It’s been a week since my (hopefully) last exam, and I have to tell you, it’s amazing not to think about, or plan for, studying for any upcoming courses.

It’s very freeing, in fact. I’ve felt completely shackled to my books for a couple of years now, and especially in the past several months. So much so, that I’ve been completely absent from almost all social functions, and even doing the basics for myself like shopping for new clothes, or getting the basics for my wardrobe.

In fact, it’s pretty crazy how little I’ve spent for the past year or so – if you ever feel the need to become frugal, pouring yourself into two designations will certainly tie you up for a while.

After a week of catch-up, and birthday celebrations (so much fun!) I’m finally able to pick up a book that isn’t related to work, and read for hours about something frivilous! What a concept! It’s great!

Next? I need to get back to taking care of myself… Working out regularly, and getting my thyroid issues back under control are my top priority, and I already have plans lined up for both. It feels good to make time for me now.

So, there’s two words you’ll never hear me utter… I’m. Bored. – It’ll never happen. I LOVE having free time for myself!!!! It’s awesome!

YOUR TURN: Speaking of free time – do you have any summer plans coming up that you are looking forward to? Me? We’re heading to wine country soon for some tours and relaxation! I can’t wait!

Just a quick entry while I have a couple of beer to celebrate. (I’m writing this at the pub!)

So, how was my exam writing experience?

I’m… HOPEFUL. That’s all I can say. I have no idea how I did other than I’m fairly certain I didn’t completely bomb it.

We shall see in about SEVEN long weeks – we get our marks the last week of July.

Still no mark for the last PFP exam. It could be as much as another month out. I sure hope I’m not waiting that long!

Let my summer commence! Starting with my birthday celebrations tomorrow and next Saturday!

YAHOO!!!

The countdown is down to hours now… I’m taking tomorrow as a vacation day to get the last minute review in of anything I’m unsure about (which I definitely have a few areas I am not rock-solid confident on, like alter-ego and spousal trusts for example).

I wanted to wish everyone a successful write of the FPE1 and FPE2 exams – I’m sure you’re all scrambling like me right now, but enjoy the process… You’ll all be CFPs in no time!

Is the Bar exam this difficult? I have often wondered if lawyers need to know as much detail about as many topics as we do… I’m sure they do. Now I know exactly how they feel. The pressure is pretty intense.

But, for a brief moment today, I also remembered that the worst case scenario is that I have to write it again in six months. That would totally suck, but it wouldn’t be life altering.

I can do this.

I’ll be hoping for the best Saturday morning – and by 4:30 the same afternoon, these last three years of intense work will be complete after the last sprint for 7.5 hours to the finish line, or at least, as complete as I can make them until I get my mark 7 weeks afterwards.

WISH ME LUCK! Hopefully I won’t need it.

This could be the last few days I ever have to cram this much knowledge in my head. I can’t tell you how excited that makes me.

This past weekend, I missed two events – a summer kick-off BBQ at Erin and James’ place, and a Scotch Tasting. Clearly, going to either would have been a terrible idea, as much as I would have had fun at both. Can you imagine me failing my exam because of points I could have been studying in my final weekend, and didn’t get to? As it was, I studied for 9 to 10 hours each day over the weekend, and still felt guilty for quitting at 8 or 9pm each day.

So, here I am in my final stretch. The last of the review is before me. I should be learning absolutely nothing new at this point, and that seems to be the case, although the review is tweaking my memory on things I’d let lapse in my head over the past several months.

For those of you studying for the PFP or CFP, I can’t stress this enough: The CSI materials don’t cut it. They don’t deal with any implementation or really help with recommendations or factors you should be considering. One big tip I’ve come up with last week? When the tests ask for factors or items to consider, DON’T give recommendations. This is true for both the AFP2 and the FPE2. Apparently, that’s where most go wrong.

The other important item I’ve learned in preparing? If the examiner is looking for three points, give ONLY three points. Not four, not six. Three. They will only look at the first three, so you are wasting precious time writing more anyhow. Make sure the points are unique, and not a slight duplication from the previous point you made.

Finally? Don’t be wordy! Even if the FPE2 exam asks you to write an email or letter to your case study client, use point form. Start the “email” off with a basic intro… “here are three points you need to consider when…” and then list point form points. Don’t forget to include to suggest gaining outside expertise from a specialist where necessary.

Good luck to all those also writing the FPE2 Saturday morning! Drop by and say hi in the comments afterwards!

YOUR TURN: Are you studying for the CFP or PFP right now? Drop me a comment! I’d love to hear from you!

Inquiring minds want to know… Is anyone else experiencing this?

First, it was Barry’s new iPhone 5 he had just picked up… It said it was connected to our many wifi hotspots in the house, but the signal wasn’t actually connected. So, he took it back to the Apple Store, and the friendly guys in blue immediately replaced it.

Now, mine is doing it. It’s been fine since I got it in late October, but now, when I absolutely don’t have time to be messing around, it decides it doesn’t want to play nice.

How extremely annoying.

Thankfully, I have six gigs of data on my plan, so I can afford to wait until after my last exam on June 8th to go in and get it replaced, but Barry is on a different version of our BMO Telus corporate plan, so he required access at home before he blew by his data hurdle and on to the more expensive plan. (He’s on the tiered plan).

But, it got me thinking – I wonder if this problem is more common than the odd iPhone 5 going awry? I mean, two in one household? That seems a bit over the top. I bet some people don’t really know this is a hardware problem, and think it’s their router causing the problem. The only reason why I know it’s not, is because my iPad (and previously my iPhone) was connecting fine when Barry first started experiencing it.

YOUR TURN: Do tell… Have you seen this issue?

Whew. One down, one to go.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty underwhelmed about how this evening would go… And, as the day wore on, and I reviewed as much as I could, I was making myself get seriously worked up about this PFP exam. (The AFP 2)

By the time I walked into the examination room at SAIT at 6pm, I was nauseated. I tried to plaster a smile on my face, using my famed “smile therapy” to change my attitude, but I’m sure I must have looked like a deranged lunatic to those around me.

And, then, I opened up the exam and started to write. And write. And, write. An hour in, and the nausea was gone, and I was feeling much better.

I felt prepared. I knew what to expect.

This was, after all, my second attempt at this horribly difficult test. The first time, I failed. And, that’s saying something; I never fail tests. In fact, if I get under an 80% on a test, I feel defeated. So, the first try was a kick in the pants for me. I clearly wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was last November.

What did I do differently this time? …A few things. I prepared differently. I used primarily case studies, and literally studied the AFP 2 practice exam that CSI offers up for a fee, until I was blue in the face. And, I think it made a difference. Well, I know my mark will be better than the last time… I literally missed a pass by a few marks. I’m fairly certain that this time, it won’t be the same.

I also used my time differently, writing this exam attempt. I scanned the case study, and then immediately started writing in the easy answers (the quantitative answers on the cash flow statement, and statement of net worth) and then highlighted the particular areas of the case I knew I’d need for the other longer questions.

So, this time around, I actually finished with about 5 minutes to spare! Surely not my usual speedy exam writing, (I usually complete the multiple choice exams in about 2/3 of the needed time) but being long hand, and breaking a number of pencils in the process, I’m pleased I had time to review a few of my responses before the invigilator called time… He did so, just as I was heading out the door, actually.

For those of you who are preparing to write the AFP2 for the first, or the second time, I urge you to review CASE STUDIES!! Especially those that are prepared by the CSI people. They are identical in nature (not length…) to what you’ll be asked on the exam.

Also, know your implementation well. Things like, how does income splitting work? What tax credits are appropriate to use? When should you deplete the RSP vs. the TFSA, vs. the non-reg holdings in retirement? Also have a very good understanding of risk management and estate planning techniques. I’d bone up on CI insurance if you don’t have a good understanding of it, too. Finally, a large number of marks are geared towards calculating income streams with before and after-tax dollars. This takes up a lot of time, so if you are slow, go to that section first… I think it was worth 16 marks.

Anyhow – time will tell how I did. If it’s anything like last time, I could be waiting six weeks for a mark. Let’s hope that’s not the case, though. That wait killed me!

NEXT UP… The CFP (FPE2) final exam on the 8th of June. I can’t wait to put this all behind me. I’m tired.

YOUR TURN: Are you writing, or have written these exams? Is this feedback helpful?

Going through the final review of all this material… Including, but not limited to:

• Budget, savings and cash flow analysis
• Personal risk management and insurance requirements
• Residential mortgages
• Family law
• Tax planning
• Asset allocation
• Annuities
• Estate planning
• Investment management
• Equity securities, and hedge funds
• Debt securities
• Managed products (mutual funds and seg funds)
• Portfolio management
• Relationship management

I’ve figured out what’s missing from this whole equation! CASE STUDIES! Sure, I am really good with most of the above topics now, and if you asked me a question about any of these items, I know the rules and the details, but analysis and integration of these guidelines and laws above takes more than understanding the black and white. There should have been a textbook filled with case studies and implementation recommendations.

Perhaps if I’d used a university/college curriculum as my study program, those strategies would have been a part of my learning and review for these past 11 exams. Sadly, I learned by textbooks only.

I’m thankful that I have a husband who’s incredibly smart, and has years in the role that I’m finishing my designations for, or I think I’d be screwed. I have no idea how people would do all this without that kind of resource at their disposal.

Hell, that’s probably 75% of our conversation these days… Strategy in financial planning. I’m so thankful for that.

Okay… Back to the books I go.

Friday Silliness… Have a great weekend!

YOUR TURN: What are you looking forward to, this fine, fine weekend? Me? Oh, I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but I’ll be buried in my piles of books! Shocking, I know.

Oh man. Am I done yet? Is this crazy schedule of review and more review over? I’ve had zero life now in over 5 weeks. I work. I come home. I study. Repeat.

I am really not having fun with this, now. Okay, to be clear, I was never having fun with this studying and review, however I’m hitting a serious wall now. I’m lacking motivation. And, between you, me and the lamp post, I’m lacking some confidence – especially with the PFP exam I’m writing on Monday. MONDAY! Holy crap, my heart just started beating faster. It’s not the material, but the exam itself that is freaking me out.

The last time I wrote, if you remember, I ran out of time with about 25% of the questions left unanswered. Obviously, I need to do things differently this time to get a better result, but that last experience really has me in a panic. I’ve never done poorly on any exam in my life, so the AFP2 exam really pushed me off kilter.

So… Five more study days until the first exam.

And then, the more important exam on June 8. Six hours of pure fun that day. I can’t wait. Can you tell? I know you’re envious!

YOUR TURN: What’s going on with you? Certainly something much more entertaining than my experiences of late! Do share…

Wow, it sounds like crickets around these here parts. Once again, I’m deep into review for my upcoming exams. The countdown is on, now!

I finished the Capstone with tonnes of time to spare, and a great mark to boot. I can actually see the value in that exercise now, although I didn’t originally. For those of you playing along at home, the course basically allows you to pick one of three case studies, and produce between 20 and 30 pages of a hand-written financial plan from the details you are provided. Of course, it’s not how we do our jobs in reality (we have planning software for the majority of the heavy lifting) but, I still got a lot from submitting the draft and final for marks and feedback.

My main issue with all of the courses I’ve taken, and the Certificate in Financial Advice I’ve earned, is that there isn’t much in the way of practical implementation of the details provided in the materials. Yes, I do this every day at work, but in order to pass my FPE2 and AFP2 written exams based on actual free-form advice being given (with benefits and options), it’s important to know what the markers are looking for. Let’s face it, beyond the black and white law, pension, taxation and estate rules, there’s plenty of room for grey.

Thankfully, I’ve purchased a number of prep materials that get into those finer points based on analysis, and advice, and help me practice writing what they would actually be looking for on these upcoming tests.

May 27 and June 8th are the two dates I’m working towards… the PFP final exam comes first, followed by the CFP final exam the day before my birthday. Here’s hoping this chapter can be closed for good after that!

YOUR TURN: Have questions about my experience with the first writing of the AFP2, or how I’ve changed my study routine to better prepare for the next (and final!!) writing of this exam or my CFP/FPE2 prep? Drop a comment here so others can participate, too! I’ve gotten a ton of emails from people preparing for both, and it would be great to have the dialogue in a more open format for all! Oh, and if you have already passed either of these… Please share anything you can on your experience!

With all my studying of late, I’ve been increasingly annoyed with the wireless coverage in our house. The Telus wireless Actiontec hardware must reside in the basement, because that device is what is required to address our home network with their ethernet connection. And of course, they’ve flashed their hardware with a proprietary version of the interface so that practically none of the useful settings are available to me to change.

I really wish I could just dispense with the darn thing, but I can’t.

I have a couple of old wireless G/N routers in the house that are capable of flashing DD-WRT (if you don’t know what that is… Google is your friend) which provides me with a rather easy way to use these devices as a bridge to my original Telus router, which I have very little control over. (I really must look into hacking that once I have more time next month).

Problem solved! Each of the floors in our home now has a router bridged to the Telus P.O.S. downstairs. No more constant battle with the neighbour’s channel skipping interfering with my weak signal from the basement.

Want to know how to do it? Brian over at “Litter Box for Geeks” has done a great job of boiling it down to a few simple setting changes. It’s an older post, but the settings are pretty much the same with the latest versions of DD-WRT.  Head over there and check it out!

As for me? It’s back to Splashtop on my iPad with a perfectly strong network signal in my living room… I’ve got studying to do, and Gobeil is calling.

YOUR TURN: Have you had issues with networking in your home? How have you dealt with it?

Hey kids! Thanks for popping by!

Things are chugging along here in This Chick’s Life – I’m in the middle of exam prep again… Good times. I was about a week late with my Capstone Course draft plan, so I’m freaking out a little. I had no idea it would be so extensive in what I had to prepare. Boo!

Here’s hoping that CSI (the education provider that offers this course) can get me back the draft financial plan in very short order (they say it can take up to a month to mark each of two plan drafts - one draft, one final - so if they take that long, I’m screwed.) It was a mix-up on my part, as I thought I had until June to get my mark in from the Capstone course for the final exam of the CFP program. No… I actually have to have my final mark by May 8.

Ya, good times.

In other news, my 16 pound weightloss has stuck, which is great. I ended my phase two of hCG a few days early (20 days on low calorie intead of 23 at a minimum) as we were going away a few weekends ago, and then heading out of dodge soon for Vancouver and Vegas as well… phase three is doable while traveling, phase two definitely ISN”T. That said, I managed to slowly add in phase 3 foods (no carbs at all, no sugar) and I’ve been consistent in weight stabilization. Awesome!

I’ve decided I’m heading back on hCG when I get back from Vegas, as I’ll have zero social life for the next few months while I prepare for my final exams (let’s hope I can take my final CFP!!) so, that works out well for me to lose the last 15 pounds or so that I would like to take off. It’s really hard being out and not being able to eat or drink anything with friends.

Work is keeping busy – I’m so glad that RSP season is over, because I’m tired. Just in time for vacation season… YAY! More on my vacation plans coming up in the next blog post.

YOUR TURN: How’s life? What’s new?

I found this excerpt on the forums I go to for support for hCG… I thought it was terribly insightful, and provided a lot of perspective. Maybe, if you are on hCG, or a diet that requires a lifestyle change, you will find it helpful, too?

It’s For Your Own Good. Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here)”. This is for you.

It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.

Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of donuts, there is no “slip”. You make a choice to eat something of poor quality. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program, 100%, for the full 30 days, and don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.

You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no (or make your Mom proud and say, “No, thank you”). Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your sister’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company picnic does not mean you have to eat anything. It’s always a choice, and we would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.

This does require a bit of effort. If you’re cutting out grains, legumes and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those calories with something. You have to make sure you’re eating enough, that your vitamins and nutrients are plentiful, that you’re getting enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. You’ll have to figure out what to eat for lunch, how to order at a restaurant and how often you’ll need to grocery shop. We’ve given you all the tools, guidelines and resources you’ll need in this Success Guide, but take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness and performance doesn’t happen just because you’re now taking a pass on bread.

Hope you are all having a great day! Me? I’m feeling under the weather. Feels like the stomach flu. Oh well… It’ll pass.

YOUR TURN: What did you think of the above message?

Good morning everyone! Thanks for popping by this fine Wednesday!

I’ve had an absolutely on-protocol week and a half, other than a mistake that I made (which wasn’t necessarily off-protocol, but dumb, and caused a one day stall just the same)… On Family Day, going into my second week of low calorie diet, I was running out of veggies to eat, so rather than run to the store (I was committed to doing absolutely nothing that day) I decided to eat two and a half low-sodium dill pickles with lunch.

I didn’t look at the jar… (dumb!) as it said low-sodium, so I thought, hey vinegar is great for you on a diet, and cukes are on protocol, so these will be a good substitute? Ya… no.

The next morning, I woke up to zero change on the scale. Given the last several days of at least a pound a day, I cringed, and headed down to the fridge to see what the issue could have been. Those low-salt dill pickles had almost 300 mg PER pickle! Wowzers – that’s probably as much sodium in one pickle as I eat the whole day on this diet. And, that’s LOW sodium!

I looked online, and a regular dill pickle is nearly 1000 mg of salt! (half a teaspoon!) That’s crazy. Guess who’s not buying dill pickles ever again?

After a little more research, I found out that it takes a normal body a full litre of water to deal with a teaspoon (2000 mg) of salt intake. One litre of water weighs 2.2 lbs! No wonder when we eat a high sodium diet we retain water, and a ton of weight. (I personally hate the taste of salt, so this has never been a problem for me)

Good to know.

But, despite that little silly hiccup, I have lost 12 pounds as of today! Woohoo! I only have about two weeks left on this round, so it should fly by. I’d love to see 8-10 pounds during that time, but it’ll likely be more like 7. That’s okay! I feel awesome (I always feel better when I don’t eat bread and gluten) and my clothes are starting to feel really loose already.

Bring it on… I’m ready for these last two weeks! I got this! I’ve decided I’ll start my last and final round of hCG on June 8 (the day of my final CFP 2 exam and a day before my birthday) to get off those remaining 15 pounds to my goal.

YOUR TURN: How’s your week going?

Good afternoon all! I hope this finds you having a terrific day! I thought I’d pop by and give a mid-week update on how my “take two – Round Two” hCG weightloss journey has gone so far, and provide some tips for those that may want to embark on the journey. I’ve been asked by several people for details, so here’s a few. (I’ll add another post later when I have more time)

First up – You need to know what you are getting into! You can be tremendously successful with weightloss if a) you are using hCG and not some placebo (I’ve had success with both homeopathic pellets [used correctly!] and with prescription hCG, and b) you understand the protocol. (Click the link to get more info on the basics) If you think you can wing this, or cheat from time to time… You’d be wrong. hCG isn’t a magic pill. It requires a very strict diet protocol in order for you to have success.

How does hCG actually work? In a nutshell… It mobilizes abnormal fat (some call it grey fat) stored in your body for energy you would otherwise be burning with consumption of food. The homeopathic version of hCG mimics the actual hormone that is excreted during pregnancy, which is what gets the whole ball rolling. And, surprisingly (VERY!) you aren’t hungry during the very low calorie diet, as long as you follow exactly what you are supposed to be doing on the plan. The awesome part of this program, is that hCG preserves your muscle mass… It’s only burning the fat you need to lose.

Some of the lessons I learned during my first round, where I was very successful after a few bumps in the road:

Get the dose right! Just because you are hungry, doesn’t mean the dose is too low, it could be quite the opposite.

Never use artificial sweetner on this program… Like, not even a little bit! Apparently, a high number of people actually react to sweetners such as aspertame etc. Use only Stevia (plant-based) in it’s pure form. (Not Truvia!! It contains sugar!)

Use cream VERY sparingly… if at all. I’ve switched to mostly tea during this second round, as I might actually be reacting to milk (sob! I <3 milk!)

Don’t cheat. No brainer. You will stall. And, when you stall, you lose motivation fast. It can take a week or longer to correct from a stall based on a single cheat. My mantra? You can do ANYTHING for a month!

Have a great support network! If you don’t have it with close friends and family to keep you accountable, go to my favourite forum – There are people that are starting the same time as you, and many have experience with this.

Drink Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s a great way to curb cravings (remember, when you think you are hungry and your dose is correct, it’s cravings, or thirst). I use 2 tablespoons in 12 oz of water with liquid stevia and a squirt of lemon juice. Works like a charm!

Don’t mix veggies – If you stick to a clean protocol, you will lose your maximum potential… Deviations might work, but who knows what you could have lost had you stuck to the plan?

Drink TONS of water! Take your weight in pounds, half it, and drink that in water. It works! You will feel great, and your body will eliminate the abnormal fat properly.

I hope these help! Feel free to drop me a comment if you have any questions about my weighloss journey, or hCG. I’m obviously not a professional, but I’ve got lots of experience!

REMEMBER: Nothing tastes as good as being at a healthy weight feels!

It’s time for me to be brutal about my weight gain. Until yesterday, I kind of shrugged it off… Hey, it’s only 25-30 lbs I need to lose to get to goal. But, the issue is, those are the same pounds I already went to an incredible effort to lose in 2011. I’m not where I was in March/April 2011, but I’m close.

And, for a moment, I was ashamed of myself.

But, hey, it is what it is, and I can’t change the past, but I can feel like a success moving forward!

I’m doing the hCG diet protocol again. Yes, I know, some of you think it’s a bad way to lose weight, but it works for me. And, worked for quite a while, too. I stabilized well until I got lazy and stressed from my crazy study schedule. So, I ask that you support my choice, or at least, keep your critism to yourself. I know what works for me, and hCG does.

My main motivation right now is my before-photos for this round that I took yesterday. Good grief, how did I not see this until I took the photos? [shrug] Crap happens! Stress happens! It’s what I do to learn from it that matters! I’m LEARNING! Hey, none of us are perfect!

That’s the AWESOME thing about this eating protocol – if you mess up after losing the weight, it’s fixable, and fixable quickly, relatively speaking. I just need to be absolutely strong, and not cheat (so far, so good!) No shame needed! Next time, the scale will be a regular part of my life forever.

My mantra… Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

I’m feeling really motivated and strong this round! So far, I’ve lost 6 pounds since I started the low calorie diet part of the diet 2 days ago. I’m celebrating my success with a cup of tea

YOUR TURN: Do you have a weightloss goal you are working towards?

How’s everyone today?

I’m pretty great… Things are looking up! Work is crazy-busy with RSP season, but not so much so that I can’t take time for myself and do some socializing.

I’m making two goals for myself in the next few months – first being: lose those pounds that I can’t seem to keep off. It might only be 20-25 lbs, but with those extra pounds, I’m not able to fit into my size 6-8 clothes that are collecting dust in my closet.

I’m still trying to decide the method I’m going to use to keep myself accountable to this goal and support my path back to my ideal weight, and I’ll keep you posted on that. What I do know is that I’d like to put together a “Biggest Loser” contest for me and my friends who need extra incentive… It sure worked for me the last time! If you are interested, let me know and I’ll send you details in the next few days.

Second – I’d like to put together a monthly social meetup. I think I’ll call it “First Friday” and it’ll be a time to catch up with friends and enjoy some time after work on the first friday of the month. I’ll keep you posted as I put this together!

YOUR TURN: What things are you working towards, right now?

Hi all… I’m back from blogging hiatus, now!

It’s been a busy holiday season for me. Clearly, I had a lot on my plate earlier in December with my exams, and then of course came all the holiday fun after Dec 10.

Let’s just say, if you ever hear the word “bored” out of my mouth, you know I’ve been invaded by aliens, because I always seem to have a bazillion things to do, and not enough time to do them. I really don’t know how people with kids manage? It’s just me (and of course, Barry) and that’s plenty!

So, today, I bring you… The top 3 things I’m looking forward to in the next few months:

1) I’m desperately (yes, desperately) looking forward to passing grades for my PFP 2 and CFP 1 exams (they were supposed to have been available by now, but yet, I’m still waiting for the good news.

2) Vegas Baby! I’m looking forward to staying at the Golden Nugget (which has been recently renovated) for the first time right after RSP season at work. Man, is that going to be fun! There’s a group going, so if you want an invite, let me know via comments and I’ll email you deets!

3) I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to getting into my new role at work… it’s still several months off, but, I’m chomping at the bit. Here’s hoping I’m surprised, and something comes up earlier than anticipated.

That’s all for now! I hope you had an AMAZING holiday season!

YOUR TURN: Don’t be shy… Why not share YOUR TOP 3 things you are looking forward to below?

First off I want to thank Tanya for generously donating her tickets to this event to me.  I also owe her and the organizers an apology for not posting this sooner.  Life has been extremely busy since then and I didn’t have the time to finish this until now.  I’m sincerely sorry for the delay.

The event was hosted at The Art Gallery of Calgary. We started out by signing in on the upper level; at that point we were tagged with a wrist band allowing us to sample a lot of whisky before the main event.  Sadly my lovely date Lara and I became so engrossed in checking out and discussing the artwork plus sampling the very tasty amuse-bouche and the Macallan 10 that was being served; we were only able to partake of one glass. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing as we were unaware of the volume of scotch we would be tasting that night. We were also fascinated by the displays/history of the ultra-premium bottling’s of Macallan.

How would you like a couple of these in your collection? Would you drink it?? I would be tempted to drink it, why not right?

The next thing we knew is the room was almost empty! We didn’t notice people leaving and only just caught a glimpse of a some people slipping through a side door which lead to the lower level. Off we went to catch the next part of the evening’s fun and festivities.

On the second level we were queuing up to take our seats in the formal tasting area on the main level below us. Once we were directed to some seats we were greeted by a row of tasty whiskies that were calling my name. Or was that my inside voice getting the better of me? Either way, who am I to argue with those particular voices.

Our host for the evening started the festivities with a short video on the making of Macallan and the history of the distillery.  After that, on to the tasting!

First up is the 10 year Fine Oak .  The official tasting notes describe it better than I can and for the rest of these I’ll put up those notes followed by my comments/thoughts on it.

Colour:  Pale Straw

Nose: Complex, with a hint of fruit and heather honey

Palate: Soft and malty, balanced with oak and fruit

Finish: Lingering with hints of oak and fruit.

Fine oak is aged in a mix of Spanish and American oak casks.

I noticed a light toffee flavour coming through along with a touch of citrus. Not a peaty scotch by any means, it’s very approachable and easy to sip.

Throughout the tasting our host and tasting guide has been very chatty and informative, pausing to answer questions and in turn, ask us questions to get us thinking about what we were experiencing.  Interesting note, only 17% of the whisky they produce is used for The Macallan, the balance is used in other brands for blending, Famous Grouse being one of them.

Our next sample is the 12 year Sherry Oak

Colour: Rich Gold

Nose: Vanilla with a hint of ginger, dried fruits, sherry sweetness and wood smoke.

Palate: Deliciously smooth, rich dried fruits and sherry, balanced with wood smoke and spice.

Finish: Sweet toffee and dried fruits, with wood smoke and spice.

Sherry Oak is aged in Spanish sherry oak casks. This attributes to the darker colouring, fruit and spice characteristics.

I definitely agreed with their tasting notes, I also picked up a touch of milk chocolate on the palate as well. Overall a darn fine sippable whisky!

At this point there was a break to present an informative and heart wrenching video about charity:water  Macallan auctioned off The Macallan 64 Years old in Lalique with full proceeds going to charity:water, raising $460,000 Real action and positive results, rare to see in this online world of armchair activism(the scam, err search for kony anyone?). Check out charity:water here and if you’re so inclined, get involved.

We were then introduced to an ice ball maker that our host was quite excited about. It converts a block of ice into a 65mm sphere of ice using pressure alone. Made of a heavy alloy, the pressure of the weight melts the block into the sphere. It too can be yours only £650.00, free delivery too!

Our host was so excited by this and the making of a perfect ice sphere that he missed doing the tasting of our third whisky of the evening, the 15 year old Fine Oak.

Colour: Rich Straw

Nose: Sublime and full, with a hint of rose and cinnamon

Palate: Intense rich chocolate, with a hint of orange and raisin

Out of the four we tasted, this was by far my hands down favourite.  I loved the chocolate flavours, the spice on the nose and the slight residual sweetness.

Our final taster of the night was the 18 Year Sherry Oak

Colour: Light Mahogany

Nose: Dried fruits and ginger, with a hint of citrus, vanilla and cinnamon

Palate: Rich dried fruits, with spice, clove, orange and wood smoke

Finish: Full and lingering, with dried fruits and sweet toffee, ginger and a hint of wood smoke.

This one was interesting, certainly a lot more complex than the others and my second favourite of the night.  I found it to be quite sweet with flavours of figs and earl grey tea on the palate.

All in all, an amazing night of wonderful company, learning more about a subject I’m keenly interested in and tasting some fantastic whisky.

Again, I wish to offer a huge thank you to Tanya and the organizers of the #RaiseTheMacallan event.

Find me over on twitter @twowheelgeek

This morning, on my daily commute, there was a delay on the Calgary commuter rail – the Ctrain. This is pretty standard, as the trains aren’t terribly reliable, and the power often fails on the overhead lines, or people drive into the cars on their surface tracks.

But, this morning… it was different. At Anderson Station, as we rode slowly by on a train that wasn’t stopping, there was a body on the tracks.

Reports on Twitter shared that some people had seen the person jump in front of the moving train. All I could think of was the poor driver who couldn’t have possibly done anything, and then the person who killed themselves in front of all those horrified morning commuters.

I can’t even begin to understand the sadness and pain that someone must be feeling, that they felt their only option is to jump in front of the train. My heart aches just thinking about it.

Things do get better. I know. I’ve felt pretty low earlier in my life… Things get better.

My thought to you, dear reader – if you know of someone who’s feeling lonely or low, drop them a note, or give them a call. We all need to know we’re loved and appreciated. Who knows. Maybe you’ll save a life this holiday season.

MUCH love and hugs go out to everyone who drops by here. xoxo