September, where did you go?

September was a great month.  i started out taking a short weekend trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  i didn't have the funds to join my family on their cruise vacation but i needed a break badly.  the entire summer was spent working long hours.  i barely took any time off except when i really had to for medical appointments.  despite working the long hours, i still didn't have the means to take an extravagant trip .. so what does a girl do?  two words: AIR MILES.  :)

i funded my entire trip with air miles.  i've been collecting for a while now and what a better time to use them!  i just had to pay for the taxes which was minimal.  but i spent a wonderful three days in Nova Scotia .. and i didn't have to sacrifice a work day.  the weather was perfect and i saw almost everything i wanted to see .. from wineries in Wolfville, to the tides at Blomidon Park, Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay .. by the end of the trip, the rental car's service light came on.  :)  same thing happened when i went to Kelowna a few years ago.  also, i think i put close to 800 km on the car in 3 days!!  nuts eh??

but it was so much fun.  i am definitely going back because i didn't get to see Cape Breton Island.  a nice retired couple said i had to come back to see it but i needed more time because the drive from the airport to CBI was about 3 hrs way.  apparently it's stunning out there.

on the work front, i recently interviewed for a new contract position and got the job.  the great thing about the new job is that it pays more than my current contract.  but i recently switch projects at my current contract and i am starting to love my job again.  and when i say 'love my job' .. i really do love it.  i go to work early, stay late, i am really focused on the tasks, and it challenges me in new ways.  i have a great boss, brilliantly fun team members .. since it was so difficult to leave the team, i've offered to work part time on with them since my new job is in the same building.  i'll work at the new job from 8 to 4 and then from 4 to 7, i will work part time at my second job.  i know it sounds like a huge undertaking but it's temporary and when you love what you do, it won't feel like work.  i mean heck .. even now, i work long hours and i still have the energy to play badminton!

Speaking of badminton, life isn't all work and no play though.  I joined a competitive badminton club this year.  finally made the jump to the Westboro badminton club.  on any given night, there are maybe 3-4 female players including me out of 50 players.  i don't mind as long as the games are decent.  i need to be careful though .. my shoulder has been bothering me a bit.  which reminds me .. i need to hit the gym for some strengthening exercises.

at month end, i volunteered at the Ontario Wine challenge on behalf of the National Sommelier Guild.  yup, my first serving experience.  i think the organizers were extra concerned for me because i had this fearful/nervous look on my face all day.  but i did it .. no wine spilled, no glasses broken.  i also scored tickets to the Ottawa Food & Wine show.  i got to see all of the wine submissions for the OWC.  other volunteers were eager to try some of the wine .. me?  no thanks.  i wasn't impressed with the line up of wines.  most were general list wines available at the LCBO.  they are not the best wines produced by the wineries .. in fact, my friend Evan was one of the wine judges and even he could tell they were mediocre wines.  it's like why would Beringer submit a wine from their low end Stone Cellars line when they have Knight's Valley which is one of their better mid range wines?

despite that, the experience was great.  i even brought my camera and took some photos of my favorite wine judges. i might also be volunteering my sommelier skills at the tutored tasting sessions at the Food & Wine show.  it'll be a completely different environment so hopefully i'll get better with practice.

with my busy schedule, i missed out on harvest at Norm Hardie's this year.  it was a real bummer because i've participated in the last few years.  i had a dental appointment scheduled that morning :(

after catching up with Evan, i realized how much i missed wine education.  he and my WSET classmates have moved on to the diploma program.  i was really hoping to join them but my health issues at the time prevented me from doing it.  now that my health issues have cleared up, i am looking to go back for more .. maybe French Wine Society?  :)  stay tuned.

Read more...

End of Fiscal Year

in a blink of an eye, it's the end of the fiscal year. this signals a few things ..

1. Tax time
this always has to be done. and this is the time of the year when you get more mail. T4s, T5s, and whatever receipts for reporting on your tax returns. this year, i get the added bonus of tuition. :) will it really help? we'll see ...

2. school semester is coming to an end.
the grape varieties course was really good. i learned so much more and it built on the last course i took with greater depth. this is the pace and depth i like. the wines in the class were very good too. the instructor managed to change my opinion of pinot noirs and sauvignon blancs. you can't generalize pinots or s.blancs. different growing regions influences the final product.

i will miss the instructor as well. many good conversations about different wines with a wine genius.

i've decided to change my route again .. maybe not the beer course either. i switched gears and registered for New World Wine Regions. apparently it is an indepth look at the growing regions of california, australia, chile, and spain ..

the beer course would have been nice but for my own good, it's better to take it at another time.

3. Summer badminton at the RA.
always look forward to summer badminton at the RA. playing feather again. :) lots of cardio and very social. the price of admission is worth it.

4. contract renewal
i've been lucky enough that my contract has been renewed .. i'll be here for the next two years. unless the housing prices start to fall in Toronto, i have to stay put for a while. i'll be back for a visit around the easter holiday. us lucky gov't workers get a four day weekend! :)

i hope my fellow readers/followers are happy and healthy. recently a friend told me that as we get older, instead of accumulating material things .. we spend our hard earned money on experiences - such as education, social activities/sports, and travel. in the end, material things don't enrich our lives .. it's when we experience something new/different that changes us .. that's what i seek out every day. this summer, i encourage you to try something new. blog about it. :)

Read more...

the roses are smelling good

my wine course midterm came and went .. i got an A+. :) the instructor said i did well. i couldn't believe how well i did on the tasting component. the written component was pretty straight forward. i remember when i was studying for the final on my previous course, i over-studied and couldn't remember the characteristics of tempranillo, malbec, and grenache. i was so bummed afterwards. i still did well in the course but i was disappointed in myself for completely blanking out on those three grape varieties.

for the second course, there were more grape varieties to remember .. some i've learned for the first time .. like albarino, silvaner, and gruner veltliner. yeah, like what the heck are those? :)

i'm going to be sad when this course ends. i really learned a lot and i am finding it better than course 1. for example, did you know that wines from sancerre are made from the sauvignon blanc grape type? but a sancerre will taste and smell different compared to sauvignon blancs from new zealand. sauvignon blancs from new zealand give off a fresh cut grass aroma but you won't get that from a sancerre. i think that's what makes sauvignon blancs from new zealand a lot better. :) pair it with some goat cheese and you have a match made in heaven.

next up is vinification. this is a saturday course. aiy .. getting up for 8:30 am? i haven't done that since university! i know i said i might take the food and wine pairing course along with vinification but i may change my mind and go with the beer course instead. since it's a summer term .. what better than to take a beer course? :)

our monthly food adventure to the Lindenhof was good. i'd give it 7 out of 10. i wasn't blown away by the food like i was at the cheshire cat pub, but it was decent. it wasn't decent enough for us to want to order dessert. next on the list is a restaurant called Absinthe.

in other news, i also tried out for the westboro badminton club recently. the club is strictly for strong intermediate or advanced players. i've been looking for an advanced club to play at for a while now because i don't want to pay the hefty annual membership at the RA. the folks at westboro have already told me that i'm a strong enough player so we'll see ..

i still have to think about my next trip back to toronto. i haven't been back since christmas so i know i'm due but things are just so busy around here with school and work. maybe i'll visit after my course ends in April. cuz after that, the madness starts all over again. this time with two courses. oh yeah, if my contract gets renewed .. we've already been told that vacations will be on hold until november due to project demands. lovely, eh? i haven't been on vacation in almost three years. i would love to just get away but now is not the time.

i'll see whether i can plan something for a long weekend during the summer. ideas are welcomed. :)

Read more...

It's Friday!

The weekend is upon us .. what to do, what to do ..

1. Tonight, I have a hot yoga session.  I'm pretty excited about this.  I tried it last week and was hooked instantly.  It's not as uncomfortable as you'd think it would be.
2. There is a tournament over in Aylmer, QC that my friends are playing in.  They have asked if I could go 'cheer' them on.  It's the first tournament of the season.
3. HST Remittance is due so I really should work on my expenses.
4. Debt repayment - this is priority 1 as well.
5. I'm going to try and colour my hair over the weekend.  I've always wanted to do it but never had the guts to try. I'm looking for a change .. I think I'll colour it chestnut brown .. that way, if I do make a mistake, it won't be so noticeable.  :)

What about you?  What are your plans for the weekend?

Read more...

Turning my hobby into a side job

After my first photo sale, I was "hired" to photograph a charity badminton tournament this summer.  It's a four day tournament featuring junior and senior players.  I'm so excited!  :) 

I know I never post samples of my work .. but tonight, I photographed the University of Ottawa Team Challenge.  Here are just a few pictures from that tournament.



These pictures are originals - no touching up.  I'm not skilled in Photoshop yet.  :P  There is a red glow in the pics because the vents are painted red and there is a lot of red detailing around the gym.

Read more...

My first sale - Yay!

Today, I made my first picture sale!  Someone bought a photo I took at the last badminton tournament.  :)

Read more...

2010 Year in Review

Wow. The year went by so fast! It's that time of year where I recap everything that I have or haven't accomplished this year. Back in April, I had created a to-do list of things that I wanted to do over the summer. It was a long list as is .. and during the fall and early winter, I started adding more to my to-do list.

Let's see ..

To Do #1 - Continue taking yoga on a weekly basis.  - COMPLETED
Instead of taking yoga, I started taking pilates at the gym every Saturday afternoon. I love this class and I know I will continue taking it into the New Year.  I have to look for a class elsewhere because my current instructor is pregnant and so she will no longer be teaching the course at my regular gym.  :(

To Do #2 - Take the Wilton Cake Decorating I course.  - COMPLETED
Course 1 was completed. I enjoyed it and will likely take course 2 & 3 in the New Year.

To Do #3 - Take up tennis again  - Did Not Complete.
Instead of tennis, I continued to play badminton. I have met a few friends who are avid tennis players so that may happen next summer. We'll see.

To Do #4 - Experiment with different recipes - COMPLETED
I manage to cook at home every night and I don't mean instant ramen noodles or tv dinners. Every night, I try to make a starch, a veggie, and a lean protein. I also try to bake every once in a while. Some of my best baked goods - mini cheesecakes. My worst? The pear crisp I blogged about. That was embarrassing! :)

To Do #5 - Catching up with friends. - HALF COMPLETE
Every trip back to Toronto, I have made it a point to meet up with my former co-workers or university friends. If I don't meet up with them, I have made a phone call or two to keep in touch. I still have so many people to reconnect with .. I know what you're thinking .. just move back! :) I'm gonna try .. seriously.

To Do #6 - Badminton - HALF COMPLETE
My secret goal was to be good enough to play in the Mark Grantham team tournament this year. Unfortunately, the tournament will be held on the weekend of Chinese New Year. I will be in Toronto that weekend because CNY is important to my family. However, a friend of mine recently asked if I would play in the University of Ottawa tournament in mid January. So even though I won't get to play in the tournament I was hoping to play in, I got asked to play in another. It's funny how things have worked out. :)  I have to rest my shoulder as there is a bit of tendonitis that needs to be 'fixed' before I can continue to play on a regular basis.  I give this a 'half complete' because the tournament is in 2011.

To Do # 7 - Rediscover my hobby of photography. - COMPLETED
I have always loved photography. And the last few years, I didn't have much time for it. In the fall, I decided to pull out my camera again and start shooting. I almost forgot how much it made me happy. I get to be creative and it challenges me artistically. I've been shooting tournaments as practice.  In 2010, I shot two tournaments.  This is another thing I will keep doing in 2011.

To Do #8 - Take the Christopher Leadership Course - COMPLETED
This was another fall/winter goal of mine. I had heard about this course and I decided to take it in the fall. It was an 11 week commitment about gaining leadership skills through public speaking. This course has helped me on a personal and professional level. I started off shaky and for the first four weeks, I kept wanting to drop out. But I stuck with it and I got better and better. I started to see what the course was about and I saw the change in my attitude, mindset, and outlook. I am very grateful for what I learned in this course.

To Do #9 - Try something different food-wise - COMPLETED
I tried my first shawarma! :) It's Lebanese food and in Ottawa, there are lots of shawarma eateries. The best is at Shawarma Palace. I went there with friends after badminton one evening and the line up was so long! You know that's a good sign. My friends told me I had to try the platter. Wow. The platter was huge. It was a dinner for two. It came with salad, rice, potatoes, pickles, chicken shawarma, and the most garlic-loaded garlic sauce. That garlic stench lingers for days but it's soooo good.

I also ate at St. Hubert for the first time. It's like Swiss Chalet. I can say I've been there, done that. It's not bad but Swiss Chalet fries are better than St. Hubert fries.

To Do #10 - Make health a priority - COMPLETED
Funny how this to-do comes after my blurb on shawarma and St. Hubert. :) My health has been a priority of mine. I hardly eat out now because eating out isn't always the healthiest. By not eating out, I have learned to cook healthier dishes and try new food items. My new favorite food is avocado. I only buy these every once in a while because they are pretty expensive. When I want to treat myself, I buy an avocado. :) I've also committed to going to the gym twice a week. I notice that when I don't go to the gym, my energy level drops. I always feel good when I'm finished with a workout. When I am home for Christmas, I will likely spend some time at the gym.

Whew .. not bad for a whole year, eh? :) I must say, I had fun doing everything.

With 2011 starting soon, I'm already thinking of what should go on my next to-do list. Hmmm .. what adventure should I try next? Snowboarding? Ice skating? P90X?

What is your goal for 2011?

Read more...

My First Attempt at Freelance Photography

Over the weekend, I volunteered at the Ottawa Districts Badminton tournament.  On the first day, I helped out at the draw desk.  On the second day, I brought my camera and took a crack at shooting the tournament.

My friend Clem was also shooting that morning but he was only able to stay a few hours.  He gave me some great advice on what settings I should use to capture my shots.  Clem prefers shooting action shots, while I prefer to shoot candids.  I made really good use of my 50 mm F1.8 lens.  :) 

The tournament lasted 12 hours and by the end of the day, I got about 260 shots.  I know, it doesn't sound like much but it was difficult to shoot without being a distraction to the players.  I had to limit my time around the courts because they have court rules (when action is taking place, you cannot walk around the courts).

I will post some of the candids that I took.

I was happy to have the opportunity to indulge in a hobby that I had put aside for a while.  I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed taking pictures.  All throughout the day, I had a smile on my face because I was doing something I loved.

There is another tournament coming up in December that I may attend and try again.

Read more...

Visiting Toronto

I'm driving to Toronto tomorrow night.  Ahhh .. can't wait to see my friends again.  I'm making a special trip back to collect my reward for being able to name all of the animals from Vicky and Steve's safari trip.  Hahaha ..

Anyway, it's late .. I played so much badminton tonight that I'm exhausted.  And I still have to pack for my trip.  Sigh ... I suck at time management.

Pudgy

Read more...

Doubles League - Week 1

Doubles' League at the badminton club started last night. Every Monday night from now until the end of May, I'll be playing with club members who are around the same skill level as me. As you improve your scores, you move up the ladder. If you're good enough, eventually you'll end up in a pool with the city ranked players. I don't think I'll be that good but I hope I end up around the middle of the pack when the season ends.

My first night playing was good. I lost a lot of games but I ran my butt off. So I may start out at the bottom but you know what they say? There's only one way to go and that's up. :) My body is tired though. On Sunday, I did a body pump class at the gym and it's a full body workout. Sometimes when I'm too lazy to hit the gym for three separate workout days, I take a body pump class to work the entire body.

I should get some sleep. Good night.

Read more...

Where did July go?

I've been pretty busy this month that I simply haven't had time to write in my blog.  Do you really want to hear about my chores and laundry duties?  :)  Didn't think so.  Haha ..

July came and went in a blink of an eye.  Where did the time go?  I find that I'm slowing down now - it could be the heat or it could be that I feel like I've been moving at 100 miles an hr that it's really time to slow down and pace myself.

Later this week, my sister and her family will be stopping by to visit me.  I have not seen my nieces in a while and I miss them dearly.  I think the last time I saw them was back in May.

As a heads up to my Toronto friends, I will be in town the second week of September.  Maybe we can get together for lunch?  I don't see myself coming back any time before that .. :(  Just too much stuff going on in Ottawa that requires my attention.  I will blog about that later - I promise.

I'm still playing badminton and training at the RA.  Some days when I'm not focused, I play like a beginner.  I am disappointed in myself when I have a bad night.  Last week, I could not focus and it frustrated me.  I prefer to play more consistently.  Everyone has been training for the CPB tournament in Mississauga next month.  The play at the club is more intense.  I simply cannot slack off.  Tonight is another game night .. I'm on my third tube of feather birds.  I go through approximately a tube per month.  Sigh ..

Anyway, wine picks for the month ..

Low budget white - the Santa Margherita pinot grigio.  A portion of the sales goes to fighting breast cancer.  You'll get a great wine and contribute to a great cause.
Low budget red - Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva (Cab Sauv/Shiraz/Cab Franc) 2008
Big budget white - Beringer Chardonnay 2008
Big budget red - Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2006.

Read more...

Making progress in badminton

Tonight I started out playing pretty off.  My shots were so bad.  As the night went on, I started playing better.  Way better.

By the end of the night, my partner and I beat a pretty good team.  We won 2 out of 3 matches.  I also lost three birds throughout the night.  Boooo.

I think practice does make perfect.  Since I've started to play more often, I think I've improved bit by bit.  Unfortunately, the big toenail on my right foot is purple.  :(  Gotta be the shoes.

I've had my shoes for a year now and the power cushion is starting to wear out even though the shoe is still brand new.  I can't justify buying new shoes.  However, I have asked Kevin at the pro shop to let me know when these go on sale. 

Read more...

Stay Active, my friends.

Stay thirsty?  No .. stay active, my friends. 

I ended up joining the RA badminton club last week.  I joined late but better late than never.  I have played almost every day now and I have to say I'm glad I joined.  The other summer club that I was thinking of joining wasn't as fun - attendance was down and the quality of players had dropped as well.  It was tough finding a good game to play so I decided not to join.  I may drop in just to say hi but won't play there.

The club has dedicated badminton courts so you are never confused which line is in or out.  :)  The club members play with feather birds which takes a bit of getting used to.  My serves were an inch short and my drops are either too high or short as well.  Oh yeah, if you get smashed at, it hurts.  :)  For every game, we have to contribute one bird each.  I tried to sneak in a half used bird but my friend told me that the rule is to contribute a brand new bird for each game.  Darn. :P

Some nights I'm consistent and other nights, I'm just not getting it.  But I never knew how much I enjoyed playing until now.  I am considering joining the rest of the year but it's a hefty $500!  It's cheap considering the Mandarin Badminton Club in Markham costs around $600 a year.

I have been shopping around for a club in Markham/Toronto.  If anyone wants to play, let me know.

I started the Wilton Decorating Basics course last weekend and I already tried making cupcakes from scratch.  They turned out pretty good.  I shared them with my co-workers as I couldn't eat all 12 of them myself.

Anyway .. back to work.

Read more...

September is here

Sigh .. summer is over. It wasn't much of a summer for us - I'm sure it was the same everywhere else too. The weather was one rainy story after another. Well, the good news is that I didn't have to use the garden hose to water our backyard.

I haven't been blogging much because we've been busily trying to replace our temporary shades with real window treatments. I has taken us several weeks to get it right. Not because we don't know how to hang curtains but choosing the right curtains themselves took a while. We've been going room by room, trying not to make the house look the same from top to bottom. Our planning sort of changed along the way as well. At first, we only wanted certain rooms to have curtains and then the rest would be horizontal blinds. After practicing with a few windows, Jeff got the hang of it (no pun intended) and with a big sale at Bouclair - we felt it was a sign. We changed our minds about the blinds and decided to do as many windows with curtains as possible. It was quick and relatively inexpensive. We have completed about 90% of the house - some windows in the house cannot be done with curtains.

Other than doing curtains, we've been playing badminton twice a week for the entire summer. Last time I blogged, I mentioned that Jeff and I were going to participate in the club tournament. We ended up with two medals each. It was a fun tournament but even though everyone says it's all for fun, you can tell that there are those take it fairly seriously. We will be joining the Capital Badminton Club for regular season play. Our old club was for true beginners and only one court was reserved for the "good" players. The club organizer was a super nice guy but we just didn't have much fun playing.

Anyway .. we'll see what's in store in October.

Toodles,
Pudgy

Read more...