The Yes Year Doctrine

Sometimes a really really good idea gets legs and takes on a life of its own. Before you know it the idea has evolved past the original thought into something that feels almost beyond you and out of your control. This is exactly how I would describe the Yes Year concept. If you've read my blog prior you'll be aware of one reoccurring theme.

I'm turning 30 this year. And its a big deal.

I'll be saying goodbye to the years of me at the bars every weekend, hanging out in McDonalds playground slides on the drunken walk home (see below) and partying at the House on the Hill until wee hours of the morning.

Now it will be years of family filled bbq's every weekend, hanging out in the McDonalds playground with little ones using the slide - not me, and get togethers in the early evening in the house my husband and I own. And I'm ready to bring it on.

ALMOST.

But there is some stuff that needs to get done. Some selfish, probably shouldn't be spending the money when I could be saving it, once in a lifetime, always meant to get around to it but never signed up stuff. Enter Sarah and the Yes Year.

One day at a pub over drinks Sarah (recently married to my husbands best friend and facing the same struggles regarding wanting kids and wanting to wait) said to me "We're going to make this a Yes Year"

What? Interesting? Whats a Yes Year. Tell me more.

"Yes Year. Were just going to take a year for ourselves before we start the rest of our lives. And were going to just say yes to everything. Were going to do as much as we can and enjoy our newlywed life and say yes to plans we want to do without worrying about it"

This - I say - is genius. Why attach an automatic guilt to every decision about how you spend your time and money in the first year of your wedded bliss when you don't have the responsibilities adding up yet? Why not just tell yourself, this is time for you and take it all in. AND DO IT. So it was decided. Over a pint of some beer we shouldn't have been drinking and food we probably shouldn't have been eating. Lets make this year about us.

Our summer trip to Las Vegas was the kick off.  Not feeling guilty about spending four days this summer VIP drinking, outlet shopping and gambling was the obvious first stop on our Yes Year tour. Why stop on long distance trips though? Sarah and husband had never skied the mountains so we booked a Friday off work we took off on the three hour drive for a beautiful weekend carving down Marmot and partying in downtown Jasper.

But here is where the Yes Year took a completely unexpected twist. Turns out, when it comes to doing something outside of your comfort zone that costs money you shouldn't spend and is about you, what we wanted to do was - physical activity?

Team sports are something I've never done. The fear of disappointing a team of peers with my lack of athletic ability has always held me back, but signing up for dodgeball was a leap of faith and it had instant gratification. It spiraled. Another season of dodgeball, YES. Join kickball too? YES. You know another thing I love but dont treat myself too - Yoga. YES. I've always wanted to do a 5k run called Color me Rad. And it's coming to town. Should we sign up. Well, duh. YES! And now I'm training for a 5k and going to workout classes, and playing team sports and being the best version of me that fear and self doubt have stopped me from being before. When you remove the idea of saying no - you realize how many things you WANT to do. Who knew?

So here here to the Yes Year, and all the fantastic and amazing memories of a year of selfish self indulgent bliss. 2013, I love you already.

Things I've Learned About Myself from Dodgeball

After years of discussion, a group of my friends finally decided to make the commitment - we were going to sign up for a team sport together and play the hell out of it. So when we found Dodgeball staring in January we knew we hit the good idea jackpot and couldn't wait to start the season.

We've had two, very different games so far.

The first game we came out, and after about 15 mins cried mercy as we lost our 8th game in a row.

Last night against a new opponent we went back and forth the full hour until we beat the other team by one game.

So far, I have to say, I'm learning a LOT about myself:

1. I can dodge a ball like nobodies business. I cannot however catch or throw a ball. This will prove to cause me some difficulties in this game moving forward.

2. I am highly competitive. Like angry competitive. Like swearing on the court and muttering threats under my breath competitive. I don't know whats up with that. I don't play sports, ever, and when I do something active it is generally a solo activity - like rollerblading or running. Even then, when I mess up, I am VERY hard on myself. So when I let my team down I am not forgiving. I need to learn a balance between rage and excitement in this atmosphere, and right quick before my teammates (specifically my sister) lose their patience.

3. Playing on a team, with people you have a great friendship with, is a completely rewarding experience. Walking out of the game last night we were flying high and such a cohesive unit. It was a really great time and one I hope to have more of.

So wish me luck - I'm excited to see where this leads and what other sports our crew can take on next season!

Idealism, Idle No More and Becoming a Trekkie

Here is the thing with me and news. I am mostly ignorant to the full depth of what is going on around me. I get the headline news of what is going on and have a basic knowledge of the world, but mostly live in an "ignorance is bliss" mentality of failing to know more.

Sometimes, a story will grab my attention. Not because of the story itself but because of the reaction to it - in which case I'll go a little beyond the surface so I can speak somewhat intelligently about its relation to my beliefs and opinions. Right now, that story is in regards to the "Idle No More" movement. Sweeping across Canada, this is a grassroots movement started within the Aboriginal People of this country, in different clans and from different areas who have bound together to form a powerful voice to be heard. A way they've chosen to go about this is with varying protests across the country.

Yesterday, all day, from the time I woke up and dressed with Breakfast Television in the background, to the point where I was listening to drive home radio I was told that this protest had made its way to Edmonton, where it was to happen and at what time. Shortly there after, all my connections to social media exploded with what can only be described as completely ignorance or racism. Or both.

Can I empathize with people who were inconvenienced by the blocking of traffic on a major highway? Of course, its frustrating. Did it piss a lot of people (who failed to take alternate routes as recommended by every news and radio outlet in the city) off - yes of course. Guess what, that was the point. To cause you an hour of frustration and get everyone talking about their cause. They are doing what they set out to do - raise awareness in a non-violent way.

And perhaps their cause is something more of us should be paying attention to. How quick and easy it is to write off their concerns with comments like "I work for my rights, work for yours", and my heart breaks at the thought that since this cause doesn't directly concern our blessed life today, it is beneath us and not worthy of knowing more about.

I have a dear friend who spent the past year working for an environmental sector of the Canadian government. The stories she can tell regarding what is being done at the hands of our government to strip the protection of our water and our land are things that we should all care about. The layoff of employees who no longer are funded to find ways to save our beautiful country is something that affects people of all races. Worse, it will affect our children and our children's children. Yet, it continues to go unnoticed by casual news observers like myself. This is part of the long list of causes the Idle No More group is speaking out about.

Another concern that some of us should also consider is their claim that bills were passed illegally and without proper consultation of the Aboriginal People. The New Democrat party sought out and invited First Nation leaders to join the conversation in Parliament but once arriving to do so they were banned. Not able to speak their opinions or thoughts on legislation that directly affected their lives and treaty agreements made by this country. Its so easy to write off these claims, without investigating the fact that one day, something you hold dear and important to you could be passed with the same disregard.

With all of this going on, right on my doorstep, I can't help but think about Star Trek: The Next Generation. The newest pursuit of my husbands "geekification" of his wife is his slow introduction of this foreign show into my life. Since Netflix has the entire series available it has slowly creeped its way into our viewing rotation and I have to admit, embarrassed as I am to say it, I am really taken by it.

Not because of the space and time travel and all the science terms about warp speed and engineering that I will not, nor do I wish to, understand. There is an underlying theme that sits with me, and it's one that I find myself so interested in, I watch more and more episodes. Its a study of human nature.

Going from one galaxy to another, one planet to another, the Enterprise Crew encounters new species and races everywhere they go. They all have customs and traditions that although foreign to the crew are treated with dignity, respect and understanding. Rather than push their beliefs onto a civilization that is finding its own way they invest themselves in the culture - they listen and learn from cultures that have struggled on a path based on a history that is their own.

How idyllic - a place in time where human nature has evolved into such a point that we can understand and embrace everything different from us. How disheartening to continue to see how far we are from this time, and how much more our young race has to learn.

The Big 3-0

You may have been able to tell by the name of my blog, or my frequent mention of  its inevitability, but I'll be turning 30 this year. I am kind of freaking out.

But in a good way.

My 20's were a roller coaster of changes, decisions, growth and life experiences. Looking back, I am a completely different person now then I was 9 years ago, 6 years ago, even last year. I have learned, adapted and changed the way I view myself, the people I surround myself with and the way in which I see the world. It was an incredible journey and I'm grateful for it all - even the less than glamorous parts. Without that I wouldn't be the person I am today.

I like to think the person I am today is pretty damn good. I feel so excited about the next 10 years and the type of experiences - married life, parenthood, home ownership - it will hold. So different then the last 10, but I'm ready to tackle them knowing exactly who I am and who I have in my corner. Its going to be amazing.

But before I do, we're going to have one hell of a sendoff. I am knee deep in planning the second biggest party I've ever planned. Despite my love for organizing a good time - tackling a group trip to Vegas has already been more work then I expected. Yet, as I learned in my 20s a little bit of work makes the payoff that much sweeter. This payoff just happens to be with two dozen of my friends, poolside in Sin City for a long weekend of fun and mayhem. What better way to send off an incredible decade and usher in a new one?

My So Called Sitcom

After a Christmas holiday filled with a little too much "How I Met Your Mother" (thanks Netflix) I found myself sitting awake after an incredibly bizarre dream placing me as a show extra.

As the chaos of the show swirled around me, my role was of a coworker to one of the characters, in an awful office where said character was on the brink of quitting. The weird thing was, although there were lights, camera, action, the actor seemed to be really struggling with the decision and not acting at all. During a break I snuck her aside and said "Hey! Robyn! I know this might sound crazy, but this isn't actually real life. You're the main character on a TV show I watch" and since that news didn't blow her mind, I continued "I just want you to know, I've seen what happens next season and you should absolutely quit here! I promise, better things are coming up for you." That's where the dream ended and I sat up in bed.

Can someone - anyone - please be the extra in my life to tell me about the road ahead and where the paths are going to take me? In the show where I'm the main character I'd really like to know - what happens next season. It seems like every decision is hanging in the balance of this weird, summer break hiatus, where I'm paralyzed to finalize anything.

The season finale before this break was magical. After years of hilarious single girl sitcom antics, I married the Chandler to my Monica in a beautiful setting and went off on my honeymoon. But now what?

Thinking we had all things figured out, we started looking into purchasing our first home as the next step. Yet after a lot of stress and even more heartache we reached a dead end and decided we needed to take a step back and re-evaluate. Its been three months and now I feel at a standstill. Part of me yells "the markets great, interest is amazing, you're ready to do it" yet the other part says "wait it out, save some money, get secure and try next year". Not knowing which way is right, I sit stagnant hoping the right decision will come to me.

THE question every newly married couple without a plan hates - are you guys trying for a baby? are you pregnant yet? when are you getting pregnant? Worse yet, imagine when you can list off the close friends of yours who ARE currently pregnant. Baby fever has swept my entire social circle and I sit here unable to know what to do next. Not because its the cool thing to do but because we're going to be so good at it. Seeing my husband holding his 8 month old nephew, or playing with the 7 year old son of a friend, my heart explodes with "yep, lets do this NOW!". Whats better than having a kid with a built in group of friends around you - there is so much love there its hard to ignore.

So do I let nature take its course? Leave it to nature, science and fate so I know it was meant to be when it happens? We're so ready on so many levels. Of course, I could always freak out and live in constant paranoia about getting pregnant knowing that we don't yet have the house and keep worrying about the little things until I think it to death? The inability to pick a side, and stick with it, is so much worse than just knowing whats best. I swear every time it comes up my position is changed.

So without knowing how to write the script on the next season of my life I find it fast approaching. If you're a psychic with an interest in following me around as a non-paid extra I'm now accepting resumes ;)