Halloween Hanging

I love Halloween (although with no kids we don't get terribly involved with it - apart from the candy of course!) I did make this hanging thing though. It started with some Teresa Collins paper I bought at Inspiration Unlimited that was on sale for just 25 cents a sheet - and for this hanging I only used the 1 sheet. The paper was pre-printed with all the circle accents so all I had to do was punch them out and ink round the edges. As for the pumpkins, bats and spiders I cut them using my Silhouette machine. Once everything was cut out and ready to go I simply stuck the shapes back to back on some green/white twist twine and screwed the tiniest of hooks in the ceiling to hang it. Love it! (and I might have to do a variation of the same thing for all the seasons now I have a hook in my ceiling!)

My 1/2 Marathon debut!

Still on a high that I did it! And in a time I was super pleased with. Back when I first thought about it I figured that I just 'wanted to finish it', then 2.5hours would be acceptable. During training I figured a 10 min/mile pace was reasonable so a time of 2hrs 11mins would be pretty sweet. My SECRET hope was that I would actually run in my 10km race average pace of past which was a 6min/km which would give my a finish time of 2hrs 6 mins. So Whoopee!! Beat that! Seriously thrilled with my first 1/2 Marathon time. And yes, I fully intend to say 'first'. Honestly I loved it, and yes - I see more 1/2 Marathons in my future.

Things I remember.....

• Saying to Chris in the car on the way downtown that I didn't want it to start off raining - I didn't care if it started raining once we'd set off but not for the start
• As we turned the corner into City Park we heard the gun go off for the full marathon - meaning it was 1/2 hour till my start
• In 30 minutes I had to go pee twice and whilst waiting in the (mammoth) queue the second time it started POURING
• that running in the rain is sweet......it means that no-one knows that your nose is running and you're dribbling :-)

I felt strong and steady throughout. The course was super flat which makes it easy to pace but I didn't overly push it since I wasn't sure what to expect - just got into my rhythm and went. Chris kept popping up in various spots to cheer me on and take photos :-) Never quite sure where it was going to be but kept me eager to see him. Miles 5-7 were along the lakeshore and it reminds me how blessed and happy I am to be living in such a beautiful place (rain and all!) At around mile 5.5 Chris's boss shouted out and cheered me on - quite unexpected! At mile 6 we passed the turning in for the finish of the 10km (and to think that's what I'd originally signed up to do!). The second half I zoned out a bit. My Nike+ device stuttered then stopped recording my time and distance so I had to reset (disappointing as I no longer had a total distance or pace being tracked for posterity) My right knee was complaining at me by mile 10 (in a subtle way which I was happy to mostly ignore). I saw Chris one final time at around mile 11 and then I knew it was the final stretch to the finish line. A short blast back along the beach to turn in for the finish. I knew the clock time was somewhere in the 2hr 6mins (knowing that I could knock a bit off for my actual chipped time). I even managed a sprint to the line! Though when the guy just handed me my finishers medal rather than placing it over my head it was probably a good thing as I was quite likely to throw up over him (always get a really nauseous feeling after even just a short sprint!). Even though I'd looked up to see the time I'd read it without 'reading' it so wasn't exactly sure what I'd ended on - just knew it was 2hrs 6mins-something.

End stats;
Clock time - 2.06.42
Chip time - 2.04.39 which gave me an average pace of 5:55/km

Happy with that!

(and for the record, no this does not mean a full marathon is next. I seriously admire the committment and training required for that. Just training for the 1/2 gave me an insight into that much...but I will never say never.....;-)

Smiley Faces!

Finally Saturday was the day! After months of waiting we got the call first thing in the morning to say the weather was co-operating! And that was the understatement - it was a beautiful autumn morning - we really couldn't have asked for any better! The Hot Air Balloon trip with Okanagan Ballooning was a gift from my Mum & Dad for Christmas so a somewhat belated celebration! But oh so worth the wait!

You couldn't help but be happy when you look up and see the great big smiley face!!

I expected it to have been cold and we were ready to wrap up to the elements but there's no chance of that with a bloomin' great furnace blasting over your head. I'm sure I could smell singed hair! But as John the balloon pilot reminded us - fire is our friend!

I also think I imagined a less than dignified bouncy landing. As if....we just plopped down right next to the Air Traffic Control Tower at the airport - much to the excitement of the traffic controllers and us both! (and after we were all unloaded we got a special visit up to the top of the tower for a little looksie!)

And polished off the outing with a glass of local bubbly, pastries and fresh strawberries.

Thank you M&D - a fabulous gift we thoroughly enjoyed!

Camping in our backyard!

Well almost. Friday night we legged it up the hill at the back of the house - 'Spion Kop', for a spot of overnight camping - just for fun! At around 2880 feet it's about 1000ft up from where we live and quite a tough slog to get there! Took us around an hour of 2 steps forward, 1 big slide back down in the very dusty, loose paths. For a moment there I was forgetting that it was supposed to be fun!

Unfortunately after a delay in escaping from work (typical Friday thing eh?!) We didn't quite make it in time for sunset proper (haven't the nights started getting earlier so much quicker this last couple of weeks?) but we still caught the wonderful warm dusky light. This was the view at the top just as we got there.

And here is the reward; Cuba Libres and total peace and tranquility. Also though not quite a full moon it was so bright we had shadows - fabulous!

And this campsite sucks - no?!

We like this place we call home. Hiking and camping from the front door - is good :-)

A month of food

I think maybe we eat out more often than we gave ourselves credit for - oopps. A month of evening meal journalling certainly opened a few eyes around here. In our defence we spent several weekends away (and enjoyed our beloved and much missed Olive Garden experience on an overnighter in Spokane!). Another weekend we biked so hard and so far that we arrived in town in Kaslo, BC & Grand Coulee, WA after all the restaurants and closed or stopped serving food so had 2 nights in a row subsisting on bags of potato chips and Bloody Mary's (it's spicy, cold tomato soup right - so it's kinda food!)

But whatever our excuses here is July in Food, in all it's glory...

(not all meals shown....you probably didn't need to see a bag of Miss Vickies chips right?!)

It's always great to try out a new recipie and find out it was great and it's gonna be a keeper. It doesn't happen too often (we love our regular favs) but this month I added a new dish to the list - Hummus Crusted Halibut. It was so simple too - and here's my first ever recipe share on this blog;

Hummus Crusted Halibut
- Halibut fillets
- Hummus (we used a spicy variety for some added kick!)
- Coarse breadcrumbs (I always chop up those last couple of grotty slices and crusts left in the bag of sliced bread and pop them in the freezer in a ziplock so I always have breadcrumbs on hand)
- Freshly chopped herbs (Whatever takes your fancy - I plucked some oregano and parsley from my herb planter this time)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper

Directions;
Spread the hummus onto the fillets of fish, Mix the herbs and S&P with the breadcrumbs then pat into the hummus paste, then drizzle with olive oil. I loosely wrapped them in foil and baked on the BBQ at around 375-400 degrees. When the fish is nearly cooked open up the foil so the breadcrumbs can crisp up a bit! Great with a salad or roasted veg (that's what we had this particular time)


Digital scrap page designed using papers & elements from 'Sisters at heart' digi kit by Tami Miller

The road ahead...(about 13.1miles ahead to be precise)

So today I did it. Signed my life away....that 10km race I signed up for a couple of months back just on a whim (and then proceeded to do nothing about for at least a month after) Remember?! Well today in the space of a 2 minute phone call that 10km race grew to 21km - gulp - uh-oh!!

I am officially registered for the Okanagan 1/2 marathon on the 10th October. My FIRST 1/2 Marathon. And joking aside I'm excited too! I can't wait to put myself through a challenge I never thought I'd be prepared to do and I *think* I'll be just fine (just don't ask me how I'm feeling the week running up to the event because I AM sure of one thing - I WILL be a quivering, nervous wreck full of self-doubt that particular week!)

And I owe it almost entirely to this little device. The best $25 I've spent in a long time. The Nike+ sensor. Slip it in a pouch on your shoe, sync it with your iTouch/Phone and off you go - music on the go, a running log and personal trainer all rolled into one! It's awesome! And you've gotta smile when Paula Radcliffe gives you a pat on the back for your longest run to date or Lance Armstrong congratulates you for your new PB time! (yes, yes - little things please little minds!). Since getting the device at the end of June I've logged over 115miles! And I'm LOVING it!

I admit I've been chewing over the 1/2 marathon a few weeks. Once I got stuck back into a running routine of 3-4 times a week the 10km suddenly didn't seem so much of a challenge. I've done maybe 8 or 9 10km races in my humble running career (even if the most recent was 4 years ago with next to no aerobic activity in the last year at least) but I was up to distance and pace within the first 2 weeks! Having always previously aimed to simply complete I used to be stuck in a rut in terms of pace and never really improved. This time round it felt different. I wanted to be better, faster. I was running longer distances (so as to make the 10km seem easier on the day!) but I realised I could push myself and go further still - to the next level entirely!!

I started reading up on all sorts of 1/2 marathon training plans and starting pushing the distances of my runs (All the while keeping the idea to myself). I eventually mentioned it to Chris a week or two ago but today I actually made the switch with the registration.

Things felt different. I originally started running again 1) because I knew I had to do some exercise because let's face it - I'm of an age that I have to make the effort to prevent bingo wings and muffin tops and 2) When I kept moaning about the increasing figures on the scales I got bored of Chris telling me to quit moaning and to do something about it (he had a point)

But now the figures on the scale don't matter at all (just as well because they seriously haven't shifted in 6 weeks - go figure). I don't feel like I'm running because I need to or have to - I'm doing it cause I WANT to (you know when you were a kid and you took exercise for granted - you did it just because it was fun, not with the ulterior motive of health/fitness/weight control? - well that's how it feels right now) Honestly I'm scared as heck that this is a fad and I'll burn out or get bored - but for now I'm riding the wave!

And last weekend I ran my first 10 miler - my first double digit run! And I could have auditioned for the role of the Cheshire Cat right there and then (more so when Lance started gobbing off in my ear!!) - Go me!!

10 Things today

1. Have just eaten a whole punnet of fresh raspberries that I bought from this mornings farmers market in about 10 minutes flat (thank goodness Chris doesn't like them to have wanted to share)
2. He would, however have wanted to share the Spicy Samosa that I also picked up and prompty scoffed for lunch
3. Still smokey out there - darn forest fires. A sure sign of summer in the Okanagan sadly
4. Only 50 days till I fly to Vegas for Inspiration Unlimited and get some creating time with great friends
5. Considering cancelling the subscription to Zip.ca - our DVD rental plan. I mean we only subscribe to 2 rentals per month and we still don't watch them! We just don't watch TV! And I love being able to say that!
6. Need to re-do my toe nail polish - love having painted nails for summer. Might have to buy some orange polish to match my fav summer blouse (OK so it's more orangey coral rather than the fruit! - because that would just be plain scary)
7. Wants to use the BBQ more. But then you can't bbq salad can you, and we're eating a lot of salad at the moment
8. Is loving running at the moment. So far so good. But the whole point of this exercise marlarky was to loose a few pounds, and I think the scales must be broken...
9. Is fascinated that they use helicoptors to fly low over the fruit trees to dry them out after a summer downpour
10. Wonders should I be concerned that when I recall the first 10 things on my mind right now 3 of them concern food (4 if you count the fruit on the trees)...

Happy Wednesday :-)

The fun we had at City Chase Kelowna

Oh boy - WHAT A DAY!! I seriously can't remember the last time I had this much fun, with this much adrenalin pumping for this long and got this good of a workout all in the name of the game!! Saturday was City Chase Kelowna. City Chase is actually a global event - dubbed 'the largest urban adventure series'. Think a city-wide version of The Amazing Race - somewhere crossed between a scavenger hunt and obstacle course. And this was pretty much the most information we had going into the event ourselves! So really we weren't sure what we were letting ourselves in for, but it sounded like fun!

All around the city are ChasePoints. In the Kelowna event there were 17 points - the winning team of 2 is the one to collect 10 points and cross the line first - simple eh?! The course was open for 6 hours. As the air horn blew at 10am our first direction was where to go and collect the clue sheet from - on the top floor of the nearby multi-storey parkade of course!! From there we had to decipher the clues to figure out the location and at the same time were given a hint of just what the challenge could be; Our first destination was Gyro Beach - a quick bus journey away (oh and the rules meant only foot or public transit could be used - we got complimentary day trip transit passes). The clue was; ENOAC: Abbreviate this orientation-stabling device, add beach and get ready to get bass ackwards! - See simple!! On our way there we kinda stumbled our way into our first 2 chasepoints - having to hold a crocodile for 20 seconds - which was very cool!! And the other we had a choice of finding some doggie-doo or eating dog food - we went with the dog food option (though I think it may have been re-fried beans - still made you gag though!)
From there Kelowna transit slowed our progress with a 1/2 hour wait before catching a ride to the local casino to play DJ Bingo - great fun actually - guess the tune - match it up with the number on the jukebox sheet and mark off on your bingo sheet. We got bingo pretty quick but with the unfortunate reward of one of us having to eat a live worm to complete the Chasepoint (and this is why I partnered with my game-on husband - thank you dear!) Some serious marching/jogging along to the local beauty college to complete a french braid on a model - together - one hand each tied behind our backs!! Interesting - and trust me - don't ever ask either of us to do ANYTHING to your hair!! (I think the hair stylist took pity on us to give us our point and letting us move on!)

We got four more points all pretty close together. First stop the firehall to do a few fireman training drills, then put up a tent at Valhalla Pure Outfitters and find a member of the public to sit in the tent with us and sing campfire songs for 30 seconds (we smoked the tent putting-up and we found a willing and game volunteer to help us out!), Chris climbed a wall blindfolded with me directing him at The Crux Climbing centre (ok really he just scrambled and felt his way up quicker than I could get the words out! - It helped having done it before I'm sure we got that pretty quick too!) Finally in this particular vicinity a stop at one of the major series sponsors Mitsubishi Motors to do a 4 wheel change. Man - why do Wal-mart want my car for 1 hour when they do this job?! Just get me and Chris to do the job and you'll be on your way in less than 10 minutes! (though my little finger wouldn't appreciate the abuse as we clocked our first mini injury of the day after I tried putting the wheel on single-handedly - woman - step away from the grease-monkey jobs!)
Back into downtown for our final Chasepoint and the finish line. And we chose our longest challenge of the day to end on (you don't know what you're gonna get till you get there so we didn't know this beforehand). A mini scavenger hunt in City Park. We were each given a loaner Blackberry phone and had to communicate with each other using the messenger service. Chris stayed at the Chasepoint whilst I did an Anneka Rice all over City Park and the nearby beach & marina (OK so maybe only our Brit friends might know who the hell Anneka Rice was - the rest of you can google it - I highly recommend finding some Youtube videos - my oh my - it takes me back - hilarious show was Treasure Hunt!!) anyway, I digress...after nearly 40 minutes we had our 10 Chasepoints in hand and made our way back to the finish line.

We finished a respectable 37th out of 90 teams and crossed the finish line at 4hr54mins. Every single minute was a blast! The top placed team crossed the line at an even 3 hours - even they admitted they'd got lucky with the transit on the day but even so - they were fast! Good for them - the top placed teams won a variety of prizes (Blackberry phones, expenses paid trip to compete in the Vancouver event with the chance to represent Canada in the world champs, Subway gift cards, Barefoot Bubbly wines, Sirius Radios etc.) But for most of us - it was just the fun of competing and completing the course.
I had intended to write all this last night but flippin' heck I was pretty spent - physically and mentally! What an awesome day.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who generously sponsored us online in aid of the charity Right to Play. We raised $180 and had an early advantage towards our first Chasepoint. So again thank you all - you know who you are!

This was the first year City Chase has come to Kelowna - so I very much hope it'll be back next year - I will be in line to sign up first!! Go and check out the global site and find a City Chase global event near you!

Where did the last 3 weeks go..?

I'm only just settling back into a 'normal' routine after 3 weeks of visitors - not that I'm complaning. It's been wonderful spending time with visiting family. At the end of May we actually had 5 visitors - my brother from Wales, Uncle & Aunt from SoCal and my parents from England. Thankfully that was just the long weekend - with some bad influences in the house we had a couple of dawn bedtimes and the liquor store wouldn't take the large quantities of empties back in one go...(but seriously guys - it was great to have you, once I've finished drying myself out I'll be ready for another sess!) Unfortunately for all of them the Okanagan wasn't displaying itself in it's best sunlight - the weather this last month has been lousy. On the upside winery tasting rooms are pretty much all indoors...

(The big green monster is 'Ogopogpo' - a Loch Ness monster type who lives in a cave under an island in the middle of Lake Okanagan....apparently! And if you see the real deal there is a considerable reward - for now though we just pose our visitors next to the fibre-glass version in downtown Kelowna!)

We've been busy round the house. Chris finally got the help and motivation from my Dad to build a new workbench in his man-cave - aka the garage (now I really will never see him!). I got a new mini display shelf in my craft room and I've been growing veggies and herbs with some success (well - so far so good!) I decided not to go the whole hog this year with a veggie garden so I've got a little collection of pots out on the deck, and see how I get on.

Another kind of visitor that we're delighted to have around this summer...

A lucky or very patient photographer - you decide!! (Chris not me!) The very ugly red plastic hummingbird feeder from Walmart might be an eyesore (anyone tell me where I can get a pretty one?) but the birds LOVE it! I've been topping up the sugar solution once a week!! I could sit out and watch these cuties for hours! I've even see them perch on the top of the tomato stake - never seen them sit still before!

And finally we are PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF CANADA. This is the culmination of our dream that got underway 3.5 years ago. The paperwork is all done, medicals passed , vast quantities of money thrown at the government, criminal checks done and the man from CIC - he say Yes!! We are thrilled that our dream has become our reality. Thank you Canada - we'll be good promise!

What have I done?!...

In a moment of sheer madness and spontaneity I signed myself up for my first 10K run since 2006. This should be interesting....

I thought some sort of aim/target might work as motivation to actually go running. That and I wanted some new Lululemon pants and I needed an excuse to get them!

A Dirty weekend...

This weekend was my first foray into Moto-X. It was a 'Ride for the Cure' event raising money for Breast Cancer and Chris's shop was putting together a team and I was all set to be a part of it. When we pulled up to the track I just felt sick; It was huge with big berms and whoop-dee-dos and corners (because I'm not awfully keen on corners) OMG. What had I let myself in for? After a riders brief my day got marginally brighter when I was told since I was on a 'small (150cc) bike' and was a beginner I could ride on the baby beginners track. It got even brighter when I started beating 4-year olds on the straights (OK so the 5 year olds were still whooping my ass!). Seriously though once I got the hang of it, fallen off a couple of times and put in a few laps it was fun! Really good fun! And maybe sometime I'll have to go back and ride the big boys course (because arguably the track was wider so the corners weren't as tight so maybe in theory easier?!) Ha!

Chris and I both rode, though unfortunately it was at the same time so I got no photos of him (but he did look fetching in his pink t-shirt and more pink tassles on his handlebars too!) We had a great day with a good team spirit from the Southwest Motorrad crew and the best bit was the event raised $20,000 for Breast Cancer research!

Now if you'll excuse me whilst I go finish off trying to get all the dust and dirt out of nooks and crannies I never knew existed...

Ahhhh....Cuba

I'm so glad I've been to one of the countries that was always on my bucket list, but having been I'm so glad I'm back home again. It's not that I didn't like the place...the lush tropical countryside is stunning, the waters are clear and warm, the beaches full of white sand, the mojitos are free-flowing, the people are friendly and welcoming, the cities are safe, the inter-city buses are excellent, and everywhere, everywhere there is bright vibrant colour. No there's a lot of good about Cuba, but still I'm happy to be home.

This was our 8th Wedding Anniversary trip. A new year of marriage, and thus a new country and for now the tradition still stands. 1 week was way too short a time to spend in such a big country, and that alone proved frustrating in itself. On reflection we could have left Havana sooner but we enjoyed walking the streets admiring the beautiful old architecture and cars (just how many photos?!), and soaking up the relaxed atmosphere, (and the fact that an 8am bus isn't the least bit appealing after 9 mojitos the night before). There's so much beauty yet it heartbreaking to see it crumbing away. It seems like there's no money there to preserve their precious past. We stayed in small family run 'casas' which positioned us perfectly in the heart of the city and gave us a great insight into Cuban people and their lifestyle (but perhaps my Mum would've have been all that keen!) We also got a fabulous home-cooked breakfast to start our days (omelette, fresh fruit, pastries and fresh papaya or pineapple juice)

We were thrilled to be meeing up with my brother Ian and his girlfriend Axelle on our 3rd night in the city and spent the second half of our time on the island with them. On our 4th day we all took the 6 hour bus ride to Trinidad on the south coast of the island. The whole town is a designated Unesco Heritage site and due to it's smaller size I think it's better 'preserved' than Havana - the cobbled streets and matchbox houses painted in a rainbow of pastel colours, and the old bell towers and church overlooking Plaza Major. We had planned to do some diving here, but by now we'd been in Cuba nearly a week and I guess the food was taking it's toll. Chris and I weren't really feeling entirely up to the challenge. Instead a lazy day on the beach and just a single dive the morning we said our goodbyes and Chris and I headed back to Varadero airport.

I think we both enjoyed ourselves. Cuban food is awful (with the exception of breakfasts - see above)- there's really no point beating around the bush here - even I was grateful for airplane food on our return flight! And what is with these countries and their lack of toilet seats?!

Glad to be home, but I sure will miss those mojitos....Thank you Cuba for the memories....Thank you Chris for putting up with me for 8 years - love you hun.xx

Not for my mother's eyes

My New Bike!! I picked it up this afternoon - a Honda 230 Dualsport. It's all very shiny and new looking (enjoy it while it lasts I say!). I had the daunting task of riding on the road for the first time in 7 years to get home. And let me tell you - it is NOT as warm as it looks! My previous knack of sitting on my hands to keep them warm doesn't really work out too well, I was in pain by the time I got home - you'd have thought the nerves and adrenelin would have been enough to keep me warm! Now I'm excited to get out and play more - go and explore all the wilderness around here that's only accessible by dirt trails and forest roads.
p.s. Mum - I'll be really, really careful - love you.xxx

Action Barbie!

So last weekend we had a busy time! I have a dirt bike on loan from a friend so after 7 years I was back on my own 2 wheels for the first time! It's an off road bike but lucky for us we have plenty of available land immediately behind the house without having to venture onto the road. It felt great and now I definitely have the taste for more! (I think the plan will be getting me a road legal dirt bike asap!)

The afternoon we FINALLY got around to skiing! We took the trip up to Silver Star Mountain resort just outside of Vernon. We last went (but not to ski) on Christmas Eve - it's amazing how much less snow there is now - the whole area is just on a huge melt - our winter here has just been incredibly mild and distinctly lacking of snow. It was an evening ski session for the bargain price of $5 lift tickets and $10 rentals - perfect for us for our first time out in I don't know how long! And after a couple of hours the temperatures cooled down I am pretty partial to the fantastic pastries and sandwiches at Bugaboos cafe right at the edge of the slopes and a great end to an exciting and busy day! (still buzzing from the bike riding again!)

A friend of mine from Cyprus days always used to call me Action Barbie because of all the exercise and activities I did. Sadly I don't do quite the exercise I did back then (though I could do with it!) But certainly today was one of those days that Eddie would be proud of me - I certainly felt that I earned my nickname today! Woot Woot - what fun!

We couldn't resist

It was right on our doorstep right?! (OK so a 5hr drive away!) We had to go and check it out and I'm so glad we did. From the moment we got near the city the vibes were already there - the busy-ness, bustling excitement! It felt like one big party - I suppose it IS one big party! Some of the main streets in downtown have been pedestrianised for the duration of the games which made for a fun atmostphere. Everyone was in such good spirits and even I didn't mind the crowds and queues. We didnt' have tickets for any events but just spent our time wandering the streets, seening the sights, socking up the atmosphere, visiting some of the pavillions, watching street performers and loving every minute of it. So very cool!

The Games are here!

(c) VANOC

We just spent the evening watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony - what a visual treat! Whilst we won't be going to the city or to any events it was such a great experience just watching it - I think there's been an amazing job done of making everyone here in BC feel part of the Games - a couple of weeks back we joined about 15,000 others in Kelowna city park to watch the torch arrive in town on it's 106 day journey across Canada - the longest domestic torch relay ever. There were artists and acrobats, the most brilliant ice sculptures and little Canadian flags and torches for everyone to get in the spirit! And I will be checking out this website heaps the next few weeks I'm sure!

Tonight was the first opening ceremony to be held indoors (which lets face it was a pretty good move in the Pacific Northwest!). The light show put on was unreal - those whales 'swimming' across the stadium floor was something else! It was so emotional and happy at the same time - I loved watching the atheletes on their procession into the stadium - you could see the excitement on their faces! (though why in the world were the British women atheletes wearing French berets as part of the uniform?!) It's a shame though that shortly after it finishes I come online and the headlines are all scandalous about the 'gaff' in the torch lighting moment - what a shame the media can't focus on the good bits and not the bad?! We were both so impressed too with the delicate way which they handled the sad and tragic death of the Georgian Luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili who died in training today - the minutes silence was so the right thing.

Here's to a great fortnight of sporting events. I might just become a telly addict for a bit! And I've got the choice of 2 teams to cheer on....now the tough one will be the men's curling - GB or Canada?!

She got a job...

...no more 'retirement' for me. Hence we haven't been doing all that much with life other than making 2 twee little matching lunch-boxes, sharing rides to work and coming home to a cold house (bought a programmable thermostat tonight - seriously that's how exciting work is?!) This weekend we're all set for a trip to the big city - the Vancouver Bike show, and of course any trip to the lower mainland wouldn't be complete without a shopping spree at my favourite big blue and yellow store *wink*!!

Snow Day!

Not really any snow here at home so we went off in search of the white stuff to play in! First stop was Telemark at Crystal Mountain where I hired snowshoes (someone got his own pair for Chrismas!), a bargain $5 for a trail passes and we were all set. We made sure to get kitted up in our snowshoes out of sight of a very busy XC arena (several hundred people in some competition or other!) - I had no idea whether I'd fall flat on my face at my first attempt at moving but they were so light and not at all cumbersome and I managed to only trip myself up once on the whole outing!

It was such a lovely snowy winter wonderland all around us. We ventured off the trails for a bit in some fantastic deep powder snow but with no idea of where we were heading we reluctantly turned back for the main trail. What a fantastic way to spend the morning. Once we returned to the chalet the competition was wrapping up and the hot dogs were a'cookin' on the deck - what a welcome smell to our rumbling tummies!

On the way home, around dusk we went in search of suitable sledding hills. Having got a new go-faster sled at Christmas we were itching to test it out. In the end we ended up back at home, got a couple of quick runs down a rather steep hill a couple of roads further up the hill than us. Then as we parked the car in the garage realised the potential of the slope down the side of the house leading to the basement access. It's short and not much of a hill but if you take a running dive at it you can reach the basement door!!lol!

Happy New Year

We saw the new year in with friends James, Lorrie & Alex at a little wooden cabin in the woods at Chute Lake - high in the hills above Lake Okanagan. Just lovely. We'd borrowed a couple of ATV's too and spent the afternoon of the 31st and morning of the 1st whizzing around the forest trails deep in snow. Of course as darkness fell we retreated inside to a blazing fire and a few games of pictionary. It was a long evening of drinking and so I have to admit staying up till midnight was a tall order. We did all make it - a quick swig of bubbly and then off to bed! Chris and I bagged the cozy bed right by the ancient wood stove in the main room of the cabin. It was what you'd call rustic, and with the temperatures we had no running water inside. Chris spent about 2 hours the next morning cooking us all bacon and egg sarnies - wood stoves aren't the easiest to temperature control, especially when hungover!

I got home to read numerous blog posts proclaiming one little word for the year, resolutions, changes to be made blah blah. I'm not into that. I'm happy right now to be where I am and living this life every day and that's good enough for me (but I did manage to clear my inbox today!!)