Calgary – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

El Pulpo Mecanico: Beakerhead 2014

Short post alert! I really need to pay attention to the wonderful events in Calgary.

Through postings on Instagram and Facebook, I had heard about Beakerhead, but didn’t know much about it. I still don’t! According to the website, “Beakerhead brings together art and engineering from across the city, province, country and world to build, compete and exhibit interactive works of art and engineered entertainment during a week-long smash up of art, science and engineering each fall” (www.beakerhead.org).

I decided last minute to head down and check out Saturday’s Beakernight. Clearly it was a popular event- the area leading to the Stampede grounds was excitedly busy. And although there were lots of cool things to see, the star of the show, in my opinion, was definitely El Pulpo Mecanico: the two-story fire breathing robotic octopus. How could one not be in awe?! Anything that shoots fire to the bass and rhythms of music deserves all the attention. Is it art? Yes. Is it science and engineering? Definitely yes. There are just so many moving parts to this thing, from the bulging eyes to the tentacles. Super impressive!

September: A Calgary Winter Already?

Alright, so it’s been an abnormal few days in Calgary. In the 5.5 years that I’ve lived in Calgary, I’ve never seen it snow in September like the last three days. Yes, that’s right. A Calgary winter can sometimes happen in September. Thousands without power. Trees destroyed. Accidents in all quadrants and many cars in ditches. Blizzard conditions. Mother Nature may have wreaked havoc upon the city, but even with all those things, I have to say that it’s been a beautiful few days! When I walked to work, I couldn’t help but marvel at how powerful the dump of snow was. Thanks to my trusty phone, I took several photos to document the walk. It’s definitely one not to forget.

Of course, everyone wants to talk about the weather, which is one of my least favourite topics.

Continue reading “September: A Calgary Winter Already?”

Village Ice Cream: Toasted Coconut What?!

I just blogged about getting back into my fitness routine, but since last week was a write-off, I felt it was okay to indulge. Lots of food was consumed this weekend. Among them- ice cream. A colleague had raved about this new ice cream shop in Calgary: Village Ice Cream (located at 431 – 10th Ave SE). She described it as a pretty yuppie ice cream place, so naturally, Robbie and I had to go and try it out. They always have 10 flavours (which includes toasted coconut- yum!), as well as seasonal flavours. They use local, seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible, and the ice cream is made at the shop! Overall, I can’t say it was the best ice cream I’ve ever had (since that award goes to homemade coconut ice cream I once had in Trinidad), and the location is in an unexpected location, but there’s no denying that the ice cream was tasty. It’s another good option for ice cream in the city :).

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 :).