O Canada

14 gold medals: Not too shabby!

Wacky Winter Workouts

Let's get physical, physical

I wanna get physical
Let's get into physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk 

Now that I've set the mood (and have you humming a quality tune), let's talk fitness.

Don't worry, this won't be a cheesy Body Break-esque lecture; rest assured, it will definitely be a cornball post.

But where to begin on my wacky winter workout adventure? I suppose it all started when the cold weather set in...

Ah yes, my first winter away from Western's gym in four years. For the duration of my university career, I lived within walking distance to campus — thus, I also lived within walking distance to the gym. I could squeeze in a workout before, after, or even in-between classes; I could drop in on the weekends for a study break; or I could meet up with friends for Cardio Kickbox, Total Muscle Conditioning (TMC), or Top Guns and Awesome Abs (TGAA). The gym was always buzzing with life and I even ran into some of my professors there, clad in spandex and see-through shorts (true story, but we'll save that one for another day).

In short, the gym was the place to be: It was quite the healthy procrastination destination and convenience was certainly king.

But this (post-graduation) winter turned out to be a completely different story: With a daily one-hour commute to work, I ended up leaving my house before sunrise and coming home after sunset. By the time I arrived at my casa, it was just too cold and dark to do anything outside.

Sure, I could have joined a new gym, taken up an indoor sport, or just embraced the cold like a 'true Canadian,' but my ability to formulate a myriad of excuses seemed to trump all: Western's gym set the bar too high; I'm too tired after work; I don't have enough time; I don't make enough money; I have asthma...blah, blah, blah. But after more than a few frightening overdoses on chocolate, chips, and every other fatty snack that started with a 'c' (or any other letter of the alphabet for that matter), I knew I couldn't hibernate all winter. So I sought out a solution by doing what I normally do every week: I headed to the library.

No, I didn't whine about my lazy, chocolate-injecting lifestyle to the librarian at the help desk; instead, I headed straight for the DVD section. My solution was nestled between the hard-hitting documentaries and the after school specials. Yes, there they were, those notorious workout videos, sitting pretty in all their flamboyant glory: Hot pink spandex, air-brushed abs, perma-smiles, you name it. Some things never change.

On that note, could those tight and bright outfits, those perky personalities, and all that eccentric music really be considered 'retro' if nothing has actually changed in workout video world? Even the DVDs that were made within the last five years remain overwhelmingly faithful to the above themes. It's as though the workout video world has been frozen in time, happily bouncing around in its own bizarre, neon bubble.

And who knew that there were so many synonyms for your glutes? Bum, butt, buns, fanny, tush, tushy, cheeks, seat, rear, behind, backside, bottom, derrière...the list goes on.

And don't forget the plethora of  'motivational' and 'inspirational' phrases that the cheery instructors incessantly hammer into your brain as you huff and puff away: Whittle your middle; gotta keep both cheeks even; feel the burn; pinch rear; burn rear; are you feeling it?; just think about that chiseled body; you'll thank me later; let's not waste any time; tuck it under; pulse it; hold it; squeeeeeze; are you having fun yet?; don't stop now; you're almost there; you can do it; you're worth it!

Whew, I'm exhausted.

Yet without the 'wacky' factor, these workout videos would simply be...well, boring. Perhaps the workout video formula has never changed simply because it gets the job done. And hey, I'm not complaining. Most of the time, over-the-top theatrics are just what I need to get my ass into gear.

Besides, at the very least, the videos keep me laughing. And that's a workout in itself.

On the pursuit of happiness

Tell me what you know about dreams

Tell me what you know about night terrors

Updates coming soon. 

Muse-ic Mondays: Issue 13

It's a lazy Family Day holiday for me, so I'm just going to sit back, relax, and leave you with this super fun video of an acoustic Vampire Weekend concert:



How cute was that? Beauty.

Heart beets

Just enjoyed a little home-cooked lovin' courtesy of my mother (too cute not to share):

Happy heart day!

Muse-ic Mondays: Issue 12

It's almost Valentine's Day and I'm in the mood for love.

Good thing music is my boyfriend: He's always pulling out all the stops.

Anyway, whether you're attached or single, you can always enjoy a great song, right?

Here's one of my favourites:

And so I thought I'd let you know
That these things take forever

I especially am slow

Until next time, keep fit, have fun, and try not to overdose on chocolate.

Soulvation Wednesdays

No, the above title isn't the name of a new weekly blog post (sorry!), but it is the name of a weekly soul music night at Strangelove (587 College Street, Toronto).

I quite fancy Strangelove for its electro music on Thursday nights, but I had never been on a Wednesday until two weeks ago.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience- no cover, $3 drinks 'til midnight, $3 shots of Jack & Jager all night, flatscreen TVs showing old videos of funky performances, an assortment of DJs playing '60s soul, motown, R&B, and rock 'n roll, and people that aren't afraid to shake what their mama gave them.

Perhaps Wednesday night isn't the ideal night to boogie on down, but a groggy Thursday morning spent double-fisting coffee every once in a while is definitely worth it.

For more info, check out Soulvation's MySpace and Facebook group.

Muse-ic Mondays: Issue 11

It isn't very often that I make mix CDs anymore, much less receive them. So it was much to my surprise that one arrived in the mail for me a few weeks ago from my lovely sister, Anne. The occasion? My birthday.

Yep, another year older. Another three candles left burning on the cake for those three boyfriends that never quite arrive; another four seasons of triumphs, tears, and drunken debauchery; and another 52 weeks filled with endless surprises.

It hasn't quite hit me yet, although sometimes I think I'm in denial about my age. But once in a while, I'll look through old pictures, read old letters, or just put on a mix CD and feel content about where I'm at today.

Here's a song from a mix CD that I received right around this time last year:

They want you to sink
But you stood up and swam

Around this time last year, listening to the above tune made me feel quite glum for various personal reasons. But as I listen to it today, I can channel Dr. Seuss' words of wisdom and think to myself, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

I won't go into further detail, but I will say this: In any way, shape, or form, pass music on. You never know who's still listening to that mix CD you made a year ago (and who's still smiling because of it). Music, like happiness, is only real when shared.

That is all.