charming gardener

Saturday, 25 February 2006

Went to visit Lex while Mark was with the dogs. And she not only tried ON wigs, she bought one. Proving that she indeed is a rock star.

Ready for her White Snake video.

The winner! Supermodel status.

Us with regular god given hairs. .

What we did today. For 8 1/2 hours.

Averaging 0.3 miles hour.

An ill-fated trip south on the M11 early this morning to go pick up Mark's wedding suit in London. We went approx 1/2 a mile an hour. Seriously. My purse is totally organized. Suit retrieval abandoned. Afternoon training and coaching sessions cancelled. Bladder very tested. And came Very Close to joining the throngs of other male (including Mark) and brave female motorists who climbed the fence to take care of business behind the bushes. We went 37 miles. In 8 hours. I may never get in a car again. Too bad we rescheduled to be there tomorrow morning at 9:30.

Wednesday, 22 February 2006

forging ahead into the vast white

digging for cooking, washing, drinking water on frozen lake Maza

sunset in Finmark, Norway, 3:30 p.m.

chilling at lunchtime

the long and endless white

Mark's fellow mushers at literal hotel igloo. -6 C inside.

let sleeping dawgs lie

Mark's home! WIth lead dogs Levis and Gill.

Tuesday, 31 January 2006

first solo trip

Wanted to report on my FIRST driving trip on my own!

Saturday morning 8:45
To the Gym
AND back
One roundabout
Zero cars on the road
Hardest thing was scraping the windscreen (I wasn't wearing gloves)

AND, just in! First solo trip AT NIGHT

Just dropped Mark off at the train station and drove home ALONE
IN THE DARK
On squishy roads where bikers in dark clothes and no lights leap out at you and pedestrians dare to step into the already squishy road
No roundabouts
No windshield wiper juice either, so like driving wearing really dirty glasses. I told Mark it did not help my fighting chances and he needs to keep my odds high by giving me good equipment to use.
I literally held my breath as I narrowly escaped hitting a nice biker on the hill on Mill Road. No margin for error and I already don't know my left curb side's location yet. Plus cars coming the other way.
Mark's car is WIDE
Now I just have to hope he will walk back when his train gets in. That was enough.

38

Happliy rang in the my new age with a treat visit and dinner in London with my favourite Canadians Brother Chris Craig and Pilot Dave. (see Air Canada offical hat below)

Even got to have a drink with the whole flight deck. Me and several pilot men. I felt petite and ladylike. And giggly.

If you are even in Ontario and want a BEAUTIFUL B&B visit with fancy-ass Chris Craig cooked breakfasts, go see them and pet their giant cat.
www.tynavon.ca

On board I'm the Captain, so climb aboard ...

Monday, 23 January 2006

things I am trying to do

learn to drive on the left side of the road

without hitting the curb
or swearing like a mobster
or injuring my 20-year driving experienced ego
or panicking at a 2-laned roundabout

ride my bike in the cold

without bitching
and getting muddy trousers

work out like a person who loves working out

while trying not to obsess about my tick-tick in my head until white dress time
without getting mad about my lack of instant and immediate and show-stopping results (what, that spinning class didn't drop a dress size? the OUTRAGE)

plan 2 weddings

without becoming a person who cares very very much about placecards
without making hundreds of tiny lists and then taking a nap
without obsessing about everyone matching
while hoping that things will just work out more or less

Thursday, 12 January 2006

but I AM on the A List

At least the cool jobs list. Thanks to Andy and Tom for boosting my day and validating that coaches are happening, helpful and darned hip. Sorry for all that alliteration.

per By Marty Nemko
U.S. News & World Report

Excellent Careers for 2006

Personal coach.

I predict that demand for the services of psychologists and other psychotherapists will fade (see the entry for psychologist, below). There will always be a need, however, for professionals willing to help clients address their practical problems. This doesn't need to entail thorough exploration of family history or traumatic childhood events but someone to help the client set goals, develop an action plan to achieve them, keep on task, and be supportive when the client feels scared or deflated. Some psychotherapists, who practice cognitive or rational-emotive therapy, do those things, but personal coaches, also known as career and life coaches, can be adequately trained in far less time.

Here is the whole article to see if your job is cool too...

hoodlums

Well happy new year...

my bike was just stolen!

New blue sporty bike -- innocently just put outside our gate while I went through the house to grab my coat and key -- maybe 3 minutes -- and POOF. Vanished.

Doesn't help that schools let out at this time and we have a well worn path from all the 10-16 year old yobbettes past our house.

Where am I, DC? Everyone I know has has a bike or 3 pinched there. Now both Mark & qualify as crime victims.

And poor greenie has a flat. Whoa is me. I am without mobility. And after all my fun behind the wheel in heated Saab seats the last 2 months.

Good thing we are going to start ME driving this weekend as part of our new year improvements. Still I am annoyed and sputtering.

Bye Bye Bluey, we hardly knew yee.