almost on my way.....

This past weekend I worked like a maniac. I was frantically trying to finish up some last minute stuff so that I could attend a friends birthday and a housewarming party.
I was pretty strapped for time, but somehow I managed to squeeze in just enough of it to put together a peanut butter-brownie torte for the party. It sure didn't look like much, but that 'bad boy' contained 2 lbs. of peanut butter-fudge in the middle....it was amazingly rich and dare I say it, sickeningly sweet! Those with a 'sweet tooth' in the crowd absolutely loved it :) I swear, that damn thing weighed 5lbs. when I finally put it all together.



The birthday 'get together' was great. We went to a local restaurant only a few blocks from my house. Once upon a time I ate there regularly, but I haven't been back in some time. The atmosphere and food were as great as I had remembered they were.


(my sis, Lisa, Bon & moi)


Bon-bon and I having some fun


and of course, a celebratory drink with the birthday boy Christian...one of my closest friends who is practically a brother to me.

Ah, good times! The birthday fun seems to be increasing with every passing year.

I'm outta here tomorrow.....off to Las Vegas, baby! I can't wait!

This last month has literally sucked the life right out of me. And let me tell ya, I can get pretty irritable when I don't give myself enough 'down' time. Between getting a head cold on my way to Montreal, training and working too much, I NEED a break! Aside from my head cold, the rest of my stress is self-induced. I'm constantly pushing myself when I train, I don't get enough sleep, I work more than anyone should and yet when I'm totally run down, I still find a way to pick myself up and keep going. I guess I'm fully living up to the stereotype of my Type A personality. I suppose some would say, I'm burning the candle at both ends.
Sure, I push the limits of what my mind and body can handle, but my 'saving grace' is that I KNOW when my body just can't take any more. So, I decided to take two days off to unwind before I leave to Las Vegas...yesterday and today :)

I'm sure my stay in Las vegas will come with tons of sleep deprivation, but I'll still feel rested when I return home. I'll be back with candid pics, I promise!

catching up.....

I'm trying to get caught up...really, I am....LOL!

My trip to Montreal was fantastic! The flight there left alot to be desired though. I flew out on a red-eye, which was fine, but what wasn't fine were the screaming babies....one would start and the rest would follow...AND at some points they were all crying in unison.....needless to say, I did not sleep much that night. Fortunately, the flight wasn't that long....but it was long enough for me to realize that if I ever have children and decide to fly with them, they will be heavily sedated...LOL!

Despite the noisy flight, I was pretty excited when we landed in Montreal. From the moment my taxi arrived at the hotel, I saw familiar faces everywhere. I had not booked a room at the host hotel, I opted for a room at the Hilton across the street instead and apparently quite a few people from BC had the exact same idea.
I attended the athlete's meeting and had a chance to 'catch up' with some of my friends from across the country. Competition weekends are always so hectic, especially for the competitors. This time around, it was really nice for me to have the opportunity to socialize without the added pressure of competing.


(fellow BC athlete) Klara & I in the lobby having some fun

The event itself was amazing. My seat was right behind the judges so I didn't miss a thing nor did I have to struggle to see. I had a blast cheering for everyone I knew who was competing. The heavyweight women's class was stacked with talent....and it was probably the most competitive line-up in that class in years. I was super happy for my pal Athena who not only won the class, but she was given the nod for the Overall as well! BC has another pro!

Watching Athena win the overall took my breath away.....as each of the class winners were compared prior to the final announcement, I stood on the side of the stage smiling. I couldn't help but smile. The feelings/emotions and excitement I felt when I won are forever embedded in my memory and I just knew Athena would be feeling those same things. I was so honored to present her with the overall trophy.


Andy, me and Athena just before pre-judging

I'm not sure as to when Athena will be making her pro debut, I think she's too busy celebrating right now, but I wouldn't doubt she'll be on stage in 2009. Speaking of pro debut's, the Atlantic City pro show was on this weekend.....and of course, this show was where I made my pro debut last year. I kept up with the coverage of the event and I was pleasantly surprised by the reults. As you may know, this was the final qualifier for the Olympia and I do believe that the top 3 qualified at this event so...it'll be interesting to see the mix of competitors on stage in 2 weeks.

My short trek to Montreal was just one of many busy weekends this summer. It seems that there was either a birthday, shower, stagette, wedding or competition on every weekend. As each event passed, the next one was always quickly approaching. At this point, I'm just kinda sitting here wondering where the heck the summer went!?


Jen & I 'en route to our hairdressers wedding'

alright...that's enough of my rambling for one day.......