I'm so close.
I have been living in an apartment with very few things for 20 days now. I preface this by saying I am fully aware of my privilege, how fortunate I am, how much more I have than so many, etc. I don't say this lightly, but I want to make it clear that I am aware. That being said, this is my life, and I want to write about it, so there it is.
So I've been living in an apartment with very few things for 20 days now. I have a coffee maker, Internet access, a big bed, and a patio table that serves as a kitchen table as well as a desk. Very versatile! However, the vast majority of my "things" are in Toronto at my apartment there, BUT Saturday is the big moving day. Finally all my things, furniture, books, etc. will join Spoon (my cat) and I in Waterloo... everything but my girlfriend K., which is obviously a huge bummer, but she'll join us (not) soon enough, too.
My Mom is joining me on Saturday to coordinate the move, especially on the Waterloo end. She loves organizing new apartments; arranging furniture, unpacking, etc. I'm a lucky girl to have her help, and I think it'll actually be fun!
Then my Mom will stay overnight, we'll finish up the work, and then she'll leave Sunday afternoon. I'm taking Monday off work and will spend those 36 or so hours enjoying my cat, my stuff, my new apartment, and my life in Waterloo. It'll be nice to feel a little more settled.
Hopefully the next time you hear from me, it'll be from my desk in Waterloo!
Til then!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
What really matters
If you start "getting fit" and "eating healthy", you may be motivated by a number of things:
- Living a longer life
- Avoiding potential health issues
- Losing weight
- Gaining energy
- "Looking better"
- Getting stronger and more fit
- Getting a hobby
...and a multitude of other things! I would say my motivation was mostly to be a healthier person overall. That being said, I wanted something to measure my progress, and my primary metric was weight. Weighing myself on a regular basis helped me see how I was doing, what patterns and habits changed the number on the scale, etc.
However, the thing you don't know when you make lifestyle changes is what developments you'll truly value once progress is made. For example, it's amazing to be able to say, "I've lost 40 lbs." But I've learned it's even more amazing to say, "Working out is part of my routine now", or "Working out is no longer a chore". That's probably my biggest accomplishment: making working out part of my life. The weight loss is great, but eventually it will level off (it kinda already has), and soon enough it'll stop because I'll have met my weight loss goal. However, the thing that will continue is the exercise. It's been incredible for my energy, strength, endurance, confidence, mental health, and so many more things I can't even articulate.
That's what I'm proud of!
However, the thing you don't know when you make lifestyle changes is what developments you'll truly value once progress is made. For example, it's amazing to be able to say, "I've lost 40 lbs." But I've learned it's even more amazing to say, "Working out is part of my routine now", or "Working out is no longer a chore". That's probably my biggest accomplishment: making working out part of my life. The weight loss is great, but eventually it will level off (it kinda already has), and soon enough it'll stop because I'll have met my weight loss goal. However, the thing that will continue is the exercise. It's been incredible for my energy, strength, endurance, confidence, mental health, and so many more things I can't even articulate.
That's what I'm proud of!
Monday, February 10, 2014
W. and etc.
It's my friend W's birthday today. He is one of my best friends in the whole entire world, and so I can't stop thinking about him today and wishing him all the best on his special day.
One of the things I love about W is his tendency towards the new, exciting, elaborate, and original! I like to stick with things I'm comfortable with/used to a lot of the time, but W often takes me out of my comfort zone and introduces me to something new. Case in point: his choice for birthday celebrations this weekend. On Saturday night, my GF K. and I headed to Mississauga for some... ROLLERSKATING!!!
Yes, W had us all join him at Scooter's Roller Palace in Mississauga, ON for a night of roller skating hilarity. When imagining what decade I might've thrived in that I wasn't alive for, I've always imagined myself in the 70's. Tall with a blonde 'fro, roller skating with grace and style on a Saturday night. The reality was much different, but who cares about grace & style?! I was there for pure fun, and it was! We laughed, fell, wobbled along... It was hilarious and a great time! I highly recommend it.
Currently reading... The 158-Pound Marriage by - my tied-for-favourite author - John Irving
One of the things I love about W is his tendency towards the new, exciting, elaborate, and original! I like to stick with things I'm comfortable with/used to a lot of the time, but W often takes me out of my comfort zone and introduces me to something new. Case in point: his choice for birthday celebrations this weekend. On Saturday night, my GF K. and I headed to Mississauga for some... ROLLERSKATING!!!
Yes, W had us all join him at Scooter's Roller Palace in Mississauga, ON for a night of roller skating hilarity. When imagining what decade I might've thrived in that I wasn't alive for, I've always imagined myself in the 70's. Tall with a blonde 'fro, roller skating with grace and style on a Saturday night. The reality was much different, but who cares about grace & style?! I was there for pure fun, and it was! We laughed, fell, wobbled along... It was hilarious and a great time! I highly recommend it.
Currently reading... The 158-Pound Marriage by - my tied-for-favourite author - John Irving
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Toronto, Books & Opera
Blogging on the go again... that's just the kinda girl I am... a mover and shaker!
I'm on the subway returning to the TO apartment after a morning and early afternoon on the town. First, a dentist appointment! Then, I visited my grandparents with my sister and her baby. It was really nice. I was in the Yonge & Bloor area the whole time and since it's freezing out, I walked underground, and damn!!! There are so many Starbucks in that area, it's insane!
In other news, I finished my first book of 2014 today. It's a very sophisticated and important read: The Devil Wears Prada. I know the book well but have never done a full read of it. One of my strategies when in the middle of a reading drought is to read something totally fluffy to at least get me reading and then when I'm done, I know I won't be satisfied with that being the last thing I've read for very long, so I usually dive into something new right away. That's my hope for when I'm done this post. A new book is required!
I saw Cosi fan tutte again last night at the COC. This time it wasn't the main stage production but instead the opera was performed by the company's Ensemble Studio, a.k.a. the young artists program. So I've now seen the working rehearsal, main stage, and young artists' productions of this opera at the COC, plus Metro Youth Opera's production back in 2011, as well as Opera By Request's production a while back. I guess you could say I know the opera pretty well by now. It feels good.
Two of my favourite things about opera are: (1) the campiness - sometimes it's like an over-the-top drag show. I just love it! (2) how similar it is to novels and plays I studied during my English degree. The similarities between Shakespeare and Mozart are aplenty!
All for now!
I'm on the subway returning to the TO apartment after a morning and early afternoon on the town. First, a dentist appointment! Then, I visited my grandparents with my sister and her baby. It was really nice. I was in the Yonge & Bloor area the whole time and since it's freezing out, I walked underground, and damn!!! There are so many Starbucks in that area, it's insane!
In other news, I finished my first book of 2014 today. It's a very sophisticated and important read: The Devil Wears Prada. I know the book well but have never done a full read of it. One of my strategies when in the middle of a reading drought is to read something totally fluffy to at least get me reading and then when I'm done, I know I won't be satisfied with that being the last thing I've read for very long, so I usually dive into something new right away. That's my hope for when I'm done this post. A new book is required!
I saw Cosi fan tutte again last night at the COC. This time it wasn't the main stage production but instead the opera was performed by the company's Ensemble Studio, a.k.a. the young artists program. So I've now seen the working rehearsal, main stage, and young artists' productions of this opera at the COC, plus Metro Youth Opera's production back in 2011, as well as Opera By Request's production a while back. I guess you could say I know the opera pretty well by now. It feels good.
Two of my favourite things about opera are: (1) the campiness - sometimes it's like an over-the-top drag show. I just love it! (2) how similar it is to novels and plays I studied during my English degree. The similarities between Shakespeare and Mozart are aplenty!
All for now!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Spoiler Alert!
Tuesday
Girls -- I love the show "Girls", but I have not been keeping up with it in its current season. So, last night I took advantage of my minimalist apartment and indulged in some television (on my iPad). I re-watched (mea culpa) the final two episodes of season two and watched the first ep of season three. I'll watch the second ep tonight, I hope... maybe more. Normally I would just download all of the episodes, but I have no personal computer, so... we'll see what I can stream. I liked the season premiere! I was a bit sleepy during it, so I may have to re-watch (fight the urge!) before I move on to the next one.
Wednesday
*Edit - I ended up kinda re-watching the first ep of season three during my lunch break yesterday, but just skimmed through it to refresh my - apparently poor - memory. Then I watched the second ep, but I haven't seen any more. I need to find a good streaming site.
Opera -- On Monday night, I received a call from the Canadian Opera Company. They often call their patrons after they know they've seen a show to chat with them, do a little cultivating (I work in the biz, I should know), and - in this case - try to get them to buy tickets to more shows. Although I didn't want to buy tickets that night (I'm waiting until the $30 under 30 tickets go on sale), I did enjoy talking opera with the woman who called. Normally I'd give short answers, but I figured it was a great opportunity to test out my growing knowledge of opera. I spoke with the woman about the specific singers we saw in Cosi (I said I loved Tracy Dahl and when the woman I was speaking with acknowledged that she's Canadian, I said "I know, and she teaches at the University of Manitoba!"), I expressed my opinion on the show (I loved it! ... not the most sophisticated opinion, but it's true), and talked about what I was hoping to see next season (The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni, and Madama Butterfly). Anyway, pretty proud!
Laundry -- I had my first "laundry night" in my new building last night. Great success! That may sound lame, but going through the process of doing laundry in a new building is always an adventure. I'm pleased to report that it was an easy and fun adventure instead of one filled with obstacles. It was fun last night, and all my laundry is now done (yay!!!), but now that the first time is done, it won't be that fun moving forward... just laundry...
Body Pump -- I did my first Waterloo Body Pump class on Monday evening and it was great! The thing I love about being a member of GoodLife is that it's been so easy for me to move to Waterloo and keep up my gym routine. And the thing I love about Body Pump is that it's the same everywhere! I've been doing Pump classes pretty regularly now, but I've never made a point of going on a weekly basis. I think I'll try to go every Monday moving forward. I hope I can stick with it!
Alright - that's all for now! Two days' worth of posting rolled into one. I love it!
Girls -- I love the show "Girls", but I have not been keeping up with it in its current season. So, last night I took advantage of my minimalist apartment and indulged in some television (on my iPad). I re-watched (mea culpa) the final two episodes of season two and watched the first ep of season three. I'll watch the second ep tonight, I hope... maybe more. Normally I would just download all of the episodes, but I have no personal computer, so... we'll see what I can stream. I liked the season premiere! I was a bit sleepy during it, so I may have to re-watch (fight the urge!) before I move on to the next one.
Wednesday
*Edit - I ended up kinda re-watching the first ep of season three during my lunch break yesterday, but just skimmed through it to refresh my - apparently poor - memory. Then I watched the second ep, but I haven't seen any more. I need to find a good streaming site.
Opera -- On Monday night, I received a call from the Canadian Opera Company. They often call their patrons after they know they've seen a show to chat with them, do a little cultivating (I work in the biz, I should know), and - in this case - try to get them to buy tickets to more shows. Although I didn't want to buy tickets that night (I'm waiting until the $30 under 30 tickets go on sale), I did enjoy talking opera with the woman who called. Normally I'd give short answers, but I figured it was a great opportunity to test out my growing knowledge of opera. I spoke with the woman about the specific singers we saw in Cosi (I said I loved Tracy Dahl and when the woman I was speaking with acknowledged that she's Canadian, I said "I know, and she teaches at the University of Manitoba!"), I expressed my opinion on the show (I loved it! ... not the most sophisticated opinion, but it's true), and talked about what I was hoping to see next season (The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni, and Madama Butterfly). Anyway, pretty proud!
Laundry -- I had my first "laundry night" in my new building last night. Great success! That may sound lame, but going through the process of doing laundry in a new building is always an adventure. I'm pleased to report that it was an easy and fun adventure instead of one filled with obstacles. It was fun last night, and all my laundry is now done (yay!!!), but now that the first time is done, it won't be that fun moving forward... just laundry...
Body Pump -- I did my first Waterloo Body Pump class on Monday evening and it was great! The thing I love about being a member of GoodLife is that it's been so easy for me to move to Waterloo and keep up my gym routine. And the thing I love about Body Pump is that it's the same everywhere! I've been doing Pump classes pretty regularly now, but I've never made a point of going on a weekly basis. I think I'll try to go every Monday moving forward. I hope I can stick with it!
Alright - that's all for now! Two days' worth of posting rolled into one. I love it!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Week 3
I don't even know what to write about today, but I feel like writing...
I'm on Week 3 at the new job and I'm loving every minute of it. It's very independent work, so I really have to plan and execute my own agenda on a daily basis. I love that, but it can be a challenge when you're first starting out in a new position. However, my strategy is to take that to mean a great deal of trust and respect for how I work and the work I do, and I would never abuse that. If nobody's looking over your shoulder, you have to make an effort to put your work in front of them now and again just to show you're doing it. That's my approach, for what it's worth.
I'm also on Week 3 of living in Waterloo, though in a new capacity: I have my own apartment now!!! Yes, my girlfriend K. and I got possession of the new place on Saturday and it's better than we remembered! As I think I've mentioned, it will remain mostly empty until February 22nd when the full move from Toronto takes place, but it's off to a good start with Internet, a bed, and a coffee maker. What else do you need?! It was really nice to be able to wake up and go through my pre-work morning routine today without any obstacles. I may be missing a few material items here and there... and a couch... and a TV... and a 1/4 cup measuring cup... but I'm managing just fine!
All for now!
Currently reading... The Devil Wears Prada
I'm on Week 3 at the new job and I'm loving every minute of it. It's very independent work, so I really have to plan and execute my own agenda on a daily basis. I love that, but it can be a challenge when you're first starting out in a new position. However, my strategy is to take that to mean a great deal of trust and respect for how I work and the work I do, and I would never abuse that. If nobody's looking over your shoulder, you have to make an effort to put your work in front of them now and again just to show you're doing it. That's my approach, for what it's worth.
I'm also on Week 3 of living in Waterloo, though in a new capacity: I have my own apartment now!!! Yes, my girlfriend K. and I got possession of the new place on Saturday and it's better than we remembered! As I think I've mentioned, it will remain mostly empty until February 22nd when the full move from Toronto takes place, but it's off to a good start with Internet, a bed, and a coffee maker. What else do you need?! It was really nice to be able to wake up and go through my pre-work morning routine today without any obstacles. I may be missing a few material items here and there... and a couch... and a TV... and a 1/4 cup measuring cup... but I'm managing just fine!
All for now!
Currently reading... The Devil Wears Prada
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