Personal and Goals – Page 5 – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

Random Thoughts

I’m sitting in Canadian Tire writing this post on my phone. There is no subject to this post; I’m just writing something to kill time. Part of me knows that I’m writing this because it will count toward my 2013 goal of 100 posts, even though it may not be a post of substance. Alas, I digress. My car- it’s having winter tires put on right now. Since I never bought rims, it’s costing me about $140 to get all 4 changed over. Twice a year, that’s $280 just to change tires. Add to that insurance and gas and maintenance fees and it becomes clear that owning a car is draining my money! I’ve always thought it would be a little difficult in Calgary to not own a car, but with car-2-go, transit, and living so close to work, would it really be that bad? I know a couple of people who decided to be done with their cars, and though things may take a bit more planning now, it doesn’t appear to be a huge hindrance of any sort. My main concern would be the mountains. Would it be as easy to get to the mountains every week? I do know people who would go just as often, and car rentals are quite easy to organize. So maybe it’s in the cards for me one day. A life without a car. Sounds like a dream. Change of topic- I like the song Brave by Sara Bareilles, which was just playing on the radio. Another thought- my right arm hurts. I’ve been dealing with a mild case of tendinitis in my right elbow. I had IMS done to it once before and that was quite effective. It’s been flaring up a lot lately, to the point that it just hurts randomly, even when I’m not working out. Compound that with a lower back pain on my right side and an IT band issue in my right leg and a neck issue on the right side, and I’d say I feel quite broken these days. Hopefully physiotherapy, massage and yoga can help me out. There’s much training to be done, including a round of Beachbody’s Body Beast, and a training schedule for next year’s half marathon and triathlon. All doable, no? Other random thoughts- I saw this comic on The Oatmeal (http://theoatmeal.com/blog/justdoitlater).So funny! That is all.

Retreat to Heritage Park

Last Friday I attended a work retreat for members of the division. I won’t discuss work here, but it was held at Heritage Park in the south. I’ve always wanted to go to Heritage Park, though admittedly, I never knew what was there. It’s quite the historical village, complete with a dentist, bakery, church, railway, and Calgary’s first hospital! What was equally impressive were the views! From different vantage points, you had a clear view of the Calgary skyline, and a view of the mountains in the distance over the Glemnore Reservoir. And it was such a gorgeous day for mid-October! I think it’d be nice to revisit the park one day when things are in full swing :).

“You want a Curry Goat?”

Today is a day to be remembered. A while ago Robbie and I realized that he had never tried Trini/Caribbean food. Well, maybe he had tried something at some point, but he had never had roti like I’d get back home. Then I thought about it and realized I had never had Trini food in Calgary! I’m sure there are a few places to go to in Calgary, but I’m only familiar with Joycee’s Caribbean Foods in Bridgeland. After a few hours of shopping we were starving and so we decided to finally go to Joycee’s and have roti.

It was awesome- Joycee’s was also a small shop, so they sold Jamaican patties, Trinidad style green seasoning, Ovaltine, Milo, Peardrax and plantain chips, among many other things of course. We headed to the back and looked at the menu. There were so many familiar items! Doubles caught my eye, but for $3 each, they seemed a bit pricey. I know the title mentions curry goat, but that’s not what we ordered. We decided on a vegetable curry roti and a chicken curry roti.

After 20 minutes or so (they were cooking it in the back), our meals were brought to us and we wasted no time! Little did we know how hot they were! Temperature hot! We were burning our mouths from the potatoes, chicken and cauliflower. But they were so good. There’s nothing like a West Indian curry roti to remind me of my roots :). And Robbie seemed to enjoy it, which was awesome because now that we’ve finally crossed Joycee’s off the list, I don’t think it’ll be the last time we go there.

Going Home to Milton

So after a super quick trip back home, I’m back in Calgary. On the flight back I was thinking about some of the things I managed to do while I was at home. In addition to spending lots of time with my family and cousins, I had a nice walk through downtown Milton and visited the Mill Pond; headed to Toronto for dinner on the bustling night of Nuit Blanche; and took a fall drive on the escarpment.

I realize that I miss the area. I miss home. Milton has grown so much since I was growing up. The city that I remember to have a population of 30,000 has now exceeded 100,000, and it is the fastest growing city in Canada (apparently!). It’s filled with diversity and strong communities in sports and the arts. There are simple things too: I’m able to walk a few minutes to Target to get a Starbucks. It’s no longer Becker’s and Zellers. There was a time when Milton did not have a movie theatre, or Walmart, or laser tag. Now it’s quite the place to be, with a full bus transit system. And I never took advantage of its close proximity to the escarpment where one can find Rattlesnake Point, Kelso, and the cliffs of Mount Nemo. And I miss the fall. A lot. The yellow, orange and red colours that one can see during the fall months in Ontario are gorgeous, and even though I didn’t have spectacular weather during this visit, the colours were still incredibly vibrant.

But then I think about where I am now. I love how I can go home to Milton and visit family when I can. But I also love my life now. I love the relationships I have with people in Calgary. My work is enjoyable and challenging. And not surprisingly, I love the mountains. It’s difficult to imagine what it would be like to move away from here. The world is so full with opportunity that moving away may very well happen, and I know I’ll approach that transition with a positive attitude. But boy is it difficult to imagine a weekend without Kananaskis being 45 minutes away. All in all, the weekend definitely made me think… about life changes, city changes, and how exciting the future seems. Who knows what’s next! And at the same time, I was reminded to just enjoy the moment. While in Milton, enjoy Milton for what it has to offer. Walk to Starbucks. Visit Toronto. Spend time with family. And take a drive to see the fall colours.

Reflection

Seven years ago today, my grandmother passed away. After her stroke, she fought for several months, but sadly, surrounded by loving family, she moved on. Where to, I guess we never really know until it’s time, but my upbringing and faith make me confident that I will see her again. I’ve thought a lot about her this weekend, not only because it’s been 7 years today, but it’s been a family-centric weekend at home. I don’t see my family nearly enough, as it’s not feasible to fly back and forth that often throughout the year. And although I always feel a family pull back to Toronto, I’m not quite ready to move back. We met with my great aunt this weekend too, and it felt so good to just be present; to acknowledge the fragility of life and that we cannot take these amazing moments spent with family for granted.

My grandmother has had an incredible influence on me, and when I think about the kind of person I am today, I see a lot of her qualities in myself. I remember when we would walk by a bakery or food shop and she would always stop to take a look. Then she would buy something because she ‘just wanted a taste’, and why not if it meant we could enjoy it. She wouldn’t worry too much about money or things because, as she put it, you can’t take them with you when you die. Even well into her 80’s, she had that seize-the-day attitude and would fly to visit her children and grandchildren in Canada when she could. Of course, once she was here, she did not slow down! She would jet-set to London, or Toronto, or Montreal, or New York to visit someone and someone else and someone else. She had an incredible network of connections; people from her past and present for whom she would make time. She was amazingly independent and ridiculously maternal and caring. The stories I’ve heard throughout my life with her always amazed me- how she moved from Trinidad to New York so my mum could get the best care for her hearing, and then moved to London, England to help my aunt… choices that were made for her children because her children and grandchildren were everything to her. And that’s where her happiness was found- with all of her loved ones, both family and friends, and her faith. It’s difficult not to get teary-eyed when I think about her, but my memories are all so positive that it’s never felt like she went very far. Her presence is strong, and rather than be sad today, I can only smile at all of my wonderful memories.

When I was younger and she was visiting, I would wake up, come down the stairs all groggy, and she would look at me, smile and say, “Only a grandmother could love that face”. I would always laugh back. I will never forget those moments.

I love you Granny.