Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Climbing MountainS

Climbing MountainS

Several years back in college I watched my professors eyes well up in tears reading her journal.  She was reading about her climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.  Just the emotions that she went through reading this journal was awe inspiring, and I could only imagine what climbing Kili actually meant to her.


Kilimanjaro pictured above lies near the heart of Africa in a country called Tanzania.  Kilimanjaro also borders Kenya although most routes up Kili are through Tanzania.  It is called the roof of Africa and it is said that you can actually see the curvature of the earth from it's peak because the surrounding area is so flat.  Kilimanjaro is called a walking mountain because you don't need anything but a good pair of hiking boots to climb it.  42% of people attempting to climb this mountain fail, not because of physical fitness, but due to something called mountain sickness.  Because the air at that altitude is much thinner, it can cause havoc with your lungs and brain and even cause death if you climb too fast.

Why am I going on about Mount Kilimanjaro?  Because I am going to climb it!  I have no idea where the money is going to come from (the flight alone is roughly 1600 dollars and climbing the mountain is 3000 roughly with out the tip.)  Plus you have to pay for a hotel room that you aren't going to use for a week!  But all this being said, this is something I am going to do.  So, I've joined a gym and have begun a walking regiment which will increase dramatically.  The gym has treadmills equipped with incline adjusters which I am sure I am going to become intimately familiar with.  It's a good way to get in shape!  I may not be able to make it in a few years, but I am going to train as if I could and when the universe provides a way I will jump or rather climb on it!  The worst thing that could come out of this would be to get fit trying!

Thursday, 20 September 2012

The fallacy of Political Correctness

The fallacy of Political Correctness



In our endeavour to become a tolerant and excepting society we have unwittingly isolated ourselves from each other.  There are many different people who identify in many different ways, you have homosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans gender, two spirited, inter sexed, queer, questioning, cis female and cis male and the list goes on and on.  For the LGBT community it is hard enough to manage understanding the concept of all of the names and trying to use the appropriate words and gender in our speaking, in the heterosexual world it is completely baffling.  In our endeavour to include everyone we have completely missed.  If people in the LGBT community don't know how to refer to each other, how are we supposed to be approachable to someone who is questioning or heterosexuals who just want some answers.  People have suggested using the term Queer.  We should recapture it and make it positive.  I highly disagree.  When I was out recently with someone who is 80 plus she used the word queer in meaning something out of the ordinary, not normal, or just plan odd.  While I myself am out of the ordinary my sexuality is not.  Even the term sexuality is a misnomer as it goes far beyond sexual attraction. 

I prefer the term gay.  I've been told that it is of exclusive use for men, but I do not believe that is the case.  Gay means happy.  I am happy in whom I love and choose to share my life with. Gay is a non offencive word all around and I believe that in claiming it we are expressing our happiness with ourselves.

I urge people of the lgbt community to become disentangled with labels and become more approachable.  After all, we should be able to answer a few questions.  If you aren't comfortable with a term that someone has referred to YOU as, let them know that you prefer _____ but this is only you.  Feel free to explore the uniqueness that is you, but please don't force the rest of the community in embracing terms that we are not comfortable with.

Friday, 14 September 2012

You and me go fishing in the rain....

You and me go fishing in the rain....


I never thought that fishing could be a physiotherapy until the other day when I read an article in the Toronto Sun about a man who had lost some physical functions and used fishing as physiotherapy.  I think it is a great idea.  You can read the full article here.  I have been try get physically and mentally healthy and fishing is a way to do both
Recently I went out fishing with my girlfriend to a little place in Oshawa we learnt about.  Our first trip we caught nothing.  It was fun watching the other fisherman and we even learnt a few tips.  Our second trip out I ended up with a monster on the end of my line.  I fought well and pulled it to shore.  Unfortunately my girlfriend in her haste to drag my fish up onto shore snapped the line.  Weeks ago I might have even gotten angry, this time I didn`t get mad I thought it was funny and enjoyed the fight of the fish on my line.    The next day we went out and it poured rain.  You can see how we were by the wrinkles in my fingers. Valiantly we fished on.  As we were about to leave I felt the smallest tug on my line. I reeled it in (it didn`t put up much of a fight) It was a small trout.  I had asked for a fish and I got one.    This time my girlfriend used the net :D Next time I should specify a large salmon.


Wednesday, 12 September 2012

Visualisation

Visualisation


In keeping with a positive attitude, I find myself visualising myself differently.  I see myself as thinner and healthier, wearing the clothes that I would love to wear.  I have not been keeping track of my weight, BUT I have noticed that I have had a little more energy of late.

If I come across something negative, I've been trying to think about the positive things that could develop or picking something else that is happy and wonderful in my mind.  So far it has been working, and I've got the support of my friends, family and girlfriend to thank.  I have been trying, not to say that my life is suddenly rose coloured, but I have noticed an increase of happiness and a better mood.

There is always a silver lining in the darkest clouds I've heard.  Today when there was a massive plumbing leak in the hallway, I didn't panic, I didn't worry and I didn't obsess.  I went fishing.  (didn't catch anything).  When the plumber arrived he informed me that it was the condo corporations pipe that was causing the damage and he even gave me a loony he found in behind the toilet where we couldn't see.  I was very please.  The plumbing leak also gave me time to get to know my neighbour a little bit better, so what would have been a negative experience was turned into a positive one!

Keep thinking positive!

Sunday, 9 September 2012

You reap what you sow!

You reap what you sow!


Sept 09 2012


Recently I visited a friend, she's probably one of my most faithful followers to this blog and she told me how much she enjoyed it.  There was only one problem she said, your title, it's negative.  So I decided that I would make a slight adjustment to the title. 
 
The message, if any, I wished for those who read this blog to gain is not that bad stuff happens to people, but that you can make it through anything. The circumstances of my life aren't unique, but they are unique to me.  I'm sure I'm not the only gay woman out there to be diagnosed with MS, but I'm the only one with the skin I'm in, so they are unique to me.

I want to thank my friend for reminding me to think positively, but also to write positively!

I want to thank you to reader for taking the time to read this!

Monday, 3 September 2012

Gone Fishing

Gone Fishing!

September 3 2012



Every long week end this summer we have spent with my parents, either camping or hanging out at their home on the lake.  This week end we said in our city and worked jointly around the house to beautify the property.  Mom made a list and we worked together as a family to accomplish a lot.  We decided that we would go fishing on Monday as a last hurrah.  We decided to fish around Wilmont Creek and were treated to watching great big Salmon jump out of the water, ducks diving for plants, and even a hawk.  It was amazing to see all of this nature before us!

The saddest part of the trip was seeing all the garbage that the local fisher people have left behind over the last season.  During our fishing trips we always seem to end up with more gear than what we have come with, which is great!  The other garbage of coffee cups, discarded fishing line, camping chairs and yes even a snow board disgusted me.  Sport fishing is great fun and anything big enough we give to Dad to eat.  We are always careful to pick up our discarded line as to not ensnare local wildlife and anything we have brought with us.  I don't understand how people who come out to nature can behave so poorly.  Next time I go fishing I'm going to bring a garbage bag to clean up some of the junk people have left behind.  What a great world we would live in if we were all responsible for ourselves.  Great still if we all looked out for our environment and each other.

Nope we didn't catch anything this trip except a 25 pound dead fish, but that won't stop us from trying again.