Food

1. Sunshine
2. Facetime and food with lovely nerdfriends
3. CBC radio one
4. The book Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, by Vincent Lam (it's very good and you should read it)
5. Marimekko socks
6. Sneakers
7. And I think I can say it again cause it's a friggin gorgeous day out: SUNSHINE!

But considering the mood I was in earlier this week, I sure did need some fun, and it was a great day!

1. Sunshine.
2. Farmer's market.
3. Free ice skating.
4. Finally meeting penpal Andrea and (a couple other people that were only names and faces prior to today)!
5. Coming out of ice skating into the warmth of the heat on asphalt.
6. Awesome afternoon nap after skating.
7. Super amazing dinner of pan cooked tuna, grilled pork tenderloin, asparagus, wild rice, and salad, with figs and nectarines for desert (thanks Merv!!!)
8. Spending the evening talking and laughing with friends.
9. Feeling a little bit calm again.
10. Wrapping up the night reading and eating cookies on the couch.

Just when I started getting excited about everything that was going on, life gave me one more hurdle to jump--I thought I was on the upswing from the flu that I caught a couple weeks ago, but then Thursday night when I walked to the Safeway, I realized something just wasn't right.  It's only six blocks or so, but by the time I got there I was exhausted and felt kind of like I had asthma, but it just wouldn't really go away.  I went into work the next morning, but was still having the same feeling, and knew I had no choice but go to the doctor's.  I headed over there on my lunch break, only to find out that I'd actually developed both a respiratory and sinus infection.  Fun!  I guess sometimes I shouldn't be so tough on myself thinking I'm a wuss for being tired and not getting better fast enough, sometimes it really IS just that I'm not better yet!

So the doctor prescribed me some antibiotics and I called work telling them I wasn't going to make it back in, and headed over to the pharmacy.  My good friends will know how much of a fan of swallowing pills I am, so I was not to thrilled to begin with, but sucked it up and choked down the first dose.  The pamphlet about the antibiotics warned that it tended to irritate people's stomachs, but the pharmacist had said that there weren't really many options, so I just toughed out the bit of discomfort.

It was after I took the second dose later that evening that I all of a sudden started feeling really ill, incredibly nauseous, and crazy stomach pain.  I ended up on the phone with Scott at midnight, sobbing because I thought I was going to throw up and didn't feel good.  Which made me feel like a goon, cause I totally lost it, but it was just one thing after the other, and I was incredibly frustrated and tired.

Eventually I calmed down and went to bed, but when I woke up I still felt nearly as bad as the night before, so Scott came to get me and back to the doctor's office I went.  This time, I got prescribed a medication I had taken before (when I had my wisdom teeth out), but which isn't as strong of an antibiotic.  Scott headed back to work and Parveen and Alex came over to hang out and check up on me. Unfortunately, shortly after I took it, I got this weird itchy bruise rash thing on my hand.  I was kind of just in disbelief by this point, like seriously?! Cut me a fucking break!!!  I called the pharmacy and they told me it was probably an allergic reaction and to go back to the doctor AGAIN.

So Parveen took me back to the doctor...except since I just go to the walk in clinic, I got a crappy doctor who was really snippy with me, and then prescribed me a medication that is similar to one I'm allergic to, which didn't exactly make me feel very comfortable after everything that had already happened.  I was just too freaked, so we went to the clinic near my place to get a second opinion (I rarely go there because it kind of sucks and there's often huge waits), and waited 2 hours to see the doctor, Parveen the star friend that he is toughed out an incredibly long 2 hours by my side.  Luckily, the doctor was actually really good and seemed to know what he was talking about.

He said that the bruise/rash on my hand was not at all what kind of rash you get from the antibiotic I was on and that I could either try a different really strong antibiotic (not so recommended), or just keep taking the stuff I had since he didn't think that's what had bothered me (which is what he was recommending).  So even though I was a little (lot?) nervous about it I decided to stick with the stuff I was taking.  And it seems *knock on wood* that he was right.

My stomach's still feeling rough after that first antibiotic, and just because they are usually pretty tough on it anyway, but I think the infection is starting to clear.  So hopefully that will keep getting better quickly enough.  I'm just totally wiped after all this, and kind of wondering how I'm going to get through this last week of work in one piece.  I feel like I've been pushing myself so hard for the last month or so that I haven't got much push left in me at this point, but I know that I'm actually pretty strong and that I've made it through worse things.

I just have to try and stay calm about it and take one day at a time.  That, and I stocked up on frozen dinners and canned soup so I don't have to cook dinner all week.  Do what ya gotta do, right?

I am going to be so relieved when this week is over and I can just focus on getting my body back in fighting shape, and start to figure out where my new, and might I add more balanced, adventure will take me.

This was by far one of the most fun weekends I've had in a long time. It was largely because I'm finally feeling a fair bit better, probably back to 80% or so after a few weeks of all my health crap flaring up. I forget how nice it is to actually have the energy to actually do all the stuff I want!

Friday was pretty low key, but highlights involved going swimming for the first time in a couple years. The funny part was there was a couple triathletes there (World Triathlon Championships were in town this weekend), just to contrast the two ends of the human swimming ability spectrum. Things I forgot about swimming: 1) how psyched I get when I throw on my jeans and a hoody over my swimsuit before heading out, 2) how fun it is, and how relaxing swimming under the water can be, and 3) how much I totally suck at it! Good times none the less, and I will definitely have to go more often now that I broke the seal! Friday night, headed over to Snootytown...I mean Yaletown, and watched House of Flying Daggers with some friends, which was actually an okay movie, very visually stunning even though the story line was a little iffy. Much goofiness and fun was had over the course of the evening.

Saturday was action packed! I didn't even leave the West End, and it was one of the best days I've had in ages! The day started out with the first West End Farmer's Market of the year, and boy was I ready for it. The Farmer's Market is one of my favorite things about summer, and I love making the trip over there every Saturday once I'm up and at it. Stocking up on tasty food for the week is just as much fun as chatting with the farmers and vendors, and running into random friends and acquaintances from the neighbourhood. I'll be writing a more detailed post about the first market of the season on Spend Locally.

I had kind of a loosely planned afternoon, because I wasn't sure what the weather was going to be like, it's been really off and on lately. If it was raining, I was going to go to pancake breakfast with some lovely peoples, and if it was sunny, well...have you heard about World Naked Bike Ride? It was indeed a sunny afternoon, and I almost chickened out, but I was like, "Hey, why the heck not?", so I took my lovely bike and headed down to Sunset Beach. Admittedly, I did not go full buff, especially since there were SO many gawkers taking pictures, but I did ride around downtown in some cute undies and had a fabulous time! Not too many people I knew turned up, though there were probably a couple hundred people--but I did see more of one old friend and one new one than I had ever hoped I would! Hah. Fun times! It was a riot...until we rode up the hill on Robson, where I finally succumbed to my asthma and general lack of being in shape, and knew that it was my time to put my dress back on and coast back home. I can't even explain to you how great a time I had, riding with all the free spirited great people, but suffice it to say it was a big win for project YES.

Leslie took some photos before the ride started, and they're really wonderful. I know I've said it before, but she's such a great photographer--if anyone in Vancouver is looking for a wedding photographer, you should definitely check out her site! She got a bunch of great shots that she made into the amazing (and tasteful!) montage above. She also took the shot of me in all my pale glory...

Then after a shower and throwing together a salad, I walked over to Alex's for a BBQ which had a great mix of people (mostly who I didn't know), including accountants and actuaries, a lawyer, a few techies, a few academics, old friends, and a guy from Austin, TX, who was couchsurfing for the night on one of her friends' couch. Much chatting and eating was done, and then a rousing game of Catch Phrase, which was actually stupidly fun--we played boys against girls, and I have no idea who was winning, but it was hilarious! Eventually, the night rolled on and I started getting sleepy and strolled home.

This morning I tackled the pile of dishes that I made over the course of the last couple days before heading out for a quiet brunch/lunch over in Yaletown with my best buddies. I wasn't going to go originally, but a little gentle arm twisting got out there, and I'm glad I went mostly due to the company, but an honourable mention goes to the tasty roasted chicken I got, which will last me a couple more meals yet.

The grey weather was just what I needed after a fun-filled weekend, to slow down and take care of many loads of laundry, tidying, sewing, and random computery stuff I needed to catch up on. All that's left now is to make some food for tomorrow and the cozy up in my freshly washed bed.

Rachel just posted a list of ten good things and inspired me to do the same:

1. Sunshine and less cold, I love you both.
2. Awesome brunching with awesome people.
3. Reading books and comics.
4. Sketching.
5. Spending time with girls (not a usual occurrence for me!)
6. Planting my strawberry plant.
7. Shooting film again.
8. Getting to know new friends better.
9. Getting to know old friends better.
10. Taking care of myself.

"Sometimes it seems like we're all living in some kind of prison and the crime is how much we hate ourselves. When you really look closely, people are so strange, and so complicated that they're actually beautiful. Possibly even me." - Angela Chase, MSCL [wikipedia]

Northern Voice gave me the necessary kick in the pants, and after coming home and having a nap, I finally wrote a new post on SpendLocally.ca on Chi Cake's glorious vegan gluten-free cheesecakes! Click here to read!