Progress!!!

After a summer of waiting, waiting, waiting.... finally, and just in time for winter, work is being done on the house.

1. The back yard has been dug out (ya.... just in time for winter)


2. The doors... one in, one to go. If anyone knows a good, cheap contractor in Winnipeg (other than the most amazing Robert, who is actually booked until January and is just doing us a huge favour), then send them my way.


3. The windows. Fiberglass. Five of 'em, including the brute in the living room.


Cats have spent far too much time locked in either the bathroom or the kitchen window. Rufus is getting pretty tired of it, but Cleo's a trooper, as usual.


So, we'll be safe (ask me how easy it was to break into the house when I locked myself out earlier this week!), toasty warm and broke this winter. Which means I'll be amusing myself by dreaming of my garden to be, rather than jetting to exotic locales.

What I'm doing on my summer vacation - Calaway Park

Flew to Airdrie yesterday to visit my brother, nephews and dad. After an interesting night attempting to sleep on the futon with an 8-year old who somehow managed to use my arm, stomach and shin as a pillow at various points, we were up bright and early to go to Calaway Park. After an hour and a half in a minivan and five hours in the blazing sun with two brothers being brothers, I actually managed to arrive back in Airfrie feeling semi-cheerful. Do have a headache, but that's because I require shade and lots of cool drinks in the summer, which was in short supply at the amusement park.

Boys have just left for a vacation to Victoria with their mother (boo, hiss) so we'll have a much more low key day tomorrow, and then I'm flying home Sunday. Ready to be going home. Or back to Vancouver!

What I'm doing on my summer vacation - Culture Overload!

We started our Tuesday with the most Vancouver thing possible... a walk/run on the sea wall. Followed by another amazing breakfast courtesy of Karen, then off to see Brideshead Revisited. Movie review in a nutshell... first half great, second half thin, looked gorgeous, overall far too long.

This was followed by a walk through the Ayden Gallery, a pop-surrealist/graffiti/urban art gallery, where I became smitten with a painting called "Red Cap." Karen and the owner bartered, so we're heading back there today to pick it up for a good price, and no tax if I pay cash.

Then a walk to Cafe Artigiano for the most amazing coffe in the world. The Spanish Latte... espresso, steamed milk and condensed milk. I got the largest cup possible and savoured it.

And finally, to the Vancouver Art Gallery, for donation night (aka cheap night), where we took in some amazing art, became completely overwhelmed by the Anime exhibit, and saw a live mouse in the gift shop.

Evening was another round of tapas and Little Britain.

Today... having dinner with my old friend Andrea, and getting ready to fly to Calgary tomorrow.

What I'm doing on my summer vacation - Ladies, doing lady things

Monday, we went to Jericho Beach with two of Karen's friends to see the bunnies and pick blackberries. We were all appropriately dressed, had we been living in Victorian England. High heels, chiffon dresses and silk shirts, it turns out, are not the best for rambling through brambles.




Late afternoon included cupcakes and tea at Karen's condo, just the three of us. Though Monty had neither cupcakes nor tea. Poor puss.






Evening was spent watching Little Britain, drinking lovely white wine, and eating a gorgeous spread of olives, dates, cheeses, pickled beans, tomato and crackers. Basically, this trip is all about the food!

What I'm doing on my summer vacation - VIA to Vancouver

Left Friday evening, two hours late. The usual Via schedule. Flew across Manitoba, through Saskatchewan overnight.



Alberta Saturday morning (yes, that is a gorgeous lake, boats, cottages, swimmers... and a massive coal burning power plant on the opposite shore).



Into British Columbia early Saturday evening.



And arrived at Karen's for a good breakfast late Sunday morning. Fresh tomato and avacado on toast. Rich, dark coffee. OJ. Completely revived.

38...

...but feeling like I'm 100. So tired thanks to a thunder storm and some crazy cats last night. As a result, spending the day doing not too much. O is making me dinner. We're going to watch a movie. Probably a couple of phone calls. That's about it.

Had a good weekend. Brandon Folk Fest was a bust. Music was mediocre to bad, bad, bad. Don't get me started about the "abortion" song. But dinner with my family, and Sunday at Minnedosa beach more than made up for the assault on our ears on Saturday.

A few pics to share...

Gorgeous drive to Brandon:

Cake and fresh picked strawberries (thanks Mama!):

Got to meet the beautiful Baby B:

Bought a birthday gift at the Old Church with the "flat gift" from my mom. No place to put it yet, but think it is so charming and I couldn't resist:

6th annual girls camping weekend

Last weekend, 3 of my girlfriends and I headed to Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park. For whatever reason, we went with a cabin this year rather than a tent or yurt. All I can say is, damn good thing! The weather was, um, dramatic. Gale force winds coming off the lake, off-and-on torrential rain, high of 14C. Four trees went down around our cabin. The power was out for 14 hours, which not only meant no lights and no stove, it also meant no washrooms or water as the pumps don't work without electricity.

Fortunately, we were prepared for anything...
I would have taken some shots of the vast amount of food we also had, but unfortunately, my camera battery died after one picture. Okay, maybe not that prepared.

This weekend, it was O's turn to rip is up. In better weather, thankfully. He was at Clear Lake for two days of golf, poker and too much beer with the guys from his hockey team.

I stayed home and behaved virtuously. Got to bed in good time, ate well, worked in the garden, went for bike rides, a run, did yoga. Cleaned the house. Wore sunscreen. Flossed. Oh ya, good times.

This week, we're Fringe-ing it. Then heading to Brandon on the weekend for Folk Fest and my birthday celebration. There will be cake.

bike week - friday

Ode to My Favorite Bike Shop

Ahhhh... Good ol' Natural Cycle. Bike shop co-op and sustainable transportation advocates. Inventors of the PrairyBike 'cause in Winnipeg, there are no mountains. Bike are made from the ground up using recycled frames and custom-made with whatever parts your little heart desires. Generally they are a 4-season, single-speed commuter, but my co-worker had one built with gears.

Natural Cycle is donating two cool rides as prizes for Bike to Work Day: a PrairyBike or a Batvas Old Dutch. I got a new bike last spring after 18 years of bombing around on my Trek mountain bike, so I don't really need to win a new one, but I am smitten with the Old Dutch. Hopefully someone else's name gets pulled and I'm spared the guilt of having three bikes when others have none.

bike week - thursday

My Commute

To get to work, I have three routes to choose from.

Option A: Straight down Portage (10 min.)
Option B: Westminster to Assiniboine, Assiniboine to Fort, left on Fort (20 min.)
Option C: Westminster to the river trail, river trail to Bannatyne, Bannatyne to my office (30 min.)

And then up three flights of stairs to get to the secure bike lock-up, which I totally appreciate even though the stairs are killer.

So guess which option I choose? (Unless I'm late for work, or the floods in Illinois raise the water level here so that the trail is under a foot of water.)

bike week - wednesday

A saint in the saddle?

A funny article and lively debate in the comments section about who the biggest jerks are: bikers or drivers? I know what I think the answer is... (ha!ha!)

bike week - tuesday

Top 10 Songs About Bikes (in no particular order)

10. Bicycle Race by Queen
9. Motorcrash by the Sugarcubes
8. Bike by Roots Roundup
7. Riding on my Bike by Madness
6. Why Don't We Do it in the Road by the Beatles
5. Broken Bicycles by Tom Waits
4. My Bike by Ghoti Hook
3. Acoustic Motorbike by Luka Bloom
2. Bike by Pink Floyd
1. Daisy Bell

Other suggestions?

bike week - monday

Ride a bike, save the world
[from the David Suzuki Foundation website]

May 30, 2008 - "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." - H.G. Wells

Science has had a tremendous impact on the planet in an incredibly short time. In just the past few hundred of our 150,000 years on Earth, we have invented everything from steam engines, cars, and airplanes to sophisticated weapons and supercomputers. And the pace at which we keep inventing more complex and fascinating machines is increasing. Some of our inventions have been a great boon, some have been harmful, and some, such as cars, have turned out to be a mixed blessing.

But one invention is so efficient, beneficial, and simple that it may be the best thing we’ve ever made. People across the land will celebrate that invention as we ride into June, Bike Month. The "modern" version of the bicycle with pedals and cranks was invented by French carriage-maker Ernest Michaux in 1861. It’s come a long way since then, but whether it’s a high-tech racing bike or a one-gear street cruiser, the bike is still a marvel of ingenuity. In fact, it may well be the most efficient form of transportation yet invented.

The best part of the bike is that you, the rider, are the engine. The fuel is what you eat and drink. Putting the human engine together with the gears, wheels, and frame of a bike gives you a mode of transportation that uses less energy even than walking. As for our most popular method of getting around, the automobile, there’s no comparison. According to the WorldWatch Institute, a bicycle needs 35 calories per passenger mile, while a car uses 1,860. Buses and trains are somewhere in between.

During Bike Month, it’s worth thinking about the potential this amazing invention offers. With oil prices climbing and environmental damage from car emissions increasing, bikes are becoming a more attractive form of urban transportation every day. Cleaner air, reduced congestion, safer streets, and lower noise levels are just a few of the benefits. As more people get out of their cars and onto their bikes, they’ll also become fitter, leading to lower health-care spending. The money that could be saved nationally on things like health care - not to mention the infrastructure required to keep so many cars on the road - reaches into the billions, but the money an individual can save on fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs alone is also substantial. And because biking is a lot of fun, it will probably increase what the people of Bhutan call "gross national happiness"!

But we still have a ways to go. Canadians and Americans use bikes for fewer than one in a hundred trips - although in Vancouver where I live, it’s a bit higher, at about 2.3 per cent. Compare that to the 20 to 35 per cent of trips taken by bike in the European Union and 50 per cent in China. (Unfortunately, the trend is reversing in China as the country embraces car culture.)

Shifting from car dependence will take action at the individual level, with more people simply deciding to get on their bikes, but governments must also do more to make it easier for people to ride bikes. And they can. In just three years, from 1998 to 2001, Mayor Enrique Peñalosa of Bogotá, Colombia, turned his city of 6.5 million from a gridlocked parking lot into a city where public spaces live up to their name. He did this by restricting car use, increasing gas taxes, and building hundreds of kilometres of bike and pedestrian paths, as well as investing in buses.

Making our streets safer for cyclists by giving them space to ride is an essential first step. The investment required is far less than that required for infrastructure for cars. Tax breaks for cyclists also help. Last year in Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty removed the provincial sales tax on bike helmets and bikes costing less than $1,000. Bikes are also exempt from PST in B.C., and the province’s $100 carbon-tax rebate could be put toward buying a bike or tuning up your old bike.

Employers can also help out by offering secure bike parking and showers for those who work up a sweat on the way to work.

Of course, cycling isn’t a panacea. In parts of Canada, the weather isn’t always conducive to cycling. And not everyone has the strength to ride up the hills in some of our cities. But if more of us choose bikes whenever possible, using public transport or at least energy-efficient vehicles when we can’t ride, we’d all be much better off.

So, get on your bike in June, and maybe you’ll like it enough to make it your preferred method of transportation year-round.

bike week - sunday

Friday, June 20th is the first Bike to Work Day in Winnipeg. Have already signed up because a) I bike to work, and b) they are offering some mean prizes.

So in honor of the big event, I'll be doing a bike themed post every day this week.

pick fat day

busy, busy

Still settling in, and starting to tear stuff apart. Loads of fun but taking up a ton of time. Here are some shots of the basement. Remember the wet bar? Well, it ain't gonna be around much longer. Had to take out a wall so new teleposts could be put in, and then we found that there was a moisture problem, so the floor and the rest of the walls are coming out as well.




Other than that, have been spending a bit of time in the front garden, and filling planters at the back. With the help of the cats, of course!

not peat

Trying something new in my planters this year. Coco Earth, made from coconut husks. Trying to avoid peat moss as much as possible. Coco Earth is a renewable resource, but don't know anything about how it is made. Will look into that further for next year. In the meantime, it's super cool stuff!

Before - a 5 lb block



After - 2 blocks worth

we're in, but we're not out

So... in our new house. Boxes and clutter everywhere. To be expected and we're all so happy to be living here that we're not stressing about the mess. Have a pile of things we want to do on the house, but apart from a couple of essentials, we're not stressing about those either. Now we just have to work up the energy to actually finish moving out of our apartment, and cleaning the damn place!

To all of those who I promised a picture of the wet bar, ain't she a beauty?!?


And a few other random shots...

home sweet home

The love of my life and I have finally bought a house, after six months of searching in the stupidly tight and crazy Winnipeg market. I asked for only three things: 1) if there was a garage, I wanted it detached; 2) a shower we can stand up in (it's been 4 1/2 years since we've had that luxury); and 3) a reasonable distance to work, so we could bike. He was more fussy, but in the end, we're both satisfied and have a place we can (semi) afford.

Now to start "greening" it...

To start, we had an ecoEnergy Evaluation done. This means that we will be eligible for rebates on the energy efficiency improvements we make. The list is long! These are the things we could/should upgrade:

• windows (all but one)
• doors (they are wooden, old and not sealed properly)
• insulation (basically, there isn't any, and we live in Winterpeg, Manisnowba)
• hot water heater (ours has reached it's life span, so we want to switch from gas to electric)
• shower head (much as I love the torrential downpour we currently have)
• window frames (need to be caulked)
• programmable thermostat

On the want list are:

• new fridge
• fence for the back yard
• ceiling fans
  
• painting the exterior of the house
  

Add to this, we have old wooden soffits with a hole in them, and therefore "tenants." So new soffits, fascia and eaves troughs, though not eco, are essential. Since we aren't swimming in money, we may go a bit deeper in debt and get a Power Smart loan for some of the work.

And then there is the yard. I have started 5 types of native prairie plants from seed, but let's just say, it's going to need a bit more than that...

commuter challenge

Yesterday at work, I found myself volunteering to coordinate the Commuter Challenge. It almost feels like cheating, as our bike rack is always full and most of the rest of us take the bus. But we are spending two days of that week at Fort Whyte Centre, hiking in 20 minutes to the cabin where our staff retreat will be held, so commuting will actually be a challenge. We're already talking about car pooling or maybe bike pooling. The green commuting will actually be less of a challenge than getting the wonderful folks I work with to log their modes of transportation and their kms. 

Actually really looking forward to the whole thing... I never bother keeping track of how far I go on two wheels, so will be interesting to see the distance I travel in a week. Figured out that it is 5.5 kms each way to work, which is perfect to start and end the day. Not to strenuous when I'm not awake; gets the blood flowing after a day of sitting in front of the computer. Have been really lax about riding this spring, but Monday... that's when it gets serious!

just in time for bike season

Have had no energy lately. Blood test yesterday revealed low iron stores. One of the risks of being vegetarian. At my previous job in a health and medical library, I constantly had Becoming Vegetarian by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis checked out. I'm a pretty good cook and the recipes in this book aren't the greatest, but I relied on the nutritional advice. Obviously, I need a constant reminder on my kitchen counter.

So, tonight I made tabouleh to take for lunches. As per the recipe, 1 cup of parsley (high in iron, copper and calcium). Also added 1/4 c. of bran (high in iron, copper and zinc), which hopefully I won't be able to taste. Chick peas, tomatoes and cukes to round it out. Lemon juice, olive oil. Damn healthy, I say.

Low iron also gives me an excuse to not weed the dandelions out of my lawn this summer. Learned at the food conference last month that dandelions are high in vitamins A and C, and iron. Also learned that you can make a coffee substitute from the roasted root. But not quite convinced that it would be as satisfying as the real thing.

a hit with any man

Tuesday was awesome. Scored a major haul on vintage knitting needles and patterns from a good friend. She has promised me more but not until a) O. and I move, which is very soon and/or b) she turns "toes up", um, many wonderful years from now.

In the meantime, I'm armed with these beauties...

And O. better watch out, 'cause I'm feeling inspired! Though I should probably finish my current projects first. And I do have a garden now. So maybe he's safe. Still...

on the sticks

Two little projects...

Salvaged Karen's birthday gift and made a cozy for our French press. By request...

Taking a sock class. By Wednesday, I will have one sock. And hopefully the motivation to make the second.

And by the way, posting this on my sexy new MacBook Pro, while watching the Sens/Pens game on O.'s laptop 'cause we have wireless now. Feeling so plugged in!

another lazy post

This is my post from my work blog today. But it fits in here, too! Sorry for the way short notice.

Upcoming Green Communities Conference

The annual Green Communities National Conference is being held in Winnipeg from April 9-11, 2008.

Merrell-Ann Phare and Lisa Hardess of CIER will be presenting the session "Respecting Mother Earth: Sustainability in First Nations" on Thursday, April 10 in the afternoon.

Please visit the Green Communities Canada website for more information and registration details.

paying to watch commercials

Spent $7 a piece to watch the Cannes Lions 2007 at the Art Gallery this past Saturday. Sort of ironic for someone who only watches television shows if they come in a box set. And even though I had a lovely time with O. and his mom, I felt a bit burned when I found them all available online for free.

Right here.

My overall favorite is "Clarence". Found in the Gold category. Sorry, I have no idea how to embed the video, so you'll just have to hunt for it yourself. Enjoy!

chop! chop!

Mama D rocks my world. Again.

Before (admittedly, with bad toque head)...



















After...

Foo-ey

Had concert tickets for tonight, but O ended up taking one of his friends as I'm sick AGAIN!!!! Five horrible colds in five months, plus a noro-virus thrown in for good measure. Spending my evening in bed drinking ginger tea boiled with rat root. If anyone knows any other miracle cures, I'm open to suggestions.

Karen has recommended nasal irrigation, as seen on Oprah (and just so that doesn't seem so flaky, the Mayo Clinic recommends it as well.) Any other ideas please!

the latest house

Looked at two houses today. Getting an inspection on this one (click on the picture to see inside), and if that goes well, planning to put in an offer on Tuesday. The interior is really nice, except some of the colour choices are a bit.... um... garish. Newer windows, nice bathroom. Generally lots to like. Decent back yard with plenty of parking for our one car (plus my mom when she comes to visit). Like the neighborhood. Easy to work, lots of amenities close by.


But.... (why does there always have to be a but?!?) the exterior needs lots of work. New shingles are critical, as are eaves and downspouts. Wood siding needs some love. Will definitely affect how much we're willing to shell out to purchase it.

And of course, everything depends on the foundation and wiring being okay. Which the inspection should tell.

Not excited. Not hopeful. Not not excited or hopeful. Just good with however things go.

a letter

Dear Karen,

Hi. How are you? I am fine.

Well, actually, I'm not fine. I'm tired because my cat woke me up at 12:30 this morning. And I'm feeling very badly because part of your birthday gift is ruined.

Yes, the two are related.


While I was sleeping, he broke into the package that I had prepared to send. I woke up to the sound of his kicking the crap out of what I thought was a toy, and to the sparks he was creating as he rolled on the carpet in the dark. Imagine my horror when I got out of bed and reached down to throw the toy out into the hall, only to find part of your gift.

Please be assured that a replacement gift will be in the mail by tomorrow. My deepest apologies if it does not get to you in time. I know that you won't mind, but it really was so lovely.

With much love,
C.

miracle cure

rat root.

looks like cat poop.

tastes.... not that great. brewed in rose hip tea, then sucked on.

harvested in the wild by my co-worker's father.

i'm using it for it's expectorant properties.

and you know what? sinuses are better. i'm actually feeling somewhat better.

home sick

Have been smacked upside the head with ANOTHER terrible cold. Feel like I've been sick constantly since October, which is pretty much the case. Cold in October that lasted until the third week in November. Cold in December, followed by a norovirus over Christmas. Followed by another cold in January. Followed by this one. As of today, I've used up my sick time for the year.

So why am I blogging and not in bed? Just waiting for my ginger tea to steep, and felt like complaining to anyone who would listen.

In other news, the crappy and small houses that we looked at last week went for $162,500 for Minto and $192,00 for Dudley. O hasn't given up yet, but I'm starting to think that despite two incomes and a decent down payment, we are not able to afford a house in Winnipeg. Which is crazy. And depressing. Looking at two this Friday, but they are similar to the two mentioned above in size and area, so we're basically out of the running before we even start.

On top of the house hunting, my old job in Brandon is available again. Had to think really hard about whether I wanted to run back home. O is definitely the only thing keeping me here. Major regrets about leaving in the first place. But sticking it out here for a while. Going to a food conference on Friday and Saturday, so hopefully will be able to hook up with some community garden people and at least have a place to plant since it looks like I'll be stuck in an apartment for the foreseeable future. Bummer.