Last weekend I got to knock another item off my life list. Looking back, I notice that my last life list item was done almost a year ago. That's really pathetic. Note taken to do more of this stuff. 

Anyway, so last weekend we ziplined! And not just any zipline, the fastest zipline in North America! Canada Olympic Park here in Calgary has a 500m long zipline, where you can achieve speeds between 120 and 140 km per hour. My friend offered us the opportunity to report on a few great things to do around Calgary, and this was one of them. If I wasn't being motivated by external forces, I'm not sure I would have done this. The morning before we went, I stayed in bed as long as possible, to prevent myself thinking about it. It didn't work, I had bad dreams about it instead.

On the way to the hill, I watched this video, knowing that Jann Arden would help to soothe my nerves.



Jann is my inspiration.

So we got suited up, and you have a little lesson on a short track to practise the flying and braking. That turned out to be not so bad, and helped me to feel better about the whole thing. Then you get in a van, and you drive to the top of the hill.

And then you take an elevator to the top of the ski jump tower, and area greeted with this view.

Really incredible. Scary, but incredible.

You climb down those stairs, and your harness is attached to the cable. You are basically sitting in a suspended sling that you zipline in. My biggest fear about the whole thing was actually jumping off. I kept envisioning this great drop off that you would have to jump off to get started. In actuality, you are suspended from the track, and then they pull the platform out from under you. Then they flip a lever and you are off. You just sit back and wait for the countdown.

And it was incredible. The first bit is the worst as it's the steepest part, and I could barely catch my breath. But then it evens out, and it's an amazing ride to the bottom of the hill. And while that view from the top looks intimidating, you are never that far from the ground, as the line follows the slope of the hill. All in all, it was a way better experience than I was expecting, and I would certainly do it again.

If you are interested, all the information for the COP Zipline can be found here. COP also offers summer rides down the bobsled track, as well as other great activities like wall climbing and mountain bike trails.

Thanks to my friend Alex for making it all happen.

Any down time this long weekend has been spent listening to Real Estate. Perfect for long, warm summer days.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran my first half marathon.

I don't really define myself as a runner. A few years ago I was running weekly with a women's group, and I raced a few 5 km's. I had no desire to go farther distances and that was it. Then last fall I decided to get back into running on the paths, as a weekly part of my exercise routine. One weekend I just kept running and ran about 12kms. I wasn't training for anything, or following any program. I was just running in 10-1 intervals, 10 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking. And that 12 km didn't seem that hard to me. And it occurred to me that a half marathon was about double that distance, and that didn't seem too bad either.

So I signed up for the Scotiabank Half Marathon for the end of May. It was a goal to keep me motivated to keep running. Initially I wanted to run it in about 2 1/2 hours. I'm not into speed, I just wanted to finish, and have a good time doing it.

Lots of people have asked me how I did it. How can you run for over 2 hours? How can you not get bored? And here's the thing. You have to run for yourself. And running offers a few things for me. It offers me solitude and therapy. Getting away and just pounding the pavement for a bit. Being alone with your thoughts and figuring stuff out. Working out frustration. The other thing that's really important to me with running is music. I love music. When I was commuting to work for an hour or so each day, I loved just sitting in the car and blasting my music. But now I don't have that time. Running allows me time to get reconnected with that. It's not dancing in my living room, but it's constantly moving to the beat. Reacting to the sounds. Speeding up and slowing down. It is what keeps me going.

I trained using this program that I found online. There are lots online, and many local clinics you can sign up for to, but this one seemed right to me. And it worked great. My time was 2:17:38, which I am thrilled about.

Race day was amazing. Slightly cool and overcast, which are the perfect conditions for me. The route was decent, although there was a stretch at about 15 kms that was pretty tough. By the end, I just wanted it to be over, but when I finally did finish, I felt great. I was tired for sure, but I was really proud too, not to mention the surge of adrenaline.

The jury is still out on when or if I will run another.

 I love the materiality of these Bradford Tile Tables from egg collective. Simple slabs of oiled wood with black bent wire bases. The shape options allow multiple configurations, to be used alone or in groups.

I wandered over to the Dwell Studio site the other day, in search for some new bedding options, and was happy to see that they have introduced some beautiful new things for Summer!

Dwell has a fantastic aesthetic, but what I love about this collection is the new mix of materials and finishes combined with their signature clean, modern style. Crewel work, shagreen, lacquer, brass, and glass. What's not to love?

And again, the bedding collection is superb. That hand drawn scalloped design will be perfect for my new bedroom, now that a sectional is no longer dominating the room. And that fat grey stripe! Might buy these to go in the guest bedroom. Just because.

Music Monday: Beach House has a new album out! With a beautiful debut single.

Isn't this lamp beautiful?

It's a DIY project from the Weekday Carnival blog. Simple brass piping bent to create the form. I'm such a big fan of simple materials used in a simple, yet sublime way. This is perfection.