Participants for Covid-19 Virtual Trivia Night
Hosted by me on Zoom
March 31, 2020
Showing posts with label Taylor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taylor. Show all posts
Wednesday, 1 April 2020
It's A Bit Like A Party
I hosted my third Virtual Trivia Night last night and it was busy! There were 19 teams! It is a big collection of people: from close friends to extended family, friends of friends and more. I have covered up their names but you might recognize some faces among last night's trivia crew:
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
New Milestones
The following photo, and caption, was posted to Taylor's instagram a few days ago:
We measure the moment they take their first steps, first word, first day of school... but it’s the small milestones that make me all mushy. First LEGO set put together ALL BY HIMSELF! #excusemewhileicry #legomania #bigkidsclub
Congratulations Lochlan! And it doesn't look like it was an easy one. It is true that it is a milestone registered by parents (and relatives) and I don't think it is even a small one. Jason was really excited when his nephew reached an age were he could be given 'real' lego instead of the larger duplo style.
Congratulations Lochlan! And it doesn't look like it was an easy one. It is true that it is a milestone registered by parents (and relatives) and I don't think it is even a small one. Jason was really excited when his nephew reached an age were he could be given 'real' lego instead of the larger duplo style.
Monday, 18 September 2017
Somewhere Changing
Back from a weekend in Niagara Falls with the following:
- Joy from three straight days with great friends
- A Massive headache
- Guilt from keeping Tessa awake
- Sweat drenched clothes from the humidity
- A lavender plant
- Memories of the 45oz blue margarita
- Plans to go out on the Friday night next year
After skipping a year because of my wedding, we are back with tradition. Third time is the charm.
- Joy from three straight days with great friends
- A Massive headache
- Guilt from keeping Tessa awake
- The sound of Kristen singing Kesha stuck in my head
- Reminders from Taylor to do a safety check- Sweat drenched clothes from the humidity
- A lavender plant
- Memories of the 45oz blue margarita
- Plans to go out on the Friday night next year
Journey Behind The Falls has ponchos too!
I never know where to look when I am the one taking the selfie
Me, Tessa, Taylor, and Kristen
After skipping a year because of my wedding, we are back with tradition. Third time is the charm.
Wednesday, 9 August 2017
Another Great Meme
This time, it is a homemade variation of the Expectation vs. Reality meme that Taylor posted on Facebook featuring her, Lochlan, and Cadence. Love it!
What I thought yoga with kids would be like versus real life.
By Taylor (though Mark probably took the photo.)
Tuesday, 11 July 2017
Flippy Floppys
Also, my awesome red pedicure is from Ottawa. We went out to get pedicures the day after Canada Day - such sore feet after waiting in lines, dealing with mud, and walking all over downtown. I didn't choose the colour to be patriotic, but lets pretend I did!
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Birthday Weekend Tradition
Today is Jason's Birthday!! We celebrated together a couple of days ago with a surprise weekend, a gift that I promise to continue each year.
If, according to my rule, the second occurrence makes something a tradition and the third solidifies it - than surprising Jason with a weekend of activities has become a solid tradition for us. Since we started dating in 2012, I have tried to do something fun.
Here are the past weekends we have done for Jason's Birthday:
2012 - James Bond
Themed as a 007 mission docket, we went to see an all night marathon of James Bond movies at the TIFF Lightbox. The gift also included a one year membership to TIFF and other James Bond activities they were doing.
2013 - NYC
So probably the biggest weekend so far was a trip to New York City, complete with JetBlue flights, Daily Show tickets, and more. The surprise was accidentally uncovered in mid-November when Jason saw a text from Teri on my phone that referenced it. But we just started being excited for the trip together. Note: The trip was postponed until October of 2014 because of my father's death a few days before we were scheduled to leave.
2014 - Dog Sledding
With each activity mapped out in separate envelopes, I surprised Jason with a trip to Gatineau, Quebec, detailed in my Nov 29, 2014 post.
2015 - Caves and Buttertarts
Last year we went on a Buttertart Tour and stayed at a motel a couple of hours north-east of Toronto. We also made a visit to see Taylor and her family, as well as, climbed through some very tight caves. This is when I learnt that Jason had a bit of claustrophobia. While I had already known that he didn't like spiders, I unfortunately hadn't made the connection that caves would be a place that spiders might be. We enjoyed the experience anyway, caves should be a bit scary!
2016 - This Year!
I was able to do a bit better job with giving the weekend a theme and presented Jason with a geography challenge that had puzzles. The solutions detailed the activities. We stayed at the Royal York downtown, visited the Hockey Hall of Fame, watched the Leafs beat the Capitals at the ACC, and met up with friends for brunch.
I am already trying to figure out what to do for next November!
If, according to my rule, the second occurrence makes something a tradition and the third solidifies it - than surprising Jason with a weekend of activities has become a solid tradition for us. Since we started dating in 2012, I have tried to do something fun.
Here are the past weekends we have done for Jason's Birthday:
2012 - James Bond
Themed as a 007 mission docket, we went to see an all night marathon of James Bond movies at the TIFF Lightbox. The gift also included a one year membership to TIFF and other James Bond activities they were doing.
2013 - NYC
So probably the biggest weekend so far was a trip to New York City, complete with JetBlue flights, Daily Show tickets, and more. The surprise was accidentally uncovered in mid-November when Jason saw a text from Teri on my phone that referenced it. But we just started being excited for the trip together. Note: The trip was postponed until October of 2014 because of my father's death a few days before we were scheduled to leave.
2014 - Dog Sledding
With each activity mapped out in separate envelopes, I surprised Jason with a trip to Gatineau, Quebec, detailed in my Nov 29, 2014 post.
2015 - Caves and Buttertarts
Last year we went on a Buttertart Tour and stayed at a motel a couple of hours north-east of Toronto. We also made a visit to see Taylor and her family, as well as, climbed through some very tight caves. This is when I learnt that Jason had a bit of claustrophobia. While I had already known that he didn't like spiders, I unfortunately hadn't made the connection that caves would be a place that spiders might be. We enjoyed the experience anyway, caves should be a bit scary!
2016 - This Year!
I was able to do a bit better job with giving the weekend a theme and presented Jason with a geography challenge that had puzzles. The solutions detailed the activities. We stayed at the Royal York downtown, visited the Hockey Hall of Fame, watched the Leafs beat the Capitals at the ACC, and met up with friends for brunch.
I am already trying to figure out what to do for next November!
Sunday, 7 August 2016
An Epic Party
My Bachelorette Party was this weekend, a three day event planned by Teri and flawlessly put together for me by 11 amazing friends. This has brightened my summer into the phosphorescent. There are no words so how loved I feel, how grateful I am to have these beautiful, inspiring, women in my life, how much fun I had, how touched I was by each thoughtful gesture. My abs hurt from laughing, my face aches from smiling, and these are the greatest pains to have.
Thank you so much to Teri, Steph, Kristen, Tessa, Andrea, Erin, Jenn, Jen, Maria, Meghan, and Taylor.
Thank you so much to Teri, Steph, Kristen, Tessa, Andrea, Erin, Jenn, Jen, Maria, Meghan, and Taylor.
Friday, 8 July 2016
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!
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!
Monday, 21 March 2016
Cadence At The Equinox
Happy Spring
Cadence on Sunday March 20, 2016
Photo by Taylor
I didn't know that yesterday was the first day of spring, I am really bad about following the Spring and Fall equinox. And there is so much to learn about the first day of spring and equinoxes (equinoxi?) Also it turns out that in the Summer and Winter it is a Solstice and not an Equinox, I thought the words were interchangeable.
Friday, 11 March 2016
Casa Verde Colours - Like Baby Names
In the mid-1990s it became common place for expectant parents to learn the sex of their unborn child. This information wasn't offered (or maybe wasn't available) to my parents who were surprised with the birth of a girl (ME!) in 1984 followed by a boy (Mike) in 1987. Now, though not 100% accurate, parents are asked if they want to know.
I will make a side note about the fact that they are finding out the sex and not the gender, gender is a construct and the baby may identify with a different gender than their biological sex suggests.
Even though the information about the sex is offered, some people choose to still be surprised; like Taylor and Mark with Cadence, as well as, Mike and Aimee with Avery and my second nibling. Another recent pattern I have seen is finding out (and sharing) what the sex will be, but not the name. I really understand this one - people share their opinions, at times harshly, when the name is still in the 'we were thinking of X for a girl and Y for a boy' stage. However, once the baby is actually named people are less likely to tell the parents how much they don't like it.
I am finding the same with paint colours for Casa Verde, when I was just at the stage of looking at and choosing colours - everyone shared their strong opinions. I was sad to hear that 'accent walls' are no longer on trend and that beige is dated, though I suspected the later. I have been encourage to do whites and bring colour in decor instead of paint. Also grey. Apparently grey is very 'in' right now, which is good since I like grey and silver a lot. Kristen and I made the main wall in Runuv Bayit grey, it stretches through the kitchen and along the back hallway. After Kristen and Noah moved out, I changed the yellow wall in their bedroom to be grey, as seen in this Rasta photo. Lastly, I recently redid the kitchen with silver, covering up the pink/peach. Needless to say, I will be bringing grey to Casa Verde.
The colours for 5 of the rooms at Casa Verde have been chosen! Jason and his mom will go and buy the paint tomorrow so that we can take advantage of a sale that is happening. I have scheduled some posts on Always Standing that will happen this weekend that give you a taste of the colours I've picked. Using the super fun Colour Visualizer from Home Hardware I was able to put together a decent depiction of my colour plans. Now please remember to be nice about my choices; this baby has been named, aka these paints are purchased.
The actual painting will happen soon! Aunty Nicky is coming over Easter to help us paint the master bedroom, office, living room, dining room, and kitchen. The main hallway will need to be done by professionals at some point with scaffolding, but it is fine as it is for now. When we are done with the laundry room we will pick a colour for it but that will be well after we move in. I also plan to just use leftover paint in the colours already selected to do the suite in the basement when that renovation is finished.
Stay tuned for images of the Casa Verde Colours.
I will make a side note about the fact that they are finding out the sex and not the gender, gender is a construct and the baby may identify with a different gender than their biological sex suggests.
Even though the information about the sex is offered, some people choose to still be surprised; like Taylor and Mark with Cadence, as well as, Mike and Aimee with Avery and my second nibling. Another recent pattern I have seen is finding out (and sharing) what the sex will be, but not the name. I really understand this one - people share their opinions, at times harshly, when the name is still in the 'we were thinking of X for a girl and Y for a boy' stage. However, once the baby is actually named people are less likely to tell the parents how much they don't like it.
I am finding the same with paint colours for Casa Verde, when I was just at the stage of looking at and choosing colours - everyone shared their strong opinions. I was sad to hear that 'accent walls' are no longer on trend and that beige is dated, though I suspected the later. I have been encourage to do whites and bring colour in decor instead of paint. Also grey. Apparently grey is very 'in' right now, which is good since I like grey and silver a lot. Kristen and I made the main wall in Runuv Bayit grey, it stretches through the kitchen and along the back hallway. After Kristen and Noah moved out, I changed the yellow wall in their bedroom to be grey, as seen in this Rasta photo. Lastly, I recently redid the kitchen with silver, covering up the pink/peach. Needless to say, I will be bringing grey to Casa Verde.
The colours for 5 of the rooms at Casa Verde have been chosen! Jason and his mom will go and buy the paint tomorrow so that we can take advantage of a sale that is happening. I have scheduled some posts on Always Standing that will happen this weekend that give you a taste of the colours I've picked. Using the super fun Colour Visualizer from Home Hardware I was able to put together a decent depiction of my colour plans. Now please remember to be nice about my choices; this baby has been named, aka these paints are purchased.
The actual painting will happen soon! Aunty Nicky is coming over Easter to help us paint the master bedroom, office, living room, dining room, and kitchen. The main hallway will need to be done by professionals at some point with scaffolding, but it is fine as it is for now. When we are done with the laundry room we will pick a colour for it but that will be well after we move in. I also plan to just use leftover paint in the colours already selected to do the suite in the basement when that renovation is finished.
Stay tuned for images of the Casa Verde Colours.
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Pantherday
------- from The Internet
Taylor sent this to me a while back. I always used to say that Binx looked like a panther. Also, I hate that I now know that "panthers" aren't even really a thing! It is just the darkest colour variant in Leopards and Jaguars. So Binx was a mini-panther and Two is a tiny-tiger.
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
A Quotable Evening
Taylor, Saturday Night:
No Kristen,
I am not your booze dumpster!
After Kristen was offering tequila that her and Noah had had around for a long time since neither of them like it. Happy Birthday to Kristen! Sorry that none of us helped out and drank the tequila for you, maybe next time.
Thursday, 5 November 2015
TB - April 2007
Throwback Thursday - Scroll to the bottom of the month and read up. Or click on the earliest post in the month (to view the post and the comments) then keep clicking Newer Post until you finish the month.
This is way easier to read than the last Throw Back post when I was deep into a serious depressive episode. In April of 2007, lots of my friends were commenting on posts, especially Steph, and I can often still hear their voices in my head when I read their words. I am am excited to learn more about the late Spring and Summer of 2007. It seems like it was a month when I was figuring out summer work and trying to find a new roommate. I can't really remember what happened! Was that the summer I started at GeoConnections? Was the new roommate Jake? It is strange how hard it is to put together a timeline 9 years afterwards. Guess I will have to keep reading to find out.
Noted Post: Near the end of the month I posted about a late night interaction with Taylor. I can remember the good-bye that I described and how touched I was by her sweetness and slurred compliments. It was a very strong moment, early on in our friendship. I like that, 9 years later, she is still reading my blog.
This is way easier to read than the last Throw Back post when I was deep into a serious depressive episode. In April of 2007, lots of my friends were commenting on posts, especially Steph, and I can often still hear their voices in my head when I read their words. I am am excited to learn more about the late Spring and Summer of 2007. It seems like it was a month when I was figuring out summer work and trying to find a new roommate. I can't really remember what happened! Was that the summer I started at GeoConnections? Was the new roommate Jake? It is strange how hard it is to put together a timeline 9 years afterwards. Guess I will have to keep reading to find out.
Noted Post: Near the end of the month I posted about a late night interaction with Taylor. I can remember the good-bye that I described and how touched I was by her sweetness and slurred compliments. It was a very strong moment, early on in our friendship. I like that, 9 years later, she is still reading my blog.
Monday, 5 October 2015
My Opinion Of Wedding Trends
I haven't written a lot about wedding planning, it is ticking along slowly but in general I haven't been thinking about it - unless, I am actually thinking about it, then I am a bit stressed about it. It is strange that way. Jason and I have our locations sorted out, a general idea of what we would like to happen at the event, and most of the planning pretty much finished. Now it is just the doing, the putting together of things, the writing of things, actually making the wedding happen - not just planning for it.
Erin sent me a Buzzfeed post - 17 Trends That Appeared at Literally Every Wedding in 2015 - and I thought I would use it as a jump off point to start thinking and talking about wedding planning more on Always Standing.
1. Cupcakes
This is not a new trend, Taylor had them at her wedding four years ago and three years ago Mike and Aimee did as well. I think I saw them at weddings even before that. They are easier to serve and tend not to be as pricey as a big decorated cake, also some locations charge a 'cake cutting fee' which is ridiculous.
2. Peonies
I don't know how accurate my opinions can be about this list since I don't think I even went to any weddings in 2015, it has been a quiet year. However, I love peonies, we used to have the deep red ones in Paris growing up. What a lovely flower choice! So big and soft.
3. Sweet buffets
This is just an awesome trend. It too has been around for a while and is a great idea. I love candy.
4. Vintage suitcase for cards
This is all over wedding websites lately. The only time I ever saw it was at Kristen's bridal shower, which was travel themed so it made sense.
5. Wooden signposts
I have also noticed this all over wedding websites.
6. Ampersands
Oh, who doesn't like Ampersands?! I can't even use them here because they mess up the HTML coding on Always Standing. I don't really see how this is a trend, I am sure that is has pretty much been used off and on for all of wedding/writing history.
7. Naked cakes
Definitely a 2015 trend. I personally think that the icing is the best part of a cake, but then again a lot of wedding cakes are decorated using marzipan which is super gross. Marzipan makes the cake look very pretty and they can do great sculpture-like things with it, but it just doesn't taste good. So I like the choice of no icing over that, but really would prefer a good icing on there.
8. Those giant balloons
I guess these are a thing? Maybe not in Canada
9. Bunting
The first time I saw this was at Jenn and Jon's wedding. It was so pretty. The one that they had hanging up was very delicate, usually on wedding websites the type of bunting shown is more casual.
10. Wildflowers in jars (bonus points for twine and/or lace)
Hey, bet this is cheap to do! Though I am sure it is often done by florists, venues, and event planners at a massive wedding premium, which sort of defeats the whole purpose.
11. Blackboard Signs
It is a bit 'hipster' but it they are washed off and reused then it is a great idea. Often it is more of an aesthetic look than true blackboards.
12. Bridesmaids in multiway dresses
I used to have a multiway dress, actually more than one, and they are awesome. However, having different types of styles in the same fabric, like we did at Steph's wedding, or even having the same dress with different necklines has been done for a while.
13. Birdcages
I feel like these were big in the 80s, but then at the same time they can be quite hipster too.
14. Wedding flipflops
This is expensive and difficult to do - think about all the different sizes. It is a fun idea because heels hurt! I always bring my own flip flops to weddings.
15. Light up letters
I have not seen this at an actual wedding but it is a big thing right now, for both weddings and home decor. It is probably all over Pinterest (which I don't have) and I have definitely seen it on Buzzfeed.
16. Photobooths
For a while people would bring in the old-school mall-style photobooths sometimes, but now lots of people just have their photographer set up one during the reception. These are a really fun idea, not a recent trend and not a passing fad. If anything the video booths are less common and the photobooths are around to stay.
17. Mismatched bridesmaids
This doesn't happen as much as this list suggests. Maybe different necklines like I mentioned before, or different dresses, or even different shades within a shared colour - but full on mismatched isn't that common.
Erin sent me a Buzzfeed post - 17 Trends That Appeared at Literally Every Wedding in 2015 - and I thought I would use it as a jump off point to start thinking and talking about wedding planning more on Always Standing.
1. Cupcakes
This is not a new trend, Taylor had them at her wedding four years ago and three years ago Mike and Aimee did as well. I think I saw them at weddings even before that. They are easier to serve and tend not to be as pricey as a big decorated cake, also some locations charge a 'cake cutting fee' which is ridiculous.
2. Peonies
I don't know how accurate my opinions can be about this list since I don't think I even went to any weddings in 2015, it has been a quiet year. However, I love peonies, we used to have the deep red ones in Paris growing up. What a lovely flower choice! So big and soft.
3. Sweet buffets
This is just an awesome trend. It too has been around for a while and is a great idea. I love candy.
4. Vintage suitcase for cards
This is all over wedding websites lately. The only time I ever saw it was at Kristen's bridal shower, which was travel themed so it made sense.
5. Wooden signposts
I have also noticed this all over wedding websites.
6. Ampersands
Oh, who doesn't like Ampersands?! I can't even use them here because they mess up the HTML coding on Always Standing. I don't really see how this is a trend, I am sure that is has pretty much been used off and on for all of wedding/writing history.
7. Naked cakes
Definitely a 2015 trend. I personally think that the icing is the best part of a cake, but then again a lot of wedding cakes are decorated using marzipan which is super gross. Marzipan makes the cake look very pretty and they can do great sculpture-like things with it, but it just doesn't taste good. So I like the choice of no icing over that, but really would prefer a good icing on there.
8. Those giant balloons
I guess these are a thing? Maybe not in Canada
9. Bunting
The first time I saw this was at Jenn and Jon's wedding. It was so pretty. The one that they had hanging up was very delicate, usually on wedding websites the type of bunting shown is more casual.
10. Wildflowers in jars (bonus points for twine and/or lace)
Hey, bet this is cheap to do! Though I am sure it is often done by florists, venues, and event planners at a massive wedding premium, which sort of defeats the whole purpose.
11. Blackboard Signs
It is a bit 'hipster' but it they are washed off and reused then it is a great idea. Often it is more of an aesthetic look than true blackboards.
12. Bridesmaids in multiway dresses
I used to have a multiway dress, actually more than one, and they are awesome. However, having different types of styles in the same fabric, like we did at Steph's wedding, or even having the same dress with different necklines has been done for a while.
13. Birdcages
I feel like these were big in the 80s, but then at the same time they can be quite hipster too.
14. Wedding flipflops
This is expensive and difficult to do - think about all the different sizes. It is a fun idea because heels hurt! I always bring my own flip flops to weddings.
15. Light up letters
I have not seen this at an actual wedding but it is a big thing right now, for both weddings and home decor. It is probably all over Pinterest (which I don't have) and I have definitely seen it on Buzzfeed.
16. Photobooths
For a while people would bring in the old-school mall-style photobooths sometimes, but now lots of people just have their photographer set up one during the reception. These are a really fun idea, not a recent trend and not a passing fad. If anything the video booths are less common and the photobooths are around to stay.
17. Mismatched bridesmaids
This doesn't happen as much as this list suggests. Maybe different necklines like I mentioned before, or different dresses, or even different shades within a shared colour - but full on mismatched isn't that common.
Sunday, 13 September 2015
This Is My Fight Song
Weekend trip to Niagara Falls and I returned with the following:
- Shin pain from dancing
- Promises of Journey Behind The Falls and Wizard Golf next year
- A bottle of wine with my art on the label
- Chocolate covered beer nuts
- A losing mini putt score but joy about a hole-in-one
- Rachel Platten in my head, still with incorrect lyrics
- New definition for Liquid Gold (breast milk)
- A killer hangover that lasted for 3 days
We are making it an annual thing, this is the second year in a row.
- Shin pain from dancing
- Promises of Journey Behind The Falls and Wizard Golf next year
- A bottle of wine with my art on the label
- Chocolate covered beer nuts
- A losing mini putt score but joy about a hole-in-one
- Rachel Platten in my head, still with incorrect lyrics
- New definition for Liquid Gold (breast milk)
- A killer hangover that lasted for 3 days
Hornblower Again - I take a good selfie
Me, Tessa, Kiyomi, Taylor, and Kristen in front
We are making it an annual thing, this is the second year in a row.
Saturday, 6 June 2015
A Lovely Cadence
* Cadence Shirley Ann N. *
Born: Friday June 5, 2015
Time: 10:04pm
Weight: 9lbs, 4oz
Time: 10:04pm
Weight: 9lbs, 4oz
Proud parents: Taylor and Mark
Proud Big Brother: Lochlan
Proud Big Brother: Lochlan
Welcome To The World Cadence!!
Photo stolen from Facebook
(I can't wait to meet her!)
Always Standing Note: I have adjusted a tag which previously was just BabyLoch to be BabyLochCade so as to reflect posts related to either or both of Taylor and Mark's children.
Sunday, 25 January 2015
A Comparison In Brunch
Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.
Taylor was in town for Kristen's birthday. Today we did brunch out before heading to the mall to do some shopping, Tessa came too. We ended up going to eat at a place close to Rrunuv Bayit called Brunchworks, where, Kristen reminded me, we had been with my parents before. It made me think about the difference between my dad and I when it came to eating breakfast out.
TIME
Me: Between 10am and 3pm
Dad: Before 11am
LOCATION
Me: Toronto Brunch Specific: Boom, Brunchworks, or Cora's. Toronto Fancy Brunch: School or Mildred's Temple Kitchen. Toronto Restaurant: The Drake or Wychwood Pub.
Dad: Paris: Scott's Family Restaurant or Paris Country Grill. Brantford: Angel's or Kel's. Port Dover: The Port Dover Dairy Bar. Other: Any small town diner or locally owned family restaurant.
COST
Me: Usually between $10 to $12, though at the fancy places it can be closer to $15 to $18. This usually doesn't include coffee, which is okay because I don't drink it.
Dad: Would like it to be under $5. Usually this includes coffee and despite also not being a coffee drinker, if it came with the breakfast than he would get a half cup to ensure he had his money's worth.
VALUE
Me: Very happy when I can get the standard breakfast (eggs, meat, toast, and hash-browns) for under $10.
Dad: Thinks the above price is ridiculous.
Note: When my parents joined Kristen and I for breakfast once at Brunchworks, they found the $8 standard breakfast too expensive and chose to split it.
ORDER
Me: At a fancy place the standard breakfast isn't an option, so I might get pancakes, french toast, or something more interesting. However, I prefer the standard breakfast: Eggs: poached super hard Toast: changes depending on how I am feeling. Meat: bacon. Drink: water.
Dad: The standard breakfast: Eggs: fried, over easy. Toast: rye, as long as there is no extra charge,. Meat: sausages, butterflied. Drink: water and, if it comes with it, half a cup of coffee with milk and sugar.
EXTRAS
Me: I usually put jam on one or two pieces of toast. I will eat all the fruit, usually included as a small garnish, on the plate, though sometimes left the orange. I sometimes eat the lettuce leaf that is often also used as a garnish. I don't like baked beans.
Dad: Eats everything on his plate. Sometimes uses ketchup with his hash-browns. Puts pepper on everything.
HEALTH
Me: I often order the just eggs style breakfast since I don't really care about the meet that much. I also try as hard as I can not to eat all the hash-browns.
Dad: Rye bread because it tends to be healthier, for some reason. However, hash-browns were his favorite thing, he would judge the place on how good they were. He would eat all of them, and then often more from people (Mom and I) who didn't want to finish theirs.
Note: Mom also sometimes got the just eggs breakfast so as to not have the meat. She also always tried to not have the hash-browns, usually trying to get a substitution of sliced tomato or fruit.
LOVE
We both love going out for breakfast. (Together and with others.) It always feels like a special treat.
Taylor was in town for Kristen's birthday. Today we did brunch out before heading to the mall to do some shopping, Tessa came too. We ended up going to eat at a place close to Rrunuv Bayit called Brunchworks, where, Kristen reminded me, we had been with my parents before. It made me think about the difference between my dad and I when it came to eating breakfast out.
TIME
Me: Between 10am and 3pm
Dad: Before 11am
LOCATION
Me: Toronto Brunch Specific: Boom, Brunchworks, or Cora's. Toronto Fancy Brunch: School or Mildred's Temple Kitchen. Toronto Restaurant: The Drake or Wychwood Pub.
Dad: Paris: Scott's Family Restaurant or Paris Country Grill. Brantford: Angel's or Kel's. Port Dover: The Port Dover Dairy Bar. Other: Any small town diner or locally owned family restaurant.
COST
Me: Usually between $10 to $12, though at the fancy places it can be closer to $15 to $18. This usually doesn't include coffee, which is okay because I don't drink it.
Dad: Would like it to be under $5. Usually this includes coffee and despite also not being a coffee drinker, if it came with the breakfast than he would get a half cup to ensure he had his money's worth.
VALUE
Me: Very happy when I can get the standard breakfast (eggs, meat, toast, and hash-browns) for under $10.
Dad: Thinks the above price is ridiculous.
Note: When my parents joined Kristen and I for breakfast once at Brunchworks, they found the $8 standard breakfast too expensive and chose to split it.
ORDER
Me: At a fancy place the standard breakfast isn't an option, so I might get pancakes, french toast, or something more interesting. However, I prefer the standard breakfast: Eggs: poached super hard Toast: changes depending on how I am feeling. Meat: bacon. Drink: water.
Dad: The standard breakfast: Eggs: fried, over easy. Toast: rye, as long as there is no extra charge,. Meat: sausages, butterflied. Drink: water and, if it comes with it, half a cup of coffee with milk and sugar.
EXTRAS
Me: I usually put jam on one or two pieces of toast. I will eat all the fruit, usually included as a small garnish, on the plate, though sometimes left the orange. I sometimes eat the lettuce leaf that is often also used as a garnish. I don't like baked beans.
Dad: Eats everything on his plate. Sometimes uses ketchup with his hash-browns. Puts pepper on everything.
HEALTH
Me: I often order the just eggs style breakfast since I don't really care about the meet that much. I also try as hard as I can not to eat all the hash-browns.
Dad: Rye bread because it tends to be healthier, for some reason. However, hash-browns were his favorite thing, he would judge the place on how good they were. He would eat all of them, and then often more from people (Mom and I) who didn't want to finish theirs.
Note: Mom also sometimes got the just eggs breakfast so as to not have the meat. She also always tried to not have the hash-browns, usually trying to get a substitution of sliced tomato or fruit.
LOVE
We both love going out for breakfast. (Together and with others.) It always feels like a special treat.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
A Way Back Wedding
I was thinking about some wedding 'firsts' to post for Wedding Wednesday. I often equate Taylor's 2011 wedding with a lot of big first for me, in terms of friends getting married - first time I knew about a pending engagement before a friend; first Toronto bachelorette party; first time I was in a wedding party; first time I felt involved in the lead-up; first time I helped a friend the night before; first pre-wedding sleepover with a bride; first wedding I was at that Steph was the photographer for; first time I helped guys with boutonnieres; first (and probably will stay as the only) time I arrived at a wedding in the back of a pick up truck; and first time I had to hide tears while standing up front during the ceremony.
However, I often forget that there was an earlier wedding - in 2009. My first friend to get engaged (and married) was ERin. Anne and I went to the wedding together and had an amazing time, it was a serious blast with a lot of army guys. It was this bride that showed me how much I love bachelorette parties (See image to the left) I didn't help plan the party with marching shirts, limos, fancy cars, drinking games during dinner and dancing all night in Ottawa. ERin's wedding party did an incredible job, setting the bar high. Anne and I got to tag along and partake in all the fun.
The wedding itself was beautiful. (See image to the right). ERin looked stunning, her dress was beautiful. Her and Matt are complete sweethearts, I look forward to visiting them in Edmonton next month since I missed them when I was there over Christmas. I can still remember the funny speeches at their wedding and stealing all the wine off the tables after dinner. They were married at a resort on a lake, and I think I went swimming in the very early hours of the morning, after staying up all night.
However, I often forget that there was an earlier wedding - in 2009. My first friend to get engaged (and married) was ERin. Anne and I went to the wedding together and had an amazing time, it was a serious blast with a lot of army guys. It was this bride that showed me how much I love bachelorette parties (See image to the left) I didn't help plan the party with marching shirts, limos, fancy cars, drinking games during dinner and dancing all night in Ottawa. ERin's wedding party did an incredible job, setting the bar high. Anne and I got to tag along and partake in all the fun.
Monday, 5 May 2014
Come On, Comment
In the past week, there have almost 100 visits to Always Standing. I know because Google Analytics told me. This visits are from almost 50 different users. So there are a lot of you out there! However, in the past week there has only been ONE comment, it was from my mom saying that I had posted a nice picture of my dad last Sunday. I have been really good about my goal to post everyday this year, check out my stats listed in the archives to the left, 37 posts in March! I had hoped that writing more often would lead to a more dedicated and consistent readership, that would hopefully grow; without spending a lot more time on Google Analytics I can't really tell if that is happening.
However, I also hoped that it would mean more comments. I hate to complain when some people are so good (Teri, Taylor, Anne, Anna, ERin, etc.) about saying something, even if it is just a 'Hello' like Linds' and her 'This is here' that gets left sometimes. I want to coax out some of the others who stay in the shadows and rarely or never comment - who's out there? Say hello! The easiest way to do it is to use the Anonymous user to comment and then leave your name, nick name, or initial in the body of the message.
Specific call out to my boyfriend: I wish more people would engage with the site, for example I am pretty sure that Jason reads Always Standing daily, but I don't think he has ever left a comment. We live together, it would be weird to leave a comment when he could just turn and say whatever he is thinking right to me. But he never says, "Oh I read on your blog today that such and such." or "I really liked that last post." I would have no idea that he even checks if I didn't see it up sometimes on his screen.
If you are looking for something to talk about, let me know:
- How often to you visit the site?
- What do you most like to see (favorite types of posts)?
- Want me to stop doing anything or adjust something?
- Wish I would give an update about something previously mentioned?
- What do you want to hear more about / see more of?
However, I also hoped that it would mean more comments. I hate to complain when some people are so good (Teri, Taylor, Anne, Anna, ERin, etc.) about saying something, even if it is just a 'Hello' like Linds' and her 'This is here' that gets left sometimes. I want to coax out some of the others who stay in the shadows and rarely or never comment - who's out there? Say hello! The easiest way to do it is to use the Anonymous user to comment and then leave your name, nick name, or initial in the body of the message.
Specific call out to my boyfriend: I wish more people would engage with the site, for example I am pretty sure that Jason reads Always Standing daily, but I don't think he has ever left a comment. We live together, it would be weird to leave a comment when he could just turn and say whatever he is thinking right to me. But he never says, "Oh I read on your blog today that such and such." or "I really liked that last post." I would have no idea that he even checks if I didn't see it up sometimes on his screen.
If you are looking for something to talk about, let me know:
- How often to you visit the site?
- What do you most like to see (favorite types of posts)?
- Want me to stop doing anything or adjust something?
- Wish I would give an update about something previously mentioned?
- What do you want to hear more about / see more of?
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Blogs About Babies
FIRST
I am not ready to have kids, not even close! (This will not be a shock to most people.) My cousin posted a link to a blog post on my aunt's Facebook wall, which loosely compares getting a tattoo to having a baby. I think she posted it more because of the tattoo aspect, as she is much younger than me and I am pretty sure not having children any time soon. However, the post is pretty funny and the message is a good one - Be sure you want it! (I actually am considering getting both a second and third tattoo in the next couple of years but kids are still way off.)
SECOND
I have to admit that kids are cute. I love all babies universally when they are super tiny and blob-like, as long as they are not crying. After a child learns to crawl, walk, talk, etc. I am a little more weary and like to wait about 13 years or so before interacting with them again. My affection towards children is still limited to a select few kids. More and more people close to me have them and it is nice to see these wonderful families grow. Taylor mentioned this next list on Facebook as, "Lochlan in a blog post..." It is brilliantly written and hilarious, I have seen toddlers do all of these things!
Highlight: #2 - Their Rules are Labyrinthine and Inexplicable. Watching a toddler is like watching an alien creature build some kind of extraterrestrial machine. It’s like watching ritually-peculiar Druid magic, or the interpretive dance of a sentient spam-bot. Our boy-human will put on an Indiana Jones hat and start calling himself “Nemo.” He’ll hand you things and then demand you hold them and if you try to give them back you’ve broken some ancient changeling contract. He’ll require a very particular truck and if you hand him one that is 95% the same truck, he’ll actually hate you — like, maybe literally hate you — for at least two minutes. (Then he’ll forget.) He’ll place things around the room or perform a sequence of events that, for all you know, is meant to unlock some kind of apocalypse. It’s methodical and maddening, like a bird building a nest out of watch parts.
I am not ready to have kids, not even close! (This will not be a shock to most people.) My cousin posted a link to a blog post on my aunt's Facebook wall, which loosely compares getting a tattoo to having a baby. I think she posted it more because of the tattoo aspect, as she is much younger than me and I am pretty sure not having children any time soon. However, the post is pretty funny and the message is a good one - Be sure you want it! (I actually am considering getting both a second and third tattoo in the next couple of years but kids are still way off.)
from The Ugly Volvo
Highlight: #4 - A tattoo will ruin your body. It totally will, right? Also what will sort of ruin it is carrying another human inside your body for the better part of a year and then pushing it out an opening ten centimeters wide and then attempting to breastfeed it. Followed by the stress of trying to raise it to adulthood. Let me know if doing all that ruins your body any more or less than the butterfly on the small of your back.
SECOND
I have to admit that kids are cute. I love all babies universally when they are super tiny and blob-like, as long as they are not crying. After a child learns to crawl, walk, talk, etc. I am a little more weary and like to wait about 13 years or so before interacting with them again. My affection towards children is still limited to a select few kids. More and more people close to me have them and it is nice to see these wonderful families grow. Taylor mentioned this next list on Facebook as, "Lochlan in a blog post..." It is brilliantly written and hilarious, I have seen toddlers do all of these things!
from Terribleminds
by Chuck Wendig
Highlight: #2 - Their Rules are Labyrinthine and Inexplicable. Watching a toddler is like watching an alien creature build some kind of extraterrestrial machine. It’s like watching ritually-peculiar Druid magic, or the interpretive dance of a sentient spam-bot. Our boy-human will put on an Indiana Jones hat and start calling himself “Nemo.” He’ll hand you things and then demand you hold them and if you try to give them back you’ve broken some ancient changeling contract. He’ll require a very particular truck and if you hand him one that is 95% the same truck, he’ll actually hate you — like, maybe literally hate you — for at least two minutes. (Then he’ll forget.) He’ll place things around the room or perform a sequence of events that, for all you know, is meant to unlock some kind of apocalypse. It’s methodical and maddening, like a bird building a nest out of watch parts.
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