Vancouver Riot Part 2 - The Culprits

One of the better parts of the Vancouver Riots (is there really a better part to a riot?), is that people were angry. People got very angry. People were turning pictures of their friends and family over to police - no problem. I have to say, if I recognized someone in a photo - I would turn them in. There are no excuses.

So now to the culprits.

Meet Nathan Kotyla. He lit a police car on fire. He was a great kid - a great student. He had a scholarship to University of Calgary, and was an Olympic hopeful for water polo. He's sorry. He got carried away - really, he's a good kid. A good kid would NOT know how to lite a car on fire. I don't know how to lite a car on fire. I would just throw matches at it... hoping it would lite. On top of that - nothing could ever convince me that that act was ok - nothing. He can't be THAT good of a kid....

Here we have mountain biker Alex Prochazka. He was the face of Oakley. Above you see him posing in his sponsors clothing... while rioting. He has been released from his contract.

Below is Jason Li. High school student - hoping to attend UBC this fall - not likely.

Dustin Anderson is the worst. He doesn't understand why he's in trouble. People did things a lot worse than calling a cop a "fag" and telling them to hit him... then he ends up hitting the cop. He doesn't understand what the big deal is. This guy is a real loser. He needs to be punished. All the others above feel remorse for what they have done - not forgivable, but still remorse. This guy just blames everyone else and says he could have been a lot worse.

Vancouver Riot Part 1 - The Riot

We had a riot. I don't live in Vancouver, I live on Vancouver Island - across the ocean from Vancouver. Thankfully, I was no where near the riots, however, I can still feel the impact on this side of the ocean.

Because I am not only Canadian, but also live in BC, this incident is very important to me. 

I will therefore be making this into a 3 part blog.

This is not the BC I know. This is not the Canada I know. The Canada I know is a peace loving, gentle place.

BC is also a place where everyone has a camera phone. I can't imagine what these people are thinking. They will, of course, have to pay the consequences to their actions. We can clearly see their faces.

I can't imagine what these poor people are thinking.

 More Heroes

 Lighting on fire and jumping on top of a Police car. Again, can clearly see everyone's faces.

A clear indication that the "mob mentality" really does exist. I don't think a lot of these people would act this way normally.

 This guy makes me incredibly angry. He just looks like an asshole

Ridiculous. I'm sad that this is the NEW impression of Canada/BC. Everyone loved us after the Olympics, and now.... we are ashamed.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do...

Breaking up is hard. Especially if you don't know WHY you broke up, and no one is really willing to inform you. I am still unclear as to why my husband and I separated. Things were going along just fine. No problems that I could see. Then, one day, he had to start "thinking about his life". Fine - we all go through that stage. Usually it's work related, or do I want to go back to school - something. Not hey, I think I'm gonna leave my wife and not tell her why!
This makes it extremely difficult to move on. How can you possibly move on after this? You have zero closure, no idea what went wrong, no idea what happened. Just one minute everything is good - the next you're single.
I have asked him why - he says I seemed unhappy. That seems like a bullsh*t answer if you ask me. If I seemed unhappy wouldn't you TALK to me about it? Really?
The fact that he refused to speak to me about anything that was going on, refused counselling, didn't even attempt to work things out is completely heart breaking. How do you recover from that? How do you get over that? How can you move on from that?
The answer? You can't. You simply can't.
I think it's extremely selfish. Him not telling me what happened is holding me back from healing, and that is an incredibly cruel and selfish thing to do. Even if it's something hurtful that I wouldn't like to know - it would be better than constantly wondering what happened. It would be closure.
Have any of you ever been through this? If yes, how did you get over it?

DIETS

Diets... they are no fun. Over the past few months I have lost a total of 30 pounds. How? Eat less, move more... hmmm... who knew?
I have lost it very slowly, and mind you, I still have about 40 pounds to go... but it's coming off. No crazy fads, no crazy restrictions. I just try to eat as healthy as possible most of the time, and allow for slip ups.
Now, the last month has been a constant slip up, but I'm all good now. And you know what? I didn't gain one ounce back - not one. I was terrified to step back on the scale - I was exactly where I left off. Now, normally, I would want to come down on myself because I should have lost 10 pounds in that month - but I stopped myself. I have been doing really well - and I didn't gain - so that's something - and I'm back on track now. You know why? Because as yummy as ice cream with chocolate sauce is - so is a strawberry and banana smoothie - plus - I can run up 3 flights of stairs without running out of breath - in the long run - which is better?
I still have ice cream with chocolate sauce mind you - just a smaller serving, and less often. It also probably doesn't hurt that I walk my dog for 2 - 3 hours / day - every day.
Who knew all those crazy doctors knew what they were talking about when they said calories in vs. calories out. Low carb/low fat/high carb/veg... doesn't matter. Calories in vs. calories out. Plus, this is a plan I can stay on for a lifetime. I don't limit anything - just watch my portions and exercise.
A girl I know if on a low carb / low meat / low fat / no diary diet. Basically, she eats nuts, beans, fruit (limit 2/day) and veggies. No dressing, no oils... nothing. She lost 10 pounds in 10 days which is great, she feels good, and she has the will power of a saint. I'm just not sure if that is a plan you can stick to life long - if you can, its great for her. I could not do that. I'm pretty sure I would die (not really), I would WANT to die.

The Joys of Dog Ownership

Another great perk of owning a dog?

Getting outside - hitting the trails - seeing all the awesome area's around you!

Before getting a dog I walked around the city a lot - but never out in my area of town (the burbs). Now, having a dog - I spend less time walking around the city, and more time walking on trails. The first few pictures below are literally right behind my house. And really, I have never stepped foot on them before I got my dog.

This is called the Galloping Goose Trail (click the link). It is a 60KM trail going from Victoria to East Sooke, and there are tonnes of areas to come in or go off the trail. It had a double lane, so there is lots of room for people to ride their bike, run, walk their dogs... its great and BEAUTIFUL. Some of it runs a little ways off the road. I walk those area's at night in case you need to quickly get to the road for some reason - but a lot of it is in a treed area - so pretty.

These next pictures are of Ed Nixon Trail. A lot of the trail is a board walk - which is awesome for walking a dog because then they don't need to stop and sniff every piece of grass - they just walk. This boardwalk leads you to a heavily wooded area (beautiful) and then onto the lake - so awesome!

Oh, and the exercise is good :)

DON'T LIE!!!

Don't lie. There is no real reason or excuse to do so. If you feel the need to lie - then you probably shouldn't be doing what you're doing anyway. Flat out lying, omitting parts of the truth, being vague on important details (for example yada yada yada from Seinfeld) are all forms of lies - deceit.
You may believe with full confidence that the person you are lying to will NEVER find out - how could they?
A friend of mine could be a friend of yours and may hear something. I may run into someone whom you involved in a lie who has no idea what I'm talking about. Facebook may post something that you quickly delete and don't expect me to see. Someone may tell me that they saw you somewhere else... there are many ways.
Eventually, I will question you on the lie... "Did you have fun at the circus with the bear?" - all the while I know full well that you were at a baseball game with the rabbit. Now, I 100% want you to tell me that the circus was cancelled and you went to the ball game with the rabbit. I don't want to believe you're lying to me. However, if you say the circus was amazing - bear loved the clowns... I will be sad... but I will not tell you I know you're lying. And in those few short moments, I become a liar. I don't want to be a liar.
This little lie - no matter how small starts to pull apart the fibers of our relationship. Unravel the sweater if you will. I will always see that little lie in you and wonder what you are hiding, what else you've lied about...
If you feel the need to lie - think twice about what you're doing. Chances are you shouldn't be doing it. Also ask yourself if this lie is worth the relationship of the person you're lying to.
Unless its a surprise gift... then lying is ok :)

Single and Ready to Mingle?

 Are you SINGLE and ready to MINGLE?
I am not... but if YOU are - get a dog. Seriously... get a dog.

Cutie-pie... I know... Isn't she adorable?

Anyway, I cannot walk her with at least one or two guys stopping to look at her - pet her - chat. And - if you walk around the same time everyday ... you usually run into these guys over and over. They always recognize you and your dog and always stop to chat for a minute.

Some of them are walking their dogs, some are going for a run, some are riding their bikes... but they stop and chat. Sometimes day after day you talk to the same guy.

If this said guy is also walking his dog - this can lead to "play dates" with your dogs. You guys are forced to hang out for a couple hours while your dogs play. Sometimes you end up just walking together... its great.

Sometimes you just end up standing there and talking and the dog gives you the "come on! I'm getting bored" look.

Plus - you get to have a dog... it's the greatest!

Open Relationships...

Open relationships...
I have been hearing a lot about open relationships lately. I don't know if it's an old idea that is becoming more accepted and open in society - or just more people are doing it now. Some celebrity couples you may know who are in open relationships:
Um... Charlie Sheen (maybe a bad example)
Demi and Ashton
Pink and Carey
Will and Jada
Tilda Swinton
Mo'nique
There are a tonne of blogs written by people in open relationships - writing about their husbands and boyfriends, and their life in general.
The basic argument is that its not natural to be monogamous. That relationships are healthier if they are open and have one main relationship and multiple side relationships/one night stands/"play" partners.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I think the guilt of being with someone else would kill me. Plus, I have zero desire to be with anyone when I'm in a relationship with someone else. On the opposite side - I could not lay in bed at night knowing that my husband/boyfriend is "playing" with someone else... I think that, personally, would be horrible.
How do you feel about open relationships?

Realist VS. Pessimist

Realism VS. Pessimism... I'm not sure what I am characterized as. Let me explain...
A friend of mine starting dating a man she met online. Great - I have never tried online dating. I am neither for or against it. It makes zero difference to me where you meet. I have a few friends that LOVE it, and a few friends who HATE it, I am undecided.
Anyhoo.... They met, went on a date a few weeks ago, and have been completely inseparable since then. They chat/text/email all day. They spend all evenings and weekends together - totally inseparable. Now, he does have a job where he travels a lot. He's here for a few weeks - lots of free time - then is gone for a few weeks - working constantly. So I understand the fact that they want to get to know each other before he leaves again.
She is totally infatuated with him. Talks about him all the time, tells me all the sweet things he does - totally in lust.
Now me.... whenever she tells me a sweet thing he does - I say "awwww, that's so sweet!" and then think - "that won't last" or "he's totally playing her". Why can't I just accept that he may be a nice guy and wants to spend time with her and do sweet things.
They seriously spend every living second together - and I WANT to tell her to take it easy, don't get too attached too fast.... but why? Maybe he's a really great guy! Maybe he wants to be with her all the time!
Pessimist?
Bitter maybe?
Untrusting?
I don't really think I'm untrusting. When I speak to my husband and he tells me something - I believe him. I trust him. I don't think awful things about him. I don't think he's an awesome dream guy either though - of course I know him quite well - and he never pretends to be perfect. I just think this guy is a little too attentive and sweet and perfect... a little too good to be true.
I am very good at keeping my mouth shut and tell her she's so lucky and he's a great guy... but deep down - I think this guy is a bit of a player?

Ch Ch Ch Changes....

So, this year has been a pretty big year of changes for me. Changes that I had absolutely no control over.

1. My husband has decided he wants to be single
2. I had to have an animal put down
3.My cousin passed away
4. My best friend moved to South Africa
5. I'm selling our house at the worst possible time
6. Getting out of my mortgage early is resulting in me paying a ridiculous $20,000 fee

I have to say, I'm pretty much done at this point. Something good has to happen right? Something good has to come from this?

This year is just a write-off for me. I just want it to be over. Next year is going to be my year of being settled, comfortable and happy. I simply refuse to accept anything else. I will be settled into my new home, getting back to ME and how I was before I was a WE.

Um... WHAT?

Ummmmm.... What? What was that Marie Claire? You said WHAT? You have an issue with Fat people on TV?
Marie Claire, I hate to say it, but I think it's YOU that has a problem. First there was THIS. Picking on all those cute little healthy lifestyle bloggers. Getting everyone up in an uproar about eating disorders. Twisting words and upsetting some innocent girls. Now, you have a problem with fat people. So what do you want from us? Not too thin? Not too fat? And this:
"So anyway, yes, I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room"
Um... you better be pretty hot shit to make a comment like that. Like, you better put Megan Fox to shame in the looks department!
And this:
"Now, don't go getting the wrong impression: I have a few friends who could be called plump. I'm not some size-ist jerk."
Ummmm hahah... I'm not racist, some of my closest friends are black. I'm not homophobic, some of my best friends are gay.... sound familiar? I can pretty much guarentee, those "plump" people you call friends, as of right now, are no longer your friends.
Marie Claire, I think you need to get out more. I think you need to realize that people have more important things to worry about like their daughter (my cousin) dying of cancer at the age of 40. War, hate crimes, poverty, murder, homelessness, hunger, why there are so many children dying of cancer, why there are so many adults dying from cancer, why so many innocent people are killed in "friendly fire", why children in schools are committing suicide due to bullying. Maybe you need to spend more time in a childrens hospital and less time critisizing fat people who are in your line of vision and making you sick.

ThanksGiving

So, it's Thanksgiving here in Canada. Thanksgiving was always mine and my husbands holiday. We would always have EVERYONE over for dinner. My mother, his parents, his gramma, my best friend, her husband and child, my other good friend and his date, and random people who just didn't have other plans. We always had tonnes of people here. This year, my husband - aka the Grinch, stole Thanksgiving! No one was into it this year. I still had his mother over, and my mother was here - but that was it. No one else. I invited my husband because I didn't want him to be alone on what is normally our big day - but, as a typical man. He doesn't care. Doesn't even phase him. He doesn't seem to care much about anything. A while ago I was trying to plan our one year anniversary. He actually said to me - really, our
wedding anniversary doesn't mean that much to me. Christmas and birthdays yes, but wedding anniversary, no, not important.

**SWOON**

So romantic! Tell me again about how our wedding vows mean nothing to you!

It's Makeover's Y'all!

So, my mother-in-law and her sister (Aunt-in-law?) stopped over last night. They are so concerned over what happened. What went wrong? What was so horrible about our relationship that it wasn't worth saving?

His mother likes to disect him. His every word, move, thought... She said he's not a very thoughtful man. More focused on himself then others. Quite selfish actually. She also noted he was quite lazy and very messy. Very very messy. There was a lengthy discussion on how he constantly pee's on the side of the toilet and never cleans it up. She also went into length about how he never shares his feelings, and has no empathy if someone else is upset, and can come off cold and uncaring, even though he may actually care. He just doesn't know how to show it. She then went into an example about how he is a horrible communicator. Really. Horrible. Example:
His Mom: Hi Son, how are you today?
Him: Fine
His Mom: How are you doing? What's new?
Him: Nothing
His Mom: What are you up to today?
Him: I dunno
His Mom: Want to get together for lunch?
Him: No
His Mom: Why?
Him: I'm sick...
His Mom: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?
Him: You didn't ask!

Frustrating - I know. Normal people would be like:
You: Hi, How are you?
Me: Ugh, I'm sick - some kind of flu I think.
But if you don't ask the perfectly worded question, you will never know whats going on with him.
After this lengthy discussion my Aunt-in-law says "Wow, I really think you are way better off without him". She is quite disappointed in him and has never tried to hide it. She thinks he's making a huge mistake and isn't afraid to admit it.
Now as much as I love these bitch sessions, America's Next Top Model is on Y'all! AND!! It's MAKEOVER week!!!
HELLO!

Luckily I had it on the correct channel all night so I could just rewind it and watch it. I love me some ANTM makeovers.

Teen Mom Deuxième Partie

Farrah. Farrah Farrah Farrah. You know what? Poor Farrah has no money. She has $100.00 to her name, rent is due in two weeks and her baby is starving!
You know what Farrah? I caught then end of Teen Mom yesterday in fact. I was waiting for the Real World to start (Guilty Pleasure). Precious little Farrah was at the hair dresser, complaining about how broke she was - getting her extensions put in. You  know, I don't have extensions, but I can bet that they are not cheap. I would put money on it in fact. I remeber a while ago as well I caught a glimpse of it, and Farrah was at the salon getting mani/pedi's with her daughter. Her not even one year old daughter. Again, I think that costs some cash.
From the parts of Teen Mom that I've seen (and I admit to watch it occasionally) Farrah was living in her family's rental for little to no money, she then moved into her own place and couldn't afford it. Well if you're so broke, stay at your parents rental, don't get hair extensions, mani/pedis. Really? Really? And I cannot believe, well I don't believe, that Farrah is not making a decent amount of money off of the show as well as these magazine covers. I bet she is making more money then most of us.
Grow up Farrah. You're a mom. It's time to act like an adult.
And what's with her leaving her baby unattended so much? That baby has fallen, been locked out of the apartment, been splashed with hot water, and God knows what else more times then I can count. I have probably only seen about 3 full episodes.

Teen Mom

Why, oh why, are the kids from Teen Mom on so many magazine covers? Really... Why.... I want to know...

These are 16 year old girls that got knocked up. Is this magazine cover worthy?

Look at all the magazine covers...

And seriously, I searched for like 10 seconds... and I found ALL of these...

And why is Farrah broke? SHES ON THE COVER OF OK MAGAZINE!!! They must get some kind of money for that. They MUST! And you know what Farrah? Back in MY DAY, when 16 year old girls had kids - they studied their asses off to get their GED, and you know what else? They got their GED because they left school so they could get jobs. Full time jobs. You know what a full time job gets you? Money! So these 16 year old girls left school - studied endlessly to get GED or to challenge the final exams, they worked full time AND took care of their kids. Novel idea- I know.

Ooooh, and Maci - a new shot at love. Maybe little Maci should take it easy. Keep the ol' legs glued together for a while. Focus on herself and her baby. Just a thought.

What do you guys think about these Teen Mom's getting so much press?