Top 5! And bottom 5. And a few videos!

As I expressed in one of last week's posts, I love lists. I make lists for EVERYTHING. I make lists for grocery shopping. I make lists for things I want to get done. I make lists for fun things to do afterwards. I make lists of movies I like and want to watch again. My life is filled with sticky notes in assorted colors, both digital and real, telling me what to do and what to watch and what to eat.

So tonight, another list. A list of the little things.

I find that people, and places, and things, are in the little things. The way the light comes over the shower curtain in the outdoor shower at summer camp. The inexplicable giant machine screw that sat, untouched, in my work parking lot for MONTHS until I gave it a home. It's these tiny peculiarities in people that make you smile unexpectedly - because only she ties her scarf that way, wraps her hair in a ponytail with that particular hand movement, wraps the cheese that way before she puts it in the fridge.

So here is a list: My top 5 little things that make me happy.

And my top five little things that toast my cookies.

Since I want to end on a positive note, let's start with the bad things.

5) Thank you cards. They're a nice gesture. I get it. But they're SUCH A WASTE of time, money, and paper. Just text me. Send me an email. Or don't thank me at all. Whatever. But don't give me a pretty card that I feel obligated to keep for like 3 months, on an awkward windowsill, knocking it over all the time.

 4) When you're trying to jaywalk, and someone slows down and makes you make your move before you're ready. You know - you've just run to the center divider, and now this guy in an X-Terra just STOPS. I'm like "Hey BUDDY. Keep it going. I got this." For some reason, I find this extremely irritating. Just keep moving. I can take care of myself.

3) When movie theater toilets don't flush themselves. I consider myself pretty self aware, and I can see all the non-problems that we create for ourselves in a first world life. But for some reason, my knee jerk reaction to non-automatic toilet  seats in the cinema make me roll my eyes. Like, "get it together, guys." I ALWAYS catch myself and laugh, but for some reason - it ruins my life for about 1.5 seconds.

2) When dogs make eye contact when they're going to the bathroom. I know you're pooping. Why are you trying to bond with me in this moment?

1) Urine sample cups. They are so CLEARLY designed for male anatomy, and COMPLETELY incompatible with female anatomy. Thank you, patriarchy, for making me pee all over my hand.

And now, for my top 5:

5) High quality receipt paper. Our local cinema has amazing receipt paper. Sometimes, during the movie, I stroke my receipt with my thumb. For a long time. It is glossy and thick. Don't judge me.

4) Free refills. I will never get over free refills.

3) Birds running. Something about it bring joy to my heart. Just seeing these majestic, flying creatures, running on their stupid, tiny legs. It makes my day.

2) Free samples. Even if I don't like it. Even if it's the worst thing ever. I love free samples. That toxic energy drink? Sure, I'll try a free sample! That TERRIBLE biscotti that tastes like almonds crawled inside a cup of tea and rotted? Why not!

1) Sonic Ice. For the americans reading this, you know what I mean - that soft, perfect-every-time ice that comes in Sonic beverages. It is the stuff of dreams. Canada is seriously lacking in epic ice.

And there it is!

So tell me - what are the little things that make or break your day?

Top 10 things that make Canada weird

I've always felt that lists were very inspiring. You may find them clinical and boring, but guess what? This is MY blog. We do what I want here. So I'm going to make a list. Deal with it.

Top 10 things that make Canada weird. (To an American).

10) Everyone is too friendly. Like, you're at a mental institution friendly. Maybe all of Canada is just one mental institution…..Maybe we're all truly just shuffling around in our bathrobes….. we're like Australia to the brits, but instead of exporting the criminals, they exported the crazies….  Come to think of it, most Canadians I've met have been annoyingly positive. The kind of people that makes you want to kick them in the shin, just so you can prove that not everything is sunshine and unicorns.

This guy's probably Canadian. Look at that silly bathrobe.

9) How expensive things are. I get it - your dollar used to be not worth as much. But guess what? It's almost the same as the US dollar now? So WHY are you paying $7 for a gallon of milk?


8) How acceptable sleeveless shirts are on guys. Don't get me wrong- sun's out, guns out. I'm all for it. But why, on a COLD day, do canadian men bear their blindingly white arms for all to see? I'm at a loss.

7) How incredibly hard it is to come here as an American.

Didn't it used to be easy? What happened to those good old days? Seriously.

6) RCMP uniforms. Nuff said.

5) Maple flavored EVERYTHING. Don't get me wrong - maple doughnuts are the best doughnuts. If you think differently you're wrong. And I enjoy the maple flavored treats. But WHY? Why is it on your flag? If I understand correctly, your main exports are lumber and things you import to Vancouver cheaper than Long Beach and then ship south to the US of A, so…… why?

Don't believe me? Visit Everthing Maple. It's a real site.

4) No one sings the national anthem with pride. In the US, when we're asked to sing our anthem, there is a pretty respectable howling that comes out of the crowd. We may be overweight, gun-slinging crazies, but we will sing the HECK out of our national anthem. I went to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's musical ride last year, (yes. That is a thing.) which not only sounds, but truly is the most Canadian thing out there, and NO ONE SANG.

I was in shock.

And that brings me to my next thing.

3) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's musical ride.

Basically, the Police in Canada have a fancy horse riding show. It's important, and coveted, and you can, like, meet the riders and their horses afterwards. These people are mini-celebrities.

It's weird.

Here is a video of what it is all about:

Yeah. It's a thing.

2) Calling the letter "Z" "zede". If you're speaking french, than COOL. Otherwise, WTF?

1) Poutine.

For those of you that don't know what Poutine is, here is a description from Wikipedia (yes, I know Wikipedia isn't a source, but this isn't a peer edited paper, and I do what I want.):

Poutine is a common Canadian dish, originating in Quebec, made with french fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds.

Sounds good, right?

WRONG!

YUM! Congealed color of a "light brown" color and unknown flavor on soggy fries!

First of all, I'm all for putting things on french fries - for example, carne asada and guacamole!

However, a gravy that is described by a COLOR and not a FLAVOR are not a good option. Gravy shouldn't be "light brown", it should be "chicken", "pork", or "beef".

And then - cheese curds. Or as I like to call them, cheese cruds. They're basically the humiliated part of the cheese. Just let them die in peace.

And the best part? Canadians are so proud of it they want to make in their national dish.

Why I Yoga

Hello! To one and all.

This morning, I skyped with my family, who are on vacation in Mammoth. They've been posting pictures on Facebook of things like the view from the cabin:

And the pictures of the bear they saw:

And as jealous as I am, I guess I can't be jealous, because I've been places that look like this:

And this:

For the past year and a half.

But as soon as I saw the pictures, my first thought was "I could totally do yoga RIGHT THERE."

This morning, on Skype, my Dad and I were sarcastically jarring away at each other as my sister, Becca, did yoga in the room.

Now, I don't want to pretend to know all the reasons my sister does yoga, but I can tell you something about why I do yoga.

And it might tie into the way Pettit women think.

See, we have some pretty intense brains. I've been told for YEARS that I talk too much. My friend Anna put it perfectly. She said that while most people who talk a lot say EVERYTHING that comes to their brain, I only say a portion - I just think faster and more than most other people.

Now, that may sound like bragging. But let me assure you - its not a good thing.

I have a brain that, in the middle of an oral exam, yells "HOW MUCH IS YOUR RENT AND HOW MUCH DOES IT TAKE OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CHECK YOUR BANK ACCOUNT RIGHT NOW."

A brain that conveniently screams at the pool "REMEMBER THAT ONE TIME YOUR BATHING SUIT TOP SLIPPED WELL IT WILL HAPPEN EVERY TIME FROM NOW ON. CHECK CONSTANTLY AND DON'T READ YOUR BOOK."

A brain that, even when I am working out, goes "YOU SHOULD SEND AN EMAIL OR A FACEBOOK MESSAGE TO THAT LOST FRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL WHO PRETTY MUCH WROTE YOU OFF TO YOUR FACE AS YOU FED HER CHILD BANANAS IN THE CAR."

Yeah. It gets loud in my head sometimes.

And it is a struggle. A struggle to not judge activities based on their monetary value, as my brain is constantly calculating ways to save money. Or to focus on watching a show when if I just check one more time, that email would have come.

So while I do love to sweat, and stretch, and everything else, I do yoga because it is an exercise that makes me calm my mind. An exercise that tells you to FOCUS on the present, and feel where your breath is going, and open spaces in your body. To soften this, to strengthen that, to rotate this, or lift that.

I do yoga because it is one of the FEW things that demands my full, undivided attention.

That and my adorable puppy, Jewels.

I Actually Sleep Now

Oh, dear friends.

If you know me, you know that I don't sleep.

Like, at all.

I have seen a LOT of movies, and developed a lot of "quiet hobbies". (Sewing, knitting, crocheting, online shopping, etc.)

And I think a lot of factors have made it so that I haven't slept very well.

So many things.

But guess what?

Now, I sleep. And I can honestly say it's because of one product.

And I never get sick. And I feel energetic and healthy and can focus. And all without caffeine.

It's Kyani.

Norman's aunt told us about it, and I started looking into it, not expecting much.

BUT OH MY GOSH.

I've never felt better.

Seriously. I'm sold on this.

If you want a sample, let me know.

That is all, friends.

Trenches

You never know how big someone's yard is until you have to dig a neat and orderly trench across it.

NORMAN'S YARD IS LONG.

I have spent the majority of the past two days cutting squares of grass, removing them, and digging knee deep into the dirt. Today, the plumbing and electrical pipes were laid. And then we filled the damn hole back up. Ugh.

But we did it.

And as a reward? Tonight we went golfing! And I are girl who are getting much better at golf.

Also, I just watched the BBC version of "Little Dorrit".

8 HOURS LONG.

That is all.

Moving Backwards

Let me tell you a little story.

When I was 17, I graduated high school.

When I was barely 21, I learned my second language.

When I was barely 22, I learned my third.

By my 25th birthday, I had traveled to: Czech Republic, Italy, Armenia, Mexico, Thailand, and all sorts of small western towns.

I have had a job or occupation since I was 16 years old. With almost no breaks.

I'm moving backwards, people.

I now live in a place called the Sunshine Coast (seriously. It's a real place.), and I sleep as late as I want. I help out around the house, but basically am an unemployed sloth of a human.

And you know what? I'm happy. I always thought some external form of validation is what has kept me sane. People thinking I'm good at something, finishing tasks, etc. And I do plenty of that here (Dishwasher? LOADED!) Turns out, I just need to feel free to be happy. Before, that consisted of supporting myself so I could do the things I wanted. Now, it means doing 2 hours of yard work and thinking "I'm such a hard worker" and then going sailing. Or golfing. Or swimming.

Yeah. My life is really, really hard.

Also, I will post sailing pictures soon.

On Perspective

So. As many of you know, I have been living out of the country since october of last year. I spent the first 3 months in the Dominican Republic, and the next 3 in Gibsons, British Columbia. It has been amazing - I have learned so much about myself, and what I believe, and what I value and want for the rest of my life. I finally figured out what "living the dream" means for me (read: being able to change your dream whenever you want).

Now; living out of the country has had some distinct advantages, especially in regards to politics and the way the rest of the world views America.

And to them, most of us look like this:

This man, unfortunately, is pretty typical.

Or this:

Don't take my bacon donuts!

And the longer I have been out of the country, the more I understand why.

Now, this is not a post about how America is the worst, or how I wish I weren't one. But all growing up, I thought I lived in the best country in the world. The country that offers the freedoms craved by many and offered by few. That here, "radicals" of our age can find solace, just as the "radicals" of 1776  found it.

I was under the understanding that we treasured the tenets on which our government was founded - that "men have certain unalienable rights".

And that those are "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

That we believed that "all men are created equal".

I even thought that we still believed those things.

And since I've been out of the country, I've seen certain issues raise pertinent and pressing questions regarding the freedoms offered and principles threatened in our country. The main two?

Marriage equality and gun control.

Now, my opinions on those issues should become clear as I point out a few things; however, the purpose of this post isn't to weigh in as other folk have been doing. (Not because I think that's bad, just because.... that's not my purpose here.)

You know, having freedom of religion in 1776 was extremely radical and heretical. Maybe even as radical and heretical as letting people have other kinds of freedoms. I'm sure plenty of common, ordinary, everyday people were just as shocked and outraged at the idea of it as the state heads that were preventing it in Western Europe. But we still fought for it. Because we believe that people have a god-given, unalienable right to pursue liberty and happiness. In that time, it was religious freedom and not having to house dirty soldiers for free. Today, it is something different. But all the same - why are we fighting the progress that our forefathers died for?

Now, the logic applied above may indicate that one of the major things we treasure is our right to bear arms.

No, not like that, silly Larry!

Now, here is where those two are different.

The Declaration of Independence was a document declaring, you guessed it!, independence from what the colonial dwellers deemed a tyrannical government. It is based on the idea that we (Americans) are a capable, free people and we weren't going to pay those damn taxes anymore. (Funny how it always comes down to taxes, huh?)

Then, after the war was over, the constitution was drafted. After it was finished, people were so butt-hurt about certain grievances that the Bill of Rights was added. Things like not having to quarter soldiers and not being subject to unreasonable searches and seizures. These were SPECIFIC things relevant to the events of the day that were added to protect the then paranoid and traumatized citizens.

So when people start discussions like this:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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I find the idea of protecting the paranoia of our past bizarre and completely illegitimate.

So, I have a solution. Instead of fighting certain issues, why don't we take a look at the 10th amendment to the constitution and really re-evalute if we are living in the country our forefathers wanted to create, or if something basic and elementary changed along the way.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

There is is, people. We have created these problems by letting the media focus our attentions on specific issues instead of the broad, overarching dilemma that we are facing as a country. 

So instead of voicing opinions on whether marriage equality should be permitted, or whether or not the gun laws need to change, why don't we instead voice our opinions on whether or not we want the federal government to have the power to decide those things for us?

Just and idea.