Back order

I found out yesterday that the beautiful couch-that-flattens-into-a-bed which I purchased in January is on back order until March 15 at the earliest.

Arrgghh!!!!

So when I have houseguests, they'll have to continue sharing my bed. Well, some of them : ) My sister , for instance, was excepted from that rule during her recent visit, of course. Cuz my family just ain't like that!! We ain't from West Virginia, after all : )

Potential on the menu

This is the kind of mood I'm in today:

Like the pictures of all these flowers I've taken over the past couple of weeks, I feel bright and colourful today. It's just that kind of a day. Beautiful sunshine, snowcapped mountains, seaplane landings happening every few minutes, tankers out in English Bay, green grass, happy people, families collecting seashells on the beach, and plenty of potential on the menu.

Dear reader, how is your day going?

Der Winterstieger

Hey Luscious Lorna, I had the weirdest dream last night.

Remember that antique green Winterstieger ski tuning machine in Base II back in your day? For some reason, I had a dream that you were taking it out of mothballs for another Baby-faced Boys of Base II Challenge and were readying your young 'uns to take on the Daylodge Rentals crew.

And I know that the original challenge was to prepare 200+ pre-set bindings for a honkin' huge Schools on Skis day, but for some reason the old Winterstieger factored into the equation -- perhaps to tune some of those skis for the first time in weeks months years their history.

God forbid the poor kids who get skis tuned on that thing!

Puddle jumping

Six little letters. Many different connotations. Millions of dollars in therapists' bills spent by people striving for it.

Growth.

Throughout the past three weeks of my program, I've been reminded that growth is hugely important to me. If nothing else, I tasked myself with expressing that to the rest of my classmates in my final presentation, and getting them to understand what drives me; what motivates me; what growth means to me in a practical sense. I did a great job of getting that point across, and it was a very useful exercise for me to collate everything I've been working on these past few weeks months years in figuring out who I am, what motivates me, what choices I've made, and the results they've yielded.

But just when I was ready to take a breather after three exhausting weeks of the program, I was presented with yet another opportunity for growth this past weekend. It was an opportunity that came out of the blue, but that I had honestly thought about for a while -- just keeping it somewhere in the back of my mind as a very remote possibility that might present itself at some point; at any point. I guess I'd convinced myself that it wouldn't materialize, so it was absolutely surprising to find myself in the moment, wondering whether to be prudent or reckless, realistic or foolish. And so, for the first time in a long time, I just didn't think about anything except being in that precise moment; just being engaged in the there and then.

OK, so that last bit is a big ol' lie : )

As much as I wish I could say I didn't think of anything except being in that precise moment, I found myself thinking of past decisions and results, and of the shape that things could potentially take in the near, and distant, future. Regardless, it was pretty amazing to be presented with a new opportunity for growth that I just didn't expect -- but had kinda secretly hoped might surface.

So if the past three weeks, plus this past weekend, have all been overwhelmingly about examining growth and its results, maybe it can be attributed to the old adage, when it rains, it pours. Well, then, let 'er rip. I've put on my rain gear and I'm ready to jump in some puddles!

Sorry for being so cryptic about this development, but all will may be revealed in time -- a great deal of time.

Get with the Program, will ya?!

So I'm taking a course. Well, it's a program, really. And it's been very interesting.

This program is offered free to people who are unemployed and/or receiving Employment Insurance benefits and, yes, that certainly includes me! (Unemployed, but with a purpose!) My best friend Suzie took the program about four or five years ago, and had some pretty powerful breakthroughs with regard to previous experiences and how they subsequently affected her decision-making and, correspondingly, how those decisions yielded particular results.

So far, it's been pretty enlightening. I'm not so sure I've experienced the kinds of breakthroughs that Suzie had, but part of that is due to the fact that I've been doing a lot of personal development work on my own for the past 3+ years. Remember that I moved to Sydney and came to several realizations about my motivations and priorities which helped me make some subsequent decisions (namely, coming home to Canada). But first I did my time as a circus nomad -- where the good, the bad, and the ugly were regular visitors to my doorstep -- I feel like I took that opportunity to, again, better understand myself and my motivations much better than I did back in the pre-overseas days.

So back to the program, which I have been telling people is a life and career positioning course, mostly because it's helping people to determine their life and work values. That, in turn, positions them to make better choices that yield will the kind of results that they're looking for. At least, that's what I consider the best benefit for me, anyway: I think I'm better positioned to figure out my next steps.

And, to be honest, I'm not 100% sure what those steps will be, or what shape they'll take. I feel like I had a revelation shortly before taking this program -- one that I feel that the results of the program have so far reinforced and validated for me -- but actually getting to the starting line of that new career path is still a potential barrier for me. It ain't impossible, but there are a few different ways to get to the head of that trail.

Still, this program has helped me understand that there is a way to make it happen. I have to be honest and admit that I don't always take the hard way -- why do that when the easy way is so much, well, easier?! But perhaps now I'm better positioned to understand that I can, in fact, eschew the easy way in lieu of the way that will lead me to the results I seek. But instead of calling it the hard way, let's just refer to it as the smart way : )

So twelve days of the course are down, with three to go.

(And, coincidentally, the revelation I had shortly before taking this program was one that Lorna helped out with originally. So I'll have to call it a re-revelation. Lorna: remember being in The Vortex (ya, the time when I had to send back the burger) and we talked out several different options? This end result that you helped me get to has been in the back of my mind ever since, and the re-revelation was simply the realization that we hit the nail right on the head that day, and that I need to make it happen. And that just goes to show that great things happen when you have great people to talk them out with. Because seriously, it was just talking it out and identifying likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses that helped us get to that point on that day oh so long ago : ) Lorna rocks!)

A glimpse into the past

Just got back from Whistler. Awwwesome skiing yesterday and a great time overall. I love catchin' up with the posse up there and seeing a glimpse into the past years that I spent up there.

Tired. Need sleep. Must do homework for the course I'm taking (two weeks down, with one week to go).

Toodles for now!

That's what 40 does for ya

Apparently, e-marketing gurus the world over know I've hit the big 4-0. Clearly they can sense it; can just feel it in their unscrupulous little souls. You see, I seem to be getting an awful lot of invitations to purchase -- for her pleasure, naturally -- large orders of Viagra.

They're obviously making a statement about 40. One that would indicate it's all downhill (or maybe it's all uphill?) from here.

My first delivery should arrive in six to eight weeks...