What a rush

If you asked me 10 weeks ago what I would be doing today I would have said "Family Fun Day Ceasar Sunday." Not running in a road race!

Ten weeks ago my mom came to me and asked me if I would like to go to this "learn to run class." My step dad had been running for a few months, and my mom wanted to learn, so I said "sure, what else I am doing on Tuesdays and Saturdays."

It has been a great experience, with a great group of people. Everyone is there working towards there goal wether it was a 5km, or 10km distance. You get the support and friendship of people that are doing the same as you, and you get to have a few laughs along the way.

We started slow, and every week added time to the run and less to the walk, and 10 weeks later I can run for 10 mins straight! I would have never thought that was possible. Now my goal is to pick up my pace, and work on the hills.

Today was Race Day! YIKES!!!! I woke up ready to rock, and then you get the butterflies in the stomach. The little voice in your head saying "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" But once you are in line with all the racers, the buzzer goes the voice disappears and is replaced with "your inner kick ass voice" and you are in the zone. Everyone has that inner voice, and they all say something different, "I know I can" "Hells Yeah I am going to kill this" "High Calibre Athlete." I made great time for the race, I finished in 36 minutes, I was 29th over all in my age group. That is a 7.2 min km.

On the course you see all sorts of people. Young, old, tall, short, thick, thin and yet all there bodies are doing the same job.... It is amazing when you allow your body the time to train for a task how well you can perform. I mean I was no 1st place winner, but I was no slouch either. But even those people that were last over the finishing line they "LAPPED" everyone of you that sat on the couch today!

I can not explain that rush that I got having my little boy run with me across my first finish line. Then at the water station he asked if he can run the next race with us. It makes me so happy that he see's his family being healthy, and active and he thinks its cool, and wants to be a part of such a great culture.

I signed up for a 10km race, before I ever completed the 5km race. I have to admit I was a little nervous that I could not do the 10km run in 3 weeks, but now I say BRING IT!

Beer + Salsa = Love

For about 12 years now I have run a small business, it has had it ups and downs over the years. When I started it was slow, with long PAINFUL hours of answering phones, and sweeping hair. Then I hit the mother load of all craziness 60hour work week, full time, 6 week waiting list then BAM a family!!! So now I am a part time momma that runs a small hair salon from home, I am still crazy, but only work a normal 20-40 hour work week.

I have always said "I could never do anything but hair." Even if I could do anything in the whole wide world, I would still do hair. Its never the same thing twice, everyday I get to do something new and I get paid to chat. What could be better? I have passion for my job, enjoy everyday, and I love my clients!

Take tonight for example. It is HOT here right now, I am not complaining because we really do not get that many nice days in a row! But all day while slaving away doing hair, I was praying that someone, anyone would bring me a Slurpie, a Iced Something from Starbucks. When I worked in a salon there was always someone going somewhere that was never a problem, and if you wanted there was enough people that you could call and get a delivery company to go and pick it up for you. Oh those were the days....

But anyway back to tonight, I get a text from my last client "Can I bring us beer?"

"Heck yeah you can bring us beer" I reply finally a cold drink!

"I have a new Salsa recipe can I bring it too?"

Ok let me get this straight, you want to bring me beer, and make me a snack!!! Man do I love my job!!!!

So I rocked some hair, had a beer in my kitchen with a client/friend and she made me fresh Salsa, Guacamole, and Mango Salsa and then left me all the left overs. I have no idea what I did to deserve it, but man I hope it happens again! LOL

I have said it a 1000x's "I love my job, and my clients. You spoil me and my family rotten, when you do those little things for me me. I hope when you come for your salon visit you leave feeling that good. I love you all"

Go Faster

Well its official I am now a runner. And by "Runner" I mean I am in training, for a 5km race in the Rocky Mountains in September. And I have hit the pavement all of 3 times TOTAL.

I am at the end of week one and I am happy to say that I am doing ok. I have a small burn in the one calf, so I have to stretch a tad more next time. My shoulders, and legs are tad on the CRISPY side, but other then that I am doing great.

It was scary getting out and joining this learn to run group. I have a friend and he said "why do you need to learn how to run, just put one foot in front of the other and go faster." Thanks tips! But in all reality that is exactly what I have done, and our program changes again tomorrow.

So I will see what this week brings. But expect more of the same just maybe a faster pace, and bigger bug bites.

Friends

You have all heard the saying "If you treated your friends like you treat your family, you would have none." Do you know someone that statement applies to? I know I do.

Over the past few months I have thought long and hard about what makes a friend. And how you can have different types of friends. This year I have made it my mission to reclaim my inner DANA.(like diva, but wickeder) I was having difficulty with editing my life. To get rid of the old dead weight, and make room for the new. Why waste the effort with people, when they do not put any effort out to you. Whoever said that a relationship is 50-50 is full of shit. I do not want 50-50 I want 100-100, and anything less will not do.

Not too long ago I had a drink with a "old friend" we have not seen each other in like 13+ years. He came into town so I left my husband and son at home and met said "friend" for a drink, I wondered if it would be weird, because we had not seen each other in so many years. But it was the same old familiar friendship, laughing, joking, serious chatting that we had in high school, we had not missed a beat. I wondered when I left WHY it had taken so long to get together? If we could be that effortless in friendship why did we let it drift away, like something that was so unimportant.

Then you have your "work friends", you know the ones that you spend more time with then your spouse. Yet you really are only convenient friends, you spend lots of time with them, have fun and yet when you leave the place of work you leave them behind. They are no longer part of your life, out of sight, out of mind so to speak.

You have friends that turn into "couple friends". You know the girls are friends, or the boys are friends and then you all get married and become couple friends. They can be a lot of work, because the spouses may not be great friends and then it is hard to hang out with them. Then when one of the couples have kids.... Well you all know how that ends, you start seeing each other once a year, because all they do is talk about there kids. And when you do not have kids, you do not care about how well so-in-so is pooping, eating, sleeping, etc.

Then you have the "family friends." You know you have to see them because they are family, but you really like them. They are easy and accepting of you and all your glorious moments because well they have seen you at your worst, and they still keep hanging around.

Then you have the "SPARK friends", everything fits, the spouses all fit, the kids fit. The spark is with a small group of people, a few families that just fit. You know when you can do just about anything and it is the BEST day of your life. You can not get together with out your facing hurting from laughing, and the best hangover in the world the next day. You go for a quick one and they have to stay for 10. They make everything great, you can have them show up when you have a kid melting down in the bed room, a house that looks like a bomb went off and be in PJ'S at 4 in the afternoon, and not once do you wonder "are they judging me?" Or you can have the kids running around until they look like they are going to fall over from exhaustion but you just don't want to go because you are truly enjoying there company.

Then you have the "dead weight friends", you know you need to cut them loose. No matter how much you give, you never get. Its all about them, and their problems. And well sometimes I want to talk about me. It is hard to cut them loose, or you can't because they are family. But whatever the reason you can not cut them loose, treat them like the stock market "NEVER put in more then you are willing to loose."

I have never figured out why it is so easy to be friends with some people and so much work with others? When you have small kids the school always says you can not bring birthday invitations to school unless you invite everyone. Are you friends with everyone? Would you want to have to be friends with everyone that you have met? So why would we ask our kids to be? I have always said that you need to be respectful of everyone but you do not have to be friends with everyone.

So to all of my friends, and you know what group you are in. Thank you for being my friend.

Sabbatical

Well its been a while. Well 4 months to be exact, I have thought about writing but never seemed to have the time. I know I said that I was going to have 1 hour everyday for myself, and I did but I spent it reading. There are SO many great books. It was good, but now it is time to write.

I have wondered what my first post back would be, lacrosse, kids, end of school??? No they are all busy winding down and frankly I am over them for this year. We had a great season, the kid is growing, grade 1 was good. Yup enough said.

Holiday is booked for the summer, can't wait to sit on the beach and do NOTHING!! I can drink beer, play in the water and work on my tan, all while looking at the mountains in BC. What a great way to spend a week.

I am a little unsure of what to pack, because we have a COTTAGE booked. I can pack to camp, and to stay in a hotel. But in a cottage, how much food, coffee, do I really need that??? Kids stuff for the beach, floating things, sand pails, brain overload!!!! I am sure I will be fine, and after all I am sure BC, Canada has a few stores.

I have a month to pack, unpack and repack. I am sure it will all fit in the car!

Life is like a Coin...

So today while I cruising face book I read a status that kind of struck a cord in me.

"LIFE IS LIKE A COIN, YOU ONLY GET TO SPEND IT ONCE"

I never really thought of life that way, until today. I thought about all of my clients, friends, and family and thought if today was the "last" day how would you spend your coin? I know I would be with my family, hands down! Good company, Good food, Great wine, Many laughs.

Today I spent my coin cooking, home made soups, meatballs, and pasta sauce for a friend that is about to start Cancer Treatments. I am not sure if she will even be able to eat it, but I know her husband will be able too. Good food is such a comfort for people, when you are too tired to cook. To have something that is ready, healthy and all you had to do is heat it, is a life saver.

I am not very good at saying things to people, that need to be said. You know in case your coins get spent faster then you thought they would. But this person is AMAZING. Always smiling, laughing and doing special little things for people. When I was having my son, I was SICK!!!! SICK all day long, for the whole 9 months. She came to her hair appointment with the thickest, biggest handmade blanket that I have ever seen. In my house colours, she had called my mom to ask her what colour I would like. It is people like her that make me want to be crafty! BUT I am not, so I pay it forward from my kitchen. In the grande scheme of things I know my cooking is not going to save the world, but I do hope that it spreads a little smile to the person that made me smile 7 years ago.

Bucket List

Have you ever had something you thought was calling your name? Have you ever had a burning desire to do something, try something, experience something? Do you have a BUCKET LIST? Do you know what it is that you truly want to do before its too late?

Have you ever watched something and thought, HUH maybe I could do that? Maybe I could be that girl that climbs that mountain, explores that cave, bikes that distance, races that race. So what is stoping you? YOU

Are you too scared, uneducated on how to reach that goal? Are you your own worst enemy? Sometime's I think I am. When I was 18 I was fearless, nothing was going to stop me I was like a hurricane. Wild, unpredictable, rough around the edges, and really had NO edit button. So what happened to her? I settled into adulthood, married, kids, job, chores, bills, responsibility... Not that I don't love it because I do. BUT sometimes I miss the old me, not the lippy, no edit button version of me because sometimes she does come out, just to get me in trouble. But the wild and crazy, go get it girl.

When I was 21 I was like this is that last GREAT birthday I am ever going to have. The next big birthdays all have 0's behind it... YIKES!!! So I vowed that I would do something wild and crazy, try something new every year after that, so when I was old I would be the girl that said "Hells Yeah I did it, and I rocked it" But as I got older the dream of being that girl kind of died and was replaced with the "whatever" girl.

So I have decided that I am reclaiming my wildness, not to be confused with recklessness. This year I am going to go on my caving adventure. I am going to go the Rats Nest Grotto, I am going to a 6 hour cave exploring tour and finish off the day with a massage (because I am old and will need it) and a large beer, because I am Canadian! Are you in?

The Hangover

I always have said the January is my least favourite month of the whole year. It is a long month 31 slow, dark and pain full days. It has the most working days out of the year, No STAT holidays, long weekends, NOTHING! You are also suffering from what I call a Holiday Hangover. December is a busy month, parties, get togethers, company, cooking, cleaning, and that goes with the holiday season. Then BAMM January and nothing....

Most think it will be a welcome relief no plans, lazy weekends, back to normal. But for me I think this month sucks. I can not wait for February!!! Here is why I think February is so much better the January.

It only has 28 days, so it is short and goes by fast! Half way through the month you have St. Valentines Day. Now if you know me I am not a typical girl and love that day. BUT I do love the fact my son is so happy to go to school and pass out his Sponge Bob Square Pants Valentines Cards. I am also excited for the fact the we always make chocolate covered strawberries and let Calder decorate his very own heart shaped cake. So far they do not look great but the taste amazing because it was made with love laughter and a ton of great memories.

I am also taking a photography class this month. To honest I have never had a burning desire to take photo's. My husband always does that, he ownes a video company and also does photography so why would I ever need to know how to take the camera off AUTO? Well maybe so when Calder looks back at his childhood he has a few GOOD pictures of him and his dad that are in focus, good colour, not too much wasted space, etc.

Then to follow that up, here in Canada we have a long weekend that is known as FAMILY DAY. However on the holiday we will be a arena for a hockey tournament, but on the Saturday I plan to take in the festival at the Lake where I grew up. They have sleigh rides on the Lake, Skating, Bonfires, Polar Dip (cut a hole in the frozen lake and stupid people go swimming in the middle of a Canadian Winter) Then at Dinner time they have a fireworks display on the ice. So it is a perfect break from the BLAH month that was January.

With the close of February it will be the rapid count down until Lacrosse season kicks off and our hot holiday to Mexico begins. Here's hoping that February is a fast one!

Humming Bird

Well its been awhile... To say that I have been busy would be a gross understatement! But I like you have the same amount of hours in which to do stuff. So why am I so far behind I think I am ahead? Because I am like a humming bird, I can not slow down,100 beats per second, I can move forward or backwards I just can not sit still.

For starter I work. Almost full time. I have a family who also works, sports, volunteers, eats, makes a mess etc. So that could be why I am so busy! But I really think it is the fact that I do nothing half way! My house is always spotless, you can ask anyone!!!! I always have something I could make you for dinner, snack, sweets. I can cook like nobody's business. I am always on GO mode. I wish I could just unplug.

I took on a volunteer job, because it sounded fun and like I could do it in my spare time. BUT I am now obsessed with this job! I can not sleep, barely eat, am always driving, dropping off, picking up, meeting, emailing, phoning, and creating stuff. Don't get me wrong I love it. I thrive on being busy, I work great under pressure. But I am wondering if when I get this job the way I want it, will I be less busy? OR will I just want more? Knowing me I will want to take over the world, drunk on power.... (insert evil laugh here)

The bad thing about this job that I took is that this is not even the busy part of this job, its just getting to the busy part! However it was kinda a mess before, I think the person that had it before did it because no one else would/could. I also think its because there is a normal persons way... and then there is the DANISH WAY!! There is a tonne of work that needs to be done and ORGANIZED is my middle name, so I think once it is cleaned up and ready to go it will be a cake walk.

So as it sits for the night, I have had my hour all to myself. I looked at a book, I had my 4 glasses of water, all emails,phones,pages,ads,websites,posters,etc are done for the day. Now to try and slow down enough to sleep.

21 days to form a habit

Well the New Year has started with a bang LITERALLY! I was sick, and I mean sick. Pray for death sick! So I have not yet had the chance to really sit down and make any resolutions. I could say that I have high hopes. I am going to loose some weight, eat cleaner, drink more water, exercise more regularly, clean up the bank book, and the list goes on. Like most people I pick the hardest things to change about yourself, I love to sleep, shop, and drink beer. So you go on a New Year's over haul, you do great for a week, then BAMM your bed is more comfy then gym, pizza sounds better then salad, beer colder then water, the sale at ___ and the bank book takes a giant hit. Did you know that it takes 21 days for a human to form a habit, and only 7 days to break it! So if you make it past January you are GOLDEN!!!

So this year I am starting small, and I figured if I told you all about it then I would have to keep it up for more then a week. I vow to drink 1 glass of water before I have my morning coffee, 1 before I have lunch, 1 before I have dinner, and 1 before bed. I am going to do some type of activity just for me for 1hr at least 3 days a week, wether it be a coffee date, workout, a nap, read, whatever I want it just can not be on FACE BOOK! As well as I plan on paying $10.00 more on each of bill per month, so I have a credit so when I have holiday booked or something special I can skip a month of bills and use the bill money for something AWESOME!

So as this first week is winding down I have to report that I have made the water thing happen every day and I find that I am drinking even more then the 4 glasses that I said I would. On Sunday we were outside all afternoon snowshoeing, Tuesday night I read a magazine cover to cover after work, and before I went to bed. I have cooked clean meals all week, and today I did 26 minutes on the treadmill at a 6 incline, pace of 3.8 and then did a kick butt hour of bootcamp. I feel great, the burn in my lungs amazing! Tomorrow the burn in my muscles (hamstrings,and arms) will be OK because I know that I did something just for me! That burn I earned, and I am going to keep earning it, and thanking my body that I am young and healthy enough to work out. After all in 73 days I plan to be healthier, lighter, faster, stronger, more rested, well hydrated, and happier with the choices that I have made to get me bikini ready for my holiday!

Wishing you all a STRONGER, FITTER, FASTER New Year!

Canadian Eh?

Well have you ever wondered why you live where you live? Seriously have you ever thought about it? What holds you to the place that you call home? Is it your kids, family, friends, job, too scared to strike out on your own? If you are from Canada it is most likely NOT the weather that holds you here.

I always said the stork messed up when I landed in Canada. I should have been a tropical baby, I never say it is too hot. I never get sun burned, so why waste this awesome skin on Canada. But then you have days like today where I know I was meant to be a CANADIAN!!!

There is nothing like being outside on a warm winters day, having fun. For some you hit the slopes, the hills, the rink, parks, lakes, for us today we took to the trails. It was the first time that I have snow shoed in like 8 years. I have not been a trail blazer since I had my son, and it was just as amazing as I remembered it. The ache in the legs and butt, the burn in the lungs, the sting of the wind on your face, AMAZING! My son Calder also fell in love with it, he had a blast. We were a hour in on a trail and he was running, laughing telling stories, red faced and snow covered, and it hit me he is truly a Canadian!

I think the thing that set us apart from the rest of the world, is that we have a true appreciation of the great outdoors. All across the Great White North people were running, hiking, biking, skating, sledding, skiing, and snow shoeing millions of Kilometeres today. No matter how cold, wet, rainy, sunny, bug infested, you will see us crazy canucks out side doing what we do best. Then when darkness falls on the land we head in side and have a cold frosty beer, and the kids have a hot chocolate and we plan our next out door adventure.