The MJ blog!

So a couple of us in the MJ program have started a journalism blog - it will be updated every day at 11 o'clock (in other words way more reliably than mine!) and I really encourage you guys to check it out :)

(Yours truly's first post will be up today at 11 a.m.)

My classmates are insightful, smart and well written - it will be a good read.

So check it out: http://jsteak.blogspot.com

Well it's been nearly a year...

so I thought it was time for a post! hahaha

This blog seems to have fallen by the wayside in the last year or two but I've resolved to make regular posts again, at least for this summer, because frankly, what self-respecting journalism student doesn't have a medicore blog?! And, even better, I'm going to be toiling away as a journalism intern at two different organizations this summer and I think my adventures working for no pay might make for some interesting entries :)

In other news, I think my legs are thinking of taking leave of my body after the last two weekends (ok, make that the last few months) of marathon training. Marathon training is kicking my ass but the best news ever is I get to begin my taper this week! Woo! (That means my mileage starts going down as I try and convince my legs to stay firmly attached to my body at least until I get to marathon start on April 27.)

A smile of sheer relief coming across the finish line of the 30K
Around the Bay race two weekends ago in Hamilton

Aside from marathon training, school has pretty much been sucking up all of my time but I'm nearly done my first year! If you are interested, you can check out the final product of this semester's online class, Visible Majority, at http://www.networkedstreets.com and my part of the feature here. I have two more end of term things to finish up over the next two weeks and then I'm free for the summer! Oh, I'm already dreaming of patios, bbqs, cottage weekends, car camping, triathlon season, 10 days in Montreal and getting to know Toronto in the summer.

So here's to some more regular posting (as long as I survive the marathon)!

Half Marathon!!

So I have lots of updates, but they'll have to wait 'til after exams (and after the solid week of post-exam/undergrad is over partying ;)

For now, I just have to say:

I did it! I ran my first half marathon!! 2:10:12.

I'm a bit proud ;)

Me & Farah: all smiles post-race!

Another plane story...

Only this time, it's not my fault!

My flight Hamilton-Montreal tonight was cancelled. Fan-freaking-tastic. Because I didn't want to go home tonight anyway; its always been my dream to spend the last Sunday night of break in the Super 8 next to the Hamilton airport. The weather decided to throw a fit in the form of quite the snowstorm just as my plane was supposed to be boarding. (Normally I love a good snowstorm, but not so much tonight...) Oh well, life goes on - free wireless internet and the Oscars, it could be worse. I'll be in Montreal by 8:30am tomorrow -- unfortunately this delay isn't getting me out of any midterms... you can't have it all!

Amazing.

As lame as this might seem to sound, my parents are incredible human beings.

4 years ago when Grant and I both finally left home, the new empty-nester lifestyle inspired them to get into shape; they both lost 30+ pounds in a matter of months and became fit, healthy 50-somethings.

2 years ago a bike ride with another couple made them catch the cycling bug and a mere 3 months into their new hobby they completed a 100km bike race - on mountain bikes! The mountain bike mania grabbed them hard and by the end of that first summer they'd each worn out their first bike chains and were talking of buying new, better bikes: the cheaper starter bikes already surpassed. Their enthusiasm for their new hobby reignited the mountain bike passion in my brother and introduced me to a brand new sport I'd never thought I'd love, but quickly began to look forward to summer weekends at home, mountain biking with my mom & dad.

Seeing my "over-the-hill" parents get fit, grab a sport and become hardcore "weekend warriors" was inspiring. I started running, 3-4 times a week, did my first 5K last year and have my sights on a half marathon this spring. Thoughts of a triathalon started to trickle into my head and I announced my plans to complete my first, a sprint distance, early this summer. How do my parents respond? "Oh, that sounds great! We should do that too!" Imagine: two 50-somethings, embarking on their first triathalon. Incredible.

I just watched my mom, the sworn non-runner, run down the driveway in my running tights and jacket on her first run in over 25 years. On Sunday morning, my dad will get into the pool with my mom and I for the first time in probably over 30 years. They will finish the triathalon in June, I have no doubt; in fact my dad will probably beat me knowing his competitive streak. How many other 24 year olds can say they did a triathalon with their parents? Not many, I'd wager.

I hope I am half so adventurous and fit when I'm 52. I certainly have the best role-models I could ask for. Mom & Dad, you are amazing.

Funny story...

I know I haven't been posting. And I know I haven't even been posting my storm journal. Someday I'll have time to do everything I want to do and still be able to procrastinate as much as I do ;)

In the meantime, entertain yourselves with a story of my stupidity.

Girl-who-completely-missed-her-plane-for-no-good-reason

Standing patiently in a long line at the airport security checkpoint, I’m happy I took the earlier shuttle from downtown. I slip my boarding pass out of my purse, marveling at the convenience that is online check-in, when suddenly my stomach drops. Departure time: 16:00. Its quarter after four and I am in perfect position to catch my flight, at 17:00! I was sure my flight was at five. Sure. How did this happen?

I blindly fumble with my bags as I excuse myself from the security lineup. I’m in shock. It’s not the end of the world, missing a plane, but being so sure I was right on time–not even rushing to the gate and just missing the final boarding call–it hardly seems fair. I head over to the airline check-in area and among the mass of people with actual flights to catch, people who haven’t missed their planes, I stand in a daze for awhile trying to decide which line I, girl-who-completely-missed-her-plane-for-no-good-reason, belong in.

“I missed my plane, where do I go?” I finally ask an airline rep. Can she tell I’m feeling incredibly stupid and incredibly lost?
“Ticket counter. Over there.”

Another lineup. But the calm, patiently-waiting-in-line feeling of only a few moments ago seems far away; scenarios of having to sleep in the airport, pay hundreds of dollars to switch my non-negotiable flight and missing my weekend with my Mom bounce anxiously around in my head.

“Hi, Mom,” I manage to say into my cell phone.
“Hey!”
“I missed my plane.” I choke out. Hearing my mom's voice has brought out the frightened little girl in me and I fight the urge to cry right there in the ticket line.

Once I get off the phone promising to call back with the verdict, I collect myself: I am a responsible, capable adult (well besides the fact that I missed my plane!) and I will handle this.

Mentally pleading and crossing my fingers that the airline ticket agent will take pity on me, I step up to the ticket counter. My judge and jury smiles and his eyes look kind, or maybe I’m just praying they do. I can’t tell the difference at this point. I shamefully admit that I’m girl-who-completely-missed-her-plane-for-no-good-reason and beg to get on the next flight. Chuckling understandingly, Kind-eyes starts punching code into his computer and I concentrate all my energy into willing the flight not sold-out.

“Perhaps you want to frame this?” Kind-eyes asks jokingly as he throws away my useless old boarding pass. No. I feel sufficiently stupid right now, thank-you-very-much. It is never going to happen again.

Luck is with me, Kind-eyes assures me I do in fact have a seat on the next flight! I will, of course, have to pay the $100 change fee, however. Of course. Small price to pay for the banishment of girl-who-completely-missed-her-plane-for-no-good-reason.

Handing me my new boarding pass, Kind-eyes circles the boarding time. “Don’t worry. I won’t miss it! I swear.” I tell him sincerely, but with such a feeling of relief I’m nearly giggling.

Now girl-who-is-really-really-early-for-her-plane, it’s back to the calm waiting in line at security.

(written in the Montreal airport after I missed my flight home last Friday)

Yes, I am still alive!

Wow. I know its been a long long while, but life is slowly approaching something resembling normalcy so regular updates are sure to return again soon ;)

Summer has been super, Frosh went AMAZING and life is generally good - I could ramble on and on and update you all on the little details (and I probably will later) but for right now, I just want to vent a little (and its my blog, so I'll rant if I want to ;)

Life is busy. And its great that it is busy - god knows though it is nice to spend a day here and there on the couch doing nothing, but if thats all we did, life would be pretty boring. Though I do a great couch potato now and then, I prefer to be running around with a million things to do (as long as most of those million are un-schoolwork related, of course). I thrive on the bouts of 'I'm too busy to clean my room', 'jump out of bed at 7am cause I know thats the only way to fit it all in' busy -- but even in the midst of this, I am never too busy to call my mom and say hello, to have lunch with a friend, or send out (albeit sometimes drunken) text messages to those I haven't seen in awhile to say I'm thinking of them. Why? Because these are the people that are important to me. People are what make life, and for those that you truly care about, there is no such thing as too busy. Despite how busy we are, those we care about are always on our minds and so we make time; not because they want us to - but because we want to. Either you care or you don't.
So here ends the mini-rant: Remember to always call your mom and thanks to all of you guys who drunk dial me, MSN or Facebook me to remind me that in your busy life, I am important, and you are thinking of me :)