Christmas – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

An Unexpected Christmas

My fancy room at the Royal Penguin Boutique Hotel and Spa

Post written December 25: Well Merry Christmas to all.

Today I awoke after a really nice sleep. A light breakfast of toast and jam was served, and my daily medications were brought to me. I had a “Merry Christmas” chat with my family via Skype, which was really nice and needed. I was feeling much better today and ended up being discharged in the morning. I can honestly say that it was a great 2+ days in the hospital. In fact, it was similar to a hotel. I can’t say enough good things about the doctor, nurses and staff at Swacon International. They were so caring, attentive, and the service was great. I do have to return for a follow-up appointment, but until then, I was off to be my old self.

Continue reading “An Unexpected Christmas”

A Very Merry Christmas

It’s been a couple of days since I’ve been home and I’m loving it. I don’t visit home as often as I’d like, but Christmas is a great time to be surrounded by loved ones to chat, eat and being merry. Unfortunately, time seems incredibly scarce! I’ve planned quite a few things for the days that I’m here, and there are never enough hours in the day for it all. Between opening gifts, visiting relatives, Boxing Day shopping, bowling with friends and a family trip to see The Hobbit (and all within the first two days…), my mind has been thinking a lot about the upcoming year.

At the start of every year I set out goals for myself. These goals are not “resolutions”, which usually carry the stigma of failure three weeks after January 1st. Instead, the goals serve as an outline of where I want to focus my efforts (outside of family, friendships and relationships, which are always priority). I’ve spent the last two months thinking about what my goals will be, and though I am still formulating, I know that two foci will be 1) travel, and 2) fitness and nutrition. I can’t say these are anything new, but I do have some SMART goals in mind to tackle these two areas of my life. Of course, finances will be a third focus. Finances are always on the list.

Until I can articulate my goals clearly, I’ll continue to enjoy my time at home and focus my energy on the most important goal: To spend time with family and friends; appreciate their company and don’t take my relationships with them for granted.

Important Poo Etiquette

This Christmas, my brother bought me a very important book. So much so, I feel compelled to share. For those who know me, you know that I hate public bathrooms. Even more, I dislike most people who use public bathrooms. The bathrooms, and in most cases, the people, are just gross. I can’t help but think how these people live in their own homes, because if a public bathroom is any indication, most homes would be disgusting urinary and fecal messes. Alas, I digress.

The workplace is an interesting environment. Work politics are always interesting. More interesting than that? The common workplace bathroom. In general, I prefer to use the single person bathroom in order to increase my chances of avoiding interaction with co-workers during these sacred times. Don’t get me wrong- the single person bathroom has its own fair share of concerns, including that heart-jumping feeling when someone tries to open the locked door instead of knocking, or that incredibly awkward moment when you leave the bathroom at the time someone is about to walk in, and your identity has been acknowledged.

Sometimes, the use of the public workplace bathroom is inevitable. And that’s where this book comes in: How to Poo at Work, by Mats and Enzo. The back cover reads: “Don’t let number 2 stop you from being number 1 on the job”. Now that’s some well-written stuff! I can only assume that this is what they should be teaching in school. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to learning a thing or two from this book, especially on how to deal with potentially awkward situations, like if the toilet gets clogged (OMG!). I’m also hoping it will legitimize many things that I already believe, such as not talking on your cell phone while standing at the urinal. This is a huge no-no in my eyes.

Speaking of eyes, I took a quick glance through the book and came across “The Golden Rules”. According to the book, the “bathrooms at the workplace are governed by six clear rules”:

Never make eye contact with another person in the bathroom.
Never start a conversation with another person in the bathroom.
Create maximum distance between you and other persons present in the bathroom.
Never express what you feel inside.
Stay impassive, no matter what may have happened in the bathroom.
Never make excuses to minimize attention to an event.

I fully expect this book to elaborate on these important points. But I’d like to express that I fully agree with number 3. When there’s a row of 5 empty stalls, and I decide to choose the first one, then why is it always the case that someone, without fail, chooses the second one!? Argh!!

I’m anticipating that How to Poo at Work will be quite a funny read. I support this kind of toilet humour.

Loving the Holiday Season

Christmas comes once a year… and for me, the holiday season flies by as quickly as it arrives. It’s definitely been a great few days with lots of catching up, video game battles, and lots of eats that go against my general dietary intake of the day-to-day. I don’t think I’ve had a legitimate serving of vegetables since I’ve arrived!

But these are the things I love about the holidays. I can step away from the hustle and bustle of life in Calgary for a few days and experience a bit of re-grounding.

So over this extremely busy week, I’m taking some time to relax, enjoy the company of my family and friends, and reflect on the year and year to come. And even though I left the crazy cold and wintry weather in Calgary, it’s nice to see a little snow on the ground at home.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I can’t believe Christmas is here! Whoohoo :). The family Christmas tree wouldn’t be complete without this little dancing snowman under it. Isn’t he cute? :). Today I’ve taken some time to reflect on how grateful I am for the people around me and how fortunate I have been for the experiences I’ve had in my life. Time is a funny thing- I remember being home for Christmas last year and I’m not sure how 365 days have flown by. It really does make me think about how it’s important to seize the opportunities presented and enjoy every moment. I can’t wait to see what 2012 brings :).