#35 - Graduate from University

Well, I am proud to say that we have knocked another item off the list! This has been 6 years in the making and I could not be more proud of Kaitlyn.

I have only known Kaitlyn for four years now, and have only lived in the same city for one of those years, but within that short time it didn’t take me long to figure out that she is one smart cookie! I have to say that she has been one of the most outstanding students I have ever met. She is the most motivated and naturally talented girl that I know and will do anything to pursue excellence.

Without her even knowing it she has inspired me to keep pushing through classes even when I felt like giving up. The tears that I wanted to cry were held back because she understood how hard those classes are. She would always give me mini-pep talks (probably more to help her through her ridiculous econ courses) that kept me motivated and committed to studying.

Graduating with Honours in Economics cannot be easy; in fact it turns my stomach whenever I think about how challenging that must have been. Kait had a rough ride getting there but managed to come out alive.



Her family celebrated her graduation by inviting friends and family over to her house for a little get together. Her and her father made speeches to the group and I couldn’t hold back the tears. I am just so proud of Kaitlyn and I’m glad I got to be a part of her journey.

I only have one picture for now but I will add more pictures as soon as she send them!

Thought for Kaits graduation:

“You have brains in your head,
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
- Dr. Seuss – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

The New Bike

So the day had to come sooner or later - I got a new bike!

I was talking to one of the salesman about my knees killing me when I bike ride and he said that if I got a bike that fit properly I shouldn’t notice a thing! This almost brought tears to my eyes, I was so excited that I could actually ride a bike without wanting to get a knee replacement at the end of it!

Being the savvy shopper that I am, I wanted to look around for the best bang for my buck. Unfortunately, this also took me about a month to get up the guts to fork out the money to buy a new bike. I stuck to my guns and kept telling myself that it would be a great investment. So, I have officially put my years of agony behind me and have upgraded to a road bike. I purchased a Giant Avail and she is a beauty.



First bike ride of the season – I was really excited to get riding my bike and start training for that triathlon that Kait and I signed up for. I get on my bike and fifteen minutes later I was already complaining. It turns out that the seats on road bikes are definitely not anything to brag about. Any other seat would seem like a cloud compared to my seat; it almost feels like I’m riding on a piece of wood.



A few bike rides later and a really sore butt I was back in action. Knees felt good, butt felt.. umm.. manageable, and I was ready to keep training. I’m still thinking of where I need to go before I get to the triathlon in August. I’m still worried about riding 40kms and then having the enthusiasm, drive, and determination to complete a 10km run. I may need to have some cheerleaders situated at every 1km to help me finish the race.

It’s been snowing and raining here in Calgary so I’ve been a bit of a baby in terms on exercising in the cold. Summer has finally rolled around and I am determined to do well in this triathlon so if any of you want to go for a ride I'm in!

To end off the entry here is a quote from a man that will help me push through any kind of pain and cross that finish line with a smile on my face:

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
– Lance Armstrong