We're Ready. Are You?

May 4-10, 2008 is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada.

If disaster struck, would you and your family be able to survive the first 72 hours before help arrived?

According to GetPrepared.ca:

"The 72 hour preparedness message is a common standard used across North America by first responders (fire, police, paramedics), all levels of government and non-government relief organizations. They have first-hand knowledge that 72 hours is the length of time it takes to mobilize a relief effort in a significant way."

Last fall, Roomie and I decided that we really had to get off our bums and get to making our own emergency kit. Now, I'm pleased to say that we're almost done; just need to commit plans of action to paper.

Okay, so spring thaw-flood may be pretty much over, and if your furnace crashed and burned today, you probably won't freeze, but depending on your area, you still have tornado and hurricane seasons and the occasional earthquake or two. You don't want to get caught with your pants down!

We're ready. Now, you!

Get Ready:

GetPrepared.ca

Ready (US)

And for our neighbours all over the world, this message is for you too. Get prepared and stay safe!

Just Being Mallrats...

Lam had been asking, for weeks, to go Downtown to have lunch at the mall, walk around the other mall, and visit the Millennium Library. There was no school on Friday and the weather was too chilly to hit the playground, so I grabbed the kids and my camera and headed for our city's fair downtown district.

Now, for a millisecond, I thought "hey, I should run some errands while I'm downtown", but I wanted this to really be a day of fun for me with my kids. We could be crazy, funny, weird and wild. I want them to know that, like Daddy, Mommy can be fun too... in a more orderly, scheduled and "inside voice" way, of course. :)

Besides, I learned very early on that, if I had errands at the mall, I should NEVER do it with the kids in tow. Take heed, soon-to-be parents, even the most well-behaved kids occasionally turn into monkeys on caffeine at the mall. My kids are angels (heck, their farts smell like flowers) and, for the most part, do what they’re told, but expecting them to follow me like little Children of the Corn on the rare mall trip is just nuts. So, no errands.

This was the perfect day to try out the new photo tips I learned from Karen, whose blog I've recently found and come to really love reading. The malls have skylights and it was a bright day - perfect ambient lighting for no flash action shots. I was quite pleased with the results. :)

I had tofu curry and honey garlic chicken at Little Bangkok Thai while the kids chose muffins for lunch. The kids loved the various skywalks and tunnels between the Downtown malls, throwing coins in the fountains, and running around the center court with a new friend. The afternoon came to a close with borrowing some Daniel Cook DVDs from the library and - the ultimate treat - picking up Daddy from work.

It was a GREAT day! :)

It's Aloha Friday! v.II

Image: Kalua pig being removed from the imu by tweber1

It's Aloha Friday - No work till Monday!...

It's another Aloha Friday, so let's swig some mango juice, dig up that kalua pig, grab the hula sarong & aloha shirt, and celebrate with a sweet mix of topics...

1) A big THANK YOU to friend and fellow bloggista Jami at Bionic Beauty for nominating me for a Blogger's Choice Award in the Hottest Mommy Blogger category & Best Blog About Stuff category :)
Some people don't get excited about awards, but I do! Frankly, the hottest mommy thing has me blushing a bit, but hey, it could be an award for best trepanation technique or best merkin design (both of which I DON'T have on this blog, by the way), and I'd take it! :)
So, please head over there and vote for me!... because we all know I deserve it. Okay, just kidding ;)

2) It appears that I may have been channeling when I wrote No More Plastic Water Bottles, the My Earth Monday where I ditch plastic water bottles for an aluminum SIGG bottle.
You've all probably heard by now about stores pulling all bottles made with BPA or bisphenol A, a plastic chemical with links to potential long-term risks of breast and prostate cancer. These are baby bottles and workout water bottles, including brands such as Avent and Nalgene, among others.
Makes me thankful my little ones went from breast straight to straw/sippy cups.
Be sure to look through your plastics and look for the recycling triangle with a "7" in the center... those are the ones you need to get rid of.
Go. Do it now. I'll wait...

3) My SIL and her hubby are coming to stay with us for a week next month. They are very nice people, and I want their stay to be a comfortable and pleasant one. But that's not going to happen if I don't declutter this joint! I'm going to have my hands full these next few weeks getting rid of stuff and rearranging furniture. This is the push I need to get me off my complacent bum and get things done. I'm really looking forward to it!

4) I need to stop eating yogurt... I'm becoming addicted again. :)

5) I swear my son is Hermes Conrad. Over the past few months, he's been making me fill out forms, talk through an intercom, and understand his cross-referencing scheme with catalogues, item numbers, and his birthday list (which is tacked on the fridge). And he does a mean limbo! :)

6) Meanwhile, my daughter is becoming quite the little daredevil. I bought both kids big fluffy floor pillows, and I know this weekend will mainly consist of me trying to stop her from launching herself off chairs onto the big pile of pillows... and other potential pointy things underneath.

So, what are your plans for this weekend? Are they as exciting (or nerve-wracking) as mine?

The Sun Comes Out and the Snow Boots Come Off

It'll be 9C today, if the weather people are to be believed, and since it was warm enough yesterday for Mini to forgo wearing her jacket, I figured we should start to make the transition to spring outerwear.

So, I went into the bowels of my home and brought up the spring/summer jackets and shoes. They all still fit for the most part, except for Lam's rain boots. Too small. Bummer, really, because his not wanting to wear his snow boots to school anymore was actually the catalyst for this event. Again, bummer.

Mini, on the other hand, is in rain boot heaven. Her yellow boots finally fit, and she's been wearing them around the house. "Look, Mommy, my boots fit! I'm a big girl, right?!"

You know, it's transitions like these - going from winter to summer and vice versa - that frustrate me. We now have two sets of outer wear in our closet because Winnipeg weather is very fickle until about, oh, June, when it allows us to put our parkas in storage.

Meh, I should just stop complaining. It's getting warmer, and the snow drifts on my front yard are melting. Happy happy. :)

Friends south of the equator are experiencing their seasonal transition too.

So, are you all suited up for the new season? Not yet? Have been for weeks already?

What are You Watching these Days?

Image: TV by Gilgongo

The TV is always on in this house. We're not necessarily watching, but it's still on, and Roomie constantly complains how noisy it is.

Truth be told, I like the noise. Having the TV on in the background adds to the dynamic energy of my home, especially if it's on MuchMusic. It makes making dinner, cleaning up, and doing other chores much more entertaining.

A few weeks back, my friend Shai wrote a post about her TV watching habits, and it got me thinking about the shows that get me to stop and watch. Not many on the "watch" list, but a lot on the "wish I could watch" list, which was expected.

So, how about you? Do you like to watch TV? What are your favourite shows? Or do you have a TV-free household?

All Time Faves:
Shows I will watch if it happens to come on, or if I'm bored and have nothing else to watch. I will watch the reruns over and over and over... probably into my 100s!

Friends - I was the same age as Rachel at the time, so I basically lived my 20s with her, going through the exact same thing at the exact same time. We were even pregnant at the same time.

Futurama - Very clever writing that always makes me laugh.

* NewsRadio - I can't believe I forgot this! This, to me, is a classic. Excellent writing and excellent characters... a show that was never the same after they lost the late great Phil Hartman... but the episodes with him in them will always be my favourites.

* SCTV - They made my Friday nights when I was growing up in the 80s.

What I Currently Watch:
Will tape these for later consumption...

Digging for the Truth - I love archaeology & history (I was going to enroll in Anthropology if I hadn’t gone into Engineering), and Josh Bernstein is very easy on the eyes.

Small Space, Big Style - I fantasize about having a smaller, lower-maintenance dwelling. I currently live in only 1400 sq.ft., and it's still too big for me.

Shows I Wish I Can Catch Up On:
Really cool shows I watched in the beginning, but I've missed too many episodes to keep up to the story arcs.

Battlestar Galactica - I watch the original as a kid, and want to see this. Will definitely get the DVDs.

Smallville - I've seen the first couple of seasons, but missed episodes of the next few... now there are characters I don't recognize and stories that make me go 'wha-?'

Heroes - Saw the first 5 episodes

Eureka - I still catch an episode or two of this... don't need to watch them in order... the lead guy is super cute.

Stargate Atlantis - I watched SG-1 religiously and never really got into the first season of this show because of that... now that SG-1 is done, I wish I'd watched Atlantis from the start.

* Corner Gas - Canadian humour is among the best in the world.

I never got into Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Ugly Betty... And I wish I did because my friends have raved about them. I love watching Home and Garden and Food Network too.
I still have a ton of movies on DVD and video just waiting for me to watch on a rainy day or a quiet moment. Oh, and because my kids watch TreehouseTV, I get to enjoy shows like Miss Spider and Yo Gabba Gabba from time to time.

Can't wait to learn about your TV habits!

* - Updated on March 29, 2008

How to Not Multitask

Image by the real janelle

No, sometimes 24-hours is just not enough time in a day to eat, sleep, relax, and get all your stuff done. I can dig that - I'm a mom. Multitasking is the inevitable way to go.

But there's only so much you can juggle at once. You will reach a breaking point. Of the 5 things you're doing at once, only one gets done (and not done well), while the others are in various states of completion. Meanwhile, the kids are crying, the toast is burning, your tax forms are covered in coffee, and you're screaming for Calgon to take you away.

There's something to be said about doing ONLY one thing at a time. You are present in the moment. It's zen - pure simplicity - refreshing. Your one chosen task gets done, done well, and oftentimes, done much faster.

But after multitasking for so long, you may have to re-learn how to unitask. I had to. Here are some ideas that may help:

1) Make a list of things you need to do, and do only one thing at a time, checking each item off as it gets done.

2) Say 'no'. Don't take on any new tasks until the ones you need to get done are off your list.

3) Get rid of distractions. Turn off the tv, cell phone, computer (gasp!), and anything else that would break your concentration.

4) Prioritize. Put off things that aren't time-sensitive, urgent, or required for a later task.

5) Identify time bandits, and deal with them accordingly. One of my obsessions is blog reading and commenting. I can easily do it all day! I set a rule of no blogs after dinner. That's family time! Unless family is off doing their own thing, of course. :)

Multitasking is still an issue for me, but I'm working on it. So, how about you...

What do you do to stop yourself from multitasking? To try to stay in the 'here and now'?

My Mini's Baby Doll Sling

Mini decided that she wanted a sling for her baby doll like I had for her brother and her, so I hit the trusty ol' 'Net.

I found a really easy (and free) pattern by Jan Andrea, who makes great baby slings for non-doll babies too. "Easy" is key, because I'm a spaz on the sewing machine. The last time I made anything more complex than sewing closed a hole in Roomie's parka pocket was when I made a green gingham apron in Mrs. Cordner's Home-Ec class in Grade 7.

Anyway, the sling turned out really cute! And Mini loves it. She proudly carries her baby around the house, and she's looking forward to taking her baby on strolls down Corydon this summer.

So, now I'm making a bigger one for her slightly bigger baby doll and another for my friend Harmzie's girl G.

Yeah, sew one sling, and I'm ambitious and giddy with sewing power... :)

Happy 1st Day of Spring!

Image: Flowers in Charlotte by SR4001

The snow is quickly melting here on the Canadian Prairie, and there are more and more days above 0C than below. Soon, I'll be putting away the parka and using my sarong as a wrap around skirt than a scarf. Yay!

For me, the start of spring signals me to get my winter garden plans going - but that doesn't mean I can start planting though! We've had snow drop in May, so I must be patient for a little while longer.

Meanwhile, I'm just happy that we've left the frigid cold behind for another year! It's time to celebrate... again! Yeah, I like to celebrate - maybe today I'll make some of my homemade BBQ marinade for the outdoor grill (the one that usually makes the whole neighbourhood drooling!), make a fruity tea drink, or maybe get some ingredients for halo-halo...

So, what do you plan to do to ring in the Spring?

Happy Pi Day!!!

Image: Pi pie

Happy Pi Day!!!

"Pi, Greek letter (π), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... " - Pi Day website

Why is π so important?

An old constant used by the Babylonians and Egyptians, pi is used in construction for the building of circular structures, in the design of pendulum clocks, in the calculation of hat size (after measuring the circumference of your head and dividing by pi, size is obtained by rounding to the nearest 1/8 of an inch), and much, much more!

So, how do you plan to celebrate Pi Day? Try to memorize as many digits of pi as you can? Eat pie? Eat only circular things?

For more ideas, check out the Pi Day website today!

Thanks to Albert Bannatyne for keeping us in the know about this special event.

7 Tips to Help You Enjoy Your Next Cold

Image: Tis' the season ... for Cough Syrup

I had been suffering from fever, unsexy mucous, a sore nose, and only enough energy to lift the tv remote for about 7 weeks when I finally got off my bum to see my doctor.
What he told me wasn't good: He said I had a 12-week virus, which meant another possible 5 weeks of torture!

Being sick is never fun, but if I were to survive the rest of that long, drawn-out bout, I had to find ways to lessen the agony and even enjoy the forced downtime with a few treats. These might help you too!

1. Warm-Mist Humidifier
If I had to choose between cool-mist and warm-mist, I'd go warm. When I was a little kid, we had a warm-mist humidifier, and my dad would put a big dollop of Vicks VapourRub in the little medicine tray. To me, being enveloped by the warm, medicine-y steam comes pretty darn close to a big comforting hug.

2. Emollient-Rich Moisturizer
Tissues are made of paper, and after about a day of nose-wiping, tissues feel like sandpaper! The skin on the nose is very delicate, and if not properly moisturized, all that wiping will make it dry, feel sore and, uh, flake... oooh, sexy. A good moisturizer with vitamin e and shea butter are in order. I came across this great UK product called Beauty Rehab Rose Salve $10.00, which seems to fit the bill perfectly. It contains all natural ingredients and no preservatives or petroleum products.
Oh, and you can even slick this product over your lips too. Good thing, as lips also get dry with all that mouth-breathing!

3. Comfy Pajamas
We all know it's important to wear something soft and comfy when sick. A quick search turned up this very luxurious selection, though I'm sure you can find some less expensive ensembles locally. But be sure your chosen outfit is made of breathable material - you may be wearing it for a few days, and you want to keep the "ripeness factor" down.
Bunny slippers optional.

4. Quick-Prep Food
During this latest bout, I only had enough energy for quick-fix foods, and in this house, that meant bread with butter, fatty toaster waffles, and salty MSG-laden instant soups. I should've sent Roomie out early on (before he got sick himself) to pick up some nutritious, immune-boosting fruits and veggies, and have it washed and ready on the counter for anytime pickup. And if you can, have someone you love make some low sodium canned soup... less salt and no MSG!

5. Warm Lemon & Honey
I set the timer to ring every hour to remind me to drink my next cup of liquids. It is crucial to get a LOT of liquids to help flush out germs and toxins! I had cups of hot green tea, hot lemon and ginger tea, and cool pomegranate juice, but by far, my favourite comfort drink was warm lemon & honey. Honey is a powerful antimicrobial to soothe raw tissues, is a natural anti-inflammatory, and has an array of phytochemicals that kill viruses and bacteria.
With this concoction, congestion loosens, and coughs are more productive. But for me, the best thing is that the sweet taste of this warm liquid is like a hug on the inside!

6. Entertainment
I like to read books when I'm sick, but oftentimes, even that takes too much energy. That's when I pull out videos of stuff I've taped from tv or dvds of my favourite movies. When I was sick last year, I had a Gerard Butler film fest. I only had Timeline and Lara Croft Tomb Raider 2, but I watch those movies over and over and over... Gerry's sweet face is always a pleasant sight for sick, blood-shot eyes. I don't think I've ever enjoyed an illness more! ;)

7. Sweet Fizz
Just seeing my husband come home with a nice fizzy bottle of Sprite is enough to make me feel a whole lot better. The cool tasty bubbles are often just the treat I need.

The rest of my family have been sick on and off during my lovely 12-week virus (in fact, my son is still sick today), so we've all benefited from doing some of these things.

So, what do you do to make your colds and flus bearable?

DST: Rolling Time Forward

Image: Today's Features: DST

Just a reminder, folks! Before bed tonight, be sure to set your clocks FORWARD an hour... unless you live in Saskatchewan, of course...

Yeah, it sucks that you lose an hour of sleep, party time, hanky-panky (do people still call it that these days?), or whatever you choose to do when the sun is on the other side of the earth, but it's just one night, and it's also a sure sign that Spring is just around the corner! Woo hoo!

[Update]
So, what is DST? Find out at:

Daylight Savings Time - Rational & Original Idea

The Best Love of All

Photo: Mini & Me

It was a very cold day yesterday, but when we set out, my 3yo Mini-Me* refused to wear her favourite, warm, pink & black hat, choosing to wear just her coat hood instead.

Later that afternoon, we decided to spend some time at our favourite bookstore. As I unbuckled her carseat, I asked her if she wanted to wear her hat.

"Yes...", she said with a shiver. She looked up at me gratefully as I produced her beloved hat and slipped it on her head.

Mini gripped my hand as we started for the store. "Did you bring my hat for me just in case?"

"Yes, I did," I smiled down to my little sweetheart.

She smiled back. "I love you, Mommy. You're the greatest mommy in the whole wide world."

I hugged my little girl there between the cars, trying not to weep like a baby.

Happy Valentine's Day...


* not her real name... no, really...

It's Aloha Friday! v. I

When I lived in Hawai'i, I really enjoyed Fridays. Instead of dressing casually, people all over the Islands put on their best Aloha shirts and muu-muus, beautiful flower leis, and hair flowers (left side for married, right side for singles), and we celebrated the island culture.
And of course, in every store and mall, you'll hear the fun-loving rendition of "It's Aloha Friday - No Work Till Monday...." Fun and festive!

Inspired once again by Zandria and her Random Friday posts, lifecandy will also have its own "It's Aloha Friday!" posts of random interesting, bizarre, noteworthy, etc. things I've come across throughout the week. This will only happen from time to time, depending on how interesting my life is on a given week. :)

Okay... Here we go...

Jami of Bionic Beauty will be on Blog Talk Radio TODAY at 2pm! To catch it, visit the Loose Lips NY radio site at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/looselipsny. And to call in, dial (646) 716-8862.

Some really great friends of ours, Rob (who was one of Roomie's groomsmen) and the lovely Val, have left for Oahu for some R&R and sightseeing. Yes, I'm envious... I wish I could've gone too... They didn't even offer to stash me in their luggage! What friends!!! :) Seriously, they're fabulous, and I hope they have a great time. They've promised to bring back a bag of poi powder for us... so, yay! Can't wait to see the pictures. :)

The stray cat we found in December - who we named "Neo", but according to the tattoo on his ear, is actually "Mustachio" - will have to find a new home in a couple of weeks. He is seriously skittish and twitchy, and has scratched our frightened children more times than I can count. He was the answer to our prayers when we had the mouse in our kitchen, but when it comes down to "Who goes? The cat or the kids?", well, my kids don't shed as much. We made posters and put them up this week...

Roomie and I took the kids to an Ethiopian restaurant for dinner a few days ago. They just ate the injera (bread used to scoop up the meat and veggie stews), but they liked it!

I've called Goodwill for another pick-up. They're coming to get our boxes of stuff on Tuesday... Woo Hoo!!!

Car Conversation with Roomie...

Roomie stops the car at an intersection. "... so, should I go down Academy Road? Yeah, I should go down Academy Road."

"Are you talking to me or to yourself again?" I ask.

"I'm talking to 'Virtual You'."

"Do you do a lot of things with 'Virtual Me'?"

Roomie grins. "Yeah, 'Virtual You' is dirty..."

Klepto'd Home Meme

I stole this meme from Zandria, who stole it from someone else, who also stole it from someone...

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now?
Dove Unscented

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?
No. We rarely eat watermelon. Such a high-maintenance fruit.

What would you change about your living room?
I’d remove all the clutter, move the furniture around, hang a new pendant light in the corner, lay down a new area rug, put up some wooden or bamboo blinds, and change the curtains. Not much.

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty?
We ran the dishwasher... whether or not the dishes are actually clean is another issue.

What is in your fridge?
Soy milk, apple juice, wildberry juice, soda water, apples, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, onions, garlic, pickled scapes, hot mustard, yogurt, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, parmesan cheese, butter, eggs, miso paste, sugar snap peas, flax bread...

White or wheat bread?
Uh, flax.

What is on top of your refrigerator?
A couple cans of spray adhesive and some clay... yeah, weird

What color or design is on your shower curtain?
Clear plastic shower curtain... really makes the room look bigger... not exactly private for the showerer though.

How many plants are in your home?
Let's see... lucky bamboo, jade, african violet, purple passion, mauna loa, buddhist fern, 2 orange trees.... so, 8.

Is your bed made right now?
No, but only because there is a little 3yo human snuggled in there sleeping at the moment.

Is your closet organized?
Yes, it’s about the only thing that’s organized in this house... other than my dishes and... yup, just the dishes...

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home?
Glass... mugs to be exact. I almost always have a glass mug of hot green tea in my hand.

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now?
No.

If you have a garage, is it cluttered?
To me, yes... to Roomie, his “car hole” is now decluttered to his satisfaction.

Curtains or blinds?
In the bedrooms, both. In the kitchen and bathroom, blinds. In the family room, curtains.

How many pillows do you sleep with?
Two, one stacked on top of the other... I’m with Zandria on this one.

Do you sleep with any lights on at night?
Only the light projection of the time on the ceiling...

How often do you vacuum?
Twice a month... I carpet sweep in between... we have mostly hardwood floors anyway.

Standard toothbrush or electric?
I drive standard, baby!

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch?
No, but I’ve been eyeing those black rubber swirly patterned ones at the hardware store selling for $7.

What is in your oven right now?
A cookie sheet and a cast iron pan.

Is there anything under your bed?
Dustbunnies... I need to sweep again.

Chore you hate doing the most?
Dusting.... I’d hate it less if we had less crap to dust.

What retro items are in your home?
The crazy green lamp on the trunk in the family room.

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office?
We have an office but Roomie uses it to mark exams.

How many mirrors are in your home?
2... One in each bathroom.

What color are your walls?
Kitchen and family room: green
Diningroom: red
Livingroom: white with a blue feature wall
Bathroom: orangey-brown
Bedroom/office: lavender
Master Bedroom: light blue
Yeah, we live in a clown house...

Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home?
Yes, but no firearms.

What does your home smell like right now?
The candle I’m burning.

Favorite candle scent?
Partylite’s Hinoki Steam

Ever been on your roof?
No.
(Addendum: But the neighbours keep wondering why Roomie's on the roof again... maybe our version of the "doghouse"...)

How many TVs do you have?
3, and they were all free... the one in the bedroom we got from the travel agent who booked our honeymoon, the one in the family room was a discard from Roomie’s old place of employment, and the one in the livingroom we inherited from my MIL
(Correction: The TV in the family room was actually won by Roomie at an auction... I think it was less than $40.)

How many house phones?
1
(Clarification: 1 line but 5 phones strewn throughout the house.)

Do you have a housekeeper?
Wait, I’ll answer that when I stop laughing...

What style do you decorate in?
I lean toward natural, almost plantation-style decor... at least, I’m trying to... my island style is often thwarted by northern-European Roomie...

Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints?
Solids in dark colours.

Is there a smoke detector in your home?
Yes, we have 2.
(Correction: Roomie said we have 4... he's correct... for now...)

In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip?
My two little humans... if they were already out of the house, my cell phone and wallet.

Turkey Day Greetings...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my US family and friends!

Enjoy your turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy! May you have many wonderful things to be thankful for!

Much love,
Nen

3yo/5yo Conversations from the Next Room

(FYI: Lucai is 3yo MN's nickname for 5yo LA...)


"Hello? Where's my 100 dollars?"
"Lucai, I'm the dragon!"

-----

"Oh, Lucai!"
In a sing-song voice: "Just a minute, I'm just taking a picture of my butt..."

-----

"You know what I'm making, Lucai?"
"..."
"I'm making soup!"
"..."
"You lie down... You're in a cave!"
"What?"
"You like soup?"

-----

The 3yo walks in with a long piece of tape on her nose...
"Lucai, I'm pretending I'm an elephant."
"Okay. Are you lost, elephant?"
"..."
"You want to eat?"
"Ask me if I want dog food."
"You want dog food, elephant?"
"Okay."
"..."
"HEY! Lucai! That's not dog food!"
"I'm pretending it's dog food."
"Oh, okay..."

My Morning Routine

Photo: Sun Rise over Sydney by glennharper







I'm a morning person. Always have been.
I love to get up early, have the first of my many cups of green tea for the day, and watch the sun come up.

As long as I have a good 6-8 hours of sleep the night before, I can even wake up happily to an alarm clock.

Mornings are a special time for me. The first couple of hours really dictates how my day goes, so I have to be very careful with how I spend that time.

If you've been with me since early on, you'll know that I've had some issues with productivity and time management. So, I've made it a point to observe how my day progresses with each change in my morning routine.

One thing that stands out to me is, if I wake up and just plant myself in front of the computer, I'll be there all day, surfing in seclusion (Damn you, StumbleUpon!), jealously guarding my territory, glaring at anyone who dares suggest I let them read their email. No work gets done, and I'm a grumpy mess all day.

So, based on that and many other observations, I've come up with a routine I've been using since the dreaded Big Binge. I've come to really enjoy starting the day this way. Check it out...

- Wake up, and try to sneak downstairs without waking the kids. (If they do wake up, they can have breakfast, watch tv in another room, or play on their computer.)
- Head to the bathroom and put on contact lenses.
- Make a cup of green tea and a light fruit breakfast.
- Eat while reading blog stats. (I don't even look at email at this time, or I'll be tempted to start replying and get sucked into the vortex.)
- Exercise: I stretch first, making sure I do hasta padangusthasana (with a strap right now) because I have tight hamstrings. Then I do 5 Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutations... more if I'm feeling really happy about it. This is key! I never feel sluggish thanks to this.
- Then I read email, feed the kids (if they happen to be awake at the time), or do anything else that needs to be done.

As for writing, I don't write in front of the computer as often anymore. I do it the old fashioned way... pen and paper. It's fun, portable, less noisy, compact, and fast -- my handwriting's even gotten faster!
I can do it anytime, anywhere, even when I can't get my hands on a keyboard. It's great, and I get more done! Productivity rising...

So, how about you? What's your morning routine? Share with us in the comments...

Conversation with the Donut Guy

LA (my 5yo) and I are sitting at our computers when LA pulls out his toy cell phone. He holds it to his ear and has a heated argument with the "guy" on the other end.

"NO, I TOLD YOU, I DON'T WANT ANY! GOODBYE!" He snaps the phone closed and stuffs it back into his pocket.

I turn to him. "Who was that?"

"Gerry Oliver, the donut guy."

"What did he want?"

"He keeps trying to give me donuts. I don't want any," he says matter-of-factly and turns back to his computer to read his feeds on BlogLines.

This is the same guy who introduced me to Facebook.

"A chef, a sifu, and a writer walk into a bar..."

Sounds like the start of a joke, right? In actuality, this scenario could happen in my world... or more precisely, in my family.

The sifu, or teacher, is my cousin Michael, the youngest certified Wing Chun Do Gung-Fu blackbelt and master instructor who runs his own self defense club in Seattle. He's been in magazines and won awards too numerous for me to mention here, so check out his profile at http://www.i-selfdefense.com/ (his club's site - look under Instructors).
I can probably count on my fingers the number of times we've seen each other in person, but thanks to email, we've managed to bring the American northwest and Canadian prairies closer together and forged a bond I hold very dear.

The up-and-coming chef is our cousin Zandra, who promises to fatten me up with her tasty creations on my next visit to BC. Despite the 14 year age gap, she and I have a lot in common, among them, a warped sense of humour, the tendency to be a little accident-prone, and to this day, the ability to annoy our parents by doing the exact opposite of what's expected of us. More like a sister... or maybe partner-in-crime...

And yes, I'm the writer. Really.

Now, having a writer, a martial arts sifu, and chef in one family may not be all that unusual... unless you consider how incredibly Filipino-Catholic our family is. [Okay, insert broad-generalization disclaimer here... yes, there are exceptions to this "rule".]

"So, what?" you say.
Well, the "Catholic" bit alludes to the rule to obey our parents no matter how weird, illogical, or cockamaimey the suggestion.
The "Filipino" bit implies the unspoken expectation to choose from a very limited subset of acceptable careers. (Probably also true in other cultures, but I'm Filipino and this is my story.) If you weren't a doctor, nurse, engineer, accountant, dentist, or manager, your parents lost bragging rights in their tight-knit little hive. And it's your job as their children to protect these rights by conforming.
Oh, but when you don't conform, you've squandering the opportunity they've worked so hard to give you. Bad, bad anak!!! No deboo for you!

In all honesty, I can't completely fault our parents their lack of imagination. As immigrants in this golden land of "white people who talk so fast", those careers - icons of financial security, stability and social status unachievable back on the islands - were suddenly within arms reach.

To them, coming to Canada and the US meant giving their children the opportunity to pursue the dreams they themselves couldn't.
What they seem to miss is that we, the children, have taken their dreams one step further...

We've seen this as an opportunity to pursue not only those careers, but many others, to find our own way of making a contribution with our own talents and passions, not limited by any predefined guidelines.

Essentially, we've taken the ball and are running with it.

But, we are generally good kids, so many of us didn't walk the road less traveled at first.
Zandra tortured herself with a year of nursing school before following her dream and enrolling in culinary college.
And I myself was a miserable engineer for almost a decade, waking up each morning preferring to rip my arms off, blend them in a blender, then slather my whole body with the bits rather than go to work, before turning to the creative arts.
However, we have many cousins who chose their careers based on pleasing their parents first before pleasing their own souls, and they're still in that space. I hope they don't make themselves miserable.

Meanwhile, I'll be at the bar enjoying my non-alcoholic beverage sitting with the half-drunk chef with the long thick island-girl hair and the smiley, serene sifu built like a MACK truck. And there's always room at our table for more...