#YEG Essay in Avenue Magazine

 A Central-Canadian gal learns to love Edmonton

I have a confession to make. Back in 2008, when my husband and I had just  finished our degrees and the world economy was in a downward spin, he was offered a job. Good news. Great, even. But — and it’s tough to admit — this central-Canadian girl swallowed hard when she heard it would mean moving to Edmonton. Edmonchuck. Deadmonton.

They are unfortunate nicknames that don’t fit the city I now know, love and, yes, champion (pun intended) to people around the world.

So it might be the most northerly metropolis in North America, but it’s certainly not a Siberian gulag or sleepy backwater. In fact, Edmonton combines the best of the  different places I’ve lived, creating a wonderful geographic fusion.

It’s the same size and feel as Ottawa — my childhood home — with its abundant parks, government workers, and festivals. But it’s also a little libertarian like Wyoming, where I hung my hat for two years.

There are times I swear I’m back in Dawson City, Yukon, where I spent half a winter writing in Pierre Berton’s childhood home. It’s especially strong when I’m walking my dog through the snowy back alleys of Mill Woods and smell a wood fire, or happen to catch a glimpse of the northern lights, while hanging out in a backyard hot tub.

And if I squint just right looking at Whyte Avenue, I’m back at university in Montreal. On a rainy fall afternoon, I could easily be in the Kerrisdale or Kitsilano neighbourhoods of Vancouver.

Edmonton also indulges my international tastes. Missing France? I head to Duchess Bake Shop. And I promise you won’t find better butter chicken in Leeds than at one of our great Indian restaurants.

After two years of enjoying all this city has to offer, I have a new nickname for it: Home.

Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail is the author of For the Love of Flying. She is currently working on two books, Polar Winds: A Century of Flying Canada’s North (forthcoming from Frontenac House), and a Second World War-era novel, Chasing Skies. She is a member of Avenue’s Top 40 Under 40, class of 2012.

(Published in Avenue Magazine, February 2013. The lovely illustration is by Byron Eggenschwiler )

Happy Holidays!

And now the making of that photo…

Getting the antlers on the dog and getting him in position was pretty easy. He takes direction well, especially when there are treats involved.

Wrestling the cat into the Santa suit was a different story. And getting him into the “sleigh” was nearly impossible…the dog is getting anxious now!

This photo almost could have worked, except it’s blurry, and the “reindeer” is looking pretty emotionally battered by “santa.”

Finally the photographer comes to the rescue, holding the cat “just so” so we’ll be able to digitally insert him into a photo with the dog. And voila! A Christmas miracle shot after 15 minutes of painting an old drawer, an accidental discovery of a pet santa suit at Homesense, and a bag of pet treats! (Oh yeah, and Photoshop)

From Princess to Coupon Clipper

There are a fascinating array of reality shows out there dealing with the vagaries of personal finance. My favourites so far include Gail Vaz-Oxlade as quirky yet hard-ass host of Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess (still haven’t been able to catch the TDDUP Home Edition on HGTV since I gave up cable, though! Gail, are you proud??).

Working Out with What You’ve Got

I was still active but frequent travels and home reno projects got in the way. Then I went to Dawson, Yukon for the Berton House Retreat and my scheduled exercise slipped further in the freezing cold and dark. I didn’t exactly gain the ‘Dawson Dozen’ but when I got home I was ready to regain my former self. Problem was, I didn’t want to lock into a 2-year contract, pay high dues, or deal with schmarmy gym-goers checking out their biceps in the mirror. The local rec centre and I didn’t gel either, especially for about $60/month. It was time to work out with what I had and become my own personal trainer.

Here are some tips on designing your own low-cost weight-loss/training plan:

1. Assess your starting point and goals. The Mayo Clinic has a good Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator and Sparkpeople.com has a lot of free tools for tracking fitness, food, and progress. Prevention and Fitness magazines often have sane one-month plans for kick-starting your new regime. If you do some research and put in a few minutes a day, you can be your own coach.

2. Do inventory on your equipment. Do you have a treadmill hiding under a pile of ironing? Or fitness DVDs? Or a sidewalk clear of snow? There’s your cardio. (I would recommend a heart-rate monitor to make sure you’re pushing yourself hard enough!). Do you have a resistance band? Free weights? A floor? Then you can do strength training.

3. Make a 28-day plan. Studies show for a habit to take hold, 28 days can be the magic number. I have a whiteboard where I write down my plan for the month and then cross off the days. It’s a great way to schedule your fitness, stay accountable, and track your progress.

4. Once those 28 days are done, though, switch it up so your body doesn’t have a chance to get complacent. February I was doing a circuit using a fitness ball. March it was freeweights. Now I’m using a resistance band (check out the March 2011 issue of Chatelaine for a great workout). When something starts to get easy, increase the weight, reps, or sets.

5. Find your motivators and reward yourself often. I get to watch t.v. when I’m on the bike -http://www.ctv.ca/ and http://www.slice.ca/ have full-length, live-streaming episodes of dozens of shows for free. I just hook my laptop up to the tv with an HDMI cable, and I’m good to go!

Healthy Pantry Living

In O Magazine’s February 2011 issue I saw an article about combatting pantry clutter, so when I realized I was bumping up against the limit of my monthly food budget I decided to set myself a challenge: create meals for four days based solely on what was in my pantry, fridge, and freezer.

• Monday: grilled chicken with couscous, chickpeas and carrots
• Tuesday: Sweet Pea Fried Rice
• Wednesday: grilled leeks and chicken with an apple/carrot/cabbage coleslaw with light vinaigrette
• Thursday: Red Curry and Peanut Noodles

Then of course there’s breakfasts and snacks, and since I love to bake there’s usually a pretty decent stash of supplies on hand:

• Granola bars (will be saving on all those preservatives and packaging!)
• Strawberry-Banana Smoothies
• Apple Pie Muffins (a specialty of mine for years)

Expanding Horizons

I’ve been a little quiet on the blogging front since my return from the Yukon, which I blame mostly on all the shovelling I had to do last month. According to my Edmontonian friends and colleagues, it is definitely one of the snowiest winters in living history.

Snowpocalypse 2: Return of the Blizzard

This week has seen a steady stream of cold temps (by southern Canadian standards, my Yukon friends keep reminding me) and snow. For the most part it’s just been a few centimetre here and there, then yesterday it decided to dump on us. Again.

This morning I woke up to at least another 10 cm and the snow is still falling. As the one who works from home, the shovelling has largely fallen to me (except for Saturday when Doug did it and a snowblower-bearing neighbour came to help him. Lucky!). The shovelling has become particularly onerous since I now have to propel it over four-foot high embankments, or carry it several feet in either direction to dump. We’re simply running out of room!

So far the roof is holding, but much more and rooftop snow removal companies are going to be in major demand around the city. If they can reach the houses, that is: our cul-de-sac still hasn’t been plowed since the initial storm, making it nearly impossible for anything but the most rugged of SUVs and pickup trucks. The Mini Cooper has certainly been garage-bound for the week…

Now we come to a great Canadian game called “name that snowdrift!” If you can tell what’s under those blobs of snow by Riker in the photos below you will win the grand prize – a trip to Cuba via the U.S. of A.*

*This is obviously a joke… but I’d still love to know what you think is buried under all that snow!

Snowpocalypse 2011: Edmonton Edition

On Friday afternoon the snow started falling… and falling… and falling…

By Saturday morning there was a good 20 cm of fresh powder. Even though motorists were advised to stay off the roads, they didn’t look that bad in our area yet and so we piled the dog into the Honda Element (with snow tires) and headed for a hearty breakfast at Cora’s. Then off to the dog park with our snowshoes.

We certainly weren’t the only ones braving the snow and Riker had a good romp with some other dogs. As you can see above, the snow was already skimming the bottom of the park bench, and the storm was only half over!

Yesterday we didn’t attempt to take the vehicle out, and on our walks with Riker we strapped on our snowshoes at the end of the laneway!

Riker is just loving all this snow (he dives into drifts and banks head first) and we like how much the chest-high powder tires him out.

The city is slowly digging itself out this morning, but for some, rescue might not come until spring. Yes, that is a small pickup truck facing the sedan…

The big hit is done, but the weather network promises a few more flurries in the coming days even as the temperature plummets and the wind picks up. I feel pretty lucky, though – working from home I don’t have to battle the roads and I’m still acclimatized to the cold from my time up north…

Berton House thermometer during December cold snap

Jasper Photo Diary

Friday, September 10th:

Left Edmonton at 7:30am. Hit some construction on the Henday and missed my turn. After a short detour back on the road. Stop in Edson for Tim Horton’s breakfast sandwich combo.

Doug at trailhead. Used Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies hiking guide to choose Trip #123: Beaver, Summit and Jacques Lake. It had a very good shoulder-season rating, promised to be easy, and wasn’t too far away from where we’d be staying.

Me chilling at Beaver Lake after an easy 2km walk on a well-groomed trail. These boats were locked up, but apparently you can rent them and hang out on the lake.

A bird – a female Spruce Grouse, I think – Doug almost stepped on it was so well camouflaged. Could also throw it’s voice – we heard a call but thought it was up in the trees someplace!

Another few kilometers and we reached the First Summit Lake.

Judging by these animal prints (my guess is moose) we weren’t the first. Also saw quite a bit of bear scat on the trails but the only aggressive creature we encountered was an irate red squirrel.

After our hike we headed to our accommodations for the weekend – the rustic but luxurious Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (think of the most expensive log cabin you’ve ever stayed in). But, for those who read my last post, you’ll know I got the whole weekend romance package for $495 on Kijiji!

When we arrived at our Junior Lakeview Suite the wine and cheese welcome was on the table. And I have to say, the Mission Hill-Sonora Ranch Cabernet Shiraz was just to my taste (I let Doug have some too)!

For dinner we headed into town to the Jasper Brewing Co. and I was a little disappointed by their beers. Doug got the sampler and we agreed that compared with Brewster’s, Granville Island, and many of the other microbreweries we’ve fallen in love with, they just didn’t measure up. The food was great, though, and Doug’s fish n’ chips were served in a bucket, which was awesome. My yam fries and salmon on ciabatta were pretty darn tasty too!

Saturday, September 11th:

Back into town for breakfast at the Bear’s Paw Bakery. We each had one of their world-famous sticky cinnamon buns and an Americano. Can’t wait to go back to try their muffins, and scones, and cookies, and…

Doug went off to play a rugby game in Edson and I went for a hike around Lac Beavert (aptly named for its pretty blue-green water) to wear off breakfast. Chatted with the other folks I encountered on the trail, including a European woman who was ‘shore support’ for her scuba-diving husband in lake, and lots of Brits.

Nearing home I crossed paths with another woman and said cheerfully, “Looks like we’re going to get some sun after all!” I guess my guttural Canadian English and Germanic looks threw her because she responded in a thick ‘Souf London’ accent: “It’s Guten Tag, itn’t it?” “Yah,” I said, and kept walking.

Doug got back in one piece and we went for our Fairmont dinner at the Moose’s Nook Northern Grill. Great service, amazing food, and with my kijiji deal the price was right. Appetizers: scallops with ancho pepper and caviar. Entrees: Beef Tenderloin with potato/lobster risotto and mushroom/asiago ravioli. But the desserts were the standouts: barrista sampler (espresso ice cream, mille feuille, and creme brulee), chocolate-dipped strawberries, and the caramelized banana martini (heaven!).

Sunday, September 12th:

The next morning we had our final part of the romance package: breakfast in our room. I never thought I’d be able to eat again after the night before, but when that brioche French toast arrived with vanilla-scented whipped cream and Saskatoon berry compote, I gave in. And Doug’s west-coast eggs benny (smoked salmon on a crab/chive/potato cake) wasn’t bad either!

We’d intended to do a hike on our way back Edmonton but it was pouring rain… so we made a beeline for home, picked up the dog, and had a nap.

Adventures in Kijiji-land

Where can you buy a piece of art for $3 and a bag of buttons? Or sell an ugly pink chair for $5 and a loaf of bread? Or trade your book for a toilet? Kijiji!

Those are just a couple examples of my local online transactions this summer. In fact, some have even called me the Kijiji Queen (or in less-nice times, the Kijiji Nut). Here are some things I’ve learned:

1. As at thrift stores, garage sales, and Walmart, there are ridiculous people on Kijiji. I had one woman who wanted to buy a $5 bookshelf from me. After a flurry of emails getting dimensions and bargaining down the price (which I did because she ran an animal rescue program) she had the gall to ask me to drive it all the way to the other side of town because she didn’t drive and her boyfriend was very busy. I still haven’t figured out how to vote people off the K-island, but she’s first on my list…

2. There are serious buyers and casual trollers. To show you’re serious, include your phone number, that you will come pick it up, and what you’re willing to pay. If you really want it, pay full price or offer more – in cash. That’s how I got a $1500+ value Jasper getaway package for $495. My competition was offering to trade a Brick’s gift card and some beer… but that won’t pay the expensive divorce lawyers!

3. There are people on Kijiji called Tiger, Candi, and worse. I’m not kidding.

4. You can start your art collection for $10 if you cruise the site regularly and are willing to drive half an hour.

5. If you’re like me and hate cigarette smoke, you should always ask if the item is coming from a smoke-free home. I have walked into places that had obviously been hot-boxed for years. But if the deal’s good enough and the items don’t hold the smell – like my bamboo room dividers and bar fride – then you may have to make a judgement call.

6. A coat of paint – whether low VOC latex or toxic spraypaint – can transform anything. Hence my $10 oak night stand turned printer stand; my $40 bed frame; and my $20 t.v. stand.

7. Use the map function and target the nicer neighbourhoods in your city. That’s where you get your discounted Pier 1 items because the domestic diva likes to shop a little too much. Or where you get a patio set because they only really use one of their balconies and don’t need their second set. Or where you get the great gift cards that were freebies at the last Porsche event.

8. Before you buy anything at Ikea check Kijiji. Chances are a student or young professional purchased that exact piece you wanted 8 months ago and needs to find it a new home.

9. I have found the best time to post items is around 10am on a Thursday. I don’t know why, but I suspect it has something to do with at-work cruisers who are winding down for the week and looking to pick things up over the weekend.

10. The best time to get good deals seems to be earlier in the day, earlier in the week. So grab your coffee Monday morning and get ready to peruse the new ads!

I’m still not sure if I should eat that loaf of bread Crazy Candi gave me in exchange for the chair, but I know that my house would be a lot more empty – as would my bank account – if it weren’t for my adventures in Kijiji-land!