Vancouver!

So many good times, some highlights:

• Seeing my cousin Lisa again after 13 years apart, and getting to know her kids
• Surprising my soon to be step-sister Kristine that I was in Kelowna
• Meeting Warren, Renee's husband, who's really swell
• Eating at Forage and buying myself a really expensive meal
• Spending time with Derek, who hasn't changed at all
• Reconnecting with Eva, my university friend who I haven't seen for almost 10 years
• Visiting my grandmother's old trailer in Vernon
• Seeing the lake and the mountains in Kelowna and Vancouver....it was just THE BEST

It was a trip of reconnection...with the kind of person I am, with family, with friends.  Of course, I worked long days while I was there, and the election was a mess to watch in the states.  But overall, I ate amazing food, I laughed and had hugs with those I loved, and sort of reconnected with who I was.  I barely slept, and every night I fell into bed exhausted.

It was a great trip overall.  I must go back, and bring Alex!

There's a lot of love in the world

And I just feel good lately.  Work is busier than ever, but I'm feeling good about life in general. 

I have been working really hard lately, and I guess I just hope it all pays off soon. ^_^

Birthday goals

So last year my birthday was disappointing.

Not because of what anyone did.  In fact, several of my friends and Alex did was really sweet and they tried to put something together for me so I enjoyed myself.  And I did....sorta!  But in the end, it felt a bit like a pity attempt.  And there's no party that's worse than a pity party.  And I don't know that everyone had such a great time.

I realized, I think, the only way that I would have a good birthday, the kind I LOVE, the kind that says 'this is worthy of good memories' is for me to be really clear about what I want to do, and invite people along to do what 'I' want..because I realized the problem was me, not other people!

This year, here's some highlights:

• Alex got me a really, really nice present....he's improving! :)
• I got to go to Dolly Parton with my mentor, Barry...a good deed and a great time with someone I admire
• Played an escape game!  Was so fun!!! :)
• I had two amazing meals....mexican on my actual birthday, and duck fat fries on Saturday
• Went to my favourite martini place
• Got some cute and amazing cards
• Had laughs and saw people I loved, I felt very, very loved 

I have more laugh lines on my face, I look older and my body has more creaks, but I have more love, and life, in so many ways, keeps getting better.  And yes, having an amazing birthday party was a goal for this year (Goal #16!)  Goal clearly accomplished!

I wonder what next year will bring.  I hope it's just as good as this year!

Oppression

I am currently reading The Gay Revolution by Lillian Faderman.  It's a harrowing read for me, as it mirrors so much of what happened to me as a young kid, and so much I got to avoid because this revolution happened for me, and in many ways, without me.

I often wondered if I would be a activist when I grew up.   Growing up in a rural place (and trust me, Saskatoon in the 90s was a rural place), being gay meant being oppressed.  You grew up with two choices:  be an accidental activist or be in the closet for life. 

Many times, when having fights with my mom about my sexuality, I wondered if I should leave home.  If push came to shove, I would have left without a second thought.  Because I knew if people weren't going to accept me for me, then I needed to accept me, and that was more important than anything else.  Nothing else mattered to me at that age.

The idea of freedom didn't seem that important to me as a young man; I was free because I thought I was free.  But you can only be free if you can imagine a world that accepts you.  In 1950-70, being a homosexual meant poverty, loss of job, friends, everything.  You couldn't count on the police, they were the ones beating you in the street.  Religious people (and religions) said you were going to hell.  Parents were expected to abandon and forsake you.  I can only imagine where many of those people are now.


In this day and age, you wonder: how can we be so far from unity, and yet we profess progress? How can people believe that some people are inferior to others, just because they are different.  I think it's very understandable that sometimes, you'll feel uncomfortable around people that are different than you.  But that doesn't mean you're bad; it just means it's hard to be around things that are different. 

Somewhere along the way people began to show courage.  There began a new idea; an exciting idea that people could be proud of who they are.  Pride is a term you don't understand until you realize what you have to lose, walking in broad daylight.

Gay people, and many minority communities, don't want special rights. They want to feel like they have a place in the world.  It doesn't have to be a special place, a better place.  It just needs to be a place where they don't feel hurt, just to exist.

Negativity

I was reading this article today about Negative Habits That Stop People from Being Happy, and it definitely hit a note or two for people in my life.  Quite a few, actually.

I just think the kind of life we in Canada get to experience is so rare, so unexpectedly special, it often causes me to stop, to watch the sun set, to really look at the people passinng me on the street.   From the shape of a leaf on a tree, to shared laughter between friends, to reaching an important goal...I just think it's so easy to love life and love it well.

I hope for people who are struggling...that they might find their way.  For those that are afraid, they find courage.  For those in despair, may they find a way to start again, to renew themselves.

For me, I wish for only the wisdom to be  able to say the truth without harming, to create change without destroying,  to make connections where there were none; to create something out of nothing, every day, with creativity, good intention and faith.  (And maybe a dose of laughter, as well.)

Life is not long.  This seems to me unfair.  I wish I could experience more, see more, and feel more of everything there is in human life.  There's so much good in the world.  I truly believe that, even if the worst were to come, there's still so much good in life to experience. 

A tribute to a friend

Bruce Hunter had a rapier wit, and wasn't afraid to speak his mind.  I remember sitting in meetings with him, saying things to our boss that I never thought anyone said to anyone's boss.  But he said them with such charm that he got away with it, nearly every time.  This endeared him to me, and told me that he was my kind of person, the kind I liked in a workplace.  Honest, professional, in touch with reality and not afraid to speak his mind.

I could go on with quite a few stories, but I have three things that I would like to note:

• He was my mentor.  He taught me the principles of design and how to  to create things that are beautiful and functional just through talking it through with me.  He stood up for me in ways I didn't expect, and I am forever grateful for.
• He was someone who changed the world in his own way.  He was a big part of the MAC Aids fund for a very long time, and he was part of the movement to revolutionize and change the face of LGBT communities....he did a lot of good through that foundation.
• He had joie de vivre.  He was a truly happy and to my eyes, a very full and complete person who knew who he was and knew how to enjoy life to the best of his ability.

After he retired from my workplace, we had a couple messages on Facebook here and there, but I never had the chance to go have a drink with him, or see him again after that.  It leaves somewhat of a sad feeling with me, of an opportunity missed.

Going to his funeral this week was hard.  It's harder still to realize this will happen more and more as I get older.  I myself am not afraid of dying, not in the usual way.  I am afraid of all the amazing things in life I will miss, but not of dying. It's moments like this where I think that some people are born with great souls, and that those great people are the beacons in our lives.  Bruce was one of them for me, even if it was only for a very short time.

Bruce, thank you for being in my life.  So many people at your funeral, I could tell, felt very similarly to me.  You touched people in ways you probably didn't even realize.  Thank you for being who you were....I wish more people could have known how wonderful you were.

Wedding!

Martin's wedding is finally done!  Whew!

All I have to say is that it was a lot of work.  I'm glad it's over, and everyone seemed happy with how it went.

 

Tyler and I MC's the wedding.  At first, I thought it was going to be not fun, and a lot of work, but I was only right on one account!  

 

Tyler and I did a great job, probably better than both of us expected, since we didn't have much time to practice and we had to sort of come up with 'appropriate jokes.' It's tough when it's about family! ;)

Overall, it was a lot of fun, but wow I was tired every day!  The good thing is that I got to visit with a lot of great relatives that I haven't seen in a while....it was really awesome.  Especially seeing my Uncle Martin and Auntie Marg and my Uncle Brian....it's been years!

 

It was the best time....great family time spending it with everyone.  

Delicious Dinner

Went out with Liz and her parents tonight...what an amazing meal! We'll have to go there again.

Online courses I've completed lately

3 managment courses
1 UX design crash course (31 articles)

My Strengths and Weaknesses test

I took this very fun test....and here are my results!

Your Top 5 Strengths Are:

Faith (94%): 

* Make efforts to discover your true passion and tie it to your work, no matter what you do.

* Align, but don't compromise, your values to that of your organization.

* You respect others for learning about your family and community - give them the opportunity.

* You give more value to greater levels of service than more money - let others know this.

* People may not share your beliefs, but you feel they need to understand & respect - let them.

Self Motivation (88%): 

* You don't need your hand-held; help others understand you need space to make meaningful decisions.

* Seek to take on a role where persistence is essential to success.

* Continually take on roles that demand an aura of certainty and stability.

* You have a strong self-concept that you are an agent of action - nurture it.

* You are most effective when you feel you are in control of your world - be aware and help others understand this.

* You need clear feedback to develop your instincts - review your failures and successes for lessons learned.

Curiosity (88%): 

* Actively take on roles that require you to stay current in a fast moving field.

* Always stay hunting for a richer learning environment - the process keeps you energized.

* Track your learning progress and celebrate milestones along the way.

* Challenge yourself to be a resident expert or master of trade on a subject.

* Request to work beside someone who will continuously push you to learn more.

* Learn by teaching others - do discussion groups and presentations at work and in your community.

* Set aside money to support continued education, training, seminars, and e-learning.

Resourcefulness (88%): 

* You thrive on responsibility - sign up for opportunities that foster it.

* Capitalize on your talent to be a manager or supervisor.

* You are good at figuring out how to fit others' strengths into the team - help them.

* You thrive in situations where many things are happening at same time - seek them.

* Make efforts to figure out other ways to do things - you enjoy this.

* Reject working with someone who you believe is dishonest or shoddy worker.

Strategic Thinking (81%): 

* Be on the leading edge of your organization, groups, and strategic plans.

* Be involved in organizational planning and risk management efforts.

* Always give yourself plenty of time to think through a situation.

* Read books, take a training course, or attend a seminar in strategic planning and futurism.

* Seek chances to share your ideas in writing and presentations.

* Seek solutions that worked in other places, learn from them, and try to apply them to your life and work.

Your Remaining Results Are:

Adaptability (81%): 

Visionary (81%): 

Communication (81%): 

Innovation (81%): 

Focus (81%): 

Ambition (81%): 

Salesmanship (75%): 

Teamwork (75%): 

Leadership (75%): 

Problem Solving (75%): 

Integrity (75%): 

Purpose (75%): 

Optimism (69%): 

Risk Taking (63%): 

Determination (44%): 

Your Bottom 1 Weakness Is:

Balance (38%):

* You bring structure to chaotic situations - you don't rest until order restored. Seek teams that need your help.

* Clutter will greatly annoy you - make every effort to enhance your organizational and planning systems.

* Always seek advance notice of deadlines, meetings, and project milestones.

* Surprises are distressing to you and can ruin your day - help others understand the way you operate.

* Actively take time out to prioritize your tasks and goals.

* Offer to help with time management and department processes.

* Continually work out possible outcome paths ahead of time to prepare for the unknowns.

My summer reading challenge!

I have challenged several people on THE FACEBOOK to read along with me, and I will read any book that they are trying to accomplish to read this summer.  I let them pick from this list (or suggest a good alternative!)

So far I am reading:


Visit From The Goon Squad with Anita
Armada with Desirae

and I assume more as the week goes on!  ^_^

Join me, if you dare!  Yarr!

What a long day!

Work was busy, new diet, watched Working Girl for the first time...made me remember what made movies great in the 80s!

Goals!

It's been so busy...I haven't even had time to write on here!

More importantly, I've been so busy accomplishing things on my list that I hadn't really had time to record a lot of them.  So here's a little personal report!

Total planned goals for Dec-March 2016: 75
Total completed goals: (drumroll please) 46

Completed goals:

I got a lot done, and part of that had to do with giving up video games for Lent.  You don't realize how much time you do certain things until you remove them and have to replace them with other things.  For me, that was reading books.  I ended up reading almost 25 books over Lent.  It was almost a book a day.

There were also some surprises.  One of my goals was to text my brothers more.  Doing so has been really fruitful for me...I've gotten a lot closer to them considering that I don't see them very often. 

Practicing drawing has also been really good for me.  I had forgotten how much I liked learning to draw.  It's been a good investment.

The biggest surprise for me has been has some goals completed themselves without too much work from me.  I ended up having a party at my house...but it was me and Celine planning it, not just me.  Some goals are better with others!

Not completed goals:

A lot of the small goals I didn't complete.  Some were really silly.  (eg. make a milkshake) But I did want to do them.  Some of them wouldn't really let me complete them in the timeframe I wanted. (e.g. My PR website had huge problems in the back end.  I still plan to redesign it and invest more in it, but well, it needs a major overhaul!)

Some were things that weren't that important but would have been nice (get a new curtain rod and curtains)

The one I'm sad I didn't complete is taking a french class. I just couldn't seem to find the time required for investing in a language class.


Overall:

I think I'm getting better and making lists of things I want to do and working towards them, even when they're difficult, multi-stepped items. (Like finishing two online courses in the past couple months!)

Time to make a new list!

Goal #53: Go to a classical music concert

 

I went to not one, but THREE classical music concerts this week as part of the TSO's New Creations festival.  Great, sometimes weird music.  I enjoyed a lot of it, and I got to all of them with different people. Lots of great cultural learning!  I had a blast. 

Goals update!

I've managed to cross quite a few off the list!

Goal #3: Go to a networking event

Met several young entrepreneurs this weekend.  Next!

Goal #13: Volunteer for something

Taught a social media class to said young entrepreneurs.

Goal #19: Write 10 Blog posts 

This is 10.  Next!

Goal #22: Go to a job interview.

Just interviewed for my permanent position this Thursday at CAMH.  Next!

Goal #23: Take a Marketing or PR course

This week I'm finishing my SEO online course.

Goal #25: Hold a HUGE Party!

Roommate brunch: Spring edition was 8 people.  So much fun! Laughed, caught up, had nice food.

Goal #37: Make someone's day

Bought a cupcake for a coworker on her birthday and sang her happy birthday.

Goal #57: Volunteer somewhere new

I'll be starting to volunteer with RISE in the fall.


Goal #66: Learn a little Russian

Paka means goodbye, and Zdravstvvuyte means hello.  Mehn-yeh zau-voot Brennan!

Goal #71: Brainstorm content ideas

I'm currently working on a new little side writing project.  Excited about this little secret 'o mine! 

 

Goal 26: Read 10 books

This goal turned out to be seriously easy.  Sometimes I forget how much a read on a regular basis.

More than that, I gave up video games for Lent.  I can't sit still for too long, so instead of movies, it left me with books.  And I've always loved reading, and I read quite a few books per year, usually 20-60, depending on the year.  I picked most of them from top lists in 2015 in fantasy and sci-fi, since I have been in the mood for things from my fav genres.  Here's the list of books I read:

1. The Great Gatsby
2. The Five People You Meet in Heaven
3. Mort(e)
4. The Shadow Revolution
5. Prince of Fools
6. Throne of Glass
7. The Queen of Tearling
8. Iron Axe
9. The Knight of Swords
10. A Spell for Chameleon

I read a few other random books, but these are the ones so far that I enjoyed the most.  I read about a book every two days, which tells you how I've been spending my free time lately!  \

I highly recommend 1, 3, and 7. 

Goal 29: Text brothers 20 times

I noticed I wasn't connecting with my brothers as much as I used to....and I realized I didn't put a lot of work into contacting them, which is probably part of the problem.  So, I made extra efforts to reach out to them. 

And lo, and behold, it was one of the best things I could have done.

I send ridiculous Snapchats back and forth with Tyler.  I would ask Clayton about trips him and his girlfriend were taking.  I asked Martin and his fiancee about their upcoming wedding. Adam and I texted back and forth about when I had a one-hit wonder punk band in high school.  (Me, in a punk band!)

I am glad I got back in touch...but I also think it was good I waited.....I'm not sure that I would have been in a good position to explain to my brothers what I was trying to do with my life for the last couple years.

But now that everyone's growing up, it's a little nicer.

I've been listening to a lot of Celine Dion lately

And I've decided if I ever get married, maybe I'll choose this song as my wedding song....I can imagine myself slow dancing to this song.

Goal #74: Go Skating

So I wanted to go skating.  And it's been beautiful this weekend, so I managed to drag Karl skating with me.

 

Little did I know Karl did not know how to skate.  I mean, he said he wasn't very good. but that was a GRAND exaggeration. He couldn't skate to save his life.

However, with the small lessons from Brennan-the-mighty teacher, he learned and learned well!  By the time he finished, he could skate without falling flat!  It was a really fun moment! 

I had such a nice night with Karl....it's been a while since he and I have had that much fun.  And it was good to be able to help him get better at something as well.  

Goal 69: Finish After Effects Course

So I have been working on an Adobe After Effects course for the last two years or so.  It was 8-10 hours of coursework, and I finally finished it!  Woo!

After Effects is one of the hardest programs for a creative professional (imo) to master, since it's better if you have a strong understanding of both vector graphics (Illustrator) and layered documents (Photoshop) as well as understanding video composition (Premiere) to really get some of the full effects out of the program. 

Needless to say, working in this program, which while the industry standard, is still a piece of garbage, made me take longer than I normally would have to complete this course. I'm waiting for the day when the industry standard for a pro-sumer is something not only more user-friendly, but less prone to crashing, or waiting to load previews, and has the capability of integrating sound properly.

Anyways.

I'm a lot more confident with AE than before, and it's only going to help my editing skills in the future.

TOW: Learning from mistakes

Two years ago, (and a few extra days) I was under a lot of pressure at work, and I screwed up, big time.  The whole scenario was so terrible, and in retrospect I still feel embarrassed, probably more than anything by having to explain over and over again how a simple mistake turned into a giant, marketing effort ruining mistake.  I still have regrets about that moment, and how it shouldn't have happened.  When I think about it, I do think it was a good lesson in learning something about me.  Namely, that even when I screw up in a large way, I can still function and I still want to correct what I've done wrong.

Fast forward to today, when I was part of a planning committee that helped launch Portico Network in a 'media ready' kind of way, life is a lot different.  I am surrounded by interesting, intelligent people.  And I managed to fix similar errors before they blew way out of control.  I would like to say I've learned from my mistakes, but I think it's more accurate to say that I know what to look for, and to look for it constantly when under tight timelines and pressures.

One of the videos I created for this event is a culmination of work between me and very overworked, top-tier graphic designer. I storyboarded the entire thing, scripted it, she animated and designed the look and feel, and I hired the narrator and cut the video as well as did all the timing and music.  It was an extremely collaborative effort. 
I'm really proud of being able to do things like this in my career path.  It's moments like this that make me super happy....creating things that are fun....at least fun for me....and well received by people who want products like these.

I will probably make many more mistakes in the future..but I'm looking forward to gaining experience in my industry of choice, and doing my best to provide the best possible to those around me. =)

New list!

I have a new list of 100 goals for this year.  Here's what's been accomplished so far


14) Get a new cell phone:  It was time!  I now have a giant phone.  

17) Spend some quality time with Graham:

This is me trying to look like we're having the best time in the world!!! In reality, we just ate a lot of sushi.   I think Graham was calling Kendal back.


33)  Buy a new suit:  Now in alterations!

42)  Do a painting workshop:  This painting is only $400!  Buy now! =)

I'll keep going with my list of updates here....one of the was also 'finish Christmas shopping' which definitely happened!

Thought of the Year: Return

This holiday season has been, for me, a return. 

I think this year is going to be a big year of change for me.  A lot of important change. I can feel it...some work changes, some lifestyle changes, hopefully some positive changes, maybe some big changes...but I want it to be interesting...good, fun, challenging. 

Coming back home this year has made me realize I have certain values that I need to reaffirm, relationships I need to mend and revisit. Part of me that I need to rediscover.  A little bit of amor fati, if you will.

But I also think there's some things I need to give up.  Some things in my life I need to change.  Some parts of me I need to revisit and rebuild. 

I'm doing an inner journey to remember who I was, when I was younger, so that I take those best parts to the future.

If anything, this has been a year of 'return' to return to who I could have been and knowing that what I could be, can't be, until I start making some big, positive, real change in my life.

Hanging out with my older brother today

Had a blast!

(And of course with my super cute niece as well.)

Feeling

It just how I feel! Sigh.

Mexico!

Some fun images from my trip! :)

 We leave!

Arrived!

Pool time!

 

Time for dinner!  The food was amazing!

 

Shopping!

Chichen Itza!  Was so amazing!

 

Weird Halloween dance party!

And that was pretty much it! :)

 

 

100 Goals for my 32nd birthday

So here we are.  (And accomplishing Goal #80 in the process!  12 blog posts: complete!)

It's been a fun four months, trying to get all of these things done.  Some of them I was finishing as late as yesterday, trying to make these things happen. 

I often make lists like these, trying to accomplish things that are fun, some things that are serious, and some things in between.  I really challenged myself this time, though, with 100 things to complete by my 32nd birthday.

In the end, I managed to complete 60 out of 100 goals in four months.  Believe it or not, I was actually pretty disappointed with that.  When I look at my list, it's covered with stars.  It's just all those in between ones that seem to bring my numbers down lower than expected.  If I had anticipated how many I had left, I might have changed things around slightly.

Some of the ones I didn't accomplish, I have to admit; I just put them off for other goals, or just decided I didn't feel like doing them.  (Also, I repeated a couple of them.  Some like, 'Go for a painting class' are pretty similar to ones like 'create a piece of art.')  I really wish that I had given myself a little more time, or come up with some different, perhaps some slightly more 'summer themed' goals, since this year, I did a lot of summer related activities, which was really nice...and very different for me!  I wish 'go swimming' had been on this list, since that's something that Alex and I did this summer, and it was a blast.

Some of my goals were either unobtainable, or, looking back, had too many parts.  Writing 12 blog posts as one goal was a good goal, but reading 20 books as one goal, that was perhaps much too ambitious for four months.  Of course, it wouldn't have been, if I hadn't also had goal 35: do three online training courses on Lynda.com, as well as take a class (which I did, through skillshare, on illustration.)

Some goals turned out differently than I expected, as well.  I had a day of fasting when I didn't plan it (Goal 25) and visiting my family doctor meant I got my yearly physical (goal 45).  I also had to plan out getting proper amounts of sleep in higher numbers (goals 50 and 51) but meeting a firefighter was a bit of a happy accident at the taste of danforth festival (goal 17). 

Some goals, I think, were downright too ambitious for four months.  Goal 94, finish bottle of daily vitamins, would mean I would have to remember to take a vitamin daily for three months straight.  That goal was sabotaged by the fact that I often would feel ill after taking one of the vitamins first thing in the morning, which was often the most sensible time to take it.  Next time, I should probably just stick to chewable vitamins. 

Also, some creative goals, I just didn't have time for.  I wanted to do a video shoot and a photo shoot this summer, and do a really professional set up.  Unfortunately, there just wasn't time....I was too busy doing summer activities during the times that would have been best.

Probably the biggest gap in my goals list were the 'financial' areas.  I was planning on opening RRSPs (goal 29) and also trying my hand at investing in a stock or two for fun (Goal 69).  I had a bunch of other goals...but I have recently restructured my financial so I am paying down rather aggressively some student debt, and that has made me adjust over the last few months a bit more.


The one thing I have learned from this goal list, is that some of these I would like to carry over to my NEXT goal list (before 2016!) and some of them I need to complete, even if just for myself.  The creative ones that I didn't get to, I either have planned in the next week or so (timing) and things like 'visit the dentist' were reliant on my health benefits being kicked in, which they finally are, after waiting for three months.  I now have stuff I need to back claim.  Perhaps my next goals should be to find someone else to do my admin work on all this stuff! 

But overall, I'm very happy with my goals for this year....I think I accomplished quite a bit that this list doesn't reflect.  Next time, I may leave an open 'bonus section' so that I can accurately capture growth in my life! =)

TOW: Freedom

I've heard the word free a lot lately.  An evangelist in chinatown was saying, "I know God!  I'm free!  Free from religion!  Free from capitalism!"

A homeless man as I passed him (and Syrian refugee protest today), said, "More things need to be free!  Like gum.  And love! THEN WE'LL BE HAPPY."

I'm not sure what love and gum have to do with each other, but perhaps one day I'll learn the secret. 

As I walked by both men, (perhaps the former more than the latter) there seemed to be a slightly misplaced understanding of freedom.  One that I'm quite partial to some days, but overall I think is flawed.

Freedom is not a concept of being loosened from responsibilities, needs, difficult people, etc.  Freedom is not being freed from something so that we can do as we please.  Freedom is the freedom to be.  To act.

And freedom is not a concept that lives by itself, within us as an ultimate mover.  It must be cultivated by other virtues to exist in us.  And a society built of responsible people, is one that can choose religion, that can have an economic system and be happy (indulging, to an extent) and still be free.

There is no freedom without responsibility.  Freedom without a place in the world is not freedom at all.  It's aimlessness.  Neither human morality nor human society at large benefit from aimless individuals.  These people will never find love.  Nor gum.

Goal #22: See a Shakespeare Play

Karl and I went and saw Julius Caesar in High Park.  This is something that Karl and I now think we will do as an 'annual thing.'  I have to agree, since both of us seem to really enjoy the culture and the vibe.  Also, it's a pay what you can environment, which is really great!  The concession stand is also quite reasonable.

I have few thoughts about this particular play because it was done so well.  Brutus seemed so believable and virtuous, Cassius was very well done by the woman play her.  Marc Antony, was naked for half of the play, which was a bit weird.  But overall, very fun!!

#28: Have a dinner party

OK, it was a brunch party....so sue me!

I realized I had gotten out of the habit of entertaining with meals, and I realized how much I missed it.  So I helped cook the main meal this weekend, with none other than my amazing roomies and some guests!

\

I made the scrambled eggs, which had chorizo sausage and a crumbled american asiago cheese.  It was a new creation, but quite good!  I will have to try it again.  Nathanael made crepes and Celine made the lovely salad.  It was a MILLION degrees and so hot, but still so fun.

We had a very nice time, and it inspired me....I love dinner parties! 

#34: Learn a new software

So this one came as part of another project I was working on.

Karl and I decided to record a podcast, and we ended up with a 20 minute file.

 

At the same time, I was asked at work to put together an audio file for a voiceover, which was definitely a new task, since I had to work with only waveforms (and it was with a really annoying audio format, so I couldn't just import it into a video editor and export it as mp3 or wav files)  But in the end, it was a good exercise for me to learn the basics of a track based audio editing program.

I then took that learning from work, and applied it to our podcast!  Which Karl is going to take a listen to this week, and depending on what we think, we might make it a regular thing, just for kicks.  I think he thinks it's his road to fame, but honestly, I just think stuff like this is fun!

#65: Go hiking

So Alex had a dilemma: he had a week long vacation, and nowhere to go.  His original plan with his best friend fell through, and we decided we would try to make the most of the upcoming long weekend.

We hemmed and hawed a bit, between going to Montreal, or perhaps going to Niagara Falls, and then I decided that we would try and go to Blue Mountain. And in the end, that's exactly what we did, and what a good idea it was! Because it allowed me the chance to finish one of the items on my list: Go hiking!

On day one, we took the Village Trail.  It was very beautiful, and a good 'intro hiking trail.  There was lots to see! 

The nicest part of hiking up the mountain is that you can take the gondola down.  (Which is a lot nicer than taking the gondola up, which costs $15!)

On day two, we did the maintenance trail, mainly because I think Alex wanted to challenge himself a little bit.  I'm very glad I brought a water bottle, since he nearly expired on the trail!  It was very steep, and there were plenty of people that couldn't really make it all the way up.  However, we did, eventually make it.

We also went in search of the so-called scenic caves.  However, after asking for directions, and walking for about half an hour, all we found were a few nice forest glades, some houses on top of hills and this big old sign!

The last day, we couldn't hike because Alex hurt his knee the evening before.  He managed to recover  for the next day, but we decided to skip a longer hike and went to the pool instead.

Overall, Blue Mountain was beautiful, and I can't wait to go again!  It really was a retreat from city life, which is just what I needed.

Goal #54: Lift 45 pound weigh at gym

 

On my goal to lose some weight, and be in better fitness weight....I wanted to be able to lift higher level free weights.

I felt like a complete BOSS lifting this.  It's been 2 years since I've been able to comfortably lift this weight during a regular session.  Made me feel really great. =D

I did a set of something like 12 reps with this of lifting straight up and down.  I think I also did some barbell curls with this, as well. I'm starting to get back into the shape I was in 2 years ago...eating well...it feels really good. 

Goal #81: Listen to 12 podcasts

 

I am so in love with this podcast.  It was so well done.  

It was a real-crime murder mystery, with a journalist turning her year long investigation into a story of the power of testimony.  More than anything, it showed a lot of what individuals think of someone once they became convicted of a crime.

I am very excited for the next season of this podcast!  It's right up there with my favourites from Stuff I Missed in History Class and New York Times book reviews.

 

 

Goal #1: Make a new friend

So this one happened easier than I thought.

My new roommate Celine is now a great friend to me.  We are planning trips and going to a Blue Jays game at the end of July, we eat dinner together, and maybe we'll even go for a cottage weekend in August.

She's funny, she's smart, and last week, she gave me the best massage ever! =D

She's also super bright and positive, and it just makes my day when she randomly hugs me, even if she's a little blue or I'm a little blue.  Hugs make almost everything better.

She's also super sporty...so maybe we'll do something very fun and exciting over the next little while!

Edit:  We did!  We went to a baseball game with her workplace, and wow everyone was our age.  How fun it was to go to a sports event with people your own age!