Bike Butt Blues

Confusion once again. I know what I want--I just don't know the best way to get there. Meditation tonight is in order.

Bought the girls the season of Glee--they adore it. This way I limit them to one show per day. As we don't have TV--haven't had it in 4 years--I buy the girls their favorite series on DVD. I confess, I love the show too: singing and dancing--I live for that stuff.

WOrking out like crazy at Zen Studio. So far, it is great--my workouts are killer and the price is right. However, biking up Knox Mnt has had its consequences. WHen I biked up the other mountain last summer, I used Mist's bike. I have been using my own up Knox and the bike seat has got to go! I have worn my tail bone skin out--scraped right off and it is bleeding (in this case it was lace on underpants rubbing). But also, the seat has caused considerable pain unlike any I've experienced in the past. I guess its the hard core biking straight up hill that puts one in new and uncomfortable positions on a bike seat.

Watched a few classsic David Bowie music vidieos tonight. I must say, I am still competely smitten. I just love his art. He is so cool.

I've completely taken over our finances. Finally! I always resisted, believing I am too busy and since Peter has made the major income--I would wait until I brought in money and then take over the budget. However, it was hog-wash--one cannot be truly atonomous unless one is CEO of their own finances. It is very Buddhist actually--to be aware, present and emotionally unattatched to one's money. 

Being a student is very expensive and we need a new dishwasher ASAP as well as hard wood to replace cat-pee carpets. How shall this new CEO manage? More debit most likely :(

Bikram's & Dragons

Tabs, Nemi, Pip and Artemi as a dragon. They entertained our Hawaiian guests with this creature. You can't see the head in this Pic but it was quite impressive. They made it out of paper and stuck it on the front.

Beautiful weekend. This morning Miranda and I up early for Bikram's yoga--killer as usual. And we recently returned from the beach. Mist stayed home as she is recovering from a fever/cold type bug. Tabs and Nem gathered unusual rocks on the beach and Artemis and Pip ran all over nude singing "Honey, Honey" for all the fellow beach dwellers. I went for a we dip but I was so tired from Bikram's and this cold bug I have that I did no heroic swims. Peter and John chatted on the beach together.

Tonight I shall watch a little of "Office" season five on DVD.

Tomorrow morning a quick early grocery run and then it's up to Myra Canyon for a bike ride along the Kettle Valley railway trestles.

Don't even ask me about my school work. No time to date. Next week I will get caught up in prep for my first class.

I found a new home for dear Silver. A single woman named Tia who is new to Kelowna, works nights and just wants some fuzzy company to greet her each day. She is perfect. I think Silver will be very happy with her--he was so unhappy with us as he hated the kids and Fernando. Still, it has been a very stressful situation for me.

Now we are working on the fence so I can manage Fernando and make my life a little simpler. Fernando is very bright. Yes, he often poops in the house, but he always does it in the bathroom, next to the toilet--if you are considering a new pet, don't read my blog. The amount of work I do cleaning up poo, pee and vomit will turn a saint off pet adoption!

Girls back at piano lessons and loving them. Once all three girls are playing, I want to buy them a baby grand.

The Perfect Weekend

The children's table and
The adult table below.The best weekend. I must write this down, record the weekend for future reference. When I'm bored or blue, I can check back to my perfect weekend and know what makes me happy--fun! I biked all night and sailed all day...dreamy.

We biked on the Kettle Valley Railway line (a high mountain abandoned railway line with world famous trestle bridges, tunnels and cliffs) from Myra Canyon towards Naramatta.

Peter and Miranda were my companions. It was mystical, serene, beautiful and so much fun. It was quiet and near dust, only our bikes and pristine wild BC wilderness. We saw a grouse and her two chicks--their peeps were so cute--they sounded like human babies.

I never wanted to turn around and come back to the van. Even though we'd never be able to bike it in the dark because of sharp cliffs and canyons.

And then Saturday, Peter, Mistaya and I sailed all day on Lake Okanagan. WOW--It was so much work, so much fun and a little scary. Sailing (as skipper) requires full concentration and powerful arms to steer in heavy wind or waves.

And then, following a day of sailing, on Saturday night, we had a party at my sister Miranda's house, she and John hosted a fabulous Thai BBQ for my family, friends and my sister Theresa's family (who were in town for one night only). We danced, sang, told bad jokes and ate a most delicious Thai meal with peach tart for dessert.

Now for today--Sunday--all day on the lake again--sailing away. We had to capsize the boat today and learn how to right it again and crawl back into it. I was slightly terrified of getting tangled in ropes or knocked out from the boom. We sailed to the middle of the lake (800 ft depth) and purposely tipped ourselves. We survived and righted ourselves without incident. Sailing is amazing. Being the skipper is very zen--full concentration. The trick is to remain calm during sudden bursts of heavy wind--not so easy for me.

So, there you have it, a perfect weekend. Perhaps my favorite to date.

However, now I am tired, perfect weekends can do that--and I still feel like I am on the boat when I sit down--that rocking feeling in my head. And tomorrow up way to early...

One Big Step For Melissa Kind

We did it. After years of trying, we finally road our bikes together on Mission Trails. It was years in the making: having bikes for all of us, brushing up on biking skills for the Tabs, a proper carrier for Pip, a van big enough to transport all the bikes...it may be one insignificant step for human kind but it is one giant leap for this family.

That was this mornings activity. This afternoon Peter and I helped move Miranda and John into 380--yes it is all swimming pools and movie stars up there at 380. Then M&J took our family out to Joey's patio for supper. I am bursting with miso-ramen soup. Seriously, I don't want to eat for a week. 

School tomorrow--I am not ready. I am in my confused/summer state at the moment. Serious put-together student was last fall.

My girls are playing in the backyard with the neighbors. Peter is marking papers downstairs.

I hate the cat and miss my dog. The cat has no idea why I cannot stand him. He thinks it is fine to pee on our beds and sofas and carpets each and everyday. 

Mist spent the day with her friend Ashley and Tabs was a big help--the little doll babysat Pip and her two cousins while we (adults) all moved down the street. I came home to four happy little girls playing in Pip's room. And Pip having wet her pants because she was too absorbed in play to want to leave her room. And also, various dishes lying all over the house from various snacks Tabs had prepared for her charges throughout the afternoon.

Oh, and this little tidbit: a deer was behind Miranda's house while M and I set up her bed and through the window we watched as the creature squatted, yes SQUATTED to poop--just like a dog! Who knew?

The big girls just asked if they could go over to the neighbor's for a "Harry Potter" and "PJ" party. I said yes. They are sooo excited, it is amazing how much sheer joy children can discover in the simple life.

JUMP!

My jet-setting sis in New York raised concerns over my lack of blogging. Yes, I confess to letting it slide a wee bit. But partly because sometimes my past blogging was down right obsessive! I felt the need to blog everyday no matter what--I often blogged in a busy frenzy. So perhaps the daily blogs were not the panacea. Perhaps the almost-daily blogs are the very best for me at this time.

This AM we are off to attempt our first ever complete family bike trip. We'll attempt the Mission Creek trail--Pip in the new bike trailer. Peter bought a bike last night--my early anniversary present to him! Then we shall get to the most out of the condo experience with a good long swim this afternoon. The Mist has made plans to go to her friend's house to bake a cherry pie. She hasn't seen Sara in 3 weeks, so I thought it a fine idea.

I did a last-second class section switch--I got the very last spot. After me, the section was officially filled! I am so lucky, as last minute information made me decide that I needed to switch classes. 

I haven't felt completely myself since San Francisco--alittle disorganised. However, I think things are starting to all fall into place. I am looking forward to nailing down my thesis in August--I just need to write about 3-4 experts in the field and speak with them to give me a better idea of direction. These are all the things that interest me, so the thesis study will involve some or all these areas:

-global literacy of girls.

-creative writing.

-children's literature.

-digital creative writing: for or by children.

So as you can see, I need a much tighter focus. 

I am dividing up our family trips into activities. This weekend it is our bike weekend.

Kamloops weekend it will be canoeing (Paul Lake), camping, gold panning and ghost hunting weekend. Nelson will be our posh, boating weekend.

I still have dreadful chores on my plate: fence building quotes, cat new-home finding.

But at least I have switched sections for my summer class starting Monday! Fewf! I feel so good about that--it makes me realize I have had serious trepidations about the section I was in all along. Three cheers for figuring that out!

BTW, Nem and Tabs have both become the most AMAZINGLY skilled swimmers overnight! Their teacher must be good. We are all so proud of them both!

Artemi and Pip both have a nasty cold bug--John too. Miranda and I shared a nasty headache-tummy upset, burning cheeks bug this past week--not too serious though, I am fully recovered.

Oh, Miranda and family will move into their new home on Sunday--so long Condo swimming pool and beach.