Camping

I love camping.

But let me tell ou what camping means for me...

It is NOT pitching a tarp or tent in themiddle nowhere.
It is NOT digging a hole to use as a bathroom, it is NOT even using an outhouse...

No, MY CAMPING involves running water, flushing toilets, tents and trailers, a paid for camp site, 24 hour security, a lake, a beach, a camp stove and a market on site for daily ice, charcoal and cold soda mixers for my booze.

Yes, that is my camping, though my husbands calls it an "outdoor motel" I think it is fabulous.

We do not hunt or fish our own food. We do not deal with wild animals, our worst concern is if our neighbours are jerks.

I love Golden Ears, Cultus Lake and other type locations to camp in BC.

It is family fun without too much sacrifice ;)

What is best is that these locations are less than 2 hours from my home and friends and family can come for day visits.

I just got back from 4 glorious days at Cultus Lake where I read, swam, walked, visited with friends and family and just enjoyed sitting on the beach or by the campfire... I still had my blackberry for tweets if needed, but I also had the fresh air and outdoors to enjoy.

It was awesome!

12 Qualities of Happiness

Remember MySpace? Well my best-friend Miss J was going through her old blogs on myspace, remembering the "good ol' days" and so I decided to do the same.


My original MySpace was deleted years ago by MySpace and I was devestated I lost all my blogs, photos and memories... which to this day still upsets me! To be honest, after that, I never trusted or liked MySpace again!

Anyhow, here is something I found on her blog that really applies...

so.. my mum is reading this book.. and decided to send me bits of it...

12 Qualities of Happiness


1. Love. This is the wellspring of happiness, renewable and everlasting. We often think that being loved is the best feeling in the world, but it's the second best. The best is loving someone else. Love is the polar opposite of fear, emotionally and neurologically. Thus, it is the antidote to fear and the first step towards happiness.

2. Optimism. Optimism provides power over painful events. I used to think it was an attitude: seeing a glass half full instead of half empty. But that felt artificial, a mere trick of perception. Then I suffered the worst event of my life. My son died. I thought the light had left my life forever. However, in my despair, I realized that my son had left me a legacy of love that was mine forever and that if I could survive the loss of my child, nothing else could devastate me. When I realized this, I found that every hurtful event holds lessons, and that the more it hurts, the more you learn. Thus, I discovered the true meaning of optimism. Optimism is realizing that the more painful the event, the more profound the lesson. Once you bring this knowledge into your heart, you can never look at any event as all bad. Optimism gives you power over fear of the future and over regret for the past.

3. Courage. This is your strongest weapon for overcoming the split-second power of the fear system. You can't rise above fear without courage because fear is hardwired into your neural circuitry. There is no such thing as a fear-ectomy. If fear is eternally programmed into your brain, though, so is courage. It comes from the neocortex and is a product of the spirit, the intellect, and the higher emotions of love and generosity. It is nature's natural balance for the fear that has helped us survive. It's the quality that allows us to thrive.

4. A sense of freedom. Nothing fills the soul like freedom. Freedom is choice, and choice is what makes us human. When we choose, we define who we are. Everyone has the power to make choices, but unhappy people don't know they have it. They think it's only for the rich. It's not. I've met a thousand rich people who didn't feel free. Choice is available to anyone who has the courage to exercise it.

5. Proactivity. Happy people participate in the own destinies and forge their own happiness. They don't wait for events or other people to make them happy. They're not passive victims.

6. Security. Happy people know that nothing over time lasts-not money, not approval, not even life itself. So they don't measure security with a calendar or a calculator. They simply like who they are. They're not slaves to popularity, longevity, or financial status. They know that security is an inside job.

7. Health. Happiness and health are interdependent. It's hard to be happy if you don't feel healthy, and its hard to be healthy if you're not happy. Of special importance for happiness is healthy mood chemistry. You can have a happy life and not even know it if you're tortured by faulty mood chemistry. An imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, for example, can mask the happiness that lies beneath it.

8. Spirituality. Happy people arent' afraid to go beyond the boundaries of their own lives. They let go, and welcome extraordinary experiences. They have markedly less fear of death. They're not concerned about dying -- they're concerned about not living.

9. Altruism. Unhappy people are usually too self-absorbed to be altruistic. But happy people know how good it feels. It connects you to others, gives you purpose, and gets you outside yourself.

10. Perspective. Unhappy people tend to see things in absolute terms and often can't distinguish small problems from big ones. Happy people see shades of gray, and they know how to prioritize their problems and turn them into possibilities. They don't lose sight of life's big picture during the bad times.

11. Humor. Humor is a shift of perception that gives people the guts to go on when life looks its worst. There is an abandonment in it that is close to enlightenment. It lifts suffering off the heart and hands it to the intellect and spirit, which alone have the power to heal it.

12. Purpose. Happy people know why they're here on earth. They're doing the things they were meant to do. If they died today, they would be satisfied with their lives.

after reading it... I think I've realized part of my problem as of late....

I've lost my happy.

I really liked reading this for a few reasons. One, it is so true, every single thing in there can determine happy or not. Two, it was sent to my best-friend by her mum, who is no longer with us, but it shows her struggle to find happiness and share it. Three, I have been feelng down lately and really feel like this is a good pick-me-up.

Summer Fun

I find that I want to do fun Summer Activities but on a budget. I can't very-well spend money I don't have and I don't work much in the summer given my seasonal job, so... Here are some fun free or cheap things to do in the summer...

Spray Park

We have a spray park near us, as well as a number of other ones in the not-too-far distance that we can attend. Kiddies can play, adults can read, visit, nap ha ha

Swimming Pools

Same as above, but best if your kiddies are older or know how to swim

Drive-in Movies

On weekends the Twilight Drive-in close to us plays 3 movies! The first two are new and the third is a bit older, usually close to dvd release. If you can stay awake for all three, it is a bargain. $12 per adult, less for kids and if you sneak in your own food, you are set. Though we always end up spending a fortune at the concession because we know they don't make much money on ticket sales... and we don't want them to go out of business.

Picnics

You have to eat anyways right? Why not take the food to the park up the street or the lake near by?

Lakes and Rivers and Beaches

If you live near one do it. We are close to a river, several lakes and even the ocean... we don't do this one enough but should

Play Dates

This one is awesome. Have kiddies invite a pal over or go over to play - they entertain each other and you can get some house work, reading, tv or relaxation time in - - usually

Walks

I struggle to get off my lazy butt, but this is an easy way to get ou tof the house and spend time with the fam-bam as well as stay healthy!

Housework

fold laundry outside or garden together. Kids love spending time with parents and why not use the uality time to get some chores done too?

Bike Ride

Like a walk, its healthy excersize

Camping

Go camping. even for a night it is a fun and inexpensive way to spend some summer time

What else??????

Pre-St Pats Day Party

I posted this at Martini-Mandy but what the heck I have different readers at different places...

Pre Saint Patrick's Day Party this Saturday was a blast.....

I ran my annual Pre-St. Patty's Day Event Saturday Evening and it was pretty awesome. We had lowe numbers than usual but it made it more intimate. Everyone got jello shooters, a St Pat's tiara or hat, leprechauns gold coins (Chocolate) and VIP access to four venues in downtown Vancouver.

We started off at Blarney Stone in gastown for some Irish fun. They recently renovated and it looks really great inside. Our Emcee, Kyle, ran some activities for our group as well as others in the pub enjoying Green Beer and Traditional irish food.

After lot's of drinks and games we hopped on a bus and headed to Shark Club where we ate, drank and enjoyed the Canucks game and the boxing match on several flatscreens.

The Irish Activities continued and we gave away a bunch of cool prizes.

Our third stop, most were tipsy or beyond and we shook our botties on the dance floor at Au Bar. There were some models there in angels outfits, one of them was Brandi from Canada's Next Top Model. (On the right)

Our last stop was Gossip Night Club where we rolled up and gained VIP access and immediate entry to the club. Everyone had an amazing night and since I have been fighting a cold for about a week I headed home instead of dance the night away.

Overall it was a great time as always and I just wish I wasn't getting sick.

St. Patrick's Day is on Wednesday this week so I may go for my traditional Once a Month Wednesday that I have been neglecting for so long.... mechnial bull riding and 5 cent wings at Roosters... we shall see.

Emotional Manipulation and Covert Aggression - "Those" Friends

A good friend and I were recently discussing the absurdity of one of her friends.

We've all had them, that one friend who feels like more trouble than she's worth... the one you know you should drop but for some reason keep hanging on to, despite the emotional strain she puts on the rest of your life.

This article discusses such friends as "Emotional Manipulators" or "Covert Aggression."

It lists and discusses these as ways to identify such people:

There is no use in trying to be honest with an emotional manipulator.

An emotional manipulator is the picture of a willing helper.

Crazy making - saying one thing and later assuring you they did not say it.

Guilt. Emotional manipulators are excellent guilt mongers.

Emotional manipulators fight dirty.

If you have a headache an emotional manipulator will have a brain tumor!

Emotional manipulators somehow have the ability to impact the emotional climate of those around them.

Emotional manipulators have no sense of accountability.

Furthermore, This article: Psychopaths in Sheep's Clothing elaborates on the ideas and discusses various types of aggression and the process of victimization from these types of people.

It's very interesting and hopefully an eye-opener for those of you who have these kinds of friends.

I luckily cut mine out a couple years ago and let me assure you, life got a lot easier and more enjoyable! Once you cut out the bad seed you can develop healthier relationships with your other friends since you are not always "dealing with" that "one" friend... also you can meet new friends who are amazing and brighten your life.

Cheers.

My 'hood

Yesterday I had to go through my old neighbourhood for work and boy was it interesting.

Not a lot has changed, it's still the same kind of area it always was... low income, high crime, troubled.

I drove right through my old complex and saw my old place... my old parking spot, my old staircase, my old front door.

It really took me back, almost to the point of tears.

We lived there when my mom was still a single-mom. She waitressed and us three girls were aged 3, 5, and 8, me being the 8. I went to the local school from Grades 2-5 which for me was a very long time in one place.

We had moved a lot when I was a kid, mostly because of my dad and the trouble he'd find... or create..... but now he was gone and we had a home of our own for more than a year.

I met a lot of friends, I still see some of them today.

I had a lot of babysitters... though most of them did nothing, it was me who took care of us three girls when my mom was at work. Then I'd report to mom what chaos the babysitters got into... smoking, drinking, trying on mom's clothes, boys over... always something...and we'd get a new babysitter.... temporarily.

Most of the families who lived in my neighbourhood were single-parented, if that. Many unemployed, on welfare or struggling as my mom did with a low paying job.

Us neighbourhood kids ruled the 'hood.... with parents working all the time, or passed out after blowing a welfare cheque on booze and sedatives to erase the pain that was their lives, us kids would sneak out, and run wild.

Running wild at that age meant meeting in the forest behind the complex for hide and seek, swimming in the creek, piling into someone's basement to play Super Mario Brothers on the original Nintendo or riding our bikes past our "territory" to the corner store with change we stole from our parent's coin tins.

We had such vivid imaginations, we created a world of our own. We were princes and princesses of our own universe and believed our own happiness, at least until the sun went down.

Even after curfews, if our parents even noticed it had come and gone, we could sneak out and play as late as we liked.

In the winter time we used plastic bags and cardboard to create our own sleds to slide down the hilly snow-covered terrain that surrounded our complex...

In the summer time we would pick flowers and braid daisy headbands, race our banana seat bikes helmetless down the hot cement hills....

We were young and when we were together we were carefree...

Sadly, many of us were not so carefree at home.

We all had our own set of issues... I remember some of the things I saw and experienced, some of the situations my best friends were in.... things no child should have had to endure....

I remember my mom letting friends stay over night, even on schooldays to avoid those situations that were their everyday horrors.... we'd stay up too late, and be tired at school after giggling all night, escaping whatever reality they had waiting for them at home.

Driving through my old neighbourhood yesterday brought back a flood of memories, good and bad, that mad me feel such strong emotions, like it was just yesterday, not over 20 years ago, that we snuck through the forests and hopped along the river...leaving the real world behind.

How I wish sometimes I could just escape the real world and skip rocks along the river, build forts with fallen branches and laugh so hard I rolled down the hill without caring about grass stains.

It was not an ideal childhood for many of us, but we got through it and we overcame it and we learned from it.

I still talk to many friends from back then, we don't often reminisce about the good old days... for those good old days bring back harsh memories for many but I am so glad to know they got out and are still here today.

Personality Type Tests

I tend to vary from ESFP and ENFP.....

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. You break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's Your Personality Type?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

I tend to vary from ESFP and ENFP.....

My husband, not surprisingly, is an ISTJ

ALL OPPOSITES OF ME (except for S which, as mentioned my tests vary from S or N back and forth depending on which version of the test I take)

Turns out - He and I are best suited for each other.... crazy eh?

Some highlights from my "type" (not surprisingly) are:

General -

They live for the moment, and know how to make the most of each moment. They are genuinely, warmly interested in people, and love to make others happy. They're usually very kind-hearted and generous, and are always going out of their way to do something nice for someone.

They take their relationships very seriously, but also approach them with a childlike enthusiasm and energy. They seek and demand authenticity and depth in their personal relationships, and will put forth a lot of effort into making things work out. They are warm, considerate, affirming, nurturing, and highly invested in the health of the relationship. They have excellent interpersonal skills, and are able to inspire and motivate others to be the best that they can be.

Friendships -

They are usually very popular, because people are naturally drawn towards them. They get such genuine delight and enjoyment from experiences which they encounter in life, and they love nothing better than to draw a crowd of people along with them for the sheer fun of it. ESFPs try to turn every day into a party, and they're usually successful at doing so.

They are highly valued for their ability to have a good time, and for their genuine warmth and interest towards people. They are extremely in tune with their five senses, and may be prone to overload them with too much alcohol, food, or drugs. They get along with all sorts of people, but some people may disapprove of their fun-oriented lifestyle. Others may be put off by their very stright-forward and blunt speaking style.

They are energetic and fun to be with. They are very affirming, and get great satisfaction from supporting and lifting up others. They are idealists who seek authenticity in their personal relationships.

Parenting -

They will freely give love and affection to their children, but they frequently have a problem with defining a structured, orderly environment for them, and they may rely on their mates in this regard. If this trait is strongly present in them, and is not counteracted by their mate's perspective, it could be considered a potential pitfall for the parent. Children need some structure which can be depended upon as they grow up.

They tend to have difficulty with the authoritarian role, preferring to be their children's friend. However, they do expect to be given respect and to be obeyed when necessary, and will fall into the role of parental authoritarian at times. This can be frustrating for some children, especially those with strong Judging tendencies, as they will not know what to expect from their parent.

They are usually remembered fondly by their children for being fun-loving, upbeat, and affectionate, although somewhat scattered.

Romance -

They take any sort of criticism very personally, and consider it to be a general indictment of their character. They may react with anger and harsh words which they would later like to take back.

They say things in a very direct, abrupt manner, and can sometimes even unintentionally seem quite harsh. They like things to be communicated to them in a similar, concrete fashion. They dislike theory and abstraction, and will frequently misunderstand the jist of a communication if it is not communicated in a factual, present-tense manner.

They are in general very warm and giving people, with simple needs and demands from their partners. They just want to be happy, and want to bring happiness to others. They are energetic and popular individuals who will liven up the social life of the couple, and keep many new experiences on the horizon.

Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ESFP's natural partner is the ISTJ, or the ISFJ. ESFP's dominant Extraverted Sensing function is best matched with a personality that is dominated by Introverted Sensing.

Possible Career Paths for the ESFP:

Artists, Performers and Actors

Sales Representatives

Counselors / Social Work

Child Care

Fashion Designers

Interior Decorators

Consultants

Photographers

Possible Career Paths for the ENFP:

Consultant

Psychologist

Entrepreneur

Actor

Teacher

Counselor

Politician / Diplomat

Writer / Journalist

Television Reporter

Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, or Computer Specialist

Scientist

Engineer

Differences Between My Two Types -

Same Interaction Style.

ESFPs and ENFPs seek involvement of themselves and others and tend to have the natural facilitative attitude of the "Get-Things-Going" style. They tend to easily fall into facilitative roles. Both tend to use informing language, but ESFPs will have a little more of a drive to immediate tangible action. ENFPs are more willing to talk about things for a while when talking is moving things along. Both want an upbeat mood and love to make others happy.

Different Temperaments.

Differentiating Artisan versus Idealist is key. Often those with ESFP preferences will talk a lot about helping people so they relate to much in the ENFP (Idealist) descriptions. For the ENFP, there are always new potentials to be explored. For the ESFP there are always new possibilities for action and ESFPs don’t want to miss opportunities.

Roles.

Very often the first clue in recognizing the ESFP pattern is pragmatism. Pragmatic means having autonomy and calling the shots on your own actions. It means taking a utilitarian approach to things rather than seeking consensus or adherence to norms—taking independent action.

Language.

It helps to listen for the abstract language of the ENFP, which is about meaning and purpose, using metaphors that many people can relate to while keeping their own unique meanings. ESFP language tends to reference tangibles with specific details when relevant.

Interest in Motive.

Both types are interested in why people do things. The ESFP tunes in to what is in it for the other person, whereas the ENFP is interested in their deeper motives.

Different Cognitive Dynamics.

ENFPs lead with Ne—Interpreting meanings. ESFPs lead with Se—Experiencing and Noticing subtle changes. Both “read” the room. ESFPs notice physical clues to people’s feelings, picking up the actual physical energy. ENFPs may not even notice the physical cues and energy, but will just “know” the meaning of what is or has been going on. Both types will describe the experience as getting a feeling of what is going on. You have to probe a little to get identify which process is being engaged.

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So that's what the lil quizzie says about me - how about you?