Yogathon 2005

Paula (my sister) and me before the event. When my mum sees this photo, she will say: "why do you girls always wear those big sunglasses? you can't see your pretty faces" Mum, like they're cool, okay? get with it, sheesh

Short version: IT WAS AWESOME!!!! Now I am probably one of the least hippy-dippy person living in Vancouver (patchouli makes me want to barf), but the energy and love at this event was palpable. Here's an insight into my psyche: I am highly competitive and generally don't like doing things (especially in public) unless I am confident that I can do them at least as well, if not better than, everyone around me. This was an instance where I was nowhere near as good as 95% of the people around me and I just had to get over that. That accomplished, I grounded myself to the spirit of the event, raising money for Camp Moomba, and saluted the sun. I figure I got through about 80 of the 108. Paula got through all 108 --- she rocks! Highlight: at #54 they blasted Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" to mark the half-way mark. That was kinda surreal. Will definitely be doing this event next year (my hamstrings should be recovered by then).

Sun Salutation #1 - only 107 more to go!!

Maggie & Trudy had the best downward dogs --- maybe they had an unfair advantage??

And a big shout out to Marcus for being a most excellent dog-sitter cum photographer!!

How to irritate me

If there's something I hate, it's passive aggressiveness. Seriously, having to deal with passive aggressive people drives me around the bend, which I guess makes it an effective method from their point of view, but I think it's plain WEAK.

I liken it to playing tennis against a weaker player, yet one who has the ability return pretty much every shot with a seemingly gravity-defying and annoyingly unforceful lob, again and again and again until you are so frustrated that you loose your temper and slam that sucker right into the net, thereby loosing the point and, ultimately, the match, to the annoying lobber, who smirks knowingly at you from the other side of the net, almost daring you to throw your racquet at her head [which reminds me, my sister actually did that to me once, I will have to regale you all with that tale one day ...]. But you don't, because there are rules and we live in a relatively civilized society. Natasha, one day revenge WILL BE MINE. Consider yourself warned.

That said, you can well imagine how much I enjoyed the following exchange:

Me: So, I just received a rather snarky email from X

Passive Aggressive Ass ("PAA"): (smirking) yes?

Me: you sent them something?

PAA: yes, that's the procedure

Me: I explained to you in April why this was a special case

PAA: hmm, I don't recall that

(I am standing, PAA is sitting with a smirking, smug expression that I want to forcibly swat from its face)

Me: we went through this exact exercise in April, just 3 months ago

PAA: yeah, I still don't recall (adding annoying head tilt)

Me: Okay, can we mark the file so it doesn't happen again?

PAA: I hear what you're saying (head tilting smirk as emphasis)

["I hear what you're saying" --- if there is an expression that sets me off, that's it]

Me: oh, forget it, I'll just deal with it

PAA: Right

*&#@$!@#$!!!!!!!

Personal ad, Knowlton WASP style

The following is an excerpt from an email, including photo, I got from my
dad last week. A good indicator of just how desperately my mother wants me to get married and start giving her grandchildren (which, I suspect, she wants partially so that she can sit with the cool kids at bridge):

"His first name is C______, and is, I recall, unmarried, which your
mother liked. She would have flown you to the wedding reception by
private jet if she had enough time (and money). He lives in Mtl and

is a goodfriend of P____ and plays at Royal Montreal Golf Club
as does P____. Very nice guy."

Geek-o-Metre

What I have noticed this week since the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is how many people are walking around reading it, with it poking out from their bags, with it sitting on their desks -- pretty much everyone is reading it. Which means pretty much everyone is reading (if you subscribe to the a+b=c theory). And that, to me, is very exciting.

I am about half-way through it and am rationing how much I read on a daily basis because I don't want it to end too quickly - tempted as I am to just finish it.

For this little game I am playing with myself, I give me an 8 out of 10 on the Geek-o-Metre.

4 men I love

okay, well "love" may be too strong a word (considering I don't actually know them) but I am certainly crushing on them in a very non-sexual way

after reading my last post (note to self: you really have to rethink the anonymity feature of this blog) a friend asked me what I was looking for in a mate, and I found myself describing in some ways these four men, not physically, but intellectually -- not to sound all pretentious and evolved in that I am only intersted in a man's mind cause that's so not true, as evidenced by this post, but the way in which each of these men, 1, 2, 3 & 4, talk about their wives and children in such loving, glowing, respectful, admiring, terms so publicly and openly is lovely and inspiring and enviable and, well, lovable.

hence my very non-sexual (am repeating that in part to save myself from embarassment and because I have experienced where your lot's minds go) crush.

I want the fairytale, dammit!

There. I've said it . Out loud (well, kind of) and in public (to some extent). I want the freaking fairy tale.

I have moved across the continent, about as far away from my "roots" as possible while remaining in the same country, I have switched careers three or four times, gone back to school, lived on my own, taken care of myself, my dog and my sister, and made lots of truly fabulous friends. I have also had a few not-so-successful relationships. I can do the alone thing. Have done it to death. Have nothing left to "prove" in that regard. And quite frankly I am so over the alone thing. I have actually been having mini anxiety attacks (hear that Paula, yes, me, your non-anxiety plagued sister is having anxiety attacks) over the fact that I am going to end up alone. Okay, maybe with a dozen or so dogs (please note, not cats), but alone in the human context of things.

I want someone to laugh with at the end of the day, to share dinner and breakfast with, to walk with, to go to movies with, have children with, to share with, and yes, the whole sex thing is a most excellent benefit, though not necessarily exclusive to the life-partner scenario. Sex can be found. Relationships? Not so much.

Love, courtship, marriage, friendship, kids, for ever and ever amen, I WANT IT ALL!!!!!!!!!

Now that I've said it, what am I gonna do about it? Not so sure. Haven't planned that far ahead. Admitting the want was a big enough step.

Happy Monday

you know it's going to be a great day when one of the first tasks you have to accomplish is killing the great big hairy spider hanging out by the drain in your one and only shower and you actually have to shower and can't get away with not showering because you took the mutt and went for a what seemed like an excellent idea at the time early morning run through the trails and are now muddy and sweaty and have to be at least somewhat presentable at work in about an hour and a half and the landlords are back so you can't go and use one of their bathrooms and can't get said mutt to dispose of the scary creature because the last time she did it resulted in a very expensive and frightening trip to the vet (anaphylactic shock, anyone??) and to top it off, you discover that you have no dairy for the much needed coffee and the "convenience store" is not open until 8, which is not very bloody convenient

at least it is gloriously sunny outside, though I am inside, at the office, looking outside

p.s. that sucker is DEAD!!!!!!

Thanks from Maggie

When I got to work this morning there was an ENORMOUS leopard print dog bone shaped bed on my desk with a note:

To: Maggie

Love: Jen

Jen was inspired by this photo

You see, the lovely bed in the photo belongs to Max Factor, whom I board once in a while. (Only fair that she got to sleep on it as Max was very fond of her teddy). Jen felt that my little princess deserved one of her very own, so now she has one. Maggie sends many licks and wags to Jen.

Photos of the princess on her new bed coming soon to a blog near you.

Now the funny part will be me getting said bed, and it is about 4 feet long, home tonight on the bus ..... oh yeah, and keeping our managing partner's paws off it as he was eyeing it up as a potential napping accessory

Precious

This is Trudy my sister's mutt. Sorry, Labrador Rottweiller Whistler Special, named after our grandmother, Gertrude (wouldn't want to do that to a kid, so thank God we have dogs). The lovely pink accessory is the reason my sister is currently less than liquid.

Also, photo evidence that the sun did make an appearance in British Columbia in 2005. Okay, so it was February, but we did have some sun. 4 months ago.