This week I have been very reflective. So many things are coming to an end.
This weekend was the last Tragically Hip concert. For my American readers, The Hip is Canada’s Band. I have never been a HUGE fan of the Hip but I know every song. I can pretty much tell you my childhood based on their albums, concerts and songs.
I remember the 1st time I heard them live. We were drinking beers at Alexander Ross School outside the Assiniboine Downs Race Track in 1997.
What a great night. It was in July, right after graduation and it was a hot night. We were the only people there. They were playing just for us. Or so it seemed. 😉
There was just something about listening to The Hip, drinking a Labatt Blue and singing in the field with my friends… it was like our last night of being kids. A right of passage. The end of our innocence. After that summer, we grew apart. Some of us went on to University, some moved, and some stayed right there.
We will always have that night though. 💛
I tried watching their last concert. It was televised all over the country. Over 11 million households tuned in (not including PVR’ing)! That’s a lot considering we only have 35 million people in the whole country! PLUS it was live streaming all over the world for all the Canadians across the globe. I saw Gord Downie come out and he looked… sick. He has brain cancer. He has been given ‘er for the past month, touring his last tour while getting intense chemo and radiation. His voice sounds… sick.
I couldn’t do it.
It was just too sad and unfair!
The next day I watched a video of the concert. In the clip, Gord is crying.
The music is playing and he is crying.
He picks up the microphone and he YELLS.
He YELLS again and again!
He YELLS “NO!”
He throws down the microphone.
I get it. The tears burn.
What an amazing man. I feel his anger. His helplessness.
Fuck Cancer.
Another thing ending, the Summer Olympics in Brazil. We have been watching the Olympics and seeing the work that those athletes put into their craft, the tears of losing, the pride of winning, it has really made me… feel.
Now it is over. Some dreams were crushed and others became reality. SBean was VERY sad to see the games close. She said, “when I grow up I want to be an Olympian!” HBear said, “I do NOT want to be an Olympian! Only 1 person wins and all the rest are sad!” I explained that all those athletes are the best at what they do and just being in that elite tournament meant that they were winners already. She didn’t believe me.
Sigh.
She has been asked to be on the Junior Olympic Gymnastics Squad this year. She absolutely, 100%, does NOT want to join. She hates competition. She hates winning. If I didn’t go through 30 hours of labour with her, I would question if she is mine! 😳 Her swim teacher has asked her to be on KISU (the swim team).
Again… no way.
We told her she HAD to choose 1 team (competitive) sport. We really feel that if she was on a team she would feel differently about the whole competition thing. She chose swimming. I am sad because I love gymnastics and she is quite good at it but I think she made a good choice and will enjoy swimming more. She is very good at it, she loves it, there are so many future options with swimming AND when I asked her if she wanted to watch swimming in the Olympics, she jumped at the chance! When I asked her if she wanted to watch the AMAZING Olympic gymnasts, she said she would rather finish her book.
When I was little, OK who am I kidding, up until the Vancouver Winter Games 2010, every time I watched the Olympics I got a flip flop belly. I got that excited feeling… one day I am going to do that. Be an Olympian! SBean gets it too, I can tell by her face when she watched “her guy”, Usain Bolt. She has that itch to be apart of something bigger than her, to be a part of a team. I said to her, “what was your favourite part of the Olympics?” and she quickly replied, “watching my team Canada!” 😊
Now it is over.
The Hip is over.
The Olympics are over.
Summer is almost over!?!?!?!?
How did that happen? I remember a short 6 weeks ago when I was making bucket lists and telling HBear, “don’t worry Sweetie we have LOTS of time. We have the whole summer to do those fun things.”
Now it is over and I am feeling pressure. Pressure to check off all those bucket list items. Pressure to get Hot Lunch started and my minutes template ready for the Preschool board and DPAC. Pressure to register the Girl’s for their fall activities and get all their school stuff bought and ready.
We did so much this summer but we just aren’t going to get some of our summer fun stuff done. I have accepted it… kinda.
We still have visitors coming, this week is my good friend from Winnipeg and next week is my Uncle, Aunt, and Cousins from Calgary!
I just need to remember… When things end it is always best to look at all the amazing opportunities that are ahead for us in the future.
Orrrrrrr, I can reflect on the amazing food we ate last week 😜
Last week I made a delicious 1 pot meal! I had leftover pepperoni in the fridge from pizza night and didn’t want it to go to waste, so I made a pepperoni pizza pasta! This is good! Like really good! It was also crazy easy to make!
Brown ground beef in a large, oven proof skillet and drain excess fat.
Add mushrooms and onion and cook until onion is soft.
Add half the slices of pepperoni and pasta sauce.
Add pasta and water, stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is tender.
Remove lid and sprinkle top with cheese and remaining pepperoni.
Broil until the cheese is lightly browned and sprinkle with fresh basil.
This week was pretty laid back. After our mini vaycay, I had a shit load of laundry, cleaning and shopping to get done. I also had to go through BINS of clothes. I made the girls try on everything from last year to see what fit for this school year. I also have 3 boxes of clothes in my closet. I sale shop all year. Last winter, I used my MIL’s Gymbucks and bought this year’s clothes. In fact today, I bought a ton of tank tops and shorts for NEXT year! 😇 Regular $12 on for $1.97! You can’t go wrong!
The Girl’s had their last day of FitKidz this week. I love that you can pay for a week and then spread the days out throughout the summer. It helps break up slow weeks.
SBean had another Community Centre “party”. This time it was a SuperHero Party! She was a Super Canada Kitty! LOL
On Friday it was all about HBear. She went on a playdate with her KBesty. They went for a picnic in Naramata.
That evening was date night with Papa! It was on her bucket list and she said it was the BEST day of the summer LOL. They went to the Penticton Buffet for dinner. Ninja and I are NOT buffet people but HBear LOVES them! After dinner they went to see Pete’s Dragon, apparently it was AH-MAZING! After the movie they headed to Gyro Park to see some live music and then home for a sleepover in Papa’s house.
On Saturday we went for a picnic in Osoyoos. We Geocached along the way and earned our National Geocaching Day Badge!
We found another EarthCache! It was called Mahoney Lake. It is a meromictic lake… super cool!
After working up a sweat and an appetite, we went to my In-Law’s for a swim and a delicious dinner!
The next morning we all went for a bike ride along the channel. HBear was super hesitant at first, she still isn’t quite that comfortable on her bike but she ended up getting the hang of it and doing great! She only got a little cut on her hand from a tiny spill right at the end of our ride. 😞 My Dad got to get out his new bike and my In-Laws decided to replace their OLD bikes with new ones! SBean started off on her balance bike but ended up opting for snacks in the chariot. What a little rat lol!
After our ride HBear changed up and went to a Piggy Birthday Party at the local Petting Farm! Unfortunately that night we had a wind storm and there was major damage done to their bunny shelter. They are looking for any help they can get so if anyone would like to donate or have tools/time to help rebuild, please contact Andy’s Animal Acres.
All in all it was another fantastic week!
The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.
Ivy Baker Priest
