Hezzobloggo

Creepy Doll Head in the Junction

2012-02-08T16:05:00.001-05:00

Where am I at?

2012-02-08T15:43:00.006-05:00

This post is in response to a comment on my last. I'm not sure if anonymous poster means, "where I am at with my TTC photo project" or "what the heck am I doing with myself that I never blog anymore?"
a) I'm at St. George!

It's random though, I just take pictures of stuff I like at the stations that I end up at. It does make random far trips most appealing (if I am doing them anyway), because then I can "collect" the stations. Like Sheppard-Yonge:

or
b) Busy! Usually I blog for fun and relaxation. With my new improved brain, I've really noticed how much easier it is to not actually produce anything (read the news, read someone else's blog), even if my usual "product" is randomness.

TTC Photo Project Preview

2012-01-24T22:59:00.004-05:00

A friend visiting from Calgary (an ideas girl) suggested that I try and get a shot of every TTC subway station. I have quite a few and a lot left. Some stations have really cool stuff, like Museum station's art, while other's will require a little more creativity. I'll see how it goes when I end up there.

Forgive me Blogger for I have Sinned

2012-01-20T14:29:00.003-05:00

It's been 9 days since my last blog. At the moment I am very tired, and therefore blissfully ignorant of my own sins in the last 9 days. I'm pretty sure they are in the "I drank milk straight from the container" level of severity.

Really I've just upped the level of amount that I am doing and intensity, and I have my hands full.

(Reverse) June-uary

2012-01-11T22:22:00.002-05:00

Toronto has been so warm. Sometimes I forget that it's January. We're getting June-uary, but backwards. In Calgary, June-uary refers to snow in June. Yes. June. It happens. This weekend, June-uary meant a ride to the Leslie Street split in the middle of January. What a treat. I'd post the route link, but Map My Ride is on vacation.

Another Step

2012-01-08T21:31:00.000-05:00

I just played frisbee. F r i s b e e!

City of Thieves by David Benioff

2012-01-03T22:11:00.002-05:00

I walked into a book store in San Diego and was drawn to City of Thieves. I'm not even sure why, but I'm glad that I got the book (I love the Toronto library) once I got home. It's a war story and an adventure story, but not ra-ra violence, plus it's very well written*. Read it!

*unlike this sentence.

156 Lbs

2011-12-30T15:43:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's a little weird to blog about my weight so much. Getting back into shape, it's a good progress indicator. My last weigh-in was on the 27th, and I'm up to 156. 4 hard-earned pounds. I'm sure you are thinking "I'll bet that was Christmas dinner", but I swear it was the good kind of weight increase. My TSH is still not perfect, but getting there. My next progress check is in one month. :)

ps. I can't believe that helmet didn't disintegrate will all 156 massive pounds of me beating it up.

Spongie

2011-12-28T20:12:00.002-05:00

People keep searching for Spongebob, and now they will have another blog post to curse. I have my very own Spongebob chia. Yes, it's true: somebody hates me. ;) The "classic" top-of-head chia seeds are a bit of a fail so far. However, his pubes and back hair are thriving. .....Ew.

Key Words December 27 '11

2011-12-27T09:30:00.002-05:00

Some recent keywords (words used to google search that lead to my blog), and my thoughts on them:

spongebob square pants chia pet. people are obsessed with this at Christmas. more on spongebob chia very soon.
frisbee essay. if you find that on the internet, it will likely be the work of a massive dork. try this instead: http://www.the-huddle.org/
apology letter for lift entrapment. maybe you should write this yourself.
bedshit. not something I want myself or my blog to be known for.
getting back into shape after brain surgery. exactly.

and, my personal favorite:

heather adams sexy time. NOT on the internet, thank you very much.

Helmet Fu

2011-12-26T12:18:00.003-05:00

Cycling in Winter

2011-12-22T21:14:00.002-05:00

December 22nd is WINTER! Okay, so I'm a little excited that I could beat my previous outdoor cycling record of Dec. 1. Anyone who rides through the winter might laugh at me, but I think your nuts. It's not the cold, it's the slippery. Once traction gets dodgy, I put my bike on the trainer and ride inside.

I remember that my Dec. 1 personal best was in Calgary. There were most certainly ski goggles involved.

Today I rode hills in High Park. It was a beautiful day, and the workout made me feel better (which is huge). I'll be honest, there was no manning up involved at all. I didn't even have to wear a toque. So warm.

I did have one cold ride a few weeks ago (-3 C or -4 C). I made it an hour until my hands got to cold. I digress.

Speaking of cycling, I had a unique experience a while ago as I was getting back into riding. It was as if I was seeing riding in Toronto through the eyes of a newbie cyclist. I've heard people say numerous times that they don't know how cyclists do it, and Toronto is too busy and crazy for them. I always just chuckled. They I had to get comfortable riding again when I was no longer super confident on a bike, no longer pretty balanced (it's not like there's mountains) and ready to slam on the breaks if I needed too. After surgery, my balance was too screwed to ride a bike from months.

High Park was my choice for a ride back. I can ride to it in 5 minutes on a wide, quite street. The park is quiet and beautiful, and there is a one way bike lane throughout most of it. Perfect. I was pretty slow, pretty cautious, and really just making sure my balance was good enough to be riding. I see what the newbies are talking about. Some asshole taxi (etc.) trying to something stupid to knock you off your bike about every 5 minutes in Toronto. Usually I find that something between an annoyance and game (not counting the really scary stuff of course). It certainly didn't help that just as I finally was getting comfortable, a suicidal squirrel made me wondered how there are still so many of them. Cute, but F they are stupid.

Since that first ride back in Toronto, I`ve quickly turned back into....me. I`ve been on loads of rides since then. Ohdearglobalwarming, but wow, it`s Christmas and I`m still riding.

ps. Can anyone tell me why runners think the bike lane in High Park is fair game for them now? I run in High Park and I`ve never noticed any issues with the sidewalks. I don`t get it.

I Would Use Two

2011-12-20T15:55:00.002-05:00

This riding guide to Ontario, thankfully a library, is not my favorite cycling book. I did laugh at there recommended number of legs.

Dumb Jock

2011-12-19T19:02:00.002-05:00

For the most part, I'm still able to workout went I am "brain patient-y". It depends on the severity, but for the most part, working out actually makes me feel better. Physical things aren't my problem. My problem right now is mental. Working out mentally relaxes me, plus I sleep better.

Weights or swimming and both pretty decent "dumb jock" workouts. Today I thought of it as a "headless horseman workout". Any other ideas?

Once again, I am very thankful that I worked out before this happened. If I didn't know how how to lift weights already, this wouldn't be an option. I have decent technique (I've taken a course), so weights don't take all that much brain power. Up. Down. Up. Down.

I have had one or two silly sets that go something like this:

"1....2....3....4....5.....6.....7......8......9.....10....11....12.....thiiirteeeen.....fouuuuurrrteeeeeen. SHIT. Oops. Not 12. Damn it."

"1....2.....3......4.....5.....6......7......7......?.......wait. what? damn it."

Relapse

2011-12-16T09:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was pretty brutal. Now that I have my brain back, I have come away with this: I can't work full days yet. Put that way, it's no big deal. It's still only December. This is a problem I can solve. It sure didn't feel that way yesterday, when I turned back into a Brain Patient. We've been calling me Brain Patient to describe my stare-into-space, semi-functional recovery state. For two months now it's been used only as a joke. Sometime along the lines of stubbing a toe and saying "Damn it Brain Patient, watch where you are going!". Yesterday I turning into a fucking eggplant again for the second half of the day. It feels awful, and it's very frustrating. I actually quite like thinking.

Back to it - Life Unsimplified

2011-12-14T00:08:00.003-05:00

As it turns out, going back to work after brain surgery is challenging. I think if this is totally shocking, you are probably an idiot.

I was thinking about work and being able to do more and more, and I've come to a conclusion. Stepping away from simplicity is hard for me at the moment. To get back on my feet, I've really had to simplify my life these last few months. Just being able to exercise, keep my clothes clean, buy groceries, feed myself properly and see friends/Jo was enough for me a long while, and more than I could handle for a long time there. As I feel better and better, life is getting less simple. Even though I'm feeling SO much better, I get frustrated when I'm not.....perfect. Most of the time I feel just like my old self. Yet at times, three people talking at once is somehow too much.

It will come.

Flower

2011-12-09T10:10:00.002-05:00

I thought I would post a picture, since I've been blogging so infrequently. It's one from San Diego.

I think it's a hilarious picture because it looks a little bit like a...like a....ahem.

Lack of Posts = A Tired Few Days

2011-12-05T12:57:00.002-05:00

I've been fighting some fatigue since last Thursday or so. I've still been productive, I just tend to run out of steam before I get a chance to tell you about it. If it comes down to work out vs. blog, I'll always work out. Blogging doesn't exactly require energy, but it takes more effort than something completely passive like reading.

...More soon when I get some extra energy.

Skipping

2011-11-30T21:44:00.003-05:00

Man I'm tired again tonight. I had a great workout today though - weights and skipping. The skipping went really well. It's such awesomely hard work. :) Check out my couple of "misses". I always do this with skipping workouts. Just when I feel really coordinated, I whip the (heavy bastard of a) rope into my calves or back. Worth it.

151 - Half Empty or Half Full?

2011-11-29T23:21:00.002-05:00

I get my weight checked quite frequently at my endocrinologist these days for obvious reasons. These days I weight....151 lbs (!). ! because that is really really light for me. In July, I weighed 163 lbs.

Along with trying to get my cardio back, I'm also hitting the weight room hard. I am heavier when I am in better shape. I'm making sure I eat as much protein as possible.

Trying to get back into shape after something like this is a challenge, a really difficult challenge - as I suspect anyone who has had major surgery knows. Getting cardio and muscle mass back is far from a breeze. But maybe, just maybe, the glass is half full. I also really like working out. I enjoy a challenge. It's fun to get stronger every time I hit the gym, or faster every time I run, swim or ride (I'm doing a lot of intervals because I hear that is the quickest way to get cardio back. I'm also skipping.)

Dec. 27th is my next appointment/weigh in. I don't have a specific goal in terms of weight, but I want to have continued to improve in leaps and bounds (and lengths, weights, intervals - sorry - that's a terrible joke. I'm leaving it in!)

Photo Poll Answers

2011-11-26T21:33:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who voted on the photo polls. Here are the answers to what I was really thinking:

poll 1: "ouch - #*)@!"

Ha - no one got it! I`d just cut my big toe open. I`m heading into the water to try and wash it off. It hurt like hell, but I didn`t want to limp, because people we watching. I tried to look casual.

poll 2: nothing - i.e. spaceout

Good work majority. I am still heavy on the brain drugs here. I might look like I am deep in thought, but not much is happening upstairs).

poll 3: "i am hungry"

Great work one voter. My hand isn`t on the cactus. :) No pain. But...i was hungry. I`m often hungry!

poll 4: "this is fun"

For once I wasn`t hungry! Sorry people. I have having fun. it was quite a nice gallery.

Nephew and Sis in Toronto

2011-11-24T23:23:00.002-05:00

I've skipped a week of blogging because my nephew and sis were visiting me. Check out what a little looker he is!

(photo credit: Jo)

(providing good contrast in the background credit: me)

:) Almost "Normal"

2011-11-24T23:22:00.001-05:00

Damn near back to normal. It was something like 2. My progress off the brain drugs was SO much faster. :)

TSH is....

2011-11-16T00:29:00.003-05:00

I don't know, but I go see my endocrinologist tomorrow. I really hope my lab results are in. I went to the hostipal Monday only to learn the lab was mysteriously closed. There was a huge backlog of people today, so I waited close to two hours. Bleh. I need results!

Sorry for my lack of blogs since getting back to Toronto. I've been a bit overwhelmed. It feels like I've been gone since mid-August. I was really only away for a month. Since mentally I was only half here before, it feels like longer.

My sister and nephew arrived today for a visit! :)

Goodbye San Diego, Hello Toronto

2011-11-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

poll 1 - in this photo, I am thinking....

2011-11-09T02:10:00.001-05:00

Polls 1-4: Can you read my mind? What was I thinking in each photo? Please answer the polls on the mainpage. The photos will be familiar if you read my blog. Answers to follow.

poll 2 - in this photo, I am thinking....

2011-11-09T02:02:00.004-05:00

poll 3 - in this photo, i am thinking....

2011-11-09T02:00:00.001-05:00

poll 4 - in this photo, i am thinking......

2011-11-09T01:55:00.001-05:00

Vancouver's VanDusen Botanical Garden Centre - B.C.'s first Living Building

2011-11-08T18:20:00.003-05:00

Take a look at the visitor centre. It looks pretty cool. The Living Building Challenge is interesting, and the brain child of a Canadian. Click here to see more details on the building and how it works. Unfortunately their website is such that you will have to click the "click here to see VanDusen's exciting future" red banner to check out the links the green box. I'd link it for you but VanDusen's webdorks won't allow it.

The website says "opening in October 2011". Does anyone (Vancouver?) know if this has been built yet?

First Run/Balance is Back

2011-11-07T00:26:00.004-05:00

I went for my first run today. :)

The other day I had my first bike ride too. Until very recently, my balance (or lack thereof) deterred me from trying to ride. It seemed next to impossible. I included the video just to show how normal I felt on a bike. A few weeks ago I could hardly stay walking on the sidewalk once I got tired. A few days ago, I filmed this while casually pedaling. YES, I was wearing a helmet!

Pecoff Gallery San Diego

2011-11-06T01:19:00.002-04:00

Tonight, I saw Grant Pecoff''s gallery in Little Italy and even got to meet him. I really like his art, and the gallery itself was well done. Check out his art here.

Coranado

2011-11-04T02:32:00.000-04:00

Hiking at Home

2011-11-02T00:50:00.004-04:00

I`m still in San Diego, but I`m skipping back to a blog on hiking when I was in the mountains. Jo was out west with me for five days, and I felt well enough to do a little hike. Cascade Mountain is my favourite hike in Alberta. If you are in or near Banff, Cascade can`t be beat - check out the scan of the scramble guide. It`s really challenging (especially the boulder scramble) and it`s a grind (9 hrs round trip, with loads of climbing), but the pay off is fantastic. The view of LakeMinnewanka from the summit is excellent, and the hike is a serious workout. It can get intense - the red crosses (see the guide) is where people have had `serious accidents``. There have been fatalities.

Jo and I made it to the top.......of Grassi Lakes (a nice hike, but the kind you take your kids on) (Please tell me you didn`t think we`d try to hike Cascade??? Not a change. I`d have needed those helicopter rescue hand signals after 15 minutes. I only included the scramble guide because I love the hike and wanted to tell you about it.

We had a good time hiking Grassi and I felt...stable (if that makes sense - my balance was good and I didn`t have an energy crash).

It went so well that I wanted to hike Sulpher Mountain the next day. Sulpher used to be so cool. If you slogged the two hours of non-technical switchbacks, you could take the Gondola back down for free. I was very disappointed to learn this former awesomeness is no more. A lift down is now $17. Jerks. In the end, I was WAY too tired the next day to do it anyway. Instead we walked up to the hotel. (There is a little urban hike you can do up to the BanffSprings, which take you past Bow Falls. It`s easy but beautiful). At the hotel, I had to sit drooling in a chair for about half an hour before I could move. Poor Jo just had to sit and wait. It was probably longer than a half hour. We seriously contemplated taking a taxi back down (about a 20 minute stroll). I made it! (ie walking).....barely.

Such a fun weekend.

San Diego Starts

2011-11-01T01:48:00.009-04:00

I've left Calgary for a little shorts-weather in San Diego. I'm with my parent's, who renting a beautiful house in central Little Italy. I'm so glad my parents could make this happen. There is NO WAY I could do this on my own right now. The central house also means that I have amble opportunity to rest. It's an ideal set-up. Here are a couple of pictures of where I am staying, and my first two days here.

Sleeping Buffalo

2011-10-30T23:23:00.003-04:00

While I was home, I was very pleased to get a little mountain time. Even when I lived in Calgary, I missed the mountains any day that I didn't play in, or at least see them.

Check out this sweet shot of Sleeping Buffalo Moutain that Jo capturing. If Sleeping Buffalo doesn't ring a bell, you may know it as Tunnel Mountain. (I think Sleeping Buffalo > Tunnel Mountain as much as Heather "Sexy" Adams > Heather "Boringoldfugly" Adams). Who ever thought changing it to Tunnel Mountain was a good idea?

9.61

2011-10-29T02:31:00.001-04:00

Progress!

My Flu Shot Will Make Me Stornger

2011-10-29T02:20:00.003-04:00

On lighter note, (so that you don't need to get a block of Kleenex before reading my blog) I did an arm workout the day before yesterday. I had forgotten that only some of my free weights made the trek to Toronto. I still have a few in my parents basement. I'd like to take these ones (it's just the heavier plates), but they would be hard to get back. I remember taking the other ones back after Christmas one year. My suitcase was so heavy! I'm sure the baggage handlers must have hated me, and I remember hating myself a bit on the TTC home. Still worth it.

Anyway, the arm workout.

I was all pleased with myself. Today I was even MORE pleased, as my left tri had a solid muscle ache on all day. After mentally patting myself on the back several times today, I remembered..... my flu shot yesterday.

Pps ...Twenty?

2011-10-29T02:04:00.004-04:00

Pps (from yesterday): rough news - just as my health finally seems to be improving, I found out that my Mom's is slipping again. I'll spare you the details (at least in blog form), but I will say that 20% is not a lot of kidney function. Twenty. Percent. ....Twenty.

I was hanging out in the hospital with her for a few hours today while she got a blood transfusion. If you can give blood, please think about it. You can make an online appointment these days. I wish I could put my money where my mouth is, but I can't. I've been blacklisted since my thyroid cancer days (2003?). I wonder if I has only had this aneurysm if that would be enough to blacklist me. Don't get me wrong - I'm very thankful they protect the blood banks supply.

Hangover Diary

2011-10-28T03:25:00.002-04:00

Dear Diary,

Today had some rough moments. I felt.....like I was hungover. After breakfast I headed out to meet up with a friend for coffee. I couldn't find my headphones and was all annoyed that I eventually had to leave to walk to the coffee shop without music. I got to the coffee shop to discover that a) I was 24 hours early and b) my headphones were in the toque I worn that morning. In other words, both were on the top of my head. hahaha.

Maybe I am just getting a cold, but my head ached, I was tired all day and my morning walk left me feeling shaky. I don't know why I am tell you - admit it, Diary, you have had a hangover before. You know what it feels like.

p.s. Caps went 1-2 today. I know they are going to be fired up for day 2.

p.p.s. More on the day's biggest rough moment tomorrow.

What Being Hypothyroid Feels Like to Me

2011-10-26T15:36:00.002-04:00

Hypothyroidism is so strange. On the outside I look normal. There are standard symptoms and simple blood tests, yet I was wondering if everyone experiencing this does feel just a different. It also occurred to me that my doctors have no idea how this really feels. I have been doing a lot of comparison to the first time I as extremely hypothryroid. I'm counting anything I've clearly experienced twice to be a symptom and therefore not to be "brain".

Once i get better, I start to forget what it feels like. I wanted to document it while it is fresh - in no particular order:

tired (obvi - but I mean really tired. Not necessarily sleepy - but often so tired I was only really "awake" for about 2 hrs after waking up in the morning. then i would lose it a bit, and spent the rest of the trying to recover).
brain fog - (dumb, easily confused, forgetful, s l o w. I don't forget how to do math - I forget math exists).
lack of sex drive (embarrassing to admit, of course, but very true, very real, and very weird)
susceptible to cold (brrr)
lower pain tolerance
decreased appetite (as in I eat less, but also as in I rarely feel hungry. Instead I just get even more tired).
forgetful (ha)
spacey (really spacey. my mouth hangs open and i don't blink enough. it can be mid-conversation, or mid-sentence).
sensitive to loud noises (loud noises feel like they are almost causing me physical pain.)
easily overwhelmed/overstimulated (busy places cause me to shut down. i can't stand it. my brain just stop working. i once got stuck in an IKEA and didn't recover for literally 3 days. I'm not sure how long I was stuck - 20 min? I went with my family when I was too sick to do much else. i didn't realize there was a (gasp) SALE. i told my family i would wait outside, but got overstimulated so fast i couldn't get back out. you know how IKEAs are kind of one-way? they want you to stay, and i was very easily fooled. I disliked IKEA (the store itself - I liked and still like a lot of their stuff) for years after.
fat (this SUCKS. my metabolism is shut off. OFF. plus it's so hard to get any exercise. i would go for walks, have to keep sitting down, and then feel like shit the rest of the day. i can't stress enough how unlike normal life it is).
lethargic (recently - ie this time through - maybe 3 weeks ago? i have this striking memory of trying to get from one chair to another. all i had to go was go to the table, 2 ft beside me, to eat a meal prepared for me that i knew would make me feel better. you know when you need to screw up your face, clench with your fists and grunt to move or get up? this is nothing like that. if i could have done all that i would have moved in a second. it felt closer to having to flex my soul. ;))
emotional (just like it sounds).

I get another TSH test tomorrow. I'm hoping for 8. :) (Last was 13, maybe 3 weeks ago. I am on a new synthryoid dose so big it's measured in mg instead of ug. it's the Notorious B.I.G., the Rita McNeil, the fridge of synthryoid. Come on....8!

Toronto Tempo

2011-10-25T20:01:00.002-04:00

If you haven't watched it, check out this video: Toronto Tempo by Ryan Emond. It makes me miss Toronto.

Ninja Turtle Noses

2011-10-19T18:57:00.004-04:00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Noses are funny.

I Love Bowness

2011-10-19T02:00:00.002-04:00

I grew up in Bowness. It's always a hoot to come back. I really do love Bowness. There are I Love Bowness stickers are on bumpers all over the neighbourhood - the same stickers were in my hospital room in Ottawa. (They come from a classic Bowness anchor, Bow Cycle.

The neighbourhood, which used a small town back in the day - it even had a street car. Then and now Bowness is in a beautiful river valley with lots of trees, a few wild escarpments, a favorite from my childhood, Bowness Park - still popular for skating etc.

Bowness also has an edge. The car in the photo is parked just a few minutes on foot from my folks place. It looks like it's been there since the street car ran. Don't miss the McDonald's cup on the end of the 2X4. It's been there for days - does it live there? Should I sneak over late at night and swap it for, say a ceramic chicken? Or something else that I can drum up in the basement.

The number 1 bus, which runs between Bowness and Forest Lawn way on the other side of town, if known as the dodgiest bus ever by all people who have never been to Scarborough. I took it downtown today and I was not disappointed. In Toronto, there is a handy display on all buses to tell you what stop you are at. You can read it, or they also make a verbal announcement, sometime including a major landmark (for me it's always St. Joe's - the hospital where I see my endo). The Bowness bus doesn't have this. Today, there wasn't even a sign on the bus that said what bus it was. Just a blanked out light display.

Ride highlights:

a kid who looked no older than 10-years-old bragging to his.....gang (?) about getting high, going to Woods school (the school for juvenile delinquents), trying to get a *unbloggably filthy adjectives in proliferation) girlfriend, but a bigger kid stole her (he's "gonna fuck that kid up"), and how he once got in a high speed chase with the police on his skateboard. His voice reminded me of the little girl in Poltergeist.

a 20-something man loudly explaining over a cell phone that "she was the reason he was moving back to NS. well, family a little sure. but it's mainly you baby. no no really this time. this time it will be more better".

a man carrying a duffle bag that said "Uranus Travel and Tours".It looked like a legit business. It had some overseas phones numbers in small letters and uranus@emirates.net.ae. He looked like an accountant.

How Embarrassing

2011-10-19T00:38:00.004-04:00

I haven't had much to say (blog) since getting back to Calgary. I'm just doing my new uje^ (ie. recovering), plus seeing my family* and catching up with some friends*.

I suspect it's because it's a bit embarrassing how little I have on the go right now. Will all the excitement building around UPA's, I'm trying motivate myself to keep walking at a brisk pace with the playlists I usually use for screaming lungs and jelly legs. Embarrassing. Small children easily beat me up a hill in Toronto the other week.

In better news, I did have the best day for energy, clarity and "athletics" since surgery. In that hour, which involved walking up stairs (doubles and singles) walking quickly or jogging (!) down, some "weights" (squats with my body weight, calf raises) and a bunch of abs felt like so much more than a workout. It felt like being myself again, if only for an hour.

^ abv. of usual

*obviously exempt from said 'little on the go right now".

Video Chat Pic - Jo and Ledger

2011-10-17T20:43:00.000-04:00

Go Climb a Tree

2011-10-16T13:02:00.002-04:00

Since I haven't had too much to say (blog-wise) the last couple of days, I'm posting another picture from the photo shoot - this one of my Mom and I in a tree. :) My photographer friend Heath O'Fee has recently posting some great shots from his trip to New York on his blog.

Summer Fun

2011-10-12T10:01:00.010-04:00

Naturally since these photos are good, I owe photo credit to friends: Boulder Creek swimming was Mal, and wakeboard shots were Mere.

Brain Drain

2011-10-12T09:51:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to post this photo for a while. It's so gross! Be sure not to miss the little bag of my brains. ;)

Unlucky Number 13

2011-10-11T23:50:00.002-04:00

When I left the hospital, my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level was over 17. For me, it's meant to be less than 1.

With an upped dose and some tweaking, my TSH was 13 about a month ago. 13 is still super hypothyroid - sleeping 12 hrs a night, brain fog, etc. Today was my test to see how much progress I had made in a month.

Today, my TSH is......13. :(

Attire Dilemma and R.e.a.l. Swimming

2011-10-11T23:46:00.001-04:00

Low:

I was having a less-than-ideal morning. I was feeling really really bad - tired, bleary, confused, with horrible stuff running through my head like my brain bleeding again and needing more surgery. As I was dressing, I pulled out my Caps jersey, thinking it would give me a little extra strength. I then had flash of going into the hospital the last two times I had put it on. I threw it back with shaky hands, cried a little, and picked something else - my Capitals ship t-shirt.

High: I had a really good swim. One swim ago I ditched the flutter board for a couple of lengths and did a little froggy swimming. Is there a real name for that? More recently, I did a bit of flutter board, way more froggy than the last time a.n.d. some real swimming! (aka front crawl). I think I might have even been first in the ladies 32- to 107-year-old category. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Carla would have been horrified at my technique. But it almost felt like a real workout.

Next time, if I need a little more motivation, I might try the fast lane (not in a million years). I think they release sharks. It's the only explanation I can think of for why this dude could possibly splash that much.

ps. I wrote this several days ago. The astute reader (ahem-stalker) may note that I have since worn my Caps jersey. (I'm wearing it High Park in the bridge pic)

Impostor Blog!

2011-10-10T14:58:00.001-04:00

http://hezzo.blogspot.com

Thanks-giving/-yous

2011-10-09T14:29:00.005-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

brain: If I owe you a thank you card, (there are many people who did so much for me), sorry, I haven't forgotten! They are coming at brain patient speed.

High Park

2011-10-09T13:28:00.013-04:00

On the days that I can only walk, it's really nice to do it in High Park. I love High Park. It's big enough that it's almost possible to forget you are in a city.

Sometime it's good laugh. We were sitting at a picnic table after one walk, half because it was a beautiful day, and half because I needed to sit for a while before I could continue:

one of the least athletic girls I've even seen, wearing some sort of legging/high boot combo, tried to throw a ball for her friends dog. She had loads of space to work with, but somehow managed to throw it baseball-style foul, only about a meter, over a fence. I usually try to refrain from laughing out loud at people if they aren't my friend, but this was an exception.

We got "attacked" by "gremlins". These little dogs - bundles of long hair, round loving eyes and tiny under bites - not peeky-poos (my name for brainless little yap yap YAP "dogs") but gremlins came flying out of nowhere. one l.au.n.c.h.e.d. itself into my lap, leaped off onto Jo's lap beside be, followed by another one that launched over my shoulder from the upper part of the picnic table etc. They were so hilarious and cute. :) Afterwards I asked Jo if there were two. Incorrect - three! Priceless.

All photos below by Jo Elias:

I wanted to collect this piece of litter and was working out some some of MacGyver-style way to collect it. Jo had to gently suggest that I could hop the tiny fence and pick it up. Oh. Yes. That could work. I look...special in this picture.

Ledger, another big fan of the High Park off lease area:

Ew!! Okay cool, and great shot -but EW!

I wanted to take a shot here 6 months ago, but didn't have a camera. I like it. :)

There is an allotment garden in the middle of High Park. Very cool. They are currently growing my favorite, testicle squash.

Catching Fire and Mockingjay

2011-10-07T18:27:00.004-04:00

I've now finished Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games trilogy. Read them! You can borrow mine. I tried to get them from the library, but Catching Fire had 800 holds. Sometimes I would wait, but this is not one of those times.

The whole trilogy is great. It's a captivating, super-fast read. I can hardly believe the series is intended for teens, because it's so violent. I like the Collin's made it a trilogy and didn't milk it into a tiring series.

I liked Catching Fire basically as much as Hunger Games. :)

Mockingjay was my least favorite of the three, although it was still a fun and captivating read. I didn't like it as much as the other two because it has more focus on military tactics and politics, and it's even more violent. It does have an solid message about peace.

I was a little disappointed in Mockingjay's primary villain, President Snow. He is described as having snake-like features. That villain has been done already, and I suspect You-Know-Who it is.

That's just a tiny beef with an excellent triology.

Solo Travel (Post in Response to Comments)

2011-10-06T18:39:00.002-04:00

No one is traveling with me this time. I'm fine to go on my own. I think I might take craploads of luggage, just because I can. My lifting restrictions are over. I'm even going to be smrt this time and not sit in an aisle seat with the right side of my head exposed. The only thing I will need to focus on is making sure I am awake when I am supposed to get on the plane. I'm sure the flight attendants with wake me up if I am still sleeping when I need to get off it. I also am likely to have issues remembering my ticket, ID, and carry on, but perhaps some mitten-strings (you know, like kids used to have) would serve me well.

Sweet Shot of Me

2011-10-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

Okay THIS is the Sweet Photo

2011-10-06T14:02:00.004-04:00

Kidding! This is the amazing photo. The other one I have double-filed under B (barf and blackmail). This is my favorite photo of myself, possibly ever. It was in the wall in my hospital room (thanks). It was taken at National in Ottawa this year but none other than the extremely talented Marc Hodges (not to mention a really good guy). For more of his photos, check out his photoblog here.

Calgary - Oct 12 to...25(?)

2011-10-06T13:57:00.001-04:00

I will be back in Calgary new week for 10 days or so. We should get together.

More Tired - is it Possible??

2011-10-05T23:01:00.002-04:00

I've had a few mega-tired days (or should I call them even more tired than tired days) or late, and while I'm not surprised, I was wondering why. If my TSH levels are dropping slowly, shouldn't I be feeling less and less tired? I almost feel more tired after my follow up in Ottawa. Then I had a brain wave (ha! as if). 1. it's really hard to tell. it's hard to remember how tired I was before because I'm spacey 2. I'm doing more (way more), because I'm allowed now. Prior to my Sept. 20 I was told that I absolutely could not push it. When I got tired, I was to stop. Since this isn't the case any more, I'm trying to do a lot more "exercise".

ps. funny typo: my first attempt at "spacey" came out "scary".

pps. i will blog about something other than fatigue soon....zzz

Yesterday

2011-10-04T14:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a day of mega-fatigue. It comes and goes. I got up in the morning and had a hard time hauling my butt to the pool. I enjoyed my swim, and would call it a success (I got a small workout, I did not drown = success). I more or less spent the rest of the day trying to recover from the swim. It might not have been the swim - just a tired day. I was still tired after a 3 hour nap.

I feel much better today. :)

I've now finished all of the Harry Potter's, which were great. I'm sad that I am done. Thankfully I can drown my sorrows in Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy.

ps. sorry - I know this blog is pretty lame. I'll do better tomorrow!

HP 5 and 6

2011-09-29T20:55:00.003-04:00

I suppose after so much happening, I should be thankful not much is happening.

Harry Potter 5 and 6 where are enjoyable as they were the first time round. :) It had been too long since I'd read them, and the first time through there was a fair amount of time between readings.

I was surprised how dark #5 was. With the obvious exception of Cedric Diggory in #4, I didn't think the story really got dark until #6. I was wrong! I didn't recall that Hermione nearly gets murdered (Avada -, the first word of the two-word killing curse before the attempted murderer gets pushed over {or something}) or that Neville get's briefly tortured by the woman who tortured both his patents into insanity. Eep!

I liked how Professor Slughorn, who thoughout #5 can't get Ron's name right. At one point he calls him Rupert. Coincidence, a shout out to Rupert Grint? (The actor who plays Ron).

The end of #6 took a while to read because it was hard to see the words through my tears. Oh come on - you cried too, admit it!

Me :)

2011-09-29T20:17:00.003-04:00

When I was recently back in Calgary, my family did a photo shoot with my good friend Heath, all thanks to Jo. Heath is a really fantastic photographer - but don't take my word for it - check out his stuff at here. I especially enjoy his mountain shots, as they remind me of, well , the mountains.

This photo of me was taking barely over a week after I was discharged from the hospital. And this is my surgery side! Can you tell?

(Thanks again Jo and Heath).

Adumbs

2011-09-28T12:51:00.002-04:00

One of the symptoms of hypothyroidism that I get pretty bad is brain fog. I tried to find a decent internet site on this, but they I didn't get past those lame discussion sites. I did read a funny one that called brain fog akin to having a "senior moment". It's basically forgetfulness and lack of concentration. It comes and goes for me. When I have energy, I'm mentally normal. When I don't, I turn into Adumbs.

I get overstimulated easily by things like crowds and noise. In which case, I shut down quickly. First I start staring blankly off into space every-s0-often, if I don't disengage, I can start to get awkward. In conversation, in an attempt to cover how out of it I am feeling, I say things like, "Who are your fish doing?"and answer all questions , "heh heh heh".

A few recent examples:

I was at the National Gallery (Ottawa) with my Mom and aunt the other week (I love that place). I also love Group of Seven stuff, especially Harris'. The gallery had one that I really love (this one). I said to my aunt, "We don't have this one at the AGO!" (Toronto)

aside: maybe two hours at the gallery? seats in most rooms. I slept for 2 hours as soon as I got back.

Recent I thought "...(mind blank mind blank mind blank)........Was I thinking something?"

A "Real" Workout!

2011-09-23T16:10:00.003-04:00

I went swimming today! A workout! It wasn't much, but it was a first step back in the battle I have in front of me.

I swam with a flutter board (aka floatation device), and I made it maybe 25 minutes with two substantial breaks. It was exhausting. It was strange to have a workout were I barely felt my heart rate increase and zero muscle stiffness, yet I had to shuffle home after. Getting out of the pool, dressed and home seemed like a major feat after. But...it went well. It's a good start. :)

Internet Surgery Reading

2011-09-22T18:01:00.003-04:00

I was doing a little reading and looking up pictures on the Internet last night about my surgery. There were a few decent site's, and of course lots of terrible ones as well. For my favorite, click here. What I liked the most was that the diagram man has my exact scar - although I'm not sure why I would think he wouldn't. Also, the article explain a bit more about how they (likely) the removed bit of my scull back on (which I was wondering) - and I just might be able to find the places that they anchored it!

Overall, reading the website late at night was.....terrifying.

ps. Being back in the same area I "lived in" in the Civic was weird. (I was there for a follow-up).

Reading

2011-09-19T13:01:00.002-04:00

I've been reading a lot since dropping out of contention. At first I didn't like to read, because it highlighted that my vision felt weird. Now my vision is just fine. I started with Harry Potter 1 for a few reasons. I've wanted to reread the series for a while now, there no new movies coming out and...it was about my reading level to start! Now I'm about 100 pages into book 5. They are as fantastic as I remember. I also read the Hunger Games which was also s.u.p.e.r. good. I started reading it as I was already reading HP5 so that I could carry it to a doctor's appointment. I liked it enough that I finished it before I kept going with HP5 and since I am a HUGE HP dork, this is saying something.

(for example: I go to all the movies pre opening night, I have a shirt that says "Harry is My Homeboy"' I joke that we both are scar heads, and someone mentioned broken broken glasses and I suggested "occulous repairo"

Hezzo

2011-09-17T15:48:00.001-04:00

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hezzo

Less Than 5 lbs

2011-09-15T17:32:00.002-04:00

I'm sure I said before than I am very strictly disallowed to lift anything over 5 lbs. It's created some odd situations:

have you ever heard "please pass the salad" and said "sorry, no"?
my mom flew with me home to calgary, largely because I could carry my luggage (not even carry one). When we checked in, a little old air canada lady asked me to put our bags, which were right in from of me, on the scale. When I moved aside so mom could do it, she gave me a really? look.
I stopped and sat in a public space recently because I really needed to. An older lady sharing my bench asked if I could push her in her walker (with her sitting) to her hair appointment. I tried to explain why I couldn`t. We were facing opposite directions (really it was two back to back benches). I didn`t exactly enunciate because I was so tired, and there was a bit of a language barrier. As I explained that I would go ask a guy sitting near us if he could help (thankfully he was super nice and jumped up to help). As I walked away slowly, she kept shaking her head and saying so YOU will not help?
getting off a plane (similar to the first one), a male flight attendant said whuut? when I exited with no luggage and my mom following with all our carry-ons.

Thankfully, all of the above were just a good chuckle.

Amy

2011-09-13T11:58:00.001-04:00

My "exercise" these days can only be walking. Here is a pic from my hood. Meet Amy. Amy Vine-House.

Dry Eyes??

2011-09-11T13:17:00.004-04:00

Given my incredibly short-lived ability to use my brain, i decided to go with another picture. This is the quality diagnosis from an emergency room in Toronto (one of the three times I went this summer). Um....not quite.

Head shot

2011-09-08T19:58:00.002-04:00

This is my head, from the first CT scan I had one the Friday (pre-surgery).

Aside: I'm back in Toronto as of last night.

Beard

2011-09-06T12:55:00.002-04:00

Here is a random story from the hospital.

All together, I probably had 18 or 19 IV's put in me during my stay, plus an arterial line to constantly monitor my blood pressure. That one hurt a fair bit more than an IV, because arteries have more nerve endings than viens (or so I hear). Usually IVs don't hurt very much at all - it's only for a second, really.

Some of mine really did - my veins got all aggravated from the Magnesium I was being dripped -the same drug that dropped my heart rate to 27 the first time they gave it to me. There was one point were the nurses just could not get an IV in me. They tried five times, over what felt like half an hour but was probably ten minutes. After the fifth time, they gave me a break to eat dinner. After that, a young nurse with a red beard hot-toweled my arm, and got an IV in, almost painlessly, on the first try. :)

I saw the same guy (who turned out to be super nice as well) at the end of the hallway as I got up (!) to have a shower. I must have still been a bit out of it because I waved enthusiastically and said, "Beard! Hi Beard! I love you Beard! You are amazing!" He seemed perfectly okay with my suggesting loudly that his given name was Beard. What a great guy. :)

Whut? Mom Throwing a Frisbee??

2011-09-04T11:54:00.003-04:00

Since I'm not typing much these days, I'm posting another picture. I've been looking through my parents photo albums while I am in Calgary, and I ran into this beauty!

An Easy "Who is Really Sleeping"

2011-09-03T21:29:00.000-04:00

High Morning

2011-09-02T12:15:00.003-04:00

No, not that way...I wish. But I've taken off my poopie pants from yesterday. My bad news on school turned into good news on school by the afternoon, and I'm so pleased.

I'll do another post later with some hospital stories and a pic. Right now I have the attention span of a goldfish. oh look the other side of the bowl....

Low Morning

2011-09-01T12:08:00.002-04:00

Low morning: no final, no beach, no italy, no frisbee, no work, and now, no school. :(

I'm pretty damn bummed right now. It will pass: everything happens for a reason.

Staples

2011-08-31T20:45:00.000-04:00

Escape from Azkaban

2011-08-27T16:46:00.002-04:00

The Civic Hospital in Ottawa did a great job of caring for me from the 13th to yesterday (with a bonus 8 hours on the 12th), but I am really relieved to be out of there. I was released yesterday mid-day. I'm staying at my aunts place in Ottawa for one more night, then very briefly back through the Tdot before heading to Calgary for a week. I had to wake up twice in the wee hours to take my mess, yet I still slept better than I have since being admitted. No needles for bloodwork at 6 am, no room cleaning at 7, no one checking my BP and shining a flashlight in my eyes every four hours, Plus, of course, being out means getting better.

Also, props to TC beach! Great game ladies. it was tough not to be there, but so pleasing to see you do so well.

Last blog I said thanks to those taking care of me and visiting. I also wanted to say thanks to all the multimedia shout-outs. You kept me smiling in Azkaban.

Still in the hospital

2011-08-24T19:56:00.002-04:00

I'm still in the hospital. Going on 11 days now. Getting better daily. Still not a lot of energy to blog. 31 staples removed yesterday. Pictures to follow at some point.

Since last

2011-08-22T21:48:00.002-04:00

Since my last post:
Colorado
Winnipeg
Nationals
Brain surgery

So not kidding! Pictures and more to follow shorty. A huge thanks to all that have been so fantastic taking care of me. You know who you are and it means so much to me

I'm Off Tomorrow....

2011-07-28T21:14:00.002-04:00

to Colorado Cup in Boulder! :)

Picture Adams Shot

2011-07-24T18:24:00.001-04:00

I promised I would post a picture of me from the long weekend in Niagra Falls. It took a while, but here is one I like.

HOT

2011-07-19T23:25:00.002-04:00

Anyone who thinks global warming and smog issues are bunk should come hang out in my third floor Toronto apartment right now. Jo got me R2D2, a portable A/C so I can actually get some sleep. Before that I had clevage sweat doing the dishes. So not kidding.

I'm a Leafs Fan!

2011-07-05T23:20:00.003-04:00

The Leafs just traded for Matthew Lombardi, the dreamy and super fast former Calgary Flame.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/leafs-land-franson-lombardi-from-preds/article2084788/

Ouch

2011-07-05T23:09:00.003-04:00

I was s.u.p.e.r. sick and out of it for about 2 1/2 weeks there. I managed to work (most of the time) and sometimes play frisbee. It unbloggably sucked.

Also crap, my mom is super sick right now too. Thankfully people really only need one kidney.

In HAPPIER news, I have some great photos from a really fun weekend of riding in Niagra Falls to post - tomorrow night. I'll attach one for now - from a hike we found along the ride.

Capitals 2011

2011-06-19T23:10:00.003-04:00

Here is another blog I have been meaning to write for ages:

In case you have been wondering what I have been up to, much of my focus right now is on being a Capital. I'm very stoked to be a part of the team. Check out the snazzy Caps website here, follow on Twitter here. While your at it, follow me on Twitter here.

500!

2011-06-19T23:05:00.002-04:00

While that wasn't exactly a fantastic post - just an update on my life - it was my 500th blog. For a quiet person, I d.o. n.o.t. shut up when it comes to blogging.

I have no memory of writing that...

2011-06-19T23:04:00.001-04:00

....and apparently I didn't spell check it. NOW I am - knock on wood - starting to feel better. F that sucked.

Speaking of Ouch...Dilemma Over

2011-06-16T23:12:00.002-04:00

The good news is my dilemma is over: I started on the 1.5 pill Synthroid dose (just Wednesdays) yesterday. The bad news is is that I feel like I'm coming out of a daze that started Tuesday at one o'clock. I was at work, and I scanned a list for a phone extension and couldn't find it for a frustratingly long time. An hour later, my crazy vision stuff from April was back. I've basically been out of commision since then. I managed a successful work day, but I'm not going to lie, it really hurt. I planned to go to practice but by the time I finished work, I felt terrible and went home to sleep. Thankfully right now I am feeling HUGELY better. I was afraid this and/or my previous hyperthyroid symptoms would return is I upped my dose. This started BEFORE I uppsed my dose. The best theory I have heard so far....a migraine headache? Not something I have ever been diagnosed with or something that runs in my family. I very much could be wrong. I sincerely hope I simply never experience this again.

Box of Freezy Loser

2011-06-16T23:11:00.002-04:00

Only one simutaneous hug from both Sedins would make me feel better about last night's loss.

Plus I owe LB a brand new box of freezies. Ouch.

Dilemma - Synthroid

2011-06-13T23:09:00.002-04:00

I have a big dilemma. I had an endocrinologist appointment today. Unfortunately my TSH is still too high, based on blood work from last week and following some from 3 months ago. It's important to keep that level down as a cancer-suppressor. What that means is increasing my synthroid dose. Remember what happened last time? This. I felt awful. Really r.e.a.l.l.y. bad. Right now....this is just bad timing for me to feel terrible again - really bad timing. It might not happen. It's not a huge dose change - I should be fine.

I'm seriously torn. I suppose I have to....but wouldn't this be better in....September????

There Go 6 Freezies

2011-06-13T22:58:00.002-04:00

Fackwagger. I had 6 grape freezies on the Canucks winning it tonight. :( No problem - they will take it in game 7 - but that was rough.

Niagra Falls Out and Back

2011-06-07T22:48:00.001-04:00

&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/36690156"&amp;amp;amp;gt;A ride mapped on 06/06/2011&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Niagra Ride

2011-06-06T21:41:00.003-04:00

F-bomb! I just managed to delete all of my pictures from my ride this weekend. How disappointing. I rode from Virgil, just south of Niagra-on-the-Lake to Niagra Falls on Sunday. Tonight I stuck it in map my ride (about 55 km), but trying to embed the map kept crashing my blog. I decided to add photos instead and deleted them. F-bomb.

ps. The ride was fantastic though pps. holy crap do I need a girls seat. My ass is KILLING me.

Canucks Win Game 2

2011-06-04T23:23:00.002-04:00

Sweet! I love how well Vancouver is doing. They have been my second favorite team for years. They are second favorite only in the since I am born and bred Calgary, the Flames must remain my go-to no matter what. Van has been so fun to watch for years. It's so great to see them finally getting there. They absolutely have this (easy for me to say, with them up two games), but still - this is their year.

Toronto Gets BIXIs

2011-06-02T23:13:00.003-04:00

I have a lot of things that I want to blog about. Here is a little one.

Toronto got BIXIs! I think this is both fantastic and totally blog worthy. I thought that I blogged about BIXI bikes before - when Montreal got them? - but I must not have. BIXIs look like a really cool way to get around, or just a great (cheap!) way to rent a bike. They are $95/year or $5/24 hours. I hope it encourages people to ride. Very cool.

Google Earth Airplane

2011-05-25T22:04:00.002-04:00

After hiking in Milton, I decided to check out the route on Google Earth. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it's because I'm a huge dork. Check out what JUST HAPPENED to be nearby!! This is just on the south edge of where we were. You can even read the Air Canada on the plane. :)

A Couple of Photos from Hiking Near Milton This Weekend

2011-05-24T23:15:00.006-04:00

Baaaad Adams

2011-05-17T22:43:00.003-04:00

I've been such a bad blogger. I really want to get back into it. I still haven't done my taxes, either. Bad Adams!

I decided not to take my last course this semester, which has already proven to be a good decision. It feels weird to not be in school but good to have more time for other things....like frisbee!

I'm not only behind on blogging. If I owe you an email, I am sorry. This week I received both "where are you?" and "are you dead?" emails. Time to reconnect.