Book Review: Upgraded

I’ve been a reading slump for a few months now mainly because I felt like I’ve been reading too many non fiction books.

I usually set a reading goal for myself every year. I definitely aim high. But this year I’m not confident in getting to that goal. I’m about 40% there with only about 20% of the year left. That means I’d have to finish a book every 1.5 weeks. Seems daunting.

I know I could reach that goal reading a whole bunch of fluff that are easy to get through, but for me – reading is a way to knowledge. So even my fiction books have to teach and inspire me in some way.

So, atlas …I persist.

I do want to share this amazing fiction book I recently read. (I borrowed my book from Vaughan Public Library system because I love libraries (and sustainability).
*needs a totebag with that phrase on it*)

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is about a near dystopian future where science has taken on a twisted yet believable turn “DNA editing”. The story weaves between a son (who works for a FBI like agency looking to prevent corrupted gene editing), his sister and his mother (a science genius pushing the boundaries with hopes of saving the earth). There is a lot of scientific jargon (naming of genes etc) with enough depth to help me understand the characters knowledge but also confusing at times (I glossed over that). Blake Crouch is an author that can create drama, intrigue and action to capture the reader’s attention and also help the reader read faster (lol if that makes sense). Since I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I’ll end off here with saying I give this a 5/5 ⭐️

And if you need any further inclination, here are some of the quotes I annotated! Enjoy!

  • We were on the outskirts of the city doing 120mph. The dual electric motors were almost silent.
  • Parts of New York City and most of Miami were underwater, and an island of plastic the size of Iceland was floating in the Indian Ocean.
  • But it wasn’t just humans who’d been affected. There were no more northern white rhinos or South China tigers. The red wolves were gone, along with countless other species.  There were no more glaciers in Glacier National Park.
  • We had gotten so much right. And too much wrong. The future was here, and it was a fucking mess.
  • I had extraordinary dreams and an ordinary mind.
  • I wanted to actually do something, you know? It’s the difference between designing a house and building the thing.
  • Memories were coming back to me, and not just of every book I’d ever read. Random moments of insignificance. Pivotal events that had shaped my life. From a month ago. From a decade ago. From my childhood. It was an eerie sensation. As if someone were brooming out the dark corners of my mind. Wiping off the cobwebs. Repairing frayed connections.
  • “So you’re saying people are too stupid?” “Not just that,” Miriam said. “It’s denial. Selfishness. Magical thinking. We are not rational beings. We seek comfort rather than a clear-eyed stare into reality. We consume and preen and convince ourselves that if we keep our heads in the sand, the monsters will just go away. Simply put, we refuse to help ourselves as a species. We refuse to do what must be done. Every danger we face links ultimately back to this failing.”
  • I’d felt it that night and I felt it on this one-being with Kara quenched some evolutionary thirst. A primal, genetic need to belong to a tribe.
  • We were a bunch of primates who had gotten together and, against all odds, built a wondrous civilization. But paradoxically-tragically-our creation’s complexity had now far outstripped our brains’ ability to manage it.
  • While I waited for my food, I pulled out a small, leather-bound journal I always carried with me, flipped to the next blank page, and started a new letter.
  • You’re working off a flawed assumption. Higher intelligence doesn’t make you less greedy or self-centered or evil. It doesn’t necessarily make you a good person.
  • Right and wrong are constructs born of human sentiment.
  • Nothing but stories we’ve made up and assigned meaning to. They don’t correspond to any objective reality. The only thing real is survival.
  • Maybe compassion and empathy are just squishy emotions. Illusions created by our mirror neuons. But does it really matter where they come from? They make us human. They might even be what make us worth saving.
  • And I was struck, again, as an outside observer, by how much the members of our species needed one another. All these people out in the cold rain. To laugh and drink. To talk about nothing. It was almost as if that need for connection and touch was our … their … lifeblood.
  • “Consider this. For a time, Kara and I were the only upgraded humans on this planet. And what did we do? Immediately tried to kill each other over differences in belief. You got the upgrade and decided to help Kara release a virus that will lead to mass suffering and death. Doesn’t feel like intelligence itself is the answer. It terrifies me to think of a world where we have all the same problems, a billion less friends, and everyone thinks they’re smart enough to be infallible.”
  • “So you’d rather have no world at all?” “That’s a false binary. We are in trouble, but that doesn’t mean this is the only solution. Rejecting something that involves killing a billion people isn’t the same thing as sticking my head in the sand while the world burns.”
  • “You can’t kill humanity to save humanity. Human beings are not a means to an end.”
  • The temptation to swim over was strong. Barter for break-fast. See about getting a boat. But the commotion at 140 Broadway last night must’ve sounded like Armageddon. Anyone in the vicinity would have heard it, and me stumbling into their midst would only raise an alarm. So I settled for watching them from a distance-this forgotten fragment of humanity making a life together in the most inhospitable of places.
  • They seemed truly happy, and it made me happy to watch them—a thousand small kindnesses among people who had nothing to give.
  • We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this.

When you don’t know what to pursue, pursue yourself!

1. Waking up early

By waking up ‘before anyone else” you automatically have more time in your day, peace of mind and space for yourself. Which can be used to:

  • Workout
  • Plan your day
  • Work on a business idea
  • Be more productive

It is a huge life hack and gives you more capacity to achieve your goals.

2. Writing down your thoughts before bed

Journaling before bed will improve your quality of sleep. It’s an opportunity to seize the day…from the night before! Here’s what you can write down:

  • Your goals for tomorrow
  • What you’re grateful for

3. Learning an online skill 30 minutes a day

With the current state of the economy, education and technology, it just makes good sense to make time to learn an online skill that can support you. Here are a few recommended skills:

  • Sell digital products
  • Investing
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Freelance Content Creation

4. Exercise at least times a weekese 7 habits, and

10 have a good mental health, you also need good physical health!’Il be unrecognizable Exercises that have the best results 2024:

  • Running
  • Pilates
  • Lifting weights

These will tone your body and strengthen the muscles around your joints

5. Sit in silence 10 minutes a day:

Your mind is racing with hundreds of thoughts every minute. Reap the benefits of sitting in silence to allow creativity to flow and your ideas to clear themselves:

  • Sit quietly during your commute
  • Stare at a wall
  • Go for a nature walk without your phone

6. Create a proper sleep schedule

Sleep is essential for your so go to sleep at a decent time consistently to:

  • Performance
  • Mental health
  • Reducing stress
  • Improving your mood

TWO days in Tobermory!

We’ve been wanting to do “the Tobermory trip” for several years now. Being tempted by all the stories of how picturesque the village is and turquoise waters. But actually experiencing it was breath taking. Sharing our experience for those who are making a trip to Tobermory.

*Pro Tips*

1- If you are planning your trip, start by checking out the booking websites for both Flowerpot Island (Cruise carriers) and the Grotto (Parking Reservations). Tobermory is a touristy spot and it’s encouraged to make your bookings several weeks in advance!

2 – Bring your re-usable water bottle and take advantage of the grocery story near by or pack food so that you can have breakfast at the hotel and lunch picnics during the day! Our motel had a fridge in room and a microwave & water cooler in the common area.

3 – You’ll need a few appropriate shoes: runners/hiking boots & water shoes/sandals with grips

Day 1 – Sauble Beach, Fish & Chips + wander around Tobermory Town

We drove out to Sauble Beach on a Friday. The beach is fantastic, lots of sandy space to set up an umbrella and a picnic. The water was a little chilly (most likely because of the wind and being the end of the summer) but still amazing to get a fresh dip! Highly recommend going on a weekday to avoid the crowds. There is plenty of paid parking right along the dune but it fills up fast!

Once we had enough of the sand and the waves, we drove for just over an hour to make it to the Tobermory Town in time for check in. We were staying Blue Bay Motel (one of the accommodations on the main street, well actually “Bay St”) and settled in. The motel is great, rooms are a good size and well kept! It’s on the opposite side of Little Tub Harbour and perfect location for walking EVERYWHERE. Right beside our accommodations was the The Fish & Chip Place. Food was pretty good and the portions were perfect.

We decided to take an exploratory stroll along Bay Street to work off that extra serving of tartar sauce. We checked out the Nature’s Gifts and The Sweet Shoppe. We also made a mental note of the other places we wanted to check out for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday – Flowerpot Island, Exploring the Town and Dinner

We were up bright and early for our trip to Flowerpot island. There are 2 tour companies that operate tours to Flowerpot island. We went with Blue Anchor mainly because of the larger glass bottom boat. The morning of we had to be at the ticket counter 1hour prior to our departure time and then at the departure dock, 30 minutes prior to departure. Parking was a available about 1km walk from the dock and there was a bathroom at the departure dock (which was helpful with the kiddos). Once we got on the boat, we secured seats right in front of the glass bottom and enjoyed the 40 min ride. There was both a guided and automated tour on the boat and the views were amazing. You could also make your way to the front or back of the boat for some great picture ops.

Once at Flower Pot island there is about a 5 km hike to the main “flowerpot” structures. It really is a site to see. We enjoyed the hike and took the time to walk along the trail (which follows the shoreline) as well as walk off the trail onto the rocks/large boulders. It was VERY busy, but everyone was taking turns getting their pictures. If you are really fussed by the people traffic, you can always switch to motion blur and get some really artistic shots. The kids loved traversing the rocky shore, having a picnic and just wandering.

We took the 2pm cruise back to Tobermory, which gave us a LOT of time to explore the Tub Town. We had coffee, explored the stores (and supported the local businesses), visited an art gallery as well as had dinner at Crownest Pub & Restaurant.

Sunday – Singing Sands, The Grotto & Home

Today was another big day of exploring. We checked out and made our wait to the Grotto parking. We were a little early (ok 45 minutes) so we weren’t actually allowed to enter the Grotto Parking, but the parking staff gave us a free pass to Singing Sands Park.

It’s a short drive from The Bruce Peninsula Park entrance. If you haven’t heard of it it’s a very very shallow body of water with EXTREMELY warm water and tiny tadpole fishes! Perfect for young kids. The sand is so soft and the entire site is accessibility friendly. But it wasn’t the star of our day ;)

It’s an easy 5km/30 min hike from the parking to the Grotto Beach. The trail is mostly flat but there are some nature made stairs so not completely accessible friendly. If you follow the trail right to the end and go left – you’ll go to the actual Grotto. The Grotto is beautiful, but tricky to walk down. WEAR STURDY SHOES. If you can get down there, I’m sure the photos would be amazing (fantastic rock formations, turqoise waters, caves and waves), but we stayed up top to be on the safe side.

Now if you go to the RIGHT, you get to the Grotto Beach. It’s a very rocky shoreline but you can enter the water and experience the very popular “Caribbean of Canada”. BRING WATER SHOES to truly enjoy the beach.

Overall the trip was worth it and glad we waited until the girls were a little older so they were able to easily do the hikes and enjoy the adventure. if you want to see more, check out my vlog on youtube!

Review of “The Art of Banksy” Toronto Exhibit

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to check out the Banksy Exhibit. The exhibit was well organized and laid out. There was a bar (although no drinks were allowed inside the exhibit) and both a general and VIP admission ticket.

Some interesting things I learned about Banksy and his art:

  1. His art represents geo and socio economic issues with a side of dark humour and satire
  2. He is known for using street and concrete as his canvases
  3. His stencils are potential evidence for vandalism crime
  4. One of his art pieces was a theme park called DismaLand
  5. No body knows who Banksy really is

Get out of a slump with me

Since our big family trip to Hong Kong-India-Dubai, I’ve been a slump. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been getting things done, been ambitious, goal oriented but not with all areas of my life.  I’ve really felt like consistency has been out of focus. 

Which is interesting to read back as I write it, because on paper (and instagram highlights) I’ve done some pretty cool stuff: ran a half marathon, did some community environment events, re-did my vision board, meditated and journaled daily, making time to learn (GenAI, microcerts, exams PASSED) made lots of little art and launched my youtube channel.  But I feel like I’ve been lacking organization, regularity and stability.  Which then has turned around and effected other areas of my life. 

For example

  • I’ve only read 1 book, yes just ONE book this year and we are already 7 months in
  • My eating habits have been so out of it lately (including late night snacking, lack of portion control/meal planning, not enough protein and over indulgence ugh)
  • My schedule for sharing my art or blogging… literally out the window
  • Getting pictures printed (this is a digital age problem, like how much storage is there in the world and why do I take soo many pictures and do nothing with them)
  • Someone tell me why I don’t do ab/core exercises daily anymore
  • An atrocious sleep schedule
  • Procrastination on some important personal goals 

Anyways I’m sharing this because I know I’ll get back on track.  I’m setting up systems (including a new planner and digital productivity method), starting therapy and strengthening my visualization practice because I want to reap the benefits of good habits and mental fitness in my life.  I truly believe being mentally strong is the foundation of life productivity.  I think once I have my mindset correct, I’ll be able to re-create habits and routines to support my goals.

All this to say, is it’s okay to fumble, it’s okay to fall down and it’s okay to take rest.  The important thing is to have the awareness to realize what’s going on and the desire to course correct.

As always I like to share some tips on getting back on track 

  1. Do a brain dump:  If you feel like your daily routine, goals, thoughts and mind are feeling a little frazzled, do yourself a favour and WRITE.IT.ALL.DOWN.  Whatever IT is. This means it could be a brain dump, but it could also being a let out of all your feelings.  Let your pen/keys on keyboard go freely so you release what ever is holding you back emotionally or spiritual.
  2. Listen to your intuition: which means you’ll have to be quite.  You’ll have to turn inwards.  You’ll have to pay attention to the small and mighty messages both your body and universe are giving you. Remember not everything deserves your attention, but its important to work on the things that your intuitively know will get you where you need to be.
  3. Take intentional action: meaning if you are ready (mentally and inuititively) to incorporate activities to get you back on track, don’t try to boil the ocean.  Stick to 1-2 main activities daily.  Small wins everyday lead to accomplishing big dreams.
  4. Give yourself Grace: Rest and relaxation is key here.  Not letting negative self talk overrun your mind and dictate your mood is of the upmost important.

Looking for more inspiration?

Read this: 30 ways to get 1% better 

Watch this:

30 ways to get 1% better

Sharing 30 actionable ways to get 1% better starting today. Sometimes when I’m in a slump I start making sure I’m doing these things.

  1. wake up early
  2. read daily
  3. eat well
  4. love yourself
  5. judge less
  6. be yourself
  7. set goals
  8. plan your day
  9. positive attitude
  10. have purpose
  11. find inspiration
  12. love others
  13. network
  14. save money
  15. automate tasks
  16. track finances
  17. build a brand
  18. interact
  19. fail forward 
  20. dress your best
  21. invest
  22. journal
  23. be productive
  24. think ahead
  25. teach others
  26. do more
  27. spend wisely
  28. educate yourself
  29. have ambitions
  30. just start now