Day 72: Grace In Small Things
- Catching up with all the episodes of DWTS I missed while I was in Vegas.
- Instant noodles.
- Hugs.
- My aunt.
- Always having something to laugh about.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 71: Grace In Small Things
- Feeling 110% better!
- Getting work done. In the car. On the road. On my laptop. Look at me being all efficient!
- Arriving home safely, in good time, without any accidents or more cop-pullovers.
- Did I mention, being home in the land of clean air and banned indoor smoking?
- Catching fire.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 70: Grace In Small Things
The “somewhere in Idaho” edition.
- Feeling 90% better!
- Doing the math: calculating potential income on GV.
- Setting business goals for the rest of 2009 to mid-2010.
- Going to bed before midnight, while on the road. (extremely rare.)
- Listening to ~6 hours of non-stop business training and personal development CDs from your favorite leaders.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Live from Motel 6 in Wells, NV! (Yeah, I had no idea where that was either until we stopped here)
34°F, sunny and windy = Absolutely fabulous
Las Vegas = Fabulous
Smoking indoors = Not fabulous
Getting deathly sick from 20 minutes in a smoky casino because you come from a place where indoor smoking is pretty much totally non-existent and from the caveman era = Definitely not fabulous
Taking 2oz of XanGo every two hours until you fall asleep and then waking up the next morning feeling 90% better = Priceless (And yes, fabulous too!)
… And just for the record, “Wells” is pronounced here as “Wales”, so if you try to type it into the GPS based on how it sounds when the locals pronounce it, you’re going to have a bit of trouble.
Pictures and videos to come!
Day 69: Grace In Small Things
The “post-crazy-insane-packed-weekend” edition.
- Being pulled over by the police for doing 35 in a 25 zone and getting let off with just a warning (there was absolutely no reason he should have let us off; in fact, he had more reason to give us that ticket than not to, but all the time while he was in his car I was silently praying he would let us off with a warning – and he did!)
- That feeling of utter fulfillment you get when you are able to go back to sleep after being rudely awaken.
- Naps. (And lots of them.)
- Fresh country air.
- 2oz of XanGo every 2 hours.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 68: Grace In Small Things
- Having an opportunity to get dressed up and wear my new bebe dress.
- Cirque du Soleil’s “O”.
- Plain cheescake with real whipping cream and fresh strawberries.
- Getting a chance to head out to the pool and suntan.
- George Buckingham, Ray Herron and Dr. Karl Anderson. FUNNIEST PEOPLE EVER.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 67: Grace In Small Things
- Gordon Morton. I love him.
- XanGo meal packs!
- Socializing with people (strangers-turned-new-friends!) I actually like and enjoy taking to.
- The morbid fascination with things the terrify me – and forcing myself to sit (with my back facing to it, no less) right by a gigantic fish tank full of mostly ugly fish and scaryass giganto sting rays.
- CHEESECAKE FACTORY!
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 66: Grace In Small Things
The pre-Vegas Regional edition!
- Shopping at the LV Premium Outlets.
- Shopping at the XanGo store!
- A first look into the XanGo innovation lab.
- A sneak peak and first take-home sample of… yes, XANGO MINERAL MAKEUP! (with bioactive X3!) EEEEK. So excited.
- The conversation-starting orange streaks in my hair.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 65: Grace In Small Things
The first day in Vegas edition!
- Finally getting to Vegas after 20 hours of driving.
- Seeing The Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian – absolutely breathtaking and one of my favorite musicals. The special effects were lovely too!
- Accidentally parking in a thru lane in front of the Bellagio, causing one of the valet guys to chase us all the way inside the Bellagio to ask us if that was our car and warn us if we didn’t move it they’d tow it.
- Getting cheap tickets for “O”.
- Breaking out the Vegas bling.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 64: Grace In Small Things
The “music we’ve been listening to for the last 10 hours” edition.
- Elvis Prestley
- Buddy Holly
- Roy Orbison
- The Crusin’ Years collection (‘55-’65)
- Roy Clark’s country gospel collection
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Of 10K runs, makeupless faces and viva las vegas! plans
Of 10K runs…
If you follow me on twitter or tumblr, you probably already know that I did the 10K Vancouver SunRun two days ago. I got up at 7:45AM on Sunday morning, sandwiched myself in the skytrain with thousands of other people all trying to get downtown, then sandwiched myself at the starting location with 55,000 other runners to wait for the race to start.
Despite what you might think, it was very fun. I did it in 70:21, missing my goal of 69 minutes by a whole whopping 22 seconds, but still improved on last year’s time by just over a minute. If you look me up on the website or yesterday’s copy of the Vancouver Sun, you can see for yourself!
Of makeupless faces…
A couple days ago, the lovely Ev’Yan tagged me for a photo meme. Basically, the idea is to snap a photo of yourself just as you are in the moment—no primping, no fixing of hair, etc. etc. It’s a good thing I’ve started to wear less and less makeup (sometimes going without), because I was wearing none when I took this photo. Eek.
Behold, Chanel circa 9:06AM:
Of viva las vegas! plans…
In approximately 30 minutes, I will be off to Las Vegas, Nevada. We’re driving down, which means 20 hours of Elvis, country gospel, and 1940-1960s classics. And some shopping (particularly for gaudy, vegas-style rings). And maybe some Taco Bell if I’m lucky.
But most of all, I’m just excited for warm sun and pools. And palm trees! And shows! And XanGo events! And The Cheesecake Factory! As well, Marissa and I (along with Bob and Bhupinder) will be videoblogging down there, so stay tuned for more fun!
Day 63: Grace In Small Things
The pre-Vegas roadtrip edition.
- Getting many important things done before we left for Vegas, even if it put us a whole 12 hours behind the anticipated schedule.
- $3 for a huge contain of basil at Haggens! (I am a huuuuge fan of basil.)
- The power of prayer in changing hearts to be more compassionate and forgiving towards each other.
- Shooting pop cans with the brother’s new airsoft gun.
- Finding colored extensions in the States for 1/3rd the price in Canada.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
It’s not officially spring…
… Until the cherry blossoms show their pretty little faces. Which means, hellooo spring!
Day 61: Grace In Small Things
- Riding a cramped, sardine-can-like skytrain at 8:30AM to the start area. Most people would find this to be awful and one hell of a way to start a Sunday morning, but I just found it extremely amusing.
- Completing the 10K SunRun in 70:21 – just over a minute better than last year!
- Having people cheer you on to the finish line.
- The (all free) plain white bagels, fresh orange slices, french vanilla yogurt and oasis apple juice given out in BC Place after the race. Probably the best part of the whole thing, no lie.
- Sitting down after an hour of running. (I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated the luxury of sitting down more than I did when I first sat down after the run!)
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 60: Grace In Small Things
- Country gospel music. Have I mentioned how much I love this?
- Harmonizing (badly) with the brother to said gospel songs.
- Playing piano.
- Knowing lots of drugs and medicals terms courtesy of having a mother and an aunt who are both nurses.
- The SunRun in less than 24 hours!
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 59: Grace In Small Things
- All the free space suddenly available when you simply clean things up.
- My aunt’s successful surgery.
- Dinner: baked potatoes with sour cream, chives and (vegetarian) bacon bits, with (vegetarian) steak, broccoli and cauliflower sauteed in coconut oil and herb salt, and peas and corn.
- So many daily answers to prayer that I’ve started a little notebook just to keep track of them all.
- The SunRun in two days!
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 58: Grace In Small Things
- Booking a brand-new, 32ft dream trailer for camp meeting this summer.
Reasons why this was a miracle in itself:
1) the 10 days we booked it for are pretty much the hottest dates all summer, and by this time of the year, all the rental trailers for those dates are gone,
2) we got it at a very affordable rate, both for the actual rental and the towing fee,
3) the 32ft trailer just fits in our spot (any bigger and it wouldn’t have!),
4) I had prayed that if it was in God’s will for us to rent a trailer this summer, that he would bring the perfect trailer to us. And 2 hours later, I got an email. Coincidence, I thinketh not. - Mom’s pronunciation.
She tried to pronounce Panago as “pahnah’go” (it’s pan-a-go) and had the audacity to give me this wide-eyed, innocent look, as if to say, what? Ah, moms. (I love her strange pronunciations!) - Veggie meats.
Stripples, sausage links, burgers and steak, mmm. - A day so hot you strip down to your swimsuit in the car.
No lie. The sun was so strong on our way out to Pitt Meadows, I literally had to peel off all my clothes until I was in shorts and my swimsuit top because it was so hot. Don’t ask why I even had a swimsuit top on—lets just say, wishful thinking. - Relaxing on a couch in a dark room after hours in a sunny car.
Nobody believes me when I say this, but the sun seriously drains my energy. I love it when it’s sunny outside, but I don’t actually like being in “daytime” sun because it’s way too strong for me (early evening sun is fine). So after spending hours in a car where the strong daytime sun is everywhere (and being magnified through glass), a dark room was a welcome.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 57: Grace In Small Things
- Being able to finally go running in shorts and a tank top.
- Sweet-smelling trees. (Cherry blossoms and Jasmine, anyone?)
- Redesigning things.
- Homemade, freshly baked buns.
- Neighborhoods.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 56: Grace In Small Things
- Booking the Hilton for my Vegas trip at $6/night cheaper than the promotional rate I would have booked at two weeks ago had I not procrastinated. Procrastination pays off! (Shhh.)
- Being booked for Vegassss!
- 5 days until the SunRun!
- Getting a rise-and-shine 8:15am start to the day, thanks to the 8:15am accountability calls with Justin and Merissa! (Even if they do take place from my bed.)
- Being friendly to people who have less-than-friendly feeling towards you.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Pop it, lock it, polka dot it
That’s right, internet. I paid a whole $11 (the price of roughly 8 chocolate bars, the standard by which all expenses are measured) and sat in a theater full of singing, dancing pre-teens (and one couple in the same row as us who came up for air a grand total of two times in 1.5 hours during a G-rated movie) to watch this movie.
And let me tell you… it was worth every cent, because I have never felt more teenagery. And it took every ounce of self-control not to dance and sing during the movie, because I think my friends would have probably disowned me at that point.
But now that they’re not here… Pop it, Lock it, Polka dot it, Country-fy then hip hop it. Put your hawk in the sky, side to side. Jump to the left, Stick it, gliiiide.
Day 55: Grace In Small Things
- Well-done memorials that actually celebrate a person’s life.
- Mall + a movie with two best friends.
- Running into an old friend you haven’t seen in 4+ years.
- Picking out gaudy jewelry for the Vegas trip. (CZ encrusted turtle-on-a-rock ring, anyone?)
- Undressing in the car. On a traffic-jammed highway. (I am so classy.)
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 54: Grace In Small Things
- Family.
- Forcing yourself to do school(work) against your will so you can take an 11% chunk out of your workload. (For the record – it gets easier and easier. You just need to start.)
- Starting the day right.
- Surprise easter treats from sweet, sweet friends.
- Playing catch-up on all the things in life I’ve put on hold.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Are your children playing with Lucifer’s testicles?
I sure hope not!
This easter, make sure your children are safe.
Danger is lurking everywhere; in the grass, in the trees, and especially in your childrens’ easter baskets. So err on the side of caution. Clear the area before you let your children go out and play, check their baskets for hidden dangers, and for the love of all things, keep them away from Lucifer’s testicles!
(Or at the very least, make sure they don’t accidentally eat them.)
Have a happy easter everyone!
Day 53: Grace In Small Things
- Having straight, relatively white-ish teeth.
- Wearing sweats after eight hours in pantyhose.
- The inklings of a more compassionate heart.
- Seeing the hand of God working in the lives of others.
- Friendships that make all the difference in your life (and the lives of others).
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 52: Grace In Small Things
- The human body’s amazing ability to remind you of things you’ve consciously forgotten by giving you that uneasy feeling.
- Going through old diary entries (starting from 10+ years ago) with the best friend.
- The… weird feeling of going through years 15 to 17 on the (now) private LJ.
- Understanding why I identify so much with Vancouver.
- Singing the same three lines from “Put your hand in the hand”, over and over again. Loudly. All of the the house. For hours.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 51: Grace In Small Things
- A slowly changing heart.
- “For This Purpose” – A compilation of sermons and presentations from GYC.
- Indulging the snarky, sarcastic side of my personality.
- Swapping stories about psycho women and the things they do.
- Getting back into the “school” regime. (It’s a good thing.)
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 50: Grace In Small Things
- Running 50 minutes straight. TAKE THAT, WORLD.
- Seeing the bedroom floor. Again.
- The accomplished feeling you get from being able to see your bedroom floor again and having the clothes that previously occupied your floor put in the laundry.
- A much, much needed shower + hair wash leaving you feeling squeeky clean.
- Nicely transitioning to earlier bedtimes.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 49: Grace In Small Things
- 23°C and sunny!
- First day of the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
- Driving in your car with the windows down on a pre-summer evening listening to Elvis.
- “Passionate prayer” by Brenda Walsh and Kay Kuzma.
- Realizing that you are so, so blessed.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Brother becomes an entrepreneur, makes a 60% return on his investment
Internet, I would like you to meet my brother.
Some may know him as the boy who uses his sister for target practice. Other may remember him as the boy who doesn’t bathe. But now, you will remember him as the gun-shooting, non-bathing entrepreneurial hustler who has just leveraged $25 to make $40.
Did I mention he’s only 13?
Let me explain how he did this.
Day 48: Grace In Small Things
- Surviving the night from hell.
- Starting fresh with a morning full of sunshine.
- Family walks at dusk.
- Watching TV with the family.
- Setting business projections.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 47: Grace In Small Things
- “Battered to Blessed” by Brenda Walsh
- Stripples (veggie bacon strips), scrambled tofu (like scrambled eggs, but better), homestyle hashbrowns and WHITE BAGELS (my guilty pleasure I only get when away from home) for breakfast! LOVE LOVE LOVE.
- Passionate people who radiate cheerfulness, enthusiasm, love, and kindness from within, making them the most beautiful people on the face of the earth.
- Getting to bed by 10:45pm.
- Hugs.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 46: Grace In Small Things
The “things I love about Hope, B.C.” edition.
- Being surrounded by pristine wilderness: snowcapped mountains, thousands of acres of trees and forest, green grass, rivers and lakes, blue sky, wild flowers, wild animals (cougars, mountain lions, grizzly bears!)
- Being out in nature, surrounded by creation, where you see the very presence of God.
- Laying on my back, looking at the sky, listening to the distant sounds of someone playing the piano inside the Lodge.
- The multitude of memories I have on these grounds from spending 10 days of every summer since I was 3 here.
- No internet. No emails. No work. No school. No getting back to people. No parties. No drama. No city life. No need to dress up or look good. No traffic. No noise. No trivial problems.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 45: Grace In Small Things
- Arriving in Hope, B.C. safely and in good time – 1.2 hours!
- Eating a delicious vegetarian meal you didn’t cook when you’re starving to death.
- Being within 1-2 feet of wild, vicious animals (racoons!)
- Getting everything you need before the weekend so you can relax for those 2.5 days.
- Buildings that are like time capsules – carpet, drapes, decor, etc all from 30+ years ago.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
The March wrap-up
Wow, March. You were one crazy, crazy month.
Some of you might remember what March of last year looked like. It was pretty crazy too—full of stuff I thought I could never do, but managed to do anyways. And because March of 2009 couldn’t let March of 2008 make him look bad, March of 2009 made me:
- Launch a company.
- Compete at Gala Ball in four more dances (to make a combined total of nine dances) and come home with four more trophies than last year.
- Reach the goals I had set for my business. The end of March seen a growth of 64% from the end of February (Recession say what?)
- Attend a dinner party with some of the top leaders in our company from Canada and the US.
- Run 40 minutes straight… then another 20 minutes. WITH NO COLLAPSING!
In a couple hours, I’m off to the land of nowhere (2.5 hrs north) for a weekend retreat. There will be no internet (although I will have my iPhone with me, so it’s not like that’s going to make much of a difference anyway) but I will take tons of pictures instead because it’s only like the prettiest place in the world up there.
See you Monday, Internet!
(Meanwhile: What are your plans for the weekend?)
Day 44: Grace In Small Things
- The concept of “chunking“.
- Doing things you don’t necessarily want to do, but have to do anyway (it’s character building!)
- Seeing The Other Best Friend.
- Going grad dress shopping with The Other Best Friend but only finding hideous dresses, making the rest of the shopping trip a total blast because you spend it sarcastically gushing over works of hideousness. “Oh my GOD.This sparkly rainbow colored princess dress will be PERFECT for you!”
- Coming home after watching Marley & Me to fiercely hug your dog.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.
Day 43: Grace In Small Things
- Learning how to make bread from an 96 year old.
- Eating said bread.
- Having a much needed “slow day” after the craziness that was the last day of March.
- Stumbling upon a super effective breathing technique that seems to make running easier.
- Running 40 minutes, walking 1 minute, then running another 20 minutes in the pouring rain.
Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace in Small Things.