I have seen plenty of photos and advertisements of people attending Wine and Canvas events, but have never actually attended one myself …… until recently. One of my coworker’s was turning 21 and we decided to celebrate this at a Wine and Canvas event. Three of my coworkers had already had the experience and regaled me with stories of the fun and laughter to ensue. I was super excited at the prospect, especially as I love to paint, but still a little nervous about painting in front of others. We were given three colors to paint the whole picture, blue, black and white, and the instructor gave us step by step instructions, theoretically teaching us how to paint. The wine is self-serve, you get a glass at the beginning and then they brought out bottles. We started with red wine and I kept thinking this is going to look so bad, so so bad. But we persevered and things improved and I even learned some new techniques that will help with my paintings. After we finish the ocean, we start the sky. For some reason I found this part difficult, I just couldn’t seem to get the shades that I wanted. The instructor suggested I add more water and being the diligent student I am, I did. What he didn’t say was how much water……….just an FYI here – if you add to much it runs down your painting and ruins it. After recovering from the running water incident it was time to add clouds. My first cloud was absolutely horrific and I was ready to walk away and give up. I did walk away, had a lovely glass of wine, which seemed to help tone down the perfectionist in me, and then I continued to paint. The wine is an excellent idea, it helps people relax and have fun and discovered the therapeutic part of painting while ignoring (sort of) their imperfections as an artist. We added the moon and finished the highlights in the clouds, and now we were ready for the fun part - the palm trees. Everyone’s palm trees look different which makes all the paintings unique, but I think, and I am sure most will agree with me, this was the hardest part of the whole painting. A lot more wine was consumed during the painting of the palm trees . The instructor continued to go around the room, helping people to fix little things here and there, and telling them to add other stuff if they wanted to. Actually the instructor and his assistant did this the whole evening, helping people understand how to do things, explaining different techniques, but when he came to me he would say ‘Oh wow that’s amazing… so I can see you have painted before. You have this certain style to you’. I told him how I love to paint, and paint often, and he asked me if I sell my work in a gallery. I explained that I am just a college student having fun and I have no idea how to get into a gallery. He told me to look into it, to try and find somewhere that would display my work, but I’m not sure. It seems a little nerve-racking, putting your paintings on display for others to see and criticize. I paint for me, I paint what I like and how I feel, not sure how I would handle people not liking my work. All in all it was a fun evening and I am so glad I went. If you haven’t tried it, I really recommend going, you will not regret it.
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Yup…..… I really went through with it and with no training. Crazy I know and looking back I can see that, but at the time I was excited and eager to participate. The race started super early, 5 am on Sunday December 13th, and, as I lived far away, I spent the night at Yukari’s. We woke up at 4 am (ugh) and when we arrived there were soooo many people that my sleep addled brain kept telling me this was going to be like the zombie apocalypse. It was so scary having all those people around me, really close around me, and it just freaked me out to be packed together like a sardines. The start of the race is signaled by fireworks and I love fireworks. They are fascinating and beautiful and I couldn’t stop watching them. We were all running, but having all those people running around me made feel like I was in the middle of a stampede and if I didn’t start paying attention I was going to be trampled on. Every time we passed a water station I refused to stop because I just knew that if I stopped for a drink that would be it and I wouldn’t want to run anymore. For the first few miles I felt like I was dying and really didn’t want to continue. What the hell had I got myself into? Who was I kidding? What mile are we on now? I had to push myself and remind myself not to give up. Around the 10th mile there was a camera crew that was following one of the female runners and as they passed me all I could think of was ‘I hope I’m not in that video’. I looked bad, I didn’t just feel like I was dying I looked like I was dying. It seemed like every one who passed me was having an easy time, enjoying a little exercise, but not me. I was huffing and puffing, sweating, and wearing a nasty grimace on my face. You know it’s really sad, not to mention embarrassing, when 70-80 year olds are over taking you. Don’t get me wrong I am happy for them and hope to be that active when I get to their age (well at least still walking), but did they have to overtake me? While I was running I was bargaining with myself - just one more mile then you can stop - in a vain effort to keep myself going. At around mile 13 I told myself that if I walked for a little bit my body might relax some and recoup, and I would be able to finish the race. As I was walking I realized that perhaps this was not such a great plan and that there was an excellent chance that I would never (and I mean never ever) run again. I panicked and started running right away, but found I had to periodically stop and walk. I followed this process, run-walk-run, for the next few miles. The drink stations further down the course supply you with energy packs containing food and drink, and they also have cold sponges that you can use to cool yourself down as you run. When I reached Hawaii Kai I thought it was really funny that there was a line of runners who had stopped and were waiting patiently to have their pictures taken on the bridge with the run rise behind them. I also really appreciated the fact that their stopping had allowed me to catch up a little, every little thing helps. With just about 4 miles to go, I see my roommates at one of the corners there to cheer me on. It was great to have that extra encouragement, they kept yelling to keep going and that I only had 4 miles to go. Unfortunately I was literally dead by this time, I could feel my feet burning and it felt like they were bleeding. I had very little left and so, for the most part, I just walked the last 4 miles. I did throw in a short run every once in a while and when I got to the last stretch I told myself I had to run across the finish line. Easier said than done, that stretch to the finish line just seemed to be getting longer and longer. I think someone might have been moving it! At the finish line I just stopped on the red mat, I couldn’t believe that I had actually done it, I mean did I just finish a marathon? My roommates and most of the people who knew I was running the marathon had told me I wouldn’t be able to finish it……Well guess what? This girl just proved you wrong (actually this girl just proved herself wrong too). My roommates met up with me after the finish line and we found Yukari. I was feeling really nauseated afterwards and didn’t even eat any of the free food offered, which is very unlike me especially when they are giving away malasadas. We walked around for a little bit and my roommates left. Yukari and I got our free shirts and then watched me running through the finish line on the Jumbo Tron, which was hilarious. I looked completely confused. When we got back to Yukari’s I took my shoes off and my feet were swollen and painful. Actually I think they were growing even bigger as we looked at them because I couldn’t get my shoes back on. Also my toenails were coming off, not a pretty sight, especially when you consider I literally live in flip flops. I tried taping them down, but that didn’t really work. In the end I walked around for about 7 months with really ugly toes nails until they finally started to look normal again. I also couldn’t walk down any stairs without my legs giving out :! Opps 2015 Honolulu Marathon:
Bib #: 5748 Place: 13731 TIME: 6:48:45 Gender Place: 5790/10207 Two years ago we started a new family tradition, a 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I am currently studying in Hawaii and, for the first time in forever, I wasn’t able to be with my family for Thanksgiving. I really wanted to keep the family tradition going and, after some research, found a 10 mile Turkey Trot in Hawaii, run by the Honolulu Marathon Clinic in preparation for the upcoming Honolulu Marathon. As I was scheduled to run the marathon, my first ever, I thought this Turkey Trot could serve a dual purpose. My friend Yukari had told me earlier in the year that her auntie had a ticket that she didn’t intend to use this year, and she had suggested I use it and run with her. Great, a bucket list accomplishment in the making……..except I have never run more than 5 miles in my life and I completely forgot to set aside some time to train. In all honesty I really don’t like running at all and I’m not very good at it. I’m not even sure how a marathon ended up on my bucket list! Thanksgiving morning came and Yukari and I went to the starting spot where we were met by one of my roommates who had decided to run as well. We were all given a popsicle stick to write our names on and the time we expected it would take for us to finish the race. It was just an estimate, we weren’t allowed phones or watches, and the actually time would be added by a race official at the end of the race. Yukari and I wrote 2 hours and 1 hour 58 minutes respectively as our guesstimate times, and my roommate Bobby wrote 2.5 hours. I was somewhat perplexed by his estimate until he explained that he thought we were running together, waiting for each other. Normally when we run together, I am the one in the back struggling and he always has to slow down or stop until I catch up …………..so technically what he was saying was that his estimate was the time he thought it would take me to finish. Hmmmmmm - not sure how I feel about this observation @#$%! We start the race and somewhere between mile 1 and 2 the pain starts – pain all over my body – and I need to pee (not helping in slightest). How many miles do we have left? Bobby keeps asking me if I am alright, at about 5 minute intervals, and frankly I didn’t have enough oxygen for talking and running. My body hurt, I needed to pee and his estimated time irked me, brought out my competitive nature. When we started up the first hill I slowed even more, and when Bobby checked in on me again I snapped at him and told him to leave me alone! He took off after Yukari and I was left to stew in my own anger and pain. Funny thing about anger, it can REALLY motivate you. Slowly but surely I started to catch to Bobby until l finally passed him. That was the last time I saw him at the race. I kept telling myself I could do this, he wasn’t going to have to wait for me this time, I would show him and everyone who doubted me (including myself) that I could finish and without stopping. I kept pushing myself and pushing myself and before I knew it I could see Yukari ahead. I focused on Yukari, getting closer and closer, until I was running right behind her. I stayed behind her for a while until I finally realized she had no idea I was there. I came up alongside her and she freaked out, she was so shocked to see me. She told me she was on the verge of stopping until I showed up and together we motivated each other across the finish line in 2 hours and 7 minutes. It was a hot day, we got rained on, but we finished. Eat your heart out all you doubting Thomas’…… I DID IT ☺. Yukari and I waited for about an hour at the finish line for Bobby but he never showed. We decided to go have some fun – slowly, very slowly and tenderly. We went up to where they were playing music and giving out awards. We got free Lenard’s malasadas (yummy!!!!) and yes, we kept asking for more. We took photos and celebrated our accomplishment. Afterwards we went back to Yukari’s house to rest and eat sushi. Yes, I said sushi – another one of those strange traditions my family has acquired, homemade sushi for Thanksgiving. After our sushi fest we returned to my place where my other roommate, Haynes, was cooking a turkey. Bobby had already returned and we asked where he went, he said he finished the race and got tired of waiting for us so he came home. Not to worry, the turkey was great, the day was full of memorable moments and strange traditions, and I loved it. Can’t wait until next year. P.S. I kept my popsicle stick ☺
So every year, for my brother Michael’s birthday, I always try to do something that reminds me of him or something that will distract from his loss. This year I decided to go skydiving for his birthday. In our family, for your 18th birthday, you get to choose something special, one big gift, and for his, he choose skydiving. I remember watching the video and thinking how exciting it looked, but also knowing that I would be way too scared. October 27th, 2015 was Michael’s 28th birthday I wanted to do something special, something that would make me feel closer to him. It’s been 5 years since he left this earth and I decided to fly a little higher, overcome my fears, and join him in the skydiving experienceI planned the whole thing for a few days before his birthday, since I had midterms at school on his birthday and knew I couldn’t miss them. I was super excited to finally be doing it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Probably just as well I did it before my midterms . The morning of the 25th I woke up thinking that I couldn’t believe today was the day that I was finally jumping out of a plane. Something I have always dreamed of doing but could never muster up the guts to actually do. On the drive to the north shore I was super quiet, not panicking just quiet. When we got there, we had to fill in all these forms and sign our names multiple times………..now I was really start freak out! Once all the paperwork was done it seemed ages before it was our turn. We were just sitting there with nothing to do and my brain was racing. I hadn’t actually told anyone I was going skydiving, what if something bad happened? My fear of skydiving always involved something bad happening. Finally they start calling names, one by one, and of course wouldn’t you know I was the last one to be called … I couldn’t stop panicking. I was so nervous that my whole body was shaking, made it a little awkward to get all harness up. Finally everyone was ready and they start taking pictures and videos of us. Just great I look like a dear in headlights ha ha ha. We walk across the airfield towards the airplane and I can’t stop talking to the man who will be partnered with me for the skydive. I’m having an attack of verbal diarrhea, nervous verbal diarrhea, and asking question after question, no breath in between, and just genuinely freaking out. He was very patient and kept telling me he’d had people more nervous than me, so I quickly let him know how wrong he was . I also explained that I didn’t want to be the first person to jump or the last one either! Everyone starts boarding and of course we get on last – I swear he did that on purpose. I tried to sweat talk him into changing places with someone, but he wasn’t going for it. Damn! The higher we went the worse I felt. I thought I was having a panic attack, I couldn’t breath, my whole body was shaking, and I had a death grip on a rope attached to the plane. On the plus side to my position, was that fact that I could easily access the plane door and, even though I dreaded the idea, I was able to open it to video the view and see a full rainbow going up. I do remember talk of turning back due to clouds with mixed feelings, relief to be going back and angst at the thought of having to go through this again. Miraculously the clouds disappeared and we were able to continue The next thing I know someone is asking me if I am ready……… Ready, are you kidding…….No, no, no and oh hell no, I want off this ride now! My partner calmly explains that we are already up here so we might as well just jump, and anyway there’s no way he was going back down on the plane. He really wasn’t giving me much a choice and besides, the camera man, Skittles, had climbed out the window in preparation of videoing my jump or should I say push. Totally distracted by Skittles hanging out the window, all it took was a little shove and the next thing I know we were just falling. At first I had no idea what was going on and couldn’t see much for the few seconds after flipping out the plane. Once we got straightened out, I was told to put my arms out and, although I was still in shock, I started to enjoy myself. Skittles kept coming over to us and swinging us around with the camera. They were just messing around, but I was really nervous of doing something wrong and causing us to crash. Skittles was the only camera person in our group to get the full rainbow in the footage, and, on an even better note, I was in the full rainbow!!! Yes, it was a once in a life time opportunity to fall through the center of a full rainbow! Initially as we fell all my skin felt tight and wasn’t moving, but by the end of the free falling my skin was everywhere. My mouth was like in the movies where their cheeks go flying out, even though I was trying to squeeze my mouth shut. I kept feeling like my saliva was all over my face. When it was finally time to pull the parachute I was scared it wouldn’t open, but it did . I felt a slight jerk as it opened, which was super painful by the way, mainly because my harness was too tight and cutting into my legs. My partner tried to prop me up a little to relieve the pressure, but it didn’t really help . Next thing I know he starts spinning us, and that was super fun don’t get me wrong, but the whole time he was spinning us I wanted to cry because of how painful it was on my thighs. Then he had me pull the strings to make us spin. Again this was totally awesome but super painful. Landing is either on your butt or a running landing depending on the instructor. I was really hopping for the running landing, and yes that’s exactly what I got. He managed to make it to the ground standing, probably knew there was no way my body would bend to a seated position in that too tight harness Once we came to a stop I was just so excited to get out of that harness! It literally fell off me . It’s my fault it was tight, I told him to make it super tight. I thought it would make me feel safer, bypass my irrational fear of slipping right out of it, but it seemed to get tighter after we jumped. Skittles told me to keep the harness on, that’s when he realizes that I couldn’t get it back on and so then he told the man instructing me that he had it on really tight hahaha. And yes my hair was beyond crazy and I had no idea. I was sad when I got to the ground though, I really wanted to go again, even though I would probably still freak out. When I was skydiving my thoughts were of my brother and how much I miss him. I felt so close to him, doing something he did and enjoyed so much. I would have to say I would definitely do it again. I did this for you Mike! I miss you and love u <3 Happy Birthday
Homeland of MarylandMaryland is a very amazing place and i'm glad I was able to grew up there. Maryland has a lot of interesting facts that most people don't know about. I would like to tell you some of these fun and interesting facts about maryland and maybe convince to go to take a visit there. Maryland is commonly referred to as “America in Miniature” and sometimes “Little America” because it’s home to some of the widest variety of terrain from mountains and farmland to beaches and sand dunes, also enjoying all four seasons. So growing up in Baltimore where we are home of the chesapeake bay. We are very famous for our chesapeake bay blue crab with our very our old bay seasoning. We learned a fun trick for marylanders to tell if the crab is male or female. For male crabs if u flip it over it will look like washington monument while the female will look like the capitol dome, which are both located in D.C. Maryland. The Baltimore Ravens are named after Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, The Raven. The state’s claim to football fame is named after a piece of fine literature. Baltimore’s most famous brew, National Bohemian Beer (otherwise known as Natty Boh), might not be brewed in Maryland anymore, but 90 percent of its sales still go to Charm City. If you go to Maryland you will see the Natty Boh Face everywhere you go, Expectually when it comes to our sports games.Why does Natty Boh’s mustached mascot, Mr. Boh, only have one eye? There are many rumors as to why, but the most common belief is that it’s because “Gunther’s got it.” Gunther was National Bohemian’s biggest competitor after prohibition ended in the 1930s. The mascot’s missing eye is believed to be a friendly play on the rivalry between the two companies. Natty Boh is also the reason why you can pick up a six-pack of your favorite beer. Knowing that four would be too few and eight would be too much, the brewing company was the first to issue six-packs in the 1940s. As one of the most distinctive state flags in the union, the Maryland State flag is the only state flag to be based on English heraldry. The black and gold design on the quartered flag is based on the coat of arms of the Calvert family. Marylanders love their flag which is used for logos for everything from sports to schools and even on a Southwest Airlines 737. The American flag has flown continuously over the monument of Francis Scott Key’s birthplace in Keymar, Maryland since May 30, 1849.The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use. Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Fort McHenry is located in Baltimore. On the morning of August 10, 1813 residents of Saint Michaels, MD were warned of a British attack and hoisted lanterns to the masts of ships and in the tops of the trees. The height of the light caused the British to overshoot the town and this was the first known blackout. Known for its clean beaches and feral ponies, Assateague Island is visited by over 2.1 million people annually. Once serving as the capital of the United States, Annapolis was known as the “Athens of America” during the seventeenth century. The United States Naval Academy was founded in Annapolis on October 10, 1845. Hello :) My name is Tori. I am a student at Hawaii Pacific University which is located in Hawaii if you didn't know that. I am from this amazing city in Maryland known as Charm City (AKA Baltimore). With all the rioting that has happened this year some of you may think that it's a bad city with unfriendly people. When I tell people that I'm from Baltimore nobody believes me and they say I'm from the ghetto. Well yes Baltimore is a city and every city has a bad side to it. Most of the people that were rioting where people from different states and they were destroying our city. People from all over Baltimore came together to try and help the police with the rioters. They also tried spreading a rumor that our gangs where rioting too and this made it all worse. The gangs in Baltimore actually came together to help our city against the rioters. Baltimore is a beautiful city that I would highly recommend people going visit. In my family I am the youngest of five kids. We make a sandwich is you put us all together. The oldest child Meaghan and I are the wheat bread of the sandwich. In the middle are 3 boys, Michael, Jakob, and Dylan. Michael is the white cheddar cheese, Jakob is the beef since his skin tone is much darker than everyone else's, and finally Dylan is the ham because he's always joking and kidding around. You may think i'm rather weird describing my family as a sandwich but that is how we look. I am first generation in the United States and consider myself as a mutt. My mother is from England and she is British, German, Irish, Lebanese, and Welsh. My father was born and raised in Japan but moved around a lot to different countries. He is Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Belgian. My parents met in college in England and then moved to America after they graduated and got married. I have a duel citizenship to the United Kingdom and the United States and eventually what i want to do is to go to all the places listed above as well as everywhere else in the world. I love to travel and want to do what my great grandfather did and go to every country in the world. So that a little about me :) have an amazing day
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Victoria VerleysenI love traveling the world Archives
October 2016
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