Not even remotely relevant to LR, but definitely the cutest thing ever

Check this out.

Life a la Al

I think the first thing that comes to mind is that I miss you guys so very much. I hope to see you all soon. This Sunday for sure - but hopefully for LR this week (the 22nd).

My world is very simple right now. Work. :) I love it though, and if you're doing something that you love, it's hard not to smile about it. Sometimes it can get overwhelming, but I have a great crew and Darryl's been there to absorb a lot of work too, so it's been fantastic. It's really great working with Todd - he's so passionate about this project - and that is infectious.

You guys walked with me on my last show and how terrible everything was - this project is the complete opposite. Everything about it makes me thank God. There is a peace about it, and the people I am meeting are just phenomenal. I'm so very excited for what's to come.

One big thing for me is that I have finally received a diagnosis for my knees. If you didn't know - i've had knee probs for like 13 years. I finally had my MRIs done early in January and met with my knee doc last Monday - and there are problems. Generally people are sad about a diagnosis - I on the other hand was relieved that there was something they could find and now we can move forward with therapy. The sad part is that 3 doctors have advised me not to run again. You can't take the need for physical movement out of someone's head. I stopped running 1.5 years ago due to my knees' growing pain, and was told to hold off until they were diagnosed to ensure that further damage was not done (especially when you don't know what's wrong). My right knee will not heal and only get worse (until surgery is needed) and my left knee is cystic, which is a whole other problem. I start physio soon, and i'm very relieved. I might push my luck after a few months and try to join a kick boxing gym again. :) I know I'll be running again once I am fitted with my knee braces. I don't know how I couldn't run again - if i was playing soccer, can you imagine just walking back and forth on the field while the game rushes past you? My advice to everyone is don't run on pavement!!!

Anyway. That's my story. We go to camera in a month. I'll be living in Hamilton almost through March/April. Then at the very end I get a week off, at which point I will be plotting my relocation plan (I want to move to be near the waterfront). :)

Miss you guys. Love you guys.

A Tom Update

Hmmm. An update. Good idea, Rachel. Thank you for getting the ball rolling.

It's a beautiful sunny Sunday, albeit I do say a cold Sunday as well. But you know what? We've been spoiled much of this season with unseasonably warm weather, and this IS Canada, so bring it on. Just not much longer (please). It's kind of cold in my house, but at least it doesn't make me drowsy, and therefore I can write something here.

Life is always life to me. New things don't usually strike me as news, so it's often hard to answer the question, "What's New?", even if nobody really asked me that question. But I suppose a request for an overview or an update is like saying, "What's new."

Am I stalling? Do I find my life that boring? Well, let's see. I'll recap the past week. I've been working hard at work on getting our company's corporate identity cleaned up a bit. My new coworker is in the South and Eastern Hemispheres, that is, in Queensland, Australia. Together, we are the Marketing Department for our company. She is handling the marketing side, and I the visual design side. It's kind of daunting because we're now starting to do a lot of brand-related stuff, such as mall display design, corporate identity rebranding, strategic marketing and research, and we're pitching to big corporations for potential partnerships as part of our new campaigns. This is all stuff I really don't feel so great at doing, but it's my job and it's a unique challenge, so yay for that. Every Thursday, we have a teleconference via Skype, which, by the way, is a fantastic free VOIP program for anyone who wants to chat clearly and freely with another anywhere else in the world.

On Friday, I went shopping and bought a fabulous pair of tight jeans. I mean, they are the tightest jeans I have ever purchased, but I like them! And they were only $30 at the Club Monaco Outlet in Markham. Then I went home and worked on my portfolio--an ongoing project that should be coming to its end very soon! Actually, when I am done this, I think I will make some art using a collection of Starbucks cups I have accumulated in the past few months for said portfolio. Hold me to it.

Yesterday, after Karate, I went over to my friend's place, presumably to practice for our new country music troupe. Instead, my friend, whom I have only known through blogs and email, showed up from Toledo, Ohio (she was staying at their place), so we toured Toronto and had a good time. And yes, I wore my tight jeans. They were awesome.

What else? Today, I restrung my guitar and listend to half of Cyril's sermon.

And I have been looking after the family cat, Guido, for the past week. I was really hoping she could stay here but the landlords are adamant about having no pets, and even admitted to eating Dogs (while living in their homeland). Seriously.

So, that is the scoop with me.

Peace,

T

Brilliant idea, Rachel.

Ok, I'll be brave and update you on my life through this public internet medium. Blogging makes me nervous. I'll write almost anyone an email about almost anything, but putting thought, emotion, honesty into writing that is so PUBLIC freaks me out. (Clearly (clearly) I could not, at this stage of my life, be a journalist, so kudos to you, Rachel sugar.)

Maybe I just don't write publicly enough; maybe it's like public speaking, and gets waay easier with practice. I worry a lot that what I write is too boring to be public. Maybe that doesn't matter. Maybe I just need to Find My Voice, and then I'll be ok with Using My Voice. Maybe I should get my own blog. Maybe maybe maybe. Maybe I'll decide, later. I have a feeling that finding out why this makes me so nervous might be important, in a self-awareness kind of way.

Fitting into the Life Update category, and also relating to the above: you probably recall that I go to these early morning eucharist services on Tuesdays. It's a great little community. Most things, from prayer litanies to music to sermons, are created by people within the community. Anyhow, I was asked to do a sermon (!!!) sometime during this term, and I decided to do it (!!!) even though I reeeally didn't want to. Mainly, I reeeally didn't want to for exactly the same reasons that blogging makes me nervous -- fear of having nothing interesting to say etc etc etc. Which is also why I decided to do it.

So the sermon is two weeks from today, and I am definitely Nervous and Worried. Aaah! Please pray for me, if you think of me.

Other than that, life is good and uneventful. Watched lotsa Gilmore Girls yesterday with some other nice GG fans (we're in Season 3 now). Learned how to purl and am now knitting a scarf (read about all that here, where someone else blogs about me knitting). Am dreaming about quilts and making better ones. The quilt pic at the top is currently inspiring me -- it's from here, part of a Japanese quilt festival. Sooo beautiful.

Ok, someone else's turn. Much love to you, Rachel!

What is everyone up to?

Hey y'all!

So, I'm thinking it's about time that we all pitch in a bit and tell everyone how we're doing. A basic re-cap if you will, an overview if you prefer, a summaray perhaps... of our lives. I miss you all and would love to get back into the loop, or at least get a glimpse of the preverbial loop.

And just to get the ball rolling...

Classes are very easy on account that I'm study English Journalism in a place where English is everyone elses second language. So I use my spare time to hop around the city.

The city is beautiful and bustling. I love it. Lights, people, things to see and places to go. Good food... usually. I found a coffee fix in case anyone was wondering. Instant 3 in 1 coffee, just add hot water. You scoff now but you don't understand my desperation.

And Isaac is soon to have a buddy. My cousin Monica is due in March and they are expecting a boy. So, it's not long until Benjamin Arthur Vrolyk will be welcomed into the family.

That's about it.

Someone elses turn.

Ready... GO!

Have you thought about the celery?

Will all the talk of gas prices sky rocketing and oil becoming more of a liquid platinum than gold, have you really thought of the consequences we'll face? When the world is out of all but the most expensive and highly demanded oil, when we all start walking uphill both ways to school, what is really going to happen? Most people don't think of the consequences the lack of oil will provide outside that of fuel for our motor vehicles which provide so much mobility in our geographically vast North America. But wait a moment, what is plastic made out of? Oil. What is everything made out of? Plastic.
Then we will not be able to go anywhere or use any disposable plastic packages or durable, yet safe, playground equipment. Its all well for you to fill up your mind with these concerns, but have you thought of the celery?
Our dear friend celery (who takes more calories to digest than it provides the body) cannot exist in this world much after the oil is gone. It will have lost its best friend: petroleum based spreadable simulated cheese. Raisins will not even be able to help their companion celery when the whiz is gone because you just can't stick to plain celery.
So the next time you drive a car, use a piece of ever convenient plastic or heat your home, take a minuite to see outside yourself and think of the celery.