Life-long learning

Although I'm no longer in school and I actually find this simultaneously liberating and depressing, I'm trying to ensure that I am continuing along the path of learning. Teaching myself new things. French, which I've already touched on, is something that I not only would like to do, but it is basically essential to my succeeding in Quebec.

Something I haven't mentioned here is CodeAcademy, a free online resource full of classes and projects to teach you HTML, Javascript, CSS...I've been working on it for a little over three weeks and have gotten hooked. I like that I'm learning something slightly technical, really relevant, and fun, all at the same time. I've had an interest in web design for a long time, back when livejournal was king and I would experiment with the open HTML parts of the site, seeing what changing different sections of code did, finding code online to copy, paste, and examine. I didn't know what any of it meant, but I thought it was interesting.

I still have only a rudimentary understanding of what the internet really is (don't laugh!) and how it works. I wish it was something I could wrap my brain around. Really, when you think about it, it's incredible that it exists, and incredible that I'm typing on a laptop smaller than my coffee table book and broadcasting my thoughts to the world at large. Weird. 

BUT. Now that I've been using CodeAcademy, I have at least a basic understanding of what all of the code means. I could go into the HTML version of blogger and post that way - I do feel that I've got that much under my belt. I've completed many lessons and several units, and I feel really proud and happy when I do. 

I think that if I keep this up, I will be able to do some basic website building for myself and some of the freelance clients that I pick up here and there. That would be fun! 

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Our first French class(es)

Remember what seems like was waaaaaaaaay back in the beginning of September when I mentioned that we had signed up for French classes at the post graduate house? Well, FINALLY the first class came and went. (And so did the second!)

Our teacher is this really nice guy who only teaches to postgrads and spouses through these classes. Skimming through the 30page packet he gave us Monday night, I can tell that the class is going to be very practical, very much -- here's what is going to be the most use to you, right now -- and part of that might be that we are in the "beginner high" level. The other part I think is the teacher who is awesome. Did I mention he is awesome? Already I can tell! He talks to us mostly in French but I would say that a third of the class is still in English. He sends out a weekly email with mp3s of the material for the next week so we can practice before we arrive, and PDFs of commonly seen signs and postings from around the city.

The first class was VERY crowded. Every chair was filled! We soon broke into partners and talked about ourselves, where we are from, and other simple things like that...all in French, of course!
The second class had about half as many people. Our teacher, Ashod, said that this is to be expected. A things get busier, fewer people will show up, etc. I totally understand that, but I do think B and I are in this for the long haul. Going to try to miss as few classes as possible.

They are fun so far, and I'm really looking forward to combining the powers of my individual study with formal classes!

Running: Past and Present, Part II

Present:
Since running that first post-high school race in 2009 and completing my surgery in the fall of that year, I've run three 5k, three 10k, one 5-miler, and two half marathons. Even when I wasn't running competitively, I ran because it is part of who I am and because it makes me feel good. It grounds me. Running allows me to free my mind and body and just be, as cheesy as that sounds.

Not that I ever look for an excuse to get out of something I love doing - Running - but I think we all go through phases where we think we are too stressed out to possibly fit in just one more 60 minute thing. I know that is definitely my story sometimes, until I remember that when I'm feeling stressed or can't seem to finish a project for a looming deadline, or can't get my head around something, running is often the answer. 

Unfortunately, the moving process was really stressful for me this fall. I jumped in and out of different work situations throughout July and August and ended up here, and I have now slowly broken back into running after a long hiatus of about two months. It is slow going, but I am optimistic mainly because I know that I am a runner. It is a way that I identify myself as a person, and it means a lot to me personally because every time I lace up my shoes, I feel so thankful for my healthy, pain-free body. 

It's also a great excuse to get outside, no matter where I am. I am not a gym type of girl. I would MUCH rather bundle up and freeze my noogies off for 40 minutes than run on a treadmill. (Gotta EARN that hot shower!) I have certainly caved and gone to the gym in the past during college, when the gym facilities were free to students and the weather was just downright nasty, but for the most part I try to keep my gym-going down to using it for something I can't do at home or outside: Swim laps, for example.

January 2012, 0*F and my water bottles froze during an 8-miler

I'm fortunate to have an awesome at-home setup which is portable and small, including a great free-weight set, yoga equipment, and a bike trainer which I use pretty frequently once it gets too icy for me to take the bike outside. Here in Montreal, I don't have access to a free gym, which is a bummer if only for the swimming thing. I've heard many a tale of the brutal Montreal winters, so I am going to see how things go. Already it is well into fall. Like anything else, I'll see how it goes and if necessary, buy a gym pass for the mcgill gym during winter semester. Until then, I'm sticking with outside.

In terms of goals, I just want to get back into my fast, secure, shape again. Hill workouts galore, easing back into longer distances. I ran a few long runs this summer in the mountains and in the trails, so I'd like to work my way back up. I don't have any races in mind just yet. I'm going to wait until the spring for that...other than the Cleveland turkey trot, which I ran last year and had a BALL running! My dad came down to cheer me on:

Looking forward to doing that again this year. So that's my goal: PR at the 5-mile distance.
More updates to come on running as I get back into my training!

Running: Past and Present, Part I

I have not put a lot down on this topic in the blog, but the fact remains: I am a runner. Running is one of those things that feels natural to me. Pace after pace, big long strides, feet connecting with the dirt.  It's kind of my thing, and it has been for a long time.

Past: 

I ran competitively throughout middle school and into high school, racing middle distances and specializing in hurdles. I was pretty good, if only for within my school/athletic conference. The only problem? After puberty, running hurt. My feet, specifically, the inside bones of my feet, would feel as though they were being ripped apart, as if running was the last thing I should be doing. I complained occasionally to my parents but kept it mostly under wraps, because I didn't want to be told I couldn't run.

My second year of high school, my track coach suggested trying cross country, to build up some muscle and increase endurance. I was a 100lb lightweight until age 16, stick thin and metabolism through the roof. (My freshman year I distinctly remember coing home from track practice and being starving, so what would I eat? Frozen cookie dough, of course!) Anyway, I was strong for my size, but he was right - I lacked the endurance that would make me a better middle distance runner. At his insistance, all the while thinking "this is crazy," I went for it. I turned out to be a pretty natural long distance runner. My first season was great - thanks to switching to real trainers instead of sneakers, thus starting my 7-year love affair with the Mizuno brand. My feet still hurt. By the middle of the season, my parents would drive me home from meets and I would cry and massage my feet. 

Somewhere along the line, I visited an orthopedic surgeon who told me that I had bunions on both of my feet. It was one of those things that I viewed as tragic, and like any other girl in high school who had enough self esteem but still maybe some body issues, I felt that my feet were my major flaw. They were ugly (in fact, a long way down the road, when B first saw my feet without socks, he remarked "What is wrong with your feet?!) They caused a lot of pain. The doctor told me that there wasn't anything they could do until I was finished growing, so I continued to run and live off of ibuprofen in the mean time. (I know, I know...) Several cross and track seasons passed, along with injuries to my knees and hip flexor - results of a combination of pounding from sprint hurdle races, long distance workouts, and the odd gait I had developed to deal with my bunions. I went through two bouts of physical therapy including twice a week visits in the off season to get ultrasounds done on my aching knees. (Felt incredible, by the way - like tiny electric people massaging the inside of your bones and muscles?)

Although I had dreamed of running for a division III school and seriously considered it once I got to college, I realized that my schedule was already packed pretty tightly...and I wasn't sure that I wanted to live the next four years exactly the way I had the last four - running around from one commitment to the next, driving myself insane. I ended up doing this anyway, but filled my time with things other than competitive sports. I ran on my own and with friends, outside, throughout the cold midwestern winters, and continued to dutifully complete my old physical therapy exercises. I enjoyed my "running club" of two, me and my best friend (then and still!), the crazy girls who ran through ice storms and blizzards, then stretched in the hallways of our dorm. I didn't think about returning to running competitively until I attended a music festival in Michigan after my second year.
On a whim, I registered for a 10k, 6.2 miles, that was happening three days later. At that point the farthest distance I had ever run was 5 miles, and I was honestly worried that I would not be able to finish. Race day was hot, it was incredibly early (for me) to be running, and it was so different from any race I ever ran in high school.

For one thing, there were runners of all ages. For another, I was running with men. This might sound strange but I had never run with men before. High school sports are totally separate, and most of the time we didn't even see the boys' team run - they went to different meets than we did. I had never run recreationally with a male, other than a couple times with my boyfriend. Suddenly I was surrounded by men and women and runners and walkers and baby joggers!

Long story short, the race went surprisingly well, and I discovered the joys of road racing. Here's me, along with some other folks from the festival who ran, after the race. I'll never forget the feeling of pumping along past mile five to the Jackson Five playing from one of the cheering stations, feeling impossibly good.

Since running that race, I've competed in quite a few road races. The major change in my running and my approach to the sport came when I decided to have surgery on my feet to fix the bunions. It wasn't just an issue with dealing with pain now, which was bad enough: I had to buy shoes a size bigger and was ingesting a really unhealthy amount of anti-inflammatory so that I could just function, let alone run.   In addition, however, not having surgery had long term ramifications: I stood a very good chance of developing arthritis within a decade or so. I had the surgery completed two days before thanksgiving in 2009. While it was awful at the time because I chose to do both feet at once and was in double air casts for six weeks, I firmly believe it was one of the best choices I have ever made. To double-down on my commitment to listening to my body and doing what is best for it, I swore off wearing shoes that were cute but uncomfortable. Anyone who knows me well knows that shoes are my thing. Some people collect stamps, others collect antiques - I collect shoes. So it was a big step for me to take, no pun intended.

I've managed to live the last three years almost entirely pain free. I rarely have to take ibuprofen. The best part about the surgery was that fixing the issue in my feet changed the alignment of the rest of my body, freeing up my knees and hips to work the way that they are supposed to. I repeat: Having the surgery was the best decision I have ever made.

Post-2011 10k, with running buddies from college

I should also note a major change in the gear that I use. In November of 2011, I needed a new pair of shoes but the new mizunos wouldn't be released for another two months. In a twist of fate, I tried on the New Balance minimus trail shoe and fell in love. I ended my 7-year run with Mizunos and have been running in my NB's since. I love that in addition to feeling like my feet and knees finally "work" in a way that feels natural, my shoes are an extension of that. They feel natural and like part of my body. Feels good.

This post has gone on looooonnng enough. If you made it this far, congratulations!
Next post: Running, part II: Present.

Work permit

I got my Canadian work permit yesterday! This is truly exciting news. Now, to keep churning out those job applications! This is how I'm feeling right now:

and this:

and also this: 

Needless to say I am excited. Now if I could only find a job...

Parlez-vous francais?

We signed up for French classes! After a couple of hectic weeks trying to determine whether we were eligible to take the free classes through government programs (and finding out that we are not), we signed up for French class through the PGSS at McGill.

Classes start in a week or two, and I am so excited to get back on the wagon. I do a little bit of Mango every day, but I think it will help to be with a real live teacher who can answer the weird questions that I come up with and can be more reliable than google translate.

French has become a really important thing in my life since moving here. I've been working steadily on my own, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Everyone here is bilingual, and I will admit - I get intimidated. I'm afraid to try using the French that I do know, because I'm worried that I will mess up, or that someone will be angry at me. That's totally ridiculous, because most of the people that I have met are so friendly and are willing to talk to you in English...which is also a problem because once you struggle, they know that French isn't your first language and switch to English, so then I don't get any practice. It's a cyclical thing...and obviously not uncommon, since Mango specifically teaches you how to say "Please speak more slowly" and "Please speak to me in French."

I'm excited to get past the point where people seem to know immediately that I don't speak French (at least not well enough to feel comfortable)...

I think it's not only healthy but necessary to set goals when taking on a new challenge, so here are mine:

My short term goal is to be able to carry on a basic conversation in French when I go to the market for produce.
Long term goal is somewhere on the horizon. I'd like to get as close to fluent as possible, and within two years that should be attainable. I just need to be committed and fearless!

In other news, I've been doing a lot more running lately. The weather has started to cool down enough that I'm not uncomfortable 10 minutes into a run, but I will be honest - Mount Royal will kick my ass forever. It will always be a good workout! Here's to hills!

I've also been doing more walking, too! It is so funny to see how different our neighborhood feels now from when we walked around the city during our visit in April. Here I am walking super close to what became our home in August...and we had no idea! I was really miserable then, I was sick, I had recently had dental work done so my mouth hurt, I was terribly prepared for the really cold weather, and I was missing a half marathon race to be there. Ignore my annoyed and tired face!

I've found a few places that I'd like to try out when we have a bit more disposable income. Right now we are still trying to save money and live pretty frugally, with the occasional "splurge" of a night out getting drinks at a brewery (there are SO many of them here).

Anyway, that's what is happening right now. More soon!

Shopping and Cooking on a Budget

Why HELLO, beautiful food above my head! Yesterday I went to Jean-Talon and carried ALL OF THAT back in my back pack and my panniers! Looking at the photo I have a hard time believing it! There are ten pounds of carrots in that bag, as well as eight pounds of apples beside it. We came in at under $30 again, which is my goal when I go to the market.

Something that I haven't addressed much here, since I've been in this liminal state since June, has been my cooking. I didn't do a lot of cooking this summer because my meals were provided. I did do some baking, however...

Like the delish cake that my sister and I collaborated on to celebrate her birthday:

Um, can you tell I am excited and experiencing a sugar rush in these photos? Chocolate banana cake with a chocolate ganache. To. Die. For.

Anway. Although we have been fortunate in that we have always had access to great, fresh produce (coops, CSA programs, and farm shares while in Oberlin), we didn't have much choice in what we food we had in the house. Those of you who have participated in farm shares or CSA programs know what I'm talking about when I say that there were periods when we had cabbage at every meal because our monthly share was about four different cabbages, potatoes, and apples. Now that we have year-round (just found out they are year round and I am SO EXCITED) markets with butchers and dairy farmers (and imported foods...), I have just been wandering around the market for hours, trying to determine what food to buy.

I have always had a hard time grocery shopping. I LOVE it, but I get overwhelmed. Ours is not a budget that has room for a lot of wasted food or super fancy frills (but what "fun money" we do have is usually spent on fun foods and small batch alcohols), so we have always tried to make sure that nothing goes to waste in our kitchen. That was tough sometimes on a CSA share, where we had no control, but now is the time for me to step up my game. I end up staring at the food, trying to determine the best deals, trying to think on the spot what I could (and realistically would) make with a certain vegetable. Yesterday I came home from the market, with all that food, and Ben said "What's the plan for dinner?" I looked at the fridge and realized that we had a full fridge but I had no plans for what to do with all of that food. I know, there are tons of things I can do with it, but I still try to be inventive and make meals interesting and fun. Cooking is both a relaxing and creative outlet for me, and I love to try new things just to see if I can get something to work.

I've been using this time where I have no obligations to try out some really fun things with my cooking. Unfortunately I have a terrible habit of forgetting to take pictures - so I really need to remember that. Recent creations have included countless trays of apple crisp, tomato/mozz paninis (so many tomatoes!!!) and loads of pizza, as always. I also made a seriously tasty tomato basil soup, which lasted us for a whole week for lunch, and these fancy schmancy eggplant/mozz/roasted red pepper sandwiches. BUT, because I don't have plans in mind, or I often find inspiration, then realize I don't have the things I need, I sometimes feel stressed out about cooking, which, like running, is something I think I shouldn't feel in association.

So I'm going to be trying out something different. I'm going to be flipping through my cookbooks and foodblogs to find inspiration for up to 10 dishes, taking careful note of what ingredients I'll need if I don't already have it. Then I will shop accordingly. I'm going to start this for the next shopping trip, so in about 10ish days, and I will update when I've done so. In the mean time, I'm off to figure out what to DO with all of this food!

Exploring the city and enjoying the weather

Everyone keeps telling us that Montreal has a very early and short fall, followed by a long and frigid winter. Having spent 23 years in Cleveland, I like to think that I am a warrior of the cold (even though I never fail to shiver and complain the first time each season when I step outside and feel a cold wind on my face) and that I will be able to face the Montreal winter with no problem. Armed with fuzzy socks and lots of cold weather running gear, I should be okay.

Regardless, we are loving the heat right now. Maybe me, more than B, since I spent the summer in Alaska and didn't get that searing sun all summer. We have been spending a lot of time exploring the city, by bike and by foot, to get a better idea of our new city.

This weekend, we took advantage of B's free Friday and hiked up Mont-Royal. Okay, so it is technically not a mountain, just a large hill, and there is not really any hiking required...but when you take the stairs up to the top rather than using the path? It felt like I was back on Gavin in Alaska. Oh, my glutes! Oh, my calves! I saw runners taking both the path and the stairs, and decided that three weeks is more than enough time to declare myself moved in and acquainted enough to know where and when to run. I've realized that despite it being a huge part of my life, I have yet to talk about running on my blog. It is still in its infancy, so I think now is the perfect time to start. I went for some runs this weekend, so I'll write a separate post on that.

View from the top

Back to our adventuring on the mountain. We packed some snacks and hiked up, made it to the plateau park at the top, and napped in the sun and watched as the all-too-friendly squirrels harassed us and others for food. We played some frisbee, and decided to take a different way back down the hill - er - mountain. The mountain is pretty big, and is considered the center of the city, so there are paths that lead all the way around so that visitors can enter from dozens of streets at the bottom. It's a pretty confusing set-up (planned by the same engineer that designed Central Park, I'm told), so much so that there are street signs for the major paths. There's a really cool interactive map found here where you can learn all about the museums, park, and the mountain itself.

Basic map of best areas to cycle throughout the park

We decided to go on a dirt path, which led to another dirt path, which led to another...you see where this is going. We ended up basically bouldering down a pretty huge rock face, not because we were lost, but because we thought it would be interesting. Foolish, perhaps, since we were both wearing sandals, but we won't go there. I didn't take my camera out while we were climbing for what I feel are obvious reasons, but unfortunately the picture I took at the very bottom of the hill doesn't seem to accurately depict the scale of the hill or the ridiculousness of our choice.

Later in the evening I completed a short run, just to get myself kickstarted.
We finished the day with a low-key dinner (homemade pizza, wahoooo!) and a movie at home.

Jumping excitedly about great dough.

Saturday we went biking around the city a bit. No pictures, unfortunately, but I can tell you that we had a good time out. I went for another run, this time with B in tow. We came home and had leftovers, and B spent the rest of the night working on writing papers and annotating articles. Rough life!

It's Sunday night which means I am looking at the fridge and trying to decide what to do about dinners for the week. I definitely need to go to the market again, because we are out out out of food.

I'll let you know what great stuff I find!

Inventions and Crafts

We're back from the cottage! We had a great time. B has started his classes, and although they seem really challenging (what's up, grad school?) he is enjoying himself.

I've mentioned before that in previous years, the cottage has been a place where my dad just goes crazy with construction projects and creative hardware work. This weekend was no different. A few days ago, while on the phone with him, I mentioned in passing that my bed here was too low to the floor for my storage containers to fit underneath, but that because it is on a rolling metal frame (six posts instead of four, and wide wheels), I was a little uneasy to put it on the traditional risers you find in college dorm rooms. My dad said what he has said a million times in his life, "Take some measurements." I did, and this weekend he surprised me when he brought two lengths of four by fours into the cottage. He took my measurements and brought the wood back outside...then set to work with his chain saw. About 30 minutes later, he brought in six blocks with indents the right size for the wheels of the bed frame. He handed me a piece of sandpaper and I sanded them smooth. He even went so far as to glue carpeting to the bottom so that the risers wouldn't scratch the wood floors. What a guy! Here's my bed riser set in action, with my storage containers underneath the bed where they belong.

Don't mind the shiny cat toy next to the bed...

My dad completed another project this weekend, this one for my cats. My parents are so funny about the cats - because we take them everywhere with us, like some people do with their dogs, my parents (and B's) have taken to calling them the "grandkitties," as in, their furry little grandchildren. And oh, are they doting grandparents. My dad saw the cat's old scratching post and realized that not only was it in terrible condition (two years of scratching will do that!) but it was poorly made to begin with! He decided to rectify that with the creation of a new post. He took an anchor rope and secured it with nails, rather than glue, to one of the extra pieces of four by four from my bed risers, and screwed it to a piece of plywood and covered the whole thing with carpeting, to give it a classy (and non floor scratching) finishing touch. I didn't realize just how bad the old post was until we put it next to the new one.

I tied a feather toy around the top and the cats have gone crazy for it. They especially love the carpeted base - sometimes we just walk in the room and find them laying on their backs on it, scratching the post above. I think it looks really pretty refined, as far as scratching posts go, and I told my dad that if he ever retires I'll help him open up an Etsy shop for homemade cat structures. He just chuckled and said "Well now that would be interesting." This from the man who until recently, drove a truck whose license plate was "NO CATS." (I kid you not. Long story short, we always wanted a cat but were a strictly dog household. My brother finally got a cat when he went off to college, but then moved into a new apartment where he couldn't have the cat - so the cat came home with us. My dad lived with the cat [who of course loves my dad, and my dad pretends to dislike him back] and the license plate until just last year, when he bought a new truck and thought he should end his streak of hypocrisy.)

Here's the best picture I have of the brand new scratcher. It's a beaut!

It had been a while since my dad and I collaborated on a project like this - the last one was the lamp I made for my mom from a cheese grater and a colander  where my dad taught me how to strip wires and make a working bulb circuit using raw materials. Needless to say, it felt great to put our hands together and build something fun, if frivolous.

Hope everyone had as much fun over labour day as we did!