Not Much Is New

Yes I know I haven't been posting much lately. Been in the doldrums for a bit but starting to come out of it I think. I'm working every day this week and that has at least got me moving, walking to and from when possible. The sun is actually just getting ready to peek over the horizon as I make my way in so spring and biking can't be too far off. With all the ice on the roads and no studded tires I just don't want to risk it, heck even walking is treacherous.

Hockey was going well until an incident a week ago soured things a bit. An assistant coach and his former father-in-law got into a heated discussion in the dressing room with all the wide-eyed kids present. He had me convinced he was totally innocent for a while but upon further review, he was as much at fault. They both got a warning that they would be banned if anything else came up. The coach then sent an email about the 'safety' of the dressing rooms with so many people in them. He wanted to limit the people in the room to just one per player. My email got filtered and I never saw it until another coach let me read it on his Blackberry. Every other coach told him there was no way they would agree so I didn't even have to respond. He is out as far as I'm concerned.

Took Eyowen to the Gardens for a makeup game Thursday. Pretty cool on the way home but minimal traffic and ice. Just didn't feel like walking anymore that day.

Saw a funny one while timekeeping on Friday. Penalty shot. Midget player pushed the puck about 2 feet from the centre ice spot and then skates past it. Over, done. No you can't circle around and start over.

My flight across Canada will wrap up some time this weekend with a final landing, fingers crossed, in Victoria BC.

Still Got It

I was beginning to question whether the cycling bug had left me. No outdoor rides since December 1st is the longest I've gone in I don't know how long, 2 years? I got out on Eyowen today just across a few roads , down back lanes and then the bike paths around the college and out to the corner of Arthur and the expressway, about 15km. And I felt great after getting used to the bumpy ride and slower than normal pace. Just what I needed to get back into the groove.

Missing Days

Day 7-09
Apple cider, kolache and banana. Cheese & crackers. Pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn, garlic buns.
Day 8-09
Apple cider, oatmeal and banana. Fries and chili. Sushi at Wasabi (caterpillar roll, crunchy roll, spicy tuna roll, teriyaki chicken stir fry, tempura sampler, gyoza, miso soup and coffee. No I didn't order all that myself.
Day 9-09
Oatmeal, banana and apple cider. Cheese and triscuits. Tacos. 13 km on Eyowen.

First Monday weigh-in shows 1 pound loss. Have to start on Ethel I guess.

My cross Canada is stalled in Winnipeg. I tried a new free program that is supposed to let you fly over online map services, putting the satellite images onto the 3d mesh in FS but it's far too blurry, nothing like the advertised pix, look here. I wish! Still trying to find the answers, at least I got it working, many don't.

! To Go

One more day of work and then a week of holidays. This morning started off...interesting. I pulled Eyowen out of her hiding place in the basement since she was as excited about going out in the rain as I was. Threw on the full wet suit since it was so cool even overheating in the plastic cocoon would not be a problem. Just around the corner from the shop I heard a strange noise but didn't get it. After unlocking the door and dragging her inside I saw the cause of the noise, flat. Not just low but riding the rim for a block flat.

Sal, Ginko and Susan picked us at lunch, my first ride to or from work in months. Brandyn and I were invited to the NorWester for swimming but Ginko says "I'm not really a fan of swimming". Almost drowning will do that to a guy, even if he's only 5.

With no other bikes ready to go Molly was back on duty for the return to work. It was raining lightly so the short trip back was no big sweat. The trip home was another story. Heavy rain for an hour left the roads covered. I had the suit on so I was fine but Molly's brakes are suspect in the sunshine, in the rain they are convicted felons. They can slow us down but stopping is not something to count on. A nice slow ride home in the rain. Had to mention holidays.

Bits and Pieces

Happy Birthday Sal!

Sal and I headed for Grand Marais Sunday afternoon. We had a nice lunch at the Blue Water and then began a stroll around the shops. 'Around' them is all we got to do as most of them were closed. We had a nice relaxing day anyway, came home for supper and watched a movie. 

Over the weekend I have not put on many miles as we were busy Sunay and Saturday was a bit on the cool side, along with high wind and bouts of snow. So I spent some time working on the girls in the basement. Jill got a tape job on the bars and has her original bar-ends back. Molly had her chain shortened and the crank is now on a manageable gear. Eyowen claimed the On-One Mary bars back from Bridget. Bridget remains locked up as I decide what to do with her. She might get sold, traded in or who knows. I just haven't had the urge to take her out yet.

My nomination for the Local Hockey hero fell short as Cosimo Filane was selected. He has been involved far longer than I and was part of the team that developed minor hockey in Schreiber. Hats off to him.

I'm really enjoying searching Google Earth for spots Brian has been posting and finding some for him and any one else interested. Friday night I spent more than an hour over France. I love the way the old European cities are laid out from central spots and the patterns of hte farmland.  

If you get a chance take in the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a strange but very entertaining movie. 

The riders in the Giro d'Italia (Italian grand tour race similar to the tour de France) went on a literal work slowdown to protest the unsafe course. As one rider remained in hospital after a spill over a guardrail and 250 foot tumble, the rest of the peloton cruised along at half speed to voice their concern over their own safety. On the day the rider was injured one racer was clocked at 73mph on a descent. 

You'll Need Some Clues This Round

Sal and I have decided to turn some of the back yard into a vegetable garden. We're heading to the library to pick up some books on the subject and so that she can refuel on some more novels. She got a new card last Sunday and devoured 4 novels this week. It's been a long time since she's had the time to read. Our entertainment outside of the tv has been a couple of rented movies. The new Bond 'Quantum of Solace' is pretty decent, lots of action and locales. The new series is lacking a few of the old characters, Q and Moneypenny being most notable but there are far fewer gadgets so his spot isn't really missing and she was aging and of course James never really does. A much better two hours was spent watching and trying to figure out 'Seven Pounds'. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it but it was worth the time and periods of frustration to finish. Will Smith has come a long way from his Fresh Prince days.

I got in a nice long ride with Dave Wadson on Thursday night. I'm looking forward to more non-solo rides. Riding alone has its benefits but being able to slow down and talk makes the ks go by. Dave rides a Trek hybrid so Jill is a pretty good match but I had Eyowen so I had to work a bit to keep up. We took in Mission Marsh and as far west as the new Parkdale bike path, about 35 km on a cool but clear evening. I'm slowly getting my mileage up after almost giving up on getting anywhere near my goal for the month. Hopefully I'll finish with about 700 km, a bit shy of the goal but higher than I expected a week ago.

Work seems to be picking up finally so 4 day weeks may be over and none too soon. We got in another reline job from a ship last week and have 4 bands to complete. I finished the first on Saturday morning and have about 6 hours in so far. I'm achy all over as the work is all done with hand tools and muscles that apparently don't get used too often.  

Don't Look Now

It's snowing again! I waited most of the afternoon for it to warm up a bit and when I got out just before 3 the flakes were already in the air. It was pretty cool for a long ride but I got over to Mission Marsh and ended up with just over 28km. I spent 2 hours on Eyowen on Saturday, cleaning, adding a few links to the chain and running a new rear brake cable. I don't even want to look outside in the morning, guess I'll be hiking it. I'm off to Petrie's for another day of learning in the shop. I'm starting to get more comfortable as I spend more time at it. 

Round 2 of Where in the World, a little farther away this time.

Back in the Groove

Coming home to another dump of snow had me on the outs with riding. I never expected to be walking especially in that much snow and my kilometres for the month seemed too far out of reach. I was down with everything going on, work, weather, blah blah blah. I finally got Jill out of the basement on Saturday and did 40+ km but even that didn't get me out of the grey mood. When I could have been riding Sunday and Monday I spent most of the time reading (Ludlum's Bourne Ultimatum) and watching the Masters. Maybe I just needed a break because coming home Tuesday everything felt good again, Eyowen got me smiling and today was even better. I may not get to the 800+ km for this month but the break might just have been what I needed. I've taken Eyowen on the same 40km ride on previous weekends and although Jill is new, geared and easier to move I didn't feel the same. I really feel comfortable on Eyowen even though there's no gears and she's 20+ years old. I know I can fix anything that might go wrong with her because I put it all together. Today I was seriously contemplating taking her to Toronto and giving it a go single speed, now that would be a workout. I have to find a way to easily get to a climbing setup or I'd be pushing her up the hill in Hamilton but there are ways to do it without losing the simplicity that I love about her.

I've seen the 3 'Bourne' movies but other than the title and some character names I can't find the books in any of them. The movie of the second novel would have been 6 hours long. The plot does not even take place on the same continent, have to Google that one just out of curiosity.

Not Now, OK?

I guess I'm going to need to get a 2nd job to keep Sal at home. Since she's been around for supper we've been eating some pretty hearty meals. Last night was chicken taco soup and made-from-scratch corn bread. I carted some of the soup in my pack this morning and just about ended up eating from the pack as Eyowen and I did a full perpendicular slide along a sheet if ice on the bike path. Both wheels facing 90 degrees from the direction we were travelling. One leg on the pedal and the other hopping along behind trying not to fall over and explode my tasty cargo. Sure was good to get out and the high winds dried up a lot of the bigger puddles.

I don't often stop and pray for anything. I'm pulling out all the stops on this one. Please let Sal enjoy our upcoming trip, period. She's been coming down with a cold and that just won't cut it. This is probably a once in a lifetime for us and it just wouldn't be fair. Just give her one week and then if she's due a nasty cold then fine, but not now, Okay? Thanks. You can even give one to me, I can't freeze out the germs anymore so have at it, I won't complain at all.

Jamaica here we come.

Good Morning Mr. Lepieu

I decided to walk in today since cleaning Eyowen last night took just about as long as the ride itself, lots of little grains of sand all over. Not so great for the new paint job. I had only a windbreaker, light toque and no gloves on so I'll probably need to swim home. As I headed up Alloy Drive I looked up and about 40 feet away was a large skunk waddling his was toward me. I stopped and headed right to the other side of the street. He stopped and headed right over the snowbank and through the ditch. Dave mentioned he had smelled skunk around his house and I said there's a big difference bewtween smelling a skunk and smelling like a skunk.

First Trip to Mission Marsh

I spent a few hours with Farzam watching a few of the new arrivals being put together. I'm on the list to start doing some assembly so I wanted to see how they come out of the box and the steps to get them ready for the floor. I guess being around all those bikes and parts got into the system along with the nicest day of the year. I had to take a longer ride. I stopped in at home to grab the Vado and headed over to Mission Marsh with Eyowen. The cars aren't as close as they look and it really is that noisy going down the bridges.

And Now She Waits

Eyowen was rushed into being a few months back when Cecelia bit the dust but I've slowly been finishing up all the loose ends. From her humble start as a piece of discarded junk left in the corner of a garage to today the fininshed product, she's come a long way. All that remains of the original is the frame which is now a bright orange. She has a few pieces borrowed from her sisters but I've assembled every part with just a bit of advice. She's had 3 sets of handle bars and 2 sets of tires since November but I finally decided to go back to the original plan, a single speed mountain bike. Here she is along with a shot of the Vado mounted on the bar. Now we both just have to wait for some decent weather.

Back to Work

I finally got down to the shop to change Eyowen's tires and bars over to a more winter friendly setup tonight. Hopefully the snow will hold off so I can get out Saturday. 

Outside at Last

I made the hike to work Friday and since the imminent snow storm held off I rode Eyowen, a long slow cautious 5km to the bank for ref money and then home. The sidewalks were plowed pretty well but the tires were cutting through the crust so she wandered a bit in places. Time to switch to some knobby tires for snow rides. So far I love kilometres. Sometimes another mile seems just too long but another km goes by quickly. I know that will change but this is the time of year that I need to do the extra couple.

2008 Stats

Total Miles 4499mi

Geared 1985mi (44%)

• Jill 828mi (18%)
  
• Bridget 1157mi (25%)
  

Singlespeed 1991mi (45%)

• Eyowen 78mi (1%)
  
• Molly 908mi (20%)
  
• Cecelia 1005mi (22%)
  

Stationary 523mi (11%)

New member of the family Eyowen November 22, 2008

R.I.P. Cecelia November 18, 2008

'08 Wrap Up & '09 Goals

What a dumb-a**. One more mile and I would have made it 4500 for the year. I should have added things up long before today. I just checked my last post of 2007 and my weight was x-80 or 245. After another holiday season where temptation arrives in every conceivable kind of container, I'm at 240. Not a great year for loss but I think I'm ready to get at it again. I heartily partook in holiday meals and goodies so I'm surprised I didn't show a net gain. I am beginning to know my weaknesses, if I take just one small thing I shouldn't, I'm likely to take a whole bowlful. I turned off the switch on the holidays on the 29th and haven't gone off the wagon since. 

As for biking I did lots of miles but I think this year I should be looking for more hard rides rather than just miles. I can easily churn out 30 miles, I need to sweat a bit more to make the miles count. To attain my goals for the upcoming year I'll need to work harder than I did in '08.

Later today the odometers on all of the girls will be zeroed and reset to track kilometres. I'm hoping for a 25% increase so that will be 5,625 miles or just over 9,000 km., 10,000km sounds much better though. Hopefully more miles will mean less weight, I'm shooting for 210.

 

December miles

Riding:106 miles

Walking:52 miles

12-30

Ethel:5 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-29

Eyowen:2 miles

Ethel:4 miles

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

12-28

Boots:1 mile

100 push-ups

12-27

Ethel:12 miles

100 push-ups

12-25

100 push-ups

12-24

100 push-ups

12-23

Boots:1 mile

100 push-ups

100 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

Northwood and Thunderwolves

Saturday was a busy day as we took almost all of the Northwood players to the Thunderwolves game. 225 people all together. They got a good game to watch as LU won 6-3 over Guelph and included a charity teddy bear toss. 28 huge leaf bags of stuffed toys were collected for various charities.

I made 4 trips on foot to the Gardens on Saturday and another couple for the games today. Not sure why but the distance just didn't seem worth dragging Eyowen out of the basement. I came closeer to falling on foot, about 6 times, than I have on a bike. There's plenty of salt and sand on the streets but nothing on the sidewalks yet. Might be safer to ride than walk to work. My year to date mileage won't get to 5000 but I'm still satisfied. It seems almost impossible to think just how far that is. I've learned one thing from riding and that is things add up, just keep at it and the numbers will be there.

  

2008 4393 miles

November 304 miles

11-30

Ethel:3 miles

80 sit-ups

11-29

80 push-ups

11-28

Eyowen:4 miles

Ethel:3 miles

80 push-ups

80 sit-ups

Nine Months and Counting

Snow. Yech. One day of work left in November. One day of commuting by bike left to complete 9 months for the year. We'll see what December brings. I just checked back in the blog to March when I started full time commuting and had days then 0f -34 with the wind so its no where near that cold yet. Haven't even gone the short way other than today in the falling snow.

 I'm feeling more and more confidence in Eyowen. I'm always a bit leery of my own mechanical skills, and since I assembled her from a bare frame even more so, but today I was up out of the saddle a bit and riding no hands in the usual spots so I guess I'm over that part of getting to know her. The frame is smaller than any of the others so she's perfect for riding now, not as far to fall. Just kidding.

 

November 294 miles

11-27

Eyowen:10 miles

Ethel:3 miles

80 push-ups

80 sit-ups

11-26

Eyowen:12 miles

Ethel:3 miles

80 push-ups

80 sit-ups