Yeah I'm free (free fallin')

I know many friends that will gasp in horror when I admit that I am never sad to see summer weather sail away and make room for the crisp, free loveliness of Fall.  There is something so cozy and comforting in putting on a pair of jeans and a sweater to go out or sporting a sweater dress with tights and a pair of boots.  My fringe bangs have made an appearance again after hiding from the humidity all summer.  I love the autumn colors, the styles and especially the food!!

I've been trying out some great Fall/Winter meals on the weekends and have had some successes so far.    My proudest meal has probably been Chicken Pot Pie from scratch (even the crust!).  There were a few select curse words coming from the kitchen area during the crust-making component, but it turned out great!

I am also a total tea convert now.  I rarely find myself with a cup of coffee in my hand anymore.  My cupboard has been stocked with so many yummy seasonal teas from DAVIDsTea.  They posted a delicious Pumpkin Chai latte recipe that you can make stove-top at home.   I'm hooked on Pumpkin Chai with a dash of milk and brown sugar.  YUM.  I have also picked up Earl's Garden which is Earl Grey with berries and Mulberry Magic (called Mulberry Monster for Halloween) with mulberry leaves and macadamia nuts.  Double yum!

I know I've been a total blog slacker lately but I will be sure to make more updates with recipes and other feel-good things.

Please leave me any recommendations or favorites you have!!

I'm a (wo)man of simple pleasures...

Lately, in my attempt to be a better me, I've been focusing on making some changes to my everyday life.  The changes that I thought would make the most difference in my mood, energy levels and overall well being is getting a gym membership and making a conscious effort to eat better.  I'm really surprised at how much I've taken to going to the gym.  Most days now, I actually crave getting over there and burning off some steam.

My biggest obstacle is the nutrition side of things.  I enjoy incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet and haven't missed my large portions of pasta... and garlic bread... and chips... at all (okay... maybe a little bit).  One thing that could stand in my way of maintaining a better diet is my lack of food knowledge and creativity to add a lot of variety to my meals.  Spinach salad is getting a bit old.  I also think I may not be eating enough calories.  Eat more?!  Yes please!

I plan my meals for the week before I go grocery shopping but I rarely account for snacks or good lunches.  Working from home is great because I'm not tempted to grab something quick and greasy on the run but I'm often left standing with the refrigerator door open wondering what I can throw together to get me through the rest of my day plus an after-work workout.  Any helpful recipes or websites from my nutrition smart friends would be much appreciated.

On a not-overly-nutritious but very-delicious note, I had a successful "try something new" outing over the weekend and it inspired me.  I was going to a BBQ on Sunday night and wanted to take just a couple of drinks with me (I was the driver).  I visited my neighbourhood liquor store and noticed how many specialty beers are around in the summer time from small breweries all over the province.  I looked for the most interesting looking bottle and bought it.  Huge success.  My choice was Summer Weiss from Muskoka Brewery .

So go indulge in a simple pleasure this week.  Whether that's adding some fresh veggies to your meal or picking the prettiest bottle in the liquor store- do something kind for yourself.  And listen to this feel-good summer song reminding us all to enjoy the simple things.

Follow me on Twitter:  darbyvt

Try everything that ever made you wonder...

Maybe it's the spirit of the Olympics or the exciting things going on around with my friends lately (shout out to those with new jobs, babies, husbands/wives, houses, etc!) but I think I'm slowly starting to get into this new go-get-'em mind set.  This week, I've found myself correcting my own negative thoughts and really trying to focus on all of the good.  By interrupting the negativity, I'm worrying less, feeling more calm and have more positive energy throughout the day.

In my last post, I talked about three things I wanted to work on- Saying "yes" more, conquering fears and being nicer.  All week, I've been keeping these goals in mind and have tried to seek out some new things to try.

Originally, when I vowed to say "yes!" more, I pictured wild adventures and risk taking.  Although I hope that some great stories come out of saying "yes", this week showed me that saying "no" to one thing can be saying "yes" to another.  Passing up a night of going out with friends because I need a quiet night at home is saying a huge "yes" to my needs.  In this case, it wasn't due to laziness or a lack of wanting to hang out.  It was just a need of my space and time.  But that also opened up a "yes" opportunity to get up early on Sunday morning and go for breakfast with my brother and his girlfriend which I am rarely able to do since I would have been hiding under the covers all day.  All in all, a positive "no but actually yes" scenario.

I have also been talking some time to unwind a bit in the evenings with a pot of tea, a candle and a book.  Right now I'm reading Half Blood Blues by Canadian Esi Edugyan.  My candle of the moment is Bahama Fizz from Bath & Body works and my tea is Birthday Cake from Davids Tea.

Lots of things intimidate and scare me in this world and I have the tendency to back away when things get tough. I've been eyeing the gym across the street for a year now and finally seized the day and got myself a membership.  I had an awesome trainer show me around and give me a bit of a workout routine and it's amazing how quickly I've started to see positive changes in my energy level.  I've even found myself loving spin class which may or may not have anything to do with the fact that my instructor looks and acts like Jef from Emily's season of the Bachelorette...  He told me I had great form and I almost fell off the bike.  But anywhoo...  The exercise has really been a motivator to pay a bit more attention to what I'm eating and start working on a healthier balance when it comes to meals.  On that note, I purchased a bag of Bacon Ranch popcorn from Popcorn Indiana (http://www.popcornindiana.com/buy/10).  Don't do it.  Nasty, nasty stuff.

Aside from the everyday holding the door open and please-and-thank-you's, my be nice highlight of the week was in my own apartment building.  There is an elderly man who lives on my floor.  He's known as a bit of a Chatty Calvin.  If you make eye contact or say hello, you're stuck talking to him for days.  Last time I said hello, he brought pictures of his deceased wife out of his wallet and told me all about their life together.  I typically avoid him when I'm coming and going from the building.  I saw him on a park bench outside the other day and, although everything in me told me to keep on walking, I stopped and said hello.  He simply smiled, said "Nice day!" and I was off and on my way.  I feel bad for dissing the poor guy.  I look forward to stopping to chat with him a bit more next time.

The long weekend is approaching and I look forward to more opportunities to challenge myself continue to strive for positive changes.  I encourage you to do the same.  I'd love to hear all of your comments and ideas below.

Until next time,
Darby

Follow me @darbvt

(I think a change) A change would do you good

I came to Toronto almost 4 years ago (gasp!) and was determined to share my super exciting new life in the big city with everyone who would listen.  I felt inspired, energized and excited about the adventures ahead of me.

I've been loving it here in the "big smoke".  I feel really lucky to be able to experience life in a large city while knowing my roots are in rural Nova Scotia.  I quickly learned that, to survive, you must go with the flow but I never forget to stop and hold the door open for the person behind me.

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm in a place I've never wanted to be.  Maybe it's part of a quarter life crisis but I think I'm in...  a rut.  It seems crazy when I live in this amazing city with so much going on all the time but I've just been at a loss for things I'm really excited and passionate about.  Don't get me wrong- I have far from a miserable life.  I'm so fortunate to have a great home with an amazing guy, a supportive loving family, hilariously wonderful friends and a job that allows me to travel and meet people who have become like family to me.  But during my own time, I'm feeling like a bit of a bore.

So here's my plan:
1.  Say yes (and mean it!) more
     It's so easy to use the "I'm too tired", "I don't want to go all the way wherever", "But Big Brother is on!".  I'm likely missing out on good things by saying no.  I will say yes more (not to everything- I'm not Jim Carrey!) and focus on the positives.

2.  Try things that scare me
     What's the worst that can happen?!  I'm not talking about cliff diving or bungee jumping (we'll work up to that) but fighting the "I can't", "I've never done it before", "I probably won't be any good" and "I won't know anyone".

3.  Be nice
     I don't think I'm an outright mean person but I haven't exactly been going out of my way to be do or say nice things lately.  Expect some "I love your shirt!", "After you!", "You take the last piece of pizza- I insist!" and "I'll do the dishes tonight".

Achievable?!  I think so.  Keep checking in and send along any fun ideas or tips you may have.  I'll be updating you soon with weekend progress.

Have a great weekend,
Darby
   

... you can't always get what you want...

I took a big step last night and ventured out of my residential little neighbourhood to party with the likes of York University law students on the streets of Jane and Finch.  Big ups to Marc for the invite and party-hosting.  After some minor discrepancies regarding the rules of playing Kings and whether or not writing out the rules was a binding contract or merely an agreement amongst friends, we ventured to a bar called "Hoops" where a very white male decided it was his duty to school everyone in the place on how to properly perform the Soulja Boy dance.  Remind you of anyone...  dave....???

But now the real reason for this post.  After taking pretty much every mode of public transportation humanly possible to get to York and back again, I reached my subway stop.  A man approached me while I was walking out of the station and told me I had beautiful eyes and gave me a business card.  The front has his name, phone number and hotmail address with "Writer" as his job.  Then, on the back:

Life Time Member of

TorontoRealMen.com

Certified graduate of sexual guru program

By Dimitri The Lover

 *sigh*  I love this city.

...we bought an old house on the Danforth...

First thing first... does anyone have suggestions on how to get the sawdusty smell of ikea out of ones apartment?!  

My drive from NS to ON was relatively uneventful.  My parents came along in their car although Dad made Mom drive with me so that he could listen to his music at an above average/healthy level which prohibited me from playing my really vulgar gang rap.  Maybe next time...  The strangest thing I saw enroute was (you guessed it...) in Quebec.  There was a huge motel on the side of the Trans-Canada shaped like a castle with huge dinosaurs placed around the perimeter.  Just when I was thinking to myself "Wow- who would actually stop and stay there?!" I figured it out.  There was a HUGE neon sign flashing "WE....            SPEAK....       ENGLISH!"  If it hadn't have been 10am, you're damn right I would have pulled over and stayed there!  

For all of those people who have ever doubted I can do something handy, I will have you know that in the past 9 days, I have purchased my very first power tool and have assembled:

1 desk (L-shaped with CD rack and storage!  those are way harder than your average desk)

1 coffee table

2 dining room chairs

1 dining room table

1 ikea chair (the ones that don't exactly rock when you lean back but kind of bounce a little) and

1 bed

I have also installed 1 cork board above my desk AND curtains!

I've been spending my days in my "home office" and weekends and evenings exploring my new home of the Danforth/East York area of Toronto.  Luckily, I had a visitor come knocking on my door introducing himself as the Liberal candidate for the Toronto-Danforth riding- Andrew Lang himself.  He asked me if I had given any thought to the upcoming election and I let him know that I hadn't given thought to anything other than assembling furniture since I was knew to the city.  Upon telling Mr. Lang that I was from Nova Scotia, he perked up and informed me that he has "lots of family" from Nova Scotia.  I asked him what part they were from and, after a moment of hesitation, his response was "All over really but mostly downtown.  Some in the suburbs."  "Downtown?" I replied.  "Downtown Nova Scotia?"  "Yes!" he responded with confidence, "I just love it there."  Now I was left with two choices.  1) Call him an idiot and go on my merry way or 2) Make him my puppet.  "Oh absolutely" was my response, "Living downtown Nova Scotia is great.  There's a lot of waterfront property there.  You don't get that as much in the Nova Scotia suburbs."  We made idle chitchat for another 4 minutes or so about the differences between downtown Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia suburbs until I think one of Lang's helpers started to clue in and they made their into my building to make small talk with other residents.  He did however let me know that he and his wife lived near by and he would be happy to answer any questions I have about the area over email... then neglected to provide me with his email address.

One important survival tip I've discovered is, when calling Bell's help hotline (which I've done about 25 times since I've been here as has everyone else I know), you can completely bi-pass the tell-me-what-your-problem-is automated message girl by yelling "LET ME TALK TO A REAL PERSON" into the phone.  Her response is "Ok.  I'll connect you to our next available service representative."  Too bad the automated chick is probably more knowledgeable and helpful than the actual person you get on the line.  Rats.  You win this round, Bell.

I intend to start taking pics and videos of funny things around here soon.  A few shout outs before I go:

The AARAO crew:  I'm going to miss traveling with everyone sooooo much this year.  Please please please drunk dial me all the time and be careful who you give the finger to on the highway.  Drive safe and party hard.

Wolfvillians: I absolutely crave Lib Pub, Paddy's beer and Merchant coffee.  I miss you all so much and I hope that the wings are still amazing on Wednesdays at the Axe and that the DJ at the Vil still says "It's laaaaaaaadies niiiiiiiight" on Thursdays altho' there is no advantage to being female that night or any night at the Vil unless you want to pick up

Those of/in the Nish:  Thank you for such a wonderful summer.  It was so great to be in such a positive and supportive environment.  I suppose we might have had some fun too :)  Shirlyn & Sean, you are awesome roommates and I miss you and our TV nights.  Please tell Jon, Kate and the kids I miss them.  

Keep in touch and talk to you soon,

Darbs

All my friends, where did they go?! To Montreal... Toronto!

This is my first shot at this blogging thing but I feel as though life has been much too exciting lately to keep it to myself.  I also anticipate another year of wacky highway signs and pictures infront of "The World's Largest ______" statues and monuments.

For those of you who are out of the loop as to what I've been up to lately, here's a quick summary:

At the end of June, I did the unthinkable and left my beloved Wolfville-  the home of no traffic lights, world's best burger (Lib Pub of course...) and excessive noise (but only until 1am) and relocated to Antigonish to take up a super exciting job at St FX.  Although I likely won't be spotted painted blue at any Xmen football games any time soon, I have had a great summer here in "the 'nish" eating pizza from The Wheel, dancing it up at Piper's and keeping my hands in my pockets during campus tours so that families don't notice my lack of a certain ring that seems to be a bit of a big deal around here.  I have to give huge props to Shirlyn and Sean for putting a roof over my head and being so fun to live with! 

My stay in Antigonish is soon coming to an end as my position with the university is based in Onterrible.... ehem... Ontario.  I will be moving to the big ol'city of Toronto (or Ta-raw-na as some would say) in September.  I'll be spending my fall on the road again recruiting and can't wait to spend time with the AARAO crew again.

Stay posted over the next few weeks for chronicles of my move to the T-dot and everything that comes with it!  

Wish me luck!!