west coast chickie

Wedding dress shopping for non-fashionistas

2012-01-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I am getting married (cue dramatic music). After many, many years together, we are finally going to tie the knot.

We toyed with the idea of a quickie Vegas affair, complete with Johnny Cash as the official, and dreamed about a warm Hawaiian beach affair, but finally decided to go back to Acadia University, in Nova Scotia, where we first met. Close to both our families, it made the most sense.

My sister got married this past fall, so I already have some idea of the craziness ahead of us. The planning and guest lists and budgets and attempts to retain sanity. And I know that I somehow want this whole thing to be simple and fun and have it just feel like us.

So in November, my Mom and one of my sisters made the trip out to Vancouver to help me look for "the dress". I've watched a bunch of those wedding dress shows (sometimes there's just nothing on TV, ok?) so I had a general idea of what would happen. What I didn't expect was how out of place I would feel. I've never been a huge shopper or fashion-type person. And now that I live in Whistler and spend most of my days either skiing, hiking or working from home, clothes are pretty far down on my list of priorities. As my cousin Kaitlyn put it, "Left to my own devices, I’d be a hoodie habitating jeans wearing hiking boot rockin’ [31] year old."

So back to the dress shopping. You know that scene in the Sex and the City episode where Miranda thinks it would be fun to have she and Carrie dress up in ridiculously-awful wedding dresses and Carrie ends up having a panic attack and breaking out in hives? That was basically how I felt. Things were tight where they shouldn't be, I couldn't breathe (one shop assistant told me that you're not supposed to feel comfortable in a wedding dress), and my Mom and sister were pretty alarmed to hear loud banging coming from the dressing room (I ended up kicking the walls trying to find my feet under all those fucking layers of crinoline and taffeta and whatever else people hide inside dresses).

Finally I found this really simple dress with one shoulder (so eighties cool!) that just flows all the way down. I can breathe and walk and dance and it finally felt like me. And maybe this wedding will be alright after all. I hope...

The roadtrip has begun

2011-10-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

Mat and I packed up the car and drove from Montreal to Ottawa to pick up the puppy, who was hanging out at his sister's.

Even though the drive was short, it was fun, choosing the old highway that twists around the water.

Today, we start the big drive, heading to Harlem, New York for the night.

Where is home, when your heart is all over the place?

2011-08-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

My sister called early yesterday morning. Well, it was 8:00 a.m., but still, it felt early. "I'm sorry", she said. "I didn't realize what time it was there". I told her it was okay, I would call her back in a bit, once I had a chance to fully wake up.

When I called her a half hour later, it turned out she was at my parents cottage-turned house, with a lot of commotion in the background. Cousins and friends and babies were all there, having a fun, impromptu family BBQ, the day after our cousin's wedding. I talked to my sister, to my parents, to cousins who I hadn't spoken with in a long time. I hung up the phone feeling a bit funny, but shook it off and went about the rest of my day.

Later that night, as I was trying to go to sleep, I couldn't get over how sad I felt that they were all having fun without me, that I was missing out on everything. I had already spoken to my family about how I wouldn't be making it for the wedding, since I have my sister's wedding to go to next month. And I love living here and know that I wouldn't be happy living there. But I still cried myself to sleep last night. And I still haven't been able to shake that funny feeling...

Lessons from running

2011-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

On June 4th, I ran the Whistler Half Marathon. It was the first race I had run in over five years. And two weeks later, I ran the Johnny Miles 10k with my Dad. Or rather, we started together and he was waiting, cheering me on, at the finish line.

I've also been listening to Neil Firore's audiobook, "The Now Habit". At one point, he talks about how his clients have taken huge learnings from their athletic endeavours, and then been able to apply what they have learned to the rest of their lives. So far, I've learned two big lessons.

Number 1 - Goal setting

In January, when I decided to sign up for the half, my goal was to finish the race. All through my eight weeks of training (because I procrastinated and didn't start training until March), I had the same goal. Based on my progress, I figured it would take me 2 1/2 hours. And then two days before the event, with no time left to train, I decided to change the goal. Now I wanted to finish in 2 hours. Just like that. And you know how long it took me? Two hours and 29 minutes. Lesson learned? Goals need to be realistic and attainable.

Number 2 - People can change

As you can probably tell from my half marathon time, I am a slow runner. Seriously slow. My sister looked at my race photos & said I looked like a speed walker. All through my training for the half, I ran painfully slow, with everyone else on the trail zipping by me. "It's okay", I would tell myself. "You're just a slow runner."

And then, two days after the half, I flew to Nova Scotia to visit with my family, already signed up for the 10k. With two weeks to train, and a previous 10k race time of 1:10, I decided that I could change. I could be a faster runner. I could run in under an hour. So I actually did two speed training sessions, one each week. I still went for slow 5k runs, but they were faster than I was used to. And on the day of the race, on the hottest and muggiest day I had experienced in all of 2011, I ran the first 5k in 29 minutes and the whole 10k in 1:03. No, I didn't break an hour. But I came close. And more importantly, I changed.

So lesson learned? Change is possible. I can be faster, stronger, fitter. But I can also change in other areas of my life. I can also be louder, bolder, fiercer. For the first time ever, I look forward to change.

A half marathon is a long way to run

2011-06-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the day. Half marathon starting at 7:30 a.m., 21.1 km. I'm not sure if I've trained enough, followed my running schedule closely enough. Hell, who am I kidding, if I had been following a recipe for chocolate cake, I would now be eating blueberry muffins.

My last run was a week and a half ago, and I ran 19 km. Physically, it was kind of tough, but the hardest part was the conversation in my head:

"Alright, here we go again. Nineteen kilometres. Huh. Really? That's going to take at least 2 hours. This is going to be boor-ing."

"If I make it all the way up Blueberry Hill, it will mean that I will actually be able to finish the half on race day. Wait, what if I get tired and have to stop on the way up this hill? Does that mean I'm going to fail? Yes."

"Okay. If I make it to the little path before Boston Pizza, I'll be done and I can stop running. Wait, I just stopped. And I'm not there yet. Arrgh."

Lazy rainy days

2011-05-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best of plans go awry in the nicest of ways. Like today. I had planned to wake up early and complete an entire to-do-list worth of errands and tasks. Instead, I slept until 10, spent all morning in my pj's, and haven't done any exercise other than sprint from the car to Purebread Whistler to buy cheese bread and a sinfully delicious chocolate brownie.

But sometimes it's just so nice to wrap myself in a cozy blanket and curl up on the couch watching movies and bad daytime TV, safe and dry, away from the pouring rain outside.

I've been searching for something lately, unsure what it is I'm missing. Time spent Googling vacation spots, both far off and close by, books checked out from the library with the promise of changing my life, visits with friends for the purpose of keeping my goals and aspirations in line. Finally I just booked an overdue trip home to Nova Scotia. And now my dreams are full of visions of the ocean, of familiar places and sounds, of family who see each other more often than I speak to them over the phone.

Sometimes the hardest part is clicking 'submit'

2011-05-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this year, I decided that I needed a new focus for 2011. So I attended a goal setting seminar hosted by Kathy Goddard of Lighthouse Visionary Strategies (it was an amazing experience - I'll be going next year, and you should too). I set goals for all areas of my life, including physical, emotional, career, financial, etc. And then we had to write a letter to our future selves, dated December 2011, talking about how great it will be to have achieved all of our goals. When I got home, I placed the sealed envelope in the drawer of my night-side table and pushed it out of my mind.

Until 7pm on March 31st. Then the envelope was all that I could think about. Under the physical health section, I had decided, in January, to sign up for the Whistler Half Marathon. And three months later, on the eve of the last day of the early-bird registration price, I sat in front of my computer, registration form already filled out, mouse hovering over the 'submit' button.

Could I really run 21.1 km? The longest I had ever run before was 10km and that was years ago. I'm 30 now, for goodness sake. But really. This was my first real goal of the year. No way I could let myself off the hook that easily. So I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and clicked the button. There. That wasn't so hard. Now I just had to figure out how to run longer than I had ever run before without passing out halfway through and having to call someone for a ride home.

I can hear spring coming

2011-03-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

I took O for a cross country ski last week, maybe our last for the season. It was early morning and no one else was around. The snow was hard, frozen over from the afternoon freeze the day before. Still, I went as fast as I could, slowing down every so often when the track disappeared. Finally, we reached Rainbow Park and I stopped to take off my skis and run around with O for a little break.

It was a beautiful morning, with the sun not quite rising over the mountains on the left and the ski hill on the right empty of skiers. And for the first time all season, I was not surrounded by silence. Instead, I could hear birds chirping, water running, spring coming at last.
Photo credits: me

Setting Them Up for Success - Make Plans for Humping Time

2011-02-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

This winter, I bought a whole classic ski setup so that O and I can have something to do outside together besides walking (boring for him) and going to the dog park (boring for me). We started off slowly, because it took me a few times to get the hang of it and stop falling on my ass every ten minutes. And there was a particularly bad outing where O just plain ran away and spent the whole afternoon playing outside of our old house. while I skied back to the car and drove home alone, calling the muni on the way to once again report my missing dog.

But gradually we got the hang of it and I started to enjoy these short 3km skis together. And then my parents came to visit for a week. My dad is allergic to dogs and neither he nor my mom are big dog kind of people (O weighs 70 lbs; their dog weighs 10 lbs), so I pretty much ignored O for an entire week.

After a fantastic visit, my parents left and I attempted to get back into my normal routine. I took O for a ski. And it was awful. Terrible. Not fun at all. He charged at people, ran way ahead of me, and adopted a group of 20-somethings as his new family, playing with them on the frozen lake and ignoring me completely as I called after him and waved treats in the air, to no avail. I put on his leash and slowly wiggled my skis along the track, all the while cursing O and feeling frustrated and angry.

And then it dawned on me - I wasn't setting him up for success. I was simply expecting him to be good and then getting mad when he wasn't. And the solution? So simple! Now I take him to the dog park first, let him run off all his craziness and hump other dogs, and then we head out for a ski together. We've been three times since my 'ah-ha' moment and every time has been great. Now he trots along beside me like a well-behaved dog and plays with me on the lake instead of running after other people. And all it took was some well-planned humping time.

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

2010-12-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-02T23:01:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

When life throws curveballs

2010-10-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

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.

2010-09-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-09-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-09-20T10:09:00.001-07:00

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?

2010-09-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-04-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-02-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

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!

TGR's Re:Session (A ski & snowboard movie)

2009-09-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Although it's been raining outside most of today, it was actually snowing up top of Whistler and Blackcomb. Which means we're getting close to ski season!

And what better way to get excited than with ski movies? I was scanning through Twitter the other day and saw a post from @doglotion about TGR's latest movie screening at Whistler this week called Re:Session.

I've already got my tickets for the screening at Whistler's MY Millenium Place Theatre this Friday, October 2nd at 7:00 p.m. (there's also a 9:00 p.m. showing). And a word of advice -- you'll save money by calling directly and ordering tickets over the phone (604.935.8410) rather than by ordering online.

Apparently the after-party is at Longhorn's - see you there!

Warren Miller's Dynasty

2009-09-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

I love that it's still warm enough during the day to wear shorts, and yet I've already received an email in my junkmail box telling me about the new Warren Miller movie. I guess I'm not the only one who thinks about skiing even when the only snow around town is the little dirty pile outside the hockey rink.

Photo: davegidley on Flickr

This the 60th annual Warren Miller movie, and judging from the previews, promises to be just as great as the previous 59. The preview shows highlights from BC's Monashee Mountains in the Kootenays, China, Norway (which looks stunning & reminds me of last year's shots in Finland), Washinton, Idaho, Alaska, and some other US destinations. And I love that there is a lot of big mountain footage; hopefully we'll see lots of the same in the full-length version. The info I've read says that Jonny Moseley will be the narrator again (see my comments about his semi-boring narration last year). But with the stellar line-up of skiers and destinations, I'm sure it'll still be amazing.

You can check out the trailer yourself at www.skitheworld.com , the Canadian distribution company. They've also listed tour dates for major cities, but Whistler still shows no scheduled showings. However, have no fear; I contacted the Ski the World.com staff and they've assured me that there will be screenings in Whistler near the end of December. After all, leaving the Whistler bubble and driving down the Sea-to-Sky to Vancouver for anything ski-related just seems wrong!

New things are afoot

2009-09-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Ten months, to be exact. I'm now living in Whistler and at my 2-year anniversary of being a British Columbian.

I started out the season with a lot of hiking, and was surprised to find so much snow up top. I was a bit too early, as some of the bridges hadn't even been reassembled yet.

And now that the summer is over, I'm feeling a lot more settled, ready to focus on moving forward. It's nice to feel like I've found my place in the world, especially when it's a place as gorgeous as this.

My new skis!

2008-11-27T00:52:00.000-08:00

So yes, I finally got a new cord so that I can connect my camera to my computer. And the first thing I took a picture of? My new Fat-ypus Emotion skis, of course! Here's what they look like - okay, it's not the best looking picture, but you get the idea... I really have them.

I am so excited to bust them out (and a bit nervous too - the guys keep telling me these will be like no other skis I've ever had). It took me a while to get used to the Rossignol B3's last year, so I'm expecting the same here. Actually, I'm a bit chicken to try them out... I hate crashing the first run of the season!

I also have my new touring bindings on them (Marker Baron Ski Bindings) and am definitely psyched to try those out. Dragging my stuff up the hill last year was a big pain, so I'm really glad that I have all the right gear this season.

I'm actually in Whistler as I write this, but I forgot my ski pass, so tomorrow will be spent looking for an apartment/room rather than skiing. A few weeks ago, I talked about how my sister had been looking for a place in Whistler and how difficult it had been for her.

And now I'm the one stuck posting sad little wanted ads on Craigslist and staying up all night waiting for the new online version of the Pique's classified ads to go live, But it will all be worth it, because I am moving to Whistler!

That's right, I landed a sweet, full-time, permanent job in Whistler! I now have all winter (well, when I'm not working) to ski my little heart out!! So stay tuned for updates on everything skiing, and everything Whistler.

Where did Warren go? - A short review of Warren Miller's new movie, "Children of Winter"

2008-11-19T07:02:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, two of my girlfriends and I went to the new Warren Miller movie, "Children of Winter", at the Queen Elizabeth theatre in Vancouver. I'd gone to the movie screenings before, but always in Halifax. First thing I noticed that was different? There were lots of reps from companies and ski hills set up in the lobby. In fact, everyone who went got a 2-for-1 ski pass for Whistler-Blackcomb!

After wandering around the lobby for a while and entering every contest we could find, we went into the theatre and took our seats. The other thing different from Halifax: in Vancouver, it is apparently a tradition to take all the papers you were handed, turn them into paper airplanes, and try and hit the stage with them. Seriously, I have never seen so many paper airplanes in my life!

After a few successful flights and a lot of nasty crashes, the movie started. I'm a huge ski movie fan, and I was so excited to watch this one. But one thing that bugs me - when did Warren Miller stop narrating the movies? This film was narrated by Jonny Mosely, who is an amazing gold medal-winning Olympic athlete and who really helped elevate the sport of freestyle skiing. But you know what? He's kind of dry to listen to...

Anyway, the first half of the movie was good, with some nice powder scenes and some good park skiing. And then there was this (very long) segment with Jason Biggs (yes, the actor from American Pie), one of the guys from the Barenaked Ladies, and a few other musicians. It showed them hanging out in a ski town in New England, chilling, enjoying the winter, and playing random concerts at small ski-town bars. At first, I thought it was kind of cool. And then the segment kept going and going and going... give me some big mountain skiing!

And then what I was waiting for. My favourite part of the whole movie. A few guys, including Derek Foose (who was at the Vancouver screening), went to Iceland and toured around by boat. They would look up into the mountains, spot a sick line, hike up all day, and ski back down to the boat. Wow. I was just blown away! Wouldn't we all love to do that!!

So there you have it; my personal, very biased, quite short review of the movie. Now, who's ready to go skiing?!?

*Photo credit: me! Skier: M. Beliveau

Teaching Old(er Than Me) Dogs New Tricks

2008-11-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

The other day, at my company's weekly meeting, I was trying convince everyone that we should add an RSS feed to a portion of our website. Very quickly, I realised that no one was familar with the term "RSS", they didn't know how to use an aggregator such as Google reader, and they didn't read blogs. Huh.

After taking time during the meeting to show them my own use, I sent out an email, hoping to encourage people to start reading blogs and using Google reader. Eventually, I'm hoping to sell them on the RSS feed of our site, and hopefully waaaay down the road, convince everyone that our company should have its own blog. Seriously, this feels like I'm trying to push veggies at a group of fat kids brought up on fast food burgers and fries.

Here's the basis of the email I sent:

What: Depending on the source, RSS either means “Really Simple Syndication” or “Rich Site Summary” and is indicated by a common logo: . An aggregator or online reader is used to accumulate the feed from various blogs and news sites and then display all of the information in one place.

Why: Once set up, you can take 5 minutes a day to browse through the information on the reader; I like to take a few minutes every morning to see what’s going on. It’s a quick way to stay up-to-date, and might provide an interesting tidbit of information to icebreak / share / discuss in your next meeting.

How: There are many online readers, but I find that Google Reader works quite well. As you saw in this morning’s meeting, I have set up a company account. This is how you access it: Go to www.google.com/reader and enter the password info I already sent out. I’ve organized the feeds into folders. You can view content in a few different ways:

When you first log in, you are in the “home” view. This provides an overview of some of the newest content. I don’t usually bother with this view.
You can click on a folder (such as “IT Blog); now you can view all unread (i.e. new) content in the folder. I find this to be a great way to quickly see what’s new.
You can click on an individual feed (such as “Techvibes Global Events” located in the “IT Blog” folder). I use this option for blogs / feeds that I really like. I get to browse through the newest entries for the particular feed, and then scroll through older entries.
Who: You are more than welcome to use the company account. However, one of the helpful features of Google Reader is that it bolds the title of any blogs / feeds that have unread content and indicates the number of unread items. If everyone uses the same account, we will be unable to tell at a glance if there is new information. I encourage you to use the company account until you get the hang of it, and then create your own account.

Now what? If you’re interested in learning more, drop me an email. I can give you info about how to find and add new blogs to follow, share with you the wealth of information that can be found in the comments section (often the readers contribute more than the original author), and show you how to set up newsfeeds for specific keywords.

I thought it was a pretty well-explained email. But no one has looked through the blogs and news feeds that I set up on Google Reader. No one. It doesn't take much time. There's a lot of info there. Why wouldn't they at least check it out?

(Photo: dragonaria on www.sxc.hu)

Five Things Meme

2008-11-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

So apparently I've been tagged by Michelle Evans, who I just had the opportunity to meet in person the other day. (By the way, that is an out-of-focus picture of me from prom night 10 years ago. I've edited everyone else of the photo for their own sake.) So here's my answers:

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago (hmmm... 1998? Five years ago would have been so much more interesting!):

Graduating from New Glasgow High School
Working as a cashier at the West Side Sobeys store
Preparing to go to Acadia University and take a Bachelor of Science (which would later turn into a Bachelor of Music)
Enjoying an amazing Nova Scotia fall
Trying to figure it all out (and I'm still doing this, ten years later...)

5 Things on my to-do list today:

Use my new Swiffer / vacuum to clean my dirty apartment floors
Call my Halifax friend
Figure out if the new battery I bought for my portable phone actually works
Do some exercise
Practice putting on and taking off my new skins

5 Snacks I like (warning: I like healthy snacks):

Raspberries, vanilla yogourt, and granola
Apple slices and peanut butter
Carrots and hummus
A banana
Dark chocolate

5 Things I would do if I was a millionnaire:

Go on a round-the-world ski trip
Buy my own house
Bring my whole family here and show them why I love Vancouver so much
Go to the Selkirk Ski Resort and Management Operations program at Selkirk COllege
Hire a housecleaner

5 Places I’ve lived:

New Glasgow, NS
St. George, ON
Sun Peaks, BC
Montreal, QC
Vancouver, BC

5 Jobs I have had:

Ski instructor at lots of hills
Grocery store cashier
Camp councilor
Marketing manager
Product development manager at a chocolate company

5 People I tag (don't really know too many people personally who blog, but here are 5 of my fave blogs):

7 reasons other girls want to #### my skis!

2008-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

I just got my new Fat-ypus** Emotion skis. And they are the bomb. In fact, they are so much the bomb, that all the other girls wanna #### them. Know why? (***)

They always look good and match whatever I'm wearing
My skis are a great listener and never try to "fix" my problems
They're ballsy
The don't leave the seat up - well, okay, of course they don't
The Fat-ypus Emotion's are long - really long - 174cm, to be exact
They're wide - because we all know that's what really counts
They've got a perma-stiffy - it's going to take all my womanly strength to ride the hell outta them!

* This pic is taken from the Fat-ypus website. I really have the skis, I just can't find the cord that connects my camera to my computer.

** I have no affiliation with the Fat-ypus company (although it would be really cool if I did...)

*** #### means "ride", you perves!

Writing lists of lists

2008-10-24T14:50:00.001-07:00

I am a notorious list-writer. I have a day planner where I write down everything I need to do, and have sometimes been known to write down things I've already completed just for the joy of crossing them off!

I make lists for groceries, meals for the week, things-to-do, and now that I come up to Whistler every weekend, I write a list of things to bring with me. The funny thing is that the lists look pretty similar from week to week, but I always throw them away, and it seems like a waste of paper. And every time I've tried a digital organizer, it ends up crashing and I lose everything. Plus it's just so fun to cross off those done items. Have I mentioned I'm extremely goal-oriented and love to complete things?

So I'm not sure how to reduce paper, while still having something to cross off the list. Plus, since I make a new list each time, there's always something I forget. I've started using a spreadsheet for meals, but I wonder what I could use for everything else? Is anyone else a fanatical list-maker like I am?

Keeping in touch...

2008-10-23T15:09:00.001-07:00

It seems like there's so many ways to keep in touch with people. There's my cell phone, and home phone (both of which have voice mail), email, LinkedIn, and Facebook (and lots of other online tools that I don't even bother to use). But even with all these things, or perhaps because of them, I never seem to have enough time to reach out to all the important people in my life.

By the time I get home from work, I usually have some activity going on, or just want to fit in a bike around the seawall. And by the time all that is over, it is waaaay to late to call all you wonderful people on the East Coast. And the weekends seem to fly by too...

I like to make sure I have a good chunk of time when I make phone calls, because we talk so rarely. And group emails seem so impersonal, but sending individual ones requires a whole evening! Any suggestions about how to keep in touch with my very important peeps?

Why does skiing require so much gear?

2008-10-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'd like to do some more off-piste skiing this year (nothing too crazy, so don't worry Mom!) and I also want to be safe, which means having the right gear. I already have a beacon and shovel, but that's not near enough stuff (and I also don't have a bag to put the shovel in...). So I went to www.backcountry.com the other day and ordered the following stuff:

Marker Baron Ski Bindings, small (who knew I had small feet?) to go on the new Fat-ypus skis
Alpinist elle Climbing Skins, Women's medium (so pretty!)
Black Diamond QuickDraw (sounds like it's from a wild west movie) Guide Probe 300, burnt orange
Gregory Targhee Backpack, orange (to match the probe, of course. And no, I've never heard of this company either, but it looks like a great bag! And yes, that's a picture of the bag up top)

And that's it. I know there's more stuff I could have ordered, like a rope and crampons, but I think I'm off to a good start! I'll let you know how the new gear works out once I get a chance to try it all out (come on Whistler opening day, Nov. 27... hurry up and get here!). And I'm also going to have to practice putting the skins on and off, so I'll share that whole sticky mess as well.

Let's get ready to ski!

2008-10-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

So I've ordered new skis (aren't they pretty?) from Fat-ypus (also *borrowed* the picture from the site). The skis are called E-motion and according to the website, they are:

"Used by our female team athletes on the World Freeskiing tour, it handles the most aggressive style of skiing without a problem, yet it's lightweight and with enough sidecut that it is easy to turn and even your intermediate skier will love it".

Sounds like fun!!

My past skis have included Rossignol Saphire's, Head Monster's, and most recently my bf's old Rossignol B3's with new bindings. Everytime I get a new pair, I think they are the best skis ever. When I had the Saphires, I was on the highschool racing team and thought they were great for going fast and whipping around gates.

Then I moved to Sun Peaks, where I worked as a ski instructor. I decided that I wanted to take my CSIA level II and someone suggested it might be time to get some new skis. So I tested out a whole bunch until bam! The Monsters! They were so awesum and I was so excited and happy with them (and I passed my level II!!)

Last year, I took over the B3's. The first time I wore them, I had talked the whole gondola ride up about how much I love skiing, how I worked as a ski instructor, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, two guys from the gondola decided to join me. I put on the skis, pushed off, took the first turn... and crashed into a family of eight standing at the top of the hill. Seriously, we're talking bowling pins. But after that embarassing start to the season, I fell in love with my new fat, long skis, and they quickly replaced the Monsters.

And now? Is it good-bye B3's? Stay tuned... I'll let you know at the end of November (Whistler opens Nov. 27th!!)

Wonder how tent sales are doing in Whistler?

2008-09-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so living in a tent in Whistler for the winter might not be the best idea, but the housing situation there is definitely dire. I spent the weekend helping my sister look for a place in Whistler, and we're still unsuccessful.

There are a small number of new "housing for rent" postings on Craigslist each day and double to triple that amount in "housing wanted" postings. So first, there seem to be way more people in need of a place to live than actual rooms, and second, many of the places available are being advertised through word of mouth. As one guy said, "why would I bother posting on Craigslist and having to deal with 30 or 40 calls when I could just put the word out to my friends?"

In fact, the housing situation is so serious that the Whistler Housing Authority is considering setting up containers to solve the problem.

Something definitely needs to be done, especially with the Olympics coming next winter. Many owners of condos / houses that are normally rented out seem to be planning on renting for only the Olympic months. Afterall, why rent out for the early winter to a bunch of young, seasonal workers who may wreck the place, when you could easily earn more in rent during the Olympics than during the entire winter season? I hope someone on the organizing committee has it all figured out...

Introducing O...

2008-09-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

O is a husky-lab mix and is an adorable puppy. When we first got him, he was more baby than puppy. But he has grown so much over the past few weeks and is now a full-fledged puppy, complete with iron-strength jaws (a.k.a. he bites a lot).

He's gotten pretty used to the peeing-outside-routine, although he did soak the comforter the other night. No more lounging on the people bed!

I love his puppy smell and enjoy cuddling with him, but am definitely looking forward to biking / running / walking with him once he gets bigger. And the ultimate plan is to train him to run along while we ski, which is totally cool.

Below, check out a video of O playing with his favourite ball. It's so cute!!

Time to Twitter

2008-09-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

So I joined up with Twitter a few months ago and have slowly gotten into the flow of things. Although I only have a small group of people I follow (and followers), I've gotten used to reading people's posts and have found some great links and new people to follow. The majority of content I listen / comment on is related to either skiing (come on winter!!) or marketing.

But today, I took a big step into the Twitter world. I created an account for the company I work for and listed myself as the current user. Then I started searching for people who seemed involved in technology, both in Vancouver and around North America, and took some time to judiciously add them as people I'm following. And now I feel like a kid at Christmas - wondering if I'll end up with presents or just a lump of coal. Will people add me? Will they talk to me? So far, I've had one person add "me" a.k.a. the company. I've actually had to sign out to help fight the urge to check for new posts.

My first marketing conference!

2008-09-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm going to the IMC (Internet Marketing Conference). Looking at the agenda, I can tell it's going to be two days full of lots of information. I actually attempted to print out the entire agenda, but stopped when I realized it would be 21 pages long!

I'm a few months into my new position as marketing manager, and have been doing a lot of research into what the company's online prescence should look like. Tools I'm enjoying using are delicious, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google reader, Google analytics, Twitter, and now blogger!

Up until now I've been using my own accounts and preferences (such as setting up RSS feeds in Google reader to track Twitter activity for the terms "skiing" and "Whistler). However, I think it's just about time to get my ideas up and running for the company. Plans include a blog, Twitter account, and more interesting content for the company website. As well, the website needs tweaking (I hate thatword...) in regards to keywords, subject content, and outgoing links.

I have found a lot of good websites, e-books, and blogs and feel like I'm backed with lots of research. And after the conference, hopefully I'll have more ideas and confidence so that I can actually put my plans into action!

Recycling - Why is Vancouver lagging behind?

2008-09-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

One great thing about Nova Scotia is the province's extensive recyclying program. You name it, it can be recycled, including food and organic waste (which is actually collected in big green bins and composted). Not only that, every town, city, and organisation is on board. Whether you are at the mall, the airport, or walking around downtown Halifax, there are separate receptacles for paper, bottles, and compostable materials.

Over here on the West Coast, it's a very different story! Sure, they recycle paper and bottles, but to recycle all those plastic bags I get from the stores (despite being very good about bringing my reusable bags, I still end up with plastic) I have to drop them off in the bin at the grocery store. It can be very difficult to find a recycling bin for bottles on the street or at a public place, and absolutely impossible to find a way to recycle papers. The worst, however, is what happens to the recycling bin in the lobby of my building, where residents throw their junk mail. The other day, I discovered that the concierge in my building takes the recycling bin and THROWS THE CONTENTS IN THE GARBAGE! Disgraceful!

There is hope, however. The latest issue of Granville (a city magazine with an eco twist) contains an article entitled, "Green Box Envy", which addresses the issue of Vancouver's reluctance to adopt an organic recycling program. The author examines the program that exists in different areas of Canada, and talks about the strides that Vancouver has taken so far in establishing a working program.

Bottom line: it's time for individuals to take action. Recycle everything you can, try to ensure that when you recycle it doesn't just get put in the garbage, and send emails to your local councillors telling that you want an organic recycling program now!

Jill of all trades?

2008-09-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Skiing and music have always been my two biggest interests. However, during high school and university, I always tried out lots of different activities, and since moving to Vancouver, I've gotten back into the routine of being really busy most of the time. I have band practice, flute ensemble, skiing (in the winter), yoga class, and I recently bought a bike and have been biking the seawall a few days a week.

I also decided to take tennis lessons a few months ago, which was really fun, and have since started playing once a week with other semi-beginners I met in class. Last night I played with a friend who actually plays on a pretty regular basis, and wow! There were balls whizzing by me, and it was all I could do to whack them back across the net. I really like playing and would like to get better, but I wonder if I have the time? Is it better to try out lots of different things and be kind of good at them, or be really good at just one activity / sport?

Very first post!

2008-09-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to write my very first blog entry. As the title suggests, I'm now a full-fledged West Coast Chickie, and have been living in BC for one whole year! Having spent most of my time living in Nova Scotia (with the exception of a few summers in Ontario, a season at a shi resort in BC, and a year in Montreal) I am loving the fact that I now live somewhere that combines my two great loves: the ocean and the mountains.

It has been a great summer full of swimming, suntanning (not too much though, we all know how bad it is), and even a little bit of kayaking. Now it's starting to feel a lot like fall, and I'm looking forward to skiing again!