Sunday, June 24, 2007

I am thirty and thrilled!

Finally! I had reached a point in my life where I am happy to celebrate a birthday, and how wonderful that it is was my thirtieth!?!? And everyone was amazing and I had the best time of my life...so here is the evidence of my bliss!
The speech:
"Welcome to my 30th birthday celebration and thank you for coming and sharing this evening with me!
Some of you have known me for years and some have only known me for months. I have never enjoyed birthday gatherings. As some of you know birthdays for me have been a struggle. However this celebration is different. This birthday is a milestone that marks more than an age for me. All of you present know that this last year of my twenties has been momentous because I committed to furthering my academic pursuits and I have also struggled with personal problems.
I have been able to rise to the top and discover a strong community, which is strongly represented here tonight. Everyone who has been invited has had a part in helping me grow, achieve and overcome my past struggles. For the first time in my life I want to celebrate, and as much as it is about turning 30 it is more about you, my friends, who are sharing this day with me.
I am keenly aware of the strength of community. In fact it is my lament that the sense of community is often overtaken by the popular mantra of individualism. In my life I have been raised by community, nurtured by community, taught by community and come to learn the meaning of family through community. And because of community I have more than hope, I have knowledge that my thirties and my life will be rich and purposeful!
Every single one of you here tonight, is a facet of me and thank you very much for being in my life and being my community!"

































Sunday, June 03, 2007

One goal, NEXT!!

I had made biking to Vernon by the end of summer my goal. That was two months ago, and finally I actualized my goal...well within ten kilometres. I made it to the Kal look out just before the Okanagan Kal Campus.

I thought I had the best plan. Wake up at 4:30am, make salad, pack nuts, fill all water carrying containers, have a glass of soy milk. And really, it wasn't a bad plan, I even added stopping at Winfield to buy Gatorade (just for you Belva) and some protein bars and three extra waters. I was rocking up the free world! (okay, 'free' is used rather loosely here, since there is no such thing)

I was nervous about the stretch between Winfield and Oyama, the shoulder is narrow and as I found out at 6am the semi's really ZOOM by all willy nilly! I wish someone could have taken a picture everytime one flew by me on that stretch, my face went wide and I let out a *whoop* of exhilaration and excitement that the driver saw me and didn't hit me!!
Note to anyone who wants to do this, early morning is great because it is much cooler and there are fewer cars on the highway...however what is out in abudance is little fricking gnats (may be some other kind of bug, but I am not a bug person) SWARMS of them and you do not see them until they are splatting on your face and one bugger got in my throat! While I appreciated the protien boost, I did not appreciate the next five kilometres of choking!! And there was nowhere to stop cause the buggers were EVERYWHERE!!

On the way to Vernon I reached Klub Kalmalka, a campground, and I felt then I had gone too far and needed to turn back, but I could see the hill that meant Vernon was just on the other side and I kept pushing! I barely made it to the lookout, but it certainly was worth it, sadly I was too dazed to really appreciate the view. A serving of salad and a energy bar and two bottles of water later and the life was back into my brain and my body! I turned back and went to Kelowna! Six hours later, three stops, and five butt breaks (the butt needed them, trust me!) and I returned safely home and slightly sunburned, but nothing too serious! The picture of me below does NOT show how red faced I am, or how wobbly my legs are...but I am beaming and ready for whatever else this day wants to bring me!