These are the days in order taken from Jeff's GPS bike computer. Day 1 had this huge barometric pressure drop in Field BC (halfway) where we were warming up as a rain storm passed over us. No, we did not jump off a cliff ;)
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Golden Triangle Profiles
These are the days in order taken from Jeff's GPS bike computer. Day 1 had this huge barometric pressure drop in Field BC (halfway) where we were warming up as a rain storm passed over us. No, we did not jump off a cliff ;)
May Update
Sadly I have been neglecting this blog as Facebook has taken over my work breaks. But not everyone who reads this is on Facebook and I am sorry to have abandoned you!
In May I have:
- Started biking to work (between 15 and20 km each way)(not this week - too much snow!)
- Hurt my right patellar tendon (sp?) with some short trail runs and have started physio
- Gotten my top two wisdom teeth out (iced, iced, and iced again! not much swelling at all)
- Had my first acupuncture treatment for my tendon
- Rode the Golden Triangle over the May long weekend (three cheers for Queen Victoria)
- Planted some seeds along the side of the house
- Read some books and gone to work.
Phew!
The most impressive to describe of this list is the Golden Triangle. It is a bike ride done by 100s of cyclists on the long weekend, up and over the continental divide. I will post the profiles of the hills soon. The weather is always bad, and we had some hypothermia from driving rain on the first day, sunny but hail on the second day, and snow/rain in the last 10 km of the third day. The good thing about cycling is that if you just keep your legs going around, you'll get up and over anything. It wasn't a speedy trip, but we had a great group and good times were had despite (or maybe because of) the weather.
For my next activity, Dana is going to teach me to golf at the driving range on Sunday! I guess I am getting older :)
In May I have:
- Started biking to work (between 15 and20 km each way)(not this week - too much snow!)
- Hurt my right patellar tendon (sp?) with some short trail runs and have started physio
- Gotten my top two wisdom teeth out (iced, iced, and iced again! not much swelling at all)
- Had my first acupuncture treatment for my tendon
- Rode the Golden Triangle over the May long weekend (three cheers for Queen Victoria)
- Planted some seeds along the side of the house
- Read some books and gone to work.
Phew!
The most impressive to describe of this list is the Golden Triangle. It is a bike ride done by 100s of cyclists on the long weekend, up and over the continental divide. I will post the profiles of the hills soon. The weather is always bad, and we had some hypothermia from driving rain on the first day, sunny but hail on the second day, and snow/rain in the last 10 km of the third day. The good thing about cycling is that if you just keep your legs going around, you'll get up and over anything. It wasn't a speedy trip, but we had a great group and good times were had despite (or maybe because of) the weather.
For my next activity, Dana is going to teach me to golf at the driving range on Sunday! I guess I am getting older :)
Thursday, May 03, 2007
May Flowers?
I finally feel like updating and it's a silly update to boot! Last night was my first MTB ride of the season and also my first big bruise - I got it walking into a park bench when I was turning around because I missed the trail turnoff! Geesh! Sadly no new skill was learned, other than perhaps to choose better places to turn around :)
I realise that May is just beginning, but Calgary seems to have a month delay - May showers will bring June flowers. Because the grading isn't complete on one side of our house and the back is still a half done parking pad and mound of dirt, Jeff and I have decided to hold off on buying the composter, rain barrels and planting the grasses until the builder has finished. It's now been over a year, and though they were reminded only 2 weeks ago, I cynically think they aren't going to get it done and we'll have to find our own way to grade the slope, replace the gravel in the basement window wells and get our parking pad up to snuff. Grrr.... I know they are busy, but I bought seeds and have a plan and am really excited to start watching my garden grow! I'm not all that good at waiting....
I realise that May is just beginning, but Calgary seems to have a month delay - May showers will bring June flowers. Because the grading isn't complete on one side of our house and the back is still a half done parking pad and mound of dirt, Jeff and I have decided to hold off on buying the composter, rain barrels and planting the grasses until the builder has finished. It's now been over a year, and though they were reminded only 2 weeks ago, I cynically think they aren't going to get it done and we'll have to find our own way to grade the slope, replace the gravel in the basement window wells and get our parking pad up to snuff. Grrr.... I know they are busy, but I bought seeds and have a plan and am really excited to start watching my garden grow! I'm not all that good at waiting....
Friday, April 13, 2007
A lot to live up to!
My post got me thinking about last Easter so I went back and read a few entries - I am falling behind this year! Wow - I didn't realize how much I had written in 2005/2006. Looking back on the development of the house is really fun too. Next weekend I'm heading to Ontario for a visit and I promise I'll get back on track with the more frequent updates.
April showers?
This weekend I am going to plant some seeds. I am desperate to move the seasons along a little faster. This April we have had nothing but SNOW. Geesh! I know Calgary is pretty far north , but my third year here and I'm still not used to it. I love the winters and summers but the spring/fall times are so awkward.
Last weekend was Easter and I continued what seems to be my new tradition - I took visitors for a little mountain cross-country ski! There was still over 1 m at Mt. Shark and the sun was beating down. It is so hard to dress for skiing when it's +15 Celsius... Last Easter I went with a friend from out of town to Lake Louise (check back to last year's post!). So, visitors be warned - if you come at Easter you will be skiing in your undies!!
The weekend before I went to Kicking Horse for a last weekend of snowboarding. It again was fantastically warm but the snow was great. I rode blue runs with confidence. What a change since December!
Tomorrow is the University Outdoors Center rental sale and my original plan was to pick up some alpine touring skis I could use at the resorts so that I could learn to ski next year. But, another look over the finances killed that idea. However, I am still going to go and buy two pairs of snowshoes. Even though they are very cheap to rent, I think it will be nice to have a few pairs kicking around.
These next few weeks I'm reading 3 Italian novels recently translated to English. Just checking out what makes the bestseller lists over there. On the bus yesterday I was reading a rant by an Italian convict about how hard it is for him to get new/replacement rubber seals for his moka (small burner espresso maker) and that after 15 years in prison he really needs a good moisturizing soap. (this was in between the plot of him murdering a mother and son during a getaway from a robbery 15 years earlier and now he has cancer but wants to die a free man and is going through the system to get a pardon, so there is some substance).
I'm glad to hear Easter was good in Neb, but am still waiting to be cc'd on a good Auz update... hint hint. Same old going on for me here though. Happy spring!
Last weekend was Easter and I continued what seems to be my new tradition - I took visitors for a little mountain cross-country ski! There was still over 1 m at Mt. Shark and the sun was beating down. It is so hard to dress for skiing when it's +15 Celsius... Last Easter I went with a friend from out of town to Lake Louise (check back to last year's post!). So, visitors be warned - if you come at Easter you will be skiing in your undies!!
The weekend before I went to Kicking Horse for a last weekend of snowboarding. It again was fantastically warm but the snow was great. I rode blue runs with confidence. What a change since December!
Tomorrow is the University Outdoors Center rental sale and my original plan was to pick up some alpine touring skis I could use at the resorts so that I could learn to ski next year. But, another look over the finances killed that idea. However, I am still going to go and buy two pairs of snowshoes. Even though they are very cheap to rent, I think it will be nice to have a few pairs kicking around.
These next few weeks I'm reading 3 Italian novels recently translated to English. Just checking out what makes the bestseller lists over there. On the bus yesterday I was reading a rant by an Italian convict about how hard it is for him to get new/replacement rubber seals for his moka (small burner espresso maker) and that after 15 years in prison he really needs a good moisturizing soap. (this was in between the plot of him murdering a mother and son during a getaway from a robbery 15 years earlier and now he has cancer but wants to die a free man and is going through the system to get a pardon, so there is some substance).
I'm glad to hear Easter was good in Neb, but am still waiting to be cc'd on a good Auz update... hint hint. Same old going on for me here though. Happy spring!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
March madness
So, I've changed the colours again. You know me, always trying to be pretty ;)
This month has been busy! It started with field work and my first ever total site evacuation; very calm, very cool and under control. Everything was cleared up by the next day, but I'm really glad that I was back in town while the critical decisions were made. Then, home for two days, doing laundry like mad (Jeff had just gotten back from the field as well) and we packed up the car with the road bikes and headed for Napa/Sonoma. I've posted the campsite pics on my facebook page.
It was gorgeous! No face-endangering collisions with this year's spring bike trip. With travelling for work, Jeff and I were sick and tired of random hotels, so we camped every night and spent all of our money on food. Holy - stick two vegetarians with biking level appetites in California for a week; you can just imagine our food bill! The dinners, the breakfasts, oh my oh my... (do I even have to mention the wine?!)
So last weekend was my first at home, and I should have updated my blog (sorry Julie!) but, surprise surprise, Jeff is away and I spent the weekend with new library books. I'm all into a new genre (though I think I am the only one to categorise these) - first books by people who are blooming fiction from their trained profession. It started with this month's book club pick of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. I read it up at the aforementioned field site and started what is now 20 pages of murder mystery fiction based in my profession. I have since read Spanish private school murder mystery written by a teacher in Spain, a silicon valley murder mystery written by an early-retirement dot.com-er (about early-retirement dot.com-ers), and a fiction about a young man who follows his girlfriend to Thailand and works as a journalist, written by, yes, a young man who followed.. you get the idea.
That's about it for me. I have some seeds itching to get into the ground to grow and cover all of our new-suburb dirt, but it is currently snowing. Ah spring. If anyone is inspired to share, I would appreciate recommendations for my new reading lists. Murder and mayhem with railway employees? University administrators gone mad? Aussie snaps in the fashion industry? Just some ideas....
This month has been busy! It started with field work and my first ever total site evacuation; very calm, very cool and under control. Everything was cleared up by the next day, but I'm really glad that I was back in town while the critical decisions were made. Then, home for two days, doing laundry like mad (Jeff had just gotten back from the field as well) and we packed up the car with the road bikes and headed for Napa/Sonoma. I've posted the campsite pics on my facebook page.
It was gorgeous! No face-endangering collisions with this year's spring bike trip. With travelling for work, Jeff and I were sick and tired of random hotels, so we camped every night and spent all of our money on food. Holy - stick two vegetarians with biking level appetites in California for a week; you can just imagine our food bill! The dinners, the breakfasts, oh my oh my... (do I even have to mention the wine?!)
So last weekend was my first at home, and I should have updated my blog (sorry Julie!) but, surprise surprise, Jeff is away and I spent the weekend with new library books. I'm all into a new genre (though I think I am the only one to categorise these) - first books by people who are blooming fiction from their trained profession. It started with this month's book club pick of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. I read it up at the aforementioned field site and started what is now 20 pages of murder mystery fiction based in my profession. I have since read Spanish private school murder mystery written by a teacher in Spain, a silicon valley murder mystery written by an early-retirement dot.com-er (about early-retirement dot.com-ers), and a fiction about a young man who follows his girlfriend to Thailand and works as a journalist, written by, yes, a young man who followed.. you get the idea.
That's about it for me. I have some seeds itching to get into the ground to grow and cover all of our new-suburb dirt, but it is currently snowing. Ah spring. If anyone is inspired to share, I would appreciate recommendations for my new reading lists. Murder and mayhem with railway employees? University administrators gone mad? Aussie snaps in the fashion industry? Just some ideas....
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Reality comes around
All week I was excited to go down to Fernie (BC), to stay with some friends and check out the hill. Then I just kept getting a bit sicker every day... til, bam! I have a bad cold.
I did drive south on Friday and met Jeff down there. He had driven 1100 km from North Dakota that day and was dead tired. However, it was a beautiful and warm day on Saturday and my friend who we were staying with showed me around the hill, while Jeff went off riding in the trees. I really challenged myself to great effect and had a wonderful time. We all desperately tried to stay up to a decent hour, but were all in bed by 9:30 pm, happy and exhausted. On Sunday my sinuses kicked my ass and Jeff was really tired so we called it quits and drove home Sunday afternoon after a nice long and leisurely breakfast. Yesterday was a long weekend holiday Monday here in Alberta, and I spent it on the couch with a roll of toilet paper blowing my nose. Classic. So, not much went as planned this weekend and it was certainly not the epic snowboarding extravaganza I had hoped for, but... There is always next weekend. (Actually, next weekend's plan is cross country sking - it's much cheaper!)
I did drive south on Friday and met Jeff down there. He had driven 1100 km from North Dakota that day and was dead tired. However, it was a beautiful and warm day on Saturday and my friend who we were staying with showed me around the hill, while Jeff went off riding in the trees. I really challenged myself to great effect and had a wonderful time. We all desperately tried to stay up to a decent hour, but were all in bed by 9:30 pm, happy and exhausted. On Sunday my sinuses kicked my ass and Jeff was really tired so we called it quits and drove home Sunday afternoon after a nice long and leisurely breakfast. Yesterday was a long weekend holiday Monday here in Alberta, and I spent it on the couch with a roll of toilet paper blowing my nose. Classic. So, not much went as planned this weekend and it was certainly not the epic snowboarding extravaganza I had hoped for, but... There is always next weekend. (Actually, next weekend's plan is cross country sking - it's much cheaper!)
Monday, February 12, 2007
Do cowboys make good snowshoers?
This weekend I did the Avalanche Safety Training Level 1 course. I used snowshoes instead of skis so I wouldn't look like such a novice in a group of strangers. But holy - I am sore in the strangest places today! You have to walk so wide with snowshoes on, I felt like a cowboy all day. And my hands are super sore; it appears that in steep terrain I have a death-grip on my ski poles. However, all the soreness aside, I am very pleased that I can now identify suspicious terrain and know how to find someone using/wearing an avalanche transceiver (beacon). I bought my camera along but it was snowing pretty hard all day and was effectively white-out conditions for most of the day. In a few cases the instructor just had to describe to us what type of terrain we would be seeing if we could see more than 100 feet ahead. It was strange knowing that there was a large rock face and bowl very nearby but not be able to see it at all...
Avalanche beacons are pretty cool but expensive. I'll be renting one if I do any back country travel this season, but if anyone needs birthday or Christmas ideas for next year, keep it in mind :)
Next weekend I'm planning on heading to Fernie. It's the provincial Family Day next Monday, so the ski hill will be packed, but I'll brave it. And my friend who we will be staying with is eager to kick my butt on the hill. The learning curve just never stops...
Avalanche beacons are pretty cool but expensive. I'll be renting one if I do any back country travel this season, but if anyone needs birthday or Christmas ideas for next year, keep it in mind :)
Next weekend I'm planning on heading to Fernie. It's the provincial Family Day next Monday, so the ski hill will be packed, but I'll brave it. And my friend who we will be staying with is eager to kick my butt on the hill. The learning curve just never stops...
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Singles Weekend
Last weekend Jeff was away and I took the opportunity to go snowboarding with some girlfriends on Saturday and head to a Superbowl get-together on Sunday (HD with American commercials; good times had by all). Saturday was great weather (well, it is winter! the lifts are cold in the mornings every time...) and I rode a black diamond run twice before lunch - can you imagine?! Today my plan was to play some more and take the day off for another Ladies Day special, but I now have other plans. Jeff is still away (he actually came back to town for a full 36 hours earlier this week) and so I have another single girl weekend to fill. I have decided to take my Level 1 avalanche safety training. I'm really not planning on doing anything particularly hard core; I'm taking the course so I can read the danger and steer well clear of it! I asked my boss if work would fund my weekend as part of my safety training, but no dice :) They don't generally drill gas wells in active avalanche zones...
Other news: I finished Colony of Unrequited Dreams. The last third of the book really drags on and then bam! everything is wrapped up nicely in the last few dozen pages and life goes on... The first half is great, and I realise since it is based on a real person the ending can't be super over-dramatic, but the balance was pretty off. Book club meets tomorrow night so I'll soon hear what the other ladies thought of it. I am now reading a dirty little Michael Crichton book - I feel like I need a brown paper cover for it. I'm ruining my bus reputation!
Other news: I finished Colony of Unrequited Dreams. The last third of the book really drags on and then bam! everything is wrapped up nicely in the last few dozen pages and life goes on... The first half is great, and I realise since it is based on a real person the ending can't be super over-dramatic, but the balance was pretty off. Book club meets tomorrow night so I'll soon hear what the other ladies thought of it. I am now reading a dirty little Michael Crichton book - I feel like I need a brown paper cover for it. I'm ruining my bus reputation!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Playing Hookie
Yesterday I used a vacation day and went snowboarding. It was beautiful and sunny, about -10 degrees or so, and it was Ladies Day at a nearby hill. The package day deal was transportation to and from Calgary, a lesson, lunch, a stretching/pilates workshop and the afternoon on the hill to do what you please. It was terrific! All the other ladies were better snowboarders than me, and trying to follow their lead down the hill pushed me to get over some fears of steeper terrain. I think I am off the bunny hills for good! I still have a lot to work on, but I am happy that I can tick another day of fun off the calender as being injury free. My goal for 2007 is to have something like those worker's safety boards at manufacturing plants - Injury Free for 31 days! (I have a few bruises, but if we start counting bruises as injuries... well, it's just not feasible!)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
I'm a horrible sister!
Arrhh - I just hit the 'publish' button and I was so engrossed in describing my cabbage battle that I completely forgot why I logged in to post in the first place!!
My Sister Has A Blog TOO!!
Check it
It's all about her shoe dreams.
If you are in our family or know us well, you will know that my sister and I both have these great vivid dreams and that we used to go on and on and on and on at the breakfast table telling our amazing adventures. I think hers won because she always had great detail, but I certainly get honorable mention for the sheer randomness of mine.
Of other worthy mention is the battle of the next two weeks to finish Colony of Unrequited Dreams for book club. As much of the Canadian media has reported, this book is a keeper; balancing social justice and landscape beauty, this book connects some wonderful things in my life. Sadly, I'm just not sure my bus commute time is up for the challenge of 550 pages in two weeks. I'll have to do some laps of the neighbourhood... :)
My Sister Has A Blog TOO!!
Check it
It's all about her shoe dreams.
If you are in our family or know us well, you will know that my sister and I both have these great vivid dreams and that we used to go on and on and on and on at the breakfast table telling our amazing adventures. I think hers won because she always had great detail, but I certainly get honorable mention for the sheer randomness of mine.
Of other worthy mention is the battle of the next two weeks to finish Colony of Unrequited Dreams for book club. As much of the Canadian media has reported, this book is a keeper; balancing social justice and landscape beauty, this book connects some wonderful things in my life. Sadly, I'm just not sure my bus commute time is up for the challenge of 550 pages in two weeks. I'll have to do some laps of the neighbourhood... :)
Cabbage Battles
Alright already! I know I'm a slacker... Sorry about the silence since Christmas. Been too busy watching the TV - ha ha!
But really, I composed a cute summary of all I've been up to on the way home from work on Tuesday. However, I went to the fridge for a wee snack before I typed it up, and was challenged to battle by the reigning champion vegetable - the cabbage! I bought a large red cabbage a while ago, and though I have been using it for dinner probably twice a week since then, they just don't go down in size! I can't imagine what you people do with a pot roast... I imagine the size of a pot roast from childhood as about the same as my large red cabbage; the cabbage that never ends. So, I took a quick walk to the store (it was +12C!) and bought wonton wrappers, fried up about 5 cups of cabbage with 1.5 cups arame seaweed, 6 garlic cloves, shoyu, mirin and a bit of apple cider vinegar and made dumplings - the whole wonton package (i think it's about 50 wraps).
Now, I have a freezer full of tasty snacks, but still have some cabbage!!! What do i do with this? I have about 3 cups worth still laughing at me from the fridge. Funny thing is, I bought the cabbage to use up the beets who were the last senior vegge in the case. I used up the beets, but now I'm thinking I need a big bag of potatoes to match the cabbage. Then, you know what that means - potato battle forthcoming...
Other than sharpening my knives I have been up to nothing much - reading, skiing, working. Sadly I have not been out snowboarding since before Christmas. January is the month of paying off the well-meant but poorly-timed visa bills of 2006. I mean to have a much more exciting life come February.
But really, I composed a cute summary of all I've been up to on the way home from work on Tuesday. However, I went to the fridge for a wee snack before I typed it up, and was challenged to battle by the reigning champion vegetable - the cabbage! I bought a large red cabbage a while ago, and though I have been using it for dinner probably twice a week since then, they just don't go down in size! I can't imagine what you people do with a pot roast... I imagine the size of a pot roast from childhood as about the same as my large red cabbage; the cabbage that never ends. So, I took a quick walk to the store (it was +12C!) and bought wonton wrappers, fried up about 5 cups of cabbage with 1.5 cups arame seaweed, 6 garlic cloves, shoyu, mirin and a bit of apple cider vinegar and made dumplings - the whole wonton package (i think it's about 50 wraps).
Now, I have a freezer full of tasty snacks, but still have some cabbage!!! What do i do with this? I have about 3 cups worth still laughing at me from the fridge. Funny thing is, I bought the cabbage to use up the beets who were the last senior vegge in the case. I used up the beets, but now I'm thinking I need a big bag of potatoes to match the cabbage. Then, you know what that means - potato battle forthcoming...
Other than sharpening my knives I have been up to nothing much - reading, skiing, working. Sadly I have not been out snowboarding since before Christmas. January is the month of paying off the well-meant but poorly-timed visa bills of 2006. I mean to have a much more exciting life come February.
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