Canmore 2010 pt.2.

So it's official, I have now been to Canmore Alberta 2x. It seems as if I'm slowly becoming an honorary visitor, and with such titles comes great responsibility.

I'm not quite sure what responsibility I am capable of handling, as usually cleaning my cats litter box tends to be the extent of it, but who knows: one day I may be able to hold down a 9-5 job and care for a dog. No promises thought.

Thus far my travels in Canmore have included lots of cooking for my sister, lots of eating because I made too much, and way more reading than I was capable of in the past few months. It has also included my 1st ever adventures in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. All are favourable things to do, but tonight was a favorite one of mine: exposing my 3 month old nephew to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video/song.

If I had a bit more time in my day I would learn the dance by heart and work on my vocals, but as it stands I'm a die-hard fan of the dance moves and do them as often as possible, if only not as well as Miss B.. I look forward to the days when I can dance the full dance, but until that day I will settle for early morning dance sessions and showing my sisters protege some wicked dance moves. Finally I shall take on the family responsibility of being the 'mover and shaker', the clan is growing and it needs its dancers now more than ever.

Cheers to all, and to all a good night!




Yay for all single ladies everywhere, Beyonce is rooting for ya!

It's been forever...and other thoughts.

Today I realized I have not blogged (not here at least) for a long time. I don't know why, because I am certain there were very many cool things I could of written about, but I do know I was burnt-out. First it was from reading, and I took a reading sabbatical. It promptly ended after a few months away from academia, thank goodness too, life was getting a little too normal for my liking. What I did not realize was that I was also pretty down-trodden on writing wise. Then something wonderful happened, I started to write, and draw, and read, and enjoy life.

It came in little bursts, a bit like pomegranate seeds. First it was reading, I couldn't get enough fiction into my life. After a few months I started doing art again, mostly a drawing here and there, plans for paintings and a few sculptures. Most recently I started writing again, and I feel like I'm back at home. It feels so nice, so warm, so cuddly. I almost want to giggle.

Today's post isn't all that special, apart from my coming-out (or back) party currently happening both in my head and my desk. I have so many things I want to write about, and I want to start now, but I know that sleep will not let one eye fall as long as I am typing away. So, today it is just one observation. One that is a bit bewildering to some and wacky to others, yet sits close to my heart. Here it is: public transit is not only good for the environment, it is good for reading.

I came to this realization in early September, when I got myself a car. **silent applause**
I got a car, and thought "wow...the amount of time I will save is so worth this", and it was. But, I also lost out on my ritual of reading through books like a mad-woman, on my daily commutes. At first it was all I could do but cry at the annoying way traffic moves so that it's just fast enough to move at a snails pace, but not stopped where you can pull out a book and sigh a bit. I came to realize that it wasn't the traffic that bugged me, it was that I wanted to read and get the car to drive itself. So in defense of cars driving themselves in the future, I say "bring it on"!. I dearly miss my commute, but I do not miss being late or taking 2 hrs to get to my destination. I do not miss the rude people or the fares, but I do miss the solitude of finding a spot on a bus and huddling over a book, knowing full-well it is the only things that mattered at the time.

I've ridden the transit system a few times since then, and when I do I appreciate it more. No need to find parking and time to read, but as much as I miss those things I now have a new appreciation for reading books curled up on the couch with my cat in tow, and it it with this thought I will leave for now.

To all the readers out there! --> enjoy

yours
-Rogi

On reading books

Over the past few months I have taken to reading books again. Not because I estranged myself from this activity out of want, but because I was burnt-out from reading course/university related stuff. Apart from reading books for pleasure, things like doing laundry and buying groceries also suffered. I believe the ladies at my local Tim Horton's started to think I actually live on green-tea and Timbits, and owned only 1 pair of pants and 2 shirts.

Now that I am back to my normal self: looking for work, wearing more than just 2 shirts, enjoying life, and reading like my life depended on it. I find myself asking how can anyone not read books. I took to the streets of Toronto to ask this (in other words I asked my friends who are not big readers), and got the following responses:

1. its boring
2. haven't found something I like
3. I do read...just not a lot

all the responses I got were variations on the above 3. All broke my heart.

The reason they broke my heart is because I know there is a book for just about anyone out there. For example, I have never heard one disappointed remark about 'Lamb' by Christopher Moore. I must have distributed my copy to over 20 people by now, and everyone fell in love.

Books like Lamb are what keeps me going, and thanks to friends suggestions I have learned to love Dean Koontz and Neil Gaiman, just as much as I love Terry Pratchett. I also always think that if only that person who doesn't read found the right book they would become instant "readers". A few day's ago I stumbled on a few books by Malcolm Gladwell, and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about Outliers (in case you might be looking for a fun read).

Although it might seem from my list above, that I stick to fiction, truth be told I like both, and when I see one I think I might like I definitely grab it. This was the case with Gladwell's Outliers, and I devoured it in a day.

So for those who might not like fiction books, Outliers is a fun and crazy read. I still can't stomach how our society screws people over, and how some people are really really lucky. But what is even more crazy is that for the first time in my life I believe that the year you were born-in does matter, and that people are not just gifted: they work at their skill. Specifically, they work crazy hard for 10 000 hours, which is when the human brain magically decides it knows what its doing and makes you an expert at your chosen task.

Simply put, Outliers is like my non-fiction counterpart to Moore's Lamb, and I hope (as I know due to its popularity at the library) more people read it. So if you have any of the above 3 excuses or a combination, check out Outliers or Lamb. Neither will disappoint and both will delight.

Unit my next post I fare you goodbye

Dandelions! or why I love them

As the season for making dandelion concoctions ends, I wanted to lament about the ever-present yet ill-loved Dandelion.

Miss Helen Barron Bostwick wrote

Bright little Dandelion
Lights up the meads,
Swings on her slender foot,
Telleth her beads,
Lists to the robin's note
Poured from above;
Wise little Dandelion
Asks not for love...

Pale little dandelion, in her white shroud,
Heareth the angel-breeze call from the cloud.
Tiny plumes fluttering, make no delay,
Little winged dandelion, soareth away.

Indeed Miss Bostwick, the dandelions in my next of the woods have soareth away, and for my love of this flower: I wanted to devote this post to it

In a few days I will open my frozen dandelion petal bags and begin my yearly jam/wine making, and in appreciation for the gift of this dazzling plant, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts on it.

These little plants are spectacular, not only can they fill your belly with deliciousness, but can be used as medicinal plants, and made into all types of jewelery. All in all there is little this plant cannot do, and it breaks my heart when I see people trying to get rid of them. Of special importance is dandelion wine, it is similar to drinking pure sunlight (and if you have ever basked in the sun and felt your skin absorb the rays, you are somewhat approaching what it feels like to drink a glass of good dandelion wine).

Now if you happen to be one of the unfortunate souls who has yet to discover the beauty of the dandelion, fear not if you see shadows in your yard picking these flowers when in bloom in the dead of night, or gleefully blowing at the seeds to disperse them. It is probably I, attempting to make yet another batch of dandelion wine!

Of course if frolicking in dandelion fields is not your things, I suggest you come over to my place for a glass of this wine, as I have been known to make strong concoctions that make the body dance and the mind take a sideways stance. It is with this new found view that you will finally see why I love this plant so much, and perhaps open the door to your heart as well, if only a bit to let the sunlight in.

It is only when people see the many uses and beauty of this plant, that I shall be allowed to rest. Until then I raise my glass to the dandelion and its future, and hope to see you bent over a flower enjoying all it has to offer the next year and many after that.

with dandelions on my mind,
yours always
Anna

Something new and something borrowed!

So the cat is out of the proverbial bag, and I have told a lot of people around me I will write a novel. Now of course my mouth always gets much much further than my actions (initially) and so I suppose now I must write a book.

This proposition poses a few problems:
1. I've never written one before (not so much of a problem...maybe more like a wait game issue)
2. I'm so use to writing papers that writing fiction is hard
3. I feel like my imagination has been drained out of me by the evil master-minds of the current TV line-up (DAMN YOU TRUE BLOOD and STARGATE UNIVERSE)
4. I get bored very easily
5. I will succeed (not a problem...just an affirmation I read you should think about all the time if you want something...)
6. I will probably try and apply "the secret" way of thinking, even though I really dislike that whole scene

So the plan for the next couple of months is:
1. start the novel
2. start it again (but better)
3. redo the start because I find something better to write about
4. start again
5. drink a bottle of wine because I've started the novel 4 times now
6. cry because the bottle of wine is empty and I have to go back to writing
7.write some more
8. buy a bottle of wine
9. drink said bottle of wine
10. take a month break where I discover my true life purpose and dance around a fire
11. remember that I just had 2 bottle of wine in less than 2 months (very very rare for me)
12. google AA and cry myself to sleep because I might be an alcoholic
13. write some more
14. play with cat...or anyone who will take my mind off of writing
15. buy beer
16. remember I don't drink beer and exchange it for cheap wine
17. finish last page! celebrate by getting drunk! and become a millionaire (billionaire in 3 yrs) the next day
18. remind my monkey butler that he really should wear pants and use a bit less rum in his concoctions :)

THE END




hugs and love and all that mushy stuff

Thoughts on Public Transit Systems and Human Nature

A few weeks ago I was getting on a bus... you might think that this is the start of a fantasy novel full of flying suitcases and boy-wizards looking for elusive magical ingredients, like stripper's thongs. That as I stepped on the bus, it took off, but not down the road, but down another tunnel. Into a giant ant's brain, where a universe not like out own exists, except with a lot less autonomy and much more sand. Alas this is not how the story goes (not yet at least), today I will explore human nature and how I came to shed a tear on my bus ride back home.

I was getting on a bus, maybe more trying than actually getting. It was late, there were a lot of people, and no real line-up in sight. People were pushing and shoving when the bus pulled in, and more than not, people that just arrived were pushing people who had waited much longer.

It was at that moment that the world slowed down, my head exploded, and I realized that human-society was doomed. After all, here I was: standing in a sea of people who pretty much represented a good cross-section of Toronto's population, being shoved and pulled because someone didn't have the decency to wait for their turn to get on a bus. On the surface these people were not lacking food to eat, water to drink, money to pay for the bus, or were in any immediate danger of being shot. Yet the way the bus was being filled almost made me think that the end of the world was coming, and I was the only odd-one-out who didn't hear the warning signal.

There were people who refused to wait for people to get off the bus first before they barged in, and tried snatching a seat or two for themselves. As I decided to wait my turn and not push, I eventually did get home, but much later on a 3rd bus, that pulled-up 20 minutes after.

Now you might think, what is she raving about, she got home eventually. No broken bones, no broken feelings. But you see my friends something was broken, and that was my faith in humanity reaching a point where people consider others, and stop believing that they are the only ones entitled to be 1st in line. That was a realization that swooped in like a hawk, chewed through my hope that people can get along (even in dire circumstances), mostly because all in all we are not as selfish as Dawkins thinks.

So I waited my turn, took a seat and on my ride home and thought of all the people in the world, of all the potential for greatness, and of all the selfish bastards who think they are better than someone else, and I felt a tear run down my cheek. Only one though.

Usually I do not get as worked-up about people, but on that day at that time, I had a fleeting vision of how many people act, and I shivered at the thought of those same people and how many there are in the world, and it made me sad.

Since that day I have regained some of my faith, but not in humanity as a whole, just in some people. Still that bus on that day changed my life, which is strange because I have witnessed that on a daily basis come rush-hour and never before saw that which I elaborated on above. Strange thoughts are making their nest in my head, and alas they many not be all hummingbirds who eat honey, but dark crows who eat bunnies.

with a head full of song-birds and a few dark crows,
your sincerely,
-Anna

Thoughts on Dancing!

I always knew I was meant to dance. I remember cradling my big teddy-bear as a child and dancing along with the cast of Dirty Dancing. I even did the scene when Johnny keeps on tickling Baby as he tries to get his hand down her hand-armpit and waist.

Sure I must of looked a little weird; technically a 6-7 yr old trying to dirty dance with her bear must of caused my mother to potentially have to settle for dreams of me just making it out of puberty instead the usual doctor/astronaut/successful-tyrant. But, alas I have made it out and well past puberty and unfortunately I didn't do it as a dancer.

This has caused a lot of misplaced energy to ball-up, and for as long as I can remember it seems that unless I dance at least a few times a week, I become a lifeless-angry-easily frayed brain-eating zombie. Now I know this description is not totally accurate, but then again its not all in the details.

That is why I decided to share with you my love of dancing, and link to a YouTube video of a flash-mob dancing to Oprah's Kick-off Party. I have a feeling I will try and do this later tonight, although I did have my usual morning dance-off (with myself) in the kitchen.

To all those dancers who where told they were too fat, or not talented enough...I encourage you to take over your kitchen floor and dance till the egg's are done and the oatmeal is cooked! It might not be a stadium yet, but one step at a time :)

Here We GO!

Travel's on Greyhound and other fun!

Hello blog readers,

it is I, your semi sane and always inquisitive friend, and I have news for you. I have made it back, all in one piece with more wear and no tear. The trip was fantastic. The people I met were sweet and a very interesting bunch, and there are stories to be told.

The stories include rants, and so I want to begin with one...two..or three:

"Made in China"

the above says it all, almost everything in all the 'knick-knack' shops was made in China. All the stuff that looks local and handmade is deceiving, because every time my heart would jump and my thoughts center on "finally something made by local artists that I can afford", I would flip the thing over and there it would be. The engraving/sticker signaling it was made by the ever productive hands of China.

Now I'm no cheapo when it comes to local crafts, but then again I also do not have $400-4000 dollars to drop on an original photograph of a bear. This then became part of my impromptu trip-goal: find local arts and crafts that I can afford. The end of which centered on bringing back local beer (Bear Paw), local soap (Canmore Soap Co.), and chocolate (Le Chocolatier). The most local of course was the beer, local water...honey...and yeast, but lets face it most of the ingredients were not local for any of the other items...just the services rendered to make them were.

Although not a huge deal, I wish I could of had something entirely made from and by locals. Sometimes those are the things that speak the most about the character of the place. Alas, I was lucky enough and a local artist after hearing my pleas for local art, gifted me with a mug...for this I want to thank Miss Marzena Pustelnik, the ceramic artist-extraordinaire who heard my loud cries (between that of an annoyed cat and angry bear) and kindly graced me with one of her pieces. I will be in close contact with Miss Marzena and will post some of her very cool ceramic art, so keep tuned for a special post on ceramics and their uses (beer making among some). Now on to other observations (part rants).

Thanks to the Greyhound trip I now realize that large provincial cities are remarkably similar in all aspects of commerce. From Winners to Shoppers Drug Mart to Wal-Mart, there is little local character and the grids of city planning make each less of a unique experience and more of the 'show me what I know, and I will ignore what I don't". This makes me sad. Sad because character is important to where you travel, and may be one reason why Europe sees so much traffic, as does Montreal and other "historical" centers. Again thoughts to ponder.

To add to the Greyhound theme, I now know how they stay afloat. With ever bus ride, the smart people of this bus carrier, realized they could make an extra buck by tugging along a courier service, and since they go to lots of small places, stops between Calgary and Winnipeg were all Greyhound Courier service centers. This made for welcome breaks in scenery, as well as a sore butt (but when you sell a girl a ticket for $113 CND to go from Calgary to Toronto, somehow you have to make your ends meet...and to that end I solute you Greyhound, for making travel dirt cheap if purchased 21 days in advance).

There are lots of other observations, like the fact that I can tell each provinces' landscape apart , or that some people can talk for 2.5 days and their voice doesn't even get hoarse. This last one blew my mind, as well as the ability of strangers to tell you the most intimate of life's situations without apprehension. Oh the things you learn while traveling on a Greyhound. Also if you plan on doing this, bring stretchy shoes. Sitting for long periods makes your feet swell; not the size of watermelons (not quite at least) but good sizable cobs of corn.

I have more, and if you or anyone you know plans on visiting any city within Greyhound bus service limits, I highly suggest you do it at least once in your life, and no Greyhound is not aware of my love of their services. Although I do hope someday they will grace me with bus-service that borders on star-trek like shuttle service coupled with five-star dinners :)
(a girl can dream...and should..coincidentally while on overnight trips on buses this may prove to be difficult).

Signing off,
-Anna

look forward to a post on religion, girls, and boobs.

In Canmore!: Observations

Its time for another post, and this time I am sitting comfortably on a chair, at a glass desk, and glancing out at the mountains that make up the Bow Valley. Last week I made my way to Canmore, Alberta, and have decided to post some of the observations that have made my trip that much more fun.

Un: the women in Canmore seem to be pregnant/just had a baby or are waiting for a baby, this is shocking also because I have noticed many younger women having babies. This may be because I am use to Toronto's 30+ mothers, or maybe the mountain air keeps everyone looking young. Who knows, but its a bit weird....there is even a mountain range that looks like a pregnant lady. Maybe Canmore's new visitor ads should be catered to the many people currently having problem's with fertility. The slogan could be something like this "when elsewhere you can't, in Canmore you can!" (not the best slogan, but you get the idea) :)

Deux: the food here is pricey, take lunch as an example. A salad is about $11, whereas I am use-to lunch hovering just around $10 all included...or less if its just a snack. The only flip on this is Subway Sandwiches, their stuff seems to be cheaper than Toronto. Also, breakfast at Silvertip Golf Resort is well priced, and very cool (about $10). One more buck in the trend is the ever amazing Grizzly Paw pub, with great food, great prices, and home-made beer and ginger-ale (with real ginger!!).

Trois: everyone who lives here seems to be fit, in the sense that the only chubby/fat people I have seen were visitors/tourists. This maybe not be the most scientifically based observation but it seems to hold true whenever I meet locals. I chalk this up the the prominence of hiking/biking/walking among the locals. I think Calgary could learn a thing or two from here.

Quatre: there are a lot of French people here (from Quebec it appears). Also lots of Japanese tourists (Banff mainly) and German adventure ppl. Cool mix to chill with.

there are more, but that's it for now. If I had to recommend a vacation place Canmore would definitely be it with regard to Alberta, with the note that you must like the outdoors, and want to spend a lot of your time out and about in the great-outdoors.

Ps. there are bears, I bumped into one on a mountain trail, but never run, talk to it calmly and slowly back away. Never scream at it, just wave your hands and be gentle. if it starts to follow you, well you are F*k*d, but there are ways to deal with that too. Oh the things you learn from educational videos.
Enjoy the hikes, keep warm, and make sure to be prepared for temperatures ranging from -10 to +20 C in one day !

Back !! (notes on Travel)

Here I go again, a new post and a new adventure.

I mismanaged my time here on Pickled Thoughts because I had a lot of personal stuff happen (between December and now) that needed tending to. Sometimes this includes taking a bit of a time out from activities that seem amazing and fun. Alas Pickled Thoughts was one such activity, but now I am back!

Back with such a vengeance that I will forgo my usual media rants, dismiss the stories of smelly fat cats and vampires, neglect to mention fruit that explode in your mouth and coat the inside for up to 24 hours with a chemical mix that makes everything taste sweet (even dandelion juice), and not mention my love of flax seed. No...indeed I shall speak to you all my lovlies about travel in Canada. Specifically from Toronto to Calgary.

I am scheduled to depart for Calgary tomorrow, and being the green imp that I hope I am, I decided to try my best to make my travel 'less bad'. These are my initial impressions:

1. train travel is damn expensive;
2. air travel is almost on par with train travel money-wise, but time-wise it is like comparing rock hard kiwis just delivered to your grocery store, to those picked fresh (and ripe) off a tree and immediately consumed (guess which is which);
3. Canada has transitioned into an "air" travel country, which makes me and a bunch of birds very sad;
4. flights to Calgary cost more than my all-inclusive Cuba trip (taken last year @ $480)
5. :(
   

But on to good news for a change, and no not the David Suzuki book. I in my moment of genius-thought, decided to fly one way and take the bus the other. IN short I will fly to Calgary and visit my sister/brother-in-law, and then embark on my great expedition back to Toronto on a Greyhound bus.

I decided to do this for a few reasons...

• one: being the ability to finally see the prairies;
• two: saving a few bucks on air travel (woohooo for 21-day advance ticket purchase discounts);
  
• three: meet a few characters and aim to not be decapitated (Google greyhound and decapitation);
• four: save a bit of my now depleted "green-glow" by opting for less damaging travel options (at least on the way back).

I shall update you-all on my initial thoughts of Alberta, and then on my 2 day harrowing account of travel by road with people you don't know (on a bus!!).

I imagine you cannot wait to hear what tails of horror I will bring forth. Especially the potential for 'bathroom-use' murder, but for this and other news you must tune in next week.

Just remember "spider man spider man, does whatever a spider can, spins a web any size..watch out here comes the spider man..."--> the above are unfortunately the lines that are stuck in my head (and now in yours I hope). You and I can send our thanks to Teletoon and its reruns of old spider-man episodes.

DAMN YOU Spider-man theme song writer(s)!!!