Mildly Adventurous

Soooo, you want a low number - I guess that means you are more adventurous. I need to remember some of these for when I play this as part of a drinking game.

I am at SIX. Because I have never...
- Broken a bone (knock on wood)
- Been skydiving
- Had braces
- Given birth
- Gone scuba diving
- Been on a cruise
(Does having braces make you more adventurous?)

Let me know your number in the comments!! 

New Look Too!

For the past two and a half years, Always Standing has looked like this:

Before making the design change to the basic burgundy appearance above, the blog was purple and had a pretty filigree-ish pattern.  I think this new one has humming birds in the background - I am almost always using a split screen on my computer so the window for the blog is too small to see much of the edges. What do you think of the new peach-coloured look?

Motherhood - Epidural

Excerpts from New York Times article 'Get the Epidural' by Jessi Klein

No one ever asks a man if he’s having a “natural root canal.” No one ever asks if a man is having a “natural vasectomy.”

“What are you trying to win?” What was I trying to win? I thought about it and realized — nothing. There’s nothing to win.

“There is science showing all the risks of an epidural!” Well, again, I am not a doctor, but I do have the internet.

There are so many debates in this life in which there is some evidence of one thing and also some evidence of the other. At such a point, you just have to decide to believe in and do what is best for you. So here’s a radical idea: Why not do the thing that makes you happy?

There is so much pressure on women around birth and labor and mothering to do it this way or that way. It’s so easy to believe the notion that having a baby demands complete and total self-abnegation, and anything short of that is not enough.

If you’re worried that skipping the pain of childbirth means you’re somehow cheating your baby, or yourself, you’re not. Because the truth is, life offers more than enough pain that you will not be able to skip. 

Yup, give me the epidural! There has never been any question in my mind, if I am ever giving birth I will be getting the epidural and any other pain killers/drugs they can throw my way. I like modern medicine - I like making pain go away.

I have heard the positives from the other side, friends and acquaintances that wanted/tried/had a drug-less birth or some variation. For the most part their reasons made sense. Rarely are these people conspiracy-theory hippies, or self-flagellating mommy-martyrs, though sometimes. For the vast majority they made (or tired/planned to make) a personal choice based on what was important to them.

What is great from all my conversations on the topic is that this seems to be very much a personal choice and an understanding that there are reasons to make the decision either way. Some pregnancy or parenting subjects have strong reactions, judgement, and opinions about right/wrong, unlike what the article suggests, I don't get the feeling that the choice to get an epidural is one of those.

Those who have been through it: Please share in the comments if leading up to birth, during, or afterwards friends, family or event strangers were sharing strong hurtful opinions about your choice to have or decline an epidural?

I am inclined to say, and have said, to someone planning on forgoing an epidural, "Are you crazy? What about the pain? I would totally get all the drugs!" Which I hope isn't viewed as hurtful, it is the same response I would give someone who is suffering through a headache and not taking an Advil. It is an expression of awe at someone else' pain tolerance and not a judgement about the choice they are making for their body.

In my experience, the most common reason against getting an epidural has been the ability to walk afterwards instead of waiting until the drugs wear off, and with that a faster departure from the hospital. Personally I love hospitals so that reason doesn't apply to me. Also I just absolutely hate pain, I used to take Tylenao 3s (from my high-school wisdom teeth removal) to get my legs waxed. Hit me up with the drugs! But you do you.

Two Domains For Always Standing

I never noticed but I think that Always Standing is officially a 'Dot C.A.', or Canadian domain. I always tell people to just Google it (since it tends to show up early in the search results) or refer to the web address with a '.com'. But, I just noticed that when I was typing it out with the '.com' at the end it flipped to '.ca' so I have both domains!

Answer in the Comments:
How do you get here; Google, bookmark, typing it in, other? 
What country code is at the end of the address in your browser?

Valentine's Day Quiz - Questions

I noticed a fun Facebook status from Jeska today. It said in honor of Valentine's Day, all couples should answer the following questions and make it their status.

Couples: Since this is a blog and not Facebook, cut and past the list into the comments! You can either fill it out from your perspective or call your partner over and ask them to answer.

- Who's older?
- Who was interested first?
- Married?
- Together?
- More sarcastic?
- Who makes the most mess?
- Who has more tattoos?
- Better singer?
- Hogs the remote?
- Better driver?
- Smarter?
- Most common sense?
- Whose siblings do you see the most?
- Do you have any children together?
- Did you go to the same school?
- Who is the most sensitive?
- Where do you eat out most as a couple?
- Where is the furthest you two have traveled together?
- Who has the worst temper?
- Who does the cooking?
- Who is more social?
- Who is the neat freak?
- Who is the most stubborn?
- Who hogs the bed?
- Who wakes up earlier?
- Where was your first date?
- Who has the bigger family?
- Do you get flowers often?
- Who does the laundry?
- Who drives when you are together?
- Who picks where you go to dinner?
- Who wears the pants in the relationship?

I also want to say that I was so happy to read their lists and learn more Jeska and her beau. I met him on our Wonderland trip this year and thought he was perfect for her! Joe is amazing and I am so excited for them.

I look forward to seeing your responses in the comments, and stay tuned to Always Standing for mine and Jason's over the next couple of days.

Your Cowboy Name

Happy Halloween! On Friday at work we had a pumpkin painting competition, it was a fun thing to do on my lunch break. Also according to this photo by my co-worker, I paint with my pinkie up. I am going to take the pumpkin home today since we don't have any decorations and are planning to give out candy at Casa Verde this year.

Dressed up at work today with my team as Cowgirls, (Since I was able to supply a lot of hats.) According to the quiz below my Cowboy Name is Billy The Stubborn Sheriff, which is cool but I have decided to be Chris The Kid.

---- from The Internet

Click to enlarge

Let me know your Cowboy Name in the comments!

Seriously The Comments Guys

I guess it is the time of the year that I put out a pleading post for more comments. My mom has given a couple lately, and Heather comment on my last post, but in general it has been pretty silent.

And I have had some good posts lately:
- A trip to the emergency room
- First little look at our wedding photos
- Stuff about my Dad
- A Funny video
- Two's awesome Instagram
- A fun internet quiz, normally people would share their results in the comments.

Wedding Website Is Done!

Wedding prep has been a challenging and overwhelming task at times. I posted first about our Wedding Website when I was talking about the amazing drawings that my cousins did. I have included the link to the left since early this year. I think most people who read Always Standing have been invited. (Though there might still be the occasional lurker from my past, who I appreciate and wish would comment.)

Like most things with the wedding, I had big plans, big dreams about the website but didn't find the time, talent, or patience to see them through. However, again like most things with the wedding, the end result is still exciting.

Check it out at:

www.SweetonWoods.blogspot.com

Obviously the best part are the witty responses from our wedding party. So be sure to read that page.

The Bag Boy

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

As I mentioned yesterday, I have now done the Toronto Island Try-Tri three times. The first time in 2013 was only a few months before my dad's unexpected death. He had accompanied Mom, Jason, Teri, K, and I to the island to cheer us on and watch our stuff while we competed. When writing yesterday I came across the fact that Dad's last comment on Always Standing had been about my race that year.

Doing the race for the second time in 2015 was really difficult, I remember getting emotional on the last stretch of the run. I hoped he was proud that I was still doing this type of thing. I was sad that he missed the chance to hang out with a bigger group since more people came last year. I missed seeing his smiling face in the crowd. I think I held it together for the most part after the race.

This year was different. I was a mess after I finished running. I actually hadn't thought about it until I crossed the finish line and then it was a rush of emotion. Three years ago he had been there; now I picture his face but can't hear his voice in my head anymore. I know he is cheering me on but I forget what that sounds like. I miss his support and his energy. I cried for a long long time as I sat in the shade after I finished this year.

Your Superpower

----------- from Buzzfeed

The first word you see 

is the superpower you deserve:

You can click the image to see it bigger.
Share in the comments!

Check the comments to see what I got.

Four Things

Erin AH filled this out on her Facebook and I thought I would transplant it over the the blog, also I am heading to Ottawa tomorrow to visit her so that is exciting and fitting:

Four places I've lived: 
1. Cambridge, ON (1984-1985)
2. Paris, ON (1985-2003)
3. Ottawa, ON (2003-2010)
4. Toronto, ON (2010-now)

Four things I love to watch on TV or Netflix: 
1. The Daily Show
2. Orange Is The New Black
3. Archer
4. Property Brothers

Four names I go by:
1. Chris
2. Christine
3. Aunt Chris
4. Tita Chris

Four places I have visited: 
1. San Diego, CA
2. Yekaterinburg, Russia
3. Tangier, Morocco
4. Corner Brook, NL

Four things I love to eat: 
1. Bread
2. Watermelon
3. Pasta
4. Spaghetti Squash

Four favorite drinks:
1. Chocolate Milk
2. Pink Lemonade
3. Coke Zero
4. Gin and Tonic

Four people I would like to see respond:
1. Mom, maybe even on her blog
2. Steph
3. The T's (Taylor and Teri)
4. People who don't usually leave comments

Copy and paste this into the comments for this post and fill in your responses. Have some fun!

Coaching Question - Part Three

I spent a few weeks considering Evan's question. After a long thought process, I determined that professionally I want to be considered the following:
- Respectful 
- Positive 
- Confident 
- Honest 
I think that I could easily use these words to describe myself. However, I also know that they would not necessarily be the first four that those who work with me now, or ever have, might think of. In order to bring these characteristics more to the forefront. I am trying to remind myself of them daily. I also want to continue to put into practice behaviours that better reflect these parts of myself.

On the other hand, these are the four personal attributes that I hope would be used by my friends to describe me:
- Funny
- Outgoing
- Generous
- Honest
It might be the same case as the first list, that I think I am these four things but that they wouldn't necessarily be the top four picks in my friends' minds. Turns out that I have a duplicate and just need to be the type of person who can be described using seven words instead of eight.

I would love to read your lists, leave them in the comments! Do you have two different ones for work and friends? What are your overlaps? Try to just use three or four, it is an interesting way to self evaluate.

Could You Read This?

------- From Facebook

I think this is another example of a "you are special" trick where pretty much everyone is special. The image above was accompanied by text saying; "90% of you can't read this." Though, it could be a comment on the fact that less than 6% of the world's population speaks English, or maybe a discussion about general literacy? I read it pretty quickly (but my style of reading is a bit different since I tend to skim anyway.) Did you have trouble deciphering the short passage above? Let me know in the comments.

Indie Band Name

I read somewhere online that the name of your 'indie' band should be the colour of the underwear you are wearing today and the last thing you ate. Therefore mine is:

BLACK CHEESE

I think that sounds pretty moody and appropriate as a band name. Technically it was cottage cheese but that doesn't sound quite as good. I will never be in a band though, since I lack all musical abilities. Feel free to steal the name though. Tell me yours in the comments.

Bit Of A Change?

I decided to refresh the look of Always Standing, since I realized it has looked like this:

for a long time. Let me know what you think!

How Well Do You Know Me?

This is a very strange list of questions but an interesting experiment none the less (and yes, I got it from Facebook).

------ from Facebook

How Well Do You Know Me?

Jeans OR Sweats?

Coke OR Pepsi?

iPhone OR Android?

Pink OR Blue?

Summer OR Winter?

Morning OR Night?

Tomboy OR Girly-Girl?

Leave your guess (about my preferences) in the comments and I have scheduled a post for next week with my actual responses.

Can You See It?

----- from Facebook

According to the post, only 25% of the population can see the image above. I have a hard time believing that I am part of the quarter that can, when I have never been able to see the Magic Eye things. Do you see the animal above? Did Magic Eye images work for you in the 1990s? Leave a response in the comments.

Peru Overview, With Help From Mom

Each time I travel it seems that I 'report' about it differently on Always Standing. Some of the styles I have used include single photo updates, a series of photos, a rare video post, standard responses, slightly cryptic messages, written posts, live updates, scheduled itinerary details, but most frequently a long list of notes provided as a summary.

My mom has a very consistent documentation style on her blog vicarious travelling, she posts each day of her trip separately and outlines the events like a diary entry. Her goal is to share details with friends, like she would if she was emailing them about the trip. She includes a lot of photos each day, and often captions them (something that I never do.) I figured that because she had also described a big portion of the Peru Trip, I would send you over to her blog for the days that related to my time there.

- MARTES - Tuesday December 29 - We arrived in Cusco in the afternoon, so Jason and I are mentioned (with a photo of us shopping) at the very bottom of Mom's post.

- MIERCOLES - Wednesday December 30 - This is the day that the three of us went horseback riding into the mountains around Cusco. Rereading her post now I am reminded of watching the lightening hitting the hills on the other side of the valley - it was incredible.

- JUEVES - Thursday December 31 - Mom only has a short written post for this New Year's Eve, which was when we spent the afternoon doing a bit of a practice hike. I got good pictures of both Jason and Mom during our walk.

- JUEVES 2 - Thursday December 31 - After she got home from the trip, Mom wrote about the last 6 days in more detail and included photos. This is her bigger post about our Cusco hike.

- SACRED VALLEY 1 - Friday January 1 - The first full day of the G Adventures Tour was a trip in a van around the Sacred Valley.  No real hiking to deal with at this point. Her first post is mainly about a weaving place that we visited.

- SACRED VALLEY 2 - Friday January 1 - We also saw various Inca Sites and had lunch at a local restaurant, my mom has lots of photos from this day. Three posts worth.

- SACRED VALLEY 3 - Friday January 1 - This is her final post from New Years Day, mainly focused on Ollantayambo, a town where we visited an amazing Inca Site and then spent the night at a local hotel.

- DAY 1 - Saturday January 2 - The pictures from the first day on the Inca Trail are perfect! They show the sites, the camp, our food, and how much fun we were having (though at the same time, I was still pretty nervous at this point about what the other days would bring.)

- DAY 2 - Sunday January 3 - This day was hard. Everything I had read told me it would be hard and it was. The last hour uphill was very very very difficult and I practically crawled up the last 50 meters. Then, in a surprising twist, the last 2-3 hours doing down hill was even harder for me! I ended up wishing I was still going up hill since the steps down were very painful on my ankles. I was dehydrated and unhappy during that descent.

- DAY 3 - Monday January 4 - Everything I had read was right again - this was the best day on the Inca Trail! I loved every second of it. If you could have seen me I was beaming from ear to ear all day and how could I not be on a day that was an incredible combination of jungle, physical challenge, ancient ruins, mountains, cake, waterfalls, llamas, and more.

- DAY 4 - Tuesday January 5 - We made it to Machu Picchu! My mom has a great picture of the three of us posted.

I am glad to be able to link over to Mom's writing to share my experience in Peru with you. You may want to also read her Reflections or Recommendations for the trip as well. Oh, and like me, she loves to receive comments so feel free to post some either on this post or any of hers.

Would You Rather - Sick Edition

Which would you rather have this winter?

FLU - Two weeks, very ill, throat pain, vomiting, achy, fever, 5-6 days off work - My boss had this and is still recovering, it sounds awful. I am very glad to have gotten my flu shot, but that only protects from some of the flu viruses out there.

COLD - Three weeks, quite sick, sore throat, running nose, headache, fever, 1-2 days off work - I am home from work today dealing with a bad cold. It has been coming and going over the last week or so. Some days are better than others but days with a lot of sinus pressure are killer.

COUGH - Three months, not well, dry/scratchy throat, sore muscles and joints, constant coughing, very tired, no days off work - Steph gets this every year. It starts with a couple of really sick days and then just hangs around as a cough/cold for the rest of the winter. I don't know how she deals with it, it would wear me down so much.

Leave your 'choice' in the comments.

Third Person, No Capitals

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

In one Sunday Mornin' Coming Down post I shared the last comment my dad made on Always Standing before he died. This past week I ran across a bunch of comments from him as I made my Throwback Thursday post for April 2007. Dad used to start his comments on my blog with "dad says" or "dad asks" or some other strange third person intro before leaving the comment.

I like the comment he left on (No) Thoughts On Suicide - VI, a post I wrote on April 2, 2007 as I was slowly healing from my most serious depressive episode. About a week later this comment was made:

dad said .it is great to hear you are feeling more on an even keel . love you . may the wind be on your back always . keep trying