Lucky.

I am still a few weeks away from reviewing my summer BUT there is something very important that I realized this weekend.

I have some absolutely amazing friends.

For almost my whole life I have searched for true friends... and this summer I found them.

Thank you, CrossFit Chilliwack, for providing a place where such wonderful people can be found.

I SUCK AT BLOGGING

I officially suck at blogging.

I don't think there are many people following my blog, but I am disappointed in myself for my lack of keeping up with this blog!!

GRR

so, new goal:

BLOG AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK.

the point of this blog was to keep track of my summer, and I want to do better. As of today, I will try harder. I promise myself.

But I have nothing to say today so I'll make a much more solid attempt this weekend.

Night !

PALEO

June is nutrition challenge month at CrossFit Chillwack. Translation?

4 days of hungry, irritable Morgan, but come day 5 my stomach had adjusted to my new diet AND I am now even enjoying it!

The Paleo Diet is summed up quickly into lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fresh fruits, and nuts and seeds. No sugar, dairy, grains or non-real/processed foods.

The most important part of this diet (for me anyways) is being ready for meals ahead of time. I like the food, and I feel good when I'm eating healthy, but when I'm in a rush and there's no veggies or fruit cut up and ready to go it's so much easier to grab something else (like a sandwhich or worse...). That being said, I haven't cheated once! EXCEPT, of course, for my once daily coffee which I will not give up... it has cream and sugar in it.

I've found some AMAZING recipes here, and the favorite so far are the Paleo Candy Bars... they are a freaking God send, any craving is completely combated by them AND they're totally healthy which is GREAT. I made a massive batch and gave them to some of my fellow CF'ers doing the challenge.

Best part? I've lost weight already AND I feel so good, and it's only been 6 days :D

Thank you CrossFit Chilliwack for this challenge! Can't wait to see the results come June 30th!

My Physio is a Superhero

So, I think I have seriously been slacking in the blogging department for the last 2 weeks, it's not that I don't have anything to say (and those of you who know me will agree with that... he he) I just can't focus enough to pick something to blog about. But I've decided to blog about my latest drama...

It's not what you expect I promise, but it's still driving me absolutely freaking mental...

I have a strained rotator cuff.

It sucks.

May 24th was the mark for one month of shoulder aches and pains. Rotator cuffs are a If you're wondering how I did this (besides the fact that some days I'm a clutz) it was a lovely combination of 3 hours of a CrossFit Olympic Lift "Snatch" clinic, mountain biking, sleeping funny while I was sick for 1.5 weeks and basically just overuse.

I started with just resting it and modifying all my CrossFit WOD's so that they don't work my shoulder. but here's the deal, it's my right shoulder... I'm right handed. It is absolutely impossible to clean my horses stalls, groom my horse, type at work, sort traffic tickets and do nearly EVERYTHING else without using your right shoulder.

After one month of limited movement, the aching and soreness was getting worse so I finally gave in last Thursday and went to see a physiotherapist. Today I had my second treatment and i only have one thing to say about it:

My physio is like superwoman mixed with the best magician ever.

Seriously though, the 80 minute sessions which have included ultrasound, weird little suction massager things and massages have made all the difference in the world, it's definitely not 100% but the mobility is coming back and the aching has all but disappeared, on Saturday I had absolutely no pain at all. I'm really kind of amazed at how much one, and then two, treatmenets has made.

This feeling better has come with some sad stipulations though... icing 3 times a day (I hate being cold!), no riding (and Levi's finally sound too!), no mountain biking, no guitar playing, and nothing involving my arms at CrossFit. Hopefully it will just be another week and I can slowly start adding some of those things in again, I am missing them ALL so much! On the plus side though, I've finally accomplished big box jumps at CF, and I've been able to work my lower body/core lots which tends to be my weaker areas!

But it's time for me to ice now so I should go, if you ever need a fabulous physio I know just the girl!

Here's a great big shout out to Glenn Mountain Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy in Abbotsford! Thanks for fixing me!

Day 35 of 133 Days of Summer

Eat Pray Love

Tonight I finished my first book of the summer, "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert! And I am kind of sad about it because it's the best book I've ever read!!

It's the true story of "one woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia", and I have gotten more out of it than any book I've ever read; I went through the book "dog ear-ing" pages with good thoughts and insights that I wanted to read again once I had finished the book... turns out I need to read the entire book again :)

I don't want to give away too much about the book because I genuinely hope that anyone who happens to come across this post will consider picking up a copy, but there are two main parts I want to share briefly.

A major part of the Gilbert's novel is her search to strengthen her spirituality through meditation, and near the beginning of the book she talks about God, and her religious background and where she is now; I admire her greatly for her ability to take into consideration all faiths and their ways of connecting with their respective God's (who is really just One) and this is what she says:

"In the end, what I have come to believe about God is simple. It's like this - I used to have this really great dog. She came from the pounds. She was a mixture of about ten different breeds, but seemed to have inherited the finest features of them all. She was brown. When people asked me, 'What kind of dog is that?' I would always give the same answer: 'She's a brown dog.' Similarly, when the question is raised, 'what kind of God do you believe in?' my answer is easy: 'I believe in a magnificent God.'"

But perhaps the greatest thing Gilbert says in this novel, and the statement that I connect with the most, she makes at the end when it seems as though she has succeeded in finding "everything":

"What keeps me from dissolving right now into a complete fairy-tale shimmer is this solid truth, a truth which has veritably built my bones over the last few years - I was not rescued...; I was the administrator of my own Rescue.

My thoughts turn to something I read once, something the Zen Buddhists believe. They say that an oak tree is brought into creation by two forces at the same time. Obviously, there is the acorn from which it all begins, the seed which holds all the promise and potential, which grows into the tree. Everybody can see that. But only a few can recognize that there is another force operating here as well - the future tree itself, which wants so badly to exist that it pulls the acorn into being, drawing the seedling forth with longing out of the void guiding the evolution from nothingness to maturity. In this respect, say the Zens, it is the oak tree that creates the very acorn from which it was born.

I think about the woman I have become lately, about the life that I am now living, and about how much I always wanted to be this person and live this life, liberated from the farce of pretending to be anyone other than myself. I think of everything I endured getting here and wonder if it was me...who pulled the other, younger, more confused and more struggling me forward during all those hard years... and maybe it was this me who whispered lovingly into that desperate girl's ear... knowing already that everything would be OK, that everything would eventually bring us here. "

That statement is exactly what my hopes are for this summer. I know that it's going to take longer than the 133 days my summer has, but these 133 days are a start to finding the self that I seem to have lost after falling over and over again. I know that I'm here somewhere, and already, every day that I have spent reading, hiking, running, CrossFit-ing, and being with my horse, has begun the process of becoming the person I want to be, and who I know is inside of me somewhere, waiting to be set free.

Day 20 of 133 Days of Summer

let go

I just have to let go and hope that one day you willl realize what you've lost and come back.

So there it is, I'm letting go.

Please don't forget me.






Day 16 of 133 Days of Summer

fairy tale

You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them, but eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. But the thing is its hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely cause almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true.

- Meredith Grey
Grey's Anatomy

my first song

One year ago today I began to write my first song... on May 8, 2009 I finished "Here I Am", my first and (in my opinion) best song so far.
Here it is, excuse the poor quality.

It was a day just like any other, nothing special
Then you walked towards me
And smiled and I can’t help but think now
Everything’s changed

Now here I am walking with you
Seeing your smile, I come unglued
The touch of your hand, it sends my world spinning


My voice is shaking
My heart it’s pounding
My hands are trembling
And I keep wondering
Is this the day that I’ve been dreaming of?

Those nights talking weren’t like any other
They were something special
Staring at the stars and talking ‘bout our dreams
And how it seems the little things are all that matter

Now here I am talking to you
Hearing your laugh I come unglued
One call from you can send my world spinning

My voice is shaking
My heart it’s pounding
My hands are trembling
and I keep wondering
Is this that day that I’ve been dreaming of?

And I can’t help but wonder
What you think of me
Do you even see the what you do to me?

My voice is shaking
My heart it’s pounding
My hands are trembling
and I keep wondering
Is this the day that I’ve been dreaming of?

Now here I am waiting for you
Hoping you’ll pick me to run to
That I’ll be the one that will send your world spinning

'Cause My voice is shaking
My heart it’s pounding
My hands are trembling
and I keep wondering
Is this the day that I’ve been dreaming of?

Will this be the day that I've been dreaming of?

If you're reading this, thank you for being my first song.

Day 9 of 133 Days of Summer

waiting for the best thing

Today I had coffee with a good friend that I had not seen for a while, it was a very last minute meeting but it was great; it often amazes me (with this person especially) how whenever I spend time with him, regardless of what's going in on our lives or how long it's been since we've been in the same room, we always go back to where we left off and it's as though nothing has happened and nothing has changed. Most of the time we joke around, but every once in a while, we'll have what seems to resemble a serious conversation, and today there were glimpses of that, and there is one thing in particular that stuck out to me from our conversation. He told me that the best things are always, always worth waiting for. I said, what if I spend all this time waiting, and end up wasting all this time waiting for something that never happens? His answer: "then it isn't the best thing, and in the time you spend waiting, the real best thing will come along instead". I think that's almost another way of saying that things always work out in the end, and if they don't, it's not the end... he's a smart guy.

I need to remind myself of that more often. It's funny, because I totally believe that and say it to other people, but I never remind myself when I need to hear it.

So friend, if you're out there reading this,

Thank you for saying what I needed to hear, and for knowing me well enough to know I needed to hear it.

AND, he was super awesome and bought me one of the books on my summer reading list!! I've been looking for it for 6 months, it's not in print any longer, but it is a brand new (used) version for me:) Thank you so very much!

Day 8 of 133 Days of Summer

Gravity

Day 7 of 133 Days of Summer

exploding drawers and gappy shower curtains

Spring cleaning took place in my house today... the last hectic month of school assignments meant major neglect to my bedroom/bathroom, so today I faced the disaster zone... and there are two resulting rants....

I spent two hours cleaning out my dresser drawers because I couldn't fit anything else in them, I filled a garbage bag and a half full of clothes to take to the Salvation Army and thought "a bag and a half? That's pretty darn good, I'm going to have loads of room now!" Right? No....WRONG. How is this possible? It doesn't seem like anything has changed, I'll probably be doing it again next month!

AND, I have the biggest problem with those ring things that hold the shower curtain onto the rod... I've lost three in the last month. I don't get it, they're big metal things, how do they disappear? My bathroom isn't exactly large, and there's not many places they could get lost, and they definitely wouldn't fit down the drain. So where the heck do they go? Unimpressed I am, now I've got a gappy shower curtain.

On the plus side, my bathroom is sparkling and I found my favorite Billabong t-shirt when I was cleaning out my drawers! AND, I only took cough medicine once today!! YAY!!! And tomorrow is my first day back to CrossFit in a week and a half! LOVE IT!!!!


Day 6 of 133 Days of Summer

Welcome May!

Day 5 was definitely, definitely, definitely a GREAT day, technically we're 33 minutes in to Day 6 at the time I'm writing this, but we'll just pretend it's still May 1st.

First of all, I am starting to feel better!! YAY!! I am still definitely relying on the ever-so-wonderful cough syrup and nasal spray, but the antibiotics have kicked in and I am even starting to get my voice back! I spent the morning at the barn with my beautiful horse, Levi. Then went shopping with my sister. Then went to a birthday party for a friend and to the annual Montie Stomp party.

All I really want to say tonight is that I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends. Thank you for a great night!


Bonne fête Martin!



Day 5 of 133 Days of Summer

Soul mate.

Though of the day, from Elizabeth Gilberts "Eat Pray Love", Richard-from-Texas's explanation of what a soul mate really is (p. 149):

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change you life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it."

My experience over the last year is perfectly summed up by this... in a way it is a bit depressing because it throws out all the "usual" ideas of the perfect soulmate, but at the same time I really like it.... thoughts?

Day 4 of 133 Days of Summer.

Tockett and Benny

Well, I was hoping I would be healthier today, but I am definitely not. Day 9 of this silly cold began with me waking up feeling like my throat was bleeding from all the coughing throughout the night, and my sinus' were so full I thought my head would explode... obviously my head didn't explode but my mom (all the way from Vegas) managed to convince me into going to the doctor; I left his office with a sinus infection diagnosis, nasal spray and sulfa-drug antibiotics.... fun? Not.

So, I have again spent the majority of the day resting on the couch with my laptop, TV remote, iPhone, cough candies, Kleenex, and my most favourite company: my two dogs, Tockett and Benny... and after a day with the two crazies, I have decided to blog about them today. May sound lame-o but I think they're pretty wonderful.

Tockett is a 10 year old Jack Russell Terrier. He is cuddly, energetic and too smart for his own good. Benny is 2 year old, 3.5 lb Chihuaha. He is playful, moody, slightly obsessive and suffers from a severe case of "little man syndrome".
My mom and I have discussed on several occasions how it is possible to love these creatures as much as we do, and I still haven't figured it out, but what I do know is this:

Despite the fact that the two together are noisy as heck, I appreciate that they love me enough to feel as though they need to protect from leaves blowing in the wind, flies buzzing around in the summer, cats running across the cul-de-sac half a block away, and any stranger that shows up at the door unexpected.

Even though he's started to age very quickly the last few months and has slowed down significantly, I love that Tockett greets every new activity with the enthusiasm of a puppy, never getting left behind even if it means that the next day he'll be too tired and stiff to get up.

Every morning Benny wakes up and the first thing he does is leap out of his kennel like a racehorse and scratch his belly and back on the carpet in the upstairs hallway with his tail wagging the entire time, and then he proceeds to run to every room in the house, greeting every family member as though he hasn't seen them in days... he reminds me to start every new day as exactly that... a new day.

I love that every day when I get home I am greeted by a white and black mess of wagging tails and wiggly bodies, even if when I left that morning I was mad at the two of them for barking and chasing the cat. But mostly I love that my dogs are always there, through good and bad; they celebrate with me on good days, sleep on the couch with me on sick days, lay in my bed with me on lazy days, and sit quietly for hugs on the sad days. I have some great (human) friends, but there's something special about the bond between a person and their dog.

I love my dogs... and maybe the fact that I can go on and on about them makes me crazy... but that's okay.


At first when I started today's post I thought it was a kind of pointless topic, but the more I write I realized that these dogs are a part of my summer... I want to enjoy the things I love the most in life, and my dogs definitely fit into that category.

have you hugged your puppy today? :)









Day 3 of 133 days of summer.

The Books

These are the books I for sure want to read this summer (in no particular order)... I most likely will read more than ten (I'm a self-proclaimed book-worm), so if you have any suggestions (fiction or non) please, please, please comment and let me know!

1. Eat Love Pray -Elizabeth Gilbert (recommended by Corinne) - currently reading
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time -Mark Haddon
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns -Khaled Hosseini
4. Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda -LGEN Romeo Dallaire
5. Beatrice & Virgil -Yann Martel
6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie -Alan Bradley
7. Peacekeeper: The Road to Sarajevo - MGEN Lewis Mackenzie
8. Life of Pi -Yann Martel
9. Travelling Light -Max Lucado (re-read)

The List.

Here goes day two of my best summer yet: so far not so hot. I've been battling a nasty cold for the last week that has left my throat feeling as though it has been rubbed down with sandpaper, and makes me sound like the guy on 102 Dalmations that has a machine for a voicebox... attractive, I know. And I am grumpy... I think it is because I have not been able to CrossFit since Saturday, hopefully tomorrow!

But enough complaining! I have decided to make a list of the things I want to do this summer. Some of them may seem silly but all are important to me for their own reason. Every month I will review my list and see how I'm doing, and then at the end of the summer I will be able to look back and see what I've accomplished, what I still want to do and maybe how I've changed. Here we go:

1. Read 10 great books


2. Hike Mt. Cheam and Green Drop at least once


3. Run 5 km without stopping


4. Start going to church regularly again


5. Go on a road trip with my sister


6. Make top 5 for one WOD as Rx'd


7. Ride my horse in at least one competition


8. Eat healthy


9. Go mountain biking in Squamish


10. Don't spend any money at Lululemon unless I have gotten smaller


11. Get smaller... and stronger


12. Do two strict pull ups


13. Write 3 new songs


14. Go camping


15. Get over him
    
16. Get my class 5

There you have it... the list. 16 things I want to do this summer.

Day 2 of 133 days of summer.

And It Begins...

So... it is my official first day of summer vacation. "Vacation" being a four month break from school, but not from my Monday-Friday work (which is okay, since I love my job!). The past year has been a little bit crazy, to say the least, and as some people already know, I have decided that this summer will be mine. Besides working, I will do the things I love simply because I want to... for too long I have been stuck in a rut of doing the things people expect me to do, saying "yes" when really I want to say "no" and vice versa, and in general, not taking the time to just be me and do the things I want to do.

And so begins a summer of music, CrossFit, horses, biking, hiking, running, family and friends; these are the things in life I love the most and by focusing on the things I love for four months, I hope to learn more about myself and enjoy this summer to the greatest extent possible. To help me along the way I decided that I would keep a journal; but, I've tried that before and it takes me WAY too long to write and I get distracted and never finish. Typing is much faster, and since I've always enjoyed reading other's blogs, I decided that I will start my own blog to reflect on my summer. I will write about whatever I feel like, hoping that blogging will help me to keep track of my summer, and help me to learn more about myself. If you've stopped by to check out my blog, great! If you have decided to come along for the ride, great! I will warn you though, my writing might not always be the greatest, and keep in mind I am doing this not to entertain but to do something for myself in hopes of knowing me better. And if in doing so, you learn more about yourself, or feel challenged to make a change in your life, then that's just a super-awesome bonus! Feel free to post your comments or thoughts. I'd like to hear what you have to say, even if it's anonymous.

I guess that's it for my introduction, welcome to my blog: Morgan's Summer 2010

Day 1 of 133 days of summer.