Monday, August 31, 2009

Dirty girl

I'm sore, and stiff all over... it's a good sore though, that one that reminds you that you did something and that yes you are still alive, and no you didn't accidentally slip into a coma during that last office meeting.

My entire set of core muscles are sore no doubt in my mind caused by my bat swing. It even hurts to sneeze. But after a couple big hits this weekend and full-on head-first dive into third base, making me quite literally "the dirtiest girl on or off the field".



I found that point where I remember why I love playing ball... and I'm not sure how I ever forgot it, or let it get lost in the drama.

Ball is all about winning and losing as a team. It's about trying your best but knowing that someone is also there to back you up, or pick you up and finish what you didn't. In return you do the same thing, that's just how it works. Its also about sharing the awesomeness of a good play even when you didn't touch the ball. Its about sticking together for a little bit afterwards to celebrate your successes, highlights and TSN turning points or uuber analyze things so you can do it better next time. Its about working together to do something you can't do alone.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

We are the Champions!

This last weekend we competed for the second time in the Paddle Against Cancer, which is put on by the local JC chapter (Junior Chamber International). Last year we competed for the first time with a team composed of people from work. During the practise we were told that we might win a race or two but not to get our hopes up too high because it's hard work racing...

Needless to say we blew everyone out of the water (almost literally), including a major upset of unseating a team that had held the cup for the last 8 years standing! So of course this year we had to put in a team to defend our title. The theme for the weekend was "Las Vegas" so we entered out team "Double or Nothing".

The races this year were awesome, the first team we raced was the team we had dethroned the year before and they were out for revenge, it was a close race and definitely got the adrenalin pumping but we managed to beat them again. *phew*

I'm sad that this is the last year that the JC's will be hosting this event, I really hope that another group is able to pick it up and continue the fun times and support for cancer research.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Battle of Epic Proportions

Must. Have. More. Coffee... Mmmmmmm coffeeeeeeee *blink* *blink* Sorry my coffee hasn't kicked in yet, this is my first legible sentence. Give it a few minutes...

OK here we go now...

Had a quick hotdog-dinner-of-champions followed by wicked-awesome inner tube fights! Its a lot harder than it looks! Especially when one of the scurvy bilge rats blind sides you Nyaaarrrr!

Headed out to Crystal Bay where my cousin is vacationing with her boyfriend's family and we caught up a bit, reminisced about funny family stories (I must remember to apologize to her boyfriend), and joked about crazy profs and midterms and all the horrible things that mark the day to day experiences of University. I miss it, without all the stress, and midterms, and papers, assignments and final exams and stuff.

As we were visiting, we saw a few flashes they started out similar to that of the flash on a camera... shortly however the hills were perfectly silhouetted from behind as if there were multiple explosions lighting up the sky.

We watched in awe as a huge battle raged silently across the night sky, seemingly between a legion of stars and the temperamental lightning. It was the most incredible storm I have seen in a long time. The amount of raw energy was phenomenal.

There were all different types of lightning, incredibly solid forks, to one that came half way down to earth and then changed its' mind and forked back up to another cloud, burning a U shaped bolt into my temporary memory.

There was sheet lightning and then there were sporadic bursts of sheet lightning as if each cloud was in charge of its own sheet. They would each light up in a quick succession of bursts that weren't quite synchronized giving the illusion of synapses firing in a giant over-sized brain. The huge temperature and humidity changes that accompanied the storm as it passed by were crazy!

The strangest thing of all though, was that we could see stars throughout the entire performance. It was beautiful sitting there, eating popcorn and enjoying the free show. I believe in quality time and quantity time... you don't have to be talking to visit, but all in all last night was pretty cool.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Under a blanket of stars

Last night I called my parents on my way home from paddle practise, we're gearing up for the paddle against cancer this weekend... and since I don't always have the best cell reception up at the trailer I pulled over on a nice mowed shoulder.

As I was sitting there, I looked up and Wow! "It was a beautiful night" doesn't quite capture the awe I felt sitting there looking up. It was as if all the stars had arrived for a grand ball. Rather than feeling incredibly small and insignificant, I felt like I was an honoured guest observing the proceedings from an intergalactic balcony.

I started out leaning against the hood which on "the Fit" is rather short, so you're kind of up against the wipers which just sucks... so I climbed up on the roof. Yes Dad I know I'm not supposed to sit on the roof or the hood, so I lay down and tried to spread my weight around and not dint things in with that "kachunk" popping noise.

While I was lying there, three different people stopped and made sure I was okay. I had no idea there was that much traffic on this road! From their perspective I'm sure it looked more than a little weird. I'm almost longer than the roof on my car, and lying there talking on my cell phone... well who does that, I mean really?!? ;o)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Biking with Bears?

I convinced myself to go for an hour and half long mountain bike ride last night. It was tough, there was a little sweat, a little cursing and a little hard work. But as I stopped and ate half a Mars bar... which as I write this I realize is probably melting in the back seat right now *ass*... in any case though as I sat and let the gentle breeze drift through my sweat matted hair, I took a moment to look at the beautiful view.

And just stopped for a moment. For that moment everything was peaceful, I could hear the low hum of bees, mosquitoes and flys but for the moment none of them were trying to eat me.

Slowly I caught my breath, and sucked back some water as my heart rate returned to that of a normal human being. That is as opposed to the overweight cardiac waiting to happen that some people achieve merely by walking up stairs.

I hopped back on my bike and made it oooh maybe 10' (and that's probably an exaggeration) before stopping dead just shy of a large green bear poop covered in flies. Now the thing is, it had just rained that night making the trail nice and cohesive... this poop had not been rained on. In fact I took off my bike glove, and held my naked hand just above it half expecting it to still be giving off heat. I mean it was practically STEAMING! Ok not quite but if this was a fish story it would TOTALLY be steaming!

In any case despite the huge hill I'd just pushed my bike up (yes I know you're supposed to ride your bike, but I'm a bit of a pansy when it comes to steep hills) I turned around and rode back down. The ride down was alright, a lot steeper on the other section of trail... and then of course I came across a dry patch of trail that had recently been rooted through *great* another bear sign.

I more or less crossed my fingers, double checked the case holding my bear spray, let out a few more *woooops* than usual and left my bear bell to warn the bear either of my location so he could avoid me or my location for dinner. Completely up to his discretion of course.

All in all the ride was good, didn't see any bear but there was definitely recent activity in the area. I would like to think that he knew I was there and decided to share rather than eat me. I know I wouldn't make a particularly good meal for him anyways... all chewy and stringy, I mean really ;o)

Monday, August 17, 2009

If laughter had a colour...

Laughter is a beautiful sound, if it had a colour it would glow like golden sunlight that lights up the whole room, even the corners it doesn't touch directly. Every heart that laughter touches it seems, lights up with the beauty from within, and every face is more beautiful when wearing a smile.

Listening to kids giggling so hard and so deep, that it sounds like it must be coming from their soul. There is something about that giggle... that deep belly laugh that makes it impossible not to crack a smile. Most of the time though I end up giggling with them even if I don't know what they are laughing about.

The thing with shared laughter though, well it really doesn't matter what you are laughing about... what matters is that you are laughing together.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Perfect mornings

Waking up to rain on the roof of the trailier, cool air on your face, a perfectly you-shaped warm spot in your bed, the weight of the covers and the knowledge that you still have 20min to lie there and listen...

Until you *really* have to get up and face the chill of the morning.

Impressions

It's interesting, that having a conversation would shed such light on a topic.

Although it would seem that is the only thing that ever does. We were talking about playing ball on multiple teams and how you start to recognize players, but don't necessarily know them, but that they start to know your name and who you are.

And it was pointed out that "Really though, you must have done something that made a big impression to stand out in their mind"... even though they do not stand out in yours.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

From the bench

After I juggled a fly ball in outfield and then did a football catch pulling it into my body with both hands, then rolling over backwards and standing up with it...
"Way to make a routine catch look spectacular!"

Monday, August 10, 2009

It's not as bad as I thought...

This past weekend, was one of those slopitch weekends. Nothing too exciting other than getting stung in the ear by a wasp. Someone... and I'm naming any Steven's... swatted a wasp away from themselves. Right. into. my. ear.

Yeah that's right. I got stung in the ear. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, I mean I always remember it as being much worse. But it definitely smarted.

Granted the wasps have been on Defcon 2: "Further Increase in force readiness, but less than maximum readiness", most likely due to the smoke everywhere but this weekend they were incessant. Even when you didn't have any food.

I mean at one point I ran away and ate my subway in the car because there were two wasps that were on me like bull dogs on a roast beast. And get this, I got in the car, started to unwrap my sub and one of the little fuckers had crawled in between the wrapping! He wasn't quite into my sub yet so I slowly got out of the car.... and squished him, then pulled my sub out and ate it. So there.

Basically though, I've got a few minor scrapes and bruises and one giant red ear to show for the weekend.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Expand you horizons

Last night I 'learned' three guitar chords.

IT WAS AWESOME!!!

I'm not sure which song it was by Theory of a Deadman, but it was super cool *smiles*, the guy who was teaching me said that I play very cleanly which was kinda cool.

So adding to the list of things to buy... A 6 string guitar, preferably a cheap one that doesn't sound like crap.

PS the tip of my pointer finger is still numb.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

The Wiki Obsession

For about the last year everyone and I mean EVERYONE at work has been obsessed with Wikis. Especially those who have no idea what a Wiki even is. Needless to say this has been a little frustrating... as every time we identify a problem, or something that could maybe be done in a better way someone says "Well what about a Wiki?"

All I want to respond to that is "Well? What about a Wiki?" It's like your car brakes aren't working properly and instead of just fixing the brakes you say "Well what about a spaceship?" Hmmmm. Yes, you could use a spaceship... OR you could just fix the damn brakes.

On the car note I got a new windshield the other day. Which is very exciting in my little world because two months after I got my new car, which is just over a year old... I got a ding in my windshield. That ding turned into an organically growing crack over the winter. Recently though it started to crack in the upward direction riiight in front of the driver. Awesome. Not. But the new windshield is much better, and I swear I will jump out and beat to death anyone who cuts me off and dings my windsheild. Especially if it's only a couple months old.

Come to think of it though, maybe I should have gotten a space ship.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Griffin Lake



Chucked Muddle One in on the side of the highway at Griffin lake this last weekend. I was surprised to find three blue herons amidst all the noise of people scurrying around on the long weekend. Snuck up on this guy and two of his buddies fishin' on the side of the highway. It still amazes me how close you can get in a canoe before they decide that you're almost close enough to eat them. I would like to get a better camera, so that you can see the water drops on them ;o)