Posts from the “What I’m Doing” Category

Fire…then the ice!

Posted on August 26, 2014

I was so frazzled yesterday afternoon thinking about responding to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and whether I had the courage to pour cold water and chunks of ice over my head that I lost my concentration and just averted disaster. I’d spent the afternoon burning through three tanks (small ones, mind you) of gasoline as I string-trimmed all of the lawns and flower beds. After months of neglect I left a size 60 carbon footprint. But on my, everything looked so tidy and well barbered. Next up was the amazing weed fryer machine. I humped the propane tank and torched the green fuzz from the front steps. Next up – the knee high overgrowth on the back patio. Now the machine would be…

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Categories: Modern life, What I'm Doing

Tagged: being mindful

More Ida

Posted on August 22, 2014

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped complaining about the sudden heat and humidity and went for a brisk 20 minute walk before my massage with Wonderful Wendy of the Magical Hands. And…I ramped up the burn by jogging from our front lawn up the short street to the corner. Actually, I’ve always hated running. It’s not the getting sweaty part. I find that gaspy, tight-chest-mouth-open-to-gulp air thing unsightly. But hey, I have to run if I’m going to burn more calories. The distancet was probably 1oo meters…maybe 50 if I’m being honest, but I did it without crashing into a heap when I slowed down. It’s a start. My role model is a tiny 99 year old black lady who runs races and breaks records. Her most…

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Categories: Modern life, What I'm Doing

Tagged: determination, spirit

One of those days

Posted on August 14, 2014

Do you ever have one of those days where you bound out of bed in the morning with your work plan all tidy and shiny, well-formed and ready to be implemented? Then everything turns to ca-ca before you’ve finished putting on your shoes? It’s Thursday. One of my two days off in the work week. I’m supposed to deliver the outline for my first novel to my mentor, Sam Hiyate today. I’m about half to two thirds of the way through and yesterday I was in a really productive groove. I thrive on deadlines – the closer the hour gets the faster my adrenaline sloshes through my veins and my fingers fly across the keyboard. On the other hand, I dislike being stressed by…

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Categories: Modern life, Stuff, What I'm Doing

Tagged: gratitude

Cloudy with a chance of tears

Posted on August 13, 2014

How often have we joked that, “I feel depressed” because someone was mean to us or we failed an exam or ran out of chocolate or can’t find the right handbag to go with our new outfit? Most of the time, no one took us seriously, especially since we were not truly suffering from a cellular disease that affected our behaviour and clouded our thinking. Today however, we reflect on the death (by hanging with a belt) of another stellar talent who could not sustain his life through the dark corridors of impenetrable depression. Robin Williams made so many of us laugh but he lost his battle with demons I can’t begin to imagine. Here is a young man – Mark Henick – who…

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Categories: Modern life, What I'm Doing

Tagged: sadness

Combat shopping

Posted on August 8, 2014

Another early morning as I rolled out of the sack and got dressed for the annual Tilley Sale. By the time I ground through the commuter traffic it was 8:30. The line was already long. It took me a minute to realize that we were all grey-haired – the result of the special Facebook announced sale two days before the general admission on Saturday. There were four paid duty officers but given the ages of the folks in the queue, there were no outbreaks of shoving and raving. Instead, many were seated on their folding chairs in the shade with their take-out coffees.The weather was sunny but cool – perfect for waiting in line and catching up on my email. The oldest of the…

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Categories: Argument, What I'm Doing

Tagged: sale. shopping