R.I.P. Eyowen

My first ride without gloves and a toque in 2013 turned out to be the last for Eyowen. There's been a crack in the frame for a while and I cold welded it twice buying another six months or so but today it went through as seen in the picture.
She was the first bike I built from the frame up. She's done a ton of miles and although she does nothing really well, she does everything. I'll transfer the parts to another frame but probably won't find another to take the abuse of winter and rainstorms as well.
From the epic 80km ride in Calgary to daily slogging through slush to work and back, she's been there and done that. She traveled all the way to Vancouver Island and hasn't ever let me down
I can't wait to ride Lisbeth to work tomorrow but I know I'll miss her all the same.

Has It Really Sprung?

Looks like maybe the weather has finally changed for the better. Last week's heavy storm saw Thunder Bay wimp out, can you say "I thought I was in Toronto"? Funny how everyone went to work in the morning when the storm was at it's worst and then went home early when things had gotten much calmer. I was in Timmy's at 7:30 and you would never had known there was anything unusual going on but at 7:30 in the evening the restaurant we were at was closing as all the customers had bailed out.

Cullen is literally running around the house now just in time for Sal's visit. Watching him last night on face-time (oodles clearer than Skype) he was constantly doing things he had never done before. Climbing the couch, pushing things to where he could climb it and then something else. Someone is going to have her hands full. But he does have to nap sometime. Yeah same time she'll be napping I'll bet.

Just when I thought hockey was about done for another season a whole new slew of issues popped up on the Lakehead Minor scene. Combining with Thunder Bay amateur to create a whole new structure, the ongoing tussle over body checking and the usual inter-association squabbles. It is going to be a long summer.

It Forgot To Snow Today

With the beautiful change in the weather it was time for another long ride with Lisbeth this morning. No, two degrees and overcast isn't normally my definition of beautiful either, but it wasn't snowing and the roads were dry enough.
Off to Mission Marsh we went and put 25 km under the tires. That resulted in just over 1000 calories burned. I weighed in before showering and the scale showed 41lbs. lost.
Once the weather gets really beautiful...well I can't wait.

Still Waiting

I waited all winter to ride in the spring...now spring is here and I'm riding in winter.

No More Edge

I volunteered a couple of evenings for the all Ontario PeeWee Championship this week and I have to say that in the 3 or so years since I've watched the high level 11 and 12 year olds play things have definitely changed. I worked the penalty box, or more correctly I stood at the penalty box and watched the games. In three games I only had to open the gate five times. Not the peewee hockey I remember. No edge to the game, no big hits, no chippiness, no pushing in front of the net to protect the goalie. The little speedy guys dominate the game. The Mississauga team has about ten of them and when they start to cycle in the offensive end they're like a buzz saw. As an administrator I think it's great but it sure is boring to watch at times.

On the diet front I passed the 40 lbs. lost point earlier this week. Now if the snow would just go away...again. I think I can get to my goal of 64 lbs lost easily if I can ride it off.

What Feels Good

having to add a new hole in my belt....on the skinny end

having a grease stain on the right ankle of my work pants

the end of another LMHL hockey season

My weight stopped the free fall it was on just half a pound short of 40lb. lost but then that huge bungee cord snapped me back up. I've been bouncing up and down between 34 and 38lb lost for three weeks. The last three days finally saw some consistent losses but nothing like I was seeing through January and February. Being back on the bikes is helping as I keep adding minutes and miles as my butt gets back to not feeling every bump in the roads.