Blisters for Boobies September 15, 2009

Remember a while back, I was desperately seeking donors to support me in my walk for breast cancer, benefitting The Princess Margaret Hospital (which happens to be one of the top 5 hospitals for cancer research… in the world). Through numerous (desperation soaked) emails to friends and several fundraising events at the office, I met and (just barely) exceeded my goal.

The walk took place this weekend, starting at the Direct Energy Centre aka Exhibition Place, day one ending at Downsview Park and back again the next day, totaling 60 km (just over 37 m for those of you down south).

When I had first registered for this event, I was told that training was important. I thought, who needs to train for a walk? Nonetheless, I had gone out for a few long walks to prepare. One of my first attempts was walking home from work (I don’t live there anymore, so stalkers back off) and although I did make it home in 2 hours, I was hit by a car. Nothing dramatic that required medical attention, a man had reversed his car and failed to see me, then failed to apologize for hitting me… although the way I had confronted him may have startled him.

Team Harlequin met at 7am to get ready for the opening ceremonies. It was amazing to see a crowd of 4,616 walkers work together to raise over $11 million dollars for women’s cancer research.

I really didn’t know what I was getting into, I didn’t know what an emotionally and physically draining experience this was going to be. Those who know me well, know that I’m a cryer. And boy did I have the water works on high this weekend. This walk challenged me, it challenged me to get creative – baking over 100 cupcakes for a fundraiser and it challenged me to push myself and not give up.

Day 1 went well, I had excellent company which helped make the 30+ km walk go by quickly. As did games like, spot the nearest Starbucks to nurse my caffeine withdrawal headache and get to know you better questions such as, If you could own any kind of business, what would it be? We made it to camp around 6pm and I dug right into my free booze (thanks Steamwhitsle and Yellowtail!) and dinner. Come night, only 5 of the 9 team members staying overnight made it past dinner. We got to know each other better, chatting the night away over a few beers before I retired to my tent.

Day 2 started early, I arose at 4 am (thanks to the early birds in the tent next to me) and spent a good hour stretching out my sore feet, breakfast and packing up before our 30 km trek back home. My Day 1 walking mates had gone home (they were participating in the one-day walk), so I rejoined the rest of Team Harlequin. Day 2 took us through downtown and I was looking forward to it, seeing as TIFF is going on, I was hoping we could get some stargazing done – in the least obvious way possible. Although I didn’t spot anyone, I could’ve cared less. The only thing that concerned me at that point was the monstrous blister that had formed on my heel and had developed a limp in my step. Ack!

I had one breaking point, it was after lunch on day 2, the limp was taking a lot out of me, it was hot as heck and I had reached my breaking point. I was ready to call it quits and have one of the sweep vehicles pick me up and take me to the finish line. It was at that point that I spotted a man and his daughter sitting out front their apartment and clapping for us, saying, “Thank you!”. I was overcome with emotion, tears began to fall and I got my second wind back.

Crossing the finish line, was amazing. Boy and Olgie were waiting for me, cheering me on and the waterworks were on again. I even made it on the local news, even if it was for 2.43 seconds (click on news from Sunday September 13th and skip to the 11:47 mark – I’m in the pink tank top and the next shot is of my team members).

This past weekend was a life changing experience. Whether it was at the opening ceremonies when family members of those who have fallen victim to breast cancer carrying the running shoes their loved ones were to wear on the walk before cancer had claimed their lives. Or walking down King St. in Weston, where a loving community was very much alive. This street was lined with neighbours supporting us with a hose to give us a light mist on a hot day, watermelon slices, lemonade, chocolate, applause and even… shots of beer. Walking through Downsview, where cute Italian families handed out freezies, pannetone, popsicles and fresh fruit.

The most inspiring part of this walk was having breast cancer survivors cheering us on and holding signs saying, “I’m alive because of you”. It’s so overwhelming. People thanking me for raising money and walking 60 km? It seems so bizarre to me. Needless to say, I cried a lot, laughed loads, shared stories and am really proud of myself for completing the entire 60 km. Congrats to all who participated.

Here are a few more photos from the weekend:

A clever sign an optometrist had up for us.

My favourite team logo... so hilariously creative

Me, Tripetripeandmoretripe.blogspot.com, and another friend at the pirate pit stop.

Team Harlequin heading toward the finish line

Thanks again to everyone who supported me in my walk. I really appreciate your help and thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience this.

The Mystery of the Missing Book Collection August 24, 2009

It’s official! I’m in my new place! I’ve spent the last week unpacking and organizing and last night Boy and I unpacked our last boxes.

Up until last night, the office was a complete disaster. The only room you couldn’t walk into, was cluttered with boxes and a total eyesore. We didn’t realize how many books the two of us had collected over the course of our lives and just didn’t have the space for it all. So last night we purged. Our unwanted/less important/don’t make us look smart books.

I came across my collection of Trixie Belden books. Back in the time when the majority of my friends were into Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and Sweet Valley High, I dug my nose into Trixie Belden mysteries. My aunt had read them as a young girl and stumbled upon them at a second-hand store when I was but 11 years old. I fell in love with these books. They were clever, quick, and fun. Much better than that Nancy girl (ironically, that’s my aunt’s name).

An old cubemate of mine enjoyed this series as well and even purchased this adorable Christmas tree (see 3rd from top) for me a few years back. And once, when my life was turned upside down and I had an unwelcomed visit from and Green-Eyed Girl, we made this:

This website allows you to create your own Trixie cover. I still have this baby in my cube today.

I swear I had the majority of the published collection but when I was sorting through them last night, I found that somehow my collection had dwindled down to a mere 12 books (and not in order of publication!). I’m on this case and will find out what happened to my missing books – or just find them on ebay or convince Roomie’s (awww, ex-Roomie) boyfriend’s Mom to give up the collection in her basement. Regardless, the Mystery of the Missing Book Collection will be solved.

My Long Lost (Cooler) Twin June 29, 2009

We were discussing look-a-likes in the office today. A coworker thought I looked a little like Punky Brewster. You be the judge.

What’s your fave? June 26, 2009

In honour of MJ’s passing, I ask you: What’s your favourite Michael Jackson song?

Mine? Beat It. For dancing. Rock with You. For chilling out.

Bergy Bits, Growlers and big honkin’ ‘Bergs June 15, 2009

I just got back from a fabulous trip to the western coast of the eastern coast of Canada (confused you yet?). So much happened and I was excited to get a bunch of things to write about, so here is installment one, Bergy Bits, Growlers and Icebergs.

A few days into our trip, Boy and I drove up to St. Anthony, pretty much the most northern point of the island for Iceberg season and Vikings (more about the Vikings in another post). I really didn’t dress appropriately for this vacation, I was expecting normal weather for June, very stupid. Fortunately, the owners of the cabin we were staying at had a great supply of warm outer wear because the weather in St. Anthony was cold, I’m talking snow on the ground and huge chunks of ice floating in the ocean.

We stayed at a lovely little place, Fishing Point B&B, it was everything I was expecting from my first ever B&B stay. Lovely owners, quaint room, traditional decor and the most delicious breakfast. Ever.

The morning after our stay, we took a tour with Northland Discovery Boat Tours, a family-run business with Captain Lewis (father) and Tour Guide Paul (son) on board in hopes to find some whales for us. The minute we head out, we’re greeting by a couple of seal, although too quick to capture a photo of. In the distance we spotted some whales, as we inch closer to them, Paul let’s us know that they’re humpbacks, a mother and her calf, up north feeding after a long, starving winter down south.

Humpback Mama diving

When they’d dive into the water, they’d leave behind footprints:

Humpback Footprint

This is caused by the whale, thrusting its tail up and down as it dives deep into the ocean. This pair kept us entertained for a short while, until we started heading towards our first ‘berg, enough time for me to start feeling seasick. Observe:

Pukity, Puke, Puke

Before I go further, I’ll quickly explain the difference between Bergy Bits, Growlers and (Big Honkin’) Icebergs.

First, Bergy Bits, usually less than 15ft in size. Broken off bits of ice, from Growlers and Icebergs.

Bergy Bit, courtesy of adactio on Flickr

Growlers are as small as a car and can be as big as a small house. They get this term because of the sound they make.

Growler

This one has an amazing blue glow, the intensity of the glow is dependent on how compact the ice is and how many air bubbles are inside.

We then visited, a (Big Honkin’) Iceberg:

(Big Honkin') Iceberg

This one was about 100ft high, keep in mind, that’s only 1/8th of the iceberg, it’s really quite something.

Now that you’re caught up on your ‘berg vocab, time to fill you in on some fun facts about them ‘bergs. The icebergs that float into “Iceberg Alley” in St. Anthony begin their 2 to 3 year trip from Baffin Bay. I was shocked to learn that after that long trip, it takes about 2 months to melt in St. Anthony.

Sometimes, polar bears float their way to St. Anthony from the great white north. Paul told us of a time that his neighbour saw one peeking into a window of Paul’s home, the neighbour called the family to warn Lewis to get his gun ready. Eventually, the polar bear finds it’s way over to Labrador/home.

As we made our way back to St. Anthony Harbour, we caught a glimpse of a bald eagle (I’ve never know anyone to see these, I almost thought they were a myth, like the unicorn), a puffin (a cross of a penguin and toucan) and some moose perched at the top of a mountain.

This tour really was amazing, so informative and entertaining and really these photos don’t do the animals and ‘bergs justice, you must see these for yourself. For some more interesting info on icebergs, check out the Newfoundland and Labrador website.

Day Two: Get out of jail, free May 26, 2009

If I had special powers that would allow me to see into the future, I would’ve prepared myself for day two of Doors Open. Granted, the Toronto Star did warn me to expect line ups but I wasn’t expecting anything like this. Boy and I arrived at the Don Jail just before 10am, bypassing several coffee shops on the way because we were going to stop for breakfast after the tour. Oh how silly we were. Little did we know that a line had been started at 6:30am, tours didn’t begin until 10! I think my jaw dropped when I saw the line as we were looking for parking. Boy dropped me off so I could get a head start on the line, grateful we did this as it was cut shortly after us.

Just observing the exterior, The Don Jail can send a surge of shivers up your spine. It’s an old building that looks like something out of a horror flick. We kept ourselves busy, watching an extremely hipster couple being extremely hip, unfortunately she left the line to do better things with her time and the boyfriend was boring. We waited 5 bloody hours to get into this place. 5. HOURS. I was hoping it would be worth it.

We were finally shoved  (like cattle) into 12 different corrals and given some history on the city of Toronto and the Don Jail. I will do my best to pass along what I learned. The building was designed by William Thomas, the same guy who designed the lovely St. Michael’s Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall in 1862. At the time, the Don Jail was located in the country, outside of Toronto; it’s strange to think at some point Gerrard and Broadview was the country. It was constructed to house 275 inmates, one in every 3’ x 8’ cell but at some point, it had nearly 600 inmates and storing 2 or 3 inmates into each tiny cell. Inmates were permitted to move freely within each cell block through the day, so they weren’t always crammed into these claustrophobic cells. While capital punishment was still legal, 34 men were hanged at the Don Jail. During an excavation in 2007 in what is now the rear parking lot of the building, the remains of 11 men were found. At the time of their death, no family members came to claim them so they had their remains buried in the prison yard. In 2007, their remains were given a proper burial in a nearby cemetery. An adjoining jail was added in 1958 and the “old” Don Jail was closed in 1977. Bridgepoint Health purchased the building and will be gutting the interior to make room for their administration offices, hoping to maintain as much of the exterior façade as possible.

Here are a few photos from the tour:

The facade of the Don Jail. Thanks to Erik Twight on Flickr for this image!

The photo below may look familiar to you. A scene from Cocktail was filmed in this here Rotunda.

We enter the Rotunda, the meaner way of saying atrium; this is where the prisoners would check-in

Our tour guide pointed out that the support arches were different, depending on which side of the prison you were on. Dragon supports meant you were in officer quarters, snakes meant you were in prisoners quarters.

Snakes on the left, Dragons on the right

We were then escorted to a cell block on the 2nd floor, fire and safety codes only allow a maximum of 20 people on the floor, the 3rd and 4th floors are so unstable that no one is permitted in these areas.

An example of a cell...this is not for solitary confinement

The 2nd floor gave us access to the gallows, where several criminals were hanged. Here’s a view from where they would hang to the ground:

The gallows. Blood and guts and death.

When prisoners completed their time, they were sent to collect their belongings and had to sit outside this building for quite some time. With all that time to spare, they would scratch in their names, time done, crime and year.

When we finally got home, I got to check out the effects of sitting out in the sun for 5 hours on a lovely day without sunscreen. It was painful! Boy snapped a shot of my terrible burn. Observe:

It's still en fuego.

That night, after I slathered on more aloe vera gel than necessary, I browsed through the photos and noticed that the 2nd image above had orbs! I understand that sure, they could be dust but I refuse to believe it. The Don Jail is known to be haunted so I managed to convince myself that I had disrupted a ghost and it’s out to get haunt me. I already have an overly active imagination so this propelled me to freak out and think there was a ghost nearby, it didn’t help that my neighbourhood raccoon was breathing heavily outside my window and trying to climb the brush along the side of my house. So what did I do? Well, readers, you’re in luck. Not only is this post about my tour of the jail, it’s also going to give you a fail-proof way of dealing with nightmares and an overly active imagination.

If you are laying in bed and cannot get to sleep due to wildly frightening images in your head, follow these steps:

1. Lay on your side.

2. Pull covers over your head so that they cover your eyes, tuck covers under the side of your head.

3. With the remaining covers around your face (and while still tucked under side of head), wrap covers around your mouth.

4. Ensure your feet are covered.

These steps will prepare you should you accidentally open your eyes, because you know, ghosts remain in your room just staring at you, you won’t see anything because the covers are blocking your vision. And having the blanket covering your mouth will prevent the ghosts from drugging you. Plus, it’s pretty comfy. If these fail and you have a nightmare, just go pee. Trust me. My mother would tell me to do this as a child and it works. Promise, promise.

Here’s to no nightmares tonight.

Expanding my Network May 17, 2009

How many times have you heard, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”? I don’t even think I’m able to count how many times I’ve not only heard this but spat these exact words out of my mouth.

Back when I was young able to go out on a week night and enjoy a few drinks without having to call in sick or late the next morning, I would be found, out with some friends and chatting up a few industry people to get my name out there. It’s a bit more difficult for me to get out there, maybe its because I’ve been out of the weeknight night life for so long and all I need are a few rough mornings to get me back into shape but I don’t know if I’ve got the energy for it.

I spent some time strategizing and planning on expanding my network and found an event that was just what I was looking for. Last week, Savoir Faire Professionals had a networking party. I was totally stoked for this event and really wanted to go and get to know ladies in the industry. Unfortunately, there was a conflict in my schedule: a) I had my office’s first softball game and I’m co-captain and b) it was on the 13th, days short of my “rich pay period”, funds were running pretty low and I simply couldn’t afford the $30 ticket. Too bad, so sad.

As I was wallowing in my lack of network self pity, I realized this networking thing doesn’t only mean meeting people outside your company. It can be used even after you’ve landed the job you love.  I’ve made a point of joining several groups/teams in my office, especially when I first started. I wanted to get to know the people I worked with, whether directly or not and this was a perfect opportunity to chat them up. It was in these casual settings where I felt comfortable to show who I really am and not feel pressure to impress them, which would inevitebly lead me to make a fool of myself. You spend the time to get to know people and they will be willing to help you out when you need a favour.

There is one important key to this though. You must be genuine in building relationships with these people. They’re not idiots and can see right through someone who’s using them just to get ahead. That sort of desperation and manipulation doesn’t look good on anyone.

So although I missed an opportunity to meet several strangers, I got to spend some time with my coworkers and chat with a few people I haven’t met before and it was great, even though we lost BIG TIME.