the common cold

I am currently suffering from my second cold this winter. Not impressed. These colds have come after a first time experience with strep throat. I was also not impressed when I had that. All this sickness has made me think, what the heck? What is with my immune system that I am so susceptible to illness. So I looked it up on the internet. What to do to boost your immune system and here was the list.

• Don’t smoke. - CHECK
  
• Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat. - CHECK
  
• Exercise regularly. - CHECK
  
• Maintain a healthy weight. - CHECK
  
• Control your blood pressure. - MOSTLY CHECK
  
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation. - MOSTLY CHECK
  
• Get adequate sleep. - SOMETIMES CHECK
  
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly. - CHECK
  
• Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category. - CHECK
  

 I do most of these things all the time. My sister has also been quite sick this winter and after speaking with her yesterday she said something that resonated with me. She said I feel like I should start smoking, drinking and being lazy...doing all the right things is not helping. I think I agree with her. Do we try too hard to do all the right things thereby making things worse? Strange logic right? All I know is that I have never been as sick as I have been in the last couple of years and I don't like it. 

Suggestions welcome.

thought of the day

life is not fair

resolutions

It has taken me a while but I am ready to write down some resolutions for 2012.

In no particular order:

1. Be tidy - for the sake of future marriage and the sanity of my future husband I will strive to be tidy. This is a significant challenge.

2. Look forward not back - I am a dweller. I harp on things I cannot change. This year I hope to accept the past and embrace the future. Deal with the now and what is to come.

3.  Find a new hobby - I am on the look out for a new hobby. Something to try and something to learn. Not sure what it is yet, but hopefully soon I will know.

4. Drink more water - helps with all bodily functions. I will drink more water and less pop.

They seem small, but for me, they are big. I'll add if I think of anything else.

thought of the day

Sometimes you just need to pick a path and go down it. One way or the other, it will move you forward. And at the end of the day, it has to be the right choice, because you made it.

thought of the day

Sometimes I wish that...

decisions, decisions, decisions

I think I need a decision maker in my life. I need someone to tell me what to do so that I don't have to make the hard decisions my self. Don't get me wrong, I'm really good at telling other people what to do and what they should do, but when it comes to me - no idea. What gives? You would think that because I know myself best that those decisions would be the easy ones. But no! Not for me! I'm terrified of making one that I won't like, or that will disrupt me or challenge me a little too much. I want change, but I don't; I crave adventure, but I'm scared; I'm desperate to be brilliant, but I'm not. Why am I such a living contradiction. Just pick something. Anything!

Any volunteers for this thankless job? It is sure to bring verbal abuse, nasty moods and no you will definitely receive no thanks. Takers?

Anyone?

some people

Some people you just can't reason with. The last few weeks have taught me this valuable lesson. Despite how logical, rational, educated or experienced or not, some people will just never really listen with an open mind. They are too stubborn, jaded, proud, self-important - call it what you want.

What have I learned from this experience? To never knowingly be that way myself. To always at least try to listen; to admit when I am wrong regardless of how I might feel about it; never assume I know everything; and never treat people with less respect than I would treat my mother. Because if you do any of these things, you are the only one who ends up looking stupid. I really wish I could write this to the person that taught me these valuable lessons. I feel like I should thank her despite her being a moron. Oh sorry! I'll rephrase, it is my opinion today that she is a moron; but, I am open to her proving me wrong.

In the pursuit of self-awareness...

good advice

tgif

Friday, ahhh

smiles all around

the signs of spring

While on my way to work today- grudgingly - I decided today was a coffee morning. I've been trying to cut down but it's not gong well.  I went to my usual Timmy's and when I was placing my order the little sign had a simple image on it that brightened my day. All of a sudden the sky seems a little sunnier, the cold seemed a little warmer and the birds started chirping.  It was roll up the rim. (start cheesy music)

I placed my usual order - large black and drove around to the window.  When I reached out to pass my money along the nice Tim Horton's lady told me the car, well minivan, in front of me paid for my coffee.  How nice is that! The start of roll up the rim and a free coffee and nice people? Was I dreaming? And the icing on the cake - how could things get any better you ask? I won a free coffee with my cup.  If only work went so smoothly.

The start of roll up the rim is the start of spring.  We're almost there people; just a few more weeks. Thanks minivan people for making my day brighter. I will pay it forward tomorrow.

family day

This Monday is Family Day. It is a newish holiday enacted by the government a few years back. It used to be an optional holiday for employers to bestow on their employees, but now, now it is an Ontario enforced holiday. I think the government felt sorry for the majority of us Canadians that are deprived of holiday time by only receiving the bare minimum of holiday time. And for our government to feel sorry for us! Common people! Really Canada 15 days a year? A YEAR! Not enough time. Seriously, give everyone one more week a year and I would bet a month's pay - ok maybe not - but I seriously believe that absenteeism, moral, productivity and general work-place efficiency would all go up. I would be happy to test my theory at any time...I hope my HR department reads my blog.

Happy Family Day all...I know I will enjoy the long weekend!

a sad day

I will miss you Carol. You have been so strong and an inspiration to so many people. I know you will be watching over them. I hope heaven treats you better than earth did.

You will always be remembered. Find my dad will you? He'll be good company.

All our love,

SGB

quote to start 2011

"...the key to getting started down the path of being remarkable in anything is to simply act with the intention of being remarkable. "

Chad Fowler

"Rules are guidelines for stupid people who can't make up their own minds" - House

day light savings

Today the clocks went back an hour. This is usually good news for a terrible sleeper like me because it's actually later at night when you go bed, therefore hopefully I am a little more tired when going to bed, and it's a little later before the alarm, helping again because I am always very tired after not sleeping much through the night. However, tonight despite the fact that it should really be 1:49AM instead of the 12:49AM it is I am still wide awake. Go figure.

I heard on CBC radio last week that in England there is a group of people trying to permanently alter daylight savings time in order to take advantage of the day light hours instead of sleeping through them. I think the theory is if you move the clock a little more than we do now for daylight savings we will wake up more of the year in darkness, but the afternoon will allow for more daylight. The theory of course being that you would be able to take better advantage of the afternoon daylight more than the morning daylight for activities such as sports, family time and leisure. Interesting thought. I find it fascinating and somewhat hard to grasp that we can just play with time regardless. You'd think if you just change the hours by a few to make the light better fit our lifestyles that there should be more repercussions. Isn't that human-kind toying with the universe? Then again time is a creation of man in the first place so why don't we mess with it to best suit our needs. I say go for it. Not sure it will change the fact that I'm lazy and if given a few extra hours of daylight it will most likely not entice me to go running more than I already do, but far be it for me to deny those people who would take advantage.

Let there be light! or is it Let them eat cake? Either one I'm good with...

Couple gives lottery winnings to Charity

I can't believe this couple gave away all of the 11.2 million dollar winnings. I'm afraid I would not be so generous. Just the truth; does that make me a bad person? Does it make a bad person because I don't care if it does or not? :)

Article

burning out

It was bound to happen; too much work, too much life, too much stress. I officially have my first cold of the season. Stuck in bed for most of the weekend trying desperately to get over it before Monday. It's sad when you are literally too busy with work to take a day off when sick. I also missed my 20k run this morning because of this silly cold. It is hard to run when you can't get your breath walking up your house stairs! I also can't breath out of my nose, which is also a problem when trying to run. sigh.. I hope it doesn't set me too far back considering I only have 2 weeks till the big race! Two weeks! Better get better soon.

Back to bed...

rhetorical questions

At what point do you admit the truth? If only you know the truth. And life is easier pretending.

At what time do you make the right decision? Even if it would change your life?

What would it take? And, could you do it?

Would you spend your whole life wondering?

Could you live with the decisions you chose?

Hmmm.

Ode to Stu

So there is a family that we have known for our entire lives. They lived down the street from us on Somerset and our families were close from the start. Over the years things have changed a lot for the Young's and the Beasley's but some things have stayed exactly the same.

The characters. The Young children are Stu, Andy and Megan. Stu is one year younger than Vic and they have been BFFs for many many years. Andy and I are the same age and we used to terrorize Somerset Crescent as children, then we went to Queen's University and lived together for a short time. Megan is the youngest, nicest and cutest of the bunch.

Stu. I don't know anyone else quite like Stu. Now what prompted this Ode to Stu you may ask? Well, two nights ago my phone range at about 2AM and the next morning I found out that Stu and his brother Andy drunk dialed me. This has been a somewhat common occurrence over the years for Stu to drunk dial a Beasley. Off the top of my head I remember him calling from Venice and talking to my dad and my sister briefly before falling into a canal. There was the time when he missed the last train out of London England and drunk dialed us from a door way in middle of London - where he ended up sleeping I might add. And then there was the time he slept in a field and woke up to a wild Boar sniffing around... So the other night was not uncommon. Oh Stu.

Stu has a lust for life and the best attitude toward life that I have ever encountered. He does whatever makes him happy. He works hard and plays hard. And he doesn't take anything for granted. He truly lives with the saying "You only live once" as his motto. And what's more is he makes it look easy. He hated Ontario for several reasons including the weather and hated living in London because it is a soul sucking void of culture and ambition; his words, not mine and I may have paraphrased slightly. So he moved to BC - done. He wanted to travel. So he picked up went to England, got a job, experienced the life, traveled around Europe doing whatever and when ever (sleeping in fields, falling into canals - referred to earlier) then came home. He went to Uni then did his Masters and now works for the BC government assisting the big guys with public policy and strategy (or something) and loves it. And any time we have a conversation I leave thinking I can take over the world then I never to do anything.

The point of my story is I find him quite inspiring. I'm sure he will make fun of me for a long while after this post, but I really think something can be learned from the way Stu sees and lives life. Now just applying the life lessons..... that's harder for anyone other than Stu.

Stu, never change.

It is official

It has officially happened. I am old. I had a moment of clarity while driving home from Brampton on Wednesday evening. I was stuck in traffic around Waterloo so I turned on the local radio station, 91.5 The Beat to see if they would comment on what the traffic hold up was on the 401. While waiting for a traffic update I listened to song after annoying song by artists I've never heard of and I'm actually not even sure they are deserve the title artist. What is wrong with music? Is is it me? I used to listen to 91.5 and enjoy the music, but I think I may have crossed that fine line between still young and in tune with current music and finding that "cool" music ridiculous like my parents thought of the music I listened to growing up.

I am all grown up? I like to think not. But.....