Inability to eat initiates 2011 menu plans

Yesterday, I had my last wisdom tooth removed.

Yes, only one, but it was impacted (which meant I needed to be put to sleep for the surgery). I don't like being knocked out - as I'm sure most people don't - but for some reason I was especially nervous yesterday.

Well, the surgery was fine. My mouth is swollen and I'm exhausted, but otherwise I'm in good spirits. I can't drive and am supposed to relax, so I've spent the last 24 hours reading, writing, sleeping and watching way too much television. It's not a bad way to spend a winter holiday, if you ask me.

The only downside to this situation is that I can't really eat anything yet. My diet currently consists of pudding and jello, and I am unimpressed. Normally, I don't really think about food. I'm usually too busy to care. I eat because I need to, and over the past few months while in school I have eaten whatever had been put in front of me.

As I lay in agony last night, I started thinking about all the meals that I love but haven't had the time or energy to create. Things such as pesto pasta with freshly sauteed vegetables, or shrimp and spinach salads, have completely fallen off the menu. They have been replaced with instant lasagna, Subway sandwiches, and chicken fingers, and it is time that I put my foot down.

My resolution for the coming year is to start cooking again. This doesn't have to be a huge process, as there is only Jeff and I to worry about. It also doesn't have to be an expensive process, as fresh vegetables are actually quite cheap. I am not going to let my hectic schedule interfere with the finer things in life in 2011, and I have already begun planning what I will try prepare first.

All it took was a surgery and the inability for me to eat to come to this conclusion. Go figure.

I still want to write!

Something fantastic and magical happened to me this morning. I woke up early, and the only thing I wanted to do was start writing a short story I apparently created in my sleep.

After an entire summer – followed by a long semester – where all I did was write, write, and write some more, I actually woke up and still wanted to do it. I guess that means I am actually a writer...

A Christmas concert to remember

I will never forget what it felt like to celebrate Christmas only weeks after my grandma died. No one in my family was feeling festive, and it seemed like we went through the motions of celebration because we simply didn’t know what else to do.

The person who took it the hardest, of course, was my mom. She had just lost her last parent after caring for her for six months. My mom was a rock as my grandma slowly got sicker and sicker, and I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been to put on a happy face day after day. Then, suddenly, grandma was gone, and mom was no longer needed.

It’s very strange how the most unlikely thing can change a person’s attitude so drastically, but that is exactly what happened to my family. We had purchased tickets to the Barenaked Ladies Christmas Show, and after much deliberation, we still decided to attend. My mom absolutely loves the band, and we needed to do something fun over the holidays.

As the band performed popular song after popular song, I watched as the smile on my mom’s face slowly grow wider and wider. At the end of the concert – after about four encores – we were both out of our seats laughing, dancing, and singing along. It was perfect. We left the concert feeling festive and jubilant. It was a pick-up that we all desperately needed.

My heart goes out to anyone who has the misfortune of losing a loved one over the holiday season. It isn’t easy. My advice is to lean on the family you have left for support. They are hurting too, and together, you can make it. We did, and we’re so much closer because we stuck together.

Merry Christmas, grandma. I love you.

Today in history... famous deaths

I'm not morbid, but I always like to pay homage to the anniversary of my favourite author's death.

On this day in 1880, George Eliot - the pen name for real-life Mary Ann Evans - died at her home in Chelsea, England. She wasn't buried in Westminster Abbey due to her denial of the Christian faith and the fact that she "lived in sin" with a boyfriend. She was, however, granted a memorial stone in Poet's Corner of the abbey in 1980. I saw her stone when I was in England, and it was a fantastic moment.

Eliot wrote Middlemarch, which is my favourite novel. It's about four couples who are (or are not) in love, and pretty much details what not to do when trying to successfully marry someone. If you want to know more about the novel, click here to read my earlier blog post about it.

Berlin

I stand there in front of the wall.
It stretches up to ten feet tall, and I
ask myself how could this ever happen?

I hold my breath and turn around.
I keep my eyes locked on the ground.
I can’t look back for if I do I’ll scream.

I walk alone on a quiet street.
All I can hear is my own heart beat, and
the angry whispers of ghosts no longer alive.

They follow me and know my path.
They dare me to come back, and
leave my mark just like those before me.

So I write my name, and draw a heart,
beside the words that make me stop,
and marvel at the strength of a stranger.

“Here’s a city on the mend,
here’s a home, and here’s a friend,”
is written in an optimistic hand.

One of my favourite pictures in the entire world. That's me, standing in front of the wall. I was moved to tears, but can you blame me?

'Let's make some memories'

The above quote was my motto throughout the last term of school. I realized one morning that life was passing by far too quickly, and I wasn't taking enough time to stop and enjoy every moment. So many people are always wishing for life to hurry up and get going. What's wrong with right now? This is your life, too...

Last night, an impromptu musical trio was formed in my apartment. Coming together to play music is a normal occurrence among our group of friends, but last night we played in a way we haven't before.

Part of the reason why things were different was because Jeff and I recently purchased a new electric guitar as our Christmas present to each other. It is beautiful, and it is the guitar that George Harrison used to play.

The rest of the reason why our music-making was different was because a key member of our band was missing. Our good friend Jon is travelling the world for six months, and he's currently situated in Melbourne, Australia.

We miss you, Jonny, but we know you're having an amazing time. P.S. I'm finally working in the F-chord. I think I'll have it figured out my the time you get back.

Happy holidays everyone, and I hope you have an amazing time making your own memories.

Comfort movies

It's the last day of class. I just wrote my Canadian Literature exam, and I hope I never have to discuss postmodernism again (no offence, Dr. Petty). I'm tired, my brain is fried, and I can't seem to focus on anything substantial.

The perfect solution = mindless comfort movies.

Jeff and I recently signed up for the 30-day free trial of Netflix. We haven't seen much of each other the past few months, and want to use the free movie catalogue as an excuse to spend some well-needed time together.

I started the evening with Anastasia, an animated movie featuring the vocal talents of John Cusak, Christopher Lloyd and Meg Ryan. When I was young, I absolutely loved this movie. I knew every word of every song by heart, and I dreamed that I was the "lost" princess. Looking back, I wonder if this film helped fuel my obsession with history... Probably.

Remember this? Those were the days... Much simpler times...

Next, I moved on to Jetsons: The Movie. Again, this was a movie that I remembered fondly from my childhood. I had forgotten that teenage pop sensation Tiffany sang most of the musical numbers, and that the underground mining area scared the hell out of me.

It's not everyday that I can take an evening and watch mindless movies, and it was fantastic.

The Kayak Adventure: Part II

To read part one, click here.

“Stop!” Scott yelled fiercely. We all readily complied. “Pull your paddles in, and don’t touch the water.”

“What is it?” Molly asked.

“Whales,” he replied simply.

As we all watched in amazement, a pod of humpback whales surrounded our grouping of kayaks. At one point, I could have reached out and touched one had I wanted to. We counted at least seven whales in total. They swam around us with an air of authority, and it was amazing to see the creatures so close. Everyone was silent until we could no longer make out the sprays of water from their blowholes in the distance.

Scott instructed us all to continue paddling. He remained behind, took more photos with his underwater camera, and determined the tiger shark was gone. The whales had scared him away, most likely. Whether they realized it or not, the whales had saved us from what could have been a devastatingly fatal tragedy.

Most people would immediately head for land after experiencing something as terrifying as a potential shark attack. Not us. We paddled for another half hour, and arrived at a coral reef. Scott instructed us all to put on our snorkeling gear and hop into the water. We were going swimming.

If Chris hadn’t gleefully donned his gear and jumped into the ocean, I probably would have remained in the kayak. But, I didn’t want to explain to my parents what had happened if he was eaten or carried away by a whale, so I followed. And, I’m glad I did.

We were in the water for about five minutes when Chris tapped me on the shoulder. He pointed at something, and I followed the path of his outstretched arm with my eyes. It took me a moment to understand what he saw, but then, I saw them too. Swimming up from the depths of the coral reef were three very large sea turtles.

The turtles didn’t simply watch us from a distance. They joined us. Before I knew it, people were touching them, following them, and swimming with them. The turtles didn’t seem to mind. One of them actually swam up and looked me right in the eyes. If I hadn’t been wearing a snorkel, I probably would have screamed with surprise. But there wasn’t anything scary or strange about this situation. The turtles were as interested in us as we were in them. It was fascinating.

Chris and I agreed afterwards that our kayak adventure was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We both experienced the power of nature’s creatures. I never thought I would see and touch a turtle that was almost the same size as me, and I definitely never thought a pod of whales would save me from a tiger shark. The ocean is a magical place, and one never knows what to expect when they step off of land and surrender to its power.

Today in history... John Lennon died

A few nights ago, I watched the documentary The U.S vs. John Lennon. It was fantastic, and provided insight into the life of a man simultaneously known as a musician, activist, poet, and father.

I have loved The Beatles since I was little. I remember my parents playing records in the basement of our house in Calgary when I was as young as seven or eight. I guess I grew up on The Beatles, and John was always my favourite.

He's just so cute!

One winter, I was looking through a bookshelf in the basement of my house when I stumbled across an old scrapbook. It was my mom's, and it was filled with newspaper clippings from when John Lennon was shot. Mom kept track of the story as it progressed, and I was fascinated by the number of clippings she had. It seemed that every single day there was another story about the shooting for months after his death, and the entire world seemed to be hanging onto every word.

On this day in 1980, John Lennon was shot four times on the steps of his New York apartment by Mark David Chapman. He was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m. The world mourned, and 30 years later, we still mourn.

Play a Beatles song today in remembrance. I suggest Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

The Kayak Adventure: Part I

It was seven a.m. on a clear, beautiful, Maui morning when my brother, Chris, and I stepped into a kayak for the first time. We had been on vacation for a week, and wanted to end our trip with a water activity that would bring us closer together as siblings. Along with a group of 10 similar vacationing kayak virgins, we pushed off the shores of Makena Landing with no idea of what to expect.

Our guide, Scott, explained the basics of kayaking while we were still on land. Paddle, obviously, don’t rock the boat, and don’t stand up for any reason. Simple rules that we believed we could easily follow.

Beautiful Makena Landing on Maui's west shore. This was our launch point.

It was about 30 minutes after we set off that potential disaster struck. On my left side, a woman named Molly was piloting a single-person kayak. She’s a lively, outgoing girl, and she walked up to Chris and I to introduce herself within moments of arriving on the beach that morning. When I heard her scream beside me, I thought something funny must have happened to her and she was shouting with excitement.

Turning to look in her direction, I saw that a gigantic fin was rubbing up against the side of her kayak. The small craft teetered precariously as Molly looked around wildly in horror. As quickly as it had appeared, the fin was gone, but Molly refused to move.

Arriving at her side moments later, Scott attempted in vain to calm her down. The rest of our group waited hesitantly, eyes searching the rolling water fervently. Then, beside another kayak, the fin emerged again. Scott quickly paddled toward it, and, grabbing his underwater camera, thrust his arm into the depths of the ocean. He pulled it out a moment later, and had taken 20 photographs of what lay beneath our small crafts.

“What is it?” I heard my brother ask nervously behind me as Scott worked the replay button on the camera. He didn’t answer for a moment as he scanned the images on the screen. Then, with an expression that was a cross between excitement and nervousness, he answered.

“Um... well...” he began. “It’s a tiger shark.”

Glances were exchanged all around the group of kayakers. None of us were especially ocean-savvy, but a tiger shark sounded like bad news.

“Is that weird?” Chris asked. “I mean, is that not normal?” Trust him to ask the questions that everyone else was too afraid to utter.

Scott looked up, and smiled. “I’ve never seen one in this part of the ocean before. Dolphins, yes. Whales, sure. Tiger sharks, never.”

“Are they dangerous?” another person asked.

He didn’t have an opportunity to answer, because another shriek was emitted from Molly’s direction. The fin had reappeared, and again it was brushing against the side of her kayak. Scott looked around quickly, saw there was no large boat in the area to offer assistance, and quickly made up his mind.

When we were told to paddle for open ocean, we were five miles off the coast of Maui.
Beautiful, but terrifying.

“Alright,” he said in an authoritative tone. “We’re going to paddle that way.” He pointed towards what looked like an expanse of open ocean. “We’ll keep paddling until the shark is gone. Okay?” Everyone nodded nervously. “Alright, go!”

We took off. Every once in awhile, we could see the shark’s fin poke up above the water around our group, and it was obviously following us. Scott didn’t say anything, but I could tell that he was nervous.

We didn’t find out until later that it was a 15-foot tiger shark, and that tiger sharks have a nasty habit of trying to eat people. The fin was as long as my outstretched arms from fingertip to fingertip, and at least five feet tall. Scott didn’t know if the shark was interested in eating us, specifically, but didn’t want to wait around to find out.

Suddenly, in front of us, four or five sprays of water appeared.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The theremin

Every once in awhile, I stumble upon something truly fascinating that I simply have to blog about. Last night, it was the theremin.

The theremin is an electric instrument that was invented by a Russian physicist named Lev Sergeivich Termen (known in the West as Léon Theremin) in October 1920. He demonstrated the instrument to Vladimir Lenin - the leader of the Bolsheviks - and he was so impressed with it that he ordered 600 to be made and distributed around the Soviet Union.

Strangely enough, the theremin is controlled without contact from the person playing it. Two metal antennas sense the position of the player's hands. The frequency of the sound is controlled with one hand; the volume with another. The result is an eerie sound that is projected through a loudspeaker.

It's difficult to clearly articulate exactly what this instrument is, so I have included a series of videos to better convey how fascinating the theremin is.


VIDEO ONE: The inventor provides a demonstration in 1920 (and yes, this video is actually from that long ago. How it appeared on YouTube, I have no idea).





VIDEO TWO: An individual uses the theremin to create his own unique rendition of Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy (a beautiful song).





VIDEO THREE: Theremin magic for trekkies everywhere!




Pretty crazy, right? I can't believe I've never heard of one before, but now that I have seen the theremin in action, I think I'll have to purchase one in the future.

*All videos taken from YouTube.