New Rules

With the busy holiday season ongoing, drivers in T'Bay have adopted a whole new set of rules to help get the gifts under the tree. Most noticeable, the first 15 seconds of a red light no longer means stop. In that first few seconds when the light turns the color of Rudolph's nose, anyone making a left is ok to carry on. Whether you are in the intersection or not is now irrelevant. Christmas spirit takes on a whole new meaning as people carelessly steal time from other drivers.

A meeting of the Northwood coaches saw good discussion but a decisison to drop the remaining practices in favour of more games. I went with last year's survey which pointed to kids needing more practices. I redid the schedule during lunch on Wednesday and emailed everyone with the news. Replies came fast and furious, all in favour of the original schedule. Coaches have re-thought the move and all but 2 want the practices back. The 2 will get shceduled together so they can have scrimmages if they choose. They both have poor turnouts for their practices so maybe it's something to do with the practices or just the mix of parents. More games mean more time in the arena for me so I'm all for going back to the original plan, plus I think it was a step forward for a rec league.  

Tomorrow is our annual Christmas Skating party. I got my blades sharpened and have the 'jolly' uniform all ready to go. It should be a good time for the kids as the committe gathered lots of prizes, treats and 25 large pizzas were donated by a grandfather. I have to wrap up here so I can get the tunes ready.

I missed walking on Monday norning with all the snow but made the hike every other trip. I thought I would eventually have to stop because of cold but I don't think it will get much worse than the -38F day (windchill) so maybe I can go year round without using the car. 

Farzum and I talked about making one of the girls into a fixed gear today as we was doing the blades. He said I could try Nathan Petrie's ride out to get a feel for it. He wants the web site I started for them to develop so he can get rid of some of the odds they have from 75 years in business. Maybe I can get some bartering for parts going.

December miles

Riding 83 miles

Walking 50

12-20

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:2.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-19

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-18

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-17

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-16

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-15

Ethel:6 miles

Boots:1.75 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

Some Web Apps

Did you ever get a text file with no capitals? Type for 5 minutes with cap locks on? Here's a handy little web app that can save you alot of editing, 'Case Convertor'. Just copy and paste your text into the box and select what you want done, process and then copy and paste back to your word processor, or save as a text file. The thumbnail of the webpage was made with another web app called 'Thumbizy'. 

The newspaper generator can be fun. Make a headline and a story and email it to a friend. They'll be looking twice.

December miles

Riding 62 miles

Walking 35 miles

12-13

Ethel:5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

Another One to Pray For

Ok, I admit it. This morning was cold. All week people have been asking and until today I really wasn't, but this morning got a bit chilly. Only from the waist down to the ankles, everything else was good. The temp at 8am read -29C or -20F with a windchill of -39C but the wind didn't make much of a difference as it was at my back for a change. 

Ginko and I watched Home Alone, at least until we both took a short nap. He was up in bed by 8 so he should be good and ready for a day out tomorrow. We're hitting his favourite spot for breakfast and picking out a tree along with whatever else Sal has planned.

I got an email today about one of the other league presidents in town who has been diagnosed with a cancer that they haven't been able to source. He needs a PET scan and can't get scheduled so some friends of his are trying to raise cash for him to go to Duluth and get the scan quickly. The hockey community is coming forward to help out as emails have been sent around town. He is also one of our little league coaches so I've asked for them to help as well. He's 36 with a 14 year old son, a new wife and a baby on the way. The damn disease has absolutely no conscience.

  

December miles

Riding 57

Walking 35

12-12

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-11

Ethel:5miles

Boots:4.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

Walking in the Zone

This morning's walk was a bit of a test of my cold weather gear, -25 with an 11km wind. Except for an Ipod malfunction before I even go out the door it was all good. I put a new set of tunes on last night but the software must have gotten trashed so nothing worked this morning but I was already layered up and ready to go when I made the discovery. A sweat was already forming so I grabbed my phone and used it instead. The only cold I felt was on the front of my legs during the last quarter mile or so as it was directly into the wind. The ski goggles definitely make the package work as my head was toasty all the way. The Ipod problems became a positive as I learned later in the day.

I was dreading the walk home as soon as the heavy snow started at about 3pm. I was not looking forward to trudging though powder. I got the Ipod restored in the morning but lost the tunes in the process. I have a bunch on my pc at work so I grabbed something I knew I would enjoy quickly as I didn't have time to be too picky. Led Zep IV or ZOSO. I hear lots of Led Zep these days as the 'classic' rock stations try to convince a younger crowd that they were the best. I've been listening to them since they were not allowed on radio, no need to sway my vote. Most of what I hear are single cuts. Listening to the entire album is a treat. The chords of the next song are already playing in my head before the last one ends, I know where every note of Jimmy's solos are going. I must have listened to that album more than 100 times but it has never sounded better than it did today.

The walk home itself was more fun than I thought walking could be and not only because of the tunes. Being enclosed in my orange tinted world was like walking through the storm but being detached from it. I couldn't feel the wind, couldn't hear it or the cars and it all just seemed to be floating by as I marched on. A train had traffic backed up on Memorial and I passed a dozen cars along Durban as they tried to fight their way onto the main street. I passed some of them again as they were held up at the lights at Isabel. Drivers hate it when I pass them on a bike, they must have been cursing my progress as they sat motionless. 

  

December miles

riding 47 miles

walking 27

12-10

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-09

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

Saddle Upgrade

I carried Ethel's seat post to work this morning through the lovely fresh powder. It was warm enough to pull my gloves and unzip after about a mile. At lunch I jigged the extra seatpost I had in the basement, which is bent but works for the project, to our drill press. I drilled a test hole successfully and then took the plunge and cut the top mount off of Ethel's. The spare seatpost slide into Ethel's but with lots of play. I ran the drill through both and then put a 5/16 bolt through, drilled through both again and added a second bolt and brought the creation home. I attached a saddle and rode 5 miles after making a few adjustments. Total cost $0, and the results were as I had hoped. Much improved comfort while riding the dreaded indoor season. 

As I drove around at work today I saw so many guys out on bikes it was depressing. When I made the hike home it was like walking in a mixture of brown sugar and margarine with a nice coating of Pam on the sidewalks.  The first day at 100 didn't kill me. The last 3 or 4 of each set feel just like they did last week so I must be getting a bit stronger as I continue

   

December miles

Riding 37 miles

Walking 20 miles

12-08

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

My Cold Weather Hero

Sitting on Ginko was a bit of a downer, he was asleep for the night before I even left the house to walk there.  The football game was not worth watching and the hockey game was over for me after the Canadiens did their pre-game history lesson. Listening to Jean Beliveau talk about the good old days whe the Habs ruled the NHL roost was interesting. He made $100, 000 for 5 seasons, total, and won something like 10 cups. Eric Staal's contract works out to that much per game.

The pic above is Jill Homer, my cold weather hero. She's getting ready to ride Iditabike again, 350 miles across Alaska. Her post today discusses her cold weather gear, items she will be using again and those she is looking to replace. Love her bike, a Surley Pugsley. Her exploits and achievements are the reason behind my naming my Lapierre bike Jill. Check out her blog for some great writing and pix of Alaska.

Next week starts 100 push-ups and sit-ups a day. I was going to ride on Saturday but it snowed just enough to make me decide against it. I'm going to take Ethel's massive seat post to work with me and try and fix a normal one to it so I can put on a decent saddle. Riding her is only painful because the saddle is uncomfortable, like sitting on a wooden barstool for a long time, it cuts off the circulation.  

 

December miles

riding 32 miles

walking 16.5 miles

12-07

boots:1.5 miles

12-06

Ethel:3 miles

boots:3.5 miles

90 push-ups

90 sit-ups

12-05

Ethel:3 miles

boots:3.5 miles

90 push-ups

90 sit-ups

12-04

boots:4.5 miles

90 push-ups

90 sit-ups

Walking

The only thing about walking to work that I can really say I like is that it gives me lots of thinking time like a long ride, and I get to listen to tunes. It is a more demanding activity than a short, no effort ride so I guess it will be better for the long haul. I have it down to 30 minutes so it isn't taking any longer than the 5 miles ride I was doing when conditons were more bike friendly. This morning was pretty cold with my face into the wind most of the way but with 4 layers on top, 2 on the bottom half, a toque, polar-buff and scarf I really didn't feel it. I'm going to go looking for ski goggles so my eyes won't be watering all the way.

I get to sit on Ginko tomorrow. Looking forward to spending some time with him as it has been a while. He may be around a bit more as Jen is looking to change the arrangements a bit.

 

December:

26 miles (riding)

3.5 miles (walking)

12-03

Ethel:5 miles

Boots:3.5 miles

90 push-ups

90 sit-ups

Damn Slop

I left this morning with perfect conditions, not too cold and dry.  I looked out the window as I was unpacking and the snow had already started piling up. It stopped by 10 but there was just enough to make my way home sloppy and gritty as the temp wasn't low enough to keep everything frozen. Finding the edge of the pavement is a chore in fresh snow, the roads feel narrower. I'm going to be hiking it until either it dries up again or spring comes. Its too tough on the bike and at probably 7 miles per hour the physical part of riding is pretty much gone, the fun with it. I could literally feel the small rocks that were getting kicked up going through the chain and sprockets, crunching and grinding.  

   

December 21 miles

12-02

Eyowen:5 miles

Ethel:3 miles

90 push-ups

90 sit-ups

Another Monday

Not feeling like riding lasted 2 days. This morning I had no great desire to walk but the promise of riding got me up at 6. It really wasn't as cold as I had expected so I made the trip home and back at lunch as well. Late last night and just before lunch I had what felt like the pain of a kidney stone, oh boy. The ride home at lunch was done in some pain but the cold really helped, that and a couple of tylenol 3s. Push-ups and sit-ups are up to 90 a day and I got through the first day easily. Once I get to 100 I want to add something else, probably a mile on the treadmill. 

December 13 miles

12-01

Eyowen: 10 miles

Ethel:3 miles

90 push-ups

90 sit-ups