#gym machine calgary

[xrivalfitness]

Make Your Gym At Home With Xrivals

Making the switch from working out at a gym to working from home might save you a lot of money. Good home workout equipment is often heavy-duty, flexible, and long-lasting. You're in luck since there is affordable home workout equipment available at Xrivals Fitness, “your gym equipment store”. With the aid of this equipment, you can have extra training possibilities and develop strength and speedier results!

[hockeylvr59]

Here With Me Part 29 || Taylor Makar

Author’s Note: Kelsey's Calgary adventure really kicks off as she spends her first full day in her boyfriend's hometown. FC: Marina Laswick (@marooshk on instagram).

Warnings: awkwardness, sexual tension, meet the family anxiety // Word Count: 6,433

~~~~~~

Twenty Eight

It wasn’t long after the sun started to rise in the sky that Kelsey awoke, looking at her phone to see that it was only six in the morning. Typically, once she was awake she was awake and she needed to get moving. But before she could even try to slip out of bed, Taylor was pulling her firmly against his chest and mumbling something about cuddles. Almost immediately, Kelsey could feel his morning wood pressing against her hip and she attempted to shift to no avail. 

“Cuddle me dammit.” He mumbled once more into her hair making her laugh softly at how needy her boyfriend was this early in the morning. 

Playing with his hair, Kelsey continued cuddling him until her bladder protested at least a half hour later. 

“Need to pee T.” She murmured softly, not at all surprised when T reluctantly let her up but quickly climbed out of bed himself. 

Though he followed, he moved slowly, almost signaling that he would wait outside. And honestly that was a bit silly given that he’d never been afraid to be all up in her space while she peed before. Tugging gently at his t-shirt, Kelsey signaled for him to just come in and do his thing though she was absolutely claiming first use of the toilet. 

After relieving her bladder, Kelsey moved to wash her face and brush her teeth while Taylor took care of his own business having already brushed his teeth. Once they had both done a quick morning routine, they moved back to Taylor’s room to change before heading downstairs. Kelsey certainly wasn’t about to go downstairs where his dad might be without a bra on and Taylor needed to put on more than just boxer briefs. 

Since Taylor only moved to throw shorts on, Kelsey worked a bra on under her pajama shirt before following him downstairs to the kitchen where his mom was up making herself a cup of coffee. 

“Sleep okay?” Laura asked, as she pulled down a second mug in case Kelsey wanted anything. 

“Yeah.” Kelsey murmured, shooting T a small grin. She did always sleep better when she was in his arms after all. 

As Taylor moved to mix up his pre-workout for later, he kissed Kelsey’s head and that only made her smile grow. 

“Help yourself to coffee Kels.” Laura declared after mixing her drink up as desired and moving to sit at the table to drink it. Quickly looking through the pods they had, Kelsey put one in the machine and started brewing her own cup while watching Taylor start to grab things to make omelets for breakfast. 

“How can I help?” She asked her boyfriend before taking the vegetables he passed and moving to get the knife and cutting board he directed her to. Having cooked together plenty, they worked side by side with ease getting vegetables cut and eggs cracked and adding it all together with some salt and pepper and cheese when they made Kelsey’s. While Kelsey watched the omelets, Taylor toasted up a bagel adding jam to his half and cream cheese to Kelsey’s. 

Even once their food was ready, Taylor refused to sit until he had an omelet made for his mom and everything prepped for his dad’s when he finally joined them. 

Giving his mom her breakfast, Taylor guided Kelsey outside to sit and enjoy the cool morning while they ate theirs. Calgary was similar in some respects to Massachusetts, but so very different in others and it was definitely something Kelsey was taking in little by little. Taking their time, they enjoyed their breakfast before heading in to clean up dishes. 

Once dishes were done, Kelsey moved upstairs to do her hair and makeup for the day, throwing some waves into her hair before doing a light neutral makeup. By the time she finished in the bathroom, Taylor was waiting for her in his room dressed in attire for the gym since he had training at nine. 

“Want to go somewhere before I have to be at the gym?” He questioned, watching her as she proceeded to slip into a pair of black denim capris and a thrifted t-shirt which she tied up into a half crop. 

“Sure.” Kelsey agreed, willing to go and do anything that Taylor wanted her to see. 

“Cool…then if you wanted to, mom said she’d come pick you up at the gym to go shopping if you wanted to come with me and see it.” 

“Hmmm. I suppose.” Kelsey teased as she changed her earrings and threw on some jewelry before grabbing a pair of socks from her suitcase. “Just let me grab my phone and wallet and I’ll be good to go.” 

As she bent over to grab her wristlet from in her carryon, Kelsey heard Taylor exhale loudly and as she turned her head she saw him adjusting himself in his compression shorts. 

Immediately, a rush of self-confidence tinged with desire flowed over her because it was only eight in the morning and already she was having an effect on her boyfriend. 

Phone and wallet in hand, Kelsey left Taylor’s room to head downstairs and put shoes on, confirming to Laura that she was going with Taylor and that Laura would text her when she got to the gym to pick her up around 9:30. 

After a few minutes, Taylor finally made his way downstairs and Kelsey just smiled innocently at him as he put his own shoes on and grabbed his car keys, phone, wallet, and gym bag. 

“Told your mom already.” Kelsey declared when he turned his head like he was looking for Laura. “You wanted to show me something so let’s go.” The way she bounced on her heels signaled that she was excited and she headed out to climb into the car so that they could start today’s adventures. 

As Taylor drove, he slipped his palm in hers and Kelsey traced patterns against his skin. After about fifteen minutes he pulled off on the side of the road. From her seat she could see blue water and when Taylor came around and pulled her out of the car, Kelsey followed, looking down. 

“I know it’s no ocean but the Bow River is the reason Calgary exists. Starts up in the mountains with the glaciers and runs down here all the way to where it forms the Saskatchewan River. Tomorrow we’ll go see some of those glaciers.” 

Stepping into Taylor’s side, Kelsey pressed up to kiss his jaw, silently thanking him for showing her. It wasn’t the prettiest viewpoint but it was T’s choice and that was good enough for her. 

“Should we get going so you’re not late?” She asked after a few minutes, not sure how far away the gym was from where they were and wanting to make sure that she didn’t upset his training at all. 

“We’re okay on time but we can get going.” Taylor agreed, leading Kelsey the few steps back to the car and holding her door while she climbed in. 

When he pulled into the parking lot of the dash training center less than five minutes later, Kelsey smacked him softly, laughing. 

“You could have just said we were only like 5 minutes away. I don’t know the distances here.”

“It’s fine.” Taylor declared. “Not enough time to show you anything else before unless you want to see the high school I graduated from but didn’t really attend.” 

 Rolling her eyes, Kelsey moved to climb out of the car. 

“Not particularly. So show me your gym.” 

It basically was what it looked like in the videos, a big open space with equipment lining some of the walls. 

Kelsey watched as Taylor greeted the trainers, explaining that this was his girlfriend and that his mom was coming to get her in like 45 minutes but he’d been showing her a few things before training. Shaking hands, Kelsey said hello and promised to stay out of the way while she waited. A blush littered her cheeks when they mentioned that Taylor had talked about her a lot since he got home and it was nice to meet the girl who made him happy. 

“Go get started.” Kelsey insisted. “I’m good. I’ll see you after hopefully successfully acquiring a dress.” 

Hugging Taylor back after he initiated, Kelsey pushed him to go train and made her way to a corner where she would be out of anyone’s way. There she sat on the floor and leaned against a wall scrolling through social media for a few minutes. Running out of new content that she cared about, Kelsey laid her phone on the mat beside her and started running through very basic stretches to warm her body up. Ones that she would normally do in the morning if she hadn’t had a very clingy boyfriend demand an extra half hour of cuddles. 

It wasn’t anything strenuous, especially since she wasn’t dressed for that, but it kept her from checking her phone every other minute or staring at Taylor’s ass to the point that it would very quickly become a problem. 

Taylor had just started box jumps, an exercise that absolutely would have caused a problem, when her phone buzzed on the mat next to her with the update that Laura was outside. 

Pushing herself off the ground, Kelsey made her way back to the front door and out of the building to where Laura was lingering waiting for her. 

“Have fun?” Laura questioned as Kelsey buckled her seatbelt. 

“It was time with T.” Kelsey murmured fondly while shrugging. After all that was the reason she’d come all this way, to spend time with him. 

Nodding, Laura smiled a little before pulling out of the parking lot and toward more populated areas of Calgary. It was a decent distance to the nearest mall and so by the time they got there everything was open for the day. 

Heading inside, Kelsey let Laura lead her to stores because she had no idea where to start given that there were no familiar names. 

In the first store, Kelsey looked through a few racks of dresses but there wasn’t anything even remotely her style or appropriate for a wedding as it all seemed more business wear. 

The second seemed a little better but Kelsey still wasn’t drawn to anything and the things Laura pulled were just a tad too far outside her comfort zone. 

Trying a third, Kelsey saw a few things that might be cute but she quickly discarded them as options as soon as she saw the price tag. After all, she hadn’t really budgeted for a dress and shoes this trip and only had so much on the prepaid card she’d brought with her. 

Laura must have seen her checking price tags because after a moment she pulled a dress off the rack that Kelsey had glanced at. 

“Kelsey hun, Gary and I talked and we’re paying for the dress since this is T’s fault. Just find something you like.” 

Out of instinct Kelsey wanted to protest but the look Laura was sending her declared that they would not be swayed. 

“Now did you like this one?” Laura asked. 

“Kinda cute, worth trying on I guess.” Kelsey admitted, continuing to look through another rack. There was another dress Kelsey was uncertain about but Laura insisted that she at least try it on to know how it looked on her. 

The one she thought was cute hung all wrong and the other was okay but it wasn’t something Kelsey was going to do cartwheels about. 

As Kelsey changed back, Laura knocked on the door insisting that she had another for Kelsey to try. Opening the door a crack, Kelsey took the dress and was immediately a little thrown by just how bright it was. It definitely wasn’t something she probably would have pulled for herself but it couldn’t hurt to try it on. 

Pulling it on, Kelsey adjusted the fabric before looking in the mirror. It was bright with floral rosettes all over but it actually looked less overpowering on her. A slight cinch at the waist helped accentuate her figure and it actually looked really flirty and cute. And Kelsey couldn’t deny that it definitely was appropriate as wedding guest attire. 

Stepping out of the dressing room, Kelsey showed it off for Laura who just smiled. 

“I knew that one would look good on you. Do you like it?” 

“I actually do.” Kelsey admitted. “I wasn’t sure I would but it makes me feel good.” 

“Then I think we have our dress.” Laura declared. 

Nodding, Kelsey moved to change before passing the dress to Laura to purchase as she got her shoes back on and gathered her things from the dressing room. 

Meeting up with Laura at the front of the store, Kelsey took the shopping bag that contained her emergency purchase. 

“Thank you.” Kelsey murmured softly, not used to people wanting to do things like that for her. 

Before they headed to a shoe store to find something for Kelsey to wear with the dress, Laura pulled Kelsey into a menswear store to see if they could find Taylor a tie to match. There obviously wasn’t anything that was a direct match but they found one that was almost an animal spot print but in the same family of shades as Kelsey’s dress just more subdued. 

Tie also acquired, they headed into a shoe store to find Kelsey something as she had only brought tennis shoes and more casual lake style sandals. It only took a few minutes for Kelsey to pick out a pair of simple strapped sandals that were dressy enough to wear to the wedding and weren’t overly expensive. 

With Laura checking that Kelsey had what she needed in regard to undergarments, they took their spoils back to the house after picking up some lunch. 

By the time they got there Taylor had returned from training and he took the food from his mom while pecking her cheek and then leaning to kiss Kelsey quickly. 

“Did you find something?” He questioned as they moved toward the kitchen. 

“Yeah. I found a dress and shoes and your mom and I picked out a tie for you.” Kelsey mused, setting the bags down because she was definitely hungry. 

“Nice.” Taylor grinned. “You’ll have to show me later. Thanks for taking her mom.” Laura could only roll her eyes and Kelsey assumed that there was some unspoken communication being exchanged there.

As they dug into lunch Kelsey asked how Taylor’s training session had gone and listened as he complained about some of the exercises even though they both knew it was all helping him get stronger, the results were very evident. 

It had only been three weeks since she’d seen him last but already he looked bigger and those were the kind of thoughts that would definitely get her in trouble. 

After finishing off her lunch, Kelsey moved to take the shopping bags upstairs so they weren’t in the way and so she could hang the dress up before it got any more wrinkled. 

With that sorted, she moved back downstairs in search of her boyfriend, not finding him in the kitchen but instead lounging back on the couch in the living room. 

“There you are.” She murmured, sinking in beside him. “So what’s next on the agenda?” 

“You’ll see.” Taylor declared, causing Kelsey to roll her eyes at his vagueness. 

“All I see is a fireplace and some of your brother’s awards.” Kelsey teased. “Which I’m assuming is not what you plan on showing me.” 

“Hey now there’s a picture of my championship up there too.” Taylor declared, mocking offense. “Not my fault Cale’s ego has to hog the whole mantle.” 

Laughing, Kelsey watched as Taylor’s face morphed into that pleased grin of having caused that reaction. 

“If you’re ready we can go out and I can show you some other things.” Taylor shrugged. 

“Let’s go.” Kelsey agreed, just needing to slip her shoes back on on her way out the door. 

As she passed by the fireplace, Kelsey took a closer look at Taylor’s piece of the display before grabbing her things to head back out to the car ready for whatever adventure Taylor had planned next. 

Kelsey could only smile as Taylor turned on what had become their playlist as he drove through Calgary before pulling into a mostly empty parking lot half an hour later. 

“Is this your rink?” She asked judging purely off the size and shape of the building. 

“C’mon.” Taylor declared, climbing out of the car and waiting for her to join him. 

Tucking herself against his side, Kelsey walked with him through the heavy front doors and down the halls of the arena lined with pictures. Just like at his home there was far more of Cale around than Taylor but Taylor pointed out some of his old team photos causing Kelsey to smile at how cute he had been when he was little. It was clear they were working on the ice because it was a little noisy but still it gave Kelsey a feel of what hockey had been like for him growing up and that meant the world to her. 

Yawning as Taylor led her out to the car, Kelsey felt the midday slump start to hit. 

“Time to get you some more coffee?” Taylor questioned. 

“A small cup wouldn’t hurt…” Kelsey agreed, still feeling the jet lag a little bit. 

“Coming right up.” Taylor declared. “Don’t need you going full tiger on me because you’re lacking caffeine.” 

“You’re an asshole.” Kelsey chirped softly, sinking into the passenger seat so Taylor could take them to their next destination as he grinned brightly. 

They passed at least a dozen places that served coffee as Taylor drove them further into the city center. By the time he finally found somewhere to park Kelsey couldn’t help but glare at him because they were supposed to be getting coffee and now she needed it more than before. 

Thankfully, he led her to a coffee shop next, allowing her to get a medium iced coffee. Standing outside the shop, Kelsey recaffeinated a bit as Taylor pretended to check his phone while sneaking a few photos of his girlfriend before guiding her over a footpath into a massive park surrounded by water. 

“Okay. This view might have been worth the wait.” Kelsey admitted, looking around. 

Sliding her hand back into Taylor’s they walked around a bit while Kelsey enjoyed her coffee before settling in under the shade of a tree to just relax and enjoy the beautiful day. It was the first peaceful moment they’d really had together since she arrived and as she sat between Taylor’s legs leaning against his chest, Kelsey couldn’t help but sigh happily. 

“You don’t know how happy I am that you’re here.” Taylor whispered in her ear after a moment. “That I get to share my home with you.” 

“My home is quickly becoming wherever you are Tay.” Kelsey murmured in reply, tipping her head back to look up at him with eyes full of love. 

“I always feel like I’m at home with you too, Kels.” Taylor replied, wrapping his arms around her as he tucked his chin into her neck making her feel safe and secure. Instinctively she reached back to play with the strands of hair peeking out from under his ball cap just basking in the deep but simple moment. 

At least ten minutes passed before Taylor lifted his head and Kelsey was able to sneak a quick kiss before letting him rest back against the tree he was leaning against. 

“We should find a trash can for my cup.” Kelsey eventually murmured, her hand tiring of holding the empty plastic to make sure it didn’t blow away. 

Even after she spoke it took a few minutes for Taylor to finally release her, letting her use his bent knee to leverage herself off the ground before she turned to help him up as well. 

Walking around the park a bit more, Kelsey disposed of her cup and just enjoyed the peaceful chaos a big city park provided. 

“So…” Taylor started after a minute. “Do you want to do dinner at home tonight or are you up for eating out?”

“I mean I don’t want to be rude if your mom has something planned.” Kelsey quickly stated. 

“Her plan is to fend for yourself.” Taylor chuckled. “So leftovers or whatever we could find.” 

“Whatever you want to do T.” Kelsey shrugged.

“How do you feel about arcades?” Taylor questioned, his expression signaling that he had something in mind. 

“Like a pinball arcade or an arcade with skee ball and air hockey and stuff?” Kelsey replied, trying to narrow down what her boyfriend was thinking. 

“The latter.” 

“I mean…you’ve played hockey with me. You know I can get a little competitive. Arcades are fun.” 

“Cool. There’s a massive one here with all of that, pool, ping pong and they’ve got a couple restaurants too we could go to.” 

“Sure T.” Kelsey mused. “Should we invite your parents?” 

“We can.” Taylor shrugged. “Just don’t be surprised if my dad drops it in the group chat.” 

Halting her step a little Kelsey eyed him curiously. 

“What group chat?” 

“The family one.” Taylor shrugged. 

“The one with Cale?” Realistically Kelsey knew that she was probably overdue in meeting Taylor’s brother and his partner but it still made her pause a little. 

“Extended family group chat.” Taylor stated. 

Immediately, Kelsey’s eyes went wide and she stopped completely mid walk. 

"We don't have to invite anyone, we can just have a date night to ourselves.” Taylor reminded her, rubbing his thumb against her knuckles.  “But it might be a casual way for you to meet everyone...they can say hi and you have as much breathing room as you need. Not stuck in close confines.” 

“Would you want me to meet them?” Kelsey asked softly before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. 

Reaching up with his free hand, Taylor brushed his thumb against her bottom lip pulling it out from between her teeth. 

“Kelsey…” He murmured. “Of course I want my family to meet the woman I’m in love with and plan to spend forever with.” The fondness in his gaze as he looked at her made Kelsey’s stomach swoop and she stepped forward into his chest. “But I get that it could be a lot so there’s no pressure if you want to ease into things, meet Cale and Tracy first.” 

“Don’t want to let you down.” Kelsey mumbled against his chest, taking deep breaths to try to quell the feeling of being overwhelmed. 

“You aren’t going to let me down, Kels.” Taylor insisted, voice certain. “All I want is you to be happy and enjoy being here with me. Everything else can wait.” 

Taking another moment to collect herself, Kelsey stepped back and squeezed Taylor’s hand. 

“Invite your parents.” She stated, calmly. 

“Are you sure Kels?” Taylor asked, trying to read her. 

“Yeah. I’ve got you so it’ll be fine. I can do anything with you by my side.” 

The grin that lit up Taylor’s face made Kelsey melt and she squealed as he lifted her off the ground hugging her tightly. 

They remained in place while Taylor sent a text to his parents about meeting them at the arcade for dinner and games. Then they set back off around the park heading in the direction of where they’d entered so that they could head back to the car with Taylor stating that where they were going was too far to walk. 

With rush hour traffic it took about 45 minutes before Taylor pulled into a massive parking lot of a place called The Rec Room. 

“Mom and dad at the very least are on their way.” Taylor declared checking his phone. “But we can go in and get a drink or something while we wait.” 

Nodding, Kelsey looked at herself in the mirror and carded fingers through her hair. 

“Do I still look okay or should I pull my hair up?” Kelsey asked, unable to decide how it looked with just the small car mirror after spending a few hours sweating walking downtown. 

“Kels you look hot.” Taylor insisted, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Now c’mon.” 

Sighing a bit, Kelsey climbed out of the car and walked with Taylor inside, immediately looking for where there might be restrooms. 

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom first.” She verbalized. “And don’t look at me like that, I haven’t gone since we left the house, it’s not about my hair.” 

Once Taylor admitted defeat, Kelsey moved to take care of business, though she did check out her hair in the bathroom mirrors to make sure that it didn’t look like a total disaster. Only then did she move to find Taylor who was waiting at the nearest bar for her so that they could order drinks. 

While Taylor got a beer he pressed Kelsey to get whatever she wanted with her ultimately settling on a raspberry lemonade cocktail. 

Together they sat at the bar, Taylor’s free hand resting on top of hers as they enjoyed their drinks and waited for some part of his family to show up. Thankfully the shot of vodka in her drink quickly helped to temper Kelsey’s nerves and she relaxed just focusing on the warmth of his touch and how cute he looked sitting next to her. 

‘I love you.’ She mouthed, bumping his leg gently with her own and smiling when he mouthed it back. 

When no one had arrived after a few minutes, Taylor suggested they take their drinks and go play some games and Kelsey nodded sliding off her stool. After getting wrist bands with just a few credits each to play with, they headed over to see what games there were. 

Starting with skeeball, Kelsey and Taylor faced off to see who could get a higher score and Kelsey cheered as she hit one of the higher holes securing her win by just a little. Shifting to basketball Taylor crushed her because it was definitely not Kelsey’s sport. 

“There you two are.” Laura’s voice called from behind them. Turning, Kelsey spotted her with Gary beside her, and accepted the hugs offered even though she had just seen each of them earlier. 

“Who’s winning?” Gary asked, causing Laura to shake her head because of course that was his first question. 

“Kels won skee ball, I just beat her in basketball.” Taylor shrugged. 

“Are you guys hungry?” Laura asked not sure what they had done besides the drinks that were apparent on the ground at their feet. 

“I could eat.” Kelsey nodded, looking to Taylor to see if he was also hungry. 

“Let’s go eat.” Taylor agreed, bending to pick up Kelsey’s drink and gathering up his own. 

Heading back downstairs they got a table and settled in, Taylor and Kelsey on one side of the booth with his parents on the other. 

Looking at the menu, Taylor nudged Kelsey after a few minutes. 

“What’cha thinking?” 

“That there’s a lot on this menu…” Kelsey admitted sheepishly. 

“What do you guys think about just getting two pizzas to split?” Taylor asked his parents who deferred to whatever they wanted. 

“Kels?” Taylor asked knowing that if he limited the menu down it would help her tremendously in deciding what sounded good. 

Eventually the consensus was to try the house specialty pizzas, getting one prosciutto and pear and the other called the butcher’s daughter. 

Along with the pizzas they ordered a pitcher of ruby sangria causing Kelsey to lean into Taylor’s side whispering for him not to let her too drunk tonight. 

“Did you guys have fun today?” Gary questioned while they waited for their food to be brought over. 

“It was good.” Kelsey stated softly. “Though based on the limited numbers of photos of Tay at the rink I may have to request to see some more baby photos.” 

Laura nodded declaring that she could definitely make that happen and Taylor groaned playfully, laughing as Kelsey smacked his stomach gently. They shared a loving look and Kelsey squeezed his thigh before taking another sip of her first drink to finish it off. 

“What time are you guys leaving to go hiking tomorrow?” Laura asked and Kelsey looked at Taylor deferring to him not knowing how far away it was or anything like that. 

“Probably no later than 7.” Taylor answered knowing that they would want to get started early enough that it wasn’t overly hot on their way up. 

Kelsey couldn’t help but bounce a little in excitement at the knowledge that tomorrow they were going hiking. Yes it would be an early morning but it was completely worth it if the views were half as good as she thought they might be. 

“Someone’s excited.” Taylor teased softly and Kelsey could only smile brightly at him in response. He should know by now that of course she would be excited for a day hiking a mountain with him. 

With the pizzas arriving soon after, Kelsey and Taylor dug in with a slice of each interested in trying the different flavor combinations. It might not be the best pizza that Kelsey had ever had but it definitely was interesting and she didn’t mind either of the flavor profiles. 

Drinking a medium glass of sangria while she ate, Kelsey definitely started to feel a little bit of a buzz sink in. 

Though Laura and Gary stuck to a single piece of pizza each, Taylor and Kelsey got their fill, Kelsey eating three total slices while Taylor had four. Sufficiently stuffed, Laura and Gary urged them to go have fun checking out more games. 

Camping out over an empty air hockey table, Taylor and Kelsey started to battle it out, getting more and more competitive after each score. After Taylor won the first game, just barely, Kelsey demanded a rematch and that was what they were in the middle of when Cale and his girlfriend found them. Not interrupting, they watched from a short distance away as Kelsey sunk a few quick shots on Taylor and prevented what Taylor had been sure would be a goal. After a long stretch of back and forth, Kelsey finally sunk the winning shot and jumped up and down doing a little dance. 

As Taylor shook his head fondly at his girlfriend’s antics, Cale and his girlfriend made their way over. 

“Why am I not surprised we found you at the air hockey table?” Cale stated, causing Taylor to chuckle as he moved to hug his brother and his partner. 

“Because Kels and I are both competitive people who love hockey…” Taylor replied, grinning.  

“That means you must be Kelsey.” Cale declared. “Cale. And this is my girlfriend Tracy.” 

“So nice to meet you.” Tracy greeted, stepping around the table to give Kelsey a quick hug, an action which Cale then followed. 

“You as well.” Kelsey said before taking a deep breath. Two down. But honestly the introductions were the easy part and now Kelsey had no idea what to say. Thankfully she didn’t have to say anything as Tracy turned back toward her question on her tongue.

“Do you want to come play DDR with me?” 

“Uh sure…” Kelsey replied, not wanting to be rude even if it was far from one of her favorite games. 

Stepping onto a second platform, Kelsey let Tracy get the game set up and pick out a song. Then she just focused on trying to match the arrows with her steps without making a complete fool of herself. By the end it definitely wasn’t close as Kelsey could not manage many of the multi-arrow combos. 

Panting softly, Kelsey mumbled to herself that she wasn’t doing that again, not expecting anyone to hear her. 

“You can pick the next game.” Tracy offered, stepping off her own machine. 

Thankfully as Kelsey turned to step off her own machine she spotted Taylor waving her over to him now surrounded by a few more people in addition to his brother. 

Stepping into his side, Kelsey leaned against him as he introduced her to some of his cousins. 

“Apologies in advance but I am probably not going to remember names.” Kelsey admitted hearing most of the names for the first time as she shook hands or quickly hugged each depending on what was offered.

“Except mine. She’ll remember mine.” A new voice popped up, approaching with an energy that was certainly familiar. “After all I come bearing booze.” 

As she was formally presented with the can of Arizona hard tea, Taylor whispered in her ear that it was good, he’d asked Mark to bring it for her. Nodding, Kelsey took the can gratefully and stepped forward to hug its bearer. 

“Ah. The one cousin that’s been in my dms already.” Kelsey joked. “Nice to finally meet you Mark.” 

“Now I understand why you weren’t worried about dating your coach’s niece.” Mark declared. 

“Yep.” Taylor shrugged, smiling down at his girlfriend as she tucked herself back against his side hugging him gently. 

“We’re going to go get some food and drinks Taylor. You good?” Cale inquired, leaving the group with Tracy and a few of the cousins to head over to the restaurant area upon Taylor’s nod though Cale was clearly very confused about Mark’s statement. 

Basking in Taylor’s warmth for a moment, Kelsey then pulled back. 

“So how are you liking our slice of heaven here?” Mark questioned, the way he carried himself putting Kelsey more at ease than she had been with other members of Taylor’s family. 

“It’s beautiful but I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.” Kelsey replied, elaborating when Mark just gave her an intrigued look. “T’s taking me on a hike.” 

“We’re going out near Banff.” Taylor clarified. 

“The views out there are stunning.” Mark declared. 

“That’s what I’m counting on.” Kelsey agreed. 

As their idle conversation continued, Mark challenged Kelsey to a few games and with the help of a new dose of alcohol and the ease of the situation, Kelsey fully relaxed once more. 

And as Kelsey relaxed, so did Taylor. His chirps flew quickly and as he settled into a pool game with one of his other cousins, Kelsey felt the pang of desire and want grow. This was Taylor at his most attractive and Kelsey tried to control the flush of her cheeks as she watched him, taking a short break from games herself. 

It was absolutely crazy how in love with him she was after only six months. Though she tried not to get caught staring at T’s ass too much while he played, Mark definitely sent her a look when he wandered over which Kelsey met with a smirk and a shrug causing him to laugh. 

Deciding that she was all gamed out, Kelsey just continued to sit and watch Taylor though as some of the family started to leave with work on the horizon in the morning, Kelsey introduced herself to the aunts and uncles she hadn’t met and said goodbye to everyone else. 

As Laura and Gary came by declaring that they would see them at home, Taylor let out another round of chirps about the game that could only make Kelsey smile. Shortly after they left, Cale and Tracy popped by to say goodnight as well, declaring that they would see them at the cabin in a couple of days. 

When Taylor and his cousin finally finished their game, Taylor looked at her and without it needing to be said the decision was made that it was time to go home. After all, they had another early morning ahead of them and they both needed sleep. 

Saying goodnight, they headed out to the car and Taylor pressed her against the side of it gently before opening her door. 

“Thank you.” He murmured, kissing her gently before letting her slip into the passenger seat. 

Still feeling the desire pulsing through her body, Kelsey almost instantly laid a hand on Taylor’s thigh as he settled behind the wheel to drive them home. 

Once on the highway, Taylor returned the gesture, his fingers curling around her inner thigh while he drove with the other hand. It made Kelsey shift and whimper a bit, more heat flooding the area. Clenching his jaw a little at the sound, Taylor just focused on the road and after half an hour he was pulling in the driveway of his parents’ house. 

“Why don’t you go get us some water while I lock up.” Taylor prompted as they headed inside, kicking shoes off in the entry. Nodding, Kelsey headed to get some glasses of water, body still humming from the combination of alcohol and arousal. Moving back upstairs, Kelsey set each glass of water on a bedside table before moving to the bathroom to clean her makeup off and brush her teeth alongside Taylor. 

Following him back to his room, Kelsey watched as he stripped his shirt off, reaching for a clean one and she stopped him, sliding her hands around his torso. 

“You can sleep shirtless, you know…” She reminded him. Last night had honestly been an oddity with him sleeping with a shirt on but she had a feeling that was due to her up and down emotional state yesterday. 

“You gonna be able to control yourself if I do?” Taylor teased softly, leaning into her touch. 

“Does it matter if I do?” Kelsey questioned back, kissing softly along his spine. 

“You’re the one that didn’t want to have sex under my parent’s roof.” Taylor replied. 

Sighing, Kelsey pulled back and moved to get her own clothes to change for bed needing to be more comfortable. 

“Let’s just go to bed T. We have to be up early anyway.” Kelsey murmured though her voice showed how torn she was between wanting to just be with him and still having something holding her back. 

“Alright.” Taylor declared stripping down to his boxers. “But come cuddle me.” 

So far her trip to Calgary had been nothing but overwhelming and Kelsey hoped that their hike tomorrow would hopefully transition the trip into chill relaxation time just enjoying being with her boyfriend. 

First she needed to sleep, and even with Taylor passing out, Kelsey’s hormones prevented her from joining him, her body on high alert until Taylor’s heartbeat finally lulled her into a semi-restless sleep.

[fitfix12]

Premier Fitness Equipment Sales Company In Calgary, Alberta

A well-known retailer of exercise equipment in Calgary, Alberta, FitFix Inc. provides a large selection of top-notch gym equipment, such as strength training and cardio machines. They guarantee quality and affordability in their services by offering knowledgeable advice and affordable rates to gym owners and home gym setups. For more information visit :- https://fitfix.ca/

[excellentexecution]

(Very Late) Drabble for the lovely Nonnie | Bret and sick Owen.

Nose filled with snot, skin hot and sweaty to the touch, a garbage bin close to the bedside, already contaminated with the memories of breakfast. Bacon and scrambled eggs, toast with two different jams, three chocolate chip muffins, orange juice to wash it all down; the Hitman hadn't seen Owen so sick. Not since the glory days of youth, before the force of other men's boots became marred to their backs, battle wounds and scars endured. In the hours when mother and father were off to their own adventures, little mind paid to the many children still at home, caretaker and brother endearments of an alike nature. Warmth of a boyhood bed replaced by the thin sheets and rough pillows of a hotel room, shelter for the Hart Foundation, ever still were movements done the same, a skilled hand never able to forget how to tend and protect, to make better despite the aches and pains of sickness.

Away from the enemy - a rattlesnake, a dead man, a boy-toy - an endless list of names and ugly faces, Bret did what he could for Owen. Limited, with nothing more than what was carried in gym bags or discovered in the shared bathroom of five, first was the arrival of a cooled towel to the forehead. Soaked through with chilled faucet water; numbed the flesh that worked against it, rung out the cloth in tight twists and pulls, until only the excess returned to the sink bowl, dripped in scattered droplets. Onto the burning skin in gentle delivery, delicate in its placement, tanned fingers brushing back wetted strands of blonde, waves of sunshine gold. Drawn from forehead to cheek, brown eyes ever attuned and watchful, the color of Owen measured as if he were something far more precious than a faction partner. Beloved more than words could properly say; love unchanged, years spent apart unable to destroy it, the malicious intent of powers beyond their control.

Blankets of the bed tucked in tighter around his body, for all the cold that the Rocket suffered, so, too, was his heat combated with. Shivers and shakes in duel conflict; one moment frozen, another overcome by fever. Additional comfort brought in the form of additional blankets, those of Bret's bed and Davey's, the air conditioner encouraged to its lowest temperature, the button pressed as many times as was allowed, the machine and her fans pushed to their maximum effort. All about the room replaced, the familiar brush of Calgary. Winter nights spent in the outside, beneath the stars, diamonds bright in the skies, the crisp winds. Medication of over-the-counter variety offered via opened hand, the palm that was known too well, into Owen's mouth did two bitter pills go, swallowed with the assistance of bottled drink, green and packed of electrolytes, orange label pressed into by weary fingertips, the bend of knuckles around.

Served almost to boil, room service requested soup eventually found its post within Owen's lap, the hold of his hands around a dull cup, cushioned by several pillows stacked in size order. White and plain ceramic - three types of vegetables bobbing in dark broth, irregular shreds of pale chicken - accompanied by silver spoon. What could be eaten done so, what the stomach gave permission to savor, Owen raised his flag of truce only after the sixth rise of his hand, silver dipped into a lump of carrot but never returned to chapped lips. Peachy and dry, the swipe of a tongue across them barely an impact, Bret took the cup, left it to rest on the bedside table, adjusted the blankets over exhausted shoulders once the rest of the body found its preferred position. So used, so beaten, by more than just the brutal ambush of a common-cold, his gaze lingered over Owen, listened to the way of his breathing, the rise and fall of his chest.

Distant from Alberta, there was more than a hotel room striving for the safekeeping of Owen. Mind that never slept, anxiety that dared not to seek rest nor personal peace; sat nearest his bed in an empty seat, worried touch traveled from forehead to cheek, point of the jaw to the side of the neck. Embraced so softly, the pressure of fingertips hardly noticeable on the skin, the caress of thumb over the slender slopes and roughened edges. Decades unable to shatter the bond there - years dedicated, unable to learn nor know anything else - a kiss to the temple from the Hitman's lips, as Owen snored and the boys of the Foundation found trouble in the lobby. Davey making friends with the staff, the Anvil sharing his favorite jokes, the Loose Cannon bound for the first sign of chaos and antics.

Soldier assigned to the small space of a hotel room, committed was the Hitman. Never to stray, never to leave; stationed at the bed of his brother, warm and sunny, in smile and eyes, their hands joined together as the war of affliction continued on. Victory upon the horizon.

___

[webtechnology02]

Xrival Fitness is the best place to buy home gym equipment in Calgary. With their wide selection of quality products and competitive prices, Xrival Fitness is the perfect destination for anyone looking to get fit at home. They have a variety of home gym equipment that are suitable for all budgets and fitness levels, ranging from basic cardio machines to more advanced strength training equipment. They also provide excellent customer service and helpful advice on how to use their equipment for maximum results. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, you'll find everything you need at Xrival Fitness.

[xrivalfitness39]

Find the best fitness and gym equipment in Calgary to take your workout to the next level. We offer a range of top-rated machines and strength training. Get fit with our quality equipment in Calgary and achieve your fitness goals!

[prohomee]

renovate basement Calgary

Basement Renovation in Calgary, Alberta. Forget about a boring Basement with a washing machine. Transform your area into something useful, like Gym, Game-room, or bar. You can do it with our best basement renovation team in Alberta! Here you can find our very very best renovators who can transform a common basement into something unimaginable. Not only can a fully renovated space provide much needed entertainment or storage solutions, but it could very well increase the overall price of a home should the owners ever decide to sell down the road.

[thebiggestfan1]

Hi can I get a Matthew Tkachuk request where his girlfriend comes home and she finds him training in his home gym. He asks her to train with him so she does but she is a bit shy to ask him for help since she’s short and doesn’t know much about exercising. He teases her and says she’s so cute or something and can’t keep his hands off her in an innocent way. Basically just some fluff. Thanks 😊

omg I love this idea, it sounds so cute <3 

thanks for requesting! Also, requests are always open!

When you got home from work, the house was unusually quiet. It took you some time to find out where your boyfriend was - normally, you’d find him on the couch in the living room or sitting at the kitchen island and watching whatever was on TV at the moment. 

But today was different. Calgary lost already three games in a row and Matthew didn’t take it well. 

You found him in the gym, working out as if he didn’t have a game earlier that day. Matt did this often - whenever he was angry at himself or just frustrated.

“Hey,” you said softly, carefully coming closer to him. Matthew took off his headphones and gave you a small smile in return as you hugged his torso.

“How was your day?” he asked, tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear. 

“Busy.” you sighed and kissed him on the head. He was sitting on some workout machine that you had no idea how was called or used. For this moment, you were taller than him but just as he stood up to properly hug you, he was towering over you. 

“Would you please train with me for a while?” Matt mumbled into your hair. You were tired from work, wanted only to sleep, but- You couldn’t stand the feeling of him being alone like this. 

“Of course, Matty.” You had no idea what you were getting into. He tried to talk you into training with him multiple times but you always said that you were too tired or just didn’t want to. 

He kissed your brow in answer, letting go of your body as you went to change your clothes. When you came back, your hair in a ponytail and wearing some sport-friendly outfit, Matt made you do some warm up training before actually working out. Maybe, just maybe, you thought, this wouldn’t be so bad.

You found yourself a workout machine that looked like a bike, thinking how easy it would be to train on that. Matthew was watching you out of the corner of his eye and you wanted him to know that you could do this as easily as he did. 

And so you sat down on the bike, shifting your legs, reaching for the pedals-

But there was nothing there. As you looked down, you saw that your legs were so short that they couldn’t reach the pedals at all. 

Matthew burst out laughing next to you, his body shaking as he took the scene in.

“Oh, stop it, Matthew!” you told him, holding back a small smile. Your cheeks were so red you could feel it and so you jumped off the bike, finally feeling the embarassment. Of course you were too small for any of these workout machines - they were all custom made for Matty’s body type. And you were so much smaller than him. 

 “You’re so cute, Y/N,” Matt smiled and reached for your waist, his warm body touching yours, and you let yourself get comfortable in his embrace.

“You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.” With a kiss on your nose, he took one step back to look at you, never letting go of your waist. 

You didn’t answer, just looked at how bright his eyes became and how he couldn’t stop smiling at you. 

“I love you so much, you know that? Short legs and all.” Matt said, making you laugh. You know he wasn’t lying - you saw the endless love in his eyes.

“Yeah, I know, I know,” you rolled your eyes playfully. “Just shut up and help me with that bike.”

[raysofcrosby]

37 and 45 for matty please!

37. “welcome to fatherhood” + 45. “you’re getting a vasectomy. that’s final.” w/ matty tkachuk

The one thing you and Matt both agreed on from the moment you got married and even before, was that you wanted to have at least, 4 kids. He grew up with a brother and sister while you grew up an only child, both of you wanted your future kids to experience life with a sibling by their side. 

And Matt especially had been eager to start a family from the moment the words “I do” left both of your mouths. He spent most of your reception whispering into your ear all of the things he had planned for the nigh, how he couldn’t wait to get you alone and just how excited he was for your honeymoon in Turks and Caicos— “I hope you don’t plan on leaving the room for the first two days...you know, adjust to the time difference and all.”

It was only an hour time difference between Turks and Caicos and your permanent summer residence in St. Louis, but Matt didn’t care— it didn’t matter, and the two of you definitely didn’t leave the room until your third day into your two-week honeymoon.

Which is why it was no surprise to anyone that you found out you were  pregnant a little over two months later when you were packing up to go to Calgary for the season. You were packing up some of the bathroom stuff when you came across a box of tests from your bachelorette party when it was decided the group of you would play “pregnancy test roulette” which thankfully— no one was actually pregnant.

But there was one left and instead of taking it with you or just leaving it behind, you decided to use it and see if maybe the back to back...to multiple back nights on your honeymoon and even then after, resulted in you being pregnant. Matt came into the bathroom, having stripped down to his gym shorts by the time he reached your bathroom only to see you holding the pee stick in hand.

“Is that?”

“I’m pregnant.”

He only stood there shocked for a few seconds before he swept you up into his arms and kissed you, the excitement shining in his blue eyes as he put you down and smiled. “We’re gonna have a baby.”

Your pregnancy was actually...pretty idyllic when it came to first pregnancies. Your appointments all went perfect, you were in good health throughout and even though at most times you were sure that your moodiness would chase Matt away at any given moment, he never faltered. He was with you every step of the way whenever the Flames schedule permitted it.

He took pictures of the ultrasounds to send to family, if he was on the road he’d always send you a text asking for a bump date, and then get a little cheeky asking straight up for a size check on your chest because he ‘wanted to see how the boobs are looking.’ He was loving, attentive and you felt more than lucky to be able to have him with you throughout.

You were sitting in the friends and family box at a Flames game when your water broke all over the nice fancy carpet floor of the suite. Both your Mom and Matt’s were helping you out of the suite, your last words to Keith before leaving for the hospital being “tell him my water broke, but do not let him leave this game!” A wish that Keith abided by and that Matt, when in an intermission, sent you texts worrying about missing the birth. You assured him that you doubted that you’d be having a baby in the 20 minutes of third period hockey.

The Flames won, Matt skipped media and came rushing to the hospital to be by your side, making it right as you were getting your epidural. Your families were in the room with you, waiting to pass the time and trying to distract you from your contractions. By the time you were fully dismayed, both you and Matt were escorted to the delivery room Brady yelling out via FaceTime that he hoped Matt didn’t pass out.

Out of all the books and websites you read and from the stories some of the WAGS had shared from their experience and friends experience, the pain was definitely worth it in the end. At one point, you thought that Brady’s chirp might actually come to fruition and Matt would pass out, since he was starting to look a little pale, but thankfully it never happened and his color returned once that small little cry erupted throughout the room, bringing the both of you to tears as he brushed your hair back and kissed your forehead, whispering small praises as you held the baby on your chest.

Grayson Tkachuk proved to be every bit his father. From the moment he was born— he was just always fussy. Fussy when he was tired, when he was hungry, when he was and and even when he was happy, he couldn’t stay still and couldn’t stay quiet. You were thankful that both of yours and Matt’s parents stayed around for a few weeks to help you and Matt adjust to parenting, especially you since right after Grayson was born, that following week was the Flames longest road series of the season.

Your late night FaceTimes with Matt and even the ones he had on free days, you could see that he was feeling sad and even a bit guilty that he wasn’t there to help you out. But you assured him that your parents were a great help and that if he felt so bad, he could change the first dirty diaper Grayson had the moment Matt came back. “Sure, it can’t be that bad.”

Matt came back late one night, your parents were all away in their guest rooms and you were struggling to fall asleep after Grayson’s last feeding. You felt gross, tired and in desperate need of a shower, but that didn’t stop Matt from cuddling you into the bed and kissing you endlessly.

“How’s my baby?” He mumbled, kissing along your jaw.

“He’s sleeping, thankfully.”

“No, my other baby.” He laughed, leaning up on an elbow. “You, you dork.”

“Oh, I’m—“ Graysons cry came through the baby monitor and you sighed, nudging him away and standing up. “I’m feeling like that.”

He shook his head and for up with you. “Come on, let’s go see our baby.”

You walked down the hall to Graysons nursery, his cries getting louder as you neared the crib. You knew what kind of cry it was, ready to tell Matt what he needed before he picked up Grayson and shook his head. “His butt is heavy.”

“Diaper change, Matty.” You laughed, walking with him over tot he changing table. You helped Matt get Grayson undressed from his onesie, Matt instantly gagging at the smell the was coming from Grayson.

“Oh my God, it’s leaking!” He groaned, shoving his nose into the crook of his elbow and looking at you with pleasing eyes. “He burst the diaper.” 

“You called dibs on the first diaper change of your return home. You smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek as you patted his shoulder. “Welcome to fatherhood, Matty.”

++

Eight years and three kids later,  you’d become all too familiar with those signs of pregnancy— or so you thought you had. Grayson was a random positive pregnancy test, Madelyn was a ‘watch your period tracking app religiously’ planned kind of pregnancy and Sienna was not quite planned, since you found out you were pregnant with her only 7 months after having Madelyn.

You and Matt loved having the three of them so close in age—Eight, six and five— and while the three were also at each other’s throats over the smallest of things, toys, food, who’s car seat went where, they were also all extremely close. Most mornings, it wasn’t rare to find both girls cuddled with their big brother in his bed, or him sleeping on the floor in between their beds.

Their favorite time of the year, which also happened to be yours and Matt’s as well, was when both families got together at the Tkachuk’s lake house during the week leading up to the 4th of July. It was endless days of laughter, watching your kids play with their cousin and coo over the newest and smallest member, a baby boy Emma and Brady had welcomed only two months earlier, making their four year old son Tucker, a big brother.

Nights spent grilling out and enjoying the night summertime air only to wake up early the next morning to go out on the water— you loved it all. It was arguably the best time of the year.

Until the worst stomach cramps you ever felt in your entire life, ended up with Matt rushing you to the hospital where doctors listened to your assumptions of maybe it being your appendix. It was...a pleasant surprise when they came back and told you that you were pregnant before being told to relax while they brought an ultrasound tech in to make sure that everything was going okay.

“Pregnant.” You huffed, rolling up the tank top and stuffing it beneath your bathing suit top. “Pregnant! I was just pregnant!”

“Actually...it’s been awhile, five years. We wanted to wait a bit since Mads and Sie were so close in age.” He replied, spinning himself around in the stool. “And hey, with this being baby number four, we reached our goal.”

“And after baby number four, I’m staying celibate.” You mumbled.

You went back on birth control after Sienna was born, but it just never agreed with you. Through the last five years, you’d been through the implant, the pill, the iud— and all of them messed with your hormones so much that you and Matt went strictly back to condoms, much to both of your disdain for them.

“Alright, Y/N, I’m here to check to see what’s going on with your little one today,” the tech smiled, walking into the room. “Not your first rodeo?” She laughed, picking up the gel as she nodded at your rolled up t-shirt.

“Our fourth.” You replied, no longer phased by the cold feeling against your skin.

“Well congratulations again,” she smiled, turning on the ultrasound machine before picking up the wand. “I assume that you know what this is?”

You and Matt both nodded as she placed the wand against your belly, moving it around. “Can we do that thing we did with Madelyn? Guess the gender and whoever’s right gets to pick the name?” Matt smiled, holding your hand as he rested his chin on your arm.

“As long as you don’t turn it into a bet with your teammates.” You nodded, glaring at him. “I’m still not amused with the fact you almost let Sienna’s middle name be Sam because Sam guessed the gender correctly.”

“Sam’s not too bad—“

“Sienna Sam Tkachuk?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. “It doesn’t flow Matthew! If this is a boy, we’ll let him use his winning bet as a middle name, but no more bets with the guys.”

The ultrasound tech laughed as Matt started to blush. “Okay, agreed.” He said, kissing your knuckles before looking towards the tech. “So how’s baby number four looking?”

“Well, you’re definitely not around 8 weeks like you thought you were. You’re more around 12 weeks and the babies are doing great. The pain you felt was probably more having to do with your pelvic floor trying to prepare for them.”

“See, babe? The babies are fine.” Matt smiled, looking at you before snapping his head back to her. “Wait, babies?”

“Babies,” she smiled, turning the screen towards the both of you and pointing at the three different figures on the screen. “Baby A, Baby B and Baby C, and they’re all looking good in measurements and I don’t see any worry you should be having.”

Your jaw dropped and you felt Matt’s grip on your hand fall as the both of you stared at the screen in shock. “Babies...plural...three,” you said, letting out a small laugh. “Triplets?! I’m having triplets?!”

“Mhhm, and I’ll get these scans for you. But just know that they’re doing great and with multiples, your doctor is probably going to want you to check in a lot more. So when you go back home, be sure to make an appointment as soon as you can.” She smiled, handing you a paper towel before walking to leave the room.

Matt got up and walked towards the screen, staring at it before squatting down beside you and staring at your belly, poking it. “Huh...I guess I can kinda see a bump. I can’t believe there’s three mini us’s in there.” He turned to you with a big smile, only to let it falter as soon as he saw your glaring eyes.

“You’re getting a vasectomy. That’s final.”

[xrivalfitness]

Choose The Best Fitness Equipment In Calgary, Canada | X Rival Fitness

Are you looking for the best fitness equipment in Calgary, Canada? X Rival Fitness can help you find the perfect fit for your fitness goals. We provide a wide range of gym and fitness equipment from top brands like Fitness Depot, so you can be sure to find what you need. Whether it's cardio machines, strength training equipment, or accessories like yoga mats and weights, we have it all. With our selection of high quality products and knowledgeable staff, we are sure to help you choose the best fitness equipment for your needs.

[davidpastrsnack]

drive (pt. 2) - matthew tkachuk

a/n: ngl i’m not obsessed with this chapter. it’s kind of a filler but i promise things will get more juicy in the next one. hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

part one

Your eyebrows furrowed at his words as you looked at him in complete shock. 

You must have been hearing things, because there was no way Matthew just asked you to move to Calgary with him. 

“What?” you exclaimed. “You’re right, I do think you’re crazy,” you said with a chuckle. 

Matthew sat up straighter in the chair preparing to make his case, your body shifting with his. 

“Why? You’re just going to live at home while you try to figure out this job stuff, so why not do it with me in Calgary?” he spoke like it was the most obvious thing ever. 

He was dead serious about this. 

“Matthew, it's not that simple. I can’t just pick up and move with no plan. And to a different country? There’s a little thing called a border.”

“I’ll have my agent help with anything you need for your visa and I have a spare bedroom. Come on, Y/N. No offense to them, but do you want to spend your first year out of college living with your parents or with me?” he questioned. 

You rolled your eyes at his comment, you knew he loved your parents but he had a point. Still, there was just no way this would work out. You had only met some of his teammates once before, and now you’re just supposed to join their circle? Not to mention your feelings for him were at the forefront of your mind. You felt lucky that you never had to watch girl after girl fall at his feet because that wasn’t his life back home. It was a perfect example of ignorance is bliss. Moving to the city with him would rip that ignorance away and you didn’t know if you could handle that. 

You were silent for a minute, the only sound being the crackling of the fire and the crickets. You looked down and played with the sleeves of his sweatshirt, trying to gather your thoughts as he gazed at you hopefully. 

“Matty,” you started, “I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don’t see this happening. I don’t even have a job, how am I supposed to pay for a huge move like this?” you asked, not expecting an answer, but he had one anyway. 

“Is that a joke?” He laughed. “Not to sound like an asshole, but have you seen my contract? Y/N, I have more money than I’ll ever know what to do with.”

You rolled your eyes at him, “When have you ever tried not to sound like an asshole.”

He scoffed right back, but the words that followed were his most sincere of the night. “Just think about it, please, Y/N. I hate to see you so stressed about everything, you don’t deserve it. So just let me take care of you,” he whispered, looking up at you with the softest eyes. 

Your heart ached at his words. No matter how much you denied it, you were completely and utterly fucked for this man. If you went with him you knew it would only be a matter of time before you exposed yourself, which would most likely result in your lifelong friendship blowing up. You couldn’t let that happen. 

But before you could speak again, he opened his mouth, “Listen, I’m not letting you say no tonight. Sleep on it.”

“Fine,” you groaned, standing up from your post across his thighs. “I’ll think about it.”

He jumped up after you, throwing his arm around your shoulders pulling you in close while you both walked towards the house. 

“Just think about how much fun we’re gonna have. It’s cold though, you’re gonna have to get over that,” he chirped with a cheeky grin.  

“Well good thing I haven’t said yes,” you teased back, slipping inside the door he held open for you. 

-----

You woke up to the sun pouring through your windows, mentally cursing yourself for forgetting to close the curtains last night. You weren’t surprised though, your brain was absolute mush after hearing Matthew’s proposal. You rolled over to check your phone, the screen reading 7:12am. 

“Fuck,” you mumbled into your pillow. Emma was still passed out next to you, the bright light not at all phasing her. You ran your hands over your face, pausing to tangle them in your hair. It was way too early, but you also knew there was no chance of falling back asleep, so you pulled yourself out of bed and headed into the bathroom. 

You barely slept that night, there was just too much on your mind. The more you thought about it, you realized Matthew was right. It would be good for you to do something new during this time of your life. No matter how much you tried to resist it, you could feel him slowly but surely luring you in. 

You headed downstairs into the kitchen, needing caffeine immediately if you were going to be awake this early. You had the whole space to yourself and you sat on top of the counter while you waited for the coffee machine to heat up. The house was quiet and the view of the lake was helping to calm all your uncertainties. The water was flat like glass, the reflection of the trees clear as a photograph. You quickly got lost in the peaceful image, not even hearing the front door open. 

“Morning, sunshine,” you heard from behind you. 

He may have been on a mini vacation this weekend, but Matthew still started training camp in two weeks. He had clearly just come back from a run, his tall frame standing in front of you in just a pair of sneakers and basketball shorts. His toned chest was glistening with sweat and you had to physically pull your eyes away before he caught you staring. 

“Morning,” you replied, returning your gaze to the windows. 

“What are you doing down here? I’ve never seen you get up before ten unless you absolutely had to,” he spoke as he grabbed water from the fridge. Damn him for knowing you so well. 

“Uh- I don’t know,” you nervously muttered, not wanting to admit that you were up all night thinking about him. 

“Busy making up your mind?” he smirked, leaning against the countertop giving you the perfect view of his flexed arms. 

You rolled your eyes, mumbling a thank you as he slid a cup of coffee towards you, made exactly how you liked it. The two of you sat there for a few minutes slowly sipping the hot liquid from the matching mugs. Matthew was busy texting Keith and his trainer, both making sure that he was staying on track while away from the gym, while you kept admiring the lake. It never failed to amaze you how comfortable you two were around each other. The room was silent, but it wasn’t awkward at all. In that moment you decided it was time to give him an answer, suddenly throwing all caution to the wind. 

“Matty?” you asked, turning your body to face his as he sat on the stool next to you. 

“Hmm?” he responded, putting his phone to the side and meeting your gaze. 

You took in a long breath, wondering if you were really about to do this. 

“I’ll go with you,” you spoke softly. 

The grin that spread on his face was unmatched to anything else you had ever seen. The corners of his mouth were practically reaching his forehead and his baby blue eyes lit up at your words. 

“I’m sorry, what was that? I didn’t quite hear you,” he teased, gloating in the fact that he convinced you. 

“Matthew I will change my mind right now.”

“No, no way,” he stood up, stepping closer and wrapping you up in his arms, squeezing your frame tight as it sunk in that you were really coming with him. 

Your body relaxed in his grasp, your arms slinking around his waist to hold him to you. His head rested on top of yours, both of you so at ease with the other. 

“I promise you won’t regret it,” he whispered. 

“You need to shower,” you joked, feeling like it was time to break the embrace. There was only so long friends could hug platonically and you guys were seconds away from crossing that line. 

He laughed as he finally pulled away, “Whatever you say, roomie.” 

“Roomie?” 

Your head twisted to the other side of the room to see Brady standing in the hall. Great, you thought, just what you needed. It was one thing for you and Matthew to talk about this but you couldn’t deny that you were nervous to see everyone’s reactions, especially both of your families.  

“Y/N is coming to Calgary with me,” Matthew stated. You waited for Brady’s next words, noting the warning glare his older brother was sending him. 

“She is?” he raised his eyebrows, shifting his gaze to you. The look on his face was worth a thousand words: Brady was onto you. 

But little did you know, he was also onto Matthew. 

“Yup,” you anxiously laughed.

To say it was awkward would be the understatement of the century. 

“Alright well I’m gonna go shower,” Matthew broke the silence, moving towards the staircase to go upstairs. 

You and Brady nodded, neither one of you speaking until he was out of sight. Your eyes were focused on the cup of coffee in front you, refusing to make eye contact with him because you knew what was coming. 

“You know, I don’t even think I need to say anything,” he started. 

You scoffed louded at his words, standing up to go back into your room to get ready for the day. You weren’t in the mood for his teasing, especially not when it only reminded you of what you would never have. 

“Y/N, wait,” he pleaded, his attitude quickly shifting, the regret clear in his voice. 

“What, Brady?” you snapped, turning to face him. 

“It’s not just you. He’s compared every girl to you for as long as I can remember.”

You shook your head at him in disbelief. There was no way that was true, and Brady was seriously messed up if he thought screwing with you like this was funny. 

“Look, you don’t have to agree with me right now, but I’m giving you two a month of living together before you finally pull your heads out of your asses,” he stated confidently. 

“Don’t hold your breath,” you chuckled, finally heading up the stairs. 

-----

Just a week later you found yourself arriving at Calgary International Airport, Matthew right by your side. Your parents had been more supportive of your decision than you expected, but then again they had always loved Matthew. The two of you were sitting by the baggage claim waiting for your luggage when the exhaustion of the day finally hit. On top of that, the airline warned that there were baggage delays, so you didn’t plan on getting out of here soon. You didn’t mean to, but you let out an obnoxiously loud yawn as you caught up on your social media feeds. 

“You alright there?” Matthew joked, looking at you with his eyebrows raised. 

“Yes, dad, I’m fine,” you countered. 

“I’m gonna go get coffee, we both need it. The usual?” he asked, standing up before you could tell him he didn’t have to get it for you. 

You knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so you opted for a simple nod. Just a few moments later, a young boy who was with a man that you assumed was his father tentatively walked up to you. 

“Hi, I’m so sorry to bother you, but was that Matthew Tkachuk?” the man inquired. 

You smiled at them both, remembering that Matthew wasn’t exactly nobody in this city. “Yeah, it is.” The boy’s face lit up at your words, clearly a huge Flames fan. 

“You guys can wait with me, he should be back any minute now and I’m sure he’d love to say hi,” you encouraged. No matter how well known Matthew had become, he always made the time to stop for kids. 

The pair sat down across from your seat, patiently waiting for the hockey player’s return. It wasn’t long until you saw him walking back towards you, two coffees in hand. When he saw the people with you he had a quizzical look on his face, but you gave him a gentle nod to let him know it was okay. Once he got closer, he realized just what was happening. 

“Hi there,” he smiled, “I’m Matthew.” He paused to hand you your coffee before shaking hands with the man and sinking down to his knees to fist bump the boy. 

They settled into an easy conversation, the boy finally warming up after the shock of meeting one of his idols. Matthew was unbelievably good with kids, and no matter how many times you saw it, he still made your heart flutter each time. It came so naturally to him, and you couldn’t help but let your mind wander to how incredible of a father he was going to be someday. After you took some pictures and Matthew signed a few autographs, the pair went back to their own baggage carousel. 

He settled back into his chair next to yours, sighing as he ran his hands through his brown curls. 

“That was really nice of you, Matthew,” 

“It’s nothing. I used to be that kid,” he said, trying to brush it off. 

“I’m serious, you didn’t have to do that. You’re a great person when you want to be,” you teased. 

“Yeah? And how’s that coffee I just went to get you?” he chirped right back, bumping his shoulder into yours with a grin across his face. 

-----

After Matthew stubbornly refused to let you carry your own bags out, you two were finally sitting in the back of an Uber on the way to his apartment. It was nearly dusk and the city was lit up with the beautiful, golden light of the approaching sunset. 

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” you heard from beside you, Matthew’s voice snapping you out of your daze. 

“Yeah it is,” you smiled, meeting his gaze to find him already looking at you. 

It didn’t take long for you to arrive at his building, Matthew stopping at the front desk to introduce you to the concierge. It was the first of what you assumed to be many times someone would be confused by your situation, and you knew you would soon get used to saying, “Oh no, we’re not- we’re just friends.”

After heading up the elevator and walking down the hall, Matthew unlocked his door, letting you walk in first as he followed. 

“Wow, not bad,” you mumbled, taking in the interior. It was the definition of a bachelor’s pad, the dark, sleek design a clear reflection of his lifestyle. 

“I just moved in at the end of last season so it’s missing some things, but yeah, it’s not bad,” he laughed. 

You walked over to the floor length windows taking in the view of the lit up city around you. You crossed your arms over your chest, the fact that you were really here was definitely settling in. But something about it just felt right, like you belonged here. Matthew’s body slid next to yours, joining you to admire his home after so long away. 

“I’ll show you around tomorrow and we can get dinner or something with the guys that are back already,” he spoke, pulling you into his side with his arm. Your head fell to rest on his shoulder. “I really want this to feel like home for you,” he said softly. 

You slipped your arms around his torso reciprocating his embrace, “Thank you, Matty.”

“Let me show you your room,” he spoke as he grabbed your hand to guide you into the rest of the apartment. 

You and Matthew spent the night unpacking and settling in. He ordered food, making sure to give you the rundown on all his favorite spots, before putting on a movie. After eating more than either of you should have, you found yourself cuddled into his side on the couch, a fuzzy blanket covering your bodies and his frame vibrating beneath you each time he laughed at the screen. You don’t remember when, but at some point you drifted off on his chest, only to be woken up to him carrying you to bed. 

Yeah, you could get used to this. 

[fitfix12]

Top Exercise Equipment Stores In Calgary For Home And Gym Use

FitFix Inc. is a leading retailer of exercise equipment in Calgary that provides a range of high-end equipment for home and gym usage, such as cardio machines, strength training machines, and accessories. They enhance your training experience with professional coaching and state-of-the-art equipment, guaranteeing quality, durability, and performance. For more information visit :- https://fitfix.ca/

[warped-historian]

Warped Tour, 2005

Dates:

June 18: Columbus, OH

June 19: Milwaukee, WI

June 21: Maryland Heights, MO

June 22: Bonner Springs, KS

June 24: Dallas, TX

June 25: Houston, TX

June 26: Selma, TX

June 28: Las Cruces, NM

June 29: Phoenix, AZ

June 30: San Diego, CA

July 1: Long Beach, CA

July 2: San Francisco, CA

July 3: Ventura, CA

July 4: Fresno, CA

July 6: Pomona, CA

July 7: Wheatland, CA

July 8: Nampa, ID

July 9: George, WA

July 10: Saint Helens, OR

July 12: Vancouver, BC

July 14: Calgary, AB

July 15: Bozeman, MT

July 16: Salt Lake City, UT

July 17: Denver, CO

July 20: Noblesville, IN

July 21: Cleveland, OH

July 22: Cincinnati, OH

July 23: Tinley Park, IL

July 24: Minneapolis, MN

July 26: Corfu, NY

July 28: Quebec, QC

July 29: Montreal, QC

July 30: Barrie, ON

July 31: Pontiac, MI

August 1: Burgettstown, PA

August 3: Atlanta, GA

August 4: Jacksonville, FL

August 5: Tampa, FL

August 6: Pompano Beach, FL

August 7: Orlando, FL

August 8: Charlotte, NC

August 9: Virginia Beach, VA

August 10: Bristow, VA

August 11: Scranton, PA

August 12: Camden, NJ

August 13: New York City, NY

August 14: Englishtown, NJ

August 15: Northampton, MA

Lineup:

Alexisonfire (Played 7/12-7/14)

Atreyu

Billy Idol (Played 7/6-7/8, 7/10, 7/16, 7/20, 7/22, 7/23)

The Dillinger Escape Plan (Played 7/26-8/1)

Fall Out Boy

Good Charlotte (Played 7/28)

Hawthorne Heights

My Chemical Romance

Relient K (Played 7/6-8/15)

Senses Fail

Simple Plan (Played 7/15-7/17)

The Starting Line

Story Of The Year (Played 8/3-8/15)

Thrice

The All-American Rejects (Played 6/18-7/10 and 7/15-7/26)

Avenged Sevenfold

Billy Talent (Played 7/12-7/14)

Dropkick Murphys

Gogol Bordello (Played 7/3-7/8 and 7/15-7/23)

Matchbook Romance

Mest (Played 7/4-8/15)

Millencolin (Played 7/28-8/14)

MxPx

No Use For A Name (Played 6/18-7/23)

The Offspring (Played 6/18-7/12 and 7/15-8/14)

Strung Out

The Suicide Machines (Played 7/31)

Transplants

The Bled

The Explosion (Played 6/18-7/17)

Funeral For A Friend (Played 7/20-8/15)

Horrorpops (Played 7/14)

Hot Rod Circuit (Played 8/3-8/15)

The Kinison (Played 7/20-8/15)

Mae (Played 7/20-8/15)

Motion City Soundtrack (Played 7/6-7/12 and 7/15-8/15)

Over It (Played 7/28-8/15)

Rufio (Played 7/2-7/12 and 7/15-7/17)

Reggie And The Full Effect (Played 7/7-8/15)

Saosin (Played 7/21-8/15)

Silverstein (Played 6/18-7/17)

Strike Anywhere (Played 6/18-7/2 and 7/14)

Tsunami Bomb (Played 6/18-7/1)

Underoath (Played 6/18-7/17 and 7/28-8/14)

The Unseen (Played 6/18-7/17)

The Academy Is... (Played 7/26-8/7)

The Actual (Played 6/18-6/30)

Amber Pacific (Played 7/20-8/1)

Another Damn Disappointment (Played 6/18-6/29 and 7/26-8/1)

ASG (Played 7/1-7/12, 7/15-7/17 and 8/3-8/15)

Bedouin Soundclash

Bleeding Through (Played 8/3-8/15)

The Briefs (Played 8/3-8/15)

The Dead 60s (Played 8/8-8/15)

Dorothy Sanchez (Played 7/20-8/1)

The Fight (Played 7/26-8/15)

From First To Last (Played 7/6-7/12 and 7/15-7/17)

Go Betty Go (Played 7/26-8/15)

Gratitude (Played 8/1-8/15)

Gym Class Heroes (Played 7/6-7/24)

Halifax (Played 7/6-7/24)

Hidden In Plain View (Played 6/18-7/17)

Horrorpops (Played 7/6-7/12 and 7/15-7/24)

Lost City Angels (Played 7/20-8/1)

The Matches (Played 6/18-7/17)

Near Miss (Played 7/24-7/31)

Opiate for the Masses (Played 7/14)

Plain White T's (Played 6/18-7/4)

The Riverboat Gamblers (Played 6/18-7/12, 7/15-7/24 and 8/3-8/15)

Rufio (Played 7/14)

Skindred (Played 7/20-7/24 and 8/8-8/15)

Stutterfly (Played 6/18-7/4)

Street Dogs (Played 8/3-8/15)

Throw Rag (Played 7/20-7/24, 8/1)

The Twenty Twos (Played 6/18-7/2)

Valient Thorr

A Change Of Pace (Played 7/16-7/30)

A Thorn For Every Heart (Played 8/1-8/15)

A Wilhelm Scream (Played 8/15)

Acceptance (Played 8/10-8/15)

Amber Pacific (Played 7/14)

Armor For Sleep (Played 6/18-7/17)

Before Today (Played 6/30)

Between Home And Serenity (Played 6/18-6/21)

Boys Night Out

Cartel (Played 7/31-8/1)

Darkest Hour (Played 8/13-8/15)

Day Two (Played 7/1-7/12 and 7/15-7/17)

Emery

From First To Last (Played 7/14)

The Fully Down (Played 7/14)

Gatsbys American Dream (Played 6/18-7/4)

Glory Of This (Played 8/7-8/9)

Greeley Estates

Hopesfall

June (Played 7/23-7/26)

The Junior Varsity (Played 7/20-7/22)

Mewithoutyou (Played 8/1)

Roses Are Red (Played 7/4-7/10)

Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Played 6/24-6/29 and 7/28-8/9)

So They Say (Played 6/18-6/22)

The Spill Canvas (Played 7/20-7/24)

This Day And Age (Played 8/10-8/15)

This Providence (Played 7/8-7/10)

Waking Ashland (Played 6/30-7/4)

The Working Title (Played 8/3-8/6)

Yesterday's Rising

A Change of Pace (Played 6/29)

A Thorn for Every Heart (Played 6/29-7/7)

A Wilhelm Scream (Played 7/20-7/30)

Aiden (Played 7/9)

As Tall As Lions (Played 7/26 and 8/1)

Big D and the Kids Table

Bleed the Dream

Circa Survive (Played 8/8-8/15)

EchoValve (Played 8/3-8/6)

Ethos Music Camp Band (Played 6/30-7/2)

The Feds (Played 6/18-6/28)

Her Candane (Played 7/16)

Kane Hodder (Played 7/8-7/18)

The Malcontents (Played 7/20)

Monty's Fan Club (Played 7/8-8/1 and 8/10-8/15)

Mr. Brown (Played 8/3-8/7)

Much the Same (Played 7/23)

My American Heart

Nonpoint (Played 8/3-8/9)

Opiate for the Masses

Poopan (Played 6/29-7/7)

The Receiving End Of Sirens (Played 6/18-6/28 and 8/1-8/15)

Sargent (Played 8/14)

Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Played 6/18-6/22)

The Silence (Played 6/29-7/7)

Slavic Souls Party (Played 8/11-8/12 and 8/14)

Sophomore (Played 6/22)

Split Habit (Played 7/21-7/24 and 7/28-7/30)

The Swellers (Played 7/21, 7/24)

Thin Dark Line (Played 7/26)

5 Stars For Failure (Played 7/24)

15 Minutes Late (Played 6/19)

5606 (Played 7/2)

A Day in Africa (Played 6/22)

A Day to Remember (Played 8/5)

A Sense of Belonging (Played 8/12)

A Textbook Tragedy (Played 7/12)

Abacus (Played 7/28)

Abbington (Played 6/22)

Acitone (Played 7/24)

Ahimsa Sunrise (Played 8/11)

Alivia (Played 7/14)

Amber Sky CA (Played 7/6)

Amora Savant (Played 6/19)

Animal Suit Driveby (Played 8/15)

Antagen (Played 7/1)

Ashwin (Played 8/8)

avarice.to.lace (Played 7/14)

The Awkward Romance (Played 8/3)

Bad Larry (Played 8/15)

The Belmonte Academy (Played 7/10)

Bennington (Played 6/25)

Bensin (Played 7/26)

Blank Logic (Played 7/4)

TheBleedingAlarm (Played 7/12)

BlueTurnsWhite (Played 7/10)

Boldtype (Played 7/17)

Brookside (Played 8/13)

Burning Bright (Played 7/23)

Camera (Played 7/4)

Carter Beats the Devil (Played 8/6)

Casual Drama (Played 7/15)

Catherine (Played 7/7)

Ceremonial Snips (Played 7/29)

Chasing Victory (Played 8/4)

The Classic Crime (Played 7/9)

ClearviewPA (Played 8/1)

Crane (Played 7/28)

Crashing By Design (Played 7/24)

Crooked Edge (Played 8/5)

Cute is What We Aim For (Played 7/26)

Danny Wynn and the Earthlings (Played 6/28)

Dead Letter Diaries (Played 7/1)

Dear Whoever (Played 7/10)

December Lies (Played 8/12)

Deciding Tonight (Played 8/13)

DelsonDrive (Played 7/29)

Divide the Day (Played 7/1)

Divine Endings (Played 8/9)

Don't Let Go (Played 6/29)

Drama Summer (Played 7/21)

Drawback (Played 7/26)

Drive By Romance (Played 6/24)

Dystalis (Played 7/20)

Exhaustra (Played 8/4)

Fall of Transition (Played 8/9)

Falling Closer (Played 7/10)

The Famed (Played 6/22)

Farewell (Played 8/8)

Farewell To Twilight (Played 6/19)

FATE (Played 7/7)

The Felix Culpa (Played 7/23)

Femme Fatality (Played 6/21)

FIAD (Played 8/9)

Finish the Fight (Played 6/28)

Fire At Will (Played 8/7)

Five Style Fist (Played 7/17)

Flight 409 (Played 7/4)

Flip the Switch (Played 7/7)

The Flipside (Played 6/24)

Fly By Night (Played 7/3)

Forever Changed (Played 8/7)

Four Alarm Fire (Played 7/1)

The Fully Down (Played 7/29)

Gas Can Pickup (Played 7/23)

The Ghost Cried Murder (Played 7/14)

Girl in a Coma (Played 6/26)

Glass Intrepid (Played 6/25)

Glory Nights (Played 7/12)

Gone Baby Gone (Played 8/15)

Haffo (Played 6/29)

Heavy Heavy Low Low (Played 7/2)

Heist At Hand (Played 6/25)

High Flight Society (Played 8/3)

The Hint (Played 8/10)

His Red Letters (Played 7/16)

Hit the Lights (Played 6/18)

House Of Heroes (Played 6/18)

In Camera (Played 7/16)

Inept (Played 7/23)

InMemory (Played 7/3)

Isadora (Played 8/1)

Ismada (Played 8/13)

Ject (Played 8/6)

The Josephine Love Letter (Played 6/22)

Junior Revolution (Played 7/22)

Kandace Ferrel and HeartsAcrossAmerica (Played 7/6)

Karmellas Game (Played 8/10)

Kid Innocence (Played 7/2)

Kill What I Adore (Played 6/18)

Langley (Played 7/8)

Larger Than Life (Played 6/30)

Last Tuesday (Played 8/11)

Lenore (Played 7/17)

Love Equals Death (Played 7/2)

Lowercase (Played 6/21)

Lucky For Nothing (Played 7/9)

Mercury Bullet (Played 7/4)

The Mercy League (Played 8/6)

Midnight Aria (Played 8/7)

The Mile After (Played 8/8)

Mint 6 Ten (Played 7/22)

Minus My Thoughts (Played 7/15)

Monet Madrid Madagascar (Played 7/21)

Moraine (Played 8/12)

MOTH (Played 7/22)

Motionless in White (Played 8/11)

My Hostage (Played 8/4)

My Life Story (Played 7/3)

The NAOS Project (Played 6/26)

National Product (Played 6/30)

Nikki Hurst (Played 7/12)

Novella (Played 6/21)

Off Track (Played 6/30)

One Amazing Kid (Played 8/8)

One For Hope (Played 6/28)

Otenki (Played 6/25)

Out of Options (Played 7/30)

Panic Division (Played 6/26)

Pensativa (Played 7/3)

The Pinstripes (Played 7/22)

The Pirkqlaters (Played 7/8)

Point One (Played 7/9)

Post Break Tragedy (Played 8/14)

Potty Mouth Society (Played 7/9)

Queen City Knights (Played 7/26)

Race the Sun (Played 8/9)

Radio (Played 8/6)

Ready to Fall (The Hydra Melody) (Played 6/26)

Red Knife Lottery (Played 6/19)

Red Lipstick Letter (Played 8/4)

Red Wire Morning (Played 7/6)

Redfield (Played 6/29)

Rottin Youth (Played 7/8)

Royden (Played 8/13)

Rushmore Academy (Played 6/21)

The Sainte Catherines (Played 7/29)

Saravain (Played 8/10)

The Scene (Played 6/18)

Select Start (Played 8/5)

Shift D (Played 7/30)

Shining Through (Played 6/30)

Sick City (Played 7/14)

Side Dish Sydney (Played 7/30)

Sleeper Set Sail (Played 7/30)

Sloppy Meateaters (Played 8/3)

Someday Never (Played 8/14)

Steal The Air (Played 8/14)

Straight Line Stitch (Played 8/3)

The Superspecs (Played 8/14)

Synthetic Elements (Played 7/17)

Take The Fall (Played 7/16)

The Temptation of Saint Anthony (Played 7/8)

This Awkward Silence (Played 7/21)

Throw the Fight (Played 7/24)

Tooth Fuzz (Played 7/21)

TraceMyVeins (Played 7/15)

Trackfighter (Played 7/7)

Tripleshot (Played 6/24)

Truly Changed (Played 8/7)

The Two Bit Terribles (Played 7/20)

Upper Class Trash (Played 8/5)

Uptown Stomp (Played 8/10)

Urinal Mints (Played 7/20)

Useed (Played 7/28)

Valencia (Played 8/12)

Vera Lynn (Played 6/29)

The Victory Year (Played 8/1)

The Waiting Room (Played 6/24)

We Are Lions (Played 7/6)

W.E.T. (Played 7/15)

WhenManMeetsHisMaker (Played 8/11)

Wings of Azrael (Played 8/1)

Your Name in Lights (Played 6/28)

Zox (Played 8/15)

33 West (Played 8/9)

A Void (Played 7/17)

Abrasive Wheels (Played 6/18-6/22)

Action Action (Played 8/4-8/6)

Adair (Played 6/21-6/22)

Adelphi (Played 8/9-8/10)

Adrenokrome (Played 7/3-7/4)

The A.K.A.'s (Played 7/23-7/26, 7/31-8/5 and 8/15)

Alucard (Played 7/31)

Amateur Musician's Fund (Played 7/30)

A.N.I.M.A.L. (Played 6/24-6/28)

The Art of Safecracking (Played 6/30-7/2)

Backside Slappy (Played 8/9)

Baghead (Played 8/11)

Bedlight for Blue Eyes (Played 6/18-6/19)

Beerzone (Played 8/11-8/14)

Bella Morte (Played 8/9)

Blackbird (Played 6/29)

Blue Sky Goodbye (Played 7/20)

Bob's Kitchen (Played 7/21-7/22)

Boink (Played 7/31)

Bombs Over Providence (Played 7/12-7/14 and 7/28-7/29)

Brain Failure (Played 8/8-8/11)

Brat Attack (Played 7/12-7/14)

Bricks For Shoulders (Played 7/21-7/22)

Brigands (Played 6/28)

Brutally Frank (Played 6/21)

Bullets and Octane (Played 6/30-7/3)

Burning Bright (Played 7/23)

Burns Out Bright (Played 8/8)

Butane (Played 7/23)

Buttonhead (Played 7/20)

Cartel (Played 8/3-8/4)

Cofelon (Played 7/17)

The Chaos Theory (Played 7/24)

Charlize (Played 7/17)

Chasing August (Played 8/8)

Chasing Victory (Played 8/3)

Chesterwhite and His Orchestra (Played 7/21-7/22)

Cigarette (Played 7/15-7/16)

Close to Home (Played 7/15-7/17)

Co-Exist (Played 7/4 and 7/7-7/8)

Comfortable For You (Played 7/2)

The Commercials (Played 7/21-7/22 and 7/26)

Coppermine (Played 6/21-6/22)

Corey Versus Corey (Played 6/24)

Closed For Mondays (Played 6/19)

Cranked Up! (Played 8/12)

Crush Luther (Played 7/28-7/30)

The Culling Song (Played 6/18)

Custom Made Scare (Played 7/3)

Damien's Day Out (Played 8/10)

Darkbuster (Played 8/10-8/11 and 8/13)

Day of Contempt (Played 7/4-7/7)

Daze (Played 7/26)

Deadbeat Romeo (Played 7/12-7/14)

Dead Poetic (Played 6/18)

Defiance of Authority (Played 8/8)

Defining Moment (Played 8/6)

DEK (Played 7/9)

Delux (Played 6/26)

Denver Harbor (Played 7/3 and 7/6)

Destruction Made Simple (Played 7/2-7/3 and 7/6)

Dexter Danger (Played 6/26)

The Dog and Everything (Played 7/21-7/22)

Diffs (Played 7/1-7/2)

The Disease (Played 8/8)

Disorient Express (Played 6/28)

Divided They Fall (Played 6/29)

DKLIMB (Played 8/4-8/6)

Down to Earth (Played 8/8 and 8/10)

Downtown Brown (Played 7/31)

Downtown Singapore (Played 8/10)

Dr. Neptune (Played 7/16-7/17)

The Drapes (Played 7/8)

Dub Trio (Played 8/13)

Echo Screen (Played 8/14)

Echovalve (Played 8/7-8/9)

The Eight Bucks Experiment (Played 7/17)

El Centro (Played 7/6)

El Pollo Diablo (Played 7/15)

The Escaped (Played 7/10)

E.W.I. (Played 7/9)

The Fabulous Rudies (Played 6/24-6/26)

Fail to Follow (Played 7/16)

Fakeknife (Played 8/14)

Fear Nuttin' Band (Played 8/9-8/15)

The Fenwicks (Played 8/4-8/6)

Fight Paris (Played 8/3)

Fight the Locals (Played 7/31)

The Firebird Band (Played 7/20 and 7/22)

Firecracker 500 (Played 7/6)

First on Mars (Played 8/1)

Five Minutes to Freedom (Played 6/30)

Flight 409 (Played 7/9)

Forever Changed (Played 8/4)

Forgetting April (Played 6/24)

Fred Savage & the Unbeatables (Played 7/24)

From There for Tomorrow (Played 8/4)

Fu Manchu (Played 7/1)

Fully Loaded (Played 7/15-7/16)

The Gasrats (Played 6/19)

G.F.I. (Played 7/8)

Gone All Summer (Played 7/23)

Grand Buffet (Played 8/12)

Grave for the Fireflies (Played 7/10)

Grayson Manor (Played 8/3)

Griz (Played 7/23-7/24)

Guff (Played 8/3)

He Is Legend (Played 8/3)

Hellogoodbye (Played 8/5-8/7)

Hence Reverie (Played 8/12 and 8/14)

Hidden By Authority (Played 7/2-7/3)

High Deafinition (Played 7/28-7/30)

Hitchers (Played 8/12-8/14)

Honchie (Played 6/25)

Hopesick (Played 8/5)

Hot Like (A) Robot (Played 7/20-7/22)

Hurry Up Offense (Played 8/1 and 8/11)

The Huxtables (Played 7/7-7/8

I Am the Avalanche (Played 7/26 and 8/13-8/15)

I Voted for Kodos (Played 6/19 and 6/22)

Idiom (Played 7/3-7/4)

illScarlett (Played 7/28-7/30)

In Memory (Played 7/1)

Inspect Her Gadget (Played 7/2, 7/4 and 7/7)

Introspect (Played 7/16)

Irradio (Played 7/6)

Issue 10 (Played 7/8)

It Dies Today (Played 8/11-8/13)

J4 (Played 6/24-6/29)

Jenoah (Played 6/19-6/22)

Jupiter Sunrise (Played 7/15)

Kaddisfly (Played 7/3, 7/7, 7/9-7/10 and 7/15)

Kairos (Played 8/1)

The Keep Always (Played 7/24)

The Know How (Played 7/20 and 7/22)

Last Great Hope (Played 8/7)

Like Yesterday (Played 7/26 and 8/13-8/15)

The Lingua Franca (Played 7/31)

The Look (Played 7/9-7/10 and 7/15)

Lorene Drive (Played 8/3-8/7)

Los Creepers (Played 7/7)

Los Furios (Played 7/12-7/14)

Los Kung-Fu Monkeys (Played 6/28-6/30)

Loser's Luck (Played 6/21-6/22)

Losing Team (Played 7/4)

Love Equals Death (Played 7/10)

The Lucky Stiffs (Played 7/7-7/9)

Ludo (Played 6/21)

The Madd Agents (Played 8/7)

The Mansfields (Played 7/17)

Maryz Eyez (Played 7/31)

Max Cady (Played 6/25)

Mentally Ill (Played 7/15)

The Miasmics (Played 8/9)

Midnight Aria (Played 8/4)

Mike Got Spiked (Played 7/28-7/30)

Mike Watt & Peter DiStefano (Played 6/30-7/4)

Milton (Played 7/21-7/22)

The Minor League (Played 7/31)

Minority (Played 6/24-6/26)

Morning Call (Played 7/12-7/14)

Most Precious Blood (Played 6/21-6/22)

Mourning Maxwell (Played 6/25-6/29)

Murdocks (Played 6/25)

My Finest Hour (Played 6/18)

My Former Self (Played 7/6 and 7/9)

My So-Called Band (Played 8/8)

Name Taken (Played 6/29-6/30)

Narcoleptic Youth (Played 6/30 and 7/3-7/6)

National Product (Played 7/1 and 7/15)

Near Miss (Played 7/20-7/23)

Neglected Superhero (Played 8/7)

Never the Better (Played 7/20)

No Name Charlies (Played 7/21-7/22)

The New Transit Direction (Played 7/16)

No Comply (Played 7/28-7/30)

Noise Attack (Played 7/2)

Notwithstanding (Played 7/24)

Nuts and Bolts (Played 8/4)

O'Doyle Rules (Played 6/24)

Off Track (Played 7/10)

One Eyed Jacks (Played 7/12-7/14)

OneWorldSolution (Played 7/7-7/8)

Onset of Effect (Played 6/28-6/29 and 7/1)

Open Hand (Played 6/18-6/19)

Ordinary K (Played 8/13)

Oreon (Played 7/20-7/22)

Outlett (Played 7/4)

The Paperdolls (Played 7/8)

PBM (Played 7/31)

Peachcake (Played 6/29)

Playing With Matches (Played 6/21)

Pluto Gang (Played 8/11)

The Preps (Played 8/1)

Preston (Played 7/16)

Protest the Hero (Played 7/12-7/14 and 7/30)

The Randies (Played 7/4-7/6)

The Real Deal (Played 7/28-7/30)

Remedy for Ruin (Played 7/26 and 8/13)

Robby Roadsteamer (Played 8/11 and 8/13-8/14)

Roses Are Red (Played 6/18-6/19)

Roundabout (Played 7/9)

Roundeye (Played 7/23)

Royden (Played 8/14)

Sakura (Played 7/20)

Same Day Service (Played 6/22-6/26)

Saving Verona (Played 7/17)

Say They Exist (Played 8/7)

Select Start (Played 8/4)

Seventh Echo (Played 6/18)

Shoreline (Played 7/23-7/24)

Silent Army (Played 7/15)

Simple & Supreem (Played 8/1)

Single File (PLayed 7/16-7/17

Singled Out (Played 6/29)

Six Hung Sprung (Played 6/21)

Skint (Played 7/16)

The Skulls (Played 6/30)

Sledgeback (Played 7/9)

So Abused (Played 7/8)

Somerset (Played 7/24)

Sophomore (Played 7/30)

Southcott (Played 7/26)

Split Fifty (Played 8/9-8/10 and 8/12)

Still Not Sexy (Played 7/23)

Stolen Babies (Played 6/30-7/2)

Straight Outta Junior High (Played 6/22)

Strawmen (Played 8/10)

The Stranger's Six (Played 6/30)

Subseven (Played 6/22-6/24)

Summerhero (Played 7/28-7/30)

Sunday Driver (Played 8/5-8/7)

Switchblade Kittens (Played 6/28)

Tanya Janca (Played 6/28)

Ten Second Epic (Played 7/12-7/14)

Third Estate (Played 7/26)

Third to None (Played 7/26)

Thirty3 (Played 7/10)

The Thornbirds (Played 7/10)

Through You (Played 8/5)

Tied For Second (Played 6/24)

Time Again (Played 7/1 and 7/7)

The Timmys (Played 7/23-7/24)

Tommy Coma (Played 8/11)

Tomorrows Too Late (Played 6/26)

Toothless George & His One Man Band (Played 8/1 and 8/12)

The Track Record (Played 8/8-8/10)

Transit War (Played 7/3)

Ultimate Power Duo (Played 7/12-7/14)

The Uncertain 5 (Played 6/18)

The Underwater (Played 8/12)

Unit F (Played 6/30 and 7/4-7/7)

Uptown (Played 6/29)

The Valley Arena (Played 6/30-7/2)

The Valley Kids (Played 6/28)

Versus the World (Played 7/4)

Waiting for Darryl (Played 7/8 and 7/10)

Waking Ashland (Played 7/1 and 7/9-7/10)

Walls of Jericho (Played 7/31-8/3)

Waving at Strangers (Played 8/3)

The Weakend (Played 7/31)

The Western Front (Played 6/19)

Westbound Train (Played 8/8-8/10)

Westshore (Played 8/6)

Who Needs Shoes? (Played 7/28-7/30)

Whole Wheat Bread (Played 8/5-8/7)

Wicked Wisdom (Played 7/10)

Witroy (Played 7/20)

Words Now Heard (Played 8/6-8/9)

Your Best Regret (Played 8/12)

Youthinasia (Played 7/28-7/30)

Zach Lost (Played 8/14)

Zero Syndrome (Played 6/25)

2 Mex (Played 6/29-7/10)

360 Degrees (Played 7/31)

Arcane (Played 6/18-6/28, 6/30-7/9, 7/12-7/28, 7/30-8/5 and 8/8-8/15)

Astronautalis (Played 6/24-7/7, 7/15, 8/3-8/7 and 8/13-8/15)

Asylum7 (Played 7/31)

Awol One (Played 6/29-7/10)

Bad Feathers (Played 6/18-6/22)

Blestenation (Played 8/8-8/15)

Bomb Sqwad (Played 8/8-8/9)

Braille (Played 7/10)

Breathless (Played 6/18-6/26, 7/1-7/2, 7/8-7/10 and 7/15-7/17)

Chief (Played 7/31)

The Chicharones (Played 7/3-7/15 and 7/20-7/24)

The Crest (Played 6/19)

Dark Starz (Played 6/18, 7/21 and 8/4-8/7)

Ecleptic Blue (Played 7/31)

Educated Consumers (Played 8/10)

Eibol N Knobs (Played 7/26, 8/8-8/11 and 8/13-8/15)

Eternia (Played 6/18-7/1, 7/3-7/22, 7/24-8/4, 8/6-8/8, 8/11 and 8/13-8/14)

Eye2Eye (Played 7/28-7/30)

Generik (Played 6/30)

Glue (Played 6/18-6/22, 7/20-7/24 and 7/31-8/1)

Greans (Played 6/18-6/28, 7/2-7/3, 7/14-7/17, 7/26, 8/3, 8/5-8/6 and 8/11)

Green Tara (Played 7/12)

GreySkul (Played 7/9-7/10)

Hangar 18 (Played 6/18-7/12 and 7/15-8/15)

Howl (Played 7/28-7/30)

Ismalia (Played 7/15-7/17, 7/24-7/26 and 8/1-8/3)

Joe Bean (Played 8/3)

Keith Concept featuring The Ketchup Samurai (Played 7/26)

Krush Unit - Solid Ground Reggae Band (Played 8/1 and 8/12)

Longshot (Played 7/16-7/23)

Ltoka (Played 7/4-7/7 and 7/16-7/17)

Minamina Goodsong (Played 8/1-8/7)

Mr. Brady (Played 6/30)

Mr. Dibbs (Played 7/20, 7/22 and 7/29)

Natives of the New Dawn (Played 6/18-6/22, 7/20-7/26 and 7/31)

Now On (Played 7/31)

Omni (Played 6/24-6/28)

One Be Lo (Played 6/21-6/29, 7/9-7/10, 7/28-8/5 and 8/7-8/10)

Paws (Played 7/12)

Phil Harmonic (Played 8/8-8/15)

Pigeon John (Played 7/1-7/2)

P.O.S (Played 7/24)

Psalm One (Played 7/20-7/24)

Q Unique (Played 8/9-8/15)

Quese I MC (Played 6/28-7/8 and 7/12-7/14)

Rachel Flood (Played 7/12)

Radiax (Played 8/13-8/15)

Red Tide (Played 8/6-8/7)

Roosevelt Franklin (Played 8/8-8/15)

Science Non Fiction (Played 8/4-8/7)

Shankhini (Played 7/30)

Sign1 (Played 7/31)

Solila (Played 8/4-8/7)

Subliminal Orphans (Played 8/12)

Tabularasa (Played 6/24-6/29)

Tasheer (Played 7/31)

TNA - Jam One (Played 7/23)

Verbal Kent (Played 7/23)

Xtra Credit B Girls (Played 6/25 and 8/5)

Brother Reade

Fivespeed

Lordz of Brooklyn

The Nillaz

Supreeme

8 Bit (Played 7/6)

Adrien and the Sickness (Played 6/26)

All or Nothing HC (Played 7/1-7/2, 7/7-7/8 and 7/16-7/17)

Allison Model One (Played 7/26, 8/11 and 8/15)

AlterBois (Played 8/12)

Anadies (Played 7/17)

Anti-Hero (Played 7/30)

The Applicators (Played 6/25-6/26)

Arden (Played 8/9)

Audio Dischordance (Played 8/8)

Beyond the Torchlight (Played 7/17)

Binky (Played 7/2)

Bogart (Played 7/14)

The Break Up (Played 7/4)

Calentura

Candy From Strangers (Played 7/10)

Careworm (Played 7/12)

Centric (Played 6/19)

Chumley's Toy (Played 8/4 and 8/6)

Con Amore (Played 8/14)

Curse of the Highride (Played 7/7)

Daimon (Played 6/28-6/29 and 7/1)

The Dead X's (Played 7/9)

Del Cielo (Played 8/9-8/10)

The Dents (Played 7/29)

Dirty Mary (Played 7/15-7/17 and 7/21)

Dirty Pink (Played 7/16)

The Dollars (Played 7/23)

The Dollyrots (Played 8/4-8/6)

Dynamite 8 (Played 7/8)

Elsie Major (Played 8/10)

Fabulous Disaster (Played 7/2)

Fall River (Played 6/18)

Fallopian (Played 7/3)

The Ferals (Played 7/4)

The Feverfew (Played 8/14)

Five Star Affair (Played 7/14)

Flyleaf (Played 6/22)

Full Minute of Mercury (Played 8/8 and 8/10)

GDB (Played 7/16)

Gina Young

Girl in a Coma (Played 6/22-6/24)

GirlParts (Played 8/3 and 8/8)

The Green Lady Killers (Played 6/28-6/29)

Handcuffs and Heels (Played 7/31)

Hidden (Played 7/6)

Hydraulic Sandwich (Played 8/15)

Jaymie Gerard (Played 8/14)

Jen Urban and the Box (Played 8/13)

Jerra (Played 6/30, 7/3 and 7/8-7/10)

The Juliet Dagger (Played 7/26 and 8/1)

Jungii (Played 7/26)

Keen (Played 7/8)

Kievan Rus (Played 7/21 and 7/26)

Killbourne (Played 7/12-7/14)

Lady Unluck (Played 8/13 and 8/15)

Ladymilk (Played 7/30)

Last To Fall (Played 7/9)

Leaving The Scene (Played 7/10 and 7/15)

Lia Fail (Played 6/29-6/30 and 7/7)

The Lorrainas (Played 7/31-8/1)

Lourds (Played 8/13)

Mad Marge and The Stone Cutters (Played 7/3-7/4)

Midway (Played 7/6 and 7/23-7/24)

Miss Pie (Played 6/21 and 8/4-8/8)

The Misses (Played 6/21)

The Motorpsychos (Played 7/31-8/1)

Mr. Guy and a Few Good Men (Played 7/22)

Naked Aggression (Played 7/6)

New Years Day (Played 7/3)

One Way Letter (Played 8/3)

Ouija Radio (Played 7/24)

Overated (Played 6/18)

Paramore (Played 7/22-7/26, 8/3-8/7 and 8/9-8/10)

Pretty In Stereo (Played 7/1)

Princess Riot (Played 7/28)

Punk Bunny (Played 7/1)

The Rabits (Played 7/21)

Rachel Jacobs (Played 8/9)

Rachel Kann (Played 7/3)

Raging Hormones (Played 6/22)

Rags To Bitches (Played 7/29)

Ramona Quimby (Played 8/5 and 8/7)

The Red Flecks (Played 7/22)

Red Knife Lottery (Played 6/19 and 7/24)

Revenge of the Bad Apples (Played 6/24-6/25)

The Rumours (Played 7/12)

The Sadder Days (Played 7/4)

Secret Cervix (Played 8/11 and 8/14)

Shall We Dance (Played 6/21)

Sherry (Played 7/28)

Shiragirl

The Shocker (Played 7/2 and 8/9-8/14)

Side Effects (Played 8/11-8/12)

So Unloved (Played 6/26-6/28)

Sputterdoll (Played 7/2)

Sugarpuss (Played 6/30-7/1)

Sunset Grey (Played 6/24-6/25)

The Swear (Played 8/3)

TamarKali (Played 7/28)

TAT (Played 8/12-8/15)

Traeh (Played 6/30)

Tuuli (Played 7/30)

Two Bit Terribles (Played 7/20)

Unsensored (Played 7/29)

Velvet Fury (Played 7/7)

What The Kids Want (Played 7/20)

All Too Much (Played 6/29)

The Dames (Played 6/29)

John Denvers Last Flight (Played 6/29)

Johnny Blood & The Transfusions (Played 6/29)

Line of Fire (Played 6/29)

The Revenge (Played 6/29)

Sigma (Played 6/29)

Swing Ding Amigos (Played 6/29)

33 West (Played 8/8 and 8/10)

A Wilhelm SCream (Played 8/9-8/14)

AKA (Played 8/6)

Body Part Trophy Case (Played 8/11)

Break the Silence (Played 8/4-8/7)

Crash and Burn (Played 8/11-8/14)

Deagle (Played 8/4)

Driving East (Played 8/9)

The Esoteric (Played 8/4-8/14)

Fall of Transition (Played 8/7 and 8/10)

Flat Stanley (Played 8/5)

High Speed Chase (Played 8/14)

It Starts Today (Played 8/4-8/7)

Just R Luck (Played 8/8)

Last Great Hope (Played 8/5)

Longspur (Played 8/4-8/14)

Mourningstar (Played 8/4)

New Crash Position (Played 8/4-8/7)

None More Black (Played 8/12)

The Ratchets (Played 8/12-8/14)

River City High (Played 8/8-8/11)

Rude Buddha (Played 8/9)

The Spacepimps (Played 8/11)

Split Fifty (Played 8/4-8/14)

Stradlatter (Played 8/13)

Time Tells All (Played 8/10)

[eyesopen2019]

Family welcome

We’ve been in Canada for 2 and a half weeks and I have been very slack in writing an update on our trip.  We are enjoying being amongst family and spending some time doing not too much.  

Well on March 30th we arrived into Vancouver and boarded another flight to Calgary.  The whole trip was a bit of a struggle as Hung was very hungover and Leon had made it his mission to stay awake on the flight from Tokyo to Vancouver so he was very tired by the time we arrived.  Aiden and Kai helped me out managing the bags and rounding everyone up. Looking out the window flying into Vancouver was amazing seeing the snow covered rows and rows of mountains which seemed to reach for the clouds.  It was so beautiful and peaceful and gave me a taste of the gorgeous scenery that was to come.  Everyone crashed out on the flight to Calgary and only woke when we landed.

We were picked up at the airport by Anh, Thanh, Tram and Thomas and were welcomed into their homes to stay.  We had a stop off at Tu’s restaurant, Phong Vi Noodlehouse, and all enjoyed some delicious Vietnamese food that we had been craving for.  Kai and Leon especially like the Pho Tai.  Leon and I were recovering from a cold and had a wonderful hot lemonade that definitely helped me feel better.  For the first few days we were all just enjoying being amongst family and enjoying some rest and catchup on sleep.  On one side of the road lives Tram, Terek and Tessa with little Meesha and on the other side lives Anh and Thanh with big fluffy Rufus.  Not too far away Tu lives with their mum.  Anh loves to cook and Leon and Lani spent many hours ‘helping’ her make crepes, cookies, bread and poutine amongst other things.   We then all helped eat it!  Anh also showed Lani how to make friendship bracelets and they planted some seeds together. Meesha and Rufus, the two dogs, here have been spoilt rotten by Leon and especially Lani with constant attention, treats, cuddles and walks.  I was spoilt too with Tram booking a massage for me to have here at the house, which was lovely and relaxing.  Tram’s house has some gym equipment downstairs and Leon spent the first few days giving it all a good workout giving me little updates on how many calories he had burnt on the various machines.  Tram also has a full massage chair which was more suited to me!

The weather here is pretty cold with daytime temperatures around 6 degrees and nights around 0 degrees.  There is not much snow left on the ground in Calgary but there is lots on the mountains around.  We drove, with Anh and Thanh, out to Banff and Lake Louise which was so beautiful. Driving from Calgary out towards the snow covered mountains is one of the most amazing mountain scenes I have ever seen.  The kids were amazed to see so much snow and enjoyed playing in it.  We went for a walk out on the lake and our feet sunk down to our knees in the snow.  We were a bit freaked out by the possibility of seeing bears in the forest, at least I was, so we didn’t venture too far into the trees.  We had a picnic lunch in Banff before going on a short hike out to the Bow Falls.  I now know why people rave about this area and always say, ‘you have to go to Banff’.

Another day we drove out to Drumheller, which is in the Alberta badlands.  I love saying ‘the badlands’ and it is just like on The Lion King.  It is a stark contrast to the mountainous landscape of the Rocky Mountains on the other side of Calgary.  We spent the day out in the badlands at The Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Park with Leon and Lani.  This area has revealed the greatest collection of dinosaur fossils in the world. We enjoyed wandering through the museum looking at the 1000’s of fossils and learning about palaeontology.  In one section, you can see the palaeontologist working on new fossils which was pretty cool to see.  We especially enjoyed the walk through the badlands park which showed the areas where dinosaur bones have been found.  One the way home we stopped at Tim Horton’s and enjoyed donuts which were little morsals of Canadian sugary goodness.  

On April 1st, I woke to Leon jumping on my bed at 6am telling me it was snowing outside and the snow was knee deep.  While I thought it was an April Fools Day joke, it was indeed snowing and while it was nowhere near knee deep, there certainly was a covering on the ground all around.  Leon and Lani grabbed their gloves and ran outside to play in the snow.  It has snowed at other times during our time here which is a new experience for us all, and so pretty to watch.

We were lucky enough to get tickets to see the Calgary Flames play their last ice hockey game of the season.  We arrived at the stadium to see the pre-game activities and after getting popcorn and drinks we made our way to our seats.  Our seats were very high in the stadium and Lani felt a bit uncomfortable walking up the steep stairs to get to our seats.  The stadium was mostly full of the ‘C of red’ of Calgary Flames supporters.  Hung and Leon wore red Calgary Flames jerseys and certainly joined in with the local fans cheering along.  Leon spent the match on his feet cheering and yelling loudly with the fans next to him. Initially the noise was a bit much for Lani and she had to cover her ears until she got used to the noise.  After about 15 minutes of play she turned to me and asked if the game had started so I’m not sure what she thought was going on. There were a lot of giveaways throughout the game where they were throwing shirts into the crowd and Lani asked me what she would do if she got one and it was the wrong size.  We didn’t have to worry as we didn’t get one.  

We have spent the last week skiing in Lake Louise which is a 2hr drive from Calgary.  We were able to borrow most of the gear we needed from family here which saved us a lot of money. We drove up on Monday 8th April to Lake Louise ski resort and got our lift pass, ski’s and snowbaords rented.  Tu and Tarek came also to spend the day.  We had some lessons booked for the first few days which helped us along.  Leon was initially very frustrated when he first stood on his ski’s and realized they had a mind of their own and was ready to go home after 5 minutes. Luckily the instructor was very patient with him and by the end of the 2hr lesson he was on his way and enjoying himself.  Lani was much more patient and did a great job and getting up and moving on her ski’s. Aiden, Kai and Tarek had a snowboarding lesson and were all exhausted by the end of it.  Leon and Lani had a whole day lesson on the Tuesday which meant Hung and I could go and do some skiing.  Aiden and Kai had another lesson in the afternoon.  After that Aiden felt confident enough to head up into the mountain for a couple of green runs and I took Leon up for his first green run down the mountain.  The runs here are long with it taking us about an hour for Leon and I to come down the first time.  Aiden and Kai found the snowboarding challenging physically and by the end of the week were both bruised and sore.  On Friday, Kai spent some time up in the mountains and did a few runs with me. We got caught in a snow storm and couldn’t see where we were going for some of the runs.  We went to the ‘Top of the World’ which has an amazing view of the mountain top with snow covered mountains all around.  Kai found the runs very challenging but he persevered and didn’t give up.  At the very end he fell heavily twice and sprained his wrist and had a short ride in a snow mobile which made the other kids jealous.  We drove home on Friday the 12th April after 5 days of skiing and we were all exhausted.  We stopped off for dinner at Tu’s restaurant which was delicious.  

For the last few days we have been relaxing in Calgary enjoying the homely environment and being spoilt with lots and lots of homecooked foods.  The kids have been a bit slack with their schoolwork since being here so we have done some of that too.  Today we drove to Canmore to have a look around.  It was similar to Banff, only smaller with surrounding mountain ranges which make me feel very peaceful.  That is until I hear the chants of ‘Mum, Mum, Mum’ from all around me!

[olgagarmash]

Are Fitness Buffs Going Back to the Gym? – The New York Times

The 5:30 a.m. alarm to hit the spin class. The interminable waits for the ab-crunch machine. The masses of sweating bodies huffing and puffing just feet away, followed by the hurried shower and the wet-haired hustle to the office before the boss arrives.

America’s gym habit always involved its share of hassle and expense. And then came the pandemic.

So what now? As the world reopens — or at least, we hope it does — a wounded health club industry is banking on pent-up demand to drive a gym renaissance. Will this happen? Or will workout warriors, after a year exploring virtual and outdoor alternatives, come to see their old gyms as fitness anachronisms, like a Richard Simmons “Disco Sweat” workout VHS from the Clinton years?

Consider Henry Lihn, 40, a tech entrepreneur in Manhattan. Before the pandemic, he would hit an Equinox gym in SoHo or Greenwich Village at least four mornings a week to lift weights, box or do yoga.

He wouldn’t dream of it now. “The gym is a raging dumpster fire of Covid bacteria and hamster wheels,” Mr. Lihn said. “I’m never going back.”

Instead, Mr. Lihn has adopted a socially-distanced outdoor regimen: he bikes the West Side Highway twice a day, plays tennis on public courts in Brooklyn, and does chin-ups on walk-signal cross bars. The wind in his face, the sun on his cheeks, he is hooked. A few weeks ago, he canceled his gym membership.

The uncertainties around the Delta variant have not encouraged some former group exercisers. “I have zero interest in going back to the yoga studio,” said Heidi Kim, 33, a tech consultant in Los Angeles, which recently reinstated mandatory masks for indoor public spaces. “Of the many things I want to do indoors, sweating with strangers is not high on the list.”

Instead Ms. Kim now stays in shape with outdoor distance runs and muscle toning courses on the fitness site, the Sculpt Society.

Others have come to believe that they no longer need to pay as much as $200 or higher per month to exercise when they could invest in a few pieces of home equipment and get the same results.

“Working out at home with Beachbody on Demand and free workouts from Instagram influencers have worked really well for me,” said Danielle DeBoe Harper, 44, a creative director for a home fixtures company in Cleveland. “So for now, at least, my budget priorities no longer include a line item for a gym membership.”

Plus, there is the added convenience of not having to spend time traveling back and forth to the gym, changing into workout clothes and then showering — which can take as much time as the workout itself.

Others have found that the sense of community and socializing they found in a fitness club can be easily replicated outside it.

After his Equinox branch closed, Harry Santa-Olalla, 34, an auctioneer who lives in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, formed a fitness pod last summer to sweat through hill sprints and burpees with a few friends, including the “Games of Thrones” actor Kit Harington.

Working out in this tight-knit crew, they were able to motivate each other and help keep each other grounded in a difficult time.“Two more guys joined today,” Mr. Santa-Olalla said. “They’re coming along to a barbecue I’m hosting tomorrow on my roof. That would have never happened in a gym.”

That sense of camaraderie can also be found at home, with group spinning classes on Peloton and personal trainers on Zoom.

“From the first day I owned the Peloton, I rode every day for 4 months straight,” said Amy Lin, 32, an elementary schoolteacher in Calgary, Alberta, who ditched her pricey gym and personal trainer for a Peloton group called Lonely Bikes Club.

In a year filled with isolation, fear and, in her case, grief (her husband died last year of a non-Covid related illness), her new routine gave her a sense of belonging. “Because of this fancy bike that goes nowhere,” Ms. Lin said, “I have somehow kept going on.”

Another pandemic fitness hack — the Zoom personal trainer — has retained its appeal, even after gyms reopened. “People love it,” said Michael Gabryszewski, 26, a personal trainer in Rhinebeck, N.Y. “It eliminates the commute, which is a big barrier to fitness. So instead of doing one session a week, you can do four or five, because it doesn’t take too much time out of your schedule.”

Virtual gyms and trainers appear to have staying power. According to a recent McKinsey & Company survey, 70 percent of people who used online fitness programs during the pandemic plan to stick with them long-term.

Gearing Back Up

All of this may seem ominous for the future of gyms, which have been a fixture in American culture at least since John Travolta was wearing short shorts and grinding in aerobics classes in the 1983 movie, “Perfect.”

Some 22 percent of the nation’s fitness facilities closed permanently during the pandemic, according to IHRSA, the Global Health & Fitness Association, with 1.5 million industry employees losing their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Being shut down for six months was clearly a very dark time,” said Todd Magazine, the chief executive of Blink Fitness, a national chain of affordable health clubs that endured furloughs and layoffs. “We’re predominantly a brick and mortar business.”

But there are reasons for optimism, too. Plenty of Lycra-clad sweat obsessives seem to be hearing the siren call of the StairMaster once again.

As Covid restrictions have eased in some regions, gym traffic is back to more than 80 percent of the pre-lockdown levels of January 2020, according to a recent survey by Jefferies, the financial services company (it’s worth noting that gym membership reached record levels in 2019, according to the IHRSA).

A rebound is evident at Blink Fitness, where sign-ups last month, normally slow season for gyms, equaled those of January 2020, usually a frenzied month for gym-goers trying to make good on New Year’s resolutions, according to the company.

Gold’s Gym International, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020, was recently acquired by RSG Group, a German fitness company, for $100 million. The 24 Hour Fitness chain, which closed 100 clubs and filed for Chapter 11, emerged from bankruptcy last December following a restructuring.

Business is booming at some smaller gyms, as well. “Our numbers were stronger this past quarter than they ever were,” said Jenny Liu, the president of Dogpound, a high-end boutique gym focused on one-on-one training with locations in TriBeCa and West Hollywood.

For some fitness freaks, there is a larger reason to return to a gym: it’s the kind of thing people didn’t even used to think about doing before the pandemic.

This past July, Sarah Goldsmith, 36, a communications associate for a public affairs firm in Washington D.C., returned to her rigorous pre-Covid gym routine: almost every day, usually starting around 5:15 a.m.

“I’ve been sore almost every day since,” Ms. Goldsmith said. “For me, that is a big part of feeling normal again.”

source https://wealthch.com/are-fitness-buffs-going-back-to-the-gym-the-new-york-times/

[xrivalfitness]

Choose The Perfect Gym Equipment Online In Calgary | X Rival Fitness

Are you looking for the perfect gym equipment for your home or commercial gym in Calgary? X Rival Fitness offers a wide selection of high-quality gym equipment online. Whether you are looking for strength training machines, cardio machines, or accessories, we have the perfect selection to suit your needs. Our online store makes it easy to find the right equipment to get fit and stay healthy. Shop online now and choose from our extensive range of products from leading brands at competitive prices. Get ready to take your workouts to the next level with X Rival Fitness!