Jan
6
Tuesdays With Micaela #1 - A Day at the Beach
Written by Micaela. Filed Under beach, micaela, winter | 6 Comments
My blogging New Years resolution was to blog every Tuesday. So even though Leah already blogged today, I am trumping her post because there is no way I am going to lose on the first Tuesday of the year!
Kent and I started this year out in an interesting way. For as long as I’ve known him, Kent has been a water rat. He is not afraid of diving right into the water, no matter how cold. His dream has always been to do a polar bear swim on New Years Day. For those of you who don’t come from arctic temperatures, polar bear swims happen all over the place on January 1st in Canada. All of the absolutely insane people who want to participate go to the beach and run into freezing cold water. Us normal people wait until July. Our friends Dane and Michelle came along to cheer Kent on. For them and I there was no question - we knew there was no way we were going in there.
We arrived in Port Dover, where the swim was happening, and Kent and I went into a store where all of the future polar bears were waiting. The temperature was negative 10 degrees celsius. Kent got dressed in his bathing suit and robe and they listened to a pep talk where they were told that if you don’t put your head under, it doesn’t count! Everyone started chanting “THE WATER IS WARM! THE WATER IS WARM!” over and over. They were also told that the lake had frozen over the night before and there was a hold cut into the ice which all the polar bear swimmers had to jump into! I hugged Kent a lot and told him to be careful.
I tried to watch Kent jump in but there was so much bumpy ice that was really hard to walk on, and soo many people, that I couldn’t see a thing which was disappointing. Definitely not a spectator sport. Here’s what I did see.
I spotted him with the other swimmers before they went in… and didn’t see him until:
After he was already finished. Smiling, which is a good sign!
The crowd.
Finally inside! Celebrating the fact that he is a full fledged polar bear.
Kent said he probably would do it again next year, but he definitely doesn’t have me convinced to do it, even though he took it like a champion.
Would you ever do a polar bear swim?
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Jan
6
First things first; a love story.
Written by Leah. Filed Under Calgary, love, relationships, summer work | 16 Comments
Having a job that requires me to provide one on one support clients with mental illnesses, I must listen to others stories and problems and woes all day long, all the while encouraging them and recognizing their strengths and positive attributes. This seems to come easily to me, and does not often bother me as I adore hearing people’s stories. “What’s your story?” is a question I love to ask, but dread being asked. That dread is something I am working on, and I think it has a lot to do with the the fact that the sole reason I am in Calgary is because I followed my heart out here. I hate to say, but in the history of my current relationship it has always been me that has done the occassionally immature running away, the leaving. Tim has been the most patient, loving boyfriend over the past three years that a young woman could ever have, and when I found out there was a possibility of him moving elsewhere, it was a no-brainer for me. I am lucky to share a home and a heart with Tim, who has consistently gone way out of his way to ensure that the two of us take advantage of each and every opportunity that comes our way, to have as much fun and as much love as two people could possibly have.
The first time I brought the name Tim into the FB household, my Mom could tell right away that I was “smitten.” Tim wasn’t like any of the other guys I had dated (read: he was intelligent and sane). It may have taken this proper, traditional boy a few months, a lot of hints and even a pretty obvious kiss to actually get around to asking me out, but once he did we were inseparable. Still are, really.
Alternatively, my favourite part of our story is spending our first summer together, apart. We planned for that first summer together to be perfect, with lazy nights by the fire, driving for hours to see each other, doing anything for that person; but for some crazy reason Mom convinced me to take a job that involved me moving way North to a fishing lodge on an island in a town called Nakina - a full days drive from Tim and all things related to home. Tim and I had only been dating four months at that point, and most people would say “So what?” to a four month relationship - but it was always special with Tim and I. We both knew that the both of us were in it for the long haul, and we had that summer planned out perfectly … but it wouldn’t be that way after all. I left in May for four months, and as I packed and talked to my new bosses, I was learning more and more about this fishing lodge. I wasn’t sure how to break it to Tim that there was no internet. Or regular use of a phone. I could use a “party line” (shared phone line between a bunch of lodges) for about 15 minutes a week - but I wasn’t sure how that was going to fly with him. The week before I left, Tim worked hard to ensure that I wouldn’t forget about him - gifts, homemade meals, reminders of our time together and promises of letters all summer long.
Which brings me to the point of my story - The Love Letters. Ooooh, the Love letters. The love letters. The love letters. Three words I can repeat over and over to myself in my head and never get bored of them. Tim promised to write me letters all summer long, a promise he kept over and over and over again. At this point of the story, people who know Tim and I are usually like … Tim wrote you love letters? Like, good ole’ fashioned love letters, not e-mails? Tim the studious, dutch, concrete-construction working farmer knows how to write love letters? I know, not your typical candidate for being very romantically inclined, but I have a box full of letters, every word of which I will cherish forever. Even if in the future if Tim and I aren’t together, I will keep those letters as a reminder of how much expressible love was possible from a man to a woman. And every night shift he works when I am home alone, and questioning to myself why I am putting myself through the loneliness I pull out a letter. Each letter started off with the same simple phrase
“First things first…”
It is meant to be followed with “I love you” but by the end of the summer the last half wasn’t even necessary. It is simply an example of the knowledge of what it so important in maintaining a long distance relationship - the affirmation of undying love, the knowledge that the other persons feelings and emotions always come first.
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Jan
4
New Years Partying
Written by Kate. Filed Under Holidays | 8 Comments
This New Years was the first year where I’ve actually not wanted the new year to begin. For some reason I was dreading the beginning of 2009, I guess I’m beginning to feel old and do not want the time to pass by so fast! I realized time was passing by so quickly when walking in to church on Christmas eve. This Christmas was me and Scott’s 2nd married Christmas! Where the heck did the time go?
Anyways, that is not the point of this blog. This blog is to show you how I celebrated the arrival of 2009. We started it with a jump- right into a warm pool! A great way to start the year if I do say so myself!
Before we went to the party we had a Chinese food dinner party at my house and Mic, Stef and I played with my new camera!
Mic and I partied in the New Year at our friend Shawn’s pool party. His family recently insulated the pool and hot tub room so a pool party was a must. There were lots of people there, many different groups of friends who are now all connected, it was a lot of fun! We spent the night talking, drinking, celebrating 2009, swimming and sitting in the hot tub! Here are some of the pictures from the night.
The party room ^
The boys showed off by doing flips and belly flops into the pool.
The full hot tub!
Mic and Michelle rocking out to Elton John on the big screen!
See how the other FiveBlondes celebrated behind the cut.
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Jan
3
Taking the party down a notch.
Written by Leah. Filed Under Calgary, advertising, answer, friends, life | 9 Comments
As I mentioned in our Years in Review post, one of my resolutions was to find cheap/free fun things to do in Calgary. This has many purposes - to help out my bank account a little, to get away from the partying lifestyle that has been the last five years of my life and to have more purely fun experiences that help me to get to know the entirety of my city better, and not just what pubs are good (Joyce on Fourth) and what bar to go Wednesday after work that has the most cute guys (ahem, the Metropolitan Grill on Eighth ave).
Here is what has been brainstormed so far:
- Go to/rent movies (this may seem like a giveaway, but honestly I don’t go see many movies or rent many either)
- Go for a walk with my best friend twice a week (Calgary has beautiful walking trails downtown along the river)
- Tea parties
- Glenbow Museum (and if this is enjoyable, others as well)
- Go up the Calgary Tower, both during the day and at night
- Go to the mountains (Banff - Erica lived there for one winter!, Canmore, etc.)
- Go showshoeing or cross country skiing (you can rent equipment in Kananaskis for a low price)
- Visit Bragg Creek
- Board game nights (Settlers of Catan is hands down my fave, but I need more awesome TWO PLAYER games)
- Visit my best friends sister and brother in law for free meals and to fawn over their newborn
- Go to real estate open houses (you know, check out our options in case either of us decides we can afford to buy a house, and check out our options)
- Volunteer somewhere
- Cook/bake together (i.e. I will take any excuse to eat chocolate chip cookie dough)
- Have postcard writing nights to help us to be better long distance friends (I think this one is my favourite)
- Go to the library (I am a book worm!)
- Buy a cheap secondhand guitar and learn how to play it
- Use my new Wii Fit twice a week
This is where you come in - I am looking for your suggestions! I am not necessarily looking to take up a new hobby (i.e. Erica - don’t suggest knitting) but what do YOU like to do with your partner and/or best friend that could be included on my list? I appreciate your recommendations! THANK YOU!
Also - One little comment I left awhile ago really paid off! You must check THIS awesomeness out. If you want, skip to the 1:20 mark to see the goodness.
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