Screw your diet!

It's Friday,  time to break your diet.  ;)

I ate junk food, cake and fried food today :D!  Happy Friday!

Windows Open

Now that spring is here,  I have a windows open policy.   I sleep with the windows open so that I can hear birds singing in the morning.

It's a lot lovelier than waking up to the sound of an alarm buzzing off.  No sounds beat the natural singing of a bird.

If I have time I even take a stroll around the neighborhood.   Certain areas will have more birds singing than others and that's how I started this Dreamy Thursday.

Toonie Tuesday is no more...

Today is Wednesday, a day when I blog about something from the past.  Why Toonie Tuesday? Because you can see a movie at a movie theatre for two bucks.  Why not Toonie Tuesday? Because if you are not there early enough you sit at the front row which is way too close to the screen,  you might as well not watch the movie because you will be so uncomfortable tilting your head up the whole time;  however, there is one caveat.  You get to enjoy the movie with a fully packed theatre.  Every seat is filled up.  If you read the title to this post,  you would be aware that Toonie Tuesday is no more so you might be unable to find the experience I just described.

There was also Toonie Everyday, for two bucks you get to see a movie at a movie theatre from a few years ago but that's also gone.  My first Toonie Everyday was the trumen show, my next one was Shakespeare in love.

What can you get for two bucks at the movie theatre nowadays?

When you can't keep up with Technology

I'm too cheap in terms of money and time when it comes to investing in "new" technologies that's why I've been creatively using whatever "old" technologies I have at my disposal to enjoy the entertainment that savvy technology people are enjoying.

Yesterday,  I played a whole bunch of current dance games simply by using my desktop computer, a mirror and a painter's stand.  My mirror acted as the playstation eye or wii whatever or xbox whatever and my desktop streamed those games like just dance and dance central or footages of actual dance performances.

It was pretty awesome. I would like to thank everyone who uploaded their gameplay or vhs recording or tivo so that I can practice dancing.

My dancing skills improved drastically yesterday.

If I was your the staff at your retail store in charge of music

I have never worked at a retail store before because I basically get rid out by the high school kid manning the store.  Sometimes, I wonder if the manager ever even received the resume I handed out at the mall from the employee manning the shop.

I wouldn't have lasted at a retail fashion store anyways because I am not fashionable enough or look like I can lift any sort of weight or know how to handle your cash register; however, I would have made your customers feel great by putting on the most fun music!

If you were the store owner, you might be going ... wait the minute.  I have to pay so and so to play their music and blah blah blah.  That is your concern, not mine.  Once you have sorted out this issue, your customer will be free from listening to overplayed advertisements or poorly crafted advertisements.  Who wants to shop while listening to annoying advertisements over and over again?  People would leave your store.

So what kind of music would I put on at a retail fashion store?  Ones that are soothing, calm and without lyrics so that shoppers can clearly look at themselves while trying on clothes and chat with friends about their choices.  I feel like you can no longer get that anywhere.  Malls are overcrowded, people don't have time to get together and shop together and everyone is migrating to online shopping.  Some shop owners are also making the return process seamless and easy so you have a bunch of people buying a bunch of cheap clothes online and then refunding every piece of items.  Maybe some retail stores at malls and plazas are no longer stores but just the messy change room or sorting area of the messy change room in a shape of a store.

I don't like online shopping.  If I am shopping online, I will be shopping for something that cannot exist without the computer or tablet or on the phone.  What is the point of shopping for something physical when I cannot physically examine it while I am making my decision.  I don't even know what I am getting.  If I am buying clothes, I want to try them on.  It is also nice to have another shopper validate my evaluation of my good choice by saying "hey, that looks great on you!".

Call me if you would like to have a further discussion on this topic. Let's bring back the fun shopping experience!

You've Got Mail!

Ever since you moved...

The Tale of Pimply and Chubby

Pimply and Chubby are two characters we have probably all experienced at some point in our lifetime.

Chubby visited me many times while Pimply only visited me once but followed me aggressively for a little over two and a half years.  Pimply made sure I knew it was here.

Some of my classmates loved Pimply, Chubby and I so much that the three of us got illustrated together all the time!  If you took a photo of the three of us,  we looked so awesome that you just had to delete it because we were so beautiful that it's like a ray of Sunshine glaring into your eyes everytime you looked at the photo you have taken without our permission.  The hallways and classrooms were also filled with gossips about how hot the three of us were.

Pimply was simply too popular, my parents were concerned.   During dinner time,   instructions on how to get rid of Pimply was suggested from time to time.  Turns out I had to do the exact opposite of what was told to rid Pimply for good!

Chubby and Pimply disappeared at around the same time.  Even though they disappeared, their shadows remain.

To be continued...

Half-lucid morning walks

I prefer taking a walk or a run in the morning and watch the semi evening turn into day.  When the weather is nice,  these walks/runs are soothing and calming because it's still quiet.  Sometimes, I even feel like I am Snow White during one of these morning strolls.  Mornings are really dreamy and magical.

I also feel really inspired and creative during these walks.   For example,  I once stood behind a tree and pretended that I was part of it and watched as my shadow merged with it.  I made the tree walk, dance and migrated to other trees.  At that moment,  I thought it would be so much fun if I had other friends who wake up early and we can shadow dance with the trees together!  I told my friend,  who doesn't wake up until late in the afternoon so it's still a dream.  Hopefully that group of trees don't get chopped down without me knowing.

I didn't do my shadow tree dance here but I hope this photo illustrates my point.  In order to do a successful tree dance,  it's all about location and time!

Wack-a-Mole

I previously mentioned that I love wack-a-mole.  A game in which the first person to wack "a" mole 15 times to reach 150 points wins.   At least that seems to be the most popular version at carnivals and amusement parks.  Tonight, I was thinking a few different variations for this classic game.

Wack-a-mole Beast/999 mode:  The counter goes up by 1 point instead of 10 points with each hit.  The first person to reach 999 points win!   In other words,  you have to wack-a-mole 999 times to win.   Each game will last quite a while.  It's meant for a beast because one would require arm strength, precision, speed and endurance.   The prize?  Belle's delight!

Wack-THE-mole:  You can only wack one mole on the machine.   If you wack the wrong mole,  you will be immediately eliminated.  First person to reach 150 points win or last person remaining wins.  This game requires patience, observation, speed and precision.  If you are not careful,  Belle will delightfully beat you.

Wack-a-mole - how ya doing version:  Only luck is required in this version because only your machine will be turned on.   First person to reach 150 wins but all participant is aware that only one machine will be turned on.  The winner will hear the delightful sound of victory,  the Bell.

Mundane life of an introvert.

I have been feeling disconnected from society for a while now.   Sure,  communication devices and services are easily accessible anywhere in cities and towns for an arguably reasonable price.   However, these devices have too many functions and are misused all the time.   Do people really have to be connected 24/7?  Do I really need to be bombarded with updates?  Is there really anything to talk about when you see your "friend" in person again.  Sometimes,  I even wonder if it is you posting or your significant other posting for you.  Lastly,  I feel like there are surveillance cameras everywhere.

Gone, are the feelings of tranquility and peace.

I'm an introvert, social gathering sucks the life of of me.   Now with all these social media,  I am starting to feel like I can't breath.  Yes,  everyone post positively online especially on your friend's page but who knows what they are really saying off the page.  I can't feel badly about my situation because I'm constantly reminded by someone that someone has it worse than me.  I no longer share my little successes or victories because when I do share those moments the same way my "friends" do,  I am made to feel that no one cares or that my achievements are not achievements at all.

I no longer know how to communicate in person or not in person anymore.   I'm used to being ignored or invisible.  When I post something somewhat "public", it's really just for myself because no one cares about what I have to say or by the time I can finally say something, I'm so tired from listening to all of you that I have nothing to say or add anymore.  That and the topic got changed so many times that I don't know where we are anymore.

Yes, everyone loves talking but no one likes to listen.   I am also tired of people telling me to listen.   I listen and gets interrupted or cut off all the time when its my turn to talk.

If I lived alone,  I wonder how long my body will have to rot before someone realize I'm dead.  Afterall, I cannot post an update about my passing after I have passed.

Ces't la vie!  Mundane life.   This rant is something I'm still working on.  I write and share photos because I want to remember and not because I want to be remembered.

Nap Time

Sunday naps are very important.

Did you plan to hike today?

It's starting to snow in good old Markham.   If you were planning to hike today,  I hope you have already arrived at your destination.

Day trip might have to turn into a weekend trip.  Good luck out there!

We are done with our hiking for the week.   Photos from yesterday.   As you can see, the sun was shining and no snow and just the right amount of breeze.  Lovely day for a drive and a hike.

Today is a different sorta lovely though.   Enjoy your Saturday!   Xoxo Lovely Saturday

Beast (Parody Lyrics to Disney's Belle with spoken parts added) v2

Beast (Parody Song to Disney's Belle Song - including spoken parts)

Beast

City life, it's a quiet hustle.

Everyday like the one before.

City life's full of city people.

Waking up to say...

City People

Bonjour!

Ni Hao!

Honk Honk!

Morning!

ROOAARR!!!

Beast

There goes the beauties with their beasts, like always

The same old streets and roads to East

Every Friday just the same

Since the morning that they came to this poor provincial town

City People

Arg. Move it, Beast!

--- SPOKEN PART ---
Beast:  Good Morning, Monsier!

Little Boy:  And what have you brought me, today?

Beast:  My workbook.  I just finished editing the most difficult chapter.  It's about...

Little Boy:  That's nice.  Marco...

distance voice 1: Polo
distance voice 2: Hurry Up! Recess is ALMOST...over

*sound of bells*
--- end of SPOKEN PART ---

City People

Look, there he goes

That guy is huge, no question

Never distracted from his feast!

Never part of any crowd

Cause his head's stuck on that plow (plough)

No denying he's a hairy guy that Beast.

Man I

Move it!

Woman I

Good Day

Man I

When is the deadline.

Woman II

Bonjour

Man II

Good Day

Woman II

When is the due date

Woman III

I need... some room

Man III

We need a table!

Beast

There must be more than this provincial life!

--- SPOKEN PART ---
Black Smith:  Ah, Beast...

Beast:  Good morning, Sir.  I've come to return the tools I've borrowed.

Black Smith:  Broken again?

Beast:  No, not this time.  Have you got anything new?

Black Smith:  For you? No...

Beast:  (Laughs), I'll take.... this one!

Black Smith:  That one? Uh no.... not that one!

Beast:  Well, it has to be this one.  I've been ironing it, sharpening it, polishing it and even put my name on it.  You know, I'm a prince in disguise.

Black Smith:  Like you said, it's reserved for the prince.  Not you.

Beast:  But Sir.

Black Smith:  Here, take this fish stick instead.
--- end of SPOKEN PART ---

City People

Look, there he goes --- moving extremely slowly.

I wonder if he's here for a feast.

With a dreary, dreadful look

And his nose attached to a hook

Let's not ruffle any feathers with the Beast.

Beast

Oh... isn't this amazing?

It's (not) my favourite part because... you'll see.

Here's where roads meet (rail) crossings,

But you won't take notice that it's here

Because you speed.

Woman

Now it's no wonder that we named him "Beasty"

His looks have got no parallel

Shopkeeper

But behind that strange facade

I'm afraid he's rather sharp

Very different from the rest of us

City People

He's nothing like the rest of us.

Yes, different from the rest of us is Beast.

--- SPOKEN PART ---

Lafou (female Lefou):  I got it Gastonia! Wow, you didn't miss a point, Gastonia!  You're the greatest pointer in the whole world.

Gastonia (female Gaston):  I know.

Lafou (female Lefou):  No beauty alive stands a chance against you...and no prince, for that matter.

Gastonia (female Gaston):  It's true, Lafou.  And I've got my sight set on that one.

Lafou (female Lefou): That one?

Gastonia (female Gaston):  He's the one, the lucky guy I have chosen.

Lafou (female Lefou): But he's...

Gastonia (female Gaston):  The most powerful brute around!

Lafou (female Lefou): I know, but...

Gastonia (female Gaston):  That makes him the best and don't I deserve the best?

Lafou (female Lefou): Of course you do.
--- end of SPOKEN PART ---

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Right from the moment when I met him, saw him.

I said my life is incomplete.

My tiny heart skip a beat,

My body filled with heat,
So I'm making plans to woo and tame the Beast!

Silly Boys

Look, there she goes!

She's a 10.

Madame Gastonia.

Oh, that's my bump.

Be still my heart.

I'm hardly breathing.

She's such a small, sweet, humpy-busty pie!

Man I

Bonjour

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Excuse moi~

Man II

Good Day

Man III

Merci!

Complainer I

You call this basic?

Lost Woman

Where's station Pape?

Photographer

Say Cheese...

Lost Woman

...wait wait

Photographer

... once more

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Pardon me~

Woman II

Noooo, this angle...

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Please let me through...

Lost Woman

This street

Man IV

Those roads

Lost Woman

It stinks.

Man IV

...been plowed (ploughed).

Tourist

The Sun is Shining!

Beast

There must be more than this provincial life!

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Just watch.. I'm going to make Beast survive!

City People

Look, there he goes..a guy who's strange and hairy.

A most peculiar mr. monsieur.

It's a pity and a sin.

He really cannot fit in

Cause he's really quite a useful brute.

He's beastly but a useful dude.

He really is a useful brute... that BEAST!

---end---

Prologue - Beauty

Beauty and the Beast is coming out tomorrow.

I was saying that if I was re-making Beauty and the Beast, I would do everything in reverse.  Here is another example of what I mean.

The Prologue introducing Belle instead of the Beast.

---

Once upon a time in a little village, a young beauty, named Belle, lived in a peculiar household.  Although she had everything other girls’ desired, such as beauty, confidence and kindness, her ambitious and curious heart wanted more.  One winters’ night, her dear old father left their home and their trusted steed returned the next morning, exhausted, tired and riderless.  And so, suddenly and unexpectedly, her desire for adventure in the great wide somewhere was answered.

The trusted steed led Belle into a misty and eerie forest.  Much like her clumsy old father, she got lost until they ran into a statute of a frozen sorcerer.  Repulsed by the size of the statute and the blockage it presented, she sneered at it that’s when the ice melted away to reveal a dried and withered old beggar.  The old beggar fainted into her arms, instinctively, Belle caressed the old beggar and suddenly, the mist and the old beggar dissipated together.

The forest was no longer misty; however, a pack of beasts appeared before her.  Her steed ran frantically to the same castle where her father also took shelter.  Dredged in icy water, feeling cold and miserable, that’s when she saw her father - fainted, unconscious and shivering on the entrance of the castle. Reunited with her father at last, she wonders who could have been so mean, cruel and unkind to not open the doors and provide shelter to her father from the bitter cold.

----

Go to my blog post, Friday, March 10, 2017, to read my parody lyrics to Belle, written for Beast instead or check back tomorrow with the same lyrics, updated and with spoken parts added in.

Making Stars!

Making any kinds of star takes time,  commitment and patience.  Today, I'm going to show you how to fold stars with straws.

It's my signature DIY gift that I hardly ever give out.   If you are lucky enough to get one,  I hope that you know I folded each star for you and not someone else.   Sometimes,  DIY gifts may go obsolete because not enough people make them.   I'm running somewhat low on folding straws and the last time I bought folding straws,  I was told that no one make these that's why the shop no longer stocks folding straws.   Supply and demand.  Everyone likes to make paper stars.  It's easier,  faster, uglier and you cannot put them into a fish tank even when bottled up.

I digress.

Point form Instructions:

- Estimated time per star: ~3 mins+

- Materials: Straws for folding or drinking straws (you may need to extend them)

- Optional/Helpful Tools: Scissors, twizers

Steps:

1.  Buy materials or hog them at your place of work or your coffee shops and the likes or ask all your "friends" to remember to keep and save their used straws for you and provide them to you in tranches or batches...

2.  Get your tools

3.  Start folding (see picture)
- fold in half
- unfold
- make L shape (can start from this step)
- fold horizontal line of L to the back
- fold vertical line of L to the back
You should now see a diamond with ears at one side and a fully formed triangle at the other
- fold diamond with ears in half so that it begins the start of the second triangle
- fold the ears over again and then fold the diamond in half again
- repeat the above until you see six (6) triangles
- put the first (1st) triangle into the sixth (6th) triangle
You should now see a star and left over straw length
- continuously wrap the remainder of the straw around your initial star until you have hardly any straw length left
- tug remainder of the straw into final fold
- cut off excess straw length

4.  Use straw to decorate bottles,  containers,  jars, plates, etc...

5.  Admire at your work. Applaud yourself.   Whatever you made was beautiful.

I'm not crafty but these stars really look amazing as a group.   They appear to be hard to make but it's actually very simple.   Just take lots of time.

Have fun crafting!   It's cold out there! Blizzard and all...xoxo star of the month*

Brush the Germs away

It's hard to brush your dog's teeth.  If you have collies the task is only marginally easier.  Chances are your doggie toothbrush will sit in your shelve collecting dust!

Never fear! Dog toothbrushes are durable, sturdy and creative!   It's great for cleaning!  That place you can't scrub?  No worries!

I have two types of doggie toothbrushes in my house.   One I use for cleaning,  the other I use for pedicure,  medicure, neck massage, hair cut assistant and more!  See picture.

It's also a great fake microphone. 

Important Note:  Do not use tooth brushes designed for dogs for your teeth.  You can injure your gum.

March break is here

Originally, I was going to blog about how to leave a professional voicemail.  At a minimum, pronounce your name clearly so that the recipient do not have to re-listen to your voice mail three times and still cannot make out your name.  It's hard to return a phone call when you cannot tell the receptionist who called.   Luckily, I was provided with an extension.

I digress.

March break is here.   Are you getting a break from school? A break from work? A break from something? Or no breaks at all? Just another week...?

Well,  maybe it's time to think about gardening!  Before the climate change,  march break was scheduled so that kids can help their family with yard work.

Apparently a blizzard is coming tomorrow so maybe everyone is just planning their plots indoors.

I've been preparing my garden since last summer, it doesn't look great but there's lots of edible things in my garden.  My dog cleans her own diet with fallen apples.  I see like bitten apples in the fall.

Have a wonderful March break xoxo breezy girl (k).

Christmas is over

But the weather is nice.   Christmas trees are growing for next year.

You failed me!

We did not make it to our destination.

Blogeo means cameo for blog.  Okee loves to appear in Blogeo.

Beast (Parody Lyrics to Disney's Belle)

Disney's Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson and others will be released in Cineplex next Friday, March 17, 2017.  It's a remake (?) on the award-winning Disney's animated feature "Beauty and the Beast" released back in the 90's.

The first time I watched Beauty and the Beast was at home.  As a child, I mistakenly rented the pre-release version without knowing.  This version had a few storyboard sketches replacing incomplete or, perhaps, unacceptable animations and obviously no translations or translated voice dubbings.  That was my first Beauty and the Beast.  I thought the incomplete or work-in-progress version was the completed work for a long time and re-watched this incomplete version many times.

Years later, I finally watched the completed work with Human Again edited and added back into the movie.  It felt weird watching everything in colour and to have Human Again in the movie.  I was confused about how I got "my" version until I saw the bonus features that came with the DVD with the completed animated feature.  That's when I realized, until that day, I've been watching the pre-release theatre version my whole life!  This might sound a little peculiar but I actually loved the incomplete version more.  The story was complete, it just didn't have all the animations and sounds.

Anyhow, if I was remaking Beauty and the Beast, I would tell the entire thing in reverse and stay very closely to each act and scene.

While writing parody lyrics to Belle, I imagined that Beast secretly ventured into the City to work. After the prelude with the narrator, here is my opening number introducing the Beast.

Beast 

(Parody Song to Disney's Belle Song)

Beast

City life, it's a quiet hustle.

Everyday like the one before.

City life's full of city people.

Waking up to say...

City People

Bonjour!

Ni Hao!

Honk Honk!

Morning!

ROOAARR!!!

Beast

There goes the beauties with their beasts, like always

The same old streets and roads to East

Every Friday just the same

Since the morning that they came to this poor provincial town

City People

Arg. Move it, Beast!

Look, there he goes

That guy is huge, no question

Never distracted from his feast!

Never part of any crowd

Cause his head's stuck on that plow (plough)

No denying he's a hairy guy that Beast.

Man I

Move it!

Woman I

Good Day

Man I

When is the deadline.

Woman II

Bonjour

Man II

Good Day

Woman II

When is the due date

Woman III

I need... some room

Man III

We need a table!

Beast

There must be more than this provincial life!

City People

Look, there he goes --- moving extremely slowly.

I wonder if he's here for a feast.

With a dreary, dreadful look

And his nose attached to a hook

Let's not ruffle any feathers with the Beast.

Beast

Oh... isn't this amazing?

It's (not) my favourite part because... you'll see.

Here's where roads meet (rail) crossings,

But you won't take notice that it's here

Because you speed.

Woman

Now it's no wonder that we named him "Beasty"

His looks have got no parallel

Shopkeeper

But behind that strange facade

I'm afraid he's rather sharp

Very different from the rest of us

City People

He's nothing like the rest of us.

Yes, different from the rest of us is Beast.

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Right from the moment when I met him, saw him.

I said he's gorgeous and I fell.

Here, inside, there's only he

Who is beautiful as me

So I'm making plans to woo and tame the Beast!

Silly Boys

Look, there she goes!

She's a 10.

Madame Gastonia.

Oh, that's my bump.

Be still my heart.

I'm hardly breathing.

She's such a small, sweet, humpy-busty pie!

Man I

Bonjour

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Excuse moi~

Man II

Good Day

Man III

Merci!

Complainer I

You call this basic?

Lost Woman

Where's station Pape?

Photographer

Say Cheese...

Lost Woman

...wait wait

Photographer

... once more

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Pardon me~

Woman II

Noooo, this angle...

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Please let me through...

Lost Woman

This street

Man IV

Those roads

Lost Woman

It stinks.

Man IV

...been plowed (ploughed).

Tourist

The Sun is Shining!

Beast

There must be more than this provincial life!

Gastonia (female Gaston)

Just watch.. I'm going to make Beast survive!

City People

Look, there he goes..a guy who's strange and hairy.

A most peculiar mr. monsieur.

It's a pity and a sin.

He really cannot fit in

Cause he's really quite a useful brute.

He's beastly but a useful dude.

He really is a useful brute... that BEAST!

---end---

I did not have time to write the spoken parts to this piece yet.  This is only the singing part.  Maybe another Friday.

Click here to download our M4A audio file of this song (bad singing and not all lyrics sang perfectly)

I also got carried away from the comic portion.  I wanted to only do a four panel.  Obviously Beast is meditating to the future countryside and not in the city during his commute to work.

Your Dream of Being Tall

To be tall,  one has to eat twelve dozen eggs everyday.  If you don't like eggs that's hard to accomplish.

Everyone is born to grow to their potential.  If your dream height is unreachable,  that's OK.   You have other assets.  Spend some time and efforts to find them and appreciate them or you can dwell on not being able to reach your dream height.

- side story -

I've been participating in a lot of Les Mills past video releases lately so I've been seeing the same group of high levels fitness instructor specialists teaching new releases.

While stretching at the end of training,  I suddenly noticed one of the lead male instructors was the shortest among all of the others on stage.   That's when I realized that I've made the same observations many times before!  

With that thought, I started wondering if everyone on stage was extremely tall.  You know when you watch the NBA and the point guard is always a "midget"?  This was random question #1.

My second question was as follows: "Do you lose a few inches when you start gaining muscles because you are putting a lot of weight on your body?".  If there is a trade off between muscles and height, generally speaking, which one do people want more? And, if all my deductions are correct so far, how much height could you lose if you start muscle mass building at an early age?

My dream was never to be tall or to have lots of very visible muscles so I don't care.

"Don't call me a shrimp!"

Recreational hobbies and other accomplishments

As a child,  my mother enrolled me in a lot of extracurricular activities.  I was also invited to lots of tryouts by friends and teachers.

I have a lot of keepsakes, not photos,  reminding me my participations to those events and activities.  For some reasons my parents tend to not take photos and miss my performances.  Case in point, I was in an invitational only band camp and they missed my performance because they were too busy eating at a restaurant.   I practiced the whole freaking summer. After that I stopped inviting them to all my performances.  It's unfortunate because I am not a musician so they missed one of my best performance.

If your child doesn't like popular sports, I suggest trying to find something less well known or established for them to try.  It's easier for them to get awards!   For example, back in the early 2000's, I managed to place first in one category of the Canadian Wushu-Kung Fu Challenge.  There were only three or four of us in that category so the chances of being placed first, second or third was quite high but look at the shiny medal I got!  I had to memorize a whole routine and perform it in front of judges!  When I got first place, I was pleasantly surprised.  Practicing the routine was so boring though.

Medals are harder to obtain as you get older.   More competition.  So yeah,  remember to encourage your child to at least participate, maybe they will find something they love.

Note encourage, not force.  Huge difference!

The invention of wheels

I love wheels.  No wheels no tricycle,  no wheels no wheels of fortune, no wheels no chaffeaurs, etc.

To participates one has to travel that is why the wheels were invented, so that we can travel with speed, with weight and with ease.

I have prepared a fill in the blank game based on the 2016 Toronto 5k run*walk route.  Please find the answers to all question marks and provide us with an explanation of the greater than, less than and equal sign symbols.  What do you think those symbols mean in this photo.  Bonus marks for identifying missing information.

Physical Health Credit

We are encouraged to be active with our lifestyle.   In Canada for example,  physical education (aka PhysEd) is part of the curriculum,  tax credits are provided for children's recreational activities, some companies also provide group benefit packages for employees that include partial or full coverage for gym memberships.

Gym vs. Gym class.  I don't know why my high school gym uniform has the word "XXL" on it.  I am not size "XXL".  Anyhow, I wanted to blog about gyms because I have been to lots of gyms.  

If I was a very attractive male who just acquired a bunch of gyms with some "business partners" and a four eye girl came up to me and asks "How did you become a Gym owner?".  I would not respond with "I went to school" in a "you probably think I am stupid, brute sorta tone."  Because you see,  the four eye girl did not have a crush on you, she was already a regular gym member not at your gym but she was extremely familiar with some of the programs offered at your gym and was genuinely curious about how you got into fitness and why you are joining the gym business.  She could not continue the conversation because you ended it immediately.

Here are some of my pet peeves about gym's tactic in trying to recruit new members:

1.  Money back guarantee.   I fulfilled all your requirements and they were hard to fulfill.   You told me the cheque will come by mail and it never did.  Thank you very much.

My other pet peeves are not related to member recruitments so I guess that ends it.

I always loved gym class as a child.   It was fun and engaging.  It was not a required credit so I stopped taking it eventually and I don't like wearing shorts! 

I also earned yellow stripe kung fu belt and trained under a great master!  The story of how he and his wife reunited was truly moving.   He did not have much students but he taught me how to fall properly.  We didn't even have mats.  He was very creative with his use of space because we have very limited time at the gym that he rents every Saturday or Sunday.  By the end of my year one training, I could do splits!  Unfortunately, not enough students,  so I could not continue my studies.

As an undergrad,  I attended steps classes weekly, used the treadmill and rowing machine only a few times and joined the kendo club which had weekly training at the gym.

When I started working full-time,  I wanted to have a healthy lifestyle again.  Even though my group benefit did not provide gym membership coverage,  I made a promise to myself that I would join a gym if I passed my probational period.  I've been a GoodLife member ever since.

I'm no model yo!

The title of this post is the name of this photo.   This project was inspired by tough_mudder instagram yesterday's post.  Out of the six (6) featured sled dogs, two looked fierced, one (1) looked tough and the remainings looked happy.

Unfortunately,  I can only capture Okee looking angry when she's modeling. Lol!

Carnival Games

The one carnival game I love is whack a mole or hit the crocodile!  It's fun and I actually win sometimes!

Here are some tips on how to get the most bang for your buck.

1. Make sure the prize system is not the trade up.  The prize size is based on how many players are playing.

2.  Check out your competitions first.   If a majority of them appears to be people you can beat then go ahead and partcipate.

3.  Make sure your machine was a winning machine or a machine that was close to winning

4.  Go in last minute. Meaning you are the last one to enter the competition

5.  Whack-a-way

By employing this strategy,  I have collected many stuff animals for myself!   Don't rely on your boyfriend,  he may promise you he will win you something at the CNE.   It might not happen, all he may end up getting is an ugly one cent participatory prize that your dog will rip apart for you.

A word of advice to guys trying to impress girls,  don't hype it up and then fail to deliver.   No expectations, no pressure.  Yes, we are capable of winning our own toys.  See picture.

Swimming to the finish line

I believe you swim at the beginning of a triathlon so obviously I blogged the order of activities wrong this entire week.  Anyhow,  swimming is fun, swimming pools designed for leisurely activities are very different from pools for lane swimming.   My favorite swimming pool as a child had gigantic floating devices in the shape of lily pads.  I used to hop around each one like a little frog.  Beside the lily pads,  there's also a mini slide in the shape of a frog, you slide out of the tongue of the frog!   How cool was that!  Too cool.

After each swim, a visit to McDonald's is a must.  Let me now draw your attention to this photo.   In the 90s, two sets of gigantic dolls were being sold in McDonald's back to back.   Unfortunately, I was not a greedy child and only wanted basketball goofy so  I missed out on baseball Donald, tennis Minnie and soccer Mickey (listed in order of preference).  I regretted this decision.  When they pushed out the next set,  the less popular one consisting of the McDonald's mascots, I decided to get the entire set this time.   I secretly went to McDonald's every weekend by myself and crossed lots of busy streets and stairs to get them all!  The walk or run took about half an hour each way (I think).   I had to go to McDonald's by myself because we never eat there and summer swimming was over!

Disney made a big mistakes of saying they will no longer partner with McDonald's because they serve unhealthy food.  You know how many reachable child's goals can never be set now?  What if McDonald's serve healthier food?  What if the alternative to McDonald's is something worse?   We all need snacks,  we don't all have a cereal bar, you know!

Anyways,  very sad day in history, when Disney characters can no longer be obtained through McDonald's.

"Just keep swimming... just keep swimming..."

Running towards your Dream

It is hard to run towards a dream when you don't have one,  when it feels unreachable or when you don't feel inspired.

When I feel like what I just wrote, I do things that reminds me of life.  I don't mean to blog like a broken recorder but I have to talk about Spartan Race and Tough Mudder again.   This time with an added companion Pencil of Promise.
How do the three relate?  Well, two of them are obstacle-inspired type "race" with an added component of fund raising for non-for-profit organizations.  Pencil of Promise is an nfp with a leader that is challenging the nfp term.  But I'm talking in tangent so ignore everything I just said.

Pencil of Promise.  Read the book to grasp the meaning for yourself.   This post is Shoes for Protection.  Unlike other animals,  human feet is a lot more fragile.   You can't keep dreaming if you don't have the proper protection.  Therefore, shoes, like pencil, are important.

Discarded shoes can form mountains.  After completing a Tough Mudder event, I remembered looking at a small hill of muddy shoes all piled behind a sign that read something along the line of "discard your muddy shoes here so we can donate them".  I took a picture of this gigantic pile and even posted it on Facebook.   I did not donate mine because I had them since my first Spartan Race.  It was my outdoor race gear!  It was also a ritual for me to come home and wash my shoes everytime after each race.   It would've been funny if I saw a pile of muddy shoes and a pile of brand new shoes in boxes both labeled for donation.   Now imagine if we have a third pile where some of the muddy shoes have been washed.  Obviously, you have to finish last to witness something like what I just imagined.

I hope I can continue to run in these pair of shoes as long as possible.   One of them was almost lost in a pool of mud and most recently,  they climbed the stairs of the CN Tower!

So yeah,  great bag drop system Spartan Race.  I've been using the $3  bag to bag my outdoor race gear.   Btw you can only bring whatever you can place in that little bag into the bag drop area now.   Back then,  there's a whole pile of gym bags at the bag drop area.

I love my freebies before and after too! But if you are too late,  it's all gone (including the water to wash the mud off)!  Anyhow,  have fun!

This concludes another Dreamy Thursday.

Doing Taxes for the year

This is not a post that will help you with your taxes.  Hire an accountant if you need help.

I checked my mail today which is great because I finally received all the bare-minimum required documents in order to fill out some very long and confusing personal income tax forms.  People tend to file earlier if they are going to get a refund and later if they have to pay taxes.  I always file at least a week or two before the deadline because I want to make sure I have everything first and that there would not be a problem when I am sending my completed documents.

This process gets more confusing as you get older because, supposedly, you will be making more money and, therefore, you will now start looking for ways to file taxes in the most efficient and effective manner - cost-wise, time-wise, headache-wise, etc. etc.

As for a simple person, like myself, I don't have much information to fill out on that long and confusing standardized personal income tax form.  If I complete the form incorrectly, the only one being damaged is me.

So yeah, today I basically turned on my computer just to complete those very confusing forms in a preliminary manner.  The deadline is April 30, 2017.