It has been a busy week. The national touring company of Stomp is in town and I have been working backstage on the crew. Eight shows in five days is a bit of a tear up and really messes with the exercise schedule.
But going back a little further, I have completed my Ceramics course at University. I got my usual mark, B+. I am okay with that and will keep at it. I was thinking that I may take the follow up course in January. But I am also toying with the idea of taking the semester off.
Anyways, back to Stomp. It was a really good show to work on. The road crew was a fantastic bunch. Graham (the head carp) and Sam (head props) were the guys that Colin and I worked with the most. Doing props for the show is a nice active job. The performers were also nice to work with. They were funny and polite which is always a plus.
My eating has been a little all over the place. Mostly because of working this schedule but also because I am drifting a bit. I am being led astray by some of the 'treats' around the house. So the best thing is to get the bad stuff out of the house and stick to the good stuff.
The pear tree's fruit is ready. It is really nice to go out into the back yard, pick a pear, brush it off and enjoy a healthy treat. They are very sweet so it is a good thing they are small.
I have been pre-reading for my fall UVic class. This time around it is Russian History. I think it is going to be a lot harder getting the names right. But I am ready for a challenge as much as I am ready for a holiday.
With Classes this summer and shows in September, Marla and I haven't been able to get away. We are in serious need of a road trip but I don't see any available time until late September or early October. Even a trip to Portland would be a good break.
But now things are on the way to returning to normal. Two shows today and an out. Horse riding on Wednesday and maybe a photo shoot for Camosun, UVic on Thursday and a concert on next Sunday.
Whew.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
An evening with Ty Cobb
Well today was a fun day. Chris, Precious and I had a nice morning walk along the ocean. The weird part was that the Map My Walk app only measured half the distance and all the time. So where I think we walked about 8km we only walked 4. Still it was a nice walk.
I came home and Marla and I watched the Blue Bombers lose to Hamilton TC. Then we watched a really good game between Saskatchewan and Edmonton. I can say it was a good game because the Riders won.
Paula invited us over to her place to help celebrate Susan J's birthday. It was a nice gathering of people. We didn't eat anything there because we were going over to John's Place to watch a one man show about Ty Cobb.
My eating was pretty good at John's. I caved and had a little of their bread. Each time we go there I have a smaller amount. I tried their Southern Fried Steak but could only eat about a third of it. It will reheat okay.
Tomorrow is a rest day.
I came home and Marla and I watched the Blue Bombers lose to Hamilton TC. Then we watched a really good game between Saskatchewan and Edmonton. I can say it was a good game because the Riders won.
Paula invited us over to her place to help celebrate Susan J's birthday. It was a nice gathering of people. We didn't eat anything there because we were going over to John's Place to watch a one man show about Ty Cobb.
My eating was pretty good at John's. I caved and had a little of their bread. Each time we go there I have a smaller amount. I tried their Southern Fried Steak but could only eat about a third of it. It will reheat okay.
Tomorrow is a rest day.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
day by day
I had a rough weekend. I felt like I had a kidney stone coming on. That sharp pain in my back is very familiar. So I decided this would be a good time to get rid of some of the lab requests I have stockpiled and go get my blood tested. Yup, I am anemic - again.
Aside from the stabbing pain in my back every now and then Marla and I had a great time being artsy craftsy in the afternoon. We went downtown to see the Fibrations show on the lawn of the St. Ann's Academy. It was all really interesting. Marla got to try out spinning - It is definately a learned skill. I don't think she will become a spinner but she had fun.
Monday was a bit of a down day for me. I did a few kilometre walk but for the most part I just hung out with Marla. Any day hanging out with Marla is a good day.
I spent a lot of time doing my homework, I have a presentation for Tuesday to do.
Tuesday,
Well my presentation went very well. I was very comfortable and worked my stuff.
I walked home from the University 8.1 Kms and on this very hot day it was a really nice walk.
In the evening Marla and I went down to Centennial Square to check out the food trucks and the start of the fringe. It kind of sucked, so we went to Shari's Halibut House for fish and chips. But instead of Chinese food we actually had fish and chips. It was okay, but felt kind of manufactures. I think I prefer Brady's.
We came home and ended up giving Precious a bath. She is really good in the tub.
Aside from the stabbing pain in my back every now and then Marla and I had a great time being artsy craftsy in the afternoon. We went downtown to see the Fibrations show on the lawn of the St. Ann's Academy. It was all really interesting. Marla got to try out spinning - It is definately a learned skill. I don't think she will become a spinner but she had fun.
It was also nice bumping into a bunch of people who we know. Dallas from the gardening crew and Susan B among a whole bunch of other Camosun retirees were there. Something I really liked was all the bright colours of the wool and the fabrics.
Monday was a bit of a down day for me. I did a few kilometre walk but for the most part I just hung out with Marla. Any day hanging out with Marla is a good day.
I spent a lot of time doing my homework, I have a presentation for Tuesday to do.
Tuesday,
Well my presentation went very well. I was very comfortable and worked my stuff.
I walked home from the University 8.1 Kms and on this very hot day it was a really nice walk.
In the evening Marla and I went down to Centennial Square to check out the food trucks and the start of the fringe. It kind of sucked, so we went to Shari's Halibut House for fish and chips. But instead of Chinese food we actually had fish and chips. It was okay, but felt kind of manufactures. I think I prefer Brady's.
We came home and ended up giving Precious a bath. She is really good in the tub.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
putting one foot in front of the other
I was up early, about 6 and thought this is a good day for a walk. My friend Christopher was busy this morning so we couldn't do our usual walk. And Precious the Pooch has a sore foot, I think she has pulled a muscle in her foot, so I decide that today I would go solo. I started my walk about 8am after my usual breakfast and headed off into the Victoria morning. Best of all, I was walking with my new shoes. I am back in Aasics - my favourite style of shoes and a little smaller now - I can wear size 11s.
My normal walk is to go from home to downtown Victoria and see the Inner Harbour. It is about five kilometres away and it is a really pretty walk. The walk was really nice, except I forgot my water bottle, and when I got down to the Inner Harbour the Dragon Boat races were underway.
I walked all around the Inner Harbour and continued through James Bay to the breakwater at Ogden Point. It is quite nice walking out on the breakwater now with the railings up on it. I didn't think I would like them but they are quite nice. And it does open the walkway to people with physical challenges.
From there it was the usual trail that Chris and I take out to Beacon Hill park and what was once the world's tallest totem pole. By the cricket pitch and up to the Christ Church Cathedral. Finally I scooted over to Chinatown, through Fan Tan alley and then retracing my steps to home.
When all was said and done I walked 21.4 Kms or half a marathon. I did it in just under four and a half hours and when you discount the twenty minutes when I watched the dragon boats, I think I am in good order to do the Goodlife half-marathon in October.
It was a pretty good walk and I felt great after it. The rest of the day was wonderful. I hung out with Marla and we watched two CFL games. Both games were awesome, but best of all was that Saskatchewan won in the final plays of the game.
I had a good day.
My normal walk is to go from home to downtown Victoria and see the Inner Harbour. It is about five kilometres away and it is a really pretty walk. The walk was really nice, except I forgot my water bottle, and when I got down to the Inner Harbour the Dragon Boat races were underway.
I walked all around the Inner Harbour and continued through James Bay to the breakwater at Ogden Point. It is quite nice walking out on the breakwater now with the railings up on it. I didn't think I would like them but they are quite nice. And it does open the walkway to people with physical challenges.
From there it was the usual trail that Chris and I take out to Beacon Hill park and what was once the world's tallest totem pole. By the cricket pitch and up to the Christ Church Cathedral. Finally I scooted over to Chinatown, through Fan Tan alley and then retracing my steps to home.
When all was said and done I walked 21.4 Kms or half a marathon. I did it in just under four and a half hours and when you discount the twenty minutes when I watched the dragon boats, I think I am in good order to do the Goodlife half-marathon in October.
It was a pretty good walk and I felt great after it. The rest of the day was wonderful. I hung out with Marla and we watched two CFL games. Both games were awesome, but best of all was that Saskatchewan won in the final plays of the game.
I had a good day.
Friday, August 16, 2013
I think all I do with my blog is catch up
So it has been three months (May some time) since my last blog. Here I am and it has been quite a summer. Looking back, shortly after the Burton Cummings concert in Bow, Wa, Marla and I caught the Golden Princess to Alaska from Seattle. It was one of our best cruises we have ever been on and I promise I will write about it at another time. It was an awesome trip.
I started with doing a week's run of Beauty and the Beast at the Royal on follow spot. It was a very good show and it was just too bad that there was no advertising for it and the audiences were very small. Then it was working at the College for a photoshoot and a video shoot. It was nice working there for a while. I even came back and worked for a while filling in as an AV Assistant.
In July I was back in University - this time taking courses in Ceramics AE303A. It was an Introduction to Pottery and I really enjoyed this course. Opportunity knocked with another course. Sylvia Hosie was going to teach her last beginner tap course. I am finally small enough that I cannot hurt myself or others so I decided to take it. It was a hoot. Sylvia is a wonderful teacher and I had a great time.
Most of all I just enjoyed the summer as it raced past at lighting speed. Marla and I took in some festivals (the Car Show, and the Buskers) but also we just enjoyed each other. I puttered around the house. Got used to my new MacBook Pro. I walked - a lot. Marla worried that I would wear out Precious going on these 10, 15 and 20 km walks from home to downtown.
So in a nutshell - that was my summer of 2013. So far it was a pretty good year. Now if I can just keep remembering to write in my blog.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Once more unto the breech - well really just checking in
May 2013 - I started the month off working on a week of shows for Disney's Beauty and the Beast Musical at the Royal. It was a very good show with the exception that they did no advertising so the audiences really sucked. Most of the time it was less than half full.
May 16 we took off to Sidney to catch the Washington State Ferry to Anacortes Washington. Then we took off for the Skagit Valley Casino.
May 16 we took off to Sidney to catch the Washington State Ferry to Anacortes Washington. Then we took off for the Skagit Valley Casino.
The reason for this trip was that last fall I worked on the Burton Cummings concert at the Royal and I thought that it would be really cool for Marla to see the show. So he was playing at the Skagit and I got tickets for us for a Christmas present. We got to the Skagit and while we were unpacking the car a bus came in beside us. I hustled us in to get checked in before the bus. Marla went in to check out the room and I got the luggage. As I was coming back I discovered it was Burton Cumming's bus so he and I had a nice chat for a while. I told Marla about it and she was a bit ticked that she missed him.
That was the theme of the weekend, I bumped into Cummings a couple times when we talked about hockey, Victoria, and basketball. Marla missed each time :) I had a couple of great walks and runs at the Skagit. they have my favourite hotel swimming pool. We did a bunch of shopping at Freddies and then caught the concert the next day.
It was a really good show. Great music from the seventies. The theater at the Skagit feels like a high school gym. We had a really really good time.
Then we took off the next day for a night at the River Rock Casino. there are a few nice things we like about the River Rock. Of course there are the beds, the view, and the room where you can watch airplanes landing at YVR. The other cool thing we did at the River Rock was to slip next door and see the Richmond Night Market. It is kinda tacky and cheap, not to mention cheesy but it is fun and I like the cultural exchange.
To be continued.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
WLS 18 month check in
Mea Culpa -
It has been ages since I posted anything so this will be the start of a collection of posts. But first the overview. Seeing as this was originally about my weight loss journey here is how I have progressed. From my heaviest weight of 339 I am down to 234. That's 105 pounds! I feel great. I have gone from where size 48 pants are comfortable to where size 36 pants fall off. My eating sucks. Dr. Amson said that after my surgery I could eat anything - just not a lot of it. He was right. I can eat just about anything as long as it is only in a small amount. So I graze. A lot.
What I can eat -
Soups - especially ones with meat in them.
Meat - if it is rare
Veggies - cooked
Veggies - raw but only if massively chewed.
Eggs - best if they are poached and not overcooked
Shrimp
Nuts
Beef Jerky
What I can't eat -
Ice Cream
Raw Veggies
Pineapple
Apple - raw
Oatmeal
Mayonnaise
Most Salads
Salmon
Doughnuts
Chow Mein
What I shouldn't eat but sometimes have a bite
Bread - the only bread I will have is when we eat out at Pag's or Olive Garden. And where I used to have 10 pieces now I have one or two.
Peanuts - devil temptation food
Pizza
Things that have been great since my surgery - I have really got into doing exercise. I especially like walking. I regularly work out and try to get two or three 10k walks a week. I am even at the point now where it is difficult to rest for a day.
I wholeheartedly recommend having this surgery but whoever gets it done has to know that they cannot return to their old life without gaining the (or at least some) weight back. Weight loss surgery is only the tool - most of the changes have to happen in your head.
It has been ages since I posted anything so this will be the start of a collection of posts. But first the overview. Seeing as this was originally about my weight loss journey here is how I have progressed. From my heaviest weight of 339 I am down to 234. That's 105 pounds! I feel great. I have gone from where size 48 pants are comfortable to where size 36 pants fall off. My eating sucks. Dr. Amson said that after my surgery I could eat anything - just not a lot of it. He was right. I can eat just about anything as long as it is only in a small amount. So I graze. A lot.
What I can eat -
Soups - especially ones with meat in them.
Meat - if it is rare
Veggies - cooked
Veggies - raw but only if massively chewed.
Eggs - best if they are poached and not overcooked
Shrimp
Nuts
Beef Jerky
What I can't eat -
Ice Cream
Raw Veggies
Pineapple
Apple - raw
Oatmeal
Mayonnaise
Most Salads
Salmon
Doughnuts
Chow Mein
What I shouldn't eat but sometimes have a bite
Bread - the only bread I will have is when we eat out at Pag's or Olive Garden. And where I used to have 10 pieces now I have one or two.
Peanuts - devil temptation food
Pizza
Things that have been great since my surgery - I have really got into doing exercise. I especially like walking. I regularly work out and try to get two or three 10k walks a week. I am even at the point now where it is difficult to rest for a day.
I wholeheartedly recommend having this surgery but whoever gets it done has to know that they cannot return to their old life without gaining the (or at least some) weight back. Weight loss surgery is only the tool - most of the changes have to happen in your head.
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