Shedding the Winter Skin

Unfortunately, I do not wear pantyhose (except on special occasions) so I can not use that as an excuse.

Tomorrow I embark on my one-month venture into achieving a new body and spirit.

Yup, I start my cardio-core bootcamp. I've already got an email from them - full of encouraging words such "gonna make you sweat" and "push it till you drop" - hmmmm. At least I hope it was from the program and not some porno spam.

Anyway, they also noted that I would be weighed and measured (EEEEEK!) and would have to push-up test(OH), sit-up test (MY) and do a timed run (FUCK!). Yes, so I am not looking forward to that. I have an idea of what I weigh and I only have about 8 pounds to drop so it's not like that part will be too embarassing (but choosing whether I should share that weight with you...erm, we'll see) but I can tell them right now that push-ups are non-existent.

At least I think they are.

Hold on, I'm gonna drop to the floor and try it out.

Yes, so push-ups are nonexistent. As are sit-ups (do crunches count?). And as for the timed run...I'm gonna see if I can skip that humiliation that harks back to Gym Class and just say "What would the slowest time be? A 60-minute mile? OK, let's say I do that."

In the end though I am really looking forward to it. I haven't been so down about my weight lately, except the other night when trying on clothes to go out but anyway, and it's because I know the wheels are in motion. Things will get done, I will lose weight, inches and feel strong and disciplined.

I even signed up to do a Cardio Salsa class at the local rec centre, however the teacher never showed up when I went there the other day. I was even motivated to get my groove on (despite an ever-so-slight hangover).

Surprisingly, I wasn't too upset. Though I had walked through the rain to get there, I was in a chipper mood. I started applying the whole "new perspective" thing to what I saw. And what did I notice by looking about instead of having my eyes on the ground:

*I saw this dog-walking lady that I have seen a few times before. She's fairly old but walks four GIANT beige dogs that pull her off in all directions. Just seeing them come down the street, everyone has to cross to the other side.

*There is one street nearby that is filled with heritage houses, newly painted and restored with bright red finishes and yellow trim. Walking down it makes you feel like you are in a verdant English town, not the middle of a crazy city.

*One street had a colorful tile mosaic embossed onto the corner, right into the cement. It was like permanant street art.

*Winter is officially out. Though the nights can still be cold and the rain is miserable at times, everything is green. Grey sky but green ground, green trees, green plants. There is a freshness to the sea-breeze and tulips have started to come up in some gardens. Cherry Blossoms have appeared on a few lucky trees and birdsong is more pronounced than usual.

*Starbucks is having "Coffee Fest" at the Sheraton Hotel on Thursday. Heck, I don't have anywhere to be, I might as well check it out.

And last but not least, this whole perspective thing has made me want to branch out more into various facets of my potential future. My mum just arrived back from Mexico the other day(she's been gone for 5 months...5 months on a boat, can you imagine that?) Anyhoo, she suggested that why not try out on-camera journalism and broadcasting.

Education does sound appealing, especially as it puts off the whole "getting a real life" thing but I didn't want to go through that all again and be commited to something for two years. However, they do have a part-time course, one day a week for 12 weeks, that deals with on-camera interviewing and skills. You get practical experience too which is what we seriously lacked at my old SHIT-HOLE of a "University." So, come April 16th, I'll be adding a little more experience to repetoire.

Maybe I'll branch out even further, starting looking into getting more specialized...there is an Intermediate Wine Certification course I have my eye on. I don't know what that would get me, but wine is something that seriously interests me (and no, not just to drink...though it helps).

I like this positivity thing. It feels like the possibilities are endless...in a good way, for once.

It's all about perspective

With so much of what we do, so much of what we experience in our lives, it all comes down to perspective.

Over the past few weeks, I have changed some of my perspective on things, important things like myself, my life, my choices, my feelings, my soul...

Maybe sometimes we feel like we are stuck because we are not looking at things properly, or are still looking at things the same way. Thanks to your wonderful comments on the previous post, I can see that everything always depends on how you look at things. How you see the world.

I stumbled across this blog, Courage my Love, today and read a post that made me cringe a little when I realized what "City of Angels" she was talking about. Read on:

"When they ask me what I liked best, I'll
tell them it was you." City of Angels

Yesterday morning I woke up, grabbed my camera and
skipped out into the beckoning day to
search for poetry before brunch. This statue
caught my eye as she has such striking wings - they
look like hands and are so expressive.
I discovered a dusty little cafe with sunlight
that streamed through the old floor-to-ceiling
windows framed with purpled velvet theatre
curtains. I saw a couple standing at a crosswalk
- the girl kissed the man on his neck and he turned
to burrow into her as the light changed to green
and they did not withdraw from their embrace to cross.
I noticed the sun fell all about them but on the other
side of the street was the cool morning shade.
I found a strange little shop with Moroccan treasures
in this window and when I went down the little winding
steps to the bright red door there was a note that said
" sorry - gone for tea and toast please call me on
my cell if you would like to join me."

The morning felt like a small and perfect beginning so
i decided it was the first day of the rest of my life.


While reading this splendid post, I couldn't help but feel envious. Where is this city she talks about? Why don't I have dusty little cafes and moroccan trinket shops where I live? Why does what I want always seem to be elsewhere?

It wasn't elsewhere. This was a Vancouver blog and this city she was talking about was my city, the city I sit in right now as I type this and eye the street below my window.

Maybe if I open up my eyes and look around for once, I too will notice that everything I need and want from life is right here. Maybe I won't. But changing your perspective on things, even if it's just in the town you live it, probably won't hurt a bit.