Moments D707: Birthday Presents

Yesterday, just before I dropped Arizona off at home, she gave me my birthday present.  I wasn't expecting one as we had just spent the entire day celebrating our mutual birthdays.  (Her birthday was just last Wednesday!)

Unfortunately we arrived home later than I had anticipated from the spa and I literally dropped my bags (including my present), on the floor in the dining room, made my way to the washroom, brushed my teeth, washed my face and crawled into bed.  Of course, that meant that tonight after work I had much to clean up. Of course, that also meant that I had a birthday present to open today!

Bangarang!

And so I did.  Just after work today.

What a delightful surprise.  Arizona had mentioned that it was a "silly" gift.  I don't believe that for a second.  She knows I'm a foodie and her gift fell right in line with that idea.  

Perfect!  I loved it.  I can't wait to see her tomorrow at work to thank her for the exciting ingredients!

Moments enjoying a late birthday gift.

Moments appreciating that a friend knows you well.

Moments D706: Wind, Fire, Water, Sun

Last year for my birthday a group of friends and I headed to the Scandinave Spa.  Last year, I swore that I'd make it a new tradition.  I think my friends thought I was kidding.  Nope...not even a little bit.

Unfortunately not everyone could join me this year.  Life gets busy, lives are filled with other obligations and finances are sometimes tight.  That said, it was something that I really wanted to do for my birthday (again!) and I was going to go one way or another - even if it was going to be by myself, or maybe later on in April.

Out of nowhere, very last minute, Arizona decided that we should go.  For the day.  Drive up, spa for the day, have a nice dinner at Blue Mountain and then drive home.  

And so we did.

What a treat!  It was an entire day focused just on the two of us.  A two hour drive to the spa on the first spring-like day we've had.  A beautiful start to a beautiful day.

We spent the entire day appreciating the spa's amenities.  The hot tubs, the steam room (still my favourite!), the sauna, less so the cold plunge pools (even if they do come in handy when you are very over heated!), and the sitting areas, which, is where today's moment found me.

After a good long soak in the hot tub with a waterfall, Arizona & I went and sat by an outdoor fire.  Our bodies steaming in the 4C degree air, we wrapped ourselves in our towels and sat in the Muskoka chairs in front of a big wrought iron pyramidal fire pit.    I closed my eyes, breathed deeply and slowly and soaked in my surroundings.

I could hear the slow fall of the waterfalls, just to my left.

I could hear the crackling fire just in front of me.

I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face, and the heat from the fire at my bare feet.

I could feel the wind whispering through my hair and encircling my body.

And I couldn't have been more at peace.  So quiet - within and without.

Yes, this is a good new tradition.  Here's hoping I can make another visit this year.  Perhaps a girlie outing in celebration of friendship and love.

Moments enjoying a new tradition with a beautiful friend.

Moments realizing that all the peace needed can be found by closing your eyes and breathing it in.

p.s.  Yes, Pearl joined us at the spa too!

Moments D705: Vibrating Needles

I have been dealing with a pinched nerve and a kinked next for a week and a day as of today.  Yes, laugh it up - I'm getting old.  Sleeping deep and hard in one position apparently is not good for one's neck!

Early this morning, it my neck finally popped back into place, but all the muscles around that point are still furious with me as I haven't been relieved the pain I've been carrying around.  To make matters worse (or the pain in this case), all week my left arm has been spasming because of the pinched nerve.  Today my entire arm feels like I've been doing major workouts on it every day for the past seven days.  It's sore, it's exhausted, and it is still spasming!

And so, I made an appointment with my chiropractor for some acupuncture and an adjustment in the hopes that I would finally find some relief from this crazy pain.

Now, I've been doing acupuncture for many years now.  It's always been helpful on the strangest pains that have cropped up over the years.  What happened in today's treatment has never happened before.

As my chiropractor inserted the needles into my shoulders and elbows (both points), I could feel the needles vibrating, wiggling in their points.  It was the weirdest sensation.

Once inserted and fully into position, they felt the same as all the other needles:  a bit warm and biting in my tense muscles.

Twenty minutes pass and it's time to take the needles out.  Again, as my chiropractor goes to remove the needles, they are actively vibrating just as she pulls them from my skin.

Very weird and wondrous.  I don't really know how it works, but the pain in my neck was nearly gone and I had better rotation of my head too.  The pain in my shoulder and forearm, that was still there, but definitely lighter than it had been earlier.

BANGARANG for vibrating needles.

Now to deal with these tight muscles.  Spa anyone?

Moments finding solutions to a problem.

Moments experiencing something new doing something old.

Moments D704: 22 Quotes

When I woke this morning, my niece had texted me a photo overnight:

That is her dorm room at university.  And all those little papers on the wall?  Those are quotes I stuffed into her highschool graduation card.  There were 22 quotes in fact. Each and everyone are on the wall beside her bed.

Wow.  How truly incredible.  That was the best warm fuzzy I've had in a long time.  What a fabulous way to start the day!

Moments knowing that loving your family is reciprocated.

Moments waking up the a warm fuzzy.

Moments D703: Pearl

Tonight I went to visit BFF after volleyball  It's been far too long since her, but I was happy for a short visit (it being a "school" night after all!).  Sometimes a short visit is better than no visit at all!

What a fabulous short visit we had.  She shared her leftover dinner with me.  I know in some worlds that may seem odd, but BFF can cook and I was damn happy to have a late dinner of her leftovers!  Over dinner and a glass of wine, we caught up.  She dug into her bag of goodies from Jamaica with glee in her eyes.  I could see the recipes rolling around in her head as she pulled out the special ingredients that I brought back for her.  Bangarang!  That's what I love!

Before I share today's moment, I need to backup and explain that BFF & I love monkeys.  It all started with the lack of a "hug" emoticon in Google's Hangouts - we nominated the monkeys as our hug emoticon.

Back in December BFF had knee surgery.  I was in California.  Bad timing, I know.  I felt terrible to not be around to help out when/where I could.  And so, I sent her a hug, in the mail.  You guessed it, it was a monkey!

She named him Earl.

Tonight, Early gave me a birthday present.  He presented Pearl to me:

And now Earl as a friend!  Monkey hugs everywhere now!

Earl & Pearl.  BFFs.

Perfect right?

What a fabulous surprise.  Thank you Earl.  Thank you BFF.

Moments reconnecting and catching up.

Moments enjoying a lovely surprise.

Moments D702: Perfect...or not.

Sometimes hard work pays off.  Actually, come to think of it, at least in my experience, hard work nearly always pays off.  In this case, it definitely paid off.

We received our tests back tonight in class.  I scored a perfect 100%!  Wow.  I haven't done that in a very, very long time.  What a sweet surprise!

And then, we dig into the answers.  It wasn't long before I realized that I hadn't scored perfect on this test after all.  No!  I missed a mark on the third question.  Curious.

Turn the page and AH HA! I landed the bonus question!

Sweet.  Of course, now I realize I could have ended up with 110% on this test.  How wild would that be?

Pretty wild.  But hey, I'll take perfect!

Moments being pleasantly surprised.

Moments seeing your hard work pay off.

Moments D701: Bleeding hearts

That was my surprise when I arrived home after dropping EQ off at the airport.

Can you see where this love heart is?  Yes, that's right.  On a piece of toilet paper, in the toilet bowl. Yes, that's right, you read correctly. In the toilet bowl.

How incredibly amusing.  How incredibly sweet for EQ to leave an ensured laugh and smile behind as he travels for the next 3+ weeks.

Moments already missing your love even though he's only just boarded the plane.

Moments appreciating your love's surprise love note.

Moments D700: The calm

Tonight was EQ's last night here for awhile.  While it's only a business trip, it's a long one.  We'll both be busy in the coming weeks to keep us well in over our heads.  But it will never be busy enough to easy the pain of separation.

Sappy?  Maybe. But considering it's a miracle that he and I ever crossed paths in the first place? Maybe not. Give the fact that we seem to fit like two lost puzzle pieces that complete the picture.  No, definitely not too sappy.  He and I are too old to pretend that what we have isn't something special.  Our time together will be short, no matter what because neither of us are young pups.

So yes, the pain of separation for such a duration is a painful one.

Today's moment isn't about that pain.  No.  It's about celebrating what we have.  It's about knowing that though we are physically separated, we are not apart.

Tonight, we spent the night fully present and with one another.  We sat on the couch for most of the night talking and dreaming.  We didn't bother making dinner, we ordered in pizza and salad.  When it arrived, we shared the most recent episode of our new favourite series, Vikings.  Later, he massaged my sore shoulder and we continued our plotting to rid the world of evil.

We went to bed early and continued our plotting until we fell asleep in one another's arms.  It was a perfect calm before the storm of our lives hit, for tomorrow, it will be a mad dash off to work with me and for him to get packed up to leave.  I'll be eye-ball deep in  catching up with my readings for class (the bad student I am!) and he'll be busy preparing for his carving camp and then the seminars he's presenting the following week.

Time will fly.  After all, we're going to be busy.

But it won't be fast enough.

Moments enjoying the calm before the storm.

Moments being present and enjoying the company and conversation of the man you love.

Moments D699: Milestone birthdays

Today my niece turned 19.  I remember holding her when she was only hours old in this world.  She's grown into such a beautiful, vibrant, loving young woman.  I am one proud aunt.

What an incredible milestone.  I remember mine fondly.  My Big Sis took me out on my 19th birthday.  My first drink, a fuzzy navel. Lame.  I know, but still memorable to this day!

While I'm a proud aunt, but I'm an old aunt.  Twenty-one years separate my sweet niece and I, so as much as I would have loved to join her at a bar for her first drink, starting the evening at 10 pm on a Sunday night really wasn't in the cards for EQ & I.  Instead, we offered to take her out for dinner before her birthday outing with friends and cousins her age began.  Of course, we went to her favourite restaurant: Grazie.  (How could we not?)

Little did my sweet niece know, but my Big Sis, her hubby and her other daughter were going to be there at the restaurant already.  Big Sis & her hubby had the day off and were able to drive into the city for a surprise birthday dinner.

I warned EQ that there would be tears.  We weren't disappointed!  As we walked into the back room, my niece saw her family and instantly sprung tears in her eyes.  Mom, Dad & sister were all teary-eyed.  I love when a moment is so filled with love that you just burst!  This moment, with the first hugs of the night, was just such a moment.

Perfect really for a milestone birthday.

Moments celebrating a milestone birthday.

Moments celebrating family.

Thank you for the round of shots Grazie - a nice touch for the birthday girl.

Moments D698: Helium Songs

This evening EQ & I spent the evening with Archie and Comic Guy.  It was a joint birthday celebration, so EQ and I showed up with birthday goodies!

An 11 year old Cabernet Merlot.

A birthday bag of odd gifts for the birthday boy:  Some tattoos (I wonder where they ended up!), a couple of random dollar store games and two bottles of the Walter caesar mix (mild & spicy).  What can I say, he and I are huge caesar fans and I when I saw the mix, I couldn't resist picking him up a couple of bottles of try it out!  (Amusingly, when we arrived he made us caesars....mixed with the new Walter caesar mix.  I had a fit of giggles when I realized!)

Specialty chocolates all the way from New York.

AND a bunch of helium balloons.

And this is where today's moment was born.

On the way over to Archie & Comic Guy's house, EQ commented that it would be fun to inhale the helium later on in the evening.  I teasingly reprimanded him - these weren't his balloons, they were for the birthday boy!  Besides, wasn't that something that kids do?

Fast forward to post dinner.  We are all sitting around enjoying our conversation and Archie walks over to two pairs of scissors:  one for me and one for EQ.  I look at him quizzically.  What on earth?  With a devilish smile, Archie explains that we're going to inhale the helium.

As you can imagine, I rolled my eyes as EQ burst into laughter.  After being asked "when did you get old"?, we all had a balloon in hand ready to inhale, sing and repeat around the room.

I can't lie.  It was funny.  It was hilarious in fact. EQ even caught some of it on video.

So much for being mature, but it sure did feel good to play along.

SHAZAM!

Moments enjoying your friends and being silly.

Moments understanding you don't always have to be proper.

Moments D697: The first day of spring

Today I celebrate the first day of spring.  Yes, I know, it actually still feels like winter out there, but it is officially spring.  No matter what the grumblings are around me, I'm dancing around celebrating the promise of spring.  Today's moment - loving Google's spring logo today!  

Moments smiling because Google dressed up their logo to celebrate your favourite season.

Moments celebrating the change in season, if only for the promise of the spring flowers to come.

Moments D696: Brioche & Jamaican Blue

Yesterday I brought in some of the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee for the office.  What a treat it was for everyone as we savoured the famous smooth, deep, rich coffee from blue mountains of Jamaica.

Today, to celebrate further, on of our team members lives quite close to Bonjour Briaoche and he was inspired to bring in enough chocolate brioche for everyone in the department to enjoy alongside their cup morning cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Wow.  What a luxurious treat and what a great way to start the day!

Moments with a great cup of java.

Moments shared with your entire department.

Moments D695: New Dialects

This morning I brought in some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee for our department to enjoy.  It's what I do.  I like to share!

And as we prepped the machine to brew the liquid gold, I said "IRIE" with a giggle.  That set us into a discussion of what IRIE meant. In my limited understanding, that meant "alright" in a "Jamaican dialect".   Little did I know that one on our team was well versed in the dialect of Iyaric.

And so, as we waited for the coffee to brew, a group of us started to chat about Jamaica and the depth of the dialect of Iyaric.

On the very tip of the iceberg, Iyaric is Rastafarian created dialect that replaces "me" with "I" in their common Jamaican English.    Instead of focusing on "me", which is seen as self-centered and objectifying, they choose to focus on "I" emphasizing the individual and, at the same time, the concept of oneness.  (As in God is within all men.)  "Me" being inward viewing and "I" being outward viewing.

Interesting.  Deep.  I had no idea.  I love learning and today, by chance, I learned something new about a word that I picked up on a trip to a different country.  I learned this new information, not while travelling in Jamaica, but while back at home in Canada.  What a strange and wonderful world we live in!

Moments sharing a new fun word:  "IRIE".

Moments digging deeper and understanding the philosophical history meaning of the word and the dialect it comes from.

Moments D694: Colour Memories

As promised, today I took the time to celebrate GREEN.  I know, I know.  I'm a day late.  Better late than never though, right?  I blame the slowness of time in Jamaica.  Having been there a week, surely I'm allowed to lose a day?  No?  Well, still, better late than never.

Today, in celebration of GREEN I wore the green eyeshadow that I picked up two years ago for my big St. Patrick's day/housewarming party.  I don't wear it often as it's a bright colour and in order to wear it, one must really be prepared to be bright!

As I was applying this colour to my eyelids, I couldn't help but think back to the day that Hawk, BFF & I were prepping for the party two years ago.  We were filled with excitement and love.  Not only were we ready to have a great party, we were each filled with the promise of the year ahead as we each tackled extremely new life paths.  Friends bonded by the challenges of life.

Two years later,  I reflect back over the paths taken beyond that night with a sense of wonderment and, I can't lie, with a touch of sadness, for much has changed.  BFF is no longer right around the corner and connecting now means more planning.  There are days I wish she were closer so I could pop buy for tea as I once used to.  It's also moments like these in which I wonder how Hawk is doing.  She's chosen a new path, a path that finds the two of us in very different worlds.  Much to the exasperation of those closest to me, I still wonder how Hawk is doing and pause to reflect upon how and why our paths diverged as they did.  Whatever others may say, I still miss her.

But today's moment isn't about the sadness of now, but the warm fuzzy memory that came to me as I applied the green eyeshadow this morning.  It reminded me of two very beautiful, strong, intelligent ladies.  It reminded me of the importance of friendships and love.  And, it also reminded me of how delicate relationships can be.

All the more reason to celebrate the relationships in my life.

All the more reason to send a little extra love to those I can.

All because, I put on the GREEN eyeshadow this morning.  It's funny how things work sometimes!

Moments that sneak up on you at the strangest time.

Moments that remind of the beauty, the depth and the delicacy of life, love and relationships.

Moments D693: Organized

First and foremost:  HAPPY St. Paddy's Day!!!

What on earth is that a picture of?  Well, that's my dream book.  Two years ago, I had a fabulous (if I do say so myself) St. Patrick's Day/Housewarming party - I had my guests sign the book with wishes.   I like to remind myself of those incredible sentiments, this photo is one quick way to those warm fuzzy thoughts.

But today's moment isn't about St. Patrick's Day.  No, sadly, I actually forgot that it was a day to celebrate green!  I will do so tomorrow.  Better late than never, right?

No, today's moment was arriving back into the office after a week away in Jamaica.  This is what I arrived to:

Incredible, right?  That's not how I left my desk.  When I left, my desk was completely bare!

This beauty, was Chica's doing.  An amazing help in keeping things moving forward while I was away.  It was super easy to dive in and sort through the priorities for the week.  How extremely productive.  Perfect!  I loved it!  I started my day with the biggest smile!

Moments being thankful for having someone to share an overflowing workload while on vacation.

Moments really truly appreciating just how helpful she can be!

MIA - Update

My apologies dear readers, but I've been moving for over a week.  Terrible of me,  I know.   Between an unexpected death of co-worker and going away to Jamaica for a family writing I've had not only my mind filled,  but no real internet connection.

But, fear not,  for I did jot notes down daily!  

Over the coming week I will catch up with you,  more so after this coming Wednesday as I have a test to write.

So..... stay tuned!  Many moments to come.

Moments D692: Vikings

We arrived home early this morning - 4:30 am actually.  Whoa.  Way too early!  EQ and I crawled into bed moments from opening the door.  Sadly, a few hours later we were wide awake.  Okay maybe not wide awake, but awake enough to not be able to do very much at all.

Instead of having a productive day, we had a lazy day.  I introduced EQ to the History channel's show: Vikings.  We had a marathon of the it!

What a perfect lazy day.  We managed to get our laundry done and prepped for the week ahead.

Moments lazing 'round.

Moments diving into a new TV series.

Moments D691: Birthday Cake on the Beach

Boo!  Today was our last day in Jamaica.  That's always a sad day, but I was determined to soak up all the last rays of Jamaica before heading home to a city that had just experienced a snow storm.  Yes.  A snow storm mid-March.  Oh my.  Yes, I was definitely determined to soak up as much sun as possible in the last moments in Jamaica.

And that's exactly what most of the family did.  We checked out of the resort, found ourselves some lounge chairs on the beach and watched the incoming flow of guests.  There were many new untanned bodies on the beach today.  We looked around knowingly at one another: if they weren't careful, they'd burn today.  It was a windy, sunny, cooler day.  A perfect day to burn!

One of the things that we needed to deal with, upon check out, was an entire birthday cake that arrived a day late.  Instead of letting it go to waste, EQ and I brought it down to the beach, with a knife, napkins (for impromptu plates) and forks for all.  And there, on the beach, we cut up the cake and shared it out with the family.  With a few pieces leftover, we offered some of the resort staff the remaining pieces of cake.  What a world of joy that the cake brought to those that saw walking through the resort with the cake, cutting up the cake and of course sharing it around!

A fun way to spend the last moments in the sun, eating birthday cake on the beach.

Moments being silly, eating cake on the beach,  in the sun!

Moments enjoying the last hours in Jamaica.

Moments D690: Dance, dance, dance!

Today the entire crew visiting Jamaica for my cousin's wedding joined in on a full day adventure with Chukka Tours.  The day started out with a rain storm.  It was fun to watch the storm cloud roll in, let loose upon us at breakfast and then pass through just as quickly as it came in.  We were thankful for the quick storm as we had all signed up for their catamaran cruise headed to Dunn's River to climb the falls.   There were over 20 of us.  It needed to be a good weather day and the universe was in agreement!

What a treat to enjoy a day with everyone.  It was a day filled with great moments, and today, I'm going to share a couple of them.  First, we cruised along and stopped for a snorkel.

After our snorkeling time (which was definitely dampened by the rain storm - the reef wasn't very clear!), we headed to Dunn's River Falls.

Walking up the falls wasn't much fun with the group as the tour guides originally had us all hand in hand, in hand, like a trail of kids.  It was like being on lock down when a world of excitement was just in front of you, teasing you for more action.  It didn't take long for EQ & I to split from the group and climb up the falls on our own terms.  What a treat that was.  What a ton of fun it was to play in the falls.

But truly, the best moment of the day was after lunch and on the boat ride back to the resort.  With rum punch in hand, we all rode the waves and sang and danced....and danced some more.  We all did!  All 20+ of us on the front of the catamaran.  With screams of fear (for some of our group fear motion like that!) mixed with screams of laughter we danced the afternoon away.

When we landed back at the resort, we continued to dance, sing, and laugh.  We managed to even catch some, actually a lot, of it on video!  How incredible to spend the day bonding with my family (and extended friends) and to be an adventurer with EQ.  

It was a day filled with dancing; dancing in the waves of the ocean, dancing in the river splashing up the falls and then dancing atop the catamaran.  Dance, dance dance!

Moments enjoying a day trip with the family.

Moments being extremely silly and loving life!

Moments D689: Underwater Screams

Today, EQ took a bunch of us snorkeling!   What a glorious morning it was!  Blue skies with puffy clouds mirrored upon the aqua waters.   The eight of us were eager to get into the water and explore!

And explore we did!  For over an hour, seven of us in the water explored the depths of the coral reef just North of the resort.  Pepper was our guide and he was a lot of fun as he tried to make our time in the water special.  He was obviously very comfortable in the water and the reef.  He was constantly lifting rocks and shells to show us what was hiding beneath.  Under one of the rocks lifted, there was a starfish.  He pulled it from the rock and ocean floor and  let it go near the surface.  We watched as it fluttered in the waves and back to the sandy floor below. He showed us sea eggs, and marbles, and at one point he even took my hand and we chased a stingray.

But, the best moment, by far, was when Pepper convinced me to touch one of the soft looking corals on the reef.  Now, I come from a mentality of "look, don't touch", but he was flitting about so confidently and I had begun to trust him.  I figured, why not?  I could gently touch this coral, right?

And so, I dove down with him, and gently touched the soft coral.  When I realized that my fingers were stuck in the coral, I screamed!  MY FINGERS WERE STUCK!  "AAAAARRRGGGG"  When I touched the sticky coral, it grabbed me and held on! It was like a bad horror film moment!

With a firm tug, of course, the coral let me go.

As Pepper and I surfaced for air, we were both laughing hard.  Topside, he explained to me, my cousin and EQ who were within earshot, that this coral was food for seahorses.   After the laughter all-around subsided, I watched my cousin dive down and experience the same sticky coral as it grabbed her fingers.  While she didn't scream as I did, you could tell she was still surprised at just how sticky it was!

Moments that surprise you.

Moments that make you laugh big and deep.

Moments D688: Gifts Shared

Today was an incredible day.  It was a day poised to be a celebration love.  My younger cousin married the man of her dreams.  What a celebration it was with the perfect Jamaican weather.

But, today wasn't all about young love.  It was about family.  It was about friends.  It was about appreciating life; reflecting on the past and dreaming of the future.

And while I wasn't ready for today's moment, the gift shared with me today was the most beautiful gift I've ever received.  And with the sharing of this gift, a feel a new tradition was born as well!

EQ shared a unique birthday tradition with my family tonight.  He was introduced to it while travelling in Ecuador years ago.  The premise is this:  Instead of sharing physical gifts with the one celebrating a birthday loved one shared stories of what gifts (physical or otherwise) the birthday person has given them that either touched them deeply or inspired them on some level.

And just like that, after dinner, EQ orchestrated a discussion of gifts shared by the birthday girl to each family member at the table.  What an incredible journey that discussion brought!    From the adventure of a lifetime, to ancient stories featuring a Christmas ornament, to lighting up a room and teaching compassion.   What a journey indeed.  It was a tear-inspiring moment, so much so that my dear Big Sis couldn't participate for she was too choked up to do so.  Beautiful.  Simply beautiful.

It was, by far, the most memorable, touching birthday present I've ever received.

I believe this is a new tradition that shall be instituted in my world.  Yes.  That seems fitting to who I am and how I see the world.

A present for the moment today, and a present for moments of celebration to come.  How's that for digging deeper?

Beautiful!

Moments celebrating family, love, and life.

Moments relishing gifts shared...and shared again.

Moments D687: Zip & Drop

Today started much the same as yesterday.  Slow to rise, lazy breakfast and a stroll along the beach.  This afternoon, however, it was a much different story!

Five of us headed to Mystic Mountain.

What an afternoon it was!  We tried a little of everything!  We walked through and read up on some of the local history from the museum at the top.  We ran the bobsled track (a couple of times!) and, all five of us, ran the zip lines!  Yes!  That's right!  All. Five.

So, while I originally thought today's moment would be seeing my Dad dive in dance with the locals at the museum (seriously, what a gut laughing moment we all loved!) the real moment found me while we were out on the zip lines.

Why that moment?  Well, that's because my Big Sis went out on a limb.  Literally.  And she's afraid of heights.

Not only did she survive the 15-20 minute chairlift, but she agreed to ride the bob sled and experience the zip line course.  (Did I mention she's afraid of heights?  Oh.  And she doesn't like rides.  Too fast.  Too scary.  And fast corners?  Yup.  Even scarier for her.  (um. Helllloooo!  A bobsled course? You know that there are corners on those tracks, right?  And....that a bobsled moves pretty fast?)

And yet, she did it.  All of it.

But it wasn't until we were suited up for the zip line course that she realized that there was a free fall drop on the zipline course.  "A WHAT?" she said.

Yes.  That's right.  A freefall drop.  Where they lean you out in your harness, over the edge of the platform and drop you to the one below.  Tethered of course.  Through a pulley system.  Easy!

She went white when we told her.

And then, she bravely followed us to the first zip line.

She screamed through the first line and while I didn't see her before she began the next line (there were too many people between us!), I didn't hear her scream on the second line.  I think she must have enjoyed it on some level!

And then we came to the free fall drop.  EQ and I had officially been separated from my parents and my Big Sis.  I couldn't see how she was doing.  Was she enjoying herself?  Was she scared and just pushing through?  I wasn't close enough to give her a squeeze of encouragement if she needed it. I found myself nervous for her. I hoped it wasn't too scary for her.  I could only send her some energy from the back of the pack of people.

And then I heard her scream.  I knew that in that moment it was over.  She had dropped from one platform to the next.

Phew!

When we finally caught up again, EQ & I pumped her for her thoughts on the experience.  While she wasn't as ghostly white as she was when she found out about the free fall drop, she was pretty shaken.  But, beneath that nervous laugh was a look of accomplishment.  She'd never admit it (stubborn 'ol bird!), but I think she secretly loved it and was proud of herself for taking the leap.

I know I was damn proud of her!  For her joining the family in Jamaica.  That was a big step for her.  For risking possible embarrassing family moments.  For agreeing to step even further outside of her comfort zone and try something extremely new.  Never before had I known her to try something so scary and challenging for her. She's pushing her boundaries.  I'm proud of her for doing so.  On all points, today's moment only highlights how far she's come.  A free fall from a tree.  So incredible!

Moments watching a new experience unfold.

Moments feeling proud for steps taken forward by those you love.

Moments D686: Waterslide Fun

We were up early, but not too early.  After a lazy breakfast, we decided that today was a beach day.

Snorkelling, drinks, a walk along the beach, swimming, some lounging, (more drinks) and then....later in the day, my cousin mentioned how much fun the waterslide was.

Um....pardon?  The waterslide?  You mean the "big kids" can play on it?

OOOOOH yeah!

And so we did.  

My first ride down the slide was very slow.  Boring.  Disappointing.  

Boo!

But, not one to give up, I decided to give it another try.  This time, with some coaching from EQ on how to keep my butt from slowing me down, I managed to fly down the slide and into the pool below.  

Weeeeeeeeee!

Yes. Now that's more like it!

After three or four more trips up and back down again, it was dinner time.  What a fun way to end the day!

Moments enjoying the silliness of a waterslide.

Moments realizing you really are a big kid!

Moments D685: Jamaica Clocks

This morning, bright and ugly (after all, I think we hit the bed around 2am after our late arrival!) the family, EQ and I were up early to meet up with our Nolitours representative Amelle.  We were all eager to hear about the offerings of the resort and what other day trips/tours that were available to us.

And though the rest of the day ended up being a very delicious lazy day at the beach, with a permanent drinks in hand, the moment that made me smile the most, surprisingly, came from this early morning meeting.

Amelle was thorough in her explanation of what the Sunset Jamaica Grande could offer us.  From free onsite kayaking to offsite tours for a small fee, she had answers to many questions.  She even had an answer for a question I asked from the audience:

"Why are there no clocks in the rooms?"

Amelle's explanation:  The outlets in our rooms were look the same as those we had at home (110 volts) but they actually cycle slower at 50 HZ.  As everyone in the audience looked around quizzically at one another, Amelle stood patiently at the front of the room.  Then, with a wink, she continued her explanation:  because the cycles were slower, digital clocks were unable to keep proper time and would always run late.  Yes, that's right, always run late.  Therefore, there really was no point in keeping digital clocks in the room when they didn't keep proper time.  She joked that we're on vacation and we shouldn't mind the time anyway!

I found it rather amusing because there is a stereotype that Jamaicans are always late.  It all makes perfect sense.  It's not them, it's their electricity causing the lateness after all, the slow cycling of digital clocks keeping slow time certainly isn't helpful to keeping on time!

Silly, enlightening moments.

Moments enjoying a silly wink.

Moments realizing how, over time (sorry for the pun!) stereotypes can be formed.

Moments D684: Jamaica Mon

Today was a busy day!  Last minute running around prepping for the coming week in Jamaica.  I needed a dress for my cousin's wedding.  We had to stop at Heini's to pick up EQ's camera that she borrowed earlier in the week and then we had to make our way to the airport.  Early.  It's the beginning of March break and it's a mad dash to get out of the city.

And EQ & I were no different dashing about with silly grins upon our faces, eager to be on the plane and arriving in a new world.  Well, a new world for me and all of my family travelling down.  EQ, on the other hand, this was his third trip to Jamaica.  I can hope that our family trip turns out to be a visit that trumps his other visits.  Doubtful knowing the depth of his travels, but hey, I'm a dreamer!

But I digress.

For me, walking through the Montego Bay airport was today's moment.  The promise of a new adventure. The hope for a beautiful wedding.  The opportunity to spend quality time with my family and have EQ ever more enveloped into the fold.  A week to just soak it all in.

Those moments where you know, you are at the beginning of many beautiful moments to follow.

Moments soaking in new energy.

Moments excited for to the days to come.

Moments D683: Saying I love you

Today has been a rough day.  It was filled with heavy hearts all around as news broke late in the morning.  Devastating news.  A young, filled with life, well loved coworker had succumbed to injuries from an apartment fire the night before.

There was shock.  Disbelief.  And, of course, great sadness and many, many tears.

But the moment that shone through all this was one where I watched my fellow coworkers comfort one another.  Shared stories and photos of the deceased fluttered throughout the store - it was heartwarming in a time of grief.

The best moment, however, was when I watched two long-term employees embrace one another.  Within a couple of seconds, one backed up and looked at the other and said, "I love you, you know."  The look on the recipient's face was of surprise, likely taken aback by the sharing of such special words.  She quickly pulled him in for a tighter hug and returned the same special sentiment right back.

It was a beautiful moment shining through the deepest darkness.

Moments grieving a life lost.
Moments inspired by that life to celebrate love amoung friends and coworkers.

Moments D682: New Teammates

It's Thursday.  It's volleyball night.  As I drove to my set of games tonight, I was a touch nervous as we've mixed up the ladies into four new teams.  Tonight was my first night with my new volleyball teammates and there were quite a few of them I've never played with before.  What to expect?

Tonight ended up being a pretty spectacular round of games.  Sure, we actually won every game we played, but that's not why it was a spectacular night.  No, it's because I'm in like with my new teammates.  These ladies communicate well, we manage to play competitively without losing sight of the goal - to have fun.  It was also quite a confidence builder to be on a team that was happily surprised that I could play any position they needed me in, including setting.  I even set a game - a first in this league.

Yes a fun, easy evening of volleyball.  Perfect.

Moments anticipating the energy of a new team.

Moments enjoying the tightness of the teamwork.

Moments D681: Insights to a man's world

After a very long day and a seemingly endless class, I had had enough of my day.  Not that it wasn't productive, or offering up inspiring moments or an opportunity for self-reflection.  No no.  It was full of these things.  As you can imagine, but the end of this kind of day, I found myself drained.

As tired as I was, as defeated as I felt, I had plans after class and I wasn't going to skip out.  First and foremost, it's Comic Guy's birthday early next week and EQ and I are going to be away.  Secondly, I really, really needed a few extra hugs.

And so, I made my way, after class to met up with EQ, Comic Guy and Archie.  After a tour of Archie's new office, we made our way to the local hotel bar for shared conversation and a beverage.  Before I knew it, today's moment found me as I realized I was in the middle of a male discussion on shaving practices.

Yes, that's right.  Shaving one's face.  Doh!  I couldn't really join in on that discussion.  It was highly amusing to listen to the three of them discuss the merits of their shaving practices.  Shaving cream or not.  Soap or not.  Hot water versus warm.  How to get the closest shave. And so on.

I felt like I was eavesdropping in on a locker room conversation, right at the table in the bar and I couldn't help but smile.  (After all, I don't shave my face, so I really had nothing to contribute to the conversation.  All I could do was listen & learn!)

Moments re-connecting with friends.

Moments realizing you are in the middle of a gender specific conversation.

Moments D680: Snow birds

Today I woke to the sound of birds chirping.  What a delight!  It's one of my most favourite ways to wake up.  It's a sign that spring is just around the corner.  Spring, my favourite time of year as the world around me begins to slowly come to life again.

And then, I realized, it was snowing outside.  I giggled to myself, knowing that others, most in fact, would be grumbling about it.

They were big fluffy snowflakes.  Very pretty.

Grumble, grumble.  All day.  But not me.  When I finally had an opportunity to get outside and into the fluffy snowflakes, I stomped my way through the fluffy snow on the ground and watched it float around my boots....and smiled.....and did it again.

I like the pretty fluffy snow.  I know that spring is around the corner.  The sun is higher in the sky, the birds wake me in the morning, and when I leave work at night, the sky is no longer dark.  It's coming and I am patient.  No, that's not even true.  I'm actually enjoying the last moments of our beautiful winter, no patience needed!

Moments enjoying the tease of spring.

Moments enjoying the last of winter.

Moments D679: Shared lunch

Today's moment is a random one that brought a big smile to my face.

My CD came over to my desk and dropped off a 1/4 of a freshly cut avocado that had been lightly juice with a fresh lime.  I know he could have eaten it all, but he wanted to share.landed on my desk.

What a delightful, unexpected treat.

Bangarang!

Moments being surprised by a co-worker.

Moments enjoying fresh foods.

Moments D678: Waiting

Today is Oscar night.  Not typically a big night for me.  I know, however, that it is for many as they anticipate the "best of..." for the year.   After yesterday's eye-opening moment, it got me to thinking about waiting for answers. (Can you imagine sitting in the audience, waiting for the announcement of your name.....or not?)

Waiting for an announcement.Waiting for results. Waiting for answers.Waiting on someone else for something you need.

From the big moments to the small ones, how incredibly challenging waiting can be.  I think of those sitting in the waiting rooms of hospitals waiting for their loved ones to come out of surgery, waiting for answers.  I think of the students waiting for the results from their recent midterms and the anxiety that goes with that wait.  I think of those waiting for the call back to a new job or simply waiting at your doctor's office.  Never mind someone waiting for the announcement of the biggest prize or accolade of their life's works.

The anxiety. The anticipation.

It's no wonder I don't like waiting rooms!  Today I realized, however, that sometimes waiting isn't such a terrible thing.  I don't know my midterm mark yet and that's okay, it's not like it's as high on my priority list as it once was.  Sometimes waiting is a good thing.  Sometimes feeling that anxiety, flipping through the possibilities in your mind is a healthy feeling because when the answer is finally revealed, it's not such a surprise and, on some level, you can live the fantasy of landing that perfect mark.

Today's moment: a better understanding that waiting isn't so bad after all.

Moments waiting.

Moments just before the answers are revealed.  It's like the calm before the storm.

Moments D677: Deeper sense of self

Life happens in a blink of an eye. We're here for such a short period of time and often we find ourselves seeking safe harbours or the excitement of something new. Often we flounder for the right direction as we try to sort out our inner-most workings. That's just part of the path we lead as human beings.

And as we toil with choices, as we flip and flop, we often feel like life passes us by.

From time to time, I too fall prey to this mentality.

As I inch ever closer to my 40th birthday, I can't help but press pause and reflect. I worry that being a Jane-of-all-trades and master of none may catch up with me. I've lived big, but with few tangible results. A good example is my goal to finish my finance degree by the time I turned forty. It won't happen. Not even close really. I have 11 more classes to complete. Why did it slip? Life happened. My Mom got sick. Then my Dad got sick. Then I went through a separatation and divorce. Tumultuous indeed, but life happens and as it does we make decisions.

Back to point: today's moment.

About a year ago, I started to dive into a new world. It wasn't long before I found myself falling into this world. Never before had I felt so respected, understood and my input appreciated. The seed, then planted, was slowly cared for as it grew and eventually bloomed into the love I find myself immersed in now.

Today's moment was a deeper understanding of that love and frankly, it rocked my world.

Moments like today's are rare. These are the moments where your entire paradigm shifts. A moment that makes your legs weak. A moment where your heart skips a beat (or three). A moment where you realize, you've never been here before.

Before your eyes, it's that moment where the moon shifted into the sun, where cold warmed into heat, high energy fell still and emptiness was filled. Eyes wide open, it's when the old grew young again and black was undoubtedly white. It was that moment where my inner me surfaced and merged with my outer me. And there was a sense of oneness within myself and my very existence.

Sound dramatic? Good. It should. It was that kind of moment! Seriously, my string of words don't come close to expressing how deep the moment went today for me. I had found an unknown piece of me deep in the shadows of myself and with it, I had a moment of deep peace.

In that moment, I also realized that I have fallen more deeply in love than I've ever been before.

And though I've never been here before, I'm not as afraid as I once was. Life will continue to happen. I will continue to plan and make the best of my time here, but I will not life my head one day and feel as though life has passed me by. I recommit to myself, and those I love, that I will ride the wave of life and travel it wherever it will take me. Life happens in a blink of an eye and I'm staring for as long as I can.

Moments breathing deeply and searching within.

Moments appreciating the rawness and balanced inner workings of yourself.