Have you been in a position in your life where you feel that nothing excites you? You know, when someone asks you, "So what's new and exciting?" and then you say, "Well, nothing much," not because you don't want to say anything but because there is really nothing to say.

Well, I have something new and exciting to share. One night as I was in the shower, this thought came out of boredom, "I want to kickbox!" I told my husband about it and he said sure and then asked, "How are you going to get there?" I said, "I'll ride my bicycle."

The next morning, he sent me an email with the website address and a personal message saying that two of his coworkers are already in the program and one is actually willing to give me a ride on the way and back. I said, "Perfect! I don't have to ride in the cold." So that's what it is for me the past three weeks. I have been kickboxing.

I decided to do kickboxing so I can kick ass. No, not really. The truth is I wanted to challenge myself. I remember how sore and how much I have been swearing after the very first class. It was not funny. But after several classes the pain began to subside. I also realize that kickboxing has not only taught me techniques on how to kickbox and that it is keeping me fit, but it also gave me a validation that I can challenge myself and have fun at the same time. I also like that it is a friendly, no pressure way to meet with other women. As someone who is new here in Yellowknife and know nobody else but my own family, being a part of this group gives me a sense that I belong, that I am involved.

My favourite part in kickboxing is improving my stance and my balance. I never thought how hard it is to balance my own body. I find it tricky and I am still learning. Every time I throw a kick, I have to make sure that I put that foot down and still be in the right position, kind of like life itself. Our trainer said, “It is very important that you keep your position right because that is what gives you power.” Of course, upon hearing it, I pondered about life. I thought to myself that the more balance and secure I feel about my position in life which to me means how much I know myself, the easier I can tackle whatever is thrown at me. Just like in kickboxing, without proper stance or position, the less power you have and therefore you don’t have enough power to attack or defend yourself against your opponent. On the contrary however, if you do have the proper position, the easier you will be able to maximize your power in every attack or in every defense you have to make against your opponent. All these thoughts came over me while I was doing my jab, uppercut and hook.

For the last three weeks we have been doing combination of kicks and boxing. My upper body is so sore. For some reason the carpool could not go on so I now ride my bicycle to go there --- in the cold. Riding my bicycle from downtown to taking the hilly trail and all the way to the airport road has made my thighs sore as well. But you know what, for the fun and excitement it gives me, kickboxing is worth it!

So, how about you, what’s new and exciting?

Discovering Le Stock Pot was indeed a pleasure because it means that I now have my new special place to enjoy. It's no Starbucks but that is okay. This place got coffee and sweets too and my other favorite foodie --- sandwiches... grilled sandwiches.

Because it is such a nice day, again, here in Yellowknife, I decided to seize the day to have a lunch date with...

(Darling Jesse sleeping under the sun)

Today was about "getting up and doing it!" Today I went out to the library and got me a library card, after that I went to mail my mother's birthday card. Nothing special but you see, I bought the card way back in August because my mother's birthday was in August! It is now end of September.

In life, we find a lot of excuses not to do something that we ought to do. There's always a reason why we do not bother to say for example --- exercise, eat healthy, go to church on Sunday, call a love one, visit the sick, take a vacation yadi yadi yada. And because of this, we do miss the opportunity to actually experience the experience.

I find that my day to day life is a repetition of everything. It is so mundane and I find it boring sometimes. But that is just what it is. Life is a repetition, a series of events that just go round and round in circles. It's like the earth moving in its orbit really, but it is profoundly beautiful. Earth, life, the universe, it is all beautiful. Just like right now...the sun is shining brightly and is showing off it's warmth to me as I am writing this. Yes, I am outside! A weather like this in Yellowknife is special indeed at this time of the year. The point is if I did not get up and decided that today I shall mail my mother's birthday card, I would not be enjoying myself right now. I would be inside the house and doing what it is that I do at exactly this moment which is washing the lunch dishes and preparing what's for dinner.

Oh and to top off this lovely day, I went, for the first time, to a French cafe called Le Stock Pot and got me an apple strudel and a slice of cranberry cheesecake. I will be coming back again for sure.




So my dear friends, as much as it is okay to not do things that we ought to do for reasons that we think are valid, let us say to ourselves that today, this time, as in now, at this moment, is actually the day that we are going to make our day a little different and special than yesterday.