Another Level Unlocked.

I don't know what it is, but I've making some happy personal progress in my calisthenics classes.  Something's clicking!

My handstands, albeit still not 30 seconds long or anything like that, are more consistent and increasing in hang time (or should I say stand time?).

Best of all, today I was able to pull myself up from a dead hang!  This is something that I've always wanted to do since my 20's, after learning to do chin ups and pull ups (from standing, not dead hang) during my climbing days.  I can't stop smiling about it!

June 11 Update: PROOF!

Ocean vs. Mountains? Ocean :)

I ... salsa danced ... in heels ... last month!

And my ankle was fine :)  Good thing I didn't get rid of my dance shoes!  I visited a good friend on Vancouver Island for a weekend and her husband took care of the kids while her and I acted like our former salsa-crazed twenty-something selves again.  We went out dancing two nights in a row and I'm ecstatic that my ankle survived everything :)  PLUS I got to learn more kizomba.  I've danced it before with really good leads but I could never remember the actual basics on my own because I never danced it enough.  It's so lovely.

And so is the island!

Ocean, giant trees, no mosquitoes ... it's a dream spot.  Another girlfriend joined us after the salsa overdose and we all overdosed on Japanese food.

Jasper is also lovely (I still love the sea more but the Rockies also rock). 

I spent the next weekend there for the Banff Jasper relay race.  Hell noooo I didn't run it but I helped out (Scott's team killed it and placed 5th overall).  My past experiences with running haven't been great fun but I've decided to dabble in it again recently.  I'm on week 5 of the C25K (couch to 5km) app and I'm surprised at how long I can actually run when I pace myself.  I guess pacing IS key after all.  Also, I've discovered that I like it nice and warm when I run.  We're talking 23 degrees Celsius and above warm.  Many people seem to enjoy it much cooler but not this lady. 

Mind Farts
-sometimes pacing helps in life as well - it's so easy for me to get enthusiastic about so many things that i forget there are limited hours in a day
-calisthenics level unlocked: backwards rolling!
-i found a Victoria version of Edmonton's Veggie Garden (hole in the wall vegetarian Vietnamese/Chinese resto): Lotus Pond ... delicious and busy!  even my carnivore salsa friend enjoyed it

Birthdays and Guns.

Enjoyed a birthday brunch with good girlfriends (two of whom are February babies) at Moth Cafe, a new plant-based eatery in town (Woohoo! Another one!  There was even a lineup in the cold).  Seriously one of the best Banh Mi's (Vietnamese submarine) I've ever tasted!  Yowza.

Last night, I was at an 80th birthday party.  The birthday celebrant, who is the father of one of my best friends, is quite the inspiration.  At 80 he's still able to laugh a lot, chase after his grandkids and shake it on the dance floor.  Very much sound of mind, he still drives.  His mobility surpasses that of many sixty year olds!  It warms my heart to see someone completely obliterate the "over the hill" stereotype :)  I even gave a mini salsa lesson in regular high heeled shoes and my ankle stayed strong, which confirms how much I've healed in all the time that's passed since I last put on actual dance shoes.

The majority of the past week was spent in Tulsa, where I got a good dose of southern hospitality.  What a bunch of polite folks!  Back in the day when I travelled in the US a bunch, I remember noting the same thing about Kansas City (not sure if that's still considered the south though). 

Oklahoma seems to be the land of tornadoes, guns and churches.  Even the airport had a church.  You know you're not in Canada anymore when you see signs asking you to NOT bring your gun into the building.  I also experienced my first tornado drill there (as opposed to fire drills).  Speaking of fire drills, I burnt toast for the first time ever and managed to set off the hotel fire alarm while trying to enjoy my continental breakfast.  I couldn't even hide it.  I just stood there with a silly deer-in-headlights smile, the smoking black toast still dangling from the tongs in my hand.  Whoops.  [Cue in "Angel can't cook" joke here.] 

Of course one never gets much sightseeing done on a business trip so on my last day there, instead of relaxing with this (I never ever had a shortage of post-dinner leftovers) before my flight ...

... I had to get up off my butt and squeeze in a quick museum tour.  I chose the Philbrook Art Museum because it seemed smaller than the natural history museum.  This would allow me to catch my flight on time.  Sure enough, I covered the whole art collection and despite unforeseen delays due to Uber map glitches (I wonder if it was a cyber attack), I had a stress-free commute to get my bags and hit the airport (with a taxi this time).  The Philbrook Art Museum is in a donated mansion and it was very peaceful and pleasant to wander the rooms and even the garden.

For just 9 dollars, one can relax in this lovely place.  I'd love to read a book in the garden, which has a generous amount of benches.

Hi, 2018.

R.I.P. Auntie Joy.  She ended up passing away last year :(

Aside from not being to create new posts, I can't even access the Blogger app on my phone at all anymore (Boo to you Blogger! Update your app please!).  So it's been a loooong while since I've posted!  It's already 2018.

The first half of 2017 was a lot of shift work at site, so my fun time in town occurred on my days off.  All in all it wasn't too bad!  A shift rotation of 8 days on and 6 days off provides a nice life balance.

I'm back at the office now - for the most part.  I fly out tomorrow for a couple of meetings but that'll just be a short US visit.  Being back at the office has its perks: I can consistently schedule activities on nights and weekends.  Hachi continues to be a wonderful therapy dog and it's humbling to see him bring joy and unleash smiles wherever he goes.   Dogs are magical. 

Activity-wise, I've abandoned kettlebells for mostly calisthenics and a sprinkle of dance (dancehall) whenever I can.  I still haven't gotten back to salsa dancing in Edmonton but I managed to actually social dance for the first time in years during my first visit to Ottawa.  I irrationally was a bit concerned that I'd forgotten how to do it but it is indeed like riding a bike :)  Muscle memory kicks in and all is well.  Ottawa is a great place to visit!  The history and museums kept me busy while visiting a good friend who just had her second little girl.  Ottawa also made me wish I had furthered my French speaking skills.  I did well in my high school French classes, but I didn't do anything about it after high school.  It's never too late anyway.  I'm positive there are tons of adult French classes in town should I ever decide to build on my French. 

Calisthenics is still a lot of fun for me.  It really truly is an adult version of playtime :)

Well off I go to pack and get things in order for my trip.  Warmer southern US weather here I come!