The Painting of Gideon's New Bowl @ The Pottery Place

I visited a local ceramics shop - The Pottery Place - last summer to paint a cute mug and turtle during a Bachelorette Party, and really wanted to go back to paint something else.

Then Gideon's food bowl broke. 

He's afraid of metal bowls, so we had to opt for either plastic or ceramic.

I scoured the local stores and Interweb for something different - we wanted something special enough for him, but alas, we found nothing. 

I then found a picture of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" while Googling "Unique Dog Bowls" or "Tardis" - I don't remember which. I had seen it before, and knew one day I would paint it (with my own flare). 

My inspiration was in full force and I knew I was going to paint "Starry Night" on Gideon's new bowl.

With the dogs.

And a Tardis.

Just because I can.

So, I went in a Friday night after work, and painted for almost 3 hours.

You start with the lightest colour to the darkest. And put 3 coats of each colour.

With tedious details, I ended up going back Saturday for another 2-3 hours to finish the bowl.

And unlike painting on canvas, you don't paint the background colour on the entire canvas, then paint over those colours...but you don't want to overlap, or the colours may look muddy after the kiln fires away.

Then I had to wait a week to pick up the bowl.

It's not exactly how I envisioned it, but given the painting technique and a shaky hand for outlines, I think it turned out decent enough. 

Gideon and Fynn encompassed in Starry Night while the Tardis flies above their heads.

Gideon even ate out of it and wasn't afraid. Win-win!

I would definitely recommend The Pottery Playhouse in Stittsville, Ontario, for anyone looking to get their creativity on - even if you're not creative, you can paint a one-of-a-kind item that is made with love.

You just have to bring a donation ($ or non perishables) as your sitting "fee," which are then donated right back into the community.

I plan on returning soon to paint one of their new Garden Gnomes - I have to make a Zombie Gnome!

Husband says I should try to sell it. *I* think NOT. I remember the last time I sold my wares...it turned into a 6 year adventure!

Once I'm done my current professional exam, I THINK I'm ready to conquer painting the bird room into a mural. That will be a task in itself!

Yoga On Tap - A Positively Uplifting Experience!

The day my friend, Ashley, told me she was leaving our Clark Kent Day job to pursue her dream (aka Yoga), I was SO proud of her and sad all at the same time.

Proud that she was pursuing something she loved, and sad because I wouldn't see her glowing face and radiating positivity around the office any more.

If you have ever met Ashley, aka the Happy Yogi, aka founder & owner of Yoga on Tap, she just oozes positive vibes, has a contagious smile, and is just my one of my favourite people to hang out with (aside from Husband and the Zoo, of course!).

I knew as soon as she told me in confidence about her plans that she  would excel at whatever she put her heart into. 

I also knew that we would stay friends after she left.  I have like no friends at work whom I hang out with outside of work. But for some odd reason, we clicked from Day 1, and it's been an awesome journey so far.

Yeah. This is us. Being us.

Her initial plans turned out to be not as she planned. 

Anyone who knows the Happy Yogi knows she is HIGHLY organized, and loves her lists and plans.

What did she do instead? 

She went to India to obtain her Yoga Instructor Certification.

A few months later Husband and I went to her apartment for dinner with her and her now-husband and she looked SO excited she was going to burst.

This is common and I love her enthusiasm - it's hard not to get excited for and with her.

She told us about her plans for Yoga on Tap - Husband and I looked at each other, and we couldn't help but to become invested emotionally in this rollercoaster with her. 

What an amazing idea.  And something that the growing beer community in the Ottawa area didn't have.  We had never heard of such a thing before. 

If anyone could pull it off, Ashley could!  And she has.

Because she's an artist, she created her own symbol (yoga character with hops), and does it all.  Marketing, paperwork, projections, plans, and of course, teaching! 

Ashley's mantra for Yoga on Tap is to create a sense of Yoga + Beer = Community.

She is very involved with the local community, supporting local businesses, and create an overall life balance. 


After a great YOT session @ Bicycle Brewery

What is Yoga on Tap?

It's balance.  There are normally 4-6 sessions of Yoga on Tap per season, and you can purchase single, double, or all exclusive passes.

With each session, you meet your Yoga partners at the chosen brewery a few minutes before your Yoga session is to start, place down your mat, and get ready for an exhilarating experience.

You don't have to have Yoga experience.  During your practice with YOT, you are encouraged to go at your own pace.

Ashley brings us through an hour journey of Vinyasas, Yoga Breathing, Warrior, Tree poses, and more.  It's very flowy and relaxing.  At the same time, it *is* a test of your strength and power.  Each yoga practice teaches you more about your body, strength, and the ability to clear your mind of negativity.  It is energizing and empowering for women and men alike. It's such a thrilling feeling afterwards - literally your stress just drips away.

During the session, she uses Red Solo Cups, hops, and beer references to add some beer fun to the practice. And the hour long Yoga session goes by in a flash.

With thoughtful music choices and Ashley's support throughout your practice, you really just  don't want it to end.

Oh wait, it doesn't - there's more!

Next up are healthy snacks (prepared by Ashley herself - she's an AMAZING chef!) and beer tastings! 

After a taste or two, you go on a tour of the brewery.  They explain what they do, their history, go through the beer making process, and answer any questions you may have. 

It's a very social atmosphere and a lot of fun. 

Although the sessions are slated for 2 hours - people generally stay longer as they are too busy chatting and meeting members of their community with some common interests (beer and yoga to say the least). 

So sign up for a Practice with Yoga On Tap, or book your private or group lesson (great party idea!) with the Happy Yogi today!  You won't regret it!

And if you don't think Ashley will make you grin from ear to ear by the end (or beginning) of your session, you're mistaken.

She is a contagious spirit whose attitude and zeal for life is one we can all strive for.

Watch out, World, this is only the beginning for Yoga on Tap and Ashley!

Summer 2015 Session @ Bicycle Brewery

Fall 2015 Session @ Whiprsnapr Brewery

The Naturopathic Doctor Visit

I know there is a LOT of controversy between seeing an Medical Practitioner vs a Naturopathic Doctor.  

I spent 10 years going from Mainstream Doctor to Mainstream Doctor.

I was told to:

- Drink Milk

- Read a boring book

- Get more sleep

- It's all in your head

- Here's some anti-depressants 

- Take another sleep test

- There's nothing wrong with you

...and so on.

I've been to 4 Sleep Clinics (one in the day), the Cardiopulmonary Specialist, Walk In Clincs, General Practitioners, Respiratory Therapists and more. 

I never felt comfortable enough or could remember enough of my symptoms in the 5 minutes mainstream doctors seem to have for a patient before they just stop listening.

I was on "keep me awake" pills for about 6 months. Then they stopped working, and I started falling asleep everywhere all over again.  What did the doctor do? Prescribed me the EXACT SAME PILL after it had been rejected by my body as a solution after 4 months! 

I met my first Homeopathic Healer then (she wasn't an ND - Naturopathic Doctor who requires the same extensive education as an MD), and saw my first glimpse of not feeling like crap. Then I moved back to Ottawa, and just floated by until I hit rock bottom again.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - your worst flu symptoms x 10.  

Where you fall asleep on your friend's couches on a regular basis in the middle of the day and can't remember your words halfway through a sentence (so embarrassing).  Heck  - I fell asleep last weekend on a friend's couch at about 8pm. I just couldn't keep my eyes open.  I woke up 2 hours later, drove home, and went right back to bed. 

I was sleeping because I couldn't stay awake...Husband had enough booze.

There's lots of pictures like the one above. Systic sleeping.

Me when I used the nickname Systic. Sweet 16.

Anyhow. I met my current ND about 2.5 years ago.  She specializes in treating Lyme disease and Mould induced illnesses (aka me).  Husband and I call her my Voo Doo Hoo Doo Doctor.  She's awesome, but whatever she does is weird. And it is slowly working (I tried to go cold turkey last summer, and ended up getting sick and regressed rapidly).

I have gone from walking Zombie to almost normal. Well, as normal as I can be (if you know me, you know I'll never be normal - ha ha).

Today I saw her for the first time in 4 months, as she felt I could go that long between visits.  It was every 1 or 2 months prior to that, so progress is being made!

The appointment starts with discussing how I'm feeling, what symptoms are quite evident, and my diet - food plays a big factor in that whole staying healthy thing.

I need more Protein (chicken, ground beef, etc.) at lunch time to avoid that lunch time slump I have between 1-3 pm. 

I lay on the examination table, put my left arm above my head on the pillow there, and she checks my heart rate and other things.  

I close my eyes, as it's too weird to keep them opened.

She has these plastic letters with different metal abbreviations on them and lightly throws them at my side - weird, right? I've never asked her why...it's JUST what she does.  Apparently where they land tells her what is stuck or elevated in my system, so she can formulate the proper supplements.

Then she pops a few homeopathic ball thingies in my mouth, and uses this laser thing on my ear.  This is to cleanse the crap out of my lymph nodes.  I LOVE this.  It feels like an Ear Orgasm running through my head.  That's the only way I can describe it. 

Then she sticks an acupuncture needle in my ear, as the laser isn't working well enough.  This just sends tingles throughout my body.  I don't know if I'd prefer this over massages, as I LOVE me my massage time!  It just feels awesome. 

She usually uses this cleansing time to grab whatever supplements she feels will help me.

I leave with a more effective Probiotic Powder, and a bottle of drops to help with my Cognitive Function as I'm having a lot of troubles remembering my words and keeping focused.  

Yeah. You know what you get covered by your Benefits for Medical Prescriptions?  Have you ever looked at how much you're saving?  For these two bottles of Supplements, I'm paying your prescription fees out of pocket, as Medical Benefits don't see Naturopathic Medicine as something that should be covered other than the visit itself (which I have to Claim for). 

It's NOT cheap to go this route, and it really sucks that my visits are clumped under the same benefits group as Chiropractor and Masseuse.  I gave up my Chiropractor this year so I can get massages, but probably won't get another massage until August because we just paid out-of-pocket for two supplements.

And she knows I'm on a budget, and would prescribe more, but it's not possible, and she's cool with that. 

I do still use a General Practitioner for one of my prescriptions (she checks my lymph nodes every time), and I totally believe in Vaccinating your kids (we shouldn't have outbreaks of diseases that were eradicated decades ago), and when I get Cancer (it runs on both sides of the family) I'll go mainstream and pray that I won't be ignored yet again.

It still terrifies me that I've had to fight to make no headway in 10 years, but have made so much progress in the last 2. Will Mainstream medicine be there for me and listen when it's something more life threatening?

My Longest Bike Ride - Ever!

So, the furthest I can remember biking is no more than 20 km in a round trip.  Really, it's all my awesome mountain bike and I could do on road or paved path trails.

When I lived in Port Credit (Mississauga), I would rollerblade once a summer with my friend Shea, from home to Union Station and beyond - about 25km.  But We would Go Train back home.  And there were lots of food carts around so we could fuel up along the way.  Why once a summer?  We forgot each year how achy our bodies felt the next few days thereafter.

Annual rollerblade trip to Union

I think I'm currently stronger than I have ever been thanks to discovering Tony and Shaun T (yes, preaching the Beachbody workouts AGAIN). But as I've mentioned before, my Mountain Bike...made me feel weak peddling away.  The first two weeks of biking, I could NOT catch up to Husband.  I felt so slow and unfit.

Now 4 weeks later, after struggling to barely make it 18 km, we did it.  We made it to the edge of Downtown Ottawa!

We used to see Moodie and Highway 417 as the end of the ride before turning around.  Like the pathway on the other side of Moodie was the Dead Zone full of Zombies and monsters that would slow us down and eat us for dinner.

One of our first goals with new speedy bikes was to make it past Britannia Beach on a weekend.  Now we can do that on a weeknight!

A few weeks ago, we struggled to make it to the Ottawa River Parkway Beach.

So our goal yesterday was unspoken, but one we had spoken about over the last 4 weeks since Speedy Road Bikes came home with us.

We kept riding past our normal turn around points...and it just happened.

We sat down on a bench outside the War Museum, fist pumped our success, had our granola bars and snuggled for a bit before deciding we had to venture back home.

We made it!!

We slowed down when we needed to catch our breath, sped back up when we'd recovered, and just zoned out.

It took us 1 hour and 4 minutes to get there, and only 1 hour and 11 minutes to return home.  Average speed was 22.2 km per hour.

Pretty good considering neither of us has ever biked that far.

The day after...my neck is slightly sore, my trigger thumb for the gears is a bit sore, but the rest of my body does not feel like it biked so far.  Boo-yah!  I must be doing something right.

And I slept the whole night through and even remember dreaming.  Most nights I wake up constantly, don't remember dreaming, and just give up sleeping part way through.

Maybe I'm finally on the road to recovery and finally defeating the CFS beast!

And now having a new goal - beyond 50 km!