Thursday, April 28, 2011

#47- Sibling Debates

If you came across me and my siblings having a light hearted debate you may think we would be two seconds away from beaning each other with the closest heavy object. This is, in fact, not at all true. We just get passionate about things both big and small and like to show our intellectual and verbal chops off to each other.

My parents have run into a room ready to break up a fight more than a couple times only to have one or two of my siblings and I assure them we're just having fun with each other.

I like debates, discussions and opinionated talks, they help keep my mind open and stay sharp, like mental exercise (which is good because I'm a little short on physical exercise lately). My brothers and sisters offer the best talking mates there are because they are all smart and aren't afraid to go after me for something I said that sounded stupid or wrong.

These debates also remind why I would have my brothers and sisters backing me up in any situation. They use their heads, are pretty clever and refuse to go down without a fight, which could come in handy against playground bullies, persistent telemarketers or a marauding band of mutant honey badgers. 

We do get on each others nerves once in a while and the debates have been known to go full contact at times, but I always seem to come away refreshed, more knowledgeable and most importantly, still friends with my siblings.

So I am grateful for the debates I have with my siblings. I am grateful to be so proud of my brothers and sisters even when I sometimes walk away from our talks defeated (although I'm too stubborn to admit it at times). I am grateful that I am able to talk freely among my family and have opinions that are heeded (although we are deeply divided on who the best hockey team in the NHL is). So I'm happy the sibling rivalry between my brothers, sisters and I is more constructive than destructive.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

#46- Wraps

It's a great feeling when you take your time to write a nice letter, put it in a clean, crisp envelope and then slip it in a mail box, patting it on its big metal top to wish your letter well as it travels to the hands of a friend, family member or stranger.

What would make it even better would be if the words and sentences in the letter were pieces of chicken and dollops of tzatziki sauce, the envelope was a tortilla and the mail box was your stomach.

That's exactly what happened tonight for dinner. I rolled all the delicious food on the table into a nice, neat wrap (or three) and patted my stomach contently after. 

Now food is great in any form, but wraps allow for all the tasty creations from your kitchen to create one super food. Wraps let all the tastes come together, to work as a team. And they don't require a fork and knife either and finger food is always the best kind of food.

So I am grateful for wraps and everything that goes into them. I am grateful for the awesome texture of the cheese, the savoury meat, the healthy vegetable and the tangy sauce. Most of all I am grateful for the tortilla that brings all these things together into one, awesome food envelope that provides me with everything I would ever want from a meal. Sometimes the best presents aren’t wrapped in nicely coloured paper, but rather in a delicious tortilla. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

#45- Gum

At the age of five I swore off gum for the rest of my life.

The decision was based on the astounding news that my baby sitter had told me and that was that gum was made from car tires.

It was a conspiracy of epic proportions! The whole gum industry had people chewing the black rubber on my parent's mini van and my friends and siblings loved the tire-filled taste of the gum. Bazooka was trying to divert the public's attention away from the scam using funny and endearing cartoon and even my parents were buying it. As far as my little brain knew, this deception went all the way to the top; maybe even the principal was in on it.

Well I have come a way from then and eventually I realized that my baby sitter probably lied so I wouldn't chew gum and she wouldn't have to clean it out my hair when I decided to find out how the two things reacted. I also grew to see how a little piece of gum could be a really good thing.

I do love food, I love to eat it and I love to talk about it. But for some reason people don't always like knowing I had onions and garlic for dinner just from my breath sometimes. That is why gum saves the day. Popping a piece into my mouth helps keep my breath minty fresh when I don't have a tooth brush handy and besides that, it tastes really good.

So I am grateful for gum. I am grateful that it comes in so many different types and tastes and packaging. I am grateful it is so easy to carry around and it saves me from bad breath attacks. And I am grateful for the people who make gum. I'm happy that I realized the gum industry isn't all conspiracy and scandal and that I learned how enjoy the gum.

Monday, April 25, 2011

#44- Buffets

I gathered with my family for Easter dinner at Copper Creek Golf Course last night. That place probably still doesn't know what hit them.

My family loves food and it was available in abundance last night in the form of a buffet. Let's just say there's as much to love about buffets as there are food choices at one.

Buffets always offer a wide selection of food. From sushi to lamb to salmon and chocolate fountains there is always something to please even the most picky eater, which first of all makes everyone happy and gives you an opportunity to sample a bunch of different things. 

With selection also comes adventure. The variety of food at buffets usually means there's something I haven't tried before and I love testing the limits of my taste buds. One of the most memorable meals I've ever had was in Kenya with a little buffet that offered up goat intestine as an option. I'll probably not be sampling that piece of meat again, but at least I can say I tried it. 

Another great thing about a buffet is that you can take as much or as little as you want. I'm a big fan of not wasting food, so buffets are really good for keeping the thrown out stuff to a minimum. You can try something you've never had, but you don't need to order a heaping plate of it if you don't want to. It's the best of both worlds!

So I am grateful for buffets. I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to be able to eat at buffets around the world and with some of my closest friends, loved ones and memorable people. I am grateful for the freedom buffets allow you with their choices and for the people who work to make buffets so great. If variety is the spice of life than buffets are never wanting for taste.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

#43- Easter

Easter has always made me feel like I can run a thousand miles. 

In years past I've attributed this feeling to the disgust ing amounts o f chocolate I ate after carefully out maneuvering my siblings in the annual Easter egg hunt.

I haven't hunted for Easter eggs in years, but that amazing feeling still exists and I don't find myself looking far to figure out why.

First of all, this is a day I spend with my loved ones every year. It's a time when I come together with my family or friends to enjoy each their company.

Easter always comes at a time when the world is being reborn. The snow has melted, the grass is becoming green, the trees are starting to sprout leaves and rivers and creeks are beginning to rush forward with new life. Easter has allowed me to stop, look around and appreciate these things and feel invigorated because of them.

Most importantly, Easter is the day that Jesus conquered death. To me, there is nothing more awesome and life asserting than that.

So I am grateful for Easter. I am grateful for what it means to me and the time I spend with my family, friends and loved ones. I am grateful that it is a time when spring shows its true self. The Easter egg hunts may be finished for me, but I always find so many things on Easter to make me smile.  

Thursday, April 21, 2011

#42- My Bed

Last night was my first night at home in Toronto in a couple months and it was glorious.

I had the soundest sleep I've had in a long time. It's probably due to the fact that I was able to sleep in without worrying about any pesky exams or classes, but the fact that I'm lucky enough to have a really good bed probably helped a lot too.

My bed is not only for sleeping in though. It has become a multi-purpose tool for me over the years. At times it becomes a study lounge, where I heap my books and my computer around me like a little academic fort, a fort with a comfy floor to sit on and cushy head rests. 

My bed has also transformed into a movie theatre or concert venue on occasion. I sit down, get under my sheets and watch a good movie on a rainy day or just lie down, turn on some music and zone out. 

My bed also works as a park bench at times. I can sit on it, bask in the glow of the sun pouring in through my window and have a nice chat with someone over the phone or Skype.

So I am grateful for my bed. I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to have a great bed that provides me with amazing sleeps. I am grateful that my bed functions as much more than just a place to nap, but also somewhere where I catch up with friends or just cheer myself up with a good comedy on a dreary day. My bed may not be King size, but it sure feels big enough for me. 

Monday, April 18, 2011

#41- Staplers

As I stapled my last take home exam of year together I heard the satisfying sound of metal crunching on paper.

I had finally conquered the formidable foe that had stood in my way and the stapler was the last weapon I had to use.

Staplers are such handy tools. Not just for vanquishing unwanted papers, but for putting all sorts of things together. Some of my best works of art were crazily drawn pictures and horribly misspelled sentences stapled together into a book for my grade one English project.

Staples make this world a little less messy. For all the chaos and anarchy and stressful disorganization that clutters the world around us and sometimes our minds, staplers are there to firmly clasp together pieces of paper into a nice, neat stack for easy handling and reading.

So I am grateful for staplers. I am grateful for the people who make staplers and who reload them and put them out at the library at school. I am grateful that staplers are welcome last minute tools in finishing essays and projects, the final word on stressful and arduous and at times rewarding experiences. And I am grateful that staplers add a semblance of peace and organization in a world that is sometimes crazy and full of surprises.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

#40- Studying

After two weeks of dull, arduous and at times painful studying for exams, I never thought I would be saying that I think studying is a pretty awesome thing.

No, being cooped up in my room for a couple of days straight hasn't made me loony, I honestly think studying is good in its own way.

When I read over my notes it's like reading a book again and again, I always find something new that I never noticed before. Be it a new fact, a new understanding or a new way to look at something, I always seem to find something amongst the piles and piles of text. In those moments I feel like I understand the world a tiny bit better, that the information I just obtained can actually be used and that I'm not as goofy as I look.

I always enjoy going over my notes and seeing the doodles I have drawn in the margins or the little notes I have left for myself in the points I have jotted down (such as "you didn't get this note because you were daydreaming, game over fool). It makes studying less of an errand or task and more of an adventure through my brain.

I also start to remember all the good times I have had in class over the semester while studying. When I read my notes it triggers memories of friendships started and nurtured, victories won and criticism digested. There's even a couple memories of some good laughs in there too.

So I am grateful for studying. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to go to school and be able to take exams and study for them. I am grateful that I am able to reinforce my knowledge of topics and issues, remember the good times I have had in class and and the good and bad I have experienced. Studying doesn't have to end with the end of exams. Whether you study math, science and english or yourself and your dreams and goals, it's always time well spent.  

Saturday, April 16, 2011

#39- Suitcases With Wheels

As I went with my girlfriend to the bus station to say bye to her before she went home for Easter, I helped her with her suitcase. I carried it with ease, with confidence, with a sturdy hand and a confident gleam in my eye. Was this because I have tremendously big muscles and her bag was as light as a feather in my arms? Well no, not so much It was more because the suitcase had wheels on it.

Who ever decided to put wheels on a suitcase was a genius because it has made my life easier countless times. Not that I over pack a lot, but when I do and my suitcase is heavy I can enjoy the sounds of wheels gliding over a marble floor instead of the sound of my back giving way under the weight.

And when I'm rushing someplace to catch my train or plane or bus the wheels come in handy. When you're running like a madman, a suitcase on wheels gives you a lot more maneurverability than a bulky duffel bag that throws off my momentum and centre of gravity so that I am a like a ball in a pinball machine, only instead of flashing lights when I hit something, I get icy glares and obscene hand gestures.

So I am grateful for suitcases with wheels. I am grateful for the people who make them and sell them. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to use them and that they make life a lot easier as well as make navigating airports just a little easier to bear. Those suitcases with wheels make it possible to go places, a sort of vehicle on the way to new lands and new adventures and for that I am grateful.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

#38- Paint

I spent all day yesterday being very productive, but instead of studying for my upcoming exam I was helping to paint my girlfriend's new apartment with her and another friend.

The three of us painted all day and at the end, we rewarded ourselves by admiring our work, drinking a glass of wine and going out for a nice dinner.

The best part of the day was painting because I got to spend time with my friends and do something productive at the same time. It was the paint that brought us together and away from TV, the internet and all the other distractions that severe us from our friends and loved ones sometimes. The same thing has happened every time I have ever painted a room because I have worked together with people to complete a goal and have become closer with who ever I was painting with because of this shared experience. 

The paint helped me see where my priorities lie once again, but the other great thing was the sense of accomplishment I had at the end. The rooms had more character, they had a story and they looked really good too, which was something I could be proud of.

So I am grateful for paint and how it can be used to bring people together to achieve something. I am grateful for the people who make the paint and mix it. And I am grateful that paint can be used to make a masterpiece that moves you, whether it's a work of art from Picasso or a room in a house.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

#37- Alarm Clocks

Today I was sitting in VIP box seats, complete with a buffet and a hot tub, watching the Stanley Cup finals. And then my alarm clock woke me up.

Was I mad? A little, but mostly I was happy because dream-world finger foods and sporting events are fun, but not really worth missing an exam for. Usually the snooze button puts me back into a blissful sleep, but last night I had set two alarms, one minute apart, so this wouldn't happen. And so I was able to get up and get ready for my exam without rushing around like a crazy man.

Alarm clocks show a little tough love and that is why they are so great. They do the job that everyone dreads and that is waking up a perfectly content sleeping person so that they can face what ever the day has in store for them, good or bad. I have found that many a great and adventurous day has begun with the sound of the radio wakening me from my slumber or the annoying sound of my phone alarm boring itself into my brain.

Alarm clocks have the unenviable job of shaking people free of their dreams and some times pay the price for it from angry fists slamming the clock until they find the snooze button. Although in the end alarm clocks are like nagging parents: they may seem unfair, demanding and even cruel at times, but in the end you know that they are well meaning in their intentions.

So I am grateful for alarm clocks and for the way they get me up to face the real world, with real obstacles and lessons and rewards. I am grateful for the people who makes alarm clocks. I am grateful that my alarm clock helped me pass my exam because no matter how much I study, if I don't get to school on time I'm sunk. Every day and every journey must start somewhere and most mornings my adventures start with my alarm clock calling me to action.

Monday, April 11, 2011

#36- Wind

I was almost blown over by the wind several times as I walked to the mall to get some food today, but it was exactly what I needed.

I have been cooped up in my room for the better part of five days now studying for exams while the weather has been getting steadily warmer. My room has seemed a little like a prison and today I decided to break out, get some much needed air and clear my head.

When I left the house I was immediatley hit with a warm and blustery wind. This was great because I finally felt free from the dry and hard to read notes that seemed like they had been chaining me to my room. The wind made me feel alive and part of the real world instead of tumbling face first into textbooks.

I would like to think that the wind and I have a sort of love-hate relationship. While on runs throughout the years, the wind has been there beside me many times, either fighting against me, threatening to throw me off stride and blow my momentum or at my back pushing me forward, keeping me cool. But helping me or hindering me, the wind has always been something to keep me company during my runs which really helps me keep going.

So I am grateful for the wind. I am grateful for the sense of freedom and life it brings to me, for the warm or cool air is provides and for the comfort it gives me on runs, even if it is a fickle force. I am grateful that the wind brings change, brings rain or sun and creates energy for people. Even though I can't see the wind, it always makes its presence felt, in big and small ways.  

Sunday, April 10, 2011

#35- Abstentions Convenience Store

Apparently there is no where to get food on campus on a Sunday afternoon. I discovered that none of the campus cafes or eateries were open while searching for something I could fuel up on in anticipation of another long night of stuffing my head with political science facts.

After falling to my knees and rattling the bars across the closed Tim Hortons in Residence Commons (I exaggerate, but it's what I felt like doing) I saw Abstentions, a student-run convenience store. To my study-addled brain it looked like it was glowing, like a beacon in the night.

I sprint-walked to the store, bought some chips and was able to focus for the next couple hours.

Abstentions provided for me when all other places had shut their doors in my face and when hope of quieting my rumbling stomach felt impossible. It gave me a small triumph in a bleak day full of endless notes on concepts and theories and torrential rain.

So I am grateful for Abstentions, that lovable convenience store that has provided me with many snack in the past, the most memorable being today. I am grateful for the people who run it and that it serves students so dutifully. And I am grateful that it helped give me the power to keep on studying, even if chips aren't the typical brain food.