Stuff White People Like

I've been following this blog for a while and found a clip about it on CNN. Thought I'd share it.

It isn't embedding properly, so here's the link:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/01/29/dcl.lander.stuff.white.people.like.cnn

new bunny

Lola got fixed today. She's been quite naughty lately. We're hoping that spaying her will level out her hormones and calm her down a bit. We're going to pick her up this evening as a brand new bunny!

Vitamin D

I mentioned before about how foggy it's been here lately. Well, I read in the newspaper that today marks the 19th foggy day. I'm not trying to complain, I've just never experienced this much fog for a consistent amount of time! I thought I'd let some pictures do the talking for me.

Sunset over downtown Vancouver this week as seen from Cypress Mountain.
I knew the sun was out there!

Downtown Vancouver as seen from Mt. Seymour. (Photo by Mike Tranmer)

Here's what you should be seeing from Cypress. (Photo by Static Kitten)

And here's what you should be seeing from Mt. Seymour. (Photo by Gordzilla1)

Vancouver really is a gorgeous place. Too bad you can only enjoy it a few months out of the year.

Obama-overload

As you well know, Obama is officially our new president. Congrats to him. However, I'm feeling quite overloaded with Obama-related news. Even/Especially here in Canada.

Seriously.

So, as a preemptive strike against mental exhaustion over all things Obama/Presidential/Red white and blue (can you tell I've been watching 24?), I thought I would check up on some other news. There's got to be other things happening. Don't get me wrong, I'm not plugging my ears and singing, "I can't hear you! I can't hear you!" I'm just in need of a short break.

But while visiting CNN.com, I felt like I had to search an abnormal amount before I could find out what else is going on in the world. Sorry, Jon, if you're reading this, but even FoxNews.com is inundated with DC-related stories.

However, I did find this article regarding the US Airways crash on the Hudson and thought I'd share it with you. Such a crazy story. Can you imagine, even though they probably lost a lot of their personal belongings, how pumped those people are feeling now? And today of all days?

In the words of Aretha Franklin, "God bless America." I pray that He does.

mr. golden sun

The sun has finally broken through the clouds! Can you believe we haven't seen the sun since last year!? Granted, that's only two and a half weeks, but it's felt like longer. Especially since the greater Vancouver area has been covered by a shroud of heavy fog for the last week. Seriously, coming home from the gym the other day I almost missed our street because I couldn't see the street sign from the road.

This is what it looked like at noon all week.

Of course it's quite dark outside now because the sun likes to be down before 4:30 in the winter up here. But we enjoyed the sun while it lasted. Now if only the piles of snow would go away...

Another thing I haven't seen since last year--sushi. So I'm getting some for dinner. Can you believe I haven't had sushi since November? *eyes wide & head shaking*

How's the weather on the East coast? Have you guys started to thaw?

inspiration

This past weekend we had AIA Staff training and got to catch up on the happenings of fellow AIA Canadian staff members. I think one of my favorite people there is Albert Martens. He lives in Manitoba, so we only see him twice a year at the most. But he was such and inspiration to me--not only in is physical discipline, but also in his attitudes, personality, love for others (especially his wife), and all-around giddy-ness.

Albert is a runner. I truly believe that God created some people, not many, very differently from the rest of us. Those are the people who enjoy running in excess of 20 or 30 miles. I married someone similar to this... but not quite that extreme.

We heard from Albert this weekend about his ministry within AIA, AIA Run. He's pioneering this ministry to reach out to runners around the world. As he explained, running is quite a lonely sport in that you are by yourself from start to finish. He told us about his attempts a few years ago to finish the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara. (He's completed it many times, but did not finishe the last one.) Into the first few days of the trip, he'd set up camp at the check point and was preparing his dinner (that he'd carried with him) on a camp stove. He pulled out a packet (which he didn't read at the time) that said "DO NOT EAT" from his new day pack thinking it was seasoning for his food. Later he had massive stomach pain, but carried on after the doctors checked him out. But before he made it to the next checkpoint, he realized he wasn't going to make it much longer and so sent off a flare and signaled for the medics to come find him and take him to the hospital. Thus ended his Marathon des Sables.

Here's Albert's blog post about the Marathon des Sables. Scroll down most of the way to the "EMOTIONS" section to hear his story about that day and to see more pictures.

In addition to lots of Canadian marathons, Albert also completed the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2004. Brian and I watched something on the Discovery Channel about the Badwater Ultramarathon, not realizing we know someone who has completed it. We were shocked at what people willingly put themselves through. The Badwater footrace is through Death Valley in CA. The temperatures are so hot that the runners have to keep their shoes on the white lines of the pavement, otherwise the asphalt will melt their soles!

Albert crossing the finish line at the 2004 Badwater (from the Badwater website).

Albert hugging one of his crew members.

Albert with his crew holding the flags of Benin and Canada.

Here's an article from Adventure CORPS (the organization who hosted the Badwater) about Albert and his personal footrace.

So if you, or someone you know, would be interested in Albert's ministry, let me know and I'll pass on their information to him. It is his desire to encourage fellow runners not only through Spiritual support, but also tips on running, nutrition, and other aspects of physically and mentally training for a marathon.

I also thought I'd let you know I'm planning to run in the Vancouver Sun Run! (As long as we're back from Easter Vacation.) It's only a 5K, but it's my first official. It's my goal to jog the entire thing... so I'm building my running base and hope to be ready to run at least half an hour without stopping. We'll see how it goes!

a voice for the voiceless

I just received an email from a friend asking me to sign a petition. Usually I stay away from petitions unless I'm informed well enough to make an intelligent decision. However, when it comes to standing up for the unborn, I don't have to think twice. If you are in agreement with the Word of God or just have your own convictions that draw the line at ending the life of an unborn child, would you sign the following petition?

Fight Freedom of Choice Act

If you feel strongly about this as well, would you pass it on to friends and family and give them the opportunity as well. Here is the web address: http://www.fightfoca.com/

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:11-16

Livin' on a prayer

That's been my theme song this past little while with all of our weather issues out here. For the past two days it's taken us at minimum an hour to get in or out of a parking spot near our house. We've had an overabundance of wet, slick snow and we do not have a vehicle built for these conditions. Nonetheless, we made it in to the office today and will not be driving near our house until all of this mess is gone. On top of that, our car is broken. I don't know what the piece is called, but it was hanging off the underside of the car and seemed pretty important. It has been acting like a tiny snow plow or anchor, preventing us from getting over even the tiniest pile of snow. But the rain has come and I'm hoping the snow and slush'll be gone for good soon.

Oh, and I haven't seen Lola since the end of November and won't get her until next weekend. I hope she remembers me!