Yessss!

Two kinds of awesomeness today.

First, I have such a great mechanic.  Diagnosed source of leak (my passengers need to shut my door tighter!) and wouldn't take payment (I forced donuts and iced caps instead).  Yay! My car is fine :)

Second, THERE ARE FREE ONLINE INTERVAL TIMERS.  I used this tonight and promptly kicked my ass less than an hour using just my bodyweight.  

An Independent Venture.

I cancelled my gym membership today. I've been thinking about it for a while now.  Due to dance and other activities that don't involve gym machines, I've been making it to the gym once a week if lucky.  This was definitely not good budgeting.  I found out that it's much cheaper to do a drop-in fee every time I go rather than pay for the whole month.  Thankfully the staff member that cancelled my membership for me didn't give me a hard time (me no likey when they get pushy).    

It feels a bit weird and exciting to be figuring out my own workout structure on my own.  Actually, I don't even need to figure it out.. a bunch of choices to play with are in constant revolution around me - like a workout spice rack!  Pilates, bodyweight, kettlebells...  I just need to select how much and when :)  I could even fit climbing into my life once again ... maybe ... someday?

When I got home I rewarded my new-found independence with a remake of a Filipino childhood favourite: eggs, rice and banana ketchup!  Instead of rice, I mixed in sauteed quinoa and spinach.

Yep, it's the Hot version.  I'm a big girl now.

Mmmm.. a healthier taste of my breakfasts as a kid :)

Mind Farts

-crazy heat has been replaced with crazy rain.  which has revealed some sort of leak into my car flooring (i would have never found out if it wasn't for an observant passenger).  i wonder what my mechanic will discover on wednesday

-crazy rain = crazy mosquitoes!  i am averaging almost 2 bites per minute of static outside exposure combined with bare skin :(  why do they like me so much?!?!  i have low blood sugar!  diet blood!

-crazy rain = flooded basements and leaky ceilings for others.  while i am sandwiched quite dryly between floors at my condo.  i shouldn't complain so much

-a banana can make or break a smoothie

-good Lord.  the banana cream pie from Sugar Bowl is ridiculous.  i'm not even that big a fan of banana cream pies but.. @#$%^&*&^%$%^&*&^%$!!!!!!

From Heat to More Heat!

I am currently typing with the fan pointed right at me.  My condo has no AC and I am currently in the midst of Edmonton's heat wave.  It's gotten to the point where I've been staying at work a bit longer because I enjoy the air-conditioned office so much!!

Despite the crazy temperatures, I managed to squeeze in Salsa in the Park this scorching weekend.  Got a good tan, but ruined a pair of shades.  Spinning = centrifugal force + shades + concrete.  Note to self: never dance with sunglasses on:

This scorching weekend also allowed me to catch up on a lot of things that are currently on my plate, mainly having to do with groups I'm a part of.  I've mentioned before that I need to value my rest, but I've also been squeezing in more into my life. Again. I can't seem to help pushing.  I've become a tad more aggressive, and instead of being annoyed at the reluctance of others, I've found myself hearing Gandhi's "Be the change you want to see in the world" and then plunging into things. Hence the loaded plate. It doesn't help that I keep getting bombarded with inspiration!

Last month I went on a great work-related trip to Raleigh, NC.  Another scorching place.  Not only did I meet and enjoy some really intelligent, witty, driven and inspiring people, I also ate.  A lot.  Southern food is a larger portioned, sweeter and creamier version of its Northern counterparts.  There was also an abundance of cheap beer.

I was actually full the entire week of training.  No sensation of hunger ever touched me.  Even during the training sessions, the hotel was sure to cart in a ton of delicious snacks in between breakfast and lunch and dinner.  Dinners were spent out and about Raleigh, checking out good spots to eat.  I am happy to say that there was a 24-hour gym at the hotel, so I was able to do some damage control :)  Plus, I was jumping around with happiness in my hotel room due to my first unassisted pistol squat (see previous post).

A lot of work can pile up if you miss a week.  Fortunately, the week of training filled me with an invigorating fresh type of ambition and drive in my career(s).  There are some hard working, bright and well-rounded people out there and it is awesome to be surrounded by them not just on a local scale, but on a global scale too.  

Speaking of energizing, I've been following Aaron Paquette's story about his wife Clarice, who was in a horrific accident involving two vehicles (she was jogging - one car hit her and the other one ran over her) near my parents' neighbourhood.  His heartbreaking post against distracted driving went viral and his story has been inspiring thousands - maybe even millions.  It's amazing.  His wife's walking again and he's working on a book - I just pre-ordered :)

Mind Farts

-read that Gabriel Garcia Marquez is suffering from dementia :(  tragic.  i'm STILL reading his 700-page biography (got sidetracked by some pop erotica - a.k.a. 50 Shades trilogy ... do not read while sitting next to grandmother and 10 year old boy on plane)
-proof that i can be stuck almost anywhere with my Kobo: i was delayed for many hours trying to fly back to Edmonton.  was i stressed?  nope.  too busy reading!

-i am on a fish taco mission.  so far i've tried Tres Carnales, Earls and Joey's in town.  i need to re-try Joey's to get frame of reference again
-Fort Edmonton Park is a lot more than i expected!  it's huge and it was really interesting to learn about my good old Edmonton.  you'd think i would've done this a long time ago
-Moonrise Kingdom.  deliciously awkward
-Brave.  loved it, even despite the tense parts
-Ted.  i laughed, but i also wanted to barf at the cheesy parts
-Good Lord.  Tutti Frutti IS RIDICULOUS.  GUAVA FROZEN YOGURT? TARO FROZEN YOGURT?  RED VELVET FROZEN YOGURT? WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS?  aughghghghghhgh - it's the perfect place to go in this heat

Holy Crap!!

I am in my North Carolina hotel room (here for training). I had an hour to kill before meeting up with some colleagues for dinner.

So I decided to do a mini-workout in my room.

And I just did my first non-assisted non-modified pistol squats!!!!!! My first actual real pistol squats! I had to repeat 9X just to make sure :)

Well time to get ready for dinner! 'Tis a fine time in Angel history :)

Saskatoon Hospitality.

Congrats to Saskatoon for hosting its first international salsa congress this weekend!  It was great to perform and social dance at this intimate but fun affair :)  Alberta dance companies did a great job of representing and supporting this event.  I also met international professional dancers who were so so so amazing but yet so humble.  Really an inspiration for me, knowing that people can get to an almost inhuman level of skill but still manage to maintain kindness and respect for others.  I could gush about these people for hours!!! I'm such a salsa groupie sometimes :)

Actually I was floored by how nice people were in general - not just the dancers at the congress, but the locals I encountered.   One server recommended a bunch of good places to eat and took the time to make a handwritten list.  Another one sent us away with free Callebaut dark chocolate covered cherries to keep us going on our 6 hour drive home :)  Lovely.

Saskatoon itself is a quaint place.  At times it was eerie because it felt strangely Edmonton-like.  Typical Canadian prairie city I guess.  It might even be flatter than Edmonton, because when it gets windy it gets REALLY windy.  

This road trip reminded me of how open and spacious the prairies are.  The blue skies seem to go on forever.  It's beautiful really.  Remember the Windows XP background?

Now I am struggling to stay awake so I can get unpacking, laundry, dishes and work lunches done - this is what I get for my 3 hours of sleep last night.  Maybe chores will have to wait until tomorrow - good thing I booked the morning off from work!  I'm finally learning to prioritize rest.

Mind Farts
-i haven't had chocolate in a while until this weekend.  and Callebaut at that!  i've forgotten how giddy i get after chocolate
-still not done Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 700-page bio.  got sidetracked by reading about eating more raw food whenever you can (smoothies, fresh salsa, etc.).  apparently it's the best way to get much-needed enzymes for your body.  i'm trying it out
-challenge comes with the fresh food thing ... the amount of food i bring to work keeps growing and growing:

-one thing that i've really become inspired about this weekend is female physical strength.  it's absolutely beautiful!  i've been working on it (hello, nice to meet you chin-up bar) and it really helped me during a private lesson this weekend that involved lifts with my partner.    let's see what happens when i combine really healthy food and building more physical strength!

Fresh Salsa is NO Joke. Brothels?

I am actually posting about what most people around here think about when I say the world "salsa."

Yup, the food.

Looks like it's not just dancing - both types tire me out.  Fresh salsa takes much longer to make than I imagined!  I was up past midnight squeezing limes and chopping.  I finally rolled into bed, exhausted (working out followed by lime squeezing = ururhghghgh).  I will never take fresh salsa for granted ever again!  Ever.

Hmm, I wonder if there's fresh salsa at the farmers' market.

My exhausted night was quite worth it though.  My lunch was delicious!  It was blackened salmon and quinoa on a bed of spinach

topped with the very happy-coloured and precious mango salsa:

Now I am going to bed early for a change.  With Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  Or at least his 700 page biography anyway (yay, I'm 40% done!).  Okay one more thought.  Brothels were apparently the happening spots back in the day.  Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his buddies hung out at brothels.  Heck, he even lived in one.  Even the characters in his books hang out in brothels.  All the quick-witted men in Game of Thrones hang out in brothels.  I guess it's called the oldest profession for a reason.  I'm starting to think that in a time and place where women can't really do much or own much, brothels become more exciting compared with being trapped at home.

That is, until your looks or an unfortunate accident prevent you from working at the brothel anymore :(

I'll take 2012, a paycheck and indoor plumbing any time.

(Although if I imagine myself living in those times, I'm not sure if I would have been happy with not being able to earn a living or own anything or do anything.  Unless I had a really cool progressive husband, I might have very well ended up in a happening brothel).

The history of the brothel - it would make for fascinating research.

Mind Farts
-I AM AN ANTIPASTO FIEND!!  and fresh mango salsa fiend.  i think i have developed a love of chopped veggies and sweet tangyness wallowing in their own juices inside a container
-went to the dogpark for the first time since Kobe passed away.  it was bittersweet ... we missed him a lot, but it was nice to remember how much fun he used to have there.  and dog watching is always a pleasure :)
-super video game nerds.  my sister and i cleared the Longest Journey (super old super awesome storyline) and then cleared the sequel Dreamfall (not the newest, but still a super awesome storyline) over the long weekend.  we were devastated at the ending.  aughghghghgh!  how do we get this affected over storylines?  it's gotta be genetic
-patio weather is here!  sun, salad, lemon slice in my water and any of the following side orders is perfect:
    a) good convo
    b) my Kobo
    c) fellow people-watcher(s)
-a couple of recent convos have definitely cemented my opinion on racist parents.  i could never be with someone long term if his parents were racist.  it would repulse and disgust me too much.  the guy could be wonderful, but i could never handle the unfairness of my parents being sweet open-minded folks to him but me having to be mistreated by backward ignoramuses

SuperMoon!

There's nothing like coming home from a good salsa night, feeling the sweat evaporate off my skin and clothes, the thirst of my parched dehydrated throat, the slight ache in my feet ... and ...

SUPERMOON STARING AT ME!

Eep.  Almost 3AM.  Morning practice is going to be tough tomorrow but it's all good because my quadriceps are finally back.  I survived pilates this morning :)