Week 41: Sept 8-14

NUMBERS OF THE WEEK

I didn’t actually record any numbers this week. Well, I didn’t weigh in and I didn’t wear my Apple Watch consistently enough to have an accurate step count.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Walking all the way to work!!!

Despite not consistently wearing my watch, I am moving more. Over the summer I have been slowing extending my walk to work. Initially I walked halfway, usually to the Hydrostone and then grabbed the bus the rest of the way. Sometimes, I would do the same after work. As the weeks progressed I would walk a few bus stops further: Stadacona, Northwood, Sunrise Manor. Today when I started my walk it was one of those beautiful sunny days that promised warmth as the day progressed but still offered a chill making walking comfortable. I hadn’t planned on walking all the way, thought I would still stop at Sunrise Manor and hop on the bus, but it was so nice out and I felt so good I just kept on going. The funny thing, now that I’ve done it . . . I just need to keep doing it. There’s no need for me to hop on the bus anymore.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Frank Ocean: Blond

Frank Ocean’s debut album Channel Orange is in my Top 10, but I never really gave Blond the listen it deserved. Certain songs like Pink + White and White Ferrari made my playlists, but I never really listened from beginning to end, and honestly that is what you need to do with Frank Ocean because he is a story teller. Each song tells a story steeped in nostalgia and I think that is why they resonate with me.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Cure for Drowning: Loghan Paylor

Loved. Loved. Loved this book and it is deservedly longlisted for The Giller Prize. This is a debut novel for Loghan Paylor, a trans writer based out of BC, who has skillfully woven themes of gender into historical fiction in such a beautiful and creative way. The story begins with a significant event in the lives of the McNair kids, Irish Immigrants who live on a farm in Ontario. Eventually we meet Rebekeh Kromer, the daughter of a German Physician who has been expatriated from Quebec on the eve of WWII. The relationships that develop between Rebekeh, Kit and Landon take us across the country (including to Halifax) and around the world. The writing was magical and I didn’t want it to end.