Dwarves and Elves and Hobbits Oh My…My Top 5 Memories from the 2014 Calgary Expo

In case you didn’t figure it out from my last post Lessons Learned fromCalgary Expo, this year’s Calgary Expo was amazing.  When I compare my notes to the things I had written in my journal last year or the year before I have to say that this year blew the others out of the water.  The funny thing is my expectations going into this Expo were that it was going to be a much quieter journey.  As with past years I was excited that I was going to get to meet a long time crush (Bill Paxton) and thrilled to be getting to meet an author who greatly inspired the first short fiction stories I ever wrote but other than that as cool as all the guests were I wasn’t fangirling over the list.  That all changed the minute I walked into my first photo op and for the rest of the weekend I was just as excited and thrilled to be there as any other year and by the end of the first full day there Friday I had already decided that this was the best Expo yet. 

All ready for a weekend of crazy!

Over the four days I managed to squeeze in 8 photo ops, 10 autographs, 2 Exposed events and 9 panels (thank god for my VIP ticket).  It was busy and at times overwhelming but each night I fell asleep with a smile on my face.  Of all the things I did and saw I picked the top 5 memories that even a week later are still running through my mind and figured that I would share them.  As I get ready to create my scrapbook these are also the memories that will end up highlighted in the pages of this year’s book and the ones that will keep me in anticipation for what will unfold in 2015.

 

5. Meeting Bill Paxton 

              In the midst of my boy-crazy teen years I remember watching Apollo 13 for the first time (because a boy I liked at the time loved the movie) and deciding that Bill Paxton was kind of cute.  I had seen him in other movies before Apollo 13 but this was the first time I started to develop a crush on him.  The crush was cemented when Twister came out.  I have no clue what it was about that role but I was done.  Well after years and years of having a crush on him since then I knew that I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet him this year.  Unlike past years meeting the guys I had crushes on though I was determined that I would come up with something interesting to ask or talk about when I got his autograph.  I hoped that in planning maybe I could come off calm and collected rather than like a crazy fangirl.  I decided that it was a good idea to play to my strengths and fascinations so I figured it was a great chance to say something or ask something about the Titanic.  Knowing that he has actually gone down to the shipwreck amazes me because it is something I would love to do and after watching his panel I knew it was something he had good memories and associations with.  So first thing Saturday morning I waited patiently in line for my moment to meet him and get his autograph.  My stomach was in knots from excitement/nerves and probably a little because I didn’t really sleep very well Friday night.  When it was my turn I walked up trying to remain cool but Bill threw me for a loop.  Rather than asking for my name he asked what I wanted on my picture and I went silent (I also probably had the deer in the headlight look as I tried to process what he had said).  It was like he had asked the question in another language and at that moment my brain was just not willing to actually figure out what he had asked.  In true Jill fashion I felt my face grow hot from blushing and I started to giggle and panic a little (I really do struggle with trying to remain cool).  He then asked me what my name was and my response was “ummm” followed by a minute of silence (okay it was probably only enough time to breath but as I tried to remember my name it felt like hours of my brain spinning and panic rising).  Finally however I gave him my name and told my brain to shut up and calm down.  After that rocky start I was able to talk to him about the Titanic a little bit.  I left his autograph to him asking me “Are you reading to go back to Titanic” which when I watch the movie always gives me chills but in that moment it almost made me break out laughing again.  It was a great moment and I left all giddy and excited but I certainly know I probably could have done so much better.  I guess the lesson is that next year when I plan on what to say to whichever star is coming I will also have to practice my name.

4. Getting to Listen to the R L Stine  Panel (& meeting him after)

My hero and inspiration - R L Stine

                I wrote a little about R L Stine when I found out he was coming to the Expo in my blog entry EekTime to Find My Inner Cool so I can Impress.  When I first started really trying to write fiction it was R L Stine’s Fear Street books that I used to create my own short fiction.  (Looking back now I’m sure some of the appeal probably came from the fact that I probably wanted to find horrific deaths for various teenagers I encountered.)  As much as I had hoped that I would be able to impress him once again I was struck down with a loss of brain power.  He was a very nice man though and I enjoyed the brief chat I had with him although for the life of me I can’t remember what was said other than me telling him I used to copy his work and that he inspired me to be a writer.  The memory that I will carry with me though came from listening to the spotlight panel on him.  It was really interesting to hear him talk about his writing and to tell us his ghost story.  I have always loved being read to and he has one of those voices that I could listen to for hours.  I have to admit though it was when he was talking about how he writes that I found myself drawn in completely and found the memory I want to keep.  He talked about how he outlines his whole books before he starts writing and how he often has several books on the go at the same time set up on different desks.  Hearing about his process gave me a sort of validation of my own process.  I have been reading some books lately that suggest trying to just go where the writing takes you but having tried and failed that during the month of April I have to say I like my planning way better.  I know when it comes to creative pursuits that everyone has their own process but it is still nice to have my process validated.  It make me feel like maybe there is some hope that I am doing something right and that it might lead me down a path that ends with me getting published.

3. Middle-Earth Exposed
                I have gone to a bunch of these extra events Calgary Expo puts on and I have to say hands down Middle-Earth Exposed was the best.  It was a night to celebrate Richard Taylor the co-founder of Weta.  We got to watch as he transformed one lucky contest winner from a normal person into an orc.  I have to say it was pretty amazing to watch the transformation happen.  You can see the talent and care that goes into creating the creatures we watch on the big screen.   

From Human to Orc Part 1

From Human to Orc Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the make-over was going on we were introduced to all the Middle-Earth gang, starting first with the crew from Lord of the Rings.  It was interesting to hear Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, Craig Parker, Sadwyn Brophy and Mark Ferguson talk about their experiences.  Most interesting to me was listening to Sadwyn.  He was only 5 when he was on the set.  He joked about how he was Liv Tyler’s hot water bottle.  I can only imagine how cool it would have been to be in the middle of such a huge film at that age.   

Sadwyn Brophy, Craig Parker, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, Mark Ferguson

As much as I loved listening to the Lord of the Rings crew talk it was when the Hobbit gang came out that things got a lot of fun.  Watching Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy and Dean O’Gorman banter with each other was so much fun.   

Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Dean O'Gorman

As much fun as all of it was including watching the dwarves sing, and Jed and Sadwyn Brophy sword fighting it was when they started to do some improv that things got really good.  I have never laughed as hard as I did that night as I watched Mark Ferguson and Craig Parker tell a story about Harry Potter and Hermione using Billy Boyd, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy and Dean O’Gorman as the props.  I was laughing so hard a lot of my pictures didn’t even turn out.  The images of Billy flying around with Mark and Craig attached, or of Jed doing one armed push-ups as Harry’s “wand” or of Craig and Mark going to kiss but with protection are just a few of the pictures that will be ingrained in my mind forever.  It was one of those nights you just don’t want to end.  I would be the first in line to sign up again if Calgary Expo decided to do it again.

Is that your wand or are you just happy to see me?

Billy Boyd as an Owl

Kissing with protection

2.  Meeting all the Middle-Earth Gang 


                Not only are all the men from Middle-Earth hilarious, as they proved at their exposed event, but they are all some of the nicest guests I have ever met.  I had only planned on getting Bill’s autograph this year but after watching them all on stage at the exposed event I decided I wanted a chance to actually meet them and say hi.  (Well okay I had decided I wanted to meet one of them before the evening event but I will talk about that in my number 1 moment.)  I talked about this a little bit in my last blog but because I didn’t have crushes on these guys before the Expo (I totally do now though) I was able to go up to them and just be cool and relaxed.  I was able to be normal…well normal for me anyway.    I was able to have decent conversations with each of them.  I talked about how talented and skilled they all were with Mark Ferguson who seemed really pleased with how Exposed had turned out and happy to talk about the work that went into it.  I joked with Craig Parker about being a VIP and not having to wait in line, followed by him calling me beautiful which made me swoon.  When I went to meet Jed and his son Sadwyn (who totally has the coolest name), Jed remembered me from two days earlier and the photo op I had done which made it easy to chat with him.  Probably the surprise for me though was meeting Sadwyn.  I got to chatting with him and actually had to end the conversation myself so I wasn’t holding up the line.  Of all the stars I have met over the last three years at Expo these guys were the greatest.  Each interaction left me feeling wonderful and special and with a huge smile on my face.  I hope I get the chance to meet them all again sometime.  They were charming, genuine and wonderful.  They of course also are good looking and have amazing accents that I love.  hehehe

Billy Boyd and Sean Astin

Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy

Craig Parker, Mark Ferguson

1.   Best Moment for me of the 2014 Expo Meeting was Mark Hadlow (which took me by surprise)
                Of all the moments I enjoyed at this year’s Expo it was my interactions with Mark Hadlow that stands out as my favourite.  Mark Hadlow plays the dwarf Dori in the Hobbit movies and he is totally my favourite now.  He is not the youngest or the best looking but he was so nice to me.  The dwarf team up photo was the very first thing I did at the Expo this year.  When I walked into the picture area Mark gave me a huge smile, welcomed me and asked my name.  The photo ops only last for a few seconds but in those few I felt my whole mood shift from happy to be at expo to being truly excited to be there.  That night when I went home I made the decision that I wanted to go and say hi to Mark again so Friday morning after getting Billy Boyd’s autograph I walked up to his nearly empty line.  As I approached he smiled and said “You were at out photo op yesterday weren’t you Jill.”  I’m sure the smile on my face stretched from ear to ear.  It’s pretty cool to be remembered.  I joked that he looked at my name badge which is how he remembered me.  He countered with he only looked at the badge to confirm what he remembered.  It was the start of a fun chat.  When he signed my autograph he asked “is it ok that I signed it saying you are such a doll”.  I said of course that was fine (as if I was going to say no please start over…heheh).  We chatted a little bit more and he told me that he loved how bubbly and smiley I was.  I walked away standing a little taller and feeling special.  It is not something I experience very often (strangers paying me compliments) but it made a huge impression.  I think meeting Mark set my mood for the whole Expo which in part is why this year was so epic.  I’m sure he and all of them are probably nice to everyone they meet but in those few minutes chatting with him I felt like I was the only person in the room.  It is a pretty special feeling to have and not all of the guests I have met have been able to pull it off as well as Mark Hadlow did.

my favourite autograph ever

 

As exhausted as I was come Monday morning I have no regrets for all that I did or any of the things I had to miss.  When I look back on this year’s Expo I feel as though it changed me.  The memories of this year have followed me this week as have the ideas and lessons I wrote about previously.  The experiences I had this year are going to be hard to top but if I have learned one thing from the last two years is that I’m sure Expo will find a way to beat it next year.  I will look forward with anticipation as the following months pass slowly by until Apr 16, 2015.

Lessons Learned from the Calgary Expo

This year was my third time attending the every wonderful and exciting Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.  I have to say that this year the word I have been using to describe the weekend has been epic.  As I looked through all my notes (yes I actually took notes so I wouldn’t forget anything and this year I was glad for it) I realized that this year I learned a lot of things about myself.  Some of the things I learned were not really new things or even all that relevant but since I captured these little tidbits in my notes it seems only right that I share some of them, not to mention they are easier to write about currently than an entry to sum it all up.   The lessons are in no particular order.

 

There is nowhere in this world more accepting that a comic convention.

I do not generally like being in big crowds of people because for the most part big crowds means I am more likely to hear people making funny of me.  Negative shouts or calls or other forms of insensitivity that some people think are funny seem to follow me in big groups.  Well the thing with a comic convention is that this doesn’t seem to happen.  I will admit each year I go and expect that it will but each year I am amazed all over again when it doesn’t.  The people that file into the convention for probably a lot of different reasons just don’t seem to pay that much attention to things like my size.  True looking around a convention I’m probably not as out of place as I would be at a different event but it still amazes me not to hear the negativity.  It doesn’t matter what size I am or what things I love people are all just friendly accepting and wonderful.  You can strike up a conversation with anyone and I have never ever felt like I was being judged.  It is truly a refreshing feeling for me.  It lets me relax and just enjoy the good things that come my way while I’m exploring and meeting people I admire.

 

Compliments are the way to change the world. 

This seems a bit silly to put in here because it seems like it should be common knowledge and practice.  There is nothing like a compliment to make you feel good.  I had two experiences at the Expo that left me feeling wonderful about myself and both came from compliments given to me while getting autographs.  The first happened when I went up to meet Mark Hadlow (Dori from the Hobbit movies). I went up and was chatting with him and he called me a doll and said he loved how bubbly and smiley I was.  The second happened when I meet get Craig Parker (Haldir from the Lord of the Rings). We chatted a little bit and after I had my picture taken with him, he asked how it was.  I said that it was beautiful and he replied without blinking an eye no I was beautiful.  I’m sure both of these guys say lovely things to fans all the time but I can tell you I walked away standing taller and feeling better about myself as a person because two strangers took a few seconds to say something nice.  Both of the interactions felt very genuine and made me feel special.  What I realized from these two interactions is that if we all spent as much effort on complimenting each other as we do criticising each other our world would probably be a much happier and more peaceful place.

 

If I relax and be myself people do respond positively to me.

I have always had a hard time meeting new people.  I feel shy and insecure about myself when I am meeting strangers.  I have learned that this is multiplied a lot when it comes to meeting the stars of my favourite movies (especially if they are ones I have had crushes on).  This year though for the first time I really learned that if I just calm down, relax and be myself the reactions I get are amazing.  I found this with each and every one of the actors from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies that I met this year.  I like the movies but I have never been all gaga over the stars (well at least not the ones who were here this year anyway).  So when I went up to get autographs I was more relaxed and just myself.  In each case I had these amazing interactions and conversations with them.  It felt genuine and wonderful and surprisingly easy.  There were the two interactions I talked about above but those weren’t the only ones I had.  The other interaction that most sticks out that really made me realize that maybe I’m not so bad was my conversation with Sadwyn Brophy (Eldarion in Return of the King).  We had a fun little conversation that I actually cut short because there were more people in line and I didn’t want to keep him.  I didn’t think anything of it until I was talking to another expo goer who said when she went to get autographs he looked bored so she didn’t ask for his or talk to him.  I assumed it was maybe later in the day or something but found out that she was actually in line only a few minutes after me.  By being my normal self I was able to interact with him and get him smiling and laughing with little effort.  Friends have often told me that they love the way I can draw people in and I always shrugged it off because it is not at all how I see myself and maybe now I’m reading too much into it but if all it takes is for me to be myself I guess I will just have to try and remember that for the future, especially if it means I get the interactions I actually want to have with the talented people that I admire.

 

Boys with accents make me melt especially when using words like love, lovely and beautiful when talking to me.

This is certainly not a new lesson.  Accents are one of the many reasons I love to travel.  Let me tell you though as I walked around the expo and sat in on panels I was reminded time and time again just how sexy accents are.  I also think some of it comes from the fact that in North America we don’t seem to use the same words that they use elsewhere in the world (of course if a guy I met from Calgary called me love I don’t think it would come off as good anyway).  Even though in a lot of cases it is just a generic term I still get all giddy when I hear it.  The main example of this was with Tom Felton.  During his panel he called all the girls either Love or Lovely when he thanked them for their questions.  It is obvious it is just something he says but when he said thank you love to me after his photo op I melted.  It is silly because although I think he is great in the Harry Potter movies I never had a crush on him really or anything (I was too busy think bad thoughts about Snape) but at that moment I was smitten and it was entirely the accent.

 

Saying thank you with a big smile will always get you a smile back. 

This is another one of those lessons that I already knew but not something I always remember.  This year I made it my goal to make sure no matter what the volunteers said to me I would smile and thank them.  I wear my emotions on my face and if I’m disappointed about something I struggle to not show it.  Last year at least a couple times I found myself frustrated with the volunteers.  I am not the type of person to express that frustration to their face but I know that it was written across my face which the volunteers don’t need to see. They do their best even if they don’t always have the answers I want.  This year I was determined though that no matter what I would smile and say thank you.  It worked wonderfully.  Even the few times the volunteers didn’t know and just suggested I walk further and ask someone else I smiled and thanked them.  Each and every time they smiled back and if they didn’t have answers they always said sorry.  I hope that they never felt any frustration from me and only felt the gratitude I have for them.  The thing I wasn’t expecting though was how good it made me feel.  Positivity begets more positivity.  When someone smiles back at you it is contagious and it makes me feel good and smile a little more.  The funny thing is after one incident with one of the volunteers I turned away from her and continued smiling as one of the golf carts carrying one of the stars (I’m not sure who he was but I know I had seen him in one of the autograph booths) and I caught his eye and suddenly then he smiled back.

 

Sometimes you just have to say F it and do it anyway.

This has been a philosophy I have adopted in the last little while.  It has led me to taking more chances and to pushing me to expand my world.  This philosophy is probably not always the best one to adopt (especially at Expo when money is involved) but I have to say that it has done me good. This philosophy was what I applied when it came to meeting all the Middle-earth gang.  I had no intention of getting any of their autographs except for Billy Boyd and Sean Astin but after Mark Hadlow was so nice to me in my photo op I decided I wanted to meet him and it went from there.  Sure it cost me a small fortune for a chance to talk with each of them but they are some of the memories that I will carry with me from now on.  The responsible side of me knows I could have spent that money on something else but the joy I got from each of those meetings is more than worth it.  I won’t ever regret spending the money I did over the weekend.

 

Having a plan is a good thing but being open to new things can be eye opening.

This one goes with the lesson from above I think.  I am a list maker and each Expo I have a plan with exactly what I want to do.  I learned my very first year that this approach may not be the best one to have the best Expo.  Not accomplishing my list often leaves me feeling sad and disappointed and in a world of line ups and delays it’s pretty likely that things aren’t going to go as planned.  This year I still made a list but I prioritized it better as well as leaving space for me to have other adventures.  As I mentioned above meeting all the Middle-earth gang was not planned and that turned out really well fo  me.  Another unplanned thing that turned out to be completely enjoyable and got me interested in something new was the Aliens Exposed event.  I didn’t buy tickets for this event until two days before.  I wasn’t interested because I have to admit that I have never actually seen more than clips of any of the Alien movies.  When I bought the ticket the only reason I did was because I knew in going to the Exposed event I would get another chance to see and hear more from Bill Paxton.  It is such a hormonal fangirl thing to do but I guess really that is who I am.  LOL.  The funny thing is that after seeing more clips and listening to all the actors talk I can’t help but want to see it.  I may have even ordered the quadriolgy so that I can watch it.  It is not the first time I have discovered something geeky late because of something I have seen or heard at Expo.  Most of these new things come from sitting in panels because I have a blank space in my schedule and I want to sit down.  I owe the expansion of not only my DVD collection but my likes to Calgary Expo.

 

Packing your own food as a way to remember to eat was not as successful as I hoped.

This year as I continue down the path of a healthier lifestyle I was determined more than ever to try and keep things healthy while at Expo.  In the previous two years I have gone and I have often just forgotten to eat.  Whether I was distracted or my feet were just too sore to walk to get food it was far too easy for me to skip eating and just grab fast food on the way home.  So this year I went with the plan that if I brought food and had it with me I would have no excuse.  I picked up healthy snacks (fruit, veggies, cheese, and stuff for sandwiches) and prepared food to take with me.  It did mean that when I did finally realize I was hungry (often way past the point where I should have eaten) that I had something healthy to snack on which is good but sadly it didn`t help me at all to remember to eat.  Saturday and Sunday which were my busiest days I ended up coming home and realizing that I had barely touched the food I brought with me.  Of course the good thing is that I could eat the prepared food instead of fast food when I was uploading the day’s photos.  Apparently when running around being an over excited fangirl my hunger signals just get lost in the shuffle.  Next year I will plan food the same way but I think I’m going to have to actually schedule some breaks for food so that I actually do take the time to eat something.  Come to think of it this would probably help with my end of day mood as well.  Hopefully I will feel less exhausted and just content from whatever the day had brought me.

 

Too much of a good thing can be overwhelming, so I must remember to take breaks.

This goes along with the lesson above as well.  As much as I really want to see and do everything it is quite exhausting.  Saturday was my busiest day with 5 photo ops, 7 autographs, 2 panels and Aliens Exposed.  When it came to the end of the day I was exhausted but more than that when it came to my last photo op of the day I don`t think I even really acknowledged it was happening.  I live for those moments generally so it`s a little sad to realize I had one that fell a little flat.  It is just becomes a reminder that although I want to do everything if I`m not going to get the excitement and joy out of it maybe it would be better off waiting for another time when I will be able to really enjoy it.  I’m still learning the ins and outs of taking care of my mental wellbeing so this is sort of a big lesson to take with me for next year.  I can do everything I want I just can’t do it all at once.

 

I am blessed to live in a city full of people willing to work hard, volunteer and come together to give me (and everyone else) the chance to fulfill dreams and fantasies.

This last lesson is also not really new to me.  I have thought it each year I have gone to the Expo.  It amazes me that there are so many people willing to volunteer and help out.  I have to admit that I don`t know that I could ever give up my time and volunteer for the Expo even though I often think I should.  I know it makes me sound selfish (which I openly admit to being a lot of the time in other situations) but as much as I think it is a great idea to volunteer I don`t think I could ever do it.  Maybe as I learn to find more balance in the schedule I create this will change but for now I would much rather attend than help.  That being said I do know and value the amount of care and work that goes into this show.  I completely realize that because there are people out there that are less selfish than me, I am able to have the experiences I crave.  I am filled with gratitude for that.  This year I found that my experiences with the volunteers and staff were amazing.  I had volunteers who went out of their way to help me (even one girl who ran after me to give me an answer she had found out after I had walked away).  It was wonderful and I just want each and every one of them to know that I think they are great.  Without the wonderful volunteers I wouldn’t get to spend the next year dreaming about all the cool things I will experience next year.

 

Thank you to everyone who was a part of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo this year.  Thank you to the guests who came out and were willing to meet all us crazy fans and to the staff who organized everything.  Thank you again to the volunteers who were willing to answer questions and point me in the right way.  Thank you for giving me a weekend of amazing memories and moments.  It is not every day that you get to find a wonderful blend of reality and fantasy that creates an epic adventure full of memories.  Keep up the good work and I can`t wait to see what you have in store for us next year.

No Fear – Weight Loss Edition

No fear is a mantra that I have adopted for 2014.  It wasn’t something I planned to adopt but something that feels like it applies to how I want to live my life this year (and beyond).  The idea itself came out of my resolutions (although I probably owe the seed that started it to the friends who have nicknamed me courage girl) when I decided I wanted to blog more.  When I looked at all the things I had written and not posted it was obvious to me that I was in most cases just too chicken to put them up.  Well once I started thinking about no fear when it came to my writing I also started to realize it was applying to a lot of my other resolutions as well so I might as well just make it my mantra.  It runs through my brain when I’m doing something, especially if it is something I don’t want to do or have shied away from in the past.  Saturday became the first day though I really had to apply the mantra and make the decision to live by it.  It also became the day when I realized how important the idea behind it is to me.

When I first started my blog I created a little spot on the side that I could update with my weight loss.  It started with a grand total of the weight I wanted to lose and how much I had lost so far.  The plan was to update it each week and it went well at first until I started to gain weight.  I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself and so I just stopped updating it.  Looking back this was a huge mistake because it allowed me an excuse to ignore that little box.  Over the past few years (usually around the start of the year) I refresh the little box and make the same plans to update it regularly and each time the same thing has happened.  So this year as I updated it again I took some time to think about why something that should work as a powerful tool to inspire myself (and hopefully others) is so hard to update regularly and the answer was simple – fear. 

I will willingly admit that I am a perfectionist and maybe a little bit competitive.  If I’m going to do something I want to make sure I do it the best I can and better than anyone else.  These traits although probably not the most desirable have served me well in a lot of things but I have also started to realize that they have a negative side that I hadn’t been as willing to notice.  When it came to my weight loss (and a few other things like school) if I couldn’t do it the best or perfectly I wouldn’t try because then at least I have an excuse as to why I’m not at the top.  When it came to updating my weight loss spot on the blog the same problem was creeping in.  I wasn’t willing to admit to myself or anyone else that I was struggling and any less than perfect.  I didn’t want to show people that my weight wasn’t always dropping because in my head I felt like I should always be losing.  It was the expectation that I put on myself.  The problem with this is that it started to create a great deal of shame for me.  Rather than deal with the disappointment of not losing my solution instead was to ignore it and not do any updates.  I would just tell myself that it was okay to skip a week because I will just update it again when I’m down.  (This became a big issue when I gained all the weight I lost back after a friend’s passing.)

So on Saturday when I was faced with the first gain of the year I had a choice to make – either I ignore it or I post it.  So I chose to post it.  This was even scarier because this year I’m also posting it to my Facebook.  I was worried how people would view it and worried they would judge me for gaining.  This of course turned out to be silly thinking because the people that are going to comment or say anything are all incredibly supportive of me.  Posting it also helped me not to get too hung up on the gain.  I mean the reality is my journey is going to be a long journey.  I know there are going to be gains in weight because I have had them in the past but that shouldn’t negate the positive strides I have made in finding a healthier lifestyle.  It’s like my dad always says ‘it’s not the week to week that matters but the overall curve.  As long as it’s going down you are on the right track.’  (Who would have thought your parents might be right about some things!)

This year I will define no fear and weight loss to mean that I am accepting of whatever numbers I get on the scale.  I will do everything I can to make sure they are going down but I won’t let small gains set me back.  A gain on the scale does not mean my journey is broken or off track.  It is just a small speed bump – it slows me down but doesn’t stop me from going forward.  When I get to the end of the year and am looking back on 2014 sure I want to see my weight lower than it was at the start but I also want to see so much more.  I want to see that I have made more good choices than bad.  I want to know that I have found a way to become more regularly active.  I want to know that I am healthier than I was on January 1.  More than all of those thoughts though I want to get to the end of the year and be able to look back on my journey and be excited about all that I have accomplished.

Eek - Time to Find My Inner Cool so I can Impress...

...or at least not make a fool of myself

 

There are only a handful of things in my life that I am completely sure of and one of those things is that I want to be an author.  (Ugh is it just me or does that sound very Twilighty…LOL) Writing has always been something that feels very natural to me.  There is nothing I love more than opening a new notebook and putting a pen to paper or letting my fingers fly over the keyboard as I fill a blank page with type.  It calms me and focuses me.  While writing it is one of the times that I can make my brain be quiet (I know that sounds backwards but it’s the only way I can explain it) and not worry about anything.  If I’m having a bad day there is nothing that can make it right faster than sitting down to create something with words whether it is a blog or journal entry, a piece of fiction or even a poem.  The simple fact is I love words and all the promise/hope they bring.  I share this so you can understand the significance of what I’m about to write about.  It has me so excited my brain is doing laps around itself screaming excitedly.

Over the last two years I have been letting my hidden geek out and going to meet some of my all-time favourite stars at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.  I consider myself very lucky to have been able to meet some of my long time crushes.  Well once again this year I have bought my ticket and I’m ready to geek out for a weekend.  I expected that by the time April rolled around I would be bouncing off the wall for some cute actor but what I wasn’t expecting is that as of right now it’s not a famous actor that I’m excited for but it is one of my favourite author’s from my childhood.  Calgary Expo announced that R. L. Stine is coming.  (Even writing this sentence makes me want to jump for joy and run around screaming – I so have no hope of ever being cool.)

 

There are a handful of authors from my childhood that stand out because they told stories in ways that caught my imagination.  People like C.S. Lewis, Lucy Maud Montgomery, E.B White, Gordon Korman and of course R.L. Stine are just a few of my favourites that helped me not only develop a love of reading but also helped to create a desire within me to want to write.  These are authors of books that I devoured over and over again (heck even now as an adult I still often re-read them).   It was through them that I began to see the power of language.  The ability to teach, entertain or even just transport someone to another place are all things that I loved (and still love) about words.  Reading author’s that I would consider masters of the world of words inspired me to want to do the same.  I knew that I had stories I want to share and tell and they offered me a glimpse of how I could do it.

 

I began to carry around a notebook with me all the time even way back in elementary school.  I would fill them with random poems or short little excerpts of writing.  I still have all my old writing and let me tell you it is all pretty silly and bad but it was a start.  As I started to get a little older I began to want to get better so I began to take ideas from television or other novels and see what I could come up with.  My very first short stories of any length were actually stolen ideas and images from R.L Stine’s Fear Street books.  I began to create creepy tales that allowed me to do things that I couldn’t do in real life.  I will admit there were probably a few characters that saw the darker side of my pen because of the stuff I put up with in school but at least it gave me a safe and sane outlet right? ;-) 

 

Needless to say when I saw the guest announcement on Thursday I was over the moon with excitement.  I could hardly focus at work and instantly I was trying to remember where I put the box of my old favourite books so I could dig out the old Fear Street books and re-read them again.  With the excitement though there is also a level of panic that is sneaking in.  I am about to meet one of the authors that I admire and that put me onto a path that will one day hopefully end up with me and a published novel (or 2 or 3).  What the heck do you say to someone like that?  I mean sure I have been nervous about meeting childhood crushes but this is so much more - without author’s like Stine who knows what I would be doing with my free time.  I feel the pressure to be witty and intelligent and actually be able to say something to him that will not make me seem like a foolish fan girl.  This is the sort of pressure that usually has me running for the hills to hide behind an email (because I can totally write something intelligent – I think anyway).  I guess the good news is that I have a few months to work on it.  With a little luck I will be able to put something into my brain that won’t just fly out right at the moment I saw hi to him.  I will try however to keep the panic at bay and just enjoy the excitement of knowing that I’m going to get to meet someone that unbeknownst to him, helped to shape my whole desire to be a fiction writer.

New Year’s Resolutions Past and Future

The end of one year and the start of a new one creates the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and start over.  Each year I am one of the many that creates resolutions to help guide me on the year to follow and also like many I think they are often quickly forgotten and pushed to the side.  This year was a little different for me, if only because I had the resolution documented so I couldn’t forget them.  I’m actually proud of my resolutions for 2013 because all of them except for one was at least attempted.  So on this last day of the year I want to quickly look back at my resolutions for 2013 and share my new resolutions for 2014 (some of which will look pretty familiar).

In 2013 I came up with four things I wanted to work towards, all of which were things that work towards my overall life goals.  They were to move more, complete a 365 day photo project, complete another Nanowrimo challenge and read fifty books.  Each of these resolutions have had their own challenges and they are also ones that I have ignored in other years so I was pretty determined to complete them.

The resolution to move more was probably the easiest of all the resolutions because it was vague enough not to give me outlandish goals but still specific enough to get me up off the couch.  This resolution took me a while to actually fulfill because it wasn’t until I got my fitbit that I actually could see that I was actively working towards moving more.  I have already written about how wonderful this change has been for me.  It has been incredibly powerful to see results that I want and at a steady pace.  I feel like this resolution is one that I can check off as being completed without any second thoughts. 

The second resolution is also one that I’m happy to say was a success.  In 2012 I started to do a picture a day with the plan of completing an album of 365 moments that would have made up my year.  I did not complete this project in 2012 – in fact I made it to October and completely gave up on it which made me even more determined to do it this year.  I mean really I was so close to be done it was silly to stop.  I’m ecstatic to say that I have completed this project (my very last photo is of the movie poster for The Book Thief which I saw this afternoon).  The difference this year is that I created and printed the pages as I went along.  As I started to see the finished pages coming to the house I realized how truly special and great this project is.  I think it is my favourite album that I have created to this point in my life as a scrapbooker.  This year was an amazing year in a lot of ways and I have it all captured to remember forever.  I highly recommend everyone doing something like this.   There were times it felt like a drag or I would wonder how much I would really like to see hundreds of pictures of my cat or my dinners but when I look at the album even those pictures are pretty special and tell a story.

My third resolution is the one disappointment of the year.  I did not do Nanowrimo this year.  I had planned on signing up to do the summer camp version again which was being held in July. I signed up with intentions of working on a novel I have been researching for a bit but after the craziness of the floods in June I just couldn’t seem to get to a spot where I could actually focus and get to work.  I had a second opportunity to try in November and I did consider it but November is a notoriously busy month for me because of the work I put into our adopted Christmas family so rather than disappoint myself with an unfinished goal I put it to the side for the year.

My last resolution to read fifty books was actually added towards the end of the first week of January.  I have always loved reading but since graduating from university I have found that I don’t do as much of it as I would like.  I’m far too easily distracted by other things and even with the resolution I still didn’t quite make it to my goal.  I read 28 books this year.  I am a little disappointed by this but at the same time I’m pretty sure it is more than I have read in any year since I left university.  What I wasn’t expecting from this resolution though is that I would fall in love with fiction again.  A lot of the reading I had been doing was more research type books.  I got lost in a world of history and forgot how much fun losing myself in fiction could be.  Of all four resolutions this one was by far the most fun to try and achieve and so I don’t consider it a failure only getting part of the way to the end – it just means I have to try again.

Now as we stand at the start of a brand new year and I have done the look back it is time to look forward.  I have once again created a list of resolutions and much like last year I’m going to document them so that they stay fresh and I actually work towards them.  I plan on looking back at the end of 2014 and having even more check marks for completed resolutions.  So here is the list for 2014:

·         Move More/Lose More

o   With my fitbit I get a weekly report of what my average steps per day is and I plan on recording that on my blog page.  My last week was not my best week but it is the starting point.  I average 6,535.  This time next year I would like to see that number doubled.  Of course with moving more I expect to see my weight continue to drop.  This will be especially important because I have big plans for 2015 and I don’t want to be slowed down by my weight.

·         At least one day a week is a vegetarian day

o   In the summer this past year I decided to try to go part time vegetarian and I loved it.  I have continued to have meat free days and want to keep this going.  I love the variety it has brought into my diet and I look forward to continuing to explore other food choices.

·         Regular blog posts

o   I try to be good about posting but having just cleared out my blog posts folder on my computer and I realized that I write a lot that I never post.  So this year I will try to not let fear/nerves get in the way from me posting.  It also encourages me to set aside time each week to do some writing which also helps me keep motivated on working on my fiction

·         365 Photos for 2014

o   I wasn’t sure I was going to put this on the list again.  I loved my 2013 project but it has felt like a burden at times but at the same time like I said above it is one of my favourite albums so how could I not do it again.  I expect 2014 to be filled with just as many memories that I want to capture.

·         Read 50 books

o   Yep this one is back again too.  What can I say but I hate to see things incomplete so it is back and this year I will do it.  I have proved to myself in the last couple months I am capable of reading a book a week so I just have to make sure I do it consistently this year.

·         Complete a Nanowrimo challenge

o   That’s right it is another of my resolutions that has come back.  I just want to prove to myself that the first year I did this and completed a novel wasn’t a fluke – besides I also figure it is a good excuse to actually get my Titanic/WWI novel written.

I have to say that as great as 2013 was for me I am more excited to see what 2014 has in store.  I feel like each year just gets better and better so how can next year not be amazing.  I think as each year goes by I get closer and closer to being the person I really want to be. 

Before I end this post I just want to take a minute and wish you all a very Happy New Year.  I hope that 2014 is a stellar year for all of us.  I hope it will be a year filled with good deeds, good friends and a whole lot of memories.

My 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2013

It is that time of year when everyone starts to reflect on the year that was as it quickly comes to an end.  As all the programs begin to pop up with lists of the top stories, movies, songs, ect I decided that it was a good idea.  This year has been an eventful year to say the least and I figure it deserves to be remembered for the good and the bad.  So here it is my top 10 most memorable moments of 2013.

10. The Package Tour

                With the cancellation of my Creative Memories showcase I suddenly had vacation time and no plans but as luck would have it in Vancouver at the same time New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men were making a stop for The Package Tour.  It was boy band heaven for me and I couldn’t believe my luck when I was able to get really great tickets.  The night of the concert I got to wallow in nostalgia and enjoy some great looking men and fun music.  It was a night to remember.  I screamed, sang out loud and even got touched by Donnie (twice).  I was a teenager again for a few hours.  It was by far one of the best concerts I have ever been too.

 

9.  Invasion of the birds 

                Cedar Waxwings birds came to my neighbourhood on two separate occasions in March and took over the trees, bushes and airspace.  I grabbed a few photos from my window because I didn’t want to scare them off but then headed outside.  They didn’t all take off and in fact they didn’t seem to pay much attention to me at all. As impressive as it was from in the house I was blown away by the sight when I came out.  The noise was unbelievable.  The neighbourhood was alive with the squawking of hundreds of birds.   They played in the snow and stripped the bushes of any berries that had started to show up and when they were done they all took off together.  It was like a great big team.  When they lifted up all you could hear was the flapping of the wings.  It was pretty phenomenal.  I hope to see them again in 2014. 

 8.  Success of my Christmas Family

                Without a doubt the moment I’m most proud of this year was a month in the making.  With the help of friends and co-workers I was able to put together almost $1000 in gifts and gift cards for a family dealing with cancer.  Adopting a family at Christmas is something we do at work each year but with all the relocation of us because of the flood I knew I wasn’t going to be able to fundraise like we normally would.  I made the decision to adopt a family regardless even if it meant I had to donate a bunch of my own money to make it a success.  I had my doubts I was going to be able to pull it off but the night it came to wrap and I began to unpack bags I was filled with joy.  I knew that this was going to make a difference for one family and that they would be able to have an amazing holiday because of how generous the people in my life were.  To me that is what Christmas is and my Christmas was made when I dropped it off at the hospital.

 

7.  Meeting Cary Elwes

                For my second year attending the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo the highlight of the whole weekend was getting to meet Cary Elwes.  I developed a crush on him when I first saw the Princess Bride when I was a young girl.  That movie became one of my favourite all time movies and I still watch it anytime I get sick.  When I found out Chris Sarandon and Cary Elwes were coming to the Expo I was so excited.  Friday when the doors opened I knew where my first stop was going and quickly made my way to the autograph section and found where Cary was signing.  It took me a minute to get the courage to go up but I did.  He was so nice.  I quickly told him he was one of my first crushes to which he replied that I was a sweetheart (probably well trying to figure out if I was harmless or crazy).  It made my whole Expo.

               I do have to admit though that it was hard to pick just one moment from Expo this year.  I had so much fun and met so many of my favourite actors including but not limited to Nathan Fillion, Michael Shanks and MacGyver himself, Richard Dean Anderson.  It didn’t matter where I went I felt like I was on cloud nine, helped by the fact I had also splurged on the VIP pass so I was undaunted by line ups to make me cranky.  2013 was an amazing year for me at the Expo and I still find myself looking at the scrapbook and remembering.

 

 

6.  Easter at my Sister’s 

                It is not very often anymore that I get to be around both of my nieces and my nephew at the same time.  This year for Easter though not only did I get to see all three of them but also got to spend the day with my Nan as well.  It was a great opportunity to take a few family photos (even with the complaining that goes with them), enjoy some good food and fun company.  I love it when my family all gets together to celebrate something together.  As much as we might not always get along it is good to see that from time to time we can get together and just have a good time. 

 

 

5.  Death of my first car/New car

                As much as I joked about getting into an accident so I could get a new car I was not prepared for the reality of that situation.  (I also learned not to joke up things like that…self-fulfilling prophecies and all that jazz…eek!)  I was crushed to see my faithful Tercel towed away after a minor accident.  It felt like such a waste for it to be written off.  That being said it didn’t take me long to fall in love with Serenity, my brand new Corolla, once I had her.  The car buying experience was helped by some amazing friends who helped keep me sane when stress was threatening to overtake me.  It turned out to be an amazing experience.  My luck with cars this year has not been so great and Serenity has been broken in rather harshly but hopefully 2014 and beyond she will get to live up to her name and enjoy an injury free existence.

 

4.  BJ opening her scrapbook

                I love giving scrapbooks as presents because they always get the best reactions.  This year I decided to put together a scrapbook for BJ, one of the owners of the Rosebud Country Inn that we love.  It was a simple scrapbook of the top ten reasons we love Rosebud.  I filled the book with some of the pictures I have taken over the years and had each of the gang I go out there with write letters telling her how special we think our experiences are when we visit.  We gave it to BJ in the morning of our annual Christmas visit and as soon as she opened it you could tell how touched she was.  I didn’t capture the initial moment on camera because I didn’t want to intrude into it but to see her tear up and become speechless filled my heart with joy.  The best part about this moment was that I got to share it with some of my best friends. 

 

3.  Calgary (and Alberta) floods  

                The floods this year have been on almost any news related list I have seen.  For me the floods meant a complete change in my workplace.  After 7 years of working at the old Holy Cross hospital we were forced out by the water flowing through our city.  As we left the building we joked about getting a rain day but we none of us realized just how bad it was going to get.  The next day waking up to the news that the city was in a state of emergency and badly flooded was unreal.  It was hard to believe what we were seeing on the news and even after going and taking photos for myself I still found it hard to believe.  I’m sad that we won’t be going back to the Holy Cross again but am looking forward to finally getting an office location where we can settle in again early in 2014.  

                Beyond the work side of the flood though what I find most memorable about the flood was after it was done and how our city pulled together.  So many people were wanting to help out and do anything they could.  When I went to help out at my friend’s condo I was blown away by the number of people who were walking from house to house offering help, dropping off food or just offering some words of encouragement.  It was truly inspiring to see just how much people care.  It gave me faith and pride in my city. 

 

2.  A published photo

                One of the amazing things to come out of the flood for me was the fact that I got to have a photo published.  The morning after the flood I went out with a friend to get a look at the Bow River.  As we walked along a ridge and I looked at my flooded city I was blown away.  I did what I always do though and started taking photos which of course I posted on Facebook.  My Aunt saw them and asked if she could use one of them for a newspaper called Alberta Street News.  I said that was fine as long as I could get a copy of it.  I was so excited when it came in the mail and there on the front page was my name and picture. 

 

1.  A published article

                If having a photo published wasn’t enough I also got to see my name in print this year on something I wrote as well.  Having an article published in the Calgary Comic and Entertainment program guide was by far one of the coolest things.  I’m not sure it was my best writing and it was a little out of my frame of reference since I usually only write fiction (or random babbling blog entries) but it was still pretty cool to see something I wrote published in black and white.  I loved more than anything being able to give copies of it to my parents and to my Nan.  I don’t think I will ever forget that moment when I first saw it.  Pride, joy and a little bit of terror filled me.  I even saw someone reading it while I was at the Expo which was so exciting.  I had a reader (even if they didn’t know it). 

 

 

 

I hope everyone reading this created a lot of great memories this year as well.  I look forward to see what 2014 has to offer.