First Love

2009-11-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

The biggest thing that defines me is music. It is something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and I feel that it will be a huge part of my life until the day I am no longer on this earth.

I can remember when I was young, my parents making me mix tapes which I played until they wore out. Among my personalized tapes, I had various tapes of my own, and as I grew up, so did my collection. I had them on in the background as I built castles out of Lego blocks and dressed up all my Barbies. They were present on long car rides, and were a staple to my bed time routine. It was a rare night when I wasn’t falling asleep to my favorite songs playing quietly.

I had an eclectic taste, even before I knew how to turn the dial on the radio. My favorite tapes include my Disney silly songs, the Beach Boys and Billy Ray Cyrus. My parents are big fans of country music, and so I was brought up listening to the likes of Ian Tyson, Garth Brooks and George Straight. While country is not one of my favorite genres to date, I still do feel a sense of nostalgia hearing a song I remember from childhood. That’s one of my favorite things about music, the memories certain songs trigger when you hear them.

It was in junior high when I began learning about new artists out there and my tastes in music expanded. I was slowly moving away from the country music as I discovered pop and rock music. This was the time when the boy bands and pop groups were huge. I loved the Spice Girls and Christina Aguilera. Britney Spears was never a favorite, but I still listened. My love for the boy bands alternated weekly between the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync, I couldn’t decide who I liked better. I also grew a fan of groups like Green Day and Matchbox 20 and fell deeply in love with Our Lady Peace’s ‘Clumsy’ album. Much Music became my new favorite channel, and I couldn’t wait to turn it on when I was visiting at Grandma’s house. I remember seeing ‘I’m Just a Girl’ by No Doubt for the time on Much Music and wanting to be just like Gwen Stefani, with her hot pink knotted hair and pink braces. Marilyn Manson was very intriguing to me, although his music was nothing my parents would ever allow me to listen to. Instead mom pushed more conservative music on me, which I occasionally gave into, and fueled my obsession for the Hanson brothers. Everyone knew in 7th grade that I was obsessed and I’m still not ashamed to admit I loved them. Believe it or not, they had some great songs besides the well known hit ‘Mmm Bop’. And for those of you who don’t know, they are actually still around making music today!

The first concert I ever attended was Britney Spears. I do admit it was very exciting to go to my first stadium show, although I was never the biggest Britney fan. The opening bands have long since been forgotten but I still remember making the trek to my seats and waiting anxiously for the show to start. The sound all the screaming fans energized me as the lights dimmed and the music began. To this day I still get the same exhilaration at a concert, no matter how big or how small. I find no bigger thrill than a room full of people eager to see their favorite performer. That is complete happiness.

Entering my high school days my tastes continue to shift and expand, constantly making room for new favorites. I was into bands that were nowhere near mainstream, and most people outside of my circle of friends had never heard of before. I began attending concerts on a regular basis, averaging nearly one a month. My wardrobe was beginning to be taken over by tshirts collected at the various concerts I’ve attended. I began noticing a trend after every show, still high on adrenaline, always exclaiming that it was the best show I’ve ever seen. To this day I still have a hard time deciding what the best show I’ve ever seen was, because to me they are all amazing. In my final year of high school I was required to complete the work experience program. Since I was interested in pursuing a career in writing, I decided to go to the local newspaper to see if they had any odd jobs I could do and observe how it works behind the scenes. Instead, I was offered a chance to be a reporter. While I had a few assigned pieces here and there, I usually had free range of my articles and based many of them on my main interest, music. Upon graduation, I moved to the city to attend college and I continued writing about music in the college paper. I began reviewing local artist’s albums, and writing about concerts and my crazy adventures along the way. I took my reviews even farther by writing for an online publication, and I was soon having press packs sent to my home address to be reviewed. After a year of listening to an overwhelmingly large range of bands and singers trying to get their sound out there, I lost interest in doing album reviews and put my writing on hold.

But that didn’t mean the rest of my music inspired habits died down. I was still spending all my extra cash on new CD’s, continually expanding my collection to its current level of well over 200 CD’s. I’ve even become addicted to I-tunes over the past year, catching up on the latest singles and sampling new albums before I decide to buy. I don’t even want to know how much I’m spending on I-tunes monthly on top of the CD’s I buy. I never have a moment in a day where there isn’t music playing somewhere, between the radio at work, two I-Pod’s, my truck stereo, home stereo, or computer. I even went so far as to get a tattoo of a treble clef on the back of my neck to show my commitment to my love of music. My closet began overflowing with concert tshirts and I was still attending as many concerts as I could afford. I’ve tried to list all the bands I’ve seen in the past few years, and I’m pretty sure the list has exceeded 100 different bands, some of which I’ve seen multiple times. Many of my friends can’t believe how many concerts I have been to, and instead of asking ‘What’s new?’, they ask what concerts I’ve seen recently, and what concerts I have coming up. My bulletin board at home is overflowing with ticket stubs I’ve kept as mementos, waiting to be put into my concert scrapbook, which is now full. I made the mistake of adding up the total I’ve spent on all of the concerts on that bulletin board and nearly choked on the number on the calculator. With the money I’ve spent over the past year I could have easily gone on vacation somewhere, put a down payment on a new vehicle, bought an entirely new wardrobe, and much more. While those things would have been really nice to have, I don’t think I could have had as many fun adventures, met as many amazing people, seen as many talented people, or made as many truly unforgettable memories. Music is truly, my first love.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T18:46:00.001-08:00

Behind

2009-10-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

Well I haven't posted in about a week. Was a very busy girl last week with yoga and tea, bootcamp, BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) Night, Haunted Houses GALORE, friends, family and SHOPPING! Needless to say, no writing got done. However, I did get quite my fill of Halloween fun!

Stay tuned and don't be afraid to leave some love (although I think some I am not getting my comments?? Stupid blogger!)

Cheers,
B

Red Deer Advocate

2009-10-19T12:04:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that my blog is now included in the Red Deer Advocate Blog Section! Go check out what Red Deer thinks of my stuff!

Cheers,
B

Making Money Behind Bars

2009-10-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

I never used to be a fan of rap/hip hop music, but the past few years I've grown fond of a very select few rap and hip hop artists. Included in that list is T.I. who I got into after hearing his sixth album, Paper Trail, which was released last year.

This album was written while T.I., whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., was on house arrest following an arrest for federal weapons charges in the fall of 2007. During the year under house arrest, waiting to hear his then undefined prison sentence, he wrote one of the my favorite albums of all time.

In March of this year, T.I. was sentenced for his charges, one year and one day in prison, which he began serving in Forrest City, Arkansas on May 26, 2009. Last month I was surprised to see a new single from T.I. on the I-Tunes charts (which I peruse regularly to keep up-to-date with new releases). Isn't he suppose to be in prison? How is it possible that he recorded a new song with Mary J. Blige? Was this written and recorded prior to him entering the Federal Correctional Facility?

Fast Forward to current time. Another single has been released by the 'King', Hell of a Life. How is it possible that someone serving time for a federal crime is still able to work and make a dime (how's that for a little freestyle, haha)? The average criminal behind bars isn't allowed to continue working whatever career they may have had before being committed, why does America allow T.I. to continue recording music?

Obviously I'm not familiar with the 'system' in America, and also don't know when and where these songs were recorded, it was just a question that came to mind.

Today's lesson for the kiddies out there: Don't buy illegal weapons and don't expect to make money if you get arrested for it, life doesn't work that way!

Food For Thought:

2009-10-15T21:03:00.001-07:00

The amount of money I've spent on concert tickets over the past few years could have probably sent me to Japan by now...

From Good to Bad or Bad to Good?

2009-10-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I found out one of my favorite bands from high school, The Used, was opening for Three Days Grace. This completely shocked me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy and respect Three Days Grace's music, even more so given that they are Canadian and I am a huge supporter of Canadian talent. However, if you had asked me seven or so years ago, when The Used albums never left my CD players, if I would see The Used going on tour with Three Days Grace, I would have laughed in your face.

In high school I associated Three Days Grace with the likes of Nickleback and Default, and all those other bands that sounded the same. I had their first album, but nothing stood out to me aside from their over played first single. I also noticed far too many similarities between their album and the Finger Eleven disk that was released shortly before. At the time I didn't think they were very original whatsoever, and took a long time to actually get into their music.

The Used's first album, self titled, was by far their best work. That was the album that made me fall in love with the band. It was heavy, powerful, and full of emotion. This was underground, something not yet widely discovered and unlike everything getting airtime on the radio. I used it to pump me up when I needed some energy, but also used it to pick me up when I was down. I remember like it was yesterday, driving around town with some close friends with this album cranked singing along at the top of our lungs.

Their third release, In Love and Death, followed a CD/DVD combo. This record seemed to have lost some of the rawness of their first album, but still produced some killer singles. It didn't earn enough time in my CD player though, their self titles album still dominated.

The record after that disappointed me a little more as I felt they were continually moving to a different sound than their initial release. I still supported the band, buying their live album Berth, and their third studio album Lies for the Liars. It seemed the screaming, that was said to have induced the singer to vomit on stage, featured so dominantly in the first album was slowly fading to just singing. I can understand why, obviously continuously vomiting is not healthy, but I feel it created a distinct for the band (the screaming that is, not the puking).

I recently purchased the latest single on I-tunes and was completely disappointed by what I heard. I'm not sure if it's the fact that my musical tastes have changed, or if the band is really so different than the album I first fell in love with. On the contrary, I'm far more into the past two albums Three Days Grace has put out as of late. Their last album got a lot of play on my I-pod and I'm really digging the new singles released over the past month or two.

Still, hearing the news that one of my favorite bands from high school is touring with a band I never pictured gaining much momentum in the industry was shocking to me. But now I've come to realize that bands are continually evolving their sound, sometimes in a direction you dig, and sometimes in a directions that is less your taste, and in cases like this it could bring together bands you would never picture together.

Edit: An hour after writing this I was offered a free ticket to this show. Weird.

The Coolest Travel Intern

2009-10-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a call out from an adventure travel company based in Toronto, Gap Adventures. It was a witty blog posting from the CEO Bruce Poon Tip, asking applicants to show him why they think they would make the best intern. It is a three month internship in Toronto. Airfare is taken care of but it's up to you to find somewhere to live. Being 23 with the world at my fingertips, I thought it would be an amazing experience, and who knows what could become of it after the internship is up. So I applied.

I decided to share with you my essay on why I believe I could be a perfect fit for the job:

There is no doubt about it, that I am the perfect fit in your company as the ‘coolest travel intern’. I am young, full of energy and potential, and hope someday to have written about experiences I have had all over the world. I love working and learning new things, and will never give anything up without giving it my best effort. ‘Working smarter, not harder’ is one of my favorite motto’s in the workplace and I am always looking for ways to streamline and simplify existing routines. My day planner is my life, and while I pride myself in having a great memory, I still may not survive without my ultimate organizational tool. I consider myself to be outgoing and make friends easily and never turn down an opportunity for fun and adventure. I believe these are the perfect combination of traits needed to be your right hand (wo)man. In case that wasn’t enough to convince you, I’ll rewind the tape a little and let you see they key things that have shaped who I am over the years.

I hail from the small town of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (clever name for the town isn’t it?). I was raised an only child by my two parents who often argued over who passed down the wit and charm and good looks I possess today, or wait, maybe they argued over who was ‘weirder’. I avoid this argument as I believe they are equally weird and am happy I didn’t end up with that gene. I happen to consider myself highly unique and perhaps a bit eccentric at times, but never weird.

Growing up I spent my time writing whimsical stories about the characters in my head. English was always my strongest and favorite subject in school, despite never being fond of the strange teachers. I swear they were never the one to influence me the most. You know, most kids have one teacher that leaves an impact on them, I promise it was never the weird English teachers. As I aged, my wondrous stories of fantastical times turned into lines of rhymes as I filled many books full of poems. My parents often had a hard time keeping the supply of notebooks stocked as the ideas flowed from my brain.

I had thought high school should be my time to explore and experience new things (don’t worry, not THOSE kinds of things). I was a fan of playing touch football, and thought attempting my hand at rugby would be a good idea. It turns out rugby is much different than football, and I never did grasp the object of the game. I realized that running around, yelling about who knows what, not really sure where to go or what to do wasn’t much fun and I suddenly wasn’t so sure I wanted to continue on with this sport. My decision was finally made the day someone had their finger bent in a way fingers shouldn’t be bent. Sports were not my thing, back to the notebooks for me.

My fondness to join the working force led me to be known locally as ‘the movie girl’, as I provided my exceptional customer service, computer, and cleaning skills to both the local theatre and video store. Simultaneously, I followed my love of writing, and approached the local newspaper for my work experience program in my last year of high school. I was given the chance to be a reporter and injected a little of my spunk into the weekly paper for a full semester. It was one of my best accomplishments being able to see my name published and having the chance to share my thoughts and stories with the town.

Upon graduation at the ripe age of 17, my parents hustled me out of the house and to the nearest small city, Red Deer, to attend college for Business Administration. I was sad to learn there weren’t really any red colored deer anywhere near this city, but found a new love in marketing and event planning. I went on to major in marketing, and while deep in my studies, found time to write music and concert reviews for the college paper, as well as an online publication. I then decided to jump into my own event planning and began organizing small local concerts at various halls in the area, featuring bands from all over the Western provinces. It was then I learned how easy this planning stuff had come to me, and knew that someday down the line I could use these talents on a larger scale.

The sad day came when the party life, I mean student life, had to end and it was time to get out and find a real job. I was hired on at the local credit union, and after 6 months of dealing with the worst customer service job on earth, I found myself in a cozy office working as an administrative assistant, preparing mortgage documents and miscellaneous other tasks assigned to me by my new family. During this time, I incurred a new nickname, the ‘Superstar’. I believe some days I hear my boss referring to me as a god-send, and spend countless hours listening to my coworkers’ concerns as to the state of the department if I were to leave. I do assure them that since my arrival, I have worked hard to streamline all procedures and have kept detailed step by step guides, complete with pictures on nearly all duties I’m responsible for. This often leaves my boss speechless and blown away by my swiftness and efficiency with the various computer programs. Not included in the how-to guides are the frequent runs to Tim Horton’s though. I am confident they can make it there, but I may need to document everyone’s orders so Susan doesn’t end up with Crystal’s Chai tea with milk, and Elissa doesn’t end up with Susan’s coffee with two creams. It can get confusing. My time spent with the lovely ladies of this department has also taught me to understand the language of ‘boss’. It can be a tricky one, but I think I’ve mastered it and know exactly what she’s looking for and often have the task completed before she’s done explaining. I’ve become a master at decorating through all of the different holidays, and could nearly be certified to teach the generation above me how to work computers.

This brings us to present day, where I find myself ready for a new adventure. After small trips to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Arizona, California and New York City, I am itching for more. My dreams for future travel include Japan, Greece, and Montreal (I’ve been dying to have some poutine there.) I also have a strong desire to explore the rest of this great country I live in, having not been any farther east than Drumheller, home of the dinosaurs!

Hopefully after that brief history you can be assured that I do not come with any ounce of weirdness. I am ready for any challenge you throw at me, and promise to complete any task to the best of your ability. I have a great dodgeball arm but admit you may want to put me on the opposing team for volleyball as I’m not very good. I have mastered the notion of nodding when someone thinks they are right, but will most likely roll my eyes as I walk away. I am ready to open a new chapter in my young life and hope that chapter can be describing to my readers how awesome my new boss Bruce is. Just be careful, you might not want to send me home after three months…

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Adventures in E-town - Part 2

2009-10-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

After a short 2 hours of sleep, I awoke the next morning still excited from the previous night's events and for the events to come later that evening. My half day of work went by quickly, and I was soon catching a quick nap and shower before heading off to the big city again.

We arrive later than we had hoped, which didn't leave much time for visiting pre-show. We walk into the dressing room to find a much different atmosphere than the day before. There were no random celebrities creating a buzz of excitement, but rather a room of very tired men.

City and Colour started this show surprisingly with a different show than the night before. I was glad they decided to switch up the set list somewhat. Their performance of 'Coming Home' was just as they told us it was going to be, mind blowing. One of the best performances of that song I've heard live ever. This nights performance went off without any noticeable mishaps, although Dallas did hit his glasses on the mic once towards the end of the set. Tonight's set also included a wardrobe change by Scott and Dylan, as they returned on stage wearing matching t-shirts with wolves in the moonlight. The story was Scott and Dylan have a badminton team called Space Wolf, and they bought Dallas a matching shirt for his birthday. Just a little band silliness.

After the show we arrived in the dressing room to find the boys of In-Flight Safety, a band from Halifax, who were good friends of City and Colour. They were in town to play a show the next night and came to hang out. I urge everyone to check out In-Flight Safety's music. They are amazing musicians and a genuine, friendly group of dudes. Along with the adorable Hannah Georges, we all headed back to the Crown and Rose for drinks and good times. Alot less excitement than the previous night, but words cannot explain how great it was to sit and share stories with such great people. Two of my favorite things in life are music and friends, and these two nights were most definitely filled with great Canadian music, and new and old friends. I wish I had a normal camera so I could have captured more moments from two of the best nights of my life, but I guess I will always have my memories.

Adventures in E-town - Part 1

2009-10-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

The other day A and I headed out to Edmonton to see City & Colour, as she's good friends with Dallas. During the drive we see a big truck with a trailer and a large unidentifiable object on the back of the trailer. A and I were trying to figure out what it was as we approached and were shocked as to what we saw as we passed it.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, that is one smashed up airplane! So scary!

After scrambling to get out the camera phones, we continue our journey, unbeknown to us, the events that will occur later in the evening.

Fast forward a couple hours and you will find us hanging out in the dressing room, chatting it up with the band before the show. Stu, the tour manager, walks in announcing to Dallas that 'Brett is on his way, he'll be here soon', to which Dal excitedly announces that he forgot to tell everyone Bret 'The Hitman' Hart was coming! Really? Bret Hart? So strange. Even stranger was how excited Dallas was that he was coming. A few more moments pass, and Stu walks in again stating Bret was in the venue. At this point Dallas, very flustered, exclaims he needs to brush his teeth, while Scott is across the room quickly tucking in his shirt. I was thinking to myself how ironic it was that these people were so excited that Bret Hart was coming to meet them, while at the same time, other kids get just excited to meet THEM. And then Dallas kicks everyone out of the dressing room, he needed a moment before Bret arrived.

A and I wandered to find our tickets and passes and had a chat with our new friend Phoebe, who is running to be Much Music's newest VJ. Having given Dallas ample time to have his moment and chat with Bret, we wandered back to the dressing room to see what was going on. We sat and listened as Dallas and Bret exchanged stories and laughs, all the while still thinking it was so strange that they were so excited to meet each other. Dallas later showed off a picture on his Blackberry of him and Bret together. So proud!

It was then time for the opening act to begin so we made our way to our seats to watch. Hannah Georges was the girl opening and she was so adorable. Her music embedded a sense of happiness in me. A felt like she should be frolicking through a grassy field. Very light hearted and happy music. She reminded of an indie version of Lenka. I encourage everyone to check out her music and live show if she's ever in your area.

Between sets we made friends with the couple next to us and filled them in on our secret that Bret Hart was in attendance. In return they shared their finding of Mike Comrie and some of his NHL Oilers friends. I thought it was pretty rad that there were so many 'celebrities' in attendance. Our new friend began asking us about the band and how we got our great seats as they had got theirs that day. He then shared where his love for the band had come from, which was after hearing 'Body in a Box' following the death of his friend from an avalanche. What a heartbreaking story. But we assured him he would not be disappointed by the show.

And then the moment we were waiting for, City & Colour. Alone on stage with his guitar, Dallas begins the show with 'Forgive Me', with Scott (bassist) and Dylan (drummer) joining in mid-song. A and I had high hopes for the boys as they divulged to us that they hadn't actually practiced since they were together last in May. In fact, they hadn't even seen each other until they arrived at the airport. Backstage, the boys said they weren't going to fill the audience in on this little secret, which would have been for the best in case they DID make a mistake. However, Dallas went against his word and informed the crowd on their lack of practicing. Following that both Scott and Dallas forgot a line in the song, which was barely noticeable if it weren't for the fact that they both looked at each other in the way you would when you screw up. The rest of the show went much better, aside from a tiny mishap during the solo in 'Sleeping Sickness'. Scott provided some humor with his stories while Dallas focused on tuning his guitar a few times. His first story of the evening was about his love for the Oilers and how he got last minute tickets to a game last time he was in the city. This was when I thought to myself 'I wonder if he knows Mike Comrie is in the crowd?'. Dallas's wit and humor between songs also never gets old, nor does counting the number of times he hits his face on the mic (tonight it was ZERO! Good job buddy!). And of course who can get tired of listening to some of the greatest songs I've ever heard. Again, hearts to the amazing Canadian artists out there. Nearing the end of the show Dallas played 'Body in a Box', and I glanced over to the side to see how my new friend was taking the song. He has quietly shedding a few tears to himself and my heart ached for him. To listen to the song closely is enough to make me cry sometimes, but knowing how much pain and sorrow the man next to me was feeling made my heart ache.

Post show we walk into the dressing room to find 5 really big dudes have been added to the mix of musicians and retired wrestlers. They were the members of the Oilers we had scoped out earlier. A and I sat in the corner realizing we were the least important in the room, but still enjoyed listening to the various conversations occurring around the room. A short time later, everyone heads for home and we're left with the band gushing about meeting some of their idols. Scott was as giddy as a child meeting Santa, exclaiming that had he been asked who his top 5 favorite Oilers players were before the show, he would have listed the 5 guys who were just in the room. I couldn't help giggling to myself over how funny it was to see.

It's at this time where the guys needed to leave the venue and head back to their hotel room. We say our goodbyes and thanks for the show and good laughs and head out of the city. A and I can't get over how bizarre the night had been, with the random people showing up backstage. Then A gets a text from Dal inviting us out for drinks. We were nearly out of the city, but decided we had nothing to lose by going back. Or did we?

Upon driving in circles around a few blocks, we manage to find the hotel but are having a difficult time finding parking. A pulls into a lot that was nearly empty, but we learn it costs $7 to park there. That wasn't happening, we go to leave and she accidentally backs into a parked car. Oh no. The damage to the other vehicle was pretty good. Nice sized dent in the back corner. A's car however only had a couple scratches. Go figure. She did the right thing and left her information on a note under the windshield wiper and we left to find cheaper parking. This certainly called for a drink. It was nearly 2:30am by the time we left the hotel bar after reminiscing over old songs, listening to more stories and avoiding the strange friend Dallas had made that was hanging around (when you have to tell someone that your psychiatrist thinks you're normal, I think that means you aren't). Many thanks for Lyndon, the bartender who stayed after closing to pour our drinks and hang out. It was a sad moment saying goodbyes to the guys for good, despite knowing we would be back the next day.

It was one long, sleepy drive home, seeming much longer knowing I was to be up for work at 7am.

The Inexperienced Concert Girls

2009-09-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

I am not a fighter. I don't believe that proving your strength over another person solves any sort of conflict whatsoever, and as such, have never been in a physical fight myself.

Last night I attended the Bif Naked concert at the Wild Bill's, and after a couple songs, C and I found ourselves near the front of the stage. We were doing what normal people do at rock concerts, sang along to your favorite songs, rocked out, shouted, threw your arms in the air, clapped, and enjoyed the awesome performance Bif always puts on. In return I was being shoved backwards by the 30 something woman in front of me as she was unhappy with the pushing and bumping that happens up at the front. The pushing from the front causes me to hit the people behind me, and in retaliation I am pushed back from behind, again running into the girl in front of me. This is all pretty standard behaviour at a rock show. I should know, I've seen a good 100 or so bands in my day and am quite knowledgeable as to the going ons at these events. This pushing and bumping into each other doesn't bother me, I see it as a sense of camaraderie. Unless of course the pushing is coming from the ass in front of me so the owner of said queen ass can have her five foot radius around her. I'm sorry sister, that's not how it works at the front. I kindly told this girl to quit pushing me backwards, I can't go anywhere and I can't help touching her because everyone else is moving around and bumping into everyone else. She didn't like that reply and kept yelling at me to move back. I asked her if she's ever been to a concert before, because she wasn't realizing that you don't get personal space at the front and that if she wanted to keep her bubble, move to the back of the crowd. This was enough to warrant her grabbing my neck and shoving me back into the crowd. Now this was starting to bring back memories of the Black Eyed Peas concert I attended four years ago, when the girls beside me were clawing at my hair and pulling my hair because they couldn't deal with me standing my ground while they tried to shove me out of the way. Ah yes, another girl who doesn't understand the unwritten rock show etiquette.

I so badly wished I could have punched her in the face, but didn't want to be removed from the venue. Instead I decided to just rock out even harder, and show her what it's like to be at the front of a rock show. Bif ended up putting on an amazing shows playing a good mix of tunes from her newest album, The Promise, as well as some old favorites. There's nothing better than getting the opportunity to watch some fantastic Canadian talent at your local bar.

And So Here I Am

2009-09-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've maintained a blog. Today I've had a sudden wave of ambition and motivation - a need to do something to get my ball of life rolling again. I got stuck for awhile, but it's time to dislodge the ball and continue my journey to wherever I happen to bounce to next.

And so here I am.

I recently ended a 2 year stint with a dance group that was a huge part of my life. I learned alot about myself in those two years, and found a new confidence that I didn't knew existed within me. I think the confidence was the best thing that became of dancing. The decision to quit didn't come easy, but I had accomplished everything I needed to accomplish in that point in my life, and knew it was time to move on. I didn't really know where I was moving on to, and that's been a struggle. I have many ideas and plans for life but am unsure of which direction to go or how to get there. Now is the time to pick a direction and see where the path takes me.

And so here I am.