To Boldly Go...

The last few months saw a couple of big changes in my life that have really challenged my personal sense of security. The biggest one was when I decided to quit my corporate-y job in June. I used to really enjoy what I was doing, who I was working with/for and what sorts of change I was making. But somewhere, that stopped and I started resenting my job and who it was making me become and I forgot why I was doing the things I was and where I was going. I couldn't see myself continue on the path I was on yet feared to make the most drastic change. I thought things might just get better if I stuck it out long enough but that isn't always the case and I needed to know when to cut my losses.

I have become the painter

The decision to leave my job was not taken lightly because I was really concerned about what my family would think and react. I have spent my life living in my younger brother's overachieving shadow and always trying to catch up with what everyone else wanted me to do (often unsuccessfully) so I often have not been too sure of myself. To my surprise, everyone was really supportive and this gave me the chance to explore what sorts of things actually bring a smile to my face and get me excited to get up for work in the dark and cold winters. I concluded a few things ranging from my penchant for efficient processes, desire to continue learning and love of animals and nature.

Make it so!

I have since landed myself in a small animal veterinary practice doing many things ranging from animal care/handling, to client consultation and clinic maintenance. I wasn't sure how things would go since I haven't done any of this work for many years and the business component was something I learned mostly by experience running a community dragon boat club and from my tenure in the corporate world; but none of it was due to schooling or formal training. It could have been an absolute failure but it's been the some of the most fulfilling experiences to date and I am actually excited about going and dealing with the less shining moments and individuals.

As +ADW points out to me, a career is a journey of phases that aim to get you closer to your goal. The goal might not be a specific position (or it could be), and the journey might have some dark and unappealing sections but one just need to keep that goal in mind and take each day as another step forward. The job is just the first step in my phase to moving forward and I am really excited about the upcoming phases that will bring me back to my academic life and seeing where things will take me in the next few years!

The Need to Persist

It's been months that I've participated in my personal fitness level. And I am certain that my riding has slowly deteriorated alongside. Last night, I resolved to return to my fitness routine, and start my new year's resolutions of getting active regularly. One of my favourite activities is yoga. I specifically enjoy the demanding and fast paces of Ashtanga that push the yogi to breathe properly and gets the blood flowing. Not having done anything for so long and recognizing I have developed some physical imbalances/issues, I wasn't sure what would transpire.

I don't want to be a pear, anymore!

When I was in undergrad, I had a coop term where the office I worked had regular lunch hour yoga sessions. I was interested and since it was during lunch, I didn't have to go anywhere else after/before work. I wasn't particularly active in my youth so it was no surprise that the first class I got in, I was out of breath, trembling from the demands of the sun salutations, unable to touch my toes and having trouble keeping up with the instructions. Not to mention, I was so sore for the first week that I couldn't turn my head over my shoulder. But, for 4 months, I doggedly worked at it and one day, was about to touch my toes with ease and easily moved into the supported headstand.

Gone are those days of ease in practice but surprisingly, I found that my body has incredible muscle memory and I was able to get into many of the poses and positions still... I just lacked the extent of flexibility, strength and endurance to maintain poses as previous. I also confirmed my suspicions about my right side and my hip and shoulder is messed up--not sure what exactly is wrong but they're tight. I left feeling pretty good about myself and resolve to continue. However, this morning, I woke up with my legs and arms feeling like jelly. I think with persistence, this will pay off and my pants might stop feeling so tight, my hips might loosen again and my shoulder might actually do what its supposed to.

Expand Your Mind and Learn

I'd say it's safe to assume most of us spend the better part of our spare time keeping up with social media updates and current events. My office has 3 televisions that play either CP24 or BNN and I had to make a resolution to cut back on my daily Facebook time that didn't include things like responding to messages. All this information is nice... but nothing is of any real substance. One of the reasons I travel is because I am interested in other cultures, their art and architecture, history... Usually I become intrigued about something and always want to learn more.

Information highway

The interesting thing is, there is so much to know and learn but we're all busy and doing research on everything is tough. In an effort to continue to culture my brain, I am taking an "online course" through "Go Highbrow". The slogan on their page is "Expand your knowledge universe... in just 5 minutes a day". If you wanted to see 'how highbrow' you are, check out this quiz.

How do you go about this? The program is created where an email is sent daily for a set number of days about a specific subject (course) of your choosing and you'd read the email, while drinking your coffee or having a "petit dejeuner". The duration lasts anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks. The first course will be "Smartest Animals on Earth". Then I'll move onto the "Most Powerful Empires in History".

We spend a lot of our time focusing on conditioning and improving our bodies (at least it's the same resolution I make every year) and now we can work on our brains too!

Lesson #113: The Never Ending Battle

Last night's lesson was off-property at the Erin Fairgrounds. It took me longer than I anticipated, to find the location b/c I couldn't quite figure out how to get inside to the grounds. I drove back and forth the main street and was more and more confused because I could see riders and their mounts but I couldn't figure out how they got inside! Eventually I just took the risk and drove into a driveway and lucky enough, everyone was there. I quickly pulled myself together and I saw Ariel munching on the short grass outside the arena.

There wasn't a mounting block so one of the parents helped me up... I have terrible timing and was told to jump on 3 but jumped on 4 instead. Despite that, that mom was super strong and didn't seem to have trouble getting me up (she does have 3 kids who ride and had 2 horses). I was a little embarrassed because I let her lift my big fat arse onto Ariel. But in my defence, I've rarely had to mount from the ground! I was also super nervous. I am one of those "terrible test takers" who are usually so nervous and tense that I could make myself sick. During the day, I was excited about getting out for my ride but as the time approached, my anxiety levels were escalating. By the time I arrived, I was ball radiating nervous energy.

I entered the ring that had two other young girls who are like two fish to water... trotting around and doing some jumps and even getting into the canter. They are both excellent riders and that observation added to my ever escalating nervous energy. Knowing that I've never been off property in an arena, Sheri reminds me that my attention needs to be "on" and the best way to ride anything out is to sit up tall, chest open and shoulders back. She further soothingly reminds me that I just need to take time to shake my nerves off and if the entire lesson is just spent walking around with Ariel, then so be it. Ariel isn't a spooky mare but she is definitely pushy, inquisitive, attentive and curious. In some ways, we're two peas in a pod because she's uber alert and I'm equally edgy about everything around. The fairgrounds is tucked away from the main road but the traffic is audible and you can see some small houses on a smaller street as well as a section of bush.

B is talking me through my nerves and reminding me to sit up while we walk around and try to keep Ariel's attention on us. I make the effort to take deep breaths and talk myself through my mental check-list. Instead, I find my tension manifesting itself physically: my right heel slowly creeps up and when turning, I actually twist to the left, regardless of the direction; this irritates Ariel as she raises her head and turns it inwards in an effort to rebalance herself. Despite this, I do regain some posture and control. Sheri asks me if I am comfortable to get into the trot... which I willing do. I feel a little better but Ariel took a quicker trot and it is a bit unsettling at the get go. I try to rein her in a bit but then remember my "magical half halts" as better tools.

I spent the remainder of the lesson in trot or walk along the perimeter and crossing the center. It was both inspiring and intimidating when the other two young riders got into their canters and jumped a few fences. A few times Ariel tried to get sneaky and grab a tall blade of grass while I was stopped--it was such a funny sight with her trying to be subtle about reaching for that piece of grass while standing still. As I was starting to become more comfortable and having my confidence rise, I turned a corner and out of (what seemed like) no where, a large dog dashes into his yard (fenced) and because Ariel and I didn't see it, she just heard the sound and freaked out with a little jump forward and rushing away from the scary noise. I cried out and nearly fell off. OY. Thankfully I didn't but that one incident (I'm sure) reduced whatever comfort or confidence I had built up to that point. *sigh*

Even with the little bump at the end, I found the experience very helpful and worthwhile. My assessment of my own performance is that I am unlikely to be ready for any show (no matter how low key) at this point until I can work on getting my nerves under control. It's a never ending battle for me: I've always been a Nervous Nellie with pretty much everything I do... which is why I've spent a lot of my adult life doing things that push my boundaries. It's not that I have the goal of becoming fearless... but rather learning to deal with my fear and anxieties while building confidence. It's a long and difficult road but I am sure the rewards will far outweigh the challenges.

Geothermal Bathing, the Last Stop

Our last destination while in Iceland is the famous Blue Lagoon. I would say that nearly all tourists manage to fit this visit into their schedule at some point. While it is wisest (both time-wise and budget-wise) to fit this visit into your arrival day or your departure day, it isn't always possible. But, one should note that the Blue Lagoon is located closer to the Keflavik Airport than the capital of Reykjavik.

The clinic/spa is well reputed for its skin healing properties for psoriasis and eczema. They do a fabulous job marketing the healing properties of the lagoon's waters and the fine while silica mud--which patrons spread over their faces and bodies with vigor. And while the walls and the backdrop of lava fields is primal and stunning simultaneously, it's almost unbelievable that this whole location is man-made and actually the run-off from the nearly geothermal heating station. You can even see the station while lounging in the lagoon.

Check out the geothermal plant in the background!

The water is a strange opaque white--probably from the silica sands and is very warm. Well, I suppose it would have to be, in order to beckon people to get into their swim trunks and go running out into a giant pool during the middle of the winter while temperatures are still below zero degrees centigrade. I live in Canada--the land of ice and snow--I would know. Despite this, people get ready and take the plunge.

You drive through rolling barren lava fields and arrive at what seems like a shack with a simple sign and a winding pathway into the lava fields. You get this almost magical feeling when you arrive; with the planked path itself winding into the lava field as if you're being transported to a fantastical place. Just when you think the path will never end, you arrive at the entrance to the Blue Lagoon and are greeted by attractive, well-groomed uniformed hosts who help you get settled about where to go and what to do.

Now, being a North American, I have no real concept of a bathing house and only have shame for my body and thoughts of chlorine odoured change rooms. They have many change rooms segregated for the genders and their locker system is efficient and quick. You are handed a plastic bracelet that is your key for your bill and your locker. There is no need for coins, wallets or any real money while you're there. You pick a locker after checking what's available (green) on a monitor and head over. Then you pretty much get naked and head to the communal showers with your towel in tow. It is mandatory to take a full washing shower and rub down all those grimy corners before getting into your bathing suit and heading out into the cold.

You're looking at the entrance/exit from the change rooms to the lagoon

The showers offer showering gel (doubles as shampoo) and conditioner. My advice for females especially: take a good wash and envelop your hair in conditioner because you will regret it if you don't. Though, it might not matter if you decide to take a float in the lagoon. Before exiting to the lagoon, it's advisable not to think and just take a deep breath and spot somewhere you'll hang/stuff your towel. Then, don't hesitate and KEEP GOING until you are submerged into the warm lagoon waters.

Once you're comfortable and have your bearings again, seek out the wood boxes which house the fine white silica sands that the lagoon is famed for. Grab a little and rub it over your face and your shoulders; now relax and revel in the fact that people pay nearly $100 CDN for a single tube of this stuff from the gift shop.

There are life guards dressed like they're going out for an Arctic Expedition

If you plan early and have the money, I would suggest to try one of their floating massages! I didn't get the chance to do that but if I return, I am certainly going to do so! Imagine lying down in the water and floating there while being massaged. It sounds heavenly and dreamy, to me. In which case, you should probably plan to spend a day here. Otherwise a few hours in the lagoon are sufficient to take in the experience.

I didn't mention that the water in this lagoon doesn't have any chemical additives like our pools back in Canada. The water is purely geothermal sea water that is being pumped up from the depths of the earth and is cycled out every 40 hours or so. That said, my hair doesn't smell like a public swimming pool but it sure does feel like it's turned to unmanageable straw.... even days later. The only remedy? loads and loads of conditioner for the next few days and not leaving it down for work.

On the "Camino Inca"

August 22, 2012

I spent the night packing all my stuff. We're permitted 6kg pp which must include any of the equipment we might have rented: like sleeping rolls or hiking poles. Six kilos isn't much, really. Each porter that works on the trail is regulated to bring a maximum of 25kg on their backs which must include things like stools, tents, cookware, food, personal belongings and our 6kg duffel. My day bag contains a rain coat, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a sweater.

The bus ride is a build up of what's to come; we see the country side whizzing past us as we approach a wide rushing river: the Urubamba River flanked with the periodic groups of what remain of small Incan village settlements. With a flick of my head back, I pop my next dose of altitude pills and get ready to start the trek of a lifetime: we arrive at Kilometre 82.

Day 1 of the trail is relatively easy: the incline isn't intense. The expectation is to hike for approximately 6.5 hours before we reach our first camp site. On the trail, we pass lots of locals who actually live along the trail and farm this way as well as traverse these trails on a regular basis. To them, this is just another day.

Unfortunately for me, I probably opened my mouth while taking a shower and I'm experiencing some gastrointestinal distress. I pray that I can keep in control for the duration of the hike where there is no toilet. The plan for us to ease into the 4 day hike, before we really get challenged, is well appreciated.

This representation of the hike is taken from a website that we read before coming out this way. As you can see, day 1 is a steady climb up the mountain. Day 2 has us leaving the tree line and making our way to the highest point in the entire climb: Dead Woman's Pass--which is 1500m up from where we started. During 1 day, we hike ~1000m; but, that's tomorrow and today, we're easing into our trek.

Our first stop is a rest stop where I'm desperate to use a toilet. Keep in mind that I have never had a true camping experience that involves a small hand trowel and toilet paper. I'm told the bathroom is around the green patch, behind the rest stop. I skip to the open green patch and see fresh water rushing past part of the path as it makes its way down the mountain--something I'm not used to seeing. I hop over this little stream and make my way to the simple buildings which house the facilities. I brace myself for what's to come; I get flashbacks to my first time using a squatter toilet in Taiwan. I take a deep breath and push open the door and see a porcelain sink in the ground?? This must be some sort of mistake, I think. How am I supposed to do this?

I exit the stall with a defeated frown on my face since I wasn't as successful as I hoped to be with this challenge. I quietly drag my feet back to the rest stop where I eat a snack and relax before starting off once more.

We are blessed with several Incan ruins along this first portion of the hike--maybe to keep things interesting for me. Or maybe even to help the nobility who took this trail, get through it in some form of luxury. That's right, I forgot to mention that we're told that the 45km trail we're on was originally reserved for nobility and that the much shorter, and less dramatic, trek to Machu Picchu was reserved for the common class--why anyone would want to do the longer more challenging one is beyond me. But that's modern day westernized thinking. I'm sure that the Incans coveted physical fitness and the natural beauty that we witnessed.

Patallacta is the first significant Incan ruin we see. The town, with its 115 dwellings guarded by a hilltop fortress, probably served as "a pit stop for Incas traveling between Cusco and Machu Picchu".  Despite the altitude of 2,438m, its agriculture was sufficient to support about 5,000 people because of the dozens of Inca stone canals that transport river from glacier-fed streams.  However, today this irrigation has been lost (A Trip to Ecuador & Peru).

We don't get to see Patallacta up close but we visit this other Incan station.

We walk for some time along the Urubamba River and by the early afternoon, we stop for lunch near the river. What's on the menu? Trout.

Since the altitude also slows one's metabolism and digestion, we have an opportunity to rest after lunch before starting back out again. The hike of this portion is starting to become a bit more challenging--but nothing that I don't feel I can't handle--given plenty of rest stops!

I make a friend when we take a rest in front of one of the local's home:

Our guide Dimas tells us that the first camp site we'll be staying at is a great location because it's just past a large incline and it's also away from the small farms (see roosters) and noisy animals... as long as we can get past the fact that this will be the most challenging bathroom situation we'll endure for the entire trail. How could this be worse than the sink in the ground?

The camp site belongs to a local lady who rents out her land for tourists like us. We arrive and our tents are already all pitched for us. Amazing.

Now, I was talking about that bathroom situation? I don't know how long you've tried to keep it all in before but there is no way you can survive without needing to go at least once. And let's face it, guy or girl, we'll each need to do our number 2 business in the exact same fashion. So get ready for the true Andean outhouse: a hole dug out of the ground with sticks placed sturdily across the sides without a door but a wall of twigs and leaves. Lucky you, I didn't snap a picture for you!

The weather is pretty chilly and as night falls, it doesn't get better. I decide to sleep with a sweater and heavy pants on. Good thing we got our sleeping bags to be rated for -1C. I'm not the praying type but before turning in for the night, I say a little prayer, to ask whomever would listen, to let me get through the night without needing to get up to use the "bathroom". I'm unsuccessful... :(

What's wrong with Simple?

Hello everyone! It's the start of a new week and I spent the weekend watching figure skating programs and several movies that were playing on the WNetwork. Some of the fondest memories I have of when I was a kid were of me and my brother sitting in front of the television watching figure skating (yes, he watched) on the weekend afternoons or getting ready to catch the Disney movie on Sunday night, following the newest escapade of Sarah Stanley and her east coast cousins.

I usually don’t like doing nothing because I always have something to do (or due)! And the worst stomach sinking feeling is twiddling your thumbs until you realize you forgot something due Monday.

I decided it would be one of those weekends where I was going to forget about the rest of the adult world and do whatever I felt. I also caught the Digital Film Fest’s showing of Back to the Future. Talk about a blast to the past.

I wonder why that is… why people… all people--seem to sit back and remember a time when things were carefree, blissful and fun; and recall times they were a kid. While reminiscing generally makes me happy, it often ends with me feeling a little sad. Sad because it makes me wonder… does that mean that our lives are now so complicated and stressful that we aren’t having fun anymore?

This thought actually brings me to parallel life to: Road to Avonlea. The plot starts out with a young city girl, accustomed to fine city living in Montreal, who moves to the simple country life of Avonlea. Whenever I think about the series' progression, I think about how the characters and their adventures shadowed the lives of their growing (as in aging) audience. It was like growing up with the kids of Avonlea and getting in the same types of trouble and encountering the same issues that each of us grew up with. Ah, simpler times.

I compare this to similar shows of late, that follow the growing pains of kids and I think of Glee. When I watch Glee, I know that I impose some of my adult perceptions on the characters but, man, if that is how life has become, I'm really worried about the kids of this day and age.

Now, kids grow up with Hanna Montana hanging off a pole or other shows where the parents are complete twits and the kids run the stage!

Sometimes... just sometimes simple and (maybe) traditional is better.

Just in: Solar Flares Forecasted for 2012 and 2013

I haven't had many posts about things that intrigue me.

I've always been fascinated with nature and science--perhaps the reason for my desire to get a science Bachelors from school. Even though I'm not working anywhere near a science related industry, I find myself always quickly clicking on the article link about something that happens in nature.

The latest one to catch my eye is from CBC about "Massive solar flares not expected to cause disruptions". What exactly is going on? Well, our Sun is an active star that has "cycles"--11 years to be exact. In essence, every 11 years, there is a peak of activity in our Sun, such as solar flares.

These solar flares are eruptions which spew out into space (solar wind). As a result, our solar system gets a spewing of ions, electrons and atoms in the form of radiation. First, electromagnetic radiation, then proton radiation and finally, the plasma from the sun (coronal mass ejection).

Usually, our technology dependant society gets a little worried because all this solar ejection can sometimes disrupt the "radiation" which we enjoy... in the form of cellular phone service, radio, television... etc. In other situations, it can knock out entire power grids, like it did in 1989, for Quebec. And we can't forget about the astronauts out in space or the satellites that carry all our signals... but a really neat bonus for us Torontonians is that we have the opportunity to view the aurora borealis in our backyards.

And really, who cares if the power grid goes out for a day or two. I don't have to go to work!

This storm has been classified as the largest one since the Halloween Storms of 2003. The Halloween Storms were so powerful that they were seen as far south as Florida and Texas!

(Event) Planning is...

Becoming a hobby.

A few years ago, I thought that event planning was a "fun" and interesting sort of thing to be doing. I actually considered it as a living (since I was getting bored at work--surprise!) and considered looking into the diploma/certification. I mean let's face it, it really is often just a big party that you're putting together.

I'm an antisocial person, you say... and organizing parties is for social people. Sure, I don't throw parties in general, but I like the logistics of a "party". The coordination and the sourcing of vendors, and the schmoozing of key guests. Socializng isn't my thing but I figured that I'd be so busy running around that I wouldn't have to socialize. In my mind's eye, event planners are these super anal retentive type A personality women (rarely men) who have everything planned down to a T and the execution; a flawless flow of events with every contingency considered and planned for.

I've been around event planning since high school. My first stint to get a very indirect taste for this was through a (now) colleague who happens to head a successful marketing company. He started in his late 20s and hit an untapped market and now, over a decade later, he's got one of the biggest "nerd events" in the country. I never left with a bad impression and so, I always thought that it seemed like a fun thing to consider.

Even my dragon boat seasons are also an extensive amount of planning and coordination of people, resources, finances and strategic direction. For the four month season, we start in December of the previous year and pretty much go on until the end of the summer. I mentioned in a previous post about the amount of sleep I was lacking. Often times, the time spent planning and coordinating was all for a few days, hours or even minutes of a specific regatta or event.

Tonight, our large corporate machine hosted an employee affinity network event in the spirit of the Lunar New Year. This is something that many (if not all) Asian countries celebrate around January or February and this is usually the most significant and longest holiday.

The planning and time that went into this from a minor contributing member (i.e. me) was a substantial amount of work and time! I started to realize the amount of time that I've been spending on planning this event... I think that a lot of my spare time goes into my planning of events or "seasons".

As a result, I have come to appreciate the events I attend (be it a few hours or several months) and recognize the amount of work that people can put into such an endeavour. It isn't something that should be taken for granted since it takes more energy to put something together than just to passively experience something.

I did get a break tonight though. I spent the evening snapping photos of the participants, performers and guests. Because I was enlisted as one of the "official" photogs, I'm not permitted to post people photos... which is fine. I managed to learn how to use one of the features on my camera for exposure stops.

Ta-da:

In case you don't know what this is, this is a chinese caligraphy brush and the stand it perches on.

Larry Welcomes Feedback and Comments

This video was shared with me via Facebook.

Larry Smith is by far, one of the most pragmatic lecturers/speakers I have ever had the privilege to listen to. I took his Econ 102 (Intro to Macroeconomics) class in my second year at the recommendation of several students who had just heard about the sheer popularity of his lectures. Most of the lectures which he had were not just full of his students, but students who dropped in and weren't registered!

I found out what a TED talk is this year after reading an article in the Toastmaster monthly magazine and after my mom showed me another talk held by a doctor who happened to cure her own MS. So far, what I've seen of the TED talks, there has been some very engaging speeches by people from all walks of life, on all sorts of topics. Literally, if you can think it, it probably has been talked about or, it is an eligible topic.

Anyways, Prof. Smith speaks to a bright-eyed undergraduate class about their future (which is pretty dim, btw) and why they'll all fail. Though I'm certain that the intent is not to beat the dream or desire out of people, I feel that his talk resonates strongly because of the topic and the ideas which he touches upon in his 15 minutes.

If you've got the time/chance, certainly take the time to sit back and just listen; then think and apply.

p.s. Larry does indeed welcome feedback and/or comments

Aritificial Intelligence

Run run run as fast as you can. You'll never catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!

While it is true that one can avoid or run away from impending danger (such as a hungry bear), there are equally as many things which one can not run/hide from.

I had a conversation with my manager/boss last night before the end of the day. I took a business tactic  to review, along with the template and the other relevant items. She started going through the report template saying to cut this or to add that or modify such then stopped short. She said to me "I could have sworn that we've had this conversation already."

I responded that it was the first I had remembered hearing about it. But then, this woman is blessed with the memory of an elephant and these days, I seemingly have the memory capacity of a goldfish. Apparently we had spoken about it at some point and I forgot that we chatted. Gooo me! What a way to make an impression.

This isn't the first time I've noticed that my memory just 'aint what it used to be. I rely on technological doo-dads to get me to the next meeting and remind me when something is due. But here's the caveat, if you didn't set up the reminder, you're screwed. Since I started working, my dependency on these gadgets has become more and more heavy. Ever go the day without checking your smartphone or email... even when it hasn't alerted you of anything? Yea, me neither.

The reliance on these doo-dads is probably what is contributing to my decline in memory... and not at all my pending birthday...

Getting up on the Right Side of the Bed

I worked a coop job in university and had a coworker who seemed to function on very little sleep. He used to tell me, "sleep is for the weak. I will sleep when I'm good and dead."

If that's the case, I should probably be heading to a sleep gym. Last summer was the first time I really felt how sleep deprived I could be. I was doing way too many things and not sleeping enough.

"People complain about not getting enough sleep all the time... you're probably just wasting time by sitting in front of the tv or computer." I know that's what I'd tell me if I heard the complaint. But, in truth, I was running a dragon boat team (we went to Montreal too), I got pulled into a community group, an alumni group, a local cat rescue and I was also told to think about what I wanted to do with myself in the long-run. With the exception of the last item, all things that I chose to participate in. That's why the Christmas holidays was SOOO enjoyable.

The holidays helped me realize that I really needed to work on getting my sleep schedule into a routine so that I would actually get enough sleep and manage to function doing the things I wanted to do.

Enter, my Blackberry Playbook, Playberry. Berry for short.

The first app I downloaded was the sleep tracker. I've tracked a week's worth so far and I'm really getting a better idea about the sleep pattern I've been creating for myself. So far, I sleep on average, 7hr 44min. Not too shabby! The only problem is that it's looking more like a daily stock market chart than a normal established sleep pattern. Just because I sleep 12 hours one night, and 5 the other, doesn't make this, by any stretch of the imagination, sustainable or close to my goal.

Hopefully in a month's time (that's how long it takes to build in a habit, I'm told), I won't look (act, and sound) like a cast member of the Walking Dead.

And so it begins... again

This year is going to be different. This blog's going to be different.

I've created and closed three or four blogs by now. None of which ever got past their 1 year anniversary. I'm still not too sure what it was that got me drifting away from posting more regularly but I did. I remember feeling pressured and compulsed to write something, say something, get attention. But when the purpose or driving factor isn't coming from somewhere internal, the drive eventually wanes...

So, I've resolved to creating this blog to post things that interest me. Things that I end up getting involved in (voluntarily or otherwise), things I want to become better versed in and any areas where my creativity is able to fly free. And of course, the occasional random brain fart that presents itself while I'm riding the public transit or strolling the city streets.