30 Days of Living Strong

Over 6 weeks ago, I began a post about my frustrations with food allergies and meal planning. I was tired and frustrated. Before I finished it, my sister suggested that I need to keep track of what I eat and then decide what to do.

A month ago, I set out to find a computer program that could help keep track when I came across Live Strong's Daily Plate. Not only can it let me keep track of what I eat but also my daily fitness (as required by my physiotherapist and chiropractor). I enter in foods I eat and the activities I complete everyday. I can then view my "Food Diary" and see all my entries for the month. Here is the entry from today:


A by-product of tracking my foods, I've been learning a lot about portion sizes, calories and daily recommended intake. For one thing, I don't consider myself to be a big meat eater but I still consume more protein than needed


I'm not content with simply filling my stomach. I want to give my body what it needs to function properly. I'm considering getting a paid account so I can track nutrients as well as calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs, sugars, fiber and protein.

In short, YAY me for keeping with it for a month!

My food goals for myself

• reduce my intake of refined sugars


• eat more fruit and vegetables


• eat more food made from scratch


• return to a more carefully planned rotation diet

My fitness goals for myself

• reduce my resting heart rate


• strengthen the muscles of my left hip


• strengthen the muscles of my left shoulder girdle


• be "at level" in my Pilates classes (Reason: see previous 2 points)


• reduce the need for chiropractic and massage therapy appointments

Let's hope that I can keep with it and meet my goals.

One Ticket

It has never been easy for me to make friends. The "get-to-know-you" stage has always been the most difficult because I'm complete rubbish at small talk and even worse at flirting. I've had many close friends move away and others starting families. Instead of complaining about how I don't get to see old friends as often, I became resolved last October to overcome my nature and meet new people. Easier said than done...

I've met a lot of interesting people in the last several months that I would love to get to know better. My greatest difficult now is asking "Hey, want to hang out?" I'm always looking for the perfect opportunity that never comes. Case in point: I have an extra ticket to a Salsa night this evening. I originally bought two because I figure that it force me to ask someone to go with me. I did ask someone but there was a miscommunication as to when it was so now I have an extra ticket again.

There will be other people there I can hang out with tonight and I know I will still have fun but that really isn't my point. I feel like the ticket is a symbol of my current inability to "put myself out there". Did I have time to ask someone else? Yes. Did I have people I wanted to ask? Yes. I'm not sure if anyone of them would have been able or interested in attending but I certainly didn't ask to find out.

Even though I'm not talking about romantic relationships specifically, my situation reminds me of the Herman's Hermits song "No Milk Today":

No milk today, my love has gone away
The bottle stands forlorn, a symbol of the dawn
No milk today, it seems a common sight
But people passing by don't know the reason why

How could they know just what this message means
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams
How could they know a palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen

It isn't a symbol to anyone but me. It probably doesn't bother anyone but me.



PS This is my new dress that I will be wearing this evening

A Blogger's Dilemma

I'm having an online identity crisis. Things have changed so much in the 3 years since I have been out of teaching. I've been thinking about this for awhile but I am really feeling like a need a non-anonymous online presence. The braveness started with posting links to my blog on twitter then on Facebook. It was hard to admit to people I've known my whole life that I had a blog for years. I've done a pretty good job of keeping my professional and private life separate online.

If I started new blog but how often will I post to the old one? What would I post on the new blog? Do I take some old posts and put it on the new blog?

Should I just scrap my current blog? I like a place to share/vent my silliness and certainly think it would be unprofessional. About a year after I started my blog, I had hundreds of visitors a day but now on a good day I don't even have a tenth of that. Maybe it should just be contained to Facebook?
Even though I'm Facebook friends with most of my readers, you just don't have the same control. On the other hand some of my best writing on this blog was about the hockey playoffs last year. This writing is not related to education but certainly not unprofessional.


Would you (all three of my readers) be worried about being connected to me using my real name? So many bloggers I know have worked so hard to stay anonymous. What happens when one is anonymous no more? My dad and sister are anonymous bloggers but would be no more if I did not handle things carefully.

SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.

My First Crush

I didn't even know his name. He was so cool the way he wore that yellow pail handle around his neck. We played in the sand that one afternoon but then never again. Years later when I was grade 1, I bemoaned to my friends what could have been. I certainly never went through a boy hating phase.

Sundays as a child

Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches always remind me of Sunday evenings as a child. After church Sunday dinner was always the big meal of the week so my family would always have something simple for supper.

Like many of you, I spend Sunday evenings as a child watching The Wonderful World of Disney. If you were to ask me what was the first thing that popped into my mind when thinking of Sundays as a child, I would think of watching Wayne and Shuster. I take for granted sometimes that many people don't understand political humour because I was exposed to it from a very young age. I still get this song stuck in my head sometimes:


Several years ago, I had the idea for a funk musical about the political history of Canada called Parliament. Get it? Parliament? No? Well, never mind then.

I couldn't find a video of just the outro:

My Year Through Tweets

Inspired by Bronwyn, I decided to reflect on my past year through my tweets. The ones I found most amusing were conversations between myself and Lyn (further proof that we are the fun ones).


Jan 10
@LynmaraH Did I ever tell you about the remake I read called "Big Guy, Little Women"? I swear it isn't porn.

Jan 18
Finding the temperature of a light bulb is less fun than it sounds.

Jan 19
I find myself doing more dancing to Duran Duran this evening than homework.

Jan 24
@LynmaraH I don't care if you think I'm awful as long as you bring me cupcakes.

Jan 26
Overheard at the university: "The absence of pants ruins 90% of presentations."

Jan 31
Started hiccuping uncontrollably ever since I left @Bronwyn_MayB and @LynmaraH. Coincidence? I think yes.

Feb 12
Christopher said the flowers in bloom makes him want to puke. Mary said that was an inappropriate response to flowers.

Feb 23
Forgot the delight of Sebastian Bach singing "Holla Back Girl" #gilmoregirls

Feb 23
Note to self: y and t are different letters no matter the circumstance.

Feb 25
I made a careless mistake but at least I'm still adorable.

March 9
@LynmaraH Bacon will only make you feel better. Trust me, I'm a scientist.

March 12
Dear CBC Radio movie reviewer, Playing an audio clip does not prove that the director should not have used a steady cam. Love Janny

March 19
Most unfortunate abbrev at a physics seminar: rotator ass'y ** Most unfortunate collaborator of a physics seminar: P Wang

March 21
I think my brain broke. At the very least I sprained it.

March 23
Science is hard and makes me sleepy.

March 29
If you "procrastinate effectively", you're not doing it right

March 30
Dear juicer infomercial, KFed's 1st baby mama is not an impressive celebrity endorsement. Pls don't judge me that I knew who she is. - Janny

April 20
@LynmaraH Nitrates are my favourite.

April 30
I wish there was a way to get all my errands done while in the pajamas, watching TV from home.

May 19
Dear Neck, Don't be a hater: I need you to hold up my head and look over to the side. Love, Janny

July 16
Day 4 of no anti-histamines: I'm ready to die dead

Aug 9
@Bronwyn_MayB No such thing as too much hype for pickles and cheese

Aug 26
Yikes! Burly man in short shorts.

Sept 1
Just saw two wiener dogs leaping through a field of tall grass. Adorable.

Sept 10
Haven't eaten lunch yet and outside smells like donuts. #ohcruelfate

Sept 17
I'm so tired I'm starting to forget which letters make which sounds.

Sept 30
The blond Linda Evangelista is really the Kenneth Parcell.

Oct 7
Now realizing that yoga pants in front of the bus station at 10PM was a bad idea.

Oct 20
Apparently my true life goal is to be diabetic by Halloween

Nov 17
I'm thankful when my headphones blocks out the crazy.

Dec 8
((°J°))

Six years...

Today is my sixth blogoversary. Let's review the last six years in Janny history:

September 15, 2004
RTA, Failte and I moved into a townhouse in Saskatoon. I had just left my full time teaching position up north to become a substitute teacher in Saskatoon. Would you believe that I didn't know anyone else with a blog at the time?

September 2005
I was still subbing in Saskatoon but all tutoring and working part time at a book store. When I wasn't working I mostly spent my time being a source of procrastination for others and impatiently waiting the movie Serenity. Although it was depressing not to be working as a full time teacher, I did enjoy the time I had to reflect.


September 14, 2006
Fall 2006 was an exciting time for me. Not finding much work in Saskatoon, I move to Calgary to became an admin assistant while I looked for a full time teaching position. For the first time in two years, I was back doing what I love and getting paid for it.

September 2007
The school I was teaching at in Calgary turned out to be a flaming disaster. With little regret, I decided to move from Calgary back to Regina. My dad was in ICU during the winter and spring which made my horrible job situation that much more horrible. I always want to go back to school to finish my BSc and wanted to feel more qualified to teach science classes. So in January 2008 Teacher Lady became Student Lady.

September 2008
In the summer of 2008 I worked for an applied mathematician which really made me question my future plans. I decided against an Honours degree in Math and opted instead for a double major in Math & Physics. I invested in a DVR and immersed myself in academia. Mt life became Eat, Sleep, Physics. School work became my life and left room in my mind for little else.

I also learned about Spidergoat.

September 14, 2009
Eat, Sleep, Physics became a little less lonely and a lot more difficult. I love the collaborative nature of Physics students. You spend so much time in the lab together it translates into a community where everyone helps one another outside the lab as well. Fall 2009 marked the continuation of Janny spending way too much time with boys in their early 20s.

September 14, 2010
I have two semesters left of university! In addition to a couple science classes this marks the first time in 10 years that I will be taking any education classes. I will also be working part time as a physics lab instructor (getting paid while getting experience). I've already spoken to the local school board and it seems very likely that there will be a full time physics teaching position for me next fall!

This is a very exciting time for me right now. My classes and instructors are great. I will be learning so many interesting and useful things. I certainly hope this enthusiasm for my present and future life can continue.

I admit that I timed this post to also be the 1300th. Thanks for reading and hope you stay with me.

I was an adorable baby

Trouble from the start

I uploaded some old-timey family pictures to my Flickr account.

Letters to Some Former Students

Dear Allison,
Glad to see that you are well and seem to have risen above where you came from. I always admired your cheery disposition in spite of your bad home situation. The fact that you are a new mother makes me feel very, very old.
Love, Janny

Dear Brandon,
Wow, you got hot. I'm sure you are still an idiot but the years since high school have been kind to you (unlike many others).
Love, Janny

Dear Andrea,
You've always seemed to have a sadness about you and I never knew why. I pray you can find the peace you are looking for.
Love, Janny

Dear Tyrel,
You seemed like you were one of those boys that would be stuck in that town forever. I am so proud of you for being more than the low expectations for you. It is amazing what the love a good woman can do for a man.
Love, Janny

Dear Travis,
I'm sorry if you thought I didn't like you. You thought you were my least favorite student but it was really the opposite. You honestly were the smartest student I have ever taught and I was just trying to push you to achieve what I knew you could.
In other news, I still tell people about how your grad date was a very attractive 23 years old.
Love, Janny

Dear Sabrina,
Is it bad that I knew that you'd be a girl that could never leave that town? Not necessarily a bad thing. I know you had big ambitions but family and friends were more important.
I forgot how hot your dad was. Also, your brother is still a piece of work but I think it is part of his genetics.
Love, Janny

Merry Christmas from a Family of Bloggers

December 1980: Teacher Lady (Janny), DC Power (David) & Queen of West Procrastination (Mary)

Classic Janny: The Proust Questionnaire - Oct 2005

I started to answer the questionnaire before my hard drive crashed. I'll have to try to start it again sometime soon. I'd like to answer it every couple years to see how I've changed.
My answers from 2005

Five More Things

What were you doing 10 years ago? I was 17 yrs old and in my last couple months of Grade 12.  I had already applied to U of R faculty of Education but had not yet written the essay yet. Most of my days were filled with many choir practices and trying to get my friends to procrastinate from homework.

What were you doing 1 year ago? I finally had got on the sub list in my area so the work was picking up.

Five snacks you enjoy:

• London Fog

• fries with sour cream and melted cheez whiz

• Lindor chocolates

• ketchup chips

• fuzzy peaches.

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics: I can listen way more than 5 songs so I'll list ones I learned in choir 

• "Beginning to See the Light" - Bobby Darren 

• "Eli is Coming" - Three Dog Night

• "Age of Aquarius" - Fifth Dimension

• "Can't Help Falling in Love" - Elvis Presley

• "The River" - Garth Brooks

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire: 

• Pay off all debts

• Build a house

• Travel all over the world

• Contribute to deserving charitable organizations

• Invest

Five bad habits: 

• TV ( I know I watch lots of TV and I don't have a problem with it)

• Procrastination on the Internet

• I'm messy; I'd rather be doing anything else instead of cleaning

• Underestimating how long a task will take me

Five things you like doing:

• Cooking

• Watching TV/movies

• Hanging out with friends and being witty about stuff

• Listening to music

• Harmless flirting with cute boys

Five things you would never wear again:

• short skirts

• jeans that go above my waist

• pants that are too short (it was hard to find pants that were long enough in high school. I had to start wearing men's pants)

• large floral prints

• neon anything

Five favourite toys:

• Shasha, my doll from when I was 1 year old

• Glow Cricket

• Clever, my soft stuffed puppy I got from Kristin

• My stuffed monkey but I don't remember what I named him (sister, do you remember?)

• My "#1 Student" troll, given ironically from a friend in high school

Five Oddities

I know I should have done this forever ago:

1. My ears are super-bendy. I have to position them before I lay on my side or my ears will be suctioned to the side of my head. It is habit for me so I don't even notice it. My sister pointed out to me one time.

2. I hate the feeling of my ankles and wrists being restricted. This is why I hate socks and don't wear a watch.

3. If I am planning to call someone I do not know well, I try to call at a seemingly random time. I would never call at time that ends in 5 or 0. I also would never call less than 11 minutes before or after the hour.

4. Every time I walk past the university map on Wiggins St, I get the song Radar Love by Golden Earring stuck in my head.

5. I have crushes on two Scandinavian poker players: Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen and Johnny "Batman" Backman.

Election 2006

It is a shame how people in North America people don't realize how good our lives are. A couple nights ago I learned that one of the men from the cleaning crew is a refugee from Ethiopia and one of the cooks is from China. Both men have been in Canada for less than a decade. They got into a discussion with the head of security about the upcoming Canadian election. Both are very update on current events and were discussing the merits (or demerits) of the various political leaders. After they had left, the head of security told me that both of those men really love living in Canada -- they think it is the best place in the world to live. Last night as I was working I got thinking about their discussion again: no matter what party is elected next Monday, our lives will still be pretty good.

I had a lonely day today. I did talk to my mom for a little while but that is not the same. I did not see anyone until prayer meeting at my church and that only last for little more than an hour. From there I went to the bookstore for work. I don't get to visit much with anyone there. I did not see my roommates at all today. The last time I had a hug was from my mom on Sunday. All this amounts to one sad Janny. I moved to Saskatoon because I was lonely. The irony is that I have less human contact now than when I lived alone in a northern community.

I hate this time of year. I think of money (and my lack there of) all the time. Plus I am lacking any sort of creativity for finding gifts.

The one good thing that happened today is I didn't have to stay too late at work. I was so tired and discouraged about life when I got there it is exactly what I needed. Prayer meeting ran a little late and with winter driving I did not get to work on time. Being late is not a big deal but the early I start the earlier I get done. When I got the the kids section (that always takes me the longest), it was in excellent condition. One of the ladies spent most of the evening restocking shelves. Last night that section took me over a half hour. Tonight it took me less than 10 minutes.

One strange thing about day is my hands smell like celery. I had to chop onions, garlic and celery for supper and yet my hands smell like celery. Not the outcome I was expecting. The last time I chopped garlic and onions the smell remained on my hands, in the kitchen and on the cutting board for days no matter how many times I cleaned them.

Finally, memories from my sister's wedding

My mom found my notebook I had been recording pleasant memories from the day before my sister's wedding. Mary was not feeling well so I told her we were only going to remember the good times about the day. Sorry it took so long to post these stories.

Friday, July 15 Memories
- girls with nets catching butterflies
- old man at medical clinic. Has a Scottish hat with a big red pom pom and the short vest ever. Also has black socks with white sandals.
- Chris R. put a fake umbrella tree in a ceiling fan at the church
- Chris and Janice run up and down the aisles with tulle "Olympic Opening Ceremony" style
- Ky and Janice crawl under 6 rows of pews commando style to grab Derek's ankles. Janice almost lost her pants so she arrived late. We did not surprise him.

Might be a little late...

I think I am suffering from a Quarter Life Crisis. I'm going through what many of my friends went through right after university. They have told me they are glad that I don't know what to do about my life. Seems like a strange thing to be glad about.