If a girl falls in the rain, does anyone see it?

A few weeks ago, I bought some brand new classic skis from the Nordic Shop in Squamish. Yesterday morning, I woke up super early with the plan of taking O cross country skiing, to finally break in the new skis. No matter that it was pissing down rain, I was committed. So I packed everything in the car and agreed to drop off the man at ski school on the way (he's a ski instructor). Halfway there, he said something about skis and I realized, "Oh shit! My new skis aren't fastened into the ski rack!". The man opened the sun roof, slammed shut the ski rack, and all was good. Although I did receive a lecture about making sure all equipment is secure before driving away.

So I took O to Whistler's Meadow Park and went cross country skiing for the second time ever in my life. And his. O ran around the parking lot for twenty minutes while I figured out how to put the damn skis on. Thank goodness no one was there to see me. I was seriously convinced for a while that the bindings / boots were broken. Finally, we were ready to go. O looked so excited, because skis usually mean speed. But there was nothing fast about that ski expedition. I must have fell over at least four times. Eventually, O looked bored and we headed back to the car, where he met another dog. Finally, he got to run around at top speed. Hopefully next time will be better!

An early morning ski

This morning, I used my new-found wake-up-early abilities learned at the Avalanche course to get out of bed before the crack of dawn. It was so early that even the dog was still asleep, curled up on the bed, looking warm and comfy.

Quick breakfast for both of us and then I strapped my skis to my back, grabbed O's leash, and started hiking up the road in my ski boots, head lamp leading the way through the dark and quiet streets.

At the top of the road, I reached the Bear River ski out, slapped the skins on my skis and started touring up the trail. O loved it, dashing in and out of the woods on either side of me, excited to be making paw prints on freshly fallen snow.

And then it was time to head back down. O running ahead of me, leaping out of the snow like a deer, and then running full-speed to keep up as I ski past him, excited that I am the faster one for once.

Time to pack it in?

I'm not even sure if anyone ever reads these posts except me. It feels like I'm sending random words off into space, hoping that some day long in the future, someone will know what I thought and felt.

I didn't pass my CAA Level 1 Ops course. And I feel upset, sad, disappointed, and like a big pile of shit. My boyfriend passed. And I'm trying to be happy for him. But he's on his way to Bellingham for the night, with a big day of skiing planned at Baker for tomorrow. So tonight will be just me and the dog and a big bottle of wine.

I failed the snow pit portion. It's possible to retest, as long I do it before the end of next year. And I was given some helpful feedback. But that means a lot of digging practice and the whole effort of traveling somewhere to show I actually know how to conduct a snow profile. I just wish the outcome had been different.

I feel tired of this whole Whistler thing. Tired of the snow and of skiing and trying to make a life in a place where I might not actually belong. Maybe I should just pack it all in and move home. Back to Nova Scotia. Back to a place where I know everyone, where I can see my family whenever I want, where I work a normal Monday to Friday, 9-5 job and go skiing at a little ski hill on weekends and maybe a big ski trip once a year. Or maybe no skiing at all? What is this god-damned obsession with skiing?

Photo credit: vikush

So tired & head is full of avalanche knowledge

I have two days left on my Level 1 Ops course. We have been out on the mountain every day, touring, digging snow pits, and trying to cram as much knowledge in our heads as possible. I am exhausted. Legs and arms hurt. So tired, but going to sleep means time not spent studying or practicing transceiver searches.

I've learned so much over the past few days, and really feel a lot more comfortable going out on the mountains. Not sure if I've learned enough yet for the tests at the end of the week?

Skiing has been great. For some reason, I felt really nervous the first day or two (had to do with me tweaking my knee first turn of the course) but now starting to get some good turns and getting that surfboard feeling under my skis.

Today I built my first ever pit, and did a pretty good job (although the instructor did help with some of the digging). Starting to actually see what's going on with snow layers, crystal formations. Not sure if I'll ever really like peeing in the snow. I'm sure everyone's seen my bare butt by now.

So tired, contacts are sticking to my eyeballs. Not even able to type coherent paragraphs, although the sentences still seem okay. Time to do some more summaries of the day's observations, pack my bag, and head to bed.

A detour on the way to Powder Monashee Mountains

I'm on my way to the Powder Monashee Mountains to take my Avalanche Ops Level 1 course. Was planning to make it all the way to Vernon, but we didn't leave Whistler until 2:30 this afternoon. So now I'm chilling at the Holiday Inn in Kelowna, drinking some beer, wondering what this course is going to be like.

Lessons learned today:
1. Ski pole baskets are impossible to find in Whistler
2. Trying to find last-minute items, such as a cheap snow thermometer, never works.
3. When driving somewhere you've never been, it's a good idea to check a map before you leave. And also a good idea to check before you take a right at the fork in the road, when you really have no idea if you should go right or left. (For the record, I should have gone left. It would have saved an hour of driving).

I guess I'm also a bit nervous about the course. I'm a bit rusty on my beacon searches. But I've had a lot of touring experience and everyone tells me there's lots of practice time during the course. So cross your fingers for me, and I'll do my best to study hard and learn as much as I can.

Accidental Sort-of Ski Bum

I didn't set out to be a ski bum. I always did really well in school, was at or near the top of my class. I have two bachelors degrees and my masters in business. I've lived in three Canadian cities and held professional marketing positions in several different industries.

Yet here I am, living in Whistler, doing marketing for a backcountry ski company, part-timing as a ski instructor, and trying to get my own little fledgling marketing business off the ground. And also skiing every chance I can get.

Maybe I don't couch-surf, party every night, and eat Kraft Dinner at least once a day. But I've skied every year since I was four, and after living in BC for the past few years, I can't imagine starting each day without checking the weather, snow report and avalanche advisory.

Everyone says this will be a La Nina winter, with cold temps and lots of fluffy stuff, so I say bring it it on. I am, after all, a sort-of ski bum.

Six Days to Thirty - The Life Unlived

I'm tired. Not because it's late, which it is, at 11:30 p.m. on a Tuesday. But because I'm just worn out.

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As a kid, I never wondered about my life as an adult, because I had it all figured out. I used to play The Game of Life with my sisters. Somehow, miraculously (come on, who am I kidding, I'm a master manipulator when I want to be), I always ended up with six kids (which is two kids too many to fit in the standard sedan that the game supplies you with), living in an old farmhouse and working as a doctor. That was my dream life, and I fully expected it to come true.

Now I'm approaching 30. Okay, I'll actually be thirty in six days. And I'm not married and I don't have any children; I'm not a doctor and I don't live in a farmhouse.

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My dog ran away today, after a 40-minute hike in the woods, just before I was going to put his leash back on and head down the street to our house. I had a huge to-do list that was only a third of the way completed. But instead of finishing my list (which actually included taking my dog in the car to do errands, followed by a visit to the dog park), I ended up searching for him for almost three hours, hiking through the woods, retracing our steps, wearing myself out. Finally, I got a call from a little girl, who said my dog was at the bottom of the street, hanging around a small park, chewing a blue ball he stole from a little boy. Who she was and how she got my number, I'm not sure. I want to phone her tomorrow, hopefully talk to her parents, see if I can give a gift of thanks.

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Living on the other side of the country from where I grew up, from where my family still lives, is difficult. I feel like I've almost found my place, but it's still exhausting. Even though it's been over two years, sometimes it feels like no one knows me and I'm starting from scratch, volunteering, joining groups and clubs, trying to meet people and establish myself.

---

After finding the dog, I headed home, made a dinner that I didn't eat until hours later (my boyfriend works nights, so I try to cook meals for him), went to band practice, made a quick grocery trip, bought some wine (because after my afternoon, I needed a drink), came home, finished cleaning the bathtub, and finally ate my dinner.

There's folded towels piled on the chair that I keep meaning to list on Craigslist, dry clothes in the dryer, wet clothes in the washer, and I don't care, because I'm tired. I feel like I never get ahead, and there's always two things unfinished for every one thing I cross off the list. No one ever told me that this was what being grown up really meant.

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Makes me wonder if I could have really handled a real life version of The Game of Life?

When life throws curveballs

Sometimes things happen that cause you to step back, to be quiet, to reflect. You retreat and hibernate for a while, choosing to spend time with your family, with those who you are closest to, until things pass over.

Then it is done, finished, in the past, but the feelings still linger. Feelings of sadness, of being emotionally drained, of being tired of talking. The world keeps going, but you are not quite ready to jump back in at full speed.

And then, before you know it, life is flying by again. You are in the middle of things, back in the chaos, hoping that you will remember a little of the calm, that something good will have come from all of the pain.

Social Media Marketing - a refresher

On Thursday, I attended a seminar in Vancouver, put on by the Canadian Public Relations Society Vancouver (CPRS).

The seminar was titled "Social Media - Beyond the Basics" and featured Gillian Muessig, President and Co-founder, SEOmoz. The session was billed as an opportunity to learn about "the world of social media content development and promotion through SEO, social media, and beyond" and also to go "beyond best practice to advanced stats and tips for implementation of social media".

Not really sure that the seminar followed the description that well, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Gillian speak. She had a well-thought out presentation that flowed well, and had a lot of interesting stats, without information overload. Plus it was nice to have a social media refresher and a chance to talk shop with women (because there didn't seem to be many guys there) who work with social media marketing (SMM) everyday. My only negative about the experience was the lack of question period, because I'm sure Gillian would have had some great answers.

Some of my key learnings (both from the presentation & from conversations):

• SMM needs to be a long-term strategy, and shouldn't be the end-all of your marketing plan
• Twitter isn't near as popular as one may think, despite my own trend toward writing emails in 140 characters or less, as conditioned by frequent Tweeting
• Most marketing professionals still don't "get", or even use, Twitter
• Mobile marketing looks like a big trend, maybe here to stay
• Social networking is up 100% for people over 65, while Facebook still targets ads to under 65 . Might be a business opportunity?
  
• Customer engagement is critical
• Use SMM to "listen" to what customers are saying
• Let people know you're listening, and remember to say "thank you"
• Strive to increase "stickiness" - make people want to stay with your business

Photo credit: svilen001

Long days, short sleeps.

I have been tired lately. Absolutely exhausted, yawn in your face while you're talking to me, tired. Not sure if it's the time of year, what with dark mornings and evenings, too much rain, or just a flexible schedule that leads to me staying up all hours of the night and sleeping well past when the man comes home from work in the mornings.

This article from BCLocalNews.com talks about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). According to the article, it affects nearly 50% of adults. Maybe I should move to Mexico?

Okay, probably not going to happen. So I'll try out some of their tips (maybe if I put them in writing, I'll actually make an effort?):
1. Get as much sun as possible - probably not going to happen, given all the rain :(
2. Stick to a sleep schedule - will try to be in bed by 11, awake by 8
3. Eat proteins, avoid sugars - was planning on a sugar detox, so this is good
4. Relax - good time to resume yoga
5. Support immune system - already taking vitamins!

How about you? Do you notice the effects of SAD? Or maybe you feel energized this time of year?
Photo credit: cahdequech

It's that time of year again...

The leaves on the trees are changing colours and there's snow on the top of the mountains. And that can only mean one thing - it's ski movie season! Yay!

As always, remember to buy tickets in advance, because they often sell out. And get there early to get your seat (and sometimes score some free schwag!).

First up this week is "The Way I See It" by Matchstick Productions. This is playing at MY Millenium Place with four showings - two on Friday night (Sept. 24) at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and two more on Saturday night (Sept. 25) again 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $16.50 - come say "Hi" because I'm helping out with this one!

Then on Oct. 2 at MY Millennium Place is "Now You Know" by Sandbox. There are two showings at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and tickets cost $10. Afterwards, head to Garf's for free entrance and a good time. You can also RSVP to their event from Facebook.

TGR's "Light the Wick" is up next on Oct. 8, also at MY Millennium Place. Shows start at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and tickets are $15. I won't be at this one, though, because my friend John Wells will be hosting the showing in Bellingham, WA on Nov. 18. Be sure to check out John's work, rocking his Fat-ypus skis.

For a change of location, head over to Longhorn's on Oct. 14 for a showing of "Revolver" by Poor Boyzon. I couldn't find any info re: cost and showtimes, but I'm sure the website will be updated soon.

And finally, on Oct. 22, head back to MY Millennium Place for another TGR movie - Jeremy Jones' "Deeper". Tickets are $10 and shows are at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

So there you have it, a busy fall schedule of ski movies. Let me know if I've missed any!!
Photo credit: Me!

Friends again?

When I left my last job, one of my colleagues and close friends was away on holiday. So I didn't get a chance to talk to her in person, to let her know my plans. Right after I left, I went to the East Coast for a few weeks, to spend time with family and also to pause, reflect and think about my next step.

While there, I received a Facebook reply from my friend, in response to my invitation to spend time together when I got back to Whistler. Her message was not what I had expected, and she was obviously upset and angry at me. I burst into tears and didn't know what to do.

I finally responded, in a low-key kind of way, and figured the friendship was over. Although we continued to see each other occasionally (such as Monday-night Bachelor viewings!) it just wasn't the same.

Then last week, she messaged me (again on Facebook - why oh why does everyone use Facebook so much?) and I invited her over for dinner. After a yummy bbq salmon meal and a glass of wine, I asked, "Are we friends again?", and she said yes. We chatted a little about what had gone wrong, but not in too much depth.

So I guess we're friends again, although I still feel the sting of what was said and how I felt. But apologies have been made, and it's either move ahead or move on. I think I'll choose to move ahead, with the same friend, and maybe a slightly different friendship.

Photo credit: Mattox

The little blog that... could?

I've never really known what to write on this little blog of mine. For a while, I thought that I could be an online marketing guru, and share my vast array of knowledge on the subject. That didn't last long. Then, I toyed with the ideas of talking about skiing, or Whistler, my new hometown, but soon ran out of steam. Now it seems that this blog is just here so that I can play around with colours and fonts and gadgets, so that I can better help other people start their own blogs.

So I guess I've been writing, with no clear idea why, or for whom. I feel reflective today, maybe because my man has gone home to Montreal for the weekend, to spend time with his family. And it's just me and O, the dog, both of us curled up inside the house, not quite used to the change in season yet.

Perhaps this blog has been a reflection of my life for the past few years. I've moved clear across the country, and decided to make my home in this curious little resort town. I've struggled to find my place here, and feel that I'm on the cusp of something, but what it is, I'm not sure. And where it will lead, I have no idea.

Photo credit: chappy14

Bears, bears everywhere

Last month, when I was visiting friends and family out East, I stopped by a friend's 30th birthday at a cabin in the woods. On my way out, I waved goodbye and one of the guys wished me a safe drive and told me to watch out for bears. Right, because the East coast is just teeming with bears.

In Whistler, on the other hand, bears aren't just something you see on the National Geographic channel. This year alone, I've seen more bears than I have fingers and toes. Everywhere from the Whistler village to golf courses to a teenage bear running full tilt across the highway. I even had to cut a dog walk short when I started out the driveway and realized there was a bear rooting around in my neighbour's garage.

I'm a big fan of taking the dog for hikes in the woods, but I'm a bit freaked out about bears, seeing how O has never seen one yet. I could make it easy on myself and put his bear bell on his collar, but that would be too easy. So instead, I yell out strange noises every few metres. I'm sure the dog thinks I'm going crazy.

You know, it makes me sad when I read things in the paper about bears having to be put down because of negative interactions with people. So many times I have seen cars pulled over on the side of the road, with eager tourists taking photos of bears who are walking around in people's front yards. I was even at a restaurant in the village once when a bear walked right past the window, which should have been cool enough. But no, one (not so) smart guy decided he should bring his young children outside and walk around in the bushes trying to get a closer view of the bear!

I know they are cute and look so cudley, but all of this human interaction can't be good. So please, next time you see one, please just drive on, unless you are really far away and have a good zoom on your camera.

A night of movies under the stars

Last week, I finally saw my first outdoor movie (not counting numerous double features at the drive-in theatre - yes, we still have those in my home town out East). I went with friends to Lunafliks in Whistler at Lost Lake. The first film of the summer was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was really great, even though I knew nothing about it beforehand and didn't expect so much violence.

So although the movie was really good and I had a fun time, a few things I'll bear in mind for next time:

Photo: Ian McLaughlan on Flickr

• The website says the BBQ starts at 8:30 p.m., but the movie doesn't start until sundown. We got there after 9 and they were already out of hot dogs. So if you want grilled meat, come early. And to all you vacationers from the US (like the girl from Arizona I talked to the next day), BBQ in Canada usually does not mean the huge, elaborate feast of pulled pork sandwiches with side salads that you are thinking of. It's just hot dogs. Maybe a hamburger if you're really lucky.
  
• When it gets dark, the mosquitoes come out, so be prepared. Although there will probably be enough people around you who are spraying bug repellent every five minutes that you may be okay. You may also taste bug spray in your mouth for the next dew days.
• When it gets dark, it also gets cold. Bring some layers of clothing and two blankets - one to lie on and one to snuggle under. Optional: a date to snuggle under the blankets with.
• The washrooms close early. Stash some toilet paper in your bag, and when you're squatting in the woods, be sure to make lots of noise to scare the bears away. Just joking. Sort of.
  
• Bring a pillow. I made fun of my friend who brought one until I discovered that the movie was in Swedish, with subtitles at the very bottom of the screen. Since the only language that I understand fluently is English, I spent the entire movie trying to prop up my head with my very stinky sneakers.
  
• And finally, at the end of the night, when the movie is over and you're sleepy and ready for bed (no, you can't just pass out by the lake), it will be dark. Very dark. And the light of your cell phone will not be sufficient to keep you on the path and out of the ditch. So bring a flashlight or headlamp.

There you have it, my suggestions for a comfortable outdoor movie adventure. The next Lunafliks showing is on Wednesday, July 21st with a double feature of Pirate Radio and The Runaways. Have fun!

ATV spells FUN

Friends were in Whistler for the weekend, and it was a blast showing them around town and pretending I was a tourist for a change.

We decided to do a morning ATV adventure with Canadian Snowmobile Adventures. Unfortunately, this was when the weather was still cold (have been hearing it called "June-uary") so we had to add some extra layers, including full rain gear.

After a few practice laps in a parking lot, we headed up the cat tracks, similar to the snowmobile route in the winter. Although not as fun as tearing around through the woods in Nova Scotia, we all had a good time and even saw a few teenage black bears grazing on the ski trails.

Just before the Crystal Hut, we had to drive over fresh snow, and my right thumb, the one used for the gas trigger, was so cold I thought it was going to fall off.

Inside, there was a breakfast feast of the Crystal Hut's legendary waffles and toppings, yummy bacon, and lots of hot drinks to warm up.

Would highly recommend this morning adventure for anyone visiting Whistler, and hopefully you end up with our guide, Ty, as he was really great.

Winter is Almost Over...

It's that time of year again, when there's more rain in the forecast than snow. Tomorrow is the last day of the 2009/2010 ski season that I will be able to walk down my street and catch the Creekside Gondola.

But that also means the best party of the season is about to start: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival. Lots of events going on all week, from half pipe events to fashion shows. And I have my ticket for the sold-out Filmmaker Showdown on Tuesday, April 21st, 2010. Should be a blast!

Photo by Tyler Ingram, who is working as a photographer for Watermark Communications Inc.

On Top of the World

I went skiing last week on Blackcomb Mountain and hiked up the Blackcomb Glacier, up East Caul and stopped at the top to catch my breath (I am definitely not the world's fastest trekker) and take some pictures. The scenery that day was absolutely amazing, and it looked and felt like I was in the midst of an ocean of clouds.



After my little break, we put the skis back on, got some fresh turns, and started hiking back up and out. But somewhere along the way, I got a ton of snow wedged between my right ski and the skin, and was only attached by the front and back clips on the skin. I hung on for as long as I could, but after the fourth zigzag turn, my ski gave out and I was on my knees on the side of the hill, trying to keep it together. So I strapped my skis to my back, finished the climb in my boots, and ended the day with a fun ski out the Corona Bowl.

A lazy Saturday afternoon

Okay, so it's not really Saturday, it's Wednesday. But my days off fall in the middle of the week, so it's Saturday for me - make sense?

I knew it was probably going to be an epic ski day because I had already checked the weather/snow report/live temperatues/avalanche report on my favourite website of all time, www.whistlerblackcomb.com . But I just couldn't get myself moving!

So instead, I decided it would be a great day to spend with my man's dog, O. So I skiined up my skis, loaded my backpack, and O and I started trekking up the road. At the very top of my street is a ski-out, which you're usually supposed to ski down. But I skinned up for about a half hour, with O diligently trotting along (with one very long stop when he decided to dig up a petrified banana peel and ignore all of my calls to keep going).

After making it up the hill a while, it was time to put away the skins and ski back down, chasing O the whole way. All in all, a great day off!