Like a balm for the soul...

I have been loving the warm summer weather as of late and have gone on 2 mid-day lunchtime walks at work. It's definitely something I will be implementing during the summer months so I can get my activity in half-way through my day. By the time I get home after work, my cardio will have already been done. Pretty awesome! Below is gorgeous Waterloo Park....

Went for a walk today to Uptown Waterloo on my lunch break.... got the Sonic Soy at Booster Juice.

Mother's Day in Waterloo

Hello everyone. Happy Monday!

It's a gorgeous day here in South-Western Ontario. Lots of beautiful sunshine and blue skies. Can't get better than that. Well, I guess you can. I could be by the beach! :)

Last week, the weather really started turning around and it was so nice to see summer peek out and say hello! I took a few walks around town, and saw this cute little bunny at a park...

Luca also loved the sunshine! He didn't go outside (he'd freakkkk), but he was content to lay in the rays coming through the window. :)

I had a really nice weekend. I started off with a relaxing and quiet Saturday at the homestead, followed by a night of dancing with my friend Erin.

Even though the club was pretty dead, the music was pretty good at the end of the night and so we danced into the wee hours of the morning.

After a too-short sleep, I woke up to see my beautiful mother for Mother's Day. She came down to Kitchener so we could get out for a nice lunch. Bruce, her husband, came with. We stopped at a restaurant I had never tried before - Barley Works. It's part of the Huether Hotel in Waterloo on King St. (uptown Waterloo). It's a brewery/grill - and they had a really nice patio where we could soak up all the sun. It was 24C - so we were very happy to be outside.

I started with some of their Lion Light Lager, and it did not disappoint. From their website:

A light bodied, light tasting blonde lager with a slight hop after taste. Smooth and

refreshing. A perfect choice with one of our home made gourmet pizzas.

My mother and I shared their Thai Salad and a small BBQ Chicken Pizza, from their wood-fired oven. The salad had a nice chili kick to it, with perfectly grilled chicken, fresh veggies and yummy peanut on top.

The pizza was good, but nothing out of this world. The crust was crispy and thin, and the toppings did taste good... but I've had much better wood-fired pizza.

Bruce had their Nachos - and it was a very big portion. My mom and I tried a couple corn chips - and we both agreed they were the bomb. The chips were crispy and fresh, but then kind of melted on the tongue. My mom asked the server if they were homemade... she said no... but they were still amazing.



Afterwards, we took a nice little jaunt in Waterloo Park. We checked out the animals at the menagerie (alpacas, pheasants, llamas, turkeys, etc) and read the little stands that provide information about the history of the park and the city of Waterloo. It was so nice to see my mom... she's truly the most important woman in my life and I'm eternally grateful to have her!

Journal Jar: Music

A few years back, my brother gave me a journal jar as a gift for some holiday. It's full of little slips of paper with questions. I decided to pull one out today and give it a shot...

My music tastes are quite eclectic. I find I have a few different playlists on my iPhone, and they were all designed around different moods.

My favourite song of all time is: Warning Sign by Coldplay

My workout playlist, for example, contains:

> Ghosts 'n Stuff : Deadmau5
> Wild Ones : Flo Rida feat. Sia
> Domino : Jessie J
> Part of Me : Katy Perry
> Promises : Nero (Skrillex and Nero Remix) (also my most played song ever on my iPhone)
> Body Work: Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara
> Scream : Usher
> Last Friday Night (remix) : Katy Perry feat. Missy Elliott
> The Alphabeat : David Guetta
> Dance Again : Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull

So.... mostly top 40 stuff. Whenever I'm feeling like I need a pick-me up... this is where I tend to go.

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I also have a very big side of me that likes mellow, chill out music. My new favourite song is called Sutphin Boulevard by Blood Orange. 

In my mellow playlist, I also have:

> The Grand Optimist : City and Colour
> I Still Care For You : Ray Lamontagne
> The Grace : Neverending White Lights (super in love with this artist)
> Davyan Cowboy : Boards of Canada (truly beautiful.... haunting)
> Nulle Part : Emilie Proulx
> Tomorrow : Mat Kearney
> Truly, anything by Gotye.... but I especially love Bronte.
> Anything and everything by Coldplay. My most favourite band of all time.

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On roadtrips, I like listening to country music. It's funny, I don't typically listen to it outside of a car. :) Here are my favs, though:

> Today Is Your Day : Shania Twain
> Hello World : Lady Antebellum
> Put You In A Song : Keith Urban
> Me and Tennessee : Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow (my all-time fav country song)
> Give In To Me : Leighton Meester (from the Country Strong Soundtrack)
> Words I Couldn't Say : Leighton Meester (from the Country Strong Soundtrack)

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Lastly, I have a few favourite classical pieces...

> Requiem, K.626: 7, Lacrymosa : Mozart
> Prélude in C Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
> Maid With The Flaxen Hair : Claude Debussy
> Concerto in G Minor RV 416 (Allegro) : Vivaldi
> Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35:1 I. Grave. Doppio Movimento : Chopin

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I can't say that I have any particular memories that pop out for me.... but I definitely remember listening to certain albums in particular times in my life. I remember the first time someone mentioned the Spice Girls to me, and the first time I saw the Backstreet Boys in concert (grade 7 at the Molson Amphitheater).  My last year of highschool, I listened to a lot of Coldplay and Evanescence. In 2004, I had a friend at the time make me an amazing mixed CD and he gifted me with my second favourite song of all time -> Into the Fire by Thirteen Senses. I will always remember hanging out with him and I associate this song with him.

What are your favourites?