An Extra Ray of Sunshine at the Sun Run

It was the coldest Sun Run on record and the largest but also a beautiful sunny day! Yesterday over 59,000 people ran and walked the 10km Vancouver Sun Run and I was one of them. I've run it a few times before and walked it a handful of times as well and it's always a great time. So many people and such great energy with such a huge crowd.

Yesterday's event was particularly touching though as one participant was wheeled past me about half way through. I didn't think I'd end up being teary eyed at all while participating in this 10km event, but I got teary eyed. You might remember a few years ago in the news there was a young Korean girl who was living in Vancouver and learning english as a second language. Her name was Ji-Won Park. Back in 2002 she was jogging around Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park and her life completely changed when she was attacked, strangled and beaten and left for dead. She survived but suffers from brain damage, she can't speak and she's confined to a wheelchair. At the Sun Run, the Sun really was shining, a ray of hope, and many rays of inspiration as friends of Ji-Won Park were pushing her wheelchair through the 10 kilometer route all wearing huge smiles on their faces and helping her to experience something she likely would have run herself if she hadn't been attacked 6 years ago. It really was an amazing moment to see her fly past me beaming a ray of light from ear to ear and outward to everyone whom she passed. What a wonderful and teary eyed moment. Awesome.

Blog Block!

When I first started this blog I thought I'd easily have topics to write about every day but I was wrong. You might have noticed that I haven't blogged over this past week....it's not that I've been really busy or anything grand like that. I think I actually have had Blog Block. You know, like writer's block, well I've got blog block. Maybe it's the weather....when will it get sunny and warm? Seriously! When? And what's with the weather these days. Last Saturday it was sunny and 21 - which was a dramatic change from the 10 degree cloudy/rainy weather the week and months before....and now, one week later we're expecting snow flurries this Saturday. What is up with the world??!! This weekend is the Sun Run and in year's past it's been a spring-like day and this weekend we're expecting snow? I'm participating albeit a Sun Walk, but who wants to walk or run in the snow? Craziness!! Ha, kinda funny that when one has nothing to talk about we resort to talking about the weather....and here, I had nothing to write about yet it turns into writing about the weather. I imagine it'll happen again. Oh and I suppose we could blame the snow on my hubby as a month or so ago he commented "I guess winter is over" and it snowed again. Then last Saturday in the gorgeous 21 degree sunshine he said "Well I guess winter really is over now" and alas it's supposed to snow!!

It's funny how things happen...

Just yesterday I posted about all the emails going around claiming different things and how you can go to Snopes.com to see if the claims are true or false. It was a reminder that we can't always believe everything we read on the internet. And it's funny how things happen because today I checked my email and turns out I got another one of these 'claim' emails. This one is about how women shouldn't drink from water bottles that have been left in vehicles because the heat causes toxins in the plastic container to seep into the water and causes cancer. It even said this is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. Well as you can imagine I went to Snopes.com and the site said that this claim is FALSE. Well, I guess I need to take my own advice because although I believe that Snopes is pretty accurate, it's important to note that they too don't always have all the facts.

Normally I'd see that the claim was false and I'd carry on and drink out of plastic water bottles. However, in this case there could be more to it. The last time the info was updated on the Snopes site was June of 2007. And why is this date important? Well, back in December of 2007 a news report came out saying that a sports retailer called Mountain Equipment Co-op had pulled a bunch of plastic water bottles (made of polycarbonate) off their shelves due to the potential health risks. The full article can be read in the Globe and Mail. The retailer had heard that independent research suggested that polycarbonate plastic is made mostly of bisphenol A which has been linked to illnesses, even though manufacturers of bisphenol A say the product is harmless. Health Canada is now doing a review of the contradicting evidence and hopes to have a report out by next year.

In the meantime, if you're concerned and don't want to drink out of plastic bottles made of polycarbonate, look on the bottom of the bottle and if you see a #7 or a #1 then toss it. Bottles with the numbers #2, #4 or #5 are still considered safe and are made of other types of plastics. A good site that gives further explanation of all this is the Labour Environmental Alliance Society. And if you're still concerned about drinking out of plastic bottles, then the best bet is to find a bottle made of stainless steel or glass.

It's scary and sad that is seems like so many things in life are being connected to illness, particularly cancer, so while there are many emails claiming causes of cancer, let's hope they're not all true. While Snopes isn't neccessarily wrong, it appears there's more research to be done. I don't know about you but I'm eagerly anticipating the outcome of this water bottle study.

You can't believe everything you read, especially on the internet!

Have you noticed that the majority of emails these days are 'forwards'? And often forwards telling you things and you wonder if they're actually true? Well it's a good thing if you question theses emails, and don't just read them and take them as fact. Because more often than not, they're not true, at least not completely...but then sometimes they are.

For example, have you seen the email with the photo of the unborn baby's hand that reaches out of the womb and grasps the surgeons hand? It seemed so touching. Or how about the one about not flicking your lights while driving at night or a gang will come get you? Good to know! Isn't that an urban myth? Oh and I fell for this one, that you shouldn't drink cold water after eating a meal because it congeals with the oily food in your stomach and can lead to cancer? I admit, I actually drank hot water after lunch after reading that one. Oh and this one scared me, that you shouldn't answer your cell phone when it's still connected to the charger because you could get electrocuted - yikes!

Well, the truth is that none of these are true, at least not completely. How do I know? There's a great website that I go to every time I get one of these 'forwards' to find out of it's true or an urban myth. The website is Snopes.com . It's great for finding out the truth about not only all the crazy forwards but also about some story that you heard about years ago. The site is an urban legend reference guide essentially and it even gives you some background on how the legend came to be. You simply type in some key words and it will tell you TRUE or FALSE. So, let's see what it said about the cell charger causing electrocutions. Well, in this case it had a couple of responses. The idea that answering a charging cell can electrocute you is FALSE but, it did say that some cell phone chargers or batteries can explode or cause fires...so, there you go, we all learned something.

So the next time somebody sends you a forward warning you to not microwave food in plastic containers because research proves cancer causing agents are released into the food, don't always believe everything you read.....check it out at Snopes first because in this case, again, it's false.

Now maybe I'm pulling your leg...after all, you shouldn't believe everything you read, especially on the internet. Hmmm???

This is a NON happy blog post!

Ok so I'm always trying to think of ways to make my posts 'happy' seeing as it is "Rebecca's Happy Blog" but today this is completely a NON happy blog. Why? Because I'm grumpy and feel crappy. Why? Well let's see....I'm female....any ideas? I have to admit that at least once a month (hint hint) I really do not enjoy being a woman. Maybe I sound ungrateful because most of the time I love being female, but when you feel as crappy as I do right now, you'd likely feel the same way. And trust me, you DON'T want to feel like this. I realize in the big scheme of things, when looking at the big picture, that it's really no big deal. I have my health generally so I shouldn't complain. But, when you feel this way for 2 whole days every 4 weeks, and don't feel like getting out of bed, it really sucks! Grrrr.....but on the bright side (yes I guess there is one) my hubby is baking me chocolate chunk cookies right now. Yay. If only he could spike em with some pain killers!

Me and Trevor Linden....

Ok so his wife has nothing to worry about (she's gorgeous! and I'm happily married) but I have to admit that when I was young I had a major crush on Trevor Linden. I was dating a guy in high school who played hockey so we watched all the games and went to many too and I think I can blame him for my crush because he got me into the whole trading hockey cards and all that. He created the hype and I followed, but only Trevor Linden. Man did I have a crush! My boyfriend was going to a skate with the Canucks event and I even gave him a photo of myself to get him to get Trevor to sign! How vain! But he took it and Trevor signed it. I was in heaven! I even told my boyfriend (whom I loved dearly) that if I had the opportunity to date Trevor Linden that I'd leave him for Trevor, and he seemed fine with it as we were both pretty sure I would never meet him.

Anyway, high school ended, that relationship ended and my infatuation with Trevor Linden ended. Or so I thought. Well it did end for years and years....too many other fish in the sea I suppose. But then a couple of summers ago my Mom and I were in a golf store and who was trying on golf shoes but TREVOR. I was in my 30s but acted like I was 16. Total school girl crush took over me. I whispered in excitement to my Mom "That's Trevor Linden over there!" She knew that thru work I'd interviewed him a few months back so she said "Go talk to him, introduce yourself. Meet him professionally." But there was NO way. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't think of what to say or how to approach him...all I could do was continue shopping but watching him out of the corner of my eye the whole time. Pretty crazy I know. Since then I haven't thought about him at all until....

Last year, in the months leading up to my wedding I had a dream that Trevor interrupted my wedding ceremony and burst into the church yelling "Don't marry him, you're meant to be with me." Ok, I have to tell you I always have really CRAZY dreams that don't make sense, so this dream didn't frighten me about my upcoming marriage, I just laughed at it. And no, he didn't show up and interrupt my wedding - which was by the way the best day of my life!

And since my wedding last year I haven't thought about him at all, other than when people ask, "Did Trevor interrupt your wedding?" referencing that silly dream. In fact, I spent so many years dating guys who were major hockey fans that I saw a lot of games, now I don't even watch hockey anymore. I'm just not that into it. However, tonight I'm watching. Seeing as it could be Trevor's very last NHL game as a Vancouver Canuck, I think I owe it to myself to watch him one last time. After all, he's still pretty darn cute, and, in my opinion, the best Captain the Canucks have ever had. In fact, I think I still have my hockey card of him in a box somewhere in storage. I can't give that up! I'm too sentimental. Ahh silly crushes! Go Trevor!

Dirty Doggz to PawFection!

If you're a doggie owner you likely have your regular places to visit for pet supplies but if you're looking for a great place to wash your dog, you've got to check out Dirty Doggz in North Van.

You can either drop off your pooch for a bath or do it yourself. They have these great big waist height tubs, aprons for you to wear while washing, warm water, really nice shampoos and conditioners all included, fluffy towels and these great and powerful dryers so that Fifi or Fido go home all pretty and soft, and CLEAN! And if your pup is anything like my Teddy, they can get pretty darn dirty in this neck of the woods. Why do dogs love rolling in the yucky stuff ie.dead salmon? Oh and the best part, when you're all done, you just leave the dirt and hair and mess for them to clean up. Nice! And if you're not into washing your dog, for a few dollars more they'll do it all for you. I personally like to wash Teddy myself - it's a good bonding experience for our whole family. Usually my hubby and I take him together. Team work!

They also have a professional groomer on staff (Nicole) and some great retail supplies if you're in need of a new collar, or squeak toy or food (we got an awesome brush there!), and after every bath your pup gets a treat. So nice!!

Katya, the owner, and top dog washer, LOVES dogs and often brings her own pups to the shop. It's a great place!!

Now when we're out in the Fraser Valley we go to PawFection Pet Tubs in Chilliwack. One of the owners, Kim, absolutely ADORES animals and they have a similar set up where you can wash your dog yourself with all of the needed supplies right there and waiting for you. Plus a boutique (we got Ted's car seatbelt there-safety first!), full grooming services and they even sell the cool dog tubs....if only I had room in my house. And, like most pet places, Kim's pup Chrissy Snow is the resident 4-legged furry friend who will greet you at the shop. That's her in the photo - she was in a charity doggy fashion show for the Home Show and carried by Lynn Spence of CityLine fame. So cute!

Gold Diggers!!

Can you say Heather Mills? Oh don't get me started on her....she's crazy! And, why won't she just go away and take care of her daughter and live in peace with her not deserved $49-Million Dollars. Oh right, I'm not going to get started....

The reason I bring up Gold Diggers is to say hello to all the Mountain FM listeners who are Gold Diggers and welcome to my blog! I had the flu for 3 weeks in March and while I was at home sick on the couch Mike set me up with this blog. It's fun! I get to write about whatever I want and I try to keep it on happy topics, but really, I should have called it Rebecca's Random Reality, that pretty much explains it. Just snippets of my life or what I'm thinking about.

Mikey, Teddy and I are missing everybody in Sea 2 Sky but we're not far. In fact, I still listen to Mountain FM especially Robbee Dobbie Doo in the mornings - I think that should be his official on-air name from now on, don't you? He's doing a great job and we're very proud of him.

Ok at this point I'm sure you're thinking...'ok enough blogging Rebecca, we're here for the Bonus Code' so I won't make you wait any longer. The Bonus Code is the name of our dog and I've mentioned his name in this post...and if you're not sure, my husband is Mike. Good luck! And hey, feel free to drop me a line or say hi - just click on Comments below.

Take care and I hope you're well!
Rebecca
(former Mountain FM Announcer)

Why wear a purple bracelet?

Plastic bracelets have been all the rage over the past few years and so many different groups have them in many different colours to support different causes. Of course there was the Lance Armstrong yellow bracelet and the pink Breast Cancer bracelet and so many others. I actually didn't wear one until I discovered the Purple Bracelet. Why do I choose to wear this one? Well, studies have shown that positive people are healthier, live longer and have a better sense of well-being, they're happier people. And in a world right now that is so full of hate and destruction and terror and sadness and pain (ok I know it's not all bad but there is a lot of yuckiness in the world right now) I really wanted to be a positive part of the world, not negative. Besides, nobody wants to be around a negative person, who needs it?! So, to do my part, and to remind me to continue to try to do my part, I got a purple Positively Speaking bracelet. You can get them online by donation to charity. It's actually a bit of a difficult challenge but basically you wear the purple bracelet to remind you to speak positively for 21 days straight. And when you mess up (I messed up within a few hours on day 1) you swap it to the other wrist....and keep going til you've reached 21 days. Why 21 days? Well that's how long it takes to form a new habit and speaking positively all the time isn't as easy as it seems. I've always tried to be a good person, a kind, loving and caring person but what comes out of my mouth doesn't always exemplify that attempt. We all have things in life that frustrate us and sometimes we get down on things, or bitch about things, yet complaining isn't speaking positively now is it? The bracelet reminds us to try to think before we open our mouth and try to look at the bright side, and find a way to be more democratic and to not add any more negativity to the situation. Oh and gossip is the worst! Everybody wants to know everybody's business and it's so easy to slip into a gossipy conversation, but, gossip isn't healthy and we all know that. So, with the bracelet, when I'm tempted to open my mouth, I try to pause and either get out of the conversation or I try to say something nice. Remember what Mom always used to say..."If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all!" And whadaya know, it'll make you feel good about yourself as well! I have to admit I haven't reached 21 days yet but I'm trying.

To Blog is to Heal??

Ok so this is interesting. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that 'writing' can alleviate some of the physical symptoms of disease. The study, led by Joshua M. Smyth, professor of psychology at North Dakota State University in Fargo, was centred on 112 men and women with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. One group of patients was asked to write about the most stressful event in their lives, while a control group was asked to write about emotionally neutral topics for 20 minutes on three consecutive days.

At the four-month checkup it was discovered that asthma patients in the experimental group showed improvements of 19 per cent in lung function, while the control group experienced no change. Rheumatoid arthritis patients in the experimental group showed a reduction in disease severity of 28 per cent, compared to no change in the control group. Overall, 47 per cent of the experimental patients had what Smyth describes as a clinically relevant improvement in symptoms. Now he's trying to determine why patients were helped by writing, and speculates that writing about traumatic events may have helped patients to finally deal with and accept tragedies that had been causing stress and sleeplessness. By altering the physiological stress patterns in their bodies, their health improved.

Ok, makes sense and that's great news for bloggers. Not only am I having fun blogging, I'm creating a positive effect on my well-being. To blog is to heal. I wonder if people with psychological issues are more drawn to blogging than mentally healthy people. Hmmm....

How to get Happy?

While not all of my posts are happy ones, yet the name of my blog is 'Rebecca's Happy Blog', I will strive to make it happy when I can. So how do we achieve being happy? I know I've strived for 'it' in all the wrong ways, but, have learned from those experiences, so that's positive. An American psychologist and author, Dan Baker, wrote a book called 'What Happy People Know' and he claims he's found the 6 key tools for people to use to find their own 'happy'. Because if there's one thing I've learned, only you can make yourself happy. You can't rely on others. It's up to you.

These 6 tools to happiness are tools which can help us avoid what he calls the four ‘happiness traps’. The traps are: the ‘Trying-to-Buy-Happiness Trap’, the ‘Trying-to-find-Happiness-Through-Pleasure Trap’, the ‘Trying-to-Find-Happiness-by-overcoming Weaknesses Trap’, and the ‘Trying-to-Force-Happiness Trap’. Yep, I've visited those traps before. They seem pretty self-explanatory and one can understand how one can get caught, but what are the 6 tools to avoid them and find authentic happiness? How do we achieve being happy? Well, here we go...according to Dan Baker:

- Appreciation: The outward-bound kind of love which gives everything and asks for nothing, making it pure and strong.
- Choice: Having no choices leads inexorably towards depression and anxiety. Baker says that “anyone can choose the course of their lives, but only happy people do it”.
- Personal Power: A proactive force which gives the individual power over their feelings and their fate. It is made up of two constitutent parts: taking action and taking responsibility.
- Leading with your strengths: Focusing on strengths, rather than retreating into focusing on weaknesses, enables a swifter solving (and resolving) of situations.
- The power of language: Language can be used in a healthy or horrible way, and words have immense power to constrain or to liberate.
- Multidimensional Living: Putting equal energy into the three main components of life (relationships, health, and purpose) is the final key to living a truly happy life.

These are all pretty straight forward, no big surprise, but totally make sense and are worth remembering. Nobody said life would be easy...here's hoping it is most of the time, but we are the creators of our own destiny and we do have the capability of being really happy, so if you're not quite there, hopefully these 6 tools will help. Here's to happiness!