The cloud has lifted

On Wednesday, almost 2 months since they announced the redundancies, I found out that my job was safe... and on Thursday I had an interview.

I went to the interview relaxed and it went well. If I get offered it, I don't know what I will do.

Today is the first time since my last blog I have looked at my home computer with joy - for pleasure, not work.

In the midst of it all, we went here. And it was very fine.


I also completed the 3 peaks in 5 hours and 25 minutes. Not bad for a bird with a cold.

Squeeze

Some women try on their old wedding dress as an excuse for dressing up.

In the absence of anything better to do, as I re-organised all my long garments to one end of the wardrobe this evening, I thought I'd better try on my wetsuit - y'know for the day when I actually decide to do a triathlon again and incase I take up kayaking or windsurfing and just to see how it still fits.

Vital evening entertainment, apparently.

But not so easy to get out of with achey muscles from a National Trophy event.

Final prep

Next week is the biggie. The Three Peaks has come around again. Last year i had to ride it without my dad for the first time in 6 attempts on account of him getting his face smashed by a curb (couresty of motorist mayhem).

Me, I've been properly concentrating on training - doing specific workouts on the way to work instead of just travelling from A to B. Of course, the training schedule has been shattered by the impending doom of redundancies and the sheer exhaustion which accompanies such uncertainties.

Still, on Saturday I went for a run to see how the knee is doing after I badly burnt the skin on my cables before smashing the knee between the top tube and bars leaving me with lovely purple-dappled bruises both sides of my knee bones. The knee held out for about half an hour of running then I started to limp so I walked back through Wootton Bassett at a moderate pace to get supermarket shopping and pop in to see the pet carere and organise for lenny to be looked after whilst we swan around in Yorkshire for a weekend next week.

As a result of the running, the race in Exeter today went really badly and I was resoundingly last. Appart from being exhausted and ready for a rest week, I was also having issues with breathing on account of the volumes of dust being kicked into the air.

Nervous of taking another spill onto the knee I rode cautiously. Although, as I caught up Gabbie Day (womens winner) and Andy Hargroves (junior winner) in the wood, I guess I wasn't riding that cautiously.

It's frustrating doing a national race at the low point in the training plan. I just have to trust the system that next week's rest will turn out to be everything I hope and that it does the business of leaving me feeling rested and hungry for exertion next week. It sure as hell doesn't feel that way now.

But the three peaks is a personal adventure and the atmosphere on the day is more than the weeks of prep and build-up put together. I need to file today under, "a part of the processes" and arrive at the office tomorrow and declare myself "unflappable".

I fear this is easier said than done but I will persevere.

The waiting game

After two weeks of worrying about my job I was exhausted so I resolved to get on with it and compartmentalise. So I have been training and am just back from a lovely weekend in Wales. OK. It was a weekend in Wales. I got really wet. But TSK and I had fun and snuggled in the Vanu as the rain came down.

Every so often I do a little job hunting just to be on the safe side.

As a pretty respectable member of staff and one who has always seemed to have been quite responsible, valuable and amiable, I feel safe but there's this one chap who has ideas for something big. Something I can't be bothered with. One of these management gurus who puts all his trust in psychometric testing and strategy meetings and things that I generally consider to be a pile of the proverbial bovine stinky stuff. I can't read him, no one can so every so often I leave work at 4, I head home and I job hunt.

And today, a recruitment consultant phoned me back within 1 minute of me hitting the send button. I am tempted by interesting prospects and a move back to the home land, to the real hills of the lakes and the welsh mountains, of Hollyoaks country and IMC and of proper mechanical engineering without any of the civils outsider feelings that accompany my current place of work.

Written French would be a benefit. Mon dieu, je crois que je serai contente.

Smug is

Riding home when everyone else is stuck because there was a crash on the motorway.

Even if it is raining

Impending doom

A week ago tomorrow I set out on my ride to work, determined to do as much hill as possible. Considering we spent Saturday climbing all over the Cotswolds and Cheltenham Scar and I ran around the village on Sunday, I rode to work via Broad Town hill then couldn't resist the Hackpen Hill climb past the white pony on the hillside and beyond to Aldbourne and Chiseldon.

I arrived at work at 10am and didn't get to my office until 10:10. Whilst 10am is legal in flexitime rules, 10:10 is officially late and to my horror, my colleagues were standing in groups, discussing the redundancy packages that had been handed out.

Rather than any quick decisions, it seems everyone is subject to abject terror for a two week period whilst the management and staff council consult on how to make the decisions that will lead to numbers of us losing our job - in my department, that's 5 people out of 15.

There's things I can't say about the process just in case anyone's reading but in a battle to ensure I still have a job in a few weeks, training has gone to the wall.

I try to stay positive, I really do but as I sit in my chair after 4 hours of searching the interweb with a dodgy nervy belly, I find it incredibly difficult to motivate myself to go out and bound around the local countryside in any way, shape or form.

I want to go back here.

Dunwich Dynamo

It was 2 or three weeks ago now. TSK stayed in bed most of the day whilst I drove to Wisbech to pick up wood for refurbishments to the Vanu. Wisbech involved passing through peterborough and I discovered that my love for Peterborough extends to now knowing the quick route through it when you're in a rush to get to Wisbech and Rainbow Camper Conversions.

From Wisbech I drove through the heart of East Anglia and onto Dunwich on the East coast. The drive was lovely. Nice to be there in the sunshine with the corn ripening and the ditches full of slowly moving water being enjoyed by families with canoes.

In Dunwich at 8pm I camped and tucked into a full hamper of beer I'd stashed for TSK's friends in the morning.

I cooked and ate dinner then walked along the beach to Dunwich village.

The waves were beautiful, despite Hinkley Point in the distance. The soft noise only interupted by children on the cliff, who eventually gave up trying to attract my attention. A fisherman's soggy dog tried to talk but was called away. In contrast, a group of lads sent their doberman over to "chat up the lady" but were dismayed when I told them their dog was cute but they stood little hope since I was waiting for my boyfriend to ride up from London.

The sun was setting as I arrived at the village


By the time I was part way home along the road, the sun was set and so the deer hardly saw me as I passed in the woods leading back to the campsite. He could smell me though (8 hours driving a van) and we stood and stared at eachother through the darkness before a twat in a range=rover scared him off.

I slept reasonably well in the van, despite having done nothing with my day except shop and drive. I did wake at 4 am, wishing to get rid of some of the beer I'd consumed and decided to take a drive down to the beach to wait for TSK to arrive. As I looked over the break-water, the sun was re-appearing over the ocean so I popped back to the van to get my chair and sat and watched her rise as cyclists began to queue for the café behind me.


TSK returned to me 2 hours later. Happy and bouncy. Things were looking good for the 600 in a weeks time.

Oakley, Oxfordshire - An Egotists View from the Back

Before we started the race on Sunday I popped over to the signing-on desk to pick up some pins for Sorelle and Sharron’s numbers, joking that my contribution to the day would be solely along the lines of the dutiful domestique. My start to the event was thwarted by a puncture on the startline followed by the slow realisation that the pool of high-tech spare wheels was never going to work with the 8-speed chain on my cyclo-cross bike – the only reasonably lightweight bike I have for road racing.

Drowning my initial resignation to “pack up and go home” I switched out the punctured inner tube and set about my first lap. Half a mile later, one of the links on aforementioned 8 speed chain started to pop undone so I retreated again to the van for a chain tool before embarking on the race once and for all.

After half a lap, I came across Sharron, recovering from the discovery that her wheel wasn’t in straight and the brakes locked up in the middle of the pack on the first corner. Wheel straightened and brakes re-set we began 2 laps of chatting like a couple of Sunday club-run riders, waiting for the pack to catch us. Despite the slippery windy roads, I was fairly sure we wouldn’t catch the pack no matter how hard we tried. In retrospect, I should’ve tried to help pull Sharron back up to any groups which fell off the back of the main pack but when you’re pretty sure you’re 25 minutes off the back of a 6 mile lap, these suggestions don’t come easy to an adrenaline-fuelled brain.

Finally, the men caught us and Sharron made a very brave effort to sit with them while I, ever aware of my limits, continued to wait for the women. After what seemed like an eternity, the pack finally emerged, sadly without Sorelle but I managed to join it and surprised myself by staying in it.

Genevive was still in-tact in the group and seemed relieved to see another Swindon rider to help out. Envigorated by joining a group with 3 laps more fatigue in their legs than I had, I set about causing a stir by stomping out some fast pace on the right hand side of the pack – where all the elite riders were making their moves to avoid the potholes on the left of the road. I tried to mark Gen, giving her a break from the wind and opening little doors in the constant stream of changing places. Sharron joined in the fun, having left the men to their own devices and for the first time in my life I actually felt like I could contribute to team tactics.

The penultimate lap of the course passed with little event until I got another smug “first time for everthing” feeling from crossing over the last lap marker, still part of a coherent group. The fact that I was a lap down just didn’t matter to me anymore.

The last lap pace didn’t start to accelerate until about half way round where a very sharp left hand bend is followed by a steep hump-back motorway bridge. Rather than my usual performance of slowing to a snail’s pace and dropping off the back, I found myself keeping pace with many of my peers and, quite astonishingly, still had my eye on Genevive.

As I marked “breakaway alley” on the right, I noticed a very strong solo-rider start to sneak by with purpose in her legs. There was no-way anyone was getting past my moment of glory and all of a sudden, in my head, I was the Hincapie to Genevives’ Cavendish and I could see my explosive sprint leading her out to take the 1-2 for Swindon road club (ignoring, of course, the fact that I am still one-lap down). So I jumped on the wheel of miss Breakaway and gave my all to dragging whoever else would follow from the main group across the 20m gap she managed to open up. My plan worked, plenty of others saw her go and despite the evil glances of death she kept throwing my way (or perhaps she wanted help), we succeeded in dragging her back.

That was my moment of glory more or less spent as I glided to the back of the pack.

Pride got the better of me though and I managed, somehow to cling on to the group and keep pace around to the last corner. We all knew it was going to be fast as a short climb led to a long, flat tail winded finish. As I planned to chase down the attack lines on the right, the pace just got too frantic and my muscles wilted into melted cheese.

I let the pack go and rode close to the verge, waving the support vehicles to go past me then whoomph, 6 riders on the right hand side of the pack exploded into the air in a mass of bikes and limbs.

Having declared my race “over” about 3 hours earlier, I set about doing what I could to pull bikes and people off the pile of wreckage. A number of riders rode on to the finish whilst I stayed to help out. One first aider was faced with 2 casualties to tend whilst the rest of the cavalcade lifted bikes onto the support vehicle and pacified the local bobby who was genuinely surprised to find out there was a bike race happening in his area.

Everyone safely moved and ambulances called, I picked up my bike to find Genevive and Sorelle had come back to check on me as my absence at the finish line had been noted. In times of such woeful failure it is always really nice to find that, not only do your team-mates know you are missing but the lap-scorer is still patiently waiting for you to return.

Trepid Explorer – resoundingly last but by no means disappointed.

Stamp

I am officially an official chartered n'engineer.

Trepid Explorer CEng MIMechE. My name will actually appear in the Telegraph newspaper in about 3 months time.

For 20 years I have approached cycling with the same philosophy. Miles = fitness. I dabbled in the science of heart-rate monitoring – measuring a maximum heart-rate – that which can be maintained for 8 minutes - and training at various percentages of it in order to achieve an aerobic performance (or otherwise).

Sitting in a pub (drinking orange juice) and talking to my team mates I heard them all talking about their lactate threshold which sounded like something terribly scientific that can only be measured in a lab.

When I proudly proclaimed I had measured my max heartrate, I was met with silence – not a stunned silence – but still an “Oh my god, max heart rate is soooo 90’s” silence. So I dug out a book. A book that I bought in February. And I gebun to read.

Accordindg to this book, my lack of energy and constant illness is not just brought on by me being crap but is as a result of me over-training. When I go-for-it hell for leather, I show a slight improvement then, oops – no brainer – I get sick or I injure myself, all the fitness is gone and… repeat for 20 years.

So finally the message has come across – stop over training and start training with a brain. The book is well written. The author makes an excellent case for his methods and reports that he has walked away from potential clients on the basis that they are unable to follow his regime - not because it's too hard but because they over-train and stress and beat themselves up when they are unable to train because the plan does not allow it. His book is littered with quotes from training manuals gone by, outlining the ludicrous ideas that we used to have in the old days. It is also filled with statements from today’s heros quoting that they “gave up 35 hours a week training years ago” (Phew).

Still, it doesn’t matter with this programme, whether you train 100 hours a year or 1000 hours a year, this programme is about distributing the efforts associated with training to build muscles, aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity and endurance to achieve an all-round cycling skill which can then be adapted to the type of cycling you do and the areas in which one needs to improve. 2 weeks ago I sat down all day Saturday and came up with a plan.

I – it seems – ride about 350 hours a year. From now on I will be varying the hours I spend riding depending on when I am in a Base phase, a build phase, a peak phase or a rest phase. I get two peaks in a season which I am planning on being the 3 Peaks cyclo-cross in September and the nationals in January. Which phase I am in determines what percentage of my time is spent on Endurance, Force, Muscle Endurance, Power, Speed Skills and Anaerobic Endurance. As I build towards the beginning of my winter season I am doing most of my riding as endurance which is what I’ve been doing for years but even so, the proportion of rides which I need to do to fulfil the rest of the training is beginning to define the shape of my body as I develop hip extensor muscles, arm muscles (where there haven’t been any for years) and my thighs and calves return.

The program has so far turned out to be an excellent driver. When I look at my plan on a Wednesday and realise I still have some ME hours and some Force hours to do, it inspires me to get out on my bike – if only for half an hour – and play catch up.

Thus I found myself on Saturday leaving the comfort of a cool house lacking in commitment and responsibility to head for the hills in an effort to develop my thigh strength and tick-off 90 minutes of ME training. It was perfect and I returned home feeling exactly like I’d been to the gym, yet full of the joys of never-ending rolling fields filled with blue cornflower, red poppies and yellow oil-seed rape.

So on Sunday, when TSK suggested we ride to Andover I could see 4 hours ahead of endurance riding and signing off the rest of my ME with a little force training. What he neglected to tell me was he was opting for the hilly route to ensure plenty of breeze all-round. Following a hardride on Saturday I hauled up the first hill then spent the rest of the day settling in to whatever I could be settled with – including granny gear. It didn’t matter, we had a great day out filled with coffee, fruit juice, a marching band and good lunch. There were many hills and many lonely valleys where we felt like the only people on the road and we enjoyed Andover – despite the poor signposting around the town. 9 hours later we got back to the house, seriously having overdone the training doses for another week (last week was truly gourmande as far as the training went).

All I can think is the author of my book would not be imipressed but hell, if you’re going to break the rules you might as well have fun doing it.

Two words: Bloody Brilliant

LOL. Seriously

Sir Alan Sugar ripped

and put back together again

Rolling to the Stones 2009

As Trepid Explorer takes a day-out to recover.

On Saturday we did sweet FA which was needed despite the impending stones ride. A busy week working with the Romania office made for a tired and grumpy Trep. We went back to bed about 12.55pm, lunched at 2 then set off for the station at 5 to arrive in London for pastie and beans at Paddington at 7 followed by an hour and a half of sitting around in the breeze at Speakers' corner. By 9pm most of the following had amassed for our ride.

Jason, TSK, fixie man, Darren, Dutch guy, Sam, Roger, George (sorry if I didn't get your names). There was also another lady named Nicki and her boyf and a nice older bloke who met us along the way and kept hanging with me at the back.

As well as the usual suspects from London Fixed Gear Forum were riders from Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire who had headed down on the train too. Most of the fixed wheel riders were heading out on gears and freaking out about the process of freewheeling and spinning gears. One guy ploughed on with his fixie and, I have to admit, did bloody well to hold a reasonable pace on the downhills without spinning-out too obviously.

We hammered out quite the pace through the city streets. Jumping lights and cheeky manoevres are not normally in my portfolio of riding techniques but as I promised myself 50-lashes later, prissy law abidingness was set to one-side in favour of good old-fashioned peer pressure and keeping up with the group for the next 89miles of riding. I have to say that with the average speed of motors in the city being around 15-20 mph, illegal manoevres take on less importance and my fellow riders did start to adhere to the law more as we made it out into the burbs.

Back to the quick pace - while 25kph is hardly race speed, it is my fast-riding speed and I was starting to doubt if I could hold it up for much longer. I hoped desperately that the pace would ease as the couriers found that long distance, more sustained riding was hard to maintain at 25kph. Sadly, not so and as I started to get tired and settled into my normal audax pace, they continued at speed, offsetting with more rest stops which TSK and I found hard to bear. Having got warm and endured fast pace, we then found ourselves chilling down to shivering before getting back on the bike and trying to force our muscles back into the 25kph pace.

By the time we reached Hartley Whitney we were all getting in need of a warm drink and spent the time hugging A-roads and scanning for open coffee shops, petrol stations selling coffee or even Kebab shops selling coffee. We found the worst kebab caravan in the world... well, he sold no coffee.

At about 1.45am we stopped at a petrol station in Basingstoke for some food and energy drink and for an emergency spoke repair on a bike which hadn't been ridden in ages. I took off my shoes to warm my feet on the tarmac and we all tried not to snigger as a lad pulled up in a taxi to the night-serve counter buy condoms for a successful end to his night out on the pull.

My consistent getting-dropped got me lost only once and I phoned TSK soon for directions to put me back on route. Our priority was to avoid slowing down the group too much so as they stopped to rest or wait for repairs and weary sprinters, we trundled along like the fairytale tortoise, pushing a less respectable 22kph average. I was saving myself on the climbs and freewheeling the downhills. By the time we hit the dual carriageways of the A303 we stuck our heads down and bolted for Amesbury, all thought of coffee gone from our minds - short of taking a leak in a lay by in emergency circumstances.

Arrival at the stones was profound but only in the sheer volume of people present. All roads were closed and we rode on through on our bikes, ignoring any geers or yells for it was difficult to tell if they were coming from flourescent clad cops or pissed people.

One chap said,

"Oi you're on a bike that's cheating".

He seemed incapable of processing,

"I left London at 8pm. Still think it's cheating?",

and gave up. There is no respect to be won from a drunk at 4am.

We weaved through the groups - families, drunks, witches, teenage girls out to flaunt their stuff, teenage boys out to look threatening or just cold and hiding behind hoodies, men in camo and cowboy hats, people carrying tambourines, drums, flutes and pennywhistles, more blankets than I thought remained in existence, people carrying staffs or big sticks that they once came across on a beach.

At the top of the dual carriageway (half set aside for people and half set aside for official vehicles) we dismounted and pushed our bikes alongside the masses of walkers. Dogs ran around in the long grass, possibly oblivious to the intrigue and weirdness going on around them. We still had a half mile to go to the stones but the cheering and singing and drum beat could be heard. Apparently this was it, this was the sunrise but short of the lightness of the sky, the sun itself was hidden from view by a thick blank of fluffy white and grey. Silver Lining was not even there. At the top of the path we locked our bikes to the fence as they weren't allowed in to the stones enclosure itself. Our bags were searched prior to entry, TSK confirming to the steward that he had in fact eaten everything that was in his bag.

TSK's first priority was to find his friends. Mine was to see stones, eat food. I'm amazed I got to the stones before the food but frankly, if there was any solstice revelry left over from the post-coital after-glow of the sunrise orgasm, I was going to get me a piece of it before the revelry rolled over and went to sleep. I'd been in the saddle for the last 6.5 hours to get there I was damn well going to get me some revelry. We made our way through the pissed, the tired, the rude, the ugly and the beautiful to get to the more determined outer ring of revelers - those that could still stand in a group without falling over or pissing off the people around them.

There was still dancing going on inside the circle, singing, whooping, drumming. Yada yada. A bit like being at a bad gig, I just lacked the motivation to get near the front and to be honest, was not sure I could walk upright enough to avoid pissing off the people around me so, I got the picture and regressed to the relative comfort of the queue for the crepes.


In the absense of good crockery or co-ordination, I spread chocolate sauce all over my chin before heading off to meet TSK's mates (what an intro - I am sure they remember the chocolate on my face, not my name) then sat in the grass for a bit feeling smug. Oliver and co couldn't get in to the stones enclosure since they'd not brought a bike lock. Thinking back, we should've volunteered to bike-sit whilst they went to sample the experience but I never thought to ask and to be fair neither did they. They were more consciously deciding to leave to ride to someone's mum's house and get driven to the station to go back to London.

TSK and I left the stones to ride back home. The path back to the road, still filled with pissed people was highly amusing including the woman who just couldn't walk without falling over and was most disgruntled there was no 4 am bus to take her home and about 6 people joking "that they wished they had their bikes". Is it impossible to say that pissed without sounding sarcastically spiteful or is it just me?

Back on the road I was happier. Looking through the fog of exhaustion it was a beautiful day for a ride as the skies cleared and we looked out across the Barrows and downs of wheat, corn shoots and oil seed rape. Every so often there was a lone person standing on a hill-top looking out across the countryside and I resolved that this is where I will spend next solstice. We
I joked (joked or fantasised?) about walking into camp-sites with a shotgun and tent-jacking sleeping bags whilst families ate breakfast. (Sorry TSK, this joke was in my head).

Eventually, though, exhaustion got the better of me and 25kph through London started to take its toll. Stopping for a comfort break, TSK took a pee whilst I dropped Lovely in the dirt and lay down on the soft dry chalk to briefly cry myself into sleep which came mercifully quickly. TSK lay beside me briefly before righting me, sticking me back on the bike which I could hardly balance and setting me back on up the hill to my next target, Avebury's Western Avenue. The keepers at Avebury had allowed the grass to grow long and amongst the grass, people slept, rested and read books. I have seen it busier with tourists on an ugly day but on Sunday morning, it seemed peaceful and graceful. Partygoers sat in the pub beergarden, giving us hope they had opened early for breakfast (it was still only 7:30 am) but sadly, there was no food to be had in Avebury.

What did keep me going was the stream of triathletes on the Malborough Triathlon, cycling the opposite direction to us. TSK even stopped to help one lady back on her bike after she crashed into the verge whilst trying to tighten her shoe.

We left them at the turn off to Broad Town and our spirits went sky-high when we saw a lady walking with a newspaper in her arms. Praise! the post office was open and we indulged in fig rolls and coconut macaroons. Sitting outside in the sun, the proprietor popped out to see if we wanted a lift home in his van but by that point we were refuelled and eager to make it all the way.

I flung the fastest descent ever down Broadtown hill (50kmph), landing in Wootton Bassett on a roll until the temporary traffic lights left me wondering if I'd get going again. However, approximately 12 hours after we'd left London we finally arrived back at the Mead to a very happy cat.



2 minutes later, the thought of my sweet, comfy bed made me whimper as I pealed of the layers of sticky clothing whilst walking up the stairs. Leaving my shoes and helmet by the toilet, were I'd removed them, I then fell into bed for 3 hours of close-to-death sleep. At 12:30 I was woken by my stomach so ate toast, showered then went back to bed from 2pm till 8pm. Having spent the afternoon dreaming about food I had an ambitious plot to grill steaks and serve them with new potatoes, mashed carrots and steamed pea plants but I was foiled by sore knees and an untidy kitchen so the nice folks at the pub obliged and made my tum very happy.

A wise woman once said to me, "try everything once and if you don't like it, try it again - just to make sure." In wisdom, I declare my overnight riding experience exhausted. Remind me of this for I fear the endorphins might argue their case in a day or so's time.

Rolling to the stones

I'm getting on a train this evening to London. At about 8pm we leave London to ride home again - via Stonehenge. The solstice is upon us and I will be spending the night riding with a bunch of cigarette-smoking, coffee drinking courier-types from the London Fixed-gear forum - mostly pedalling, drinking coffee, stopping for fags and whiskey. We plan to arrive at Stonhenge for sunrise and since the road to Avebury will be closed and full of druids and other various pagan spin-offs we expect our bikes will be the best way to get us there.

Last time I did an overnight ride I decided I didn't enjoy it but this one is tempting me. Mother nature seems to be being kind with good weather and it's a long time since TSK and I did anything profound together beyond scraping eachother up after gruelling solo events. I have booked Monday off work for recuperation purposes and expect to be spending tomorrow afternoon making bacon butties and coffee before bundling tired cyclists back onto the train to London.

I am forgoing the sprightly Phoenix race bike for the heavier, more comfortable Lovely stacked with a bag full of tasty morcels, munchies, a wee dram and some wooly clothes.

On being brave and grown up

For 10 years I have been trying to get around to becoming a chartered engineer. A number years of toying with the right route for me to take followed by many years of not being arsed, rejecting the prospect all together and finally deciding that I should have the accolades that go with the job position I find myself in. A few more months of report writing, deliberations and useless comments led to a 35,000 word report that was whittled down to 7,000 and 10 days ago I found myself facing a panel of my peers (all 15 years older than me so I think they mis-sell that one) for a question and answer and general chat session about my experiences, plans and all-round good-eggedness.

The outcome looked good. I felt like I had a good interview and resisted the urge to do aeroplane turns across the field as I walked away from the interview venue.

I promptly rushed into the nearest bike shop to drop £100 on my new wheels I'd bought. All as a celebration of my organisational skills, diligence and determination.

Now I have 4 weeks of pouncing on the post ahead of me.

Contentment and interesting dynamics

I finished work at 10pm for no extra pay, glory or consideration. My boss just called expecting me to be at work (fool).

I have a new training regime which seems to be working when I can get enough rest for it to work.

I don't trust Type Pad to delete everything I wrote if I stop paying my subscription so there is one massive vehemouth disproportionate blog behind this one. I should put my past behind me but in reality, on days like this, when I think my life sucks, it's best to look back at how bad things were... and realise there's lots of good stuff in there too.

In fact, if you can ignore the formatting which I really can't be arsed to remove right now, and scroll through it's like my life flashing before my eyes.

Now I know how death might feel and I can live with it. I've had a great few years.

AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: As I feel the imminent need for a free blog
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Weblogs

DATE: 02/13/2007 10:32:38 PM
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You will now find me here

or also back here

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 70.69.245.156
URL:
DATE: 02/14/2007 09:10:12 AM
What happens to everything here? Did you save it all or does it just disappear into the great beyond?

See you at t'others.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tess
EMAIL: tess618@yahoo.com
IP: 68.56.131.174
URL: http://timmymarksqk.livejournal.com/
DATE: 04/27/2009 11:39:03 PM
Well said.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Remember the war
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 02/08/2007 10:43:37 PM
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But don't make it up or believe everything the president of the US tells you.

http://www.youtube.com

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Photoblog
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Photography & Nature

DATE: 02/08/2007 10:04:03 PM
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Latest Pictures here.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Getting out of Practice
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 02/04/2007 08:53:35 PM
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We feel behind.

I know, it's the middle of winter,
there have been illnesses and injuries but suddenly 50miles is a long
way.  That's what we did yesterday. We cycled to Waltham Abbey along
the canal banks to drink tea, eat cake and see where King Harold was
buried.  I have photos but I have also lost my cable and the little
XD card doesn't fit in any of the holes in the computer.

The sun shone, we saw few other people
along the canals – a few fishermen, a few other hardy cyclists
going about their weekend A-Bs, but no real concentrations of people.
In Waltham Abbey, things seemed falsely jolly.  Everyone seemed to
be being nice to our faces yet deepdown we seethed over one café
without facilities and a second that insisted that due to lack of space we put our scary
cyclists' bags in the corner with the scary motorcyclists' helmets as
hoards of old ladies came-and-went with arm-fulls of overflowing
biddy shopping-bags.

Today we were tired.  So very tired.
We got up and out in good time and London was strangely dead.  We
went to Spitalfields market where everything seems to be a step-up
from your average market stalls.  We ate exotic greek pastries for
breakfast then found coffee in a warm place.  I didn't want to move.
We went to look at the architecture of Smithfield market then after
some shopping I was on the train home and I'm tired.  20 miles today.

Along with all this of course was 2 pints of beer whilst watching Morning Bride
play in Stoke Newington on Friday night and a large glass of wine with
Josephine on Saturday night.  Who says I can't party anymore?

More miles is what we will be doing.  I
have fitted my super-power lights to my bike tonight which I hope
will give me incentive to go out early to play in the dark. And... to
give me some extra incentive and fuel my love of stats, I am stealing
an idea from Jill:

Miles cycled in February: 87

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: The world is slightly off its axis this evening
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 01/31/2007 06:53:11 PM
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I had my third trip to the physio today.  Not that I'm in pain anymore.  Not real
pain. When I stand on one foot, it feels like my right hip won't
actually hold me up for long and I have an niggling ache in my left bum
every evening. I'd like to feel right and the whole thought of my hip
ball being part-way out of my pelvis is a little creepy.

She
tutted and wondered at what I do inbetween sessions to knock my hips
off-kilter again. Erm... running, cycling, rock climbing and standing
up all day in a cold wind?

She lay me down on the couch and
tugged on my leg and ground my foot into the bench (how she didn't
imagine this would hurt I don't know). My hips were still off-kilter.
She told me to stand straight (I was). She pushed me over to one side.
I flopped back, she pushed me again, I flopped back (repeat until
bored). She grabbed hold of me and said,

"Now that's straight".
"No, I'm standing on one leg"
"No, that's straight"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously!"
"I can't stand like this any longer"
"You'll have to.  I can't do any more for you unless you stand up straight"

I
have to stand and look in the mirror. She's right. For years I have
been leaning about 5 degrees to my left. I put it down to being tall.
Tall people lean and stoop to fit in, to hear smaller people talking,
to avoid looking like a darning needle on a pin-cushion of those litte
pins you get in packeted shirts from Marks and Spencer.

She gave
me some sexercises to do to strengthen my core muscles. They're very
dull and undynamic. I need to dig out an old, loud CD.  The words, "I
can't do anything more for you," rang in my ears and I instantly
decided I couldn't afford to see her anymore

I spent the rest of
the day leaning. Leaning in my chair, leaning in the queue for lunch,
leaning at the photocopier - but I wasn't, I was standing up straight.

I
went to the doctors to get the results of my x-ray and it appears that
after all, everything is fine and my hip is not popping out of my
pelvis any more. So, I went for a lopsided run. 4km of moorland running
over 45 minutes.  I made the sheep and little lambs scatter and watched
a twilight sunset over the glowing lights of swindon and the contours
of the downs turn from navy blue to black then I turned on my sooper
dooper headtorch and skipped my way along worn footpaths on the fields
before returning to civilisation and a bounce down the road.

Next
time I'll suss out the path behind the village that leads to the back
lane to my flat and then I'll move house and have to start the process
all over again.

My world might be off its axis but at least I am getting out more.

though you might notice I've cheated and used a photo taken a while ago in the middle of the day

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL:
DATE: 02/01/2007 11:18:24 AM
I lean to the right; standing, in the car, and even my shoulder on the right is lower.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Not getting out enough
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 01/30/2007 08:01:21 PM
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Well, I was outdoors all day, but all I came back with was photos of a shitty hole (and you don't need to see those)

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Sorry Canada
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CATEGORY: Canadiana

DATE: 01/29/2007 09:18:58 PM
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I had to phone the Insurance Company of British Columbia (ICBC) today and I have to say this...

Canadians, YOU'RE SO CUTE!

Brits hate it when Canadians and Americans come to England and call everything of ours "Quaint" - particularly our homes (it makes us feel inferior) but PURLEASE.

Have a nice day.

            

CUTE!

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.203.154
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/29/2007 09:55:51 PM
ICBC is the Devil. Or at least his mate.

I've never called anything in England quaint. I go for old myself :)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: The Trep is smiling
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Climbing

DATE: 01/28/2007 10:20:31 PM
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The Trep went climbing here today.  I cycled to the wall with harness and boots and TSK and we climbed many routes.  It's not bad at all for a local leisure centre.  They're even working on resolving the one shortfall - the tea and cake options were limited.

Now my fingers ache.

And tomorrow I will ache like I haven't for a long time.  The last time I went climbing was when I sneaked out with IMC whilst LBHN was overseas.  It was my only hope.

How things have changed.

Now I am pondering leading again.

On the outdoorsy note, here's a great article about how the outdoors can break down boundaries and inspire people.  Sent to me by Andy(boy).

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Open5
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Mountain Biking
CATEGORY: racing
CATEGORY: Running

DATE: 01/22/2007 09:42:36 PM
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It is a grossly aching Trep that
writes.  Writing is easy, it does not involve standing up in any way.
I am unable to bend my knees in a controlled manner which makes for
interesting walking.

Yesterday, TSK and Trep completed
their first Open5 race in a series of... well, 5.  See last weeks
rules but this week we had 5 Lancastrian hours to play with and had
to attain at least one check point on a bike and one on foot.

We were planning on less than one our
running but surprised ourselves by running for over an hour, including in sleet, snow and hail.

We disapointed ourselves by not
realising the run check points were worth a lot more than the bike
ones.  We realised we should've capitalised on our road skills to get
the one 50-point bike check point – out at the top of a distant road
climb... but that's all to do with me remembering the pen.

After 4.5 hours our fingers were
freezing and it had been 4 hours since I'd felt my toes – just
before I didn't think it could get any colder until I stepped into an
ankle-deep bog.

We decided the last check-point was not
worth our fingers and toes and the potential frozen fingers have for failing to brake.  We returned to base 30 minutes early.  We
descended via another ankle-deep stream (it was supposed to be a
footpath) and final check-point.

We were 21^st of 26 teams.
The extra 20 points we walked away from could've boosted us to 18^th
but frankly, we like our digits.

The physio was kind tonight.  She has
agreed to relocate my hanging-off hip which was efficiently diagnosed
with a call of “Ahaa!” as I lifted my knee towards my chest
whilst she watched my back-dimples.  She was kind because she didn't
laugh at me being crippled from things I did on purpose, not by
accident... some time before christmas.

I am to be reassembled on Wednesday.
Then I am going drinking with Claire.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/23/2007 07:34:35 AM
Maybe you should invest in a hottub for the nes place...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: silver lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 82.153.8.194
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 01/23/2007 10:26:12 PM
Ouch. ((((hugs))))
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: So... If you think I'm barmy
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 01/16/2007 10:56:06 PM
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Welcome Jill, biking in Alaska.

        I might have my warm gear and powerful lights now but I'm hoping for no more ice for a while.

Reaching new levels of trepidity.

I took my flu bug out for a ride today.  We went to buy TSK boots to equip him for a weekend in the North and life with the Trep in general.  I did the groceries.  I rode home fully laden at a respectable speed of 12 mph (respectable compared to flu-ridden back pain speeds of less than 10mph).  I am nearly well again.  One more day off should see me fit.  All in time for Mondays' trip to the physio with the back (after a weekend hammering it in Hebden Bridge - hmm).

Talking stats, I found my old diary amongst my stuff and calculated that since Jan 27th last year I have riden 8630 miles.

Time to start working on the last 370.

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 74.98.125.8
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/17/2007 05:32:55 AM
Hey - I should take some inspiration from you and take my flu bug out for a ride. I've been not riding for a week and I am getting twitchy. Thanks so much for the lovely heartwarming comment you left on my site. So ya going to try and squeeze in those 370 in the next 11 days? :)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Upgrade: Weekend
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Friends
CATEGORY: Mountain Biking
CATEGORY: racing

DATE: 01/15/2007 09:17:24 PM
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I had Friday off work.  It was a holiday in celebration of the arrival of my stuff from Canada.

When you see a gigantic removal lorry parked outside your new neighbours' house, know this - they are not suddenly the richest neighbours in the 'hood.  No! They bundle multiple households of stuff into those beasts.  So I discovered when I arrived home Thursday night to find a Brittania removals van the size of a double-decker bus parked in 5 of our visitor spots at the flat.

On Friday at 7:30 am, two shabby looking enthusiastic young men heaved 36 boxes of goodies into my flat and filed them approximately into the correct rooms (including the second bathroom which has now been relabelled "the library").

Once I had dug it out, I immediately started work on my mountain bike as it was required for Sunday.  TSK arrived later and helped by working into Saturday on "The Little Tank".  His borrow-machine for Sundays event.

We rented a van for the weekend with which to dash up to Dan and Beckys so I could borrow their children for a couple of hours of laughter and cuddles then give them back and go back to being a Trep and head round to Silver's place for a drink with her, DBO, Mr Potts and of course DandthenBex.  It was a fine party.  Sil has always wanted new boobs for her birthday.  A lack of finance meant that they made an appearance only in cake-form and much hillarity was generated from choices over whether to have flesh or bra and an abortive attempt to find 100s and 1000s with which to create peirced nipples.

On Sunday, TSK and I completed our first Trailbreak Navigator race.  Basic rules are that you have a fixed time of 3.5 hours to collect as many points as possible by visiting check-points marked on a map.  Check points vary in value dependent on their location and 5 points are docked for every 1 minute you are late back. 

Our strategy for the race was for TSK to navigate and me to keep the time and keep up without collapsing into a sweaty spluttering fluey mess.  At least my back wasn't hurting any more.  We were rewarded by some refreshingly nice weather and some impressive hillcllimbs / descents with plenty of mud, technical and winding country lanes to finish off.

As TSK suffered a few minor navigational faux pas, so I failed to start my stop watch on time or do the math on the clock correctly and there are no points added for completing the course under the influence of the flu virus and we rolled in 6 minutes late.  Combined with our failure to find checkpoint no 2 which had no marker, our final score of 290 put us in 7th place in the mixed category - not last!  It could've been 320 putting us joint 4th if we'd just gone that little bit faster.  Still, that left us with a spring of "next time" in our step (next weekend in Hebden Bridge) and it was a lovely day for getting muddy and consuming pasties and tea afterwards.

At the end of the day I dropped TSK off at the station then returned to town to get rid of the van looking forward to a life without that inevitable goodbye at the end of every weekend.

And now, Monday, I am being sick proper-like.  Pray for me flu-god.

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AUTHOR: jill
EMAIL: jillhomer66@hotmail.com
IP: 209.193.9.124
URL: http://arcticglass.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/15/2007 10:36:39 PM
Sounds like a fun way to do a bike race. Feel better.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL: trepidexplorer1@GMAIL.COM
IP: 88.111.57.119
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 01/16/2007 11:00:59 PM
It was... interesting. I still hold a candle for the grit-your-teeth bunch starts style of racing but it was certainly more taxing on the brain.

Thanks I'm feeling much better. Your blog has made me suck-it-up a little better.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 82.153.14.172
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 01/16/2007 11:10:21 PM
Get better (((hugs))) for you!

It was a lovely party, wasn't it? Thank you for coming, and making it so! I shall have to post a photo of my boobs...
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Winter Sun - Europe Stylie
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 01/07/2007 07:47:55 PM
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On boxing day we faught our way across London to Gatwick Airport to catch a big silver bird to Tenerife.  There we were welcomed by Geoff, his daughter Stacy and later, wife Maureen (Mo) of

www.cyclingtenerife.com

For those of you over the pond who see temperatures of 11 degrees C, remember - that's at night.  (Check it at 7am your time).

Soon I will go on at length about the holiday but for now, the pictures speak louder than my brain.  They're clickable below... or here.

We had a fantastic time and recomend the accomodation, the food, the company and the cycling to all.  There's a good public transport system on Tenerife making much of the island accessible (though once on the busses they're a little slow to progress so planning is advised).

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/09/2007 01:31:17 PM
Ah lovely.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Cyclists Christmas Day Ride
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Christmas
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 01/03/2007 09:15:56 PM
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Yes it was an interesting Christmas in
fact, the best I have ever experienced since I got my first shiny
blue Raleigh racing bike of my own. 

Sadly, just prior to Christmas I took
it upon meself to decide it was a good day to ride the long way to
work.  Despite previous assertions that all days are good days to
ride the long way to work, this was not.  It was one of the few days
it was bluddy cold in England and Green and I encountered a vicious
long patch of black ice which sent us both skidding down the road on
our sides for a  good 10m.  I, unlike Green, landed forlornly on my
tail bone, leaving me crouching in the road in hollering agony for a
few seconds before scraping myself up and limping (if you can limp on
a bike) to work to avoid getting any colder.  This was followed by no
less than 8 chain-drunk cups of tea to see off shock and a good deal
of writhing pain quelled only by an overdose of Ibuprofen.

The next evening I was on the train
with a present-laden bike.  One conversation with a member of her
majesty's constabulary who objected (not very forcefully) to us
riding down the footpath to avoid the fairground that occupies the
cycle lane in Hyde Park every year at Christmas time.  As I tried to
ham-up my shivering convulsions (pulled stomach muscles now
wrangling on-demand in the cold), he suggested that this year we write to the
Royal Parks to complain.  Noted sir, thanks.

Whingeing over.  A house for the
weekend was lovingly donated by my mate Jo.  Thanks darling it was
very welcome.

On Christmas day we joined the
Southwark cyclists for the Christmas Day Ride.  A core of about 20
arrived at Greenwich then we wibbled our way down the Thames and
London back-roads

to meet the rest at London Bridge where The Black
Knight met us with Stollen cake, brandy chocolates and a rapidly
disappearing bottle of Sherry for the 78 riders varying from Whippets
to Hippies to families with Russians, Kiwis and other nationalities
thrown in for good measure.

(you gotta love the billboard in the background of this photo which actually says, "Wild animals and wilder rides")

We finally wobbed off to start the ride-proper on everything from Recumbents to Bromptons.  Though no-one actually showed up on a penny-farthing, there were some mountain bikes, kids bikes and shoppers.

As TSK and I endeavoured to back-mark
and keep the group together, we kept our mobile-phone rage under
wraps through several conversations with brothers in Australia,
boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, concerned parents... the list goes on.  A
few rules of the road were stretched as we tried to get 78 people
through London but no-one really cared.  Even if one driver did find
it in himself to... well... completely lose his Christmas spirit –
but isn't one born every Christmas?  It was good Critical Mass type
stuff.

After some exiting times, the other
back-markers (including TSK) finally met up with us at Peckham Pulse,
having lost a few people to broken gears and meetings with brothers.
I had been the only official back-marker left (being the one hanging
on to the back of the group because I didn't know where I was, never
mind where I was going).

From there we continued to Blackfriars
Bridges where we stopped for a swift one.  I am guessing the
bar-staff were happy to see the tips of 78 cyclists appear out of the
blue on Christmas day.

Having lost some people to the beer
(and coffee) we continued on to the Lebanese restaurants on Edgware
Road for about 30 of us to fill our bellies with the finest Lamb
sausages, pita bread and other well-earned delights.  Full we were,
for all that was left to do on Christmas night was pack for Tenerife
and polish off a few jars of beer and Christmas toffee.  To be continued.../.

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 74.98.125.8
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/07/2007 01:48:52 AM
Happy holidays! Sounds like a fantastic way to spend Christmas day!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Christmas Festivities - Back from the Abyss
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 01/03/2007 03:56:52 PM
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The Trep is back from Tenerife.  Battered and bruised - but that's a pre-Tenerife issue with black ice and country roads.

The holiday was fantastic.  10 days after the chronic bike crash I am off to the docs  in 10 minutes.

More later.  There's anti-climatical laundry to be done.

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AUTHOR: jon
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 81.152.232.245
URL:
DATE: 01/03/2007 04:15:39 PM
tease
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Bicycle geekines
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 12/20/2006 07:19:42 PM
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Ikea show how sustainable transportation is done

Wonderfully christmassy bike geekiness

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Great day in bullet points
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DATE: 12/19/2006 10:06:19 PM
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• Left for work early



• Slightly foggy



• Sprinted up the hill



• Popped out of the fog



• Mortgage approved



• Followed by a payrise



• Lunchtime run - did the extra mile.

• Volunteered for work with Inverness office (nice occasional trips)



• Ride home - the view of the fog over Wiltshire below with the streetlights glowing through. Amazing



• Tony visited with presents.  Cat calender for birthday!



• Potatoes roasted in the sausage fat.



• Pamplemouse



• Summer holiday flights booked.  Cycling in South of France



• One week till we go to Tenerife.



• In bed before 10:30.



• More pamplemouse.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 12/20/2006 07:34:55 AM
Sounds like a good sort of day.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: It's in the tea-leaves
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 12/14/2006 10:40:10 PM
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Every time I cycle to work the long way I ride past a large field with a flock of sheep in it.  They're always cast over a patch of hillside like tea leaves in the bottom of a cup.  Always different yet always scattered.

I wonder what's in the tea-leaves for my day then I realise that it's always good.  Any day that involves the long ride to work is good.  This morning was no exception.

I stared at the sun through a hole in the cloud to make the most of it before it disapeared for the day.


It was indeed a good day and I polished it off with a run around the village streets tonight, only slightly put-off a cross-country run by the ever-so-slight nagging fear of a mass murderer lurking in the bushes on the hillside.

And now I'm going to sleep very soundly in my bed.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Expatriation
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Home

DATE: 12/12/2006 10:32:04 PM
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BODY:

It's a busy life in trep world.  Buying houses and working full time does that to you.  My great news is that TSK is going to move into my new house with me.  My other great news is that my stuff has arrived and currently sitting in Southampton docks waiting to be delivered.  Unfortunately I'm unable to pay the delivery company until the lovely Home_ase refund my money on the credit card for the furniture they wouldn't deliver late.  Then I can close all financial links to Canada once and for all and never have to face the pain of hidden charges again.

Today I was on site.  An hour's work on site took me three hours of driving on the M4 and M25 to get there and two and a half hours of driving to get back*.  During which time I listened to radio 4 and in amongst many things I learned (must listen more often) I also listened to a debate about brits moving abroad.

This week a study has been released showing that more and more of us are doing it (partly as a means of appeasing the whingers who think immigration is only one way). 

I was amazed at how many people phoned into the debate from overseas to tell the audience in the UK how great it was.  It left me wondering who these people listening to radio 4 in the middle of the day are trying to convince and I was frustrated that sitting on the M25, I did not have the opportunity to phone in and share my thoughts.  That having moved back, there's nowhere I'd rather be than England, sitting on the M25 in a traffic jam. 

Not one other person phoned in with my point of view.  The closest was an American woman who'd moved here from Texas.  Very brave of her to admit that anti-Americanism got to her but she was relieved at being able to be anti-American here whereas in Texas she had to keep it under her 10-gallon hat.

As I listened to the callers from France, Germany, Spain, Lebanon (!), Tunisia, Portugal, Hong Kong and Australia I realised not one person was calling from the USA or Canada to say how great that is.  But then none of them were awake.  The program went on to discuss how easy it is to live overseas in a foreign culture now that we have t'interweb to bring your home culture to your desktop.  The BBC World Service is no longer the only source of an english accent and the sound of a good cup of PG tips and I think that's what it comes down to. 

Most of my cultural socialising in Canada was on-line and 8 hours out of synch.  Because there was little culture in Canada to absorb myself into - no exotic dishes or traditional dances - I was starved it and missed it so much.

But Canada is a place filled with warm and friendly people and big open tranquil spaces and I still urge British people to visit it.  I will do again myself some day.

For now I am happy to say that the wanderlust in my blood is completely extinguished short of a few quick holidays for more sun.  This might be rip-off Britain but for me today, cultural accessibility, beauty, richness and free time made even the M25 a thing to be tollerated with lightheartedness and a positive attitude.

(*Driving at the speed limit is safer, less stressful and can really boost your flex-time hours)

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Famous god-sister
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Friends

DATE: 12/04/2006 10:04:26 PM
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Go check out the gorgeous and talented Emily Jane

And turn on your speakers.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 64.59.144.23
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 12/04/2006 11:32:19 PM
Pretty music. Her voice reminds me of Sharleen Spiteri of Texas.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 82.152.249.234
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 12/05/2006 08:15:05 PM
My sissy is called that! It's lovely music...
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Why oh Why?
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Home

DATE: 12/04/2006 09:59:55 PM
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does my washing machine smell of perming solution?

At least my clothes are not curly.

Answers on a post card please.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I'm a very proud girlfriend tonight
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CATEGORY: Love

DATE: 12/03/2006 09:35:20 PM
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The boy done good.

I also have 109 miles on my cyclomputter.  That includes 67 miles on Saturday but does not include the several partial laps of their course that I did (and the bit where I went off to find food).

I am impressed. 

With everyone, self included and everyone who finished the gruelling adventure race at Longmoor Camp.

L-R: Happy chappy

Serious seat-post issues

Christmas cheer

Some serious silly-buggery going on there.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Yes house buying is very exciting
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Home

DATE: 11/30/2006 10:40:28 PM
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Despite the fact that I earn less every month than I thought I did and had to exchange my feeble Canadian dollars at a terrible time and borrow more money, at least I have found out that the airport is not actually Bristol but a small army base down t' row'd that only flies planes - interesting ones - 9-5 and is more of a feature than an eardrum-pounding, window rattling regular thing.

Apparently the thing to do is fix all your ornaments to the mantle-piece when the Hercules fly over but that's a good enough excuse for me not to buy any ornaments.

It's also earmarked for closure in 2012.

Rural serendipity here I come.

Note: this is not my place!

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.156
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 12/01/2006 12:11:03 AM
I am trapped in rental hell!

Congrats on being a purchaser...almost.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I'm buying a house
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Home

DATE: 11/27/2006 08:09:30 PM
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Allegedly.

If I can persuade myself I'm not being ripped off and I can cope with living nearer the flight path (read "underneath") than I already do.

Owwwwww.

Tell me what's right.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 82.152.197.5
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 11/28/2006 11:14:21 PM
Hurrah!!

Follow your heart. You'll be fine...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 74.98.125.8
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 11/30/2006 06:34:21 AM
This sounds exciting! Yay! Go for it!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Sore face
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Waiting

DATE: 11/27/2006 12:31:33 AM
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I have furniture.  Because I'm a strong believer that cutting off your nose to spite your face has its limits.

So after Homebase gave me a third delivery date for my furniture, I cancelled the order, hired a van and drove to Ikea with TSK to spend half the money on better quality stuff and spent all day Sunday assembling (OK, I'm sick so riding the bike is out anyway).

Then I ordered a really plush sofa from Next which I am convinced is especially designed for tall people.

Now I have to get over the daily shock of walking into the living room thinking someone has broken in and left me furniture.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.7
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 11/27/2006 01:14:15 AM
So you can lie down and not have to be scrunched on your couch? That's the best thing ever. Short people are so catered to and we are left hanging.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 82.152.197.5
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 11/28/2006 11:13:34 PM
You think??? I've only met one sofa where I can sit with my bum on the back of the seat, my body bending elegantly at the hip, and my feet on the ground. Usually, in order to reach the ground, my bum has to go in the middle, my stomach has to fold in half, and my chin is wearing a little groove in my breast bone. Us midgets don't get a look in for regular sitting. I only ever found one sofa that fits me; so I bought two of it!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Soothing Riding
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 11/20/2006 09:05:57 PM
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Let's compare this week to last - when
I'd had enough – when it was official that there are not enough
hours in the day.  I had work to do, chores to do and a holiday to
book, attempt to unbook, re-decide on, rebook and book again.  Now,
finally we have a holiday booked, an exceptional holiday.  Not only
that, the dishes are done, the second batch of laundry is in the
machine, TSK is happily on his way back to London and I finally have
a table!

Don't get too excited, my furniture has
not arrived BUT! Last week's escapades on the internet (perched on
the edge of a mattress on the floor using a keyboard on the floor and
a mouse on top of the CPU tower) killed me and gave me monkey
shoulder.  So I went to Black's Christmas shopping and having
promised myself I would spend no more of next month's paycheque,
settled on this little picnic table (as a future addition to any
garden or camper van I might one day own).

This weekend we went ridin'.  No
surprise there then.

Yesterday we went out in the Lambourne
hills to a little town called Wantage.  I am finding that there are
lots of nice towns and villages around here and I am tempted by more
properties than those in my own right-now back yard.  This is a good
thing, until I hear of severe weather warnings being banded around
and then I am glad of the 1.8 mile ride to work. (Ignore the days
where colleagues comment on seeing me riding out in the wrong
direction completely).

As we cycled home we saw a man and
horse practising for steeplechase competition in this old
mill-channel.  They happily strode back and forth for us telling us the competition he was training the horse for.  I'm sure we'd have been impressed if we could understand him over the                                                         splashing.

TSK
stopped us at the top of a long climb and took this lovely picture Which you must click on because it's best viewed full screen.

and I was proud to see the old countryside signs back in my life.

Today we rode out to see TSK's parents.  We had fun navigating the cycle paths of Swindon and found they really can't spell Scottish place names properly.

We met up with the whole family! TSK's sister, her family of three boys and then his bro came
too so with in-laws there was quite the gathering.  We ate good food,
played football in the garden and I demonstrated my skills with
play-dough.

Play-dough smells different nowadays.  What lethal
chemical have they taken away?

 

We rode home from the cottage in the
dark, skipping potholes and shading our eyes from oncoming country
lane drivers with their beams on full. TSK rode my legs into the
ground so I jovially sent him off to the station on his own whilst I
did chores and promised not to spend too much of this week surfing
the internet.

So I'm gone.

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TITLE: A far cry
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CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Ski-ing

DATE: 11/16/2006 09:41:06 PM
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A far cry from a ski holiday to see Chefboy007.  I will be spending my Christmas cycling around a small equatorial island.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Meanwhile I have been practising my off-roading skills... on the road bike.  Oops.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Progress
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 11/14/2006 07:14:08 AM
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All is well with the Trep.  Especially after a picturesque ride to see Baby Loftus II at the weekend.

-And he looks only so slightly frightened-

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TITLE: Stretched
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CATEGORY: Stop the world I want to get off

DATE: 11/10/2006 09:46:52 PM
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I am overwhelmed.  I wish everything
would go away but there's just too much to do.  Too much new-ness in
my world.  Things I am getting round to doing that I should've done 4
years ago but just didn't get the chance or the enthusiasm.  No
amount of stuff will make up for the fact  that I still don't have
any furniture and am a little tired of sitting on a matress on the
living room floor.  There's stuff coming back from Canada (that
should allegedly get here by December 11th).  There's stuff coming
from Homebase (that's probably sitting on a ship somewhere between
china and the depot) and there's a ski holiday in Europe to be
booked.  Thak god I have rented a flat as I could be looking at the
property market... oh yes, that too.  At least, I've booked the
flight for my holiday, I just have to sort out staying in my cousin's
hotel that hasn't got any double rooms left.  Bugger!

Someone at work commented today that I've achieved so much when most other people would still be moping or falling appart.  I realised that deep down I probably am falling appart and it's just being frantically chaotically busy that's keeping me together.  This was almost a justified thought when I failed to buy a pass to the municipal sports centre on the basis that the address on the driving license does not match the one on my BT bill.  I suppose I might swim a third time lucky.  Still it was a nice 8 mile ride home in the rain.

But there's a map on my living room
floor and it has cycle paths on it and this weekend I am off to see
Child of Loftus II.  Just for Sunday though as I am spending tomorrow
catching up, what little I can, by doing some christmas shopping...
and a little bit of me shopping.

The best news I've had this week is
that I will be barmaiding for fun at a cycling ceilidh (figure that
one out) the night before my 33^rd birthday. Volunteer barmaiding is my favourite thing.  An excellent opportunity to meet new people by giving them what they want.  What a way to
see in my third of a century!  I need suitably sexy barmaid attire
for the event.  Any suggestions?... and don't say "Lycra".

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.149
URL:
DATE: 11/10/2006 11:04:33 PM
School girl uniform?
Bikini?
Something see through with lacy unmentionables?
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Where on earth?
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 11/01/2006 09:33:57 PM
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Jag
wote, "Welcome back wherever you are".  Well, this photo
was taken in Bath.  Actually, on the edge of Bath on the opposite
side from the canal from us as we cycled along the bridleway towards
the town centre on our way from Swindon.

We
spent a long morning (into afternoon) on English country back roads.
Mostly riding but with a lot of looking at the map thrown in for good
measure as we tried to navigate using the torn-out pages of a road
atlas.  Note to self: next time use an OS map.  We bought one in
Chichester on the way which found us the nice bridle path to ride
along.  The map covers Bristol too... but that's for another day. 

We
arrived in Bath at 3 on a dismal drizzly day and, having lunched,
window shopped and drunk coffee in between showers, we elected to
take the train home instetad of tackling the potential 6 hour ride
home in the semi-darkness.

This
week has been for realising that when you work at 125% capacity of
many people and take your work as seriously and personally as I do,
you deserve time off but you must spend that time well & not feel
guilty about taking the time out.

With
this realisation I have discovered that I can relax better.  Now,
after all the organising with my flat I am finally ready to go out
into the big wide Swindon world and check out the facilities.  So
last night it was the pool and the climbing wall.  Not that I
actually did either activiity but on my way from the bike shop to the
supermarket and back home I managed to stick my head in at the sports
centre and get a form (2 pieces of ID required) to get  a
"Swindoncard".  Hurdles dispensed with, I now have no
excuses for not getting into some triathlon training and, hopefully,
bullying some others into having a go with me.  There's nothing quite
like leaving the damp womb of a warm pool for the crisp ride home.
Pass me a toque.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.23
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 11/01/2006 11:27:05 PM
Do you mean the photo on the right? (not one in the post right now...)

Sounds like a short little jaunt- ha! I like reading about someone else doing it but do not think I'll ever be like that at all.

And I see you've been Canadianised! :)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 135.196.96.10
URL:
DATE: 11/03/2006 08:51:54 AM
What do you mean Canadianised! Anyway, I meant the picture from a couple of days ago.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: j.a.g.
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.149
URL:
DATE: 11/10/2006 11:03:11 PM
Toque.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Bouncing Curls
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 10/28/2006 09:31:00 PM
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It
was a good day to get out of bed on Friday. For starters I finished
one job yesterday (with some accuracy & confidence that it was
adequate) and knew I could finish another today before I start a new
one on Monday.

At
lunchtime I went into town to source a new battery charger cable for
my camera. Thankfully, though one end is Canadian, the other is
resoundingly standard.

After
that I went to get cash. The woman next to me began to incessantly
flap. "Oh my god", she said, "How could I be so
stupid?". I couldn't help but look. Next I tutted to myself (how
could anyone be so stupid).
Then I (maybe) felt sorry for her or  (more likely) felt it my
engineer's duty to solve her problem. Let's face it, we've all had
days where we probably would've put our cash card in the receipts
slot at the cash machine.

At
first I tried my nails (not so long but longer than hers).  Then as
she ran off to find a staff member, trusting me with her card, my
level headedness prevailed & my cash card teased her cash card
out of the slot (oh that sounds wrong) and she skipped away to a
better day whilst my halo itched a little.

Later,
back at the office we had jaffa cake friday.

Then,
as I waited for my train to see TSK in London, there was the really
cute, tall black guy. In a sea of the gloom of the day, wet feet from
riding my bike on wet roads and nameless people running from the
London train to the Gloucester train, this guy jogged down the
platform in a dark brown suit. His chin-length dreds blew in the wind
like a child's ringlets. His posture was near-perfect but what struck
me about him was his smile. He made me smile and we smiled at
eachother. Two people smiling in a dreary world.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Back, no really
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DATE: 10/26/2006 10:27:04 PM
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Just as long as I can get my interweb connection to stay established for longer than one reboot.

here's a picture to keep things moving.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.24
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 10/27/2006 06:54:03 AM
Welcome back to the out here somewhere.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Noticing the world
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Home
CATEGORY: Love
CATEGORY: Personal Zen
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 10/11/2006 06:01:49 PM
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OK. So I have got as far as this:

I have bought an international charger for my PDA so that it now has battery power and I can blog of an evening then download the next day, quickly, sneakily before I start work.

I also have a 'pooter on order.  Allegedy it will be delivered on Saturday morning at my convenience - for a price.

Otherwise in this new world of daily shopping I have managed to at least acquire a bed (delivery), bedding, towels, most of the kitchen& bathroom essentials of life and a TV.  The latter, using only my bike and shuttle busses into town from work three times a week.  Ed, the driver of the bus service is a godsend.  He knows now, that I'm furnishing a flat and if I'm carrying anything particularly bulky will wait for me at my flat on the way back to work whilst I throw whatever wares through the door to unpack later in the evening.

The ride to Homebase (hardware / furniture store) from my flat is extremely pleasant, down country lanes, over a bridge crossing the motorway (laugh at the drivers as I pass), up a steepish hill beneath a railway bridge then a sharp turn to meet up with the railway bridge on a disused line passing back over the road I just cycled up.

At Homebase I carefully choose items that I need as a matter of urgency and can fit in my paniers or on my bike rack then retreat to the bike park much to the amusement of staff to juggle all the items so that they fit how I had intended.  This doesn’t always happen first time but in the end I am always proud of the amount of stuff I can get on my bike and after this summer, to be honest, I am impressed Green is still going!  The great thing about being this kind of a freak is at least the shopping trolley I use is always parked conveniently in the bike racks where I left it the night before (or even over the weekend) though sadly, this weekend, it was joined by a myriad of other trolleys as obviously many people can't tell the difference between a bike park and a trolley rack.  Oh dear.

I spent this weekend at the Bike Show in London with TSK.  Whilst there I tried out some mean little folding commuter bikes which I might invest in to ease my passage between this little city and the big one, one hour down the tracks.

On Sunday we went to the free Colin Prior "Wild Places of the World" exhibit at the OXO tower and gasped and admired his wonderful work.

With the rest of the day we looked at places and people.  Noticing a grown-up couple in trendy London-stylee sunday best playing conkers in the park I realised how much more I notice around me nowadays and what pleasure it brings to me to see things in a bright light.

I saw a book in the shop on Sunday entitled, "Is it just me or is everything shit?".  I wouldn't have been surprised to see LBHN's name on the cover since it was his outlook on life.  I mean really, it was like living with Victor Meldrew.  I don't know, perhaps I have my rose-tinted specs on at the moment or perhaps I'm just happy to be home but as I rode to work through Bamford 6th Century BC Celtic Castle for a detour in the fog this morning I had a happy smile on my face.  I admired the salt and pepper spatter of cows in the field at the bottom of the hill and sheep sprawled across the hillside like they once laid out a message for the birds above and I felt happy to be alive, healthy and provided for in the world in a place I can truly call home.

On the work front, my colleages in my new (old) job have noticed a subtle change in my manerisms.  Not only a renewed sense of enthusiasm but also a heightened level of enjoyment in my job.  All this just from that great Canadian habit I have developed for asking people how their day is going first and wishing them a good rest-of-it after.  Not only new aquaintances but old friends too are helped to a dose of "have a good evening" at the end of a conversation instead of just the standard, "Bye then".  Works for me.  Try it for you.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 10/04/2006 08:21:59 AM
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I am enjoying this new town I have found to live in.  Actually, I'm in a village outside the new town and this morning I saw a Kingfisher on the way to work.  I am working on interweb access in the flat because my new-found dedication to work life means I'm refusing to blog from work.  This is an email so that's OK.  And it's before 8:15 - oh who am I trying to kid?  Anyway... I have a house and a phone line.  As yet, no computer, desk, chairs (of any kind)... though I do have a skanky matress I found on the landing and that is where I will sleep tonight - once I have figured out the logistics of buying a duvet in town and getting it home in my paniers.

New (old) job is going like a dream.  It's great to be in the head office with sports/social club, showers at work, deli canteen for lunch, manicured grounds, listed buildings... the list goes on.  We have topiary in the grounds!

So, sporadic posting for a while but back to normal service soon.

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AUTHOR: anon
EMAIL: anon@anon.com
IP: 81.129.5.40
URL:
DATE: 10/05/2006 06:24:46 PM
Hey

Glad to see things are working out well, your blog is awesome.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I'm ba'ack (skipping)
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 09/21/2006 12:38:31 AM
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Tomorrow (Canadian time) I get in a taxi to go to the airport. 

On Friday morning (English time) I land in London then crawl into the bed of the lovely TSK to sleep the rest of the day, no doubt.

At the weekend I go to see mummy and daddy and I will be "team support" for my dad in the infamous "3 Peaks cyclo-cross".  Just like last year, but much better, practically guaranteed.

On Monday morning I leave London again at 8am on a train this time to start my new old job with the old-employers (not the old-old-employers who also offered me a job but not as good a one).  Since I can not bring my bike (only means of transport) on the morning commuter train, on Monday night I get the train back to London to pick up my bike, eat diner with my love and then potentially get back on the train to the old-employers where I will fall into bed at a B&B and sleep very very hard.

After that, I don't have a cookin' clue what's happening.

It's all very exciting

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.149
URL:
DATE: 09/21/2006 02:00:20 AM
Bye from Canada (the good bits).
We liked you here :)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 91.84.46.161
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 09/25/2006 07:36:50 PM
Welcome home! We like you here, too... :-)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Tuesday June 27th - The hell hole that was Upsala
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 09/21/2006 12:36:00 AM
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The ride was the best part of the day. This is normal but this day, it was more notedly the best part of the day. Slightly overcast and pleasantly cool with only one shower, we ate lunch (bought in the morning) perched on a rock by the road overlooking a gold mine and chatted to a quebecois couple riding the other way to Alberta to visit friends. We had coffee in a hunting lodge to avoid a shower and I arranged for my mail to be forwarded to Timmins to await my arrival (but to my dismay I later discovered it didn’t make it).

We slipped into another time-zone - the one ahead of us had been arbitrarily adopted by the residents of Upsala though we agreed later that if we lived in Upsala we would also prefer to go to bed an hour earlier on a regular basis.

Arriving at the campsite, we realised we were going to have to sacrifice some of our creature comforts due to the large proportion of pit toilets shown on the grounds map and the hike from the campsite to the main toilet block. When we enquired about showers, we were told that there aren’t any but the lake is lovely to swim in, everyone swims in the lake. Our minds were vaguely put at rest by the indicated presence of the one large “washroom” block, incorporating changing rooms “just like the ones you have at home”.

Having erected the tent, we went off in search of the washrooms… to, y’know, have a wash. But all we could find was more pit toilets. The “plush” changing rooms (I’m getting offended by the “just like you have at home” classification until I realise I don’t have a home) are nothing but more pit toilets with a big cover welded over the hole where the toilet should be and it seemed like no-one had actually explained to these people that the point of a pit toilet is you dig a pit under it before installing the toilet. So the pit toilets were shallow pools of piss and excrement and the changing rooms next door were smelly fibreglass cabins and not much more.

We headed down to the lake to consider the possibility of a cold dip (weather still being over cast and us being dressed up in jeans by this time) and we watched the leeches swim by. We watched the leeches swarm around the jetty, drooling at the smell of our blood - 5 of them, big sucky leeches.

We considered complaining to the office that their use of the word “washroom” implied a room where we could wash. We cooked our dinner, nervously, using the only running water available from little taps 6” off the muddy ground and we wiped each other’s backs with the few wet wipes I had left in my washbag. We lay in our beds and listened to the swarm of mosquitoes growing louder and louder. It was going to take a lot for me to wear my unfashionable dark green mosquito headnet in front of my new lover. This night, it was me, the fearful owner of a head net, who volunteered to do the dishes.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A Big Hello
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Friends

DATE: 09/19/2006 11:38:55 PM
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To all the people I've given my real weblog address to over the last few days because really, I couldn't be bothered to update my Trans-Canada log quite so much.

Click here for Trans-Canada Posts

Click here for Trans-Canada Photos

Otherwise browse at your leisure.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A Critical Light
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Travel

DATE: 09/19/2006 05:38:32 PM
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I've been walking and biking around my old "home"-town with a critical eye for a week and here's what I've noticed:

• There is a very high proportion of large-proportioned people here.



• People look at you funny for walking down the road carrying something big (like a cardboard box) - something that would be much better handled with a large truck.



• The food in all of the restaurants is greasy.



• Dianne's cat bites my toes when it wants attention.



• Car drivers frequqently "squeeze" cyclists on the road. Unlike Quebec where they drive like loonies but give cyclists lots of room.



• The view over the hillsides is nice, just unfamiliar and wastelandish.

This is what I have learnt about myself: I have a sinus infection.  A bad one. I am a horrible mouth-breathing, throbbing-headed, sore-faced grumpy bear and I have to eat soft food in small mouthfuls because opening my mouth and chewing are too painful.  I have to get on an aeroplane on Thursday and I am not looking forwards to it (except the getting home bit).  The doc has given me real drugs (I know this because they cost $80) to combat it but they all take "a few days" to start working.

• Ibuprofen nearly works - pass me the bottle.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 81.153.31.177
URL: http://www.graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 09/19/2006 06:37:13 PM
I've been on a mix of Ibuprofen and red wine. Works for me.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL:
DATE: 09/20/2006 08:05:52 AM
It is a retirement area up there. They slow down and grow.

The infection sounds yucky.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer1@gmail.com
IP: 142.179.12.255
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 09/21/2006 12:40:32 AM
Actually, they just slow down then die. Oh god, get me out of here before this infection gets worse!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Feeling lightweight
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Gear

DATE: 09/16/2006 09:02:06 PM
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I have sold my car... and my piano. I have nothing left but a few bikes, a stack of outdoor gear and some clothes. I've been out with friends. I'm ready to go home. I just have to phone some moving companies and rationalise the last bit of packing and then I can go home. It's looking promising for getting home a little earlier - maybe not much, but just enough, just a little bit... and perhaps I'll have a couple of days to really see Vancouver before I go - properly - MY way.

Bliss.

Then this whole self-indulgent phase will be over... OK Unlikely.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Now the drugs don't work they just make you worse
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 09/14/2006 07:43:47 PM
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The people who work at London Drugs should know by now that the answer to the great Canadian question, "How are you today?" is not always going to be one that they like.

Pretty cruddy.

And the drugs that I bought there contain no painkiller - decongestant, antihisthamine and oh... something else nasal related but NO PAINKILLERS.  I think I bought the AA version.

Going back for something different.  Please don't ask me how I am today.  My nose is red and I'm in the drugstore - go figure.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.88
URL:
DATE: 09/14/2006 09:27:48 PM
Darned change in the weather!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I'm overseas
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Canadiana
CATEGORY: or lack thereof

DATE: 09/12/2006 07:37:42 PM
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It's not at all exciting.  I am doing lots of packing, throwing-out, repacking, biking about town with rediculous amounts of stuff on my bike, debating with officials, stopping the evil people from taking more money, getting the 3rd degree off border officials (welcome to Canada my arse).

It's pretty here, really really pretty here.  But I'm not sorry I've left cos it's not home.  I can't wait to get back.

I&W looked after me when I first arrived - all bedragled from 25 hours travelling and George, the taxi driver from the airport was a saint.  I've moved into my old room in the motel whilst I'm here because it's nice and near to the place I spend all my time.  Next week I will move in with Dianne - if I even need to.

I haven't dared look at my car yet.

Back to battling the banking system et al. Oh and then there's the joy of the insurance company to look forwards to.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: The problem with being a n'engineer
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Engineering

DATE: 09/08/2006 10:21:32 AM
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JaG wrote a lovely blog about the fair

The only problem is, it inspired an ugly technical question...

I think the scariest bit about the pirate ship is that someone else
at the other end will be sick and it will fall on me...

Is the
velocity of freefalling sick slow enough such that by the time the sick has
fallen through space, the ship will have swung back and aforementioned sick will land back on
its originator?

Such are the questions engineers find themselves asking as they swing through space. 

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 217.44.222.106
URL:
DATE: 09/10/2006 09:32:30 AM
EVERYONE asks this as they 'swing' through space!!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Bored
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Unemployment

DATE: 09/05/2006 04:48:27 PM
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Skulks off to do ironing.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 217.44.84.129
URL:
DATE: 09/05/2006 09:07:40 PM
Bored here too. Off sick for at least two weeks. Skulks off to stare at sky
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.149
URL:
DATE: 09/06/2006 02:15:10 AM
I'm at the library.
What does that say?
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Repetative Straights and Full Circles
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Swimming
CATEGORY: Unemployment

DATE: 09/04/2006 04:44:24 PM
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Just before I get to the real subject of the post, a note to say the weekend of "meet the parents" was jolly nice.  In one sentance: a laid back weekend in the country in a lovely old house with pleasant company and yummy food.

Today: I have finally managed to go swimming.  I have surmounted the step that is sussing out the hours at the new pool, finding out where the new pool is and paying the price to get in the door.

I decided to leave the house at 11:40.  Plenty of time to go before lane swimming started at 12:00.  I packed the bag with my swimming stuff in it, my wallet, keys and phone and off I went on the short ride to East Dulwich Road.  Number 45 was a trendy caf.  That'll be the other East Dulwich Road then.

I rode on down the hill past the obvious council buildings and the big old baths (won't be there then), checking the numbers on the buildings - 47, 49.  Oops.  That will be it then.  What is at first glance a bit of a dingy, shallow blue tiled pond with sketchy changing rooms developed gradually into a quiet, no frills pool with extremely pleasant sky lights resulting in a very pleasant, airy swimming experience.

With glee, I discovered I still have the ability to crawl reasonably efficiently but after 11 lengths I was tired and swam breast stroke to 15 lenths.  I crawled on to 26 lengths and again cheated for 4 lengths to make 30... and some more.  At this point I observed a man entering right and cursed as I became envious of the towel he had hanging over his shoulder.  So focused have I been on my bag that contains all-things-swimming-related (cossy / swimcap / goggles) that I forgot the essential item of a towel.

By 35 lengths I was back on track and crawled the last 15 to top out my effort at 50 laps in 45 minutes (give or take).  I know I will do better next time - especially if I save myself some arms.

After dressing a wet body, squeegied to some vague level of dryness by my wrung-out cozzy and spending 20p on the hairdryer to remove some of the moisture from my sodden ponytails, I headed into Dulwich village to eat essential lunch - a treat of quiche and chocolate frapuchino to which I am now addicted (think chocolate milkshake with coffee bean chunks for roughage).  I bought household stuff - a multi-point extension cable to increase the number of plug sockets in our room above 2 and a mirror so I can see all my face and hair in the same place at the same time (I was proud of this cos it cost me a quid from a salvage shop - good recyclage).

Those of you who know me will remember Romania.  A place where I fell in love too quickly to the wrong man and, just after I bought my own house for the first time, saved myself from certain debt by collecting a healthy overseas allowance as well as £35 per day accomodation expenses paid to me by the contractor every week in $US.  A $100 bill has remained with me to this day as "emergency money", in case I somehow ever find myself accidentally penniless in the US.  Well, considering my current levels of skintness and the inability of my incompetant Canadian Bank to transfer any money to me overseas, I declared a code-red Americano emergency and headed to the post office to forthwith exchange $100 USD for £50 in lovely, crisp, approriately sized British queeny notes.

The satisfaction that came from completing that particular circle and, if you like, drawing a line under the whole Romanian experience and what came after it, was most probably inconsisent with the meagre significance that it holds (particuarly given the current exchange rate with the USD).  However, it is now done and I have only the Canadian overseas epic to sort out (not that I would describe it to any stretch of the imagination as a "fiasco" but more of a farce with an ironically satisfying outcome).

And so, I am away to window shop in the Ikea catalogue at most to make another step towards hitting the reset button on my life and at least to inspire me to save some more money.  That will be no more Chocolate Frapuchinoes for me then.

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.53.13
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 09/06/2006 06:28:44 PM
Way to go on the swimming! I have no good excuses why I don't go. Pool is less than 10 minute walk. Lane swimming is free. Lockers refund the quarter when you are done. Hairdryers free. Hmm maybe I should check out the schedule now.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Being Green in my New World
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Love
CATEGORY: The Big Smoke
CATEGORY: Unemployment

DATE: 09/01/2006 11:04:25 AM
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The computer I am sitting at is next to a bookcase containing a five inch thick leather-bound copy of "The Holy Bible", "War and Peace" (next to "Pride and Predudice"), "The Hose Whisperer" and "Forest Gump", a substantial collection of poetry books, four JR Tokein books including "The Letters of JR Tolkein" and "The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays" but not a "Lord of the Rings" in sight.  There is a whole shelf dedicated to Philosophy and a whole shelf dedicated to Psychology and Literature.  To my left are books on cyberspace, Linux, Sun microsystems, Lewis Carol, multiple student and grown-up cookbooks and a collection of Calvin & Hobbes magazines I've just wasted 10 minutes reading-at.

This is the house I live in for now.

Yesterday I was bamboozled.  The night before, our house mate - let's call him LBHN2 (or is that biased?) - came home with the man from the pub and proceded to play the guitar and sing with varying competence at loud volume until 1am.  He was asked politely to tone it down.  I lay in bed for another 2 hours and seethed as he played-on.  Had I been an official resident of the property I would've had-a-go.  Had I had an interview the next day, there might've been serious trouble.  As it was, the noise eventually abated without blood-spill and TSK hauled his ass out of bed late (6:30am) and I mooched about in a fugg all day whilst the felon got up at 11:40am.  I thought the most I would achieve yesterday was a walk into Dulwich to buy ear plugs.

As it was, TSK text'd me to say he had recovered and decided to go for the ride with the Southwark Cyclists.  I love my Thursday night rides with the Southwark Cyclists. 

Last night we rode past "The Dome" - a thing I have never seen in real-life before.  We also passed the Thames Barrier (engineering geekiness all-round) and watched the glow of the Grenwich laser coming from the observatory pointing North and dissapearing into an inky-blue sky.  We saw Canary Wharf and the HSBC tower glowing in the gathering darkness.  I love it because I can be a tourist and ride my bike all at the same time. 

We stopped at the Anchor and Hope for a pint of poofy Southern beer then raced home through the darkness with insufficient lights on our bikes.  I was glad to be wearing my yella jacket.  I realised that when I get my super-plasma-battery-lights back from Canada it is not going to be worth me putting them my on my bike at the expense of my bottle and instead I will be using my old LED lights.  No unlit country lanes to tackle around here, though there were about 4 miles of the ride home that took place along riverside cycle paths where I entrusted my balance to the gods as I bounced along on zero luminescence to light my way.

Back at the house we gorged ourselves on a home-made potato salad I prepared earlier in a fit of final outpouring of domestic divinity before I start work.  It was good shit.

Being a lady of leisure is not all it's cracked up to be.  I am looking forwards to building up my professional status again and re-entering the world of learning.  I found out last week that I might need to supplement my application for the nengineer's club with some extra study.  This is good.  This allows me to stretch my wings into the field of renewables - which, hopefully, I can one-day practice with my new employers.

The future is bright.  The future is green.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Oh what to do
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 08/30/2006 06:57:58 PM
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Job offers coming in.  I have no idea where I want to live.

I am going back to Canada for 12 days to sort stuff out and bring back shiny things that I would like.

This weekend I am away to meet TSK's parents.  My nails are alarmingly pretty and unbitten.

We went to Ikea on bank holiday Monday.  I wanted to buy it all.  I enjoyed myself - a lot.  It was a new experience for me.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Purely self-indulgent real-time blog
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 08/24/2006 12:08:27 AM
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For a few days I have been too busy or too tired to blog constructively. 

I am still too tired.

A few thoughts that have ocurred to me randomly over the last few minutes or days:

• On the way up the stairs from the bathroom - I haven't written for myself in some time. 



• I am having an extatically good time in my life.  I am catching up with friends.  I am making new ones. No one depends on me.  I depend only on others for a roof over my head and I am enjoying giving back a little something - cooking meals or caring for kids (read "breaking up fights").



• This afternoon: on things a single person hears that reminds them how glad they are they're not a mom. "No, I don't want you to touch your face with your hands or you might get sick". "No mommy I don't want to get sick". "Then don't touch your face with your hands when you've put them in your poo". "But I need to touch my face".  "Well you shouldn't have put them in your poo then".



• On the kind of hands I have: They've been held by two different children, both of whom were complete strangers. (Do I have attractive hands or are they worldly worn like a mother's?)



• On the past: I have learned so much.  I told him I am seeing someone else.



• On the present: I've started a new photo collection of rides around the big city and it's full of greenery.



• On the future: There are three companies bidding for my life.



• On changing back to miles: Welcome home.



• On lifetime philosophies: Still to be tested.  There was a time I'd have done what I wanted to do, not would I should do and times I should've done what I should've done, not what I wanted to do.  Three job interviews later and let's see what happens.




• After reading Geekmag on the recommendation of  TSK’s mate: What would happen if we all set our geekiness to one side for just one day?  The author of the article mused over this as he shared an evening with friends – happy and relaxed after they’d all put the kids to bed.  He had rushed upstairs to fetch his digital camera and record the moment only to end up dismayed that in doing so he had spoiled the very moment he intended to capture.  So came the idea of resisting the technocrap interface for the day: no cell phone, no digital cameras and no blogging.  Then he realised our lives had been changed forever as everyone would return to blogland to blog about how their non-blogging day was without blogging.  His ultimate conclusion was that blogging has somehow improved our observations of life, love, human interaction, the environment around us as we spend our days making mental notes to ‘blog about that later’. 

  
  
  

  How has blogging changed your life?

  
  
  

  Personally, having been a lifetime journaller I don’t feel my life has changed greatly as a result of blogging except for taking a little more care over what I expose and how I expose it.  You'd never know, really, would you now?

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior15@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.149
URL:
DATE: 08/24/2006 02:57:19 AM
That's a fantastic shot.

I still journal due to the 'what to expose'.


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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 172.189.52.250
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 08/24/2006 05:32:02 PM
Blogging for me has been a great invention. I have been able to share things with the outside world in a safe environment. Its much easier for me to type rather than to verbalise. So i fell i am connecting to people properly for the first time and now people can truly understand how i think. I actually look forward to my time blogging and i can add another thing to my list of 'things i like to do'.

:)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.60.128
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 08/24/2006 08:34:32 PM
That's a beautiful picture.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Sunday June 26th
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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DATE: 08/23/2006 03:57:21 PM
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The ride to Dryden was a long 137km day in the heat. The hot sunshine, pretty lakes, pretty hills and corners in the road were the only things to occupy our minds, broken only by lunch in a café where we ate the last of the bacon and they had no tomatoes to put on our BLTs.

Things got a little more lighthearted when we actually entered the town of Dryden and passed the Sheep Emporium, complete with 5’ tall fibreglass sheep. I could not help but ask TSK if he had any lipstick with him.

Rain the next day on the way to Ignais was a welcome break from the heat until all of the clouds started to join into one black, rumbling mass heading towards us and I got to properly try out my new rain-gear from Mountain Equipment Co-op. The air flashed and cracked around us and we felt glad to be alive. Thankfully, the storm seemed to get trapped in the valley which we climbed out of, finally treating ourselves to a chocolate break as we’d had to ride straight through lunch.

Instead of the rainy campground, we proceeded into town where we bumped into the boys from Winnipeg for a chat. We left them to their soggy night at the campsite ahead and retreated instead to the motel across the road. Although $55 seemed a lot at the time, they let us take our bikes inside and we later found out that other cheaper motels in the town have been renowned for bags that go missing in the night because all the local skallies know that the police patrol doesn’t come through after 8pm.

Hindsight considered, $55 was a bargain to get the rest that we needed for the days ahead.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Today I cycled from London to Brighton
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 08/22/2006 10:08:15 PM
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It took me 5 hours.  I did 93.7km. I felt fine.

Then I got to the sea front and as I flipped over my computer to measure the last km to where I was supposed to meet Lu, I saw this...

Yup.  That's 10,000km. 

Time to switch back to miles.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: We's famous we is
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 08/19/2006 07:06:19 PM
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A day at Crazy Biker Chick's place

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Saturday June 24th
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 08/19/2006 06:51:28 PM
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Our ride from Rennie to the comparative metropolis of
Kenora was a pleasant one. Into a park, we found ourselves riding along
a road that was reminiscent of the kind they lay in the peak district,
the ones that seem to merely be poured onto the existing contours of
the hillside with no concessions made to hillocks, tufts and cambers.
They simply follow the line of least resistance. We discussed our
nervousness for encountering bears again on a sparsely populated road
but, upon completion of a technical risk assessment by me we decided
the frequency of bear attacks was low compared to our history of canine
attacks and bears were the least of our worries - until we discovered a
chain of look-out posts and cellphone towers and concluded that bears
with cellphones and co-ordinated observation points were a far greater
risk.

The end of Highway 44 was interesting in that it petered out into an
overgrown strip of tarmac with a gate across it and motorists milling
around on foot looking at a trail-map billboard. We concluded it was
rideable and popped out onto the more substantial trans-Canada highway,
just on the edge of the Ontario border.

Kenora itself was pretty and quaint and we took our time riding
through it. Partly because we ignored the Tourist Information’s
round-about route to the campground and took the short cut which led us
over some nasty, short sharp hills. I was forced off my bike to walk
this once as I couldn’t drop into my little chain ring and the hill was
not easing off.

Despite its niceness, Kenora was the only place we had our bikes
interfered with. In the middle of the end-of-term-alcohol-fuelled
night, a kid (one suspects) tried to steal my front wheel. Fortunately,
it was the one that was firmly shackled and they did no damage except
to leave the spindle, nut and spring on the ground over night. This
close call would change our lock-up regimen for the rest of the
expedition as we realised we really couldn’t afford to lose a whole
wheel - there’s no limping along with that one. Still, to the advantage
of a stop in a major town, we stocked up on fuel, a new tea towel to
replace the one left behind and a white headscarf for my boiling brain.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Going good - real time post
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 08/19/2006 06:47:41 PM
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I'm in London staying with TSK.  Fixed up with an "interview" - or rather a friendly chat - with not my old employer but my old old employer (yes MacDonalds!) in the old town on Friday 25th.  Looks like they've 4 years work for me in the big smoke before I'd have to consider the great comute between here and there - and who knows what'll be on the cards by then.  For now they're desperate for people and have the right kind of work.

Off to see the future Mrs K and her kiddies by the seaside for a few days in the meantime because TSK starts his job on Monday so I'm not sitting around in the big smoke getting bored twiddling my thumbs for the week.

On 8th September - or possibly sooner - I'll have a place to stay at Josie's new house which turns out to be just around the corner from where I am now.

Riding in the big city has been refreshingly easy compared to what I imagined but I haven't dared to embark upon rush hour traffic yet.  I have my A-Z and am revising furiously for that day.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Trip stories
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DATE: 08/16/2006 06:19:46 PM
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Wednesday June 28^th The trek to Thunder Bay.

I was glad I did the dishes. We woke at 5:45 to the sound of the swarm. We’d told ourselves it would be gone by the morning and were dismayed to find it had not. We agreed then and there to get the hell out of Upsala as quickly as possible and get riding before even looking at the map or considering what might be for breakfast.

Despite the hunger-pangs and caffeine deprivation, it was a beautiful, bracing morning. The sun was shrouded in an early morning fog, the kind that settles on Cheshire fields early in the morning before most people get up and back on the road we were happily away from insect life. Still, we didn’t feel like taking the risk of stopping to brew up and cook porridge so we continued on to the promised Beaver Creek Trading Post.

Unfortunately they were still closed and it looked like the house at the back was occupied so we didn’t want to brew-up on their deck. A motel owner finally offered us a coffee at the early hour of 8am but suggested that we carry on 2 miles to the truck stop where we could eat a big breakfast. A fine recommendation and we thanked him heartily for his help.

After 20kms of riding we pulled into the truckstop and proclaimed to the waitress that we weren’t sure whether to drink coffee or sleep for a while first. She sympathised with us about having spent the night in Upsala - she lives there too after all.

The rest of the ride on to Thunder Bay was uneventful. It was fairly testing but we were feeling good and made good time. Again, flaked out by the heat we stopped for an afternoon coffee-stop which turned into a coke-stop and spent a while talking to an English lady who was teaching in the boreal forests at an outdoor education centre. This is a fairly depressed area and though she seems to have it made, she admitted she would love to move out to BC but can’t afford it. I admired her and yet when I considered the winters she must have, I was glad I wasn’t her.

In Thunder Bay the busy bike shop reluctantly squeezed my new wheel in for a straighten-up (as it had a fair few intense miles on it and was beginning to look more than worn-in). Much to our delight, it seemed the campground covered cooking area would finally co-incide with the impending thunderstorm that threatened in the distance whilst we put up our tent. However, the thunderstorm either petered out or went on another path and we cooked under cover without the comforting pitter-patter of rain on a tin roof. Still, it made for a pleasant walk to the river in the early evening and as the sun finally set I saw my first fireflies. An alarming experience for someone from the Okanagan, perpetually nervous of anything that floats on the air like a burning ember.

We cuddled on a bouncing suspension bridge then curled up on our sleeping bags to dream of showers overnight to cool the air temperature.

Thursday June 29th - Kindred spirits in Nipigon

An involuntary long lie in, we were on the road at an unrespectable hour and things were going slow. After stopping to pay due respects at the Terry Fox Monument (something I was not allowed to do last time I was in Thunder Bay) we ate two lunches and finally the pace picked up (we only managed 30km by 2pm).

We stopped at a large motel café on the way, much in need of pie but TSK, and eventually myself, ended up playing good Samaritans to an old guy who took a tumble on the stairs outside the caf and in the end decided that he really should have used his scooter which was carefully packed away in the back of the car.

Another 57km on we checked the tourist info map in Nipigon and as a result headed into town to do our shopping then out the other side to the campground (as marked on the map). Unfortunately this campground was closed so we retraced our steps 6 hilly kms to the first campsite we could’ve stopped at. Our complaints to TI the next day sadly fell on blonde ears to the response that, “it’s never been a problem before”. We regretted that when we discovered their door to the back of the photocopying room was open we didn’t stay in there the night for free.

Still #1, we bumped into the lovely Shi (pronounced Shea) from awotm and her friend’s little dog “Mystical” at Nipigon and after a long chat, became friends and were proffered the opportunity to ride unladen for one day whilst their RV carried our bags for us. We agreed we’d likely meet up the next day in Terrace Bay.

Still #2, Nipigon did go down as, and will remain to this day, the best camp-food cooking I have ever done - pork mince and leeks with blue cheese and tomato sauce - with pasta of course.

Friday June 30^th - July 1^st (Canada Day)

Lunch on this day was taken in Gravel River alongside a way marker with signs to various terrestrial and extra-terrestrial locations (The Moon - a very long way and Australia - start digging). The tour bus passed us and later, after many hills endured in the sunshine, we caught them up in Terrace Bay at the end of our day. They had been cooking pot roast all day but had also had a local fisherman donate fresh trout - cleaned and gutted - which they had eaten themselves. The pot roast was offered to us (gleefully accepted) along with red wine, friendly chat, coverage (and discussion on pee-ing) of the Tour de France and real real tea with real real milk.

Mystical turned out to be very cute, a betrayal of the vicious protective little monsta she was pretending to be in the pricarious wilderness of the campsite the day before.

Heeding the warnings from Gravel River that nothing would be open tomorrow (Canada day), TSK headed out to kill lunch for the next day’s ride whilst, as agreed, I rested for a little longer in the comfort of the RV as my reward for actually making it the 115km to Nipigon after 117km the day before and 154km the day before that. Sadly there was nothing to show from the convenience store and thankfully he did not return with sausage-in-a-bun - the doldrums of Canadian cuisine.

My rest really was well-needed. Slightly drained by the effects of the day (or possibly the wine) we neglected to kill all the little beasties in our tent and I was ravaged by a bitey thing overnight, my neck and glands seemingly drained of blood by the next morning, leaving 16 large bumps under my hair.

Waking up early, as promised, to meet with the girls to get rid of our bags for the day, we dragged everything up to the covered deck of the building to cook breakfast and make coffee out of the rain. Despite vowing to get an early start, the girls were understandably late getting up and out on the road too. Reluctantly we all set off into the downpours and they passed us within the first mile at our first and only café stop, in honour of bagging a decent lunch from Subway on the way out of town.

On the road finally we joked that we might as well have been doing a triathlon because I really couldn’t tell if I was swimming or riding my bike it was raining so hard. Water lashed onto my shoulders like it was coming from a high-pressure hosepipe. The river running down the wide highway was about an inch deep. The RV driver offered us a lift but we politely declined, saying we didn’t want to ride across Canada apart from that bit where we got a lift. We bravely continued on until I began to get really quite desperate for somewhere to get some shelter and let us use their toilets. As I watched the roadside for a sign - anything - that a café was nearby, my hopes were raised by a distant billboard. When it turned out to say something along the lines of, “The lord is all-powerful. Trust in him and thy shall be saved” I got out my two favourite fingers. Thankfully lightning wasn’t the chosen mode of punishment for the day. Instead the lord sent truckers to strike me down, running me onto the gravel shoulder whilst passing within inches of my panniers. At that point bravery went out the window and I broke down in a fit of tears. Honourably I managed to contain my display of despondency to myself and Green whilst riding along. At least if TSK recognised it he was respectful enough to patiently ride alongside and let it wash over. With all the water around, it didn’t take long.

At 11:30 my prayers were answered by the aboriginal spirits who sent along the RV and an offer of some shelter in which to eat our sandwiches, in turn served with soup and tea. I’ve always been a fan of mother earth. We handed the RV over to our hosts as we set off to ride-on which we did until we were caught-up again 10km outside of Marathon. The happy sight of the big motor-home conjured up thoughts of a comfortable motel for the night - and soon. We agreed that an overnight stop in Marathon was the solution to all of our problems. Sadly, we never saw ATWOM again for they continued faster than us until our paths separated at Wawa.

Canada day, however, was rescheduled in our part of the world. All parks in the area had become so waterlogged and unpleasant that celebrations were rescheduled for a more clement time. On the other hand, we did the laundry, got delivery pizza and I spent a mozzie free night in a motel room lying on the bed watching the Tour de France with my lovely TSK. It’s the happiest Canada day evening I’ve ever spent.

July 2^nd - The phenomenon that is Northern Ontario

Still feeling ill from my insect-induced injuries, I was treated to a lie in and breakfast in bed. We bagged lunch in town from Subway again where we were mercilessly entertained by the server who ribbed us for being English but was a little too stoopid to realise when we were taking the mick out of him. Unfortunately he had the last say when we had to put him right on his translation of the Canadian “guys” directly into “blokes”, explaining that I am in fact a “bird”, not a “bloke”. The weather had improved somewhat by the time we reached the petrol station 6km up the hill from Marathon for our second breakfast. Well, it wasn’t raining any more. The ride to White River was fairly uneventful, through mining country. We started a bit of a camping-rush at the Tourist Information centre as we’d phoned ahead the night before to make sure it was OK to camp in their grounds and a family and a French lady joined us for the night. For a village that’s the birth place of Winnie the Pooh, there’s a despicable lack of camping facilities but we were able to get a shower at the local truck stop then headed over to Robins Donuts for coffee and to watch the delayed Canada Day fireworks with the rest of the village.

The next day’s ride was interestingly devoid of facilities leading to 2^nd breakfast in a shack reminiscent of someone’s over-furnished living room (complete with 3 generations of quebecois family) and a demand for $7 for the privilege of eating our sandwiches in the provincial park. I peed in their pit toilets for free then we rode-off laughing, to sit on the rock garden at the park entrance and eat our sandwiches there. She suggested we go to Wawa instead - which we were doing, she just didn’t appreciate that it would take us another 4 hours to get there. These Parks employees really aren’t appreciating what the parks fee is aimed at.

In Wawa Tourist Information centre we discovered we’d left the only campsite behind at the bottom of a big hill. Not fancying descending, only to be obliged to climb the hill again the next day we treated ourselves to a night at the Big Bird Hotel. A bargain at $45 cash, no questions, no tax, we skipped into the old part of town to eat at Woody’s Pub where Woody was busy spreading his good will and running up a huge bar bill before he handed the place over to his son - so there was one free beer in it for us. For the second time in two days we had the piss taken as the barmaid insisted on talking being Scotts, Manc and a Londoner but the sweetheart did put the Tour de France on the TV for us to watch.

Breakfast in Wawa was divine and I finally seemed to be recovering and upped the pace. We had logging trucks to contend with feeding an OSB plant in the boonies. We stopped for coffee in a roadside fishing lodge with a small café attached. To my amazement, the woman was from Ashton-U-Lyne and we chatted for a while about the old country. Her husband returned with a lovely old spaniel who was a tart for being fussed and thankfully we avoided some rain just long enough to get our lunch down us before it rained again. Our last coffee stop of the day turned out to be 50km down the road at another fishing lodge that doubled up as a camp ground and that is where we stayed and were fed in the restaurant. Thank goodness for the fishing industry because the next town, Chapleau - where we went in the morning for lunch and dinner for the next day - was 25km further on.

As we rode from Chapleau to the next fishing lodge at Foleyet, we discussed the merits of various indicators of our proximity to a town. The first indicator being houses with actual fences and sometimes numbers. Next is the appearance of speed limit signs as the speed limit drops on approach. Then, the existence of warning signs for things like schools and crossings. Then come the electricity cables and you really know you’ve made it when you see streetlights.

Unsure of whether the road to Foleyet was paved or not, we were happy to find that it was AND that there were three reliable electricity cables heading down to the resort. As it happens, the resort turned out to be rather “special” in the same way suburban England is special. The campground consisted of lots sold to Rvers / trailer owners which had subsequently been developed to include such urban luxuries as patios, sheds, car garages, driveways, flower beds and even brick-built extensions to the caravan, encompassing a roof where the old one on the caravan had no-doubt failed. Such was the suburban jungle nature of the place that the owner’s wife had to scratch her head to figure out where to put us mere tenting-people. Though we were rather satisfied with our one of five spaces reserved for real travellers, right along the lake shore. We even resisted the offer of a use of someone’s sauna in favour of an early dinner and early to bed. How choosy are we?

Thursday July 6^th Going on a bear hunt III

Our ride into Timmins was marked by our first real bear-sighting in that the bear was within 5km of us and was alert and on the move with nothing else in particular to do (like eating or something). As we rode along, we watched as something tall, slinky, black and slightly skinny come from the ditch and run straight across the road at quite a speed.

My first reaction was “Cougar!” like cougars go around dressed as the Beast of Bodmin or something. Then I calmed as I realised it was a bear - then I realised this was a silly reaction and got all alert again. I also thought it was a baby bear and was vaguely aware that there might be a mummy bear somewhere. We stopped and we breathed slowly. We looked behind us as the one truck that had just passed disappeared over a distant hill. We waited for a car to proceed with us. We waited and we waited. None came.

TSK went for a pee, deciding that in the event of a sprint being necessary, he couldn’t manage it right now. I waited. I retreated. Finally, we decided we were brave enough to pass, having agreed it looked more like an adolescent bear on its own and that no protective mummy-bear was going to appear out of the bush and try to eat us. Our only fear was that as a skinny bear it looked like a hungry bear.

We cycled along whistling and dinging our bells until we were well-past the area where we had seen the bear. Unfortunately this did little to ease our nerves and we reverted to jumping at every tiny noise that went on in the day-to-day life of the boreal forest. Even less easing on the nerves was the White Birch Lodge owner who told us that tourists feed the bears from their cars, so if a bear approaches us, it’s just expecting to be fed. HUH! TSK considered the following road signs, “Every time you feed a bear a puppy dies”.

In Timmins itself we went from being scared of the bears to being scared of the locals as the bobby seemed nervous to suggest we camp anywhere other than with his mate Richard Lafleur in the grounds of the beautiful Cedar Meadows Resort. Who were we to argue? We spent a large amount of money in the lovely Mr Lafleur’s excellent restaurant, chatted with his efficient and polite staff and toasted my dad’s birthday.

Friday July 7^th - Freedom.

Wrote to BFOB to let him know I wouldn’t be back. Big grinning steps.

Saturday July 8th & 9th The Passage from Timmins to Quebec.

Reluctantly we left the Cedar Meadows Resort and headed back out of town in search of quieter roads.  With bears grazing in the grass by the industrial estate, we welcomed the serenity of the countryside.  An old lady in a café, intrigued by our adventures Found TSK "rather cute".

By this point the weather was getting pretty hot and we took every opportunity possible to sit in air conditioned buildings.  Failing that (quite frequently) to stop and drink cold drinks.  On the first occasion, where a small dog took exception to our bikes, barking incessently at them. He'd obviously never seen our kind before.  Later we gave up on drinks and resorted to Icecream.  Kirkland Lake campground was a nice place with swings for us to play on.  Kirkland Lake town itself was even more welcoming.

We breakfasted with the mayor who informed us that the town was having a reunion for all of its high-school students before they tear down the school.  We were glad of this gem of information as it explained why there were lots of exciteable 50-somethings wandering around town exclaiming how they, "wish they'd done something like us when they were young".

At second breakfast we made the cyclists faux-pas of touring.  Having taken a sneaky top-up of the sugar bowl I distastefully left it under the table where, much to my dismay, it had been cleared away by staff and I had to go ask nicely for it back.  Tail between legs moment.

Our passage into Quebec was dissapointingly unmarked by a road sign.  Only the place name of our final destination - Rouyen-Noranda - gave away what province we were in.  There was no camping in town - none that we fancied (with toilets and stuff) anyway so we went to a nice french restaurant and fuelled- and bevvied-up before taking the 8km ride out of town and down treacherous dirt tracks to the dog-guarded Lac Marlon Campsite where we arrived just in time for showers.

July 10th - Entering Quebec and the entrance to the Vérendrye Park.

Despite me dreaming that we'd found another route out of the campsite, the ride back up the treacherous dirt track was not nearly as bad as imagined - more like cyclo-crossing with paniers.

We left Rouyen-Noranda eventually but then, realising we were in need of second breakfast, resorted to the airport - a small, local affair, we left our bikes (fully laden & unlocked) outside whilst we ate cake and drank coffee.  I was exhausted and in quite a lot of pain so I really wouldn't have minded if bomb squad had disposed of my bike.

After lunch I took to dispensing of the day by stopping first after  8km for a drink then after only an hour for more to drink.  Though I was determined I'd push myself on the TSK decision was made to stop for the night in Malartic - 24km short of our planned destination.  Despite my protests, I was witnessed punching the air with my fist in victory as we cycled in to Malartic to find a campsite there.  We didn't even care that it was over-run with kids.  We sat drinking coffee and watched them all going off on an organised ride around the town. Impressed with Quebec already.

On 11th we had a short day.  With the 300km long Vérendrye park to negotiate ahead, we wanted to be staying on the edge of the park ready for a 150km(+) ride the next day, carrying all of the food we would need for two days of very-little ahead of us.  We rode 24km to Val d'Or where we spent the day enjoying the town and visiting the Gold Mine Herritage villages full of beautiful historic stained log houses.  We enjoyed another french meal on the main street surrounded by music and beautiful people as an antidote to the days ahead.

July 12&13th - The Vérendrye Park.

A huge wildlife reserve in Quebec, there really is very little in the Vérendrye Park.  There is one fishing lodge 145km into the Park which houses a store (bottled water and juice, a few tins of beans, fishing tackle and frozen chocolate bars), a few rental cabins and a boat yard.  There are numerous camp grounds yet mostly they comprise a field and possibly a pit toilet if you're lucky.  None of them have drinking water or showers except one.  The campground at Lac Rapide claims both.  The maps for Quebec (both of the ones we had) did not have distances on it so we were guessing that the day would be 150km one.

Beyond 150km the day was getting very long. I'm not one to doubt TSK for he is an excellent navigator but, being nervous that the sun had got to him, even I admit to double-checking the name of the campground we were looking for - especially as there seemed to be numerous sites in the area whose lakes began with the letter R.  OK maybe it was me that was delerious.

Finally after a long hot 162km and little water left in the bottles, we arrived at the much anticipated Lac Rapide.  The Lac was not so Rapide, more mirror-like in the setting sun but we were so late that there was no-one on duty to take our cash.  We settled down to cook our dinner and for the first time dug out our new water filter to make safe the NON potable water.  Worth every cent I tell you.  Crystal clear sweet tasting water.

After dinner eaten in the dark we showered (one thing they did get right) and had a VERY good nights sleep despite the soaring temperatures.  In the morning it was still warm - a sign of things to come through the day.

We were happy to have the cheery company of a Mexican boy and his Quebecois girlfriend who happily chatted to us for a long time.   A motorbiker who passed us beeping (and we waved back) reportedly gave Andrew a look of "you lucky bastard" further down the road.  Stopping together for icecream and cold drinks, the couple informed us that camping Grand Remous was down a road alongside the river.  They (unladen except for 4Litre water bottles as they had no filter for the park) went on ahead and left us to complete our 112km day into Grand Remous as a twosome.

In town we scored dinner (no easy task in a small-town) then headed out to find the campsite down the river.  After a long haul along the road we thought it might be we decided we were chasing our tail - or someone's tail anyway.  No doubt another motorist with a "just down the road" set of directions.

We headed back to the motel we'd seen as we sped past to find it was forlornly closed.  This was where my French language skills really came into play.  I enquired of a waitress on her fag-break if there was any other accommodation in town.  She didn't speak a word of English so, had I not spoken French it would really have been too much effort for her to help us.  Instead she phoned her boss who had a room underneath the café.  Moments later the boss arrived with a key, took only $25 of our cash and left us with the run of her 3 bed basement appartment complete with cooking facilities.  It was no Hilton.  It didn't even have air con but the fact it was built half underground added a certain cooling effect and the curtains had wisely been left shut.

Exhausted after our many kms out in the wilds we collapsed onto our bed.  Like sucks that we are we made a bed together from our thermarests and sleeping bags in the middle of the floor rather than fighting over lumpy matress space.

The next morning was a lovely start - breakfast in the café of course - but it was no indicator of the excitement that lay ahead of us.

Friday July 14th - Quebecois bikeshops and civilised camping

I spent half an hour after my breakfast trying to get my dubiously shreaded tyre to stay inflated.  After 5500km and sweltering temperatures, I am not surprised that the tyre was dead.  The little wires embedded in the rubber that make up the strength of tyres had started to delaminate from the rubber and poke holes into the inner tube.  So as we changed a puncture, we decided to use the spare tyre we were carrying once more (after Andrew already put a few hundred kms on it) before we ditched it.  The hard part was actually repairing the inner tube so it would inflate.  With no unpunctured tubes left, patching was the only solution to our problem and in the 38 degree heat, the rubber solution just wasn't curing properly.  Down to one patch left after 4 failed attempts, we were ready to throw the bike in the ditch and start thumbing for a lift.  I took imense time, pride and patience over that one last patch.  I was quite impressed at myself for the patience bit.

It didn't really work well but was enough to get me 6kms before we needed to stop and pump up my tyre again.  The decision was made - we would limp to the town to buy a new tyre and tubes.  Race pace ensued.  I took pride in getting that little bit further with every time period.  Sprinting up hills at 25km/hr fully laden was no mean feat... but I got to rest in between as Andrew pumped up my tyre, pushed me off, then just about had time to pack up, pick his bike up and sprint to catch me before the next stop.  I have a bit of experience on riding on deflated tubular tyres but this folding tyre was a new phenomenon for me and I had to make sure I didn't ride for too long and risk the tyre coming off the rim and shredding our one kind-of-good inner tube completely.  36ks of this.  Agh.

At least, I joked, we're in Frogland - they're bound to have more of my trusty Michellin tyres.

We arrived in Mont Laure hot and desperate for a bike shop.  As the lady in Tourist Information began her sentace with, "The bike shop is..." we nearly got all giddy on her - would've done if we'd had the energy.

Like a hungry dieter in a supermarket we kind of went over the top in the bike shop.  Well, we walked in the door and took sharp intakes of breath... finally, a proper bike shop.  I bought my new tyre - they had my michellins in 5 different widths - we bought a new spare tyre, I bought new pedals (since my left one had developed a wobbly grind to it), I bought a new top (to give my armpits some breathability).  The only thing we didn't get was patches.  They couldn't understand why we'd get more than one puncture?

We also did our laundry in Mont Laure - fighting with the locals over space in the bathroom to "do a levis ad" and wear completely over-warm clothes for the duration of the wash and get all our neceesary hot-weather kit clean instead.

We were enjoying Mont Laure's facilities so much we even ate out in the pub and I had TSK slather factor 40 suncream over my newly exposed shoulderblades in the new top.  I thought I was doing well with the factor 40 until I realised it was baby sun lotion and babies don't sweat as much as 32 year olds on bike tours.

Most importantly in Mont Laure we joined the beautiful Route Verte.  We happily sped along the tree-covered bike path separated from the road, tempted oh so tempted to wave to the motorists stuck in a 5km long traffic jam into town.

As the evening drew-in I had my usual questions about how soon I would be able to eat, rephrased as usual into, "Where is the campground we're staying at". And behold, as I asked the question, only 1km out of town, a big red and yellow sign appeared with the word "CAMPING" emblazened across it.

No questions asked, serendipity was calling and we pulled in, straight off the bike path.  Serendipity was indeed in charge - cooking facilities (and I'm talking kitchen) was provided free of charge for all to use.  We cooked and showered in rota and sat out on the deck to eat our dinner.  How civilised.

Friday July 15th - Quebecois evil weather and uncivilised camping

Found ourselves the lovely village of l'Annonciation to eat second breakfast in.  Somehow we managed to find the grumpiest café to eat in as the waitress was convinced that no matter how much we tried to speak French we couldn't but it was her best bet since she didn't speak English.

The trail got wetter and wetter as the day went on and eventually we limped into one of the trailside shelters (think bus station built like a log cabin) to take cover from the rain and I indulged in a change of clothing.  When we decided the rain bounce-back off the track was slight-enough we carried on to one of the tourist information Station buildings equipped with a nice restaurant.  Again a chance to dry off.

The ride up to Mont Tremblant was beautiful.  Treed, undulating hills and scattered lakes all along the way.  Mont Tremblant was a bit of a mecca for me as home of the Canadian Ski Instructor's association.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Most ski resorts are a bit dead in the summer months but Tremblant is also blessed with a lake that's warm enough to be enjoyed in the summer so there is a real summer industry there too and they seemed to be gearing up for a big festival.

As the day went on we agreed that never again will we plan to stop at a place whose name ends in "des Monts" or "of the mountains" or "de la Montagne"  or "del Monte" or wherever else we end up in the world.

Saint Agathe Des Monts was indeed surrounded by Monts.  All Monts great and small.  We checked in at the Tourist Info again to find out where the campsite was.  No such luck - all booked.  All cheap motels - booked.  It was $160 or... make sure you're not seen by the patrol cars but there's a disused ski resort parking lot down this road, by the lake, no-one will know you're there.  Not so sure that was a good thing since we thought we might be killed by lightning at any moment.  Not that it would've mattered since we could've been washed away anyway.

Still, as we rode past the campsite and it's 500+ filled to brimming site, we agreed we wouldn't have wanted to stay there anyway so we left them our garbage as we passed the next day and said no more about it.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A real-time post
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 08/15/2006 11:13:33 AM
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Job applications are being progressed. I lost every item of clothing I currently own at the wedding at the weekend but they have found it and are posting it back to me.  I had a wonderful excuse to go out and buy new toiletries. I found an interview suit that fits.  I found office shoes that fit.

I am going to spend the weekend in the big city with TSK.

Life is good.

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AUTHOR: Yaehoo
EMAIL: dontheguy@gmail.com
IP: 206.71.52.90
URL: http://www.yaehooo.com
DATE: 05/01/2009 10:52:49 AM
Hi, It's the second time i'm posting you without a reply. I found your site using Yaehoo, does your site support firefox?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Yaehoo
EMAIL: dontheguy@gmail.com
IP: 206.71.52.90
URL: http://www.yaehooo.com
DATE: 05/01/2009 10:52:52 AM
Hi, It's the second time i'm posting you without a reply. I found your site using Yaehoo, does your site support firefox?
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AUTHOR: Laive
EMAIL: gmiltman@yahoo.com
IP: 206.71.52.90
URL: http://www.dontownasite.com
DATE: 05/04/2009 10:17:44 AM
Hi, I found your site using http://www.laive.com Laive, does your site support Firefox?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Laive
EMAIL: gmiltman@yahoo.com
IP: 206.71.52.90
URL: http://www.dontownasite.com
DATE: 05/04/2009 10:17:46 AM
Hi, I found your site using http://www.laive.com Laive, does your site support Firefox?
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Friday June 23rd
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 08/15/2006 11:10:49 AM
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Back by popular demand, continuing Canadian adventures and picking up from Winnipeg, which really, was about the last place we got the opportunity to stop and think (as far as can be expected of adventurers on a rest day and a beer binge).

(This is for the benefit of all those who have seen me over the last few days and whose question, “how was it?” has been met with the response, “too amazing to summarize into one short paragraph”)

Our ride out of Winnipeg started early in the morning compared to other residents that were still in bed recovering from various levels of hang over.

This day we had our first encounter with the flies, which started to swarm around Andrew’s panniers (there were none on me, no not at all), leaving me concerned that his jam jar (for porridge) had broken. When I passed him and discovered the flies were indeed around me too, I started to think we were just a little smelly but then the wee buggers started to bite.

My cunning plan to dig out the insect repellent on the move and avoid being bitten was foiled when I realised I couldn’t actually ride with the straps to my bag undone and sent Andrew on his way as I stopped as briefly as possible, fighting off the swarm with one hand and fumbling zips and buckles with the other.

No time to apply the repellent, I had to get back to riding and get away from the swarm. Not sufficiently put off by the smell of our repellent they continued to follow us but we took great pleasure in watching them land and, suitably repelled, fly away without biting.

Nervous about stopping, we dived into the supermarket to shop for lunch and get some respite where we were informed that the headwind we’ve been battling for the last few weeks is only to be expected since “the wind always blows that way here”. I’m thinking she has a point and Environment Canada have it all wrong. We also discovered that sweaty bodies are what attract the flies and enjoyed our lunch in the cool without being bothered.

Strangely enough, the flies seemed reluctant to follow us beyond the railway line and the rest of the journey was plain sailing all the way to Rennie, our final destination. In addition to the advertised campsites we were attracted by one offering a pool and duly bounced down 3kms dirt track to get there. We resisted the temptation to canoe on the lake with the mozzies and rather than taking a cold shower we did a few lengths of the cold pool. Not that I’m complaining about any of these cold sources of water, because when we asked the proprietor what he needed from us by way of check-in details and payment he waved his hand, said, “Nothing” and asked politely that we pop in the next day and sign his guest book.

Much to TSK’s delight, the next morning he came by and offered us a seat in the games room to drink fresh coffee and share some of our stories together.

There he told us of deer flies (that burrow into your hair, under hats - and helmets - and bite at your scalp, take big chunks out of you, they do). I have spent the next 6 weeks scratching my head at every little tickle.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I'm a n'engineer again
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 08/11/2006 03:50:09 PM
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Turns out all they wanted me to do was to give them some more money. 

I didn't even need to fill out a form or anything!

More CVs sent off, including one to my former employer.  This time the letters are back after my name.  Fingers crossed now for next week.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.212
URL: http://needlessinput.blogspot.com
DATE: 08/12/2006 08:05:03 AM
Smarty pants rides again :)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.50.154
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 08/13/2006 10:36:29 PM
If I give them some money, will they make me one, too?? Would stop DBO bragging!

Was lovely to see you :-)
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AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 81.76.224.58
URL:
DATE: 08/15/2006 11:14:50 AM
DBO has every right to brag. See, he was clever enough to fool them too!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: CV
STATUS: Draft
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 08/11/2006 12:17:32 PM
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Download andrea_halman.doc

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Life of an unemployed adventurer
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Unemployment

DATE: 08/10/2006 10:27:47 PM
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I went out on my bike for the first time in England since I returned.

• Number of times I rode on the wrong side of the road: 4



• Number of times I got lost: once - but it was for a long time because in Whythenshawe you don’t look like you don’t know where you’re going and you certainly don’t stop and ask directions.



• Number of breakdowns on the way to the bike shop: 0



• Number of times I noticed things not quite right: 5



• Number of people who got served in the bike shop whilst I waited: 13



• Number of hours I spent in their workshop cleaning my bike: 2



• Number of crazy motorist stunts: 2



• Average speed: 20.7 kph (not bad considering I was lost)



• Time I got out of bed: 9:45am. Such is jetlag and it beats yesterday



• Time of my ride into town tomorrow: 9am



• Number of job rejection emails to date:1



• Number of jobs applied for: 1



• Number of dodgy CVs submitted:1



• Number of jobs available: seemingly gazillions



• Number of windows office applications on this ‘putter for putting my CV right: 0



• Hours I will spend in my mate’s husband’s office tomorrow: indeterminate

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AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.32.56.38
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 08/10/2006 11:41:15 PM
Wow, 3 months. It has gone by so quick. Now i can answer the age old pub quiz question. How long does it take to cycle across canada. This is a great acheivement Andy you should be very proud of yourself. Well done, hope you see you soon. Andy
x
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.32.56.38
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 08/10/2006 11:41:49 PM
i mean hope 'to' see you soon!!!!!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Missing Tiger 9th August 2006
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Love
CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 08/09/2006 11:17:48 PM
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I am back in the old country.

We arrived in St John’s on August 4th to much personal fanfare. In the city we rode along blindly. Not quite believing we‘d made it, we didn’t know what to do first. Get a place to stay I suppose. We hacked our way fully laden through the city streets (think Sheffield for some idea of steepness) and arrived at the appointed address to dig a key out of the mail box. We then cycled to another appointed address and let ourselves in to the apartment TSK had wangled for the weekend.

A beautiful place at the top of a street of colourful wooden sided houses it was across the road from the annual folk festival and we opened the windows to enjoy the notes floating in on the sea breeze. We unloaded the bikes and brought them inside as agreed then headed out on foot to rendezvous with the lovely Donald, custodian of our bike shipping-bags at the bike shop for the last week. He was a handsome young man, a far cry from the 50-year old bearded man we expected to see. We honoured their help with a handshake (TSK said I had to hug Donald so that he didn’t have to do it) and by buying a couple of water bottles from their shop.

After watching a bit of TV and getting showered and changed, we headed out again to Aqua restaurant where we treated ourselves to a slap up meal and drank lots (for a couple of tired cyclists) in celebration.

The next day after a much deserved lie-in we attempted to ride to Cape Spear but neither of us was really in the mood for steep hills and drizzle before breakfast so we returned to town to treat ourselves to a slap-up breakfast (Blue Hotel serves the best bacon in all Canada) before dipping our tyres in the Atlantic ocean then spending the rest of the day on foot chilling out and doing touristy shopping.

Hangovers and packing in tact, we flew out first thing Sunday morning to spend Sunday and Monday in Toronto at and around Crazy Biker Chick‘s place. She has a lovely old house in the downtown area with a deck out the back and a well-equipped kitchen which we made full use of to cook up a dinner for three. Wine was drunk. We walked along the beach at the lake, watched a man balance rocks, saw the CN tower and the headquarters of the symbol of my freedom - the Much Music building. If it weren’t for the fact that TSK is following me this way next weekend, I think I would’ve been rather sorry to leave Toronto. As it is, I nearly worked (updating my journal) through the plane take-off on Monday evening.

Finally, I decided to honour Toronto with a peek out the window. After all, it honoured the end of my very special journey with a reasonable temperature for a holiday weekend and a very pleasant evening of company - human and feline - in the form of Princess and Abby (an insane little kitten who slept wrapped around TSK’s head and nibbled my toes to get me up in the morning).

The resulting photo through the window of the plane will hopefully be posted in the usual place along with all the others if I can get them down to a suitable size for the puney phone line interweb connection I have at my parents.

With more to come on my journey later, I’ll tell you just this:

• I am back in time for Mr Gillespie’s wedding. Thanks to Silver Lining and DBO for the offer of a lift.



• Since I got back I have had a wonderful time of retail therapy including make-up in the airport (duty free!) and a new posh frock and shoes for the wedding, despite my best threats to turn up in cycling shorts. Didn’t want to overshaddow the bride now did I?



• Shopping in England is so much easier than in Canada.



• Green is safely locked away in the shed in dire need of TLC - that comes tomorrow along with the rest of my shopping.



• I have gone from being a PDA owner to having no diary at all.



• I will also be buying a cell phone as my old one is doing my head in. Who would’ve though predictive text was such a stroke of genius?



• I went to bed at 11:30 last night and slept until 11:45 this morning. I had chips and pastie for breakfast.



• I don’t want to do that again so I am going to bed now.



• It's difficult living in a tent with someone for three months and then not.

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.53.13
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 08/10/2006 06:09:17 AM
It was great getting to meet you, and thanks so much for the lovely dinner you cooked. Look forward to seeing the rest of the pictures. And reading about the next adventure when it happens!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A day on prince edward island
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 07/29/2006 04:11:41 PM
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Then back to mainland Nova Scotia to continue our trip.

I'll be back in the UK August 8th. Any offers of transport or accomodation for Mr Gillespie's wedding would be much appreciated.

Yours broke and desperate. Till next time.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.50.143
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 07/30/2006 10:47:38 PM
I think we're good for the lift! *Sooooo* excited....
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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 216.86.106.171
URL:
DATE: 07/31/2006 04:49:59 AM
I loved PEI but then I was a big Anne fan as a kid.

I hope the last few days go well and that your tril hoem is fanastic.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Very Quick Update
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 07/26/2006 07:50:26 PM
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We are in Miramichi.  That's in NouveauFuckingBoringswick... where having fun is frowned upon and Tourist Information is distincly lacking.

Trying to desperately fathom the wheres and wherefores of coming back to England after all is said and done.

Sorry, no time for photos today... but you've only two weeks to wait - with any luck.

I have a shiny new rack on my bike having trashed the old one.  I have riden about 150km with it zip-tied together, including 10km of construction gravel-track.  Every excuse to spend a night in a victorian B&B - oh no, that would be the total lack of camping within 170km of the tourist badlands. 

Pray for me interweb, I need mechanical good zen for the road ahead.

It's out of New Boringsasswick as soon as possible and up to Cape Breton where Aunty Frances and Uncle Les have assured me, the road ahead is pleasant-enough.

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.53.13
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 07/27/2006 05:26:52 AM
Sending some good mechanical vibes your way!!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.32.56.38
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 07/27/2006 09:47:36 PM
Keep on going Andy, your eploits continue to inspire me. x
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Ce semaine j`avais parlé princalement, le francais
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 07/19/2006 06:27:36 PM
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This post coming from Quebec city where we`re having another `day off` cycling up and down preceipices.... but still, at least we`re unladen unlike last night when we climbed the world-renowned (well not quite) Cap Rouge.

Adventures to fill you in on later include:

• Another bear-sighting... this time about 10m from the road.  Where my fear was so high, I couldn`t shout, "A bear!".  Which is a good job cos bears don`t like that kind of thing.  Consequently, Andrew didn`t see it again.



• Incredibly sparse 250km wildlife park negotiated in two days, including a need to finally use my most expensive bit of gear - my water filter.



• Arriving in a town the first weekend of the school holidays to find everything in town booked.  The nice attendant at tourist information sent us to a disused ski hill carpark where we "wouldn`t be seen by patrol".  We tried blagging a place at the $30 a night campground but they weren`t having it.  In our overnight carpark stop we lay in the tent watching the lightning (so intense we couldn`t tell which booms went with which flashes - DBO STOP IT) and looking out the door at the water flowing  by on the concrete outside.



• Sweltering in intense heat for three days on the road then succumbing to a motel and finding it air conditioned.  We vowed not to leave until October.



• New top to cope with the sweltering heat.  New pedals to stop the nasty grating noise.  New back tyre (the old one did manage 5500km) to  stop incessant puncturing in intense heat.

Off to check up on things I need to do.  More soon.

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.53.13
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 07/21/2006 07:09:33 AM
Wow you guys are really making so much progress! I can't believe you're in Quebec already. It sounds like you are having so much fun despite the obstacles to overcome. How was Ontario? Did you cut across the north?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 204.81.7.13
URL:
DATE: 07/26/2006 07:52:36 PM
Yes we did Timmins. Sorry I missed you. We took photos for you from Grand Falls but not yet published.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.50.143
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 07/30/2006 10:49:33 PM
We lay in bed the other day, working out the booms and flashes thing, too. And then it thundered :-)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Going on a bear hunt part II
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 07/07/2006 09:14:12 PM
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Mr Loftus requested some comedy moments.  I will oblige along with other random thoughts that can only be spewed by bulletpoint.  If you're in need of more organisation, check Andrew's site.

• Being able to eat what the hell we goddamn want because at 100-150km per day it doesn't matter.



• Having my cycling legs back



• Meeting up with a group of aboriginal women cycling across canada to raise awareness about domestic violence.  Check out their site www.aboriginalwomenonthemove.org and http://awotm.blogspot.com.  They carried our stuff for the day on what was the wettest, hilliest day of the year and invited us to eat dinner and lunch in their RV on the way. THANK YOU!!!



• Laughing out loud when they exclaimed, "My god look how white you are" as I showed them my rediculous fair-headed-person's tan.



• 18+ mosquito bites on my jugular veins in one night rendering me limp and pathetic for 3 days.



• Being run off the road by Andrew with a fly behind his glasses... and an excellent recovery from the gravel on my part.



• Stopping to tell an old dear in Winnipeg that she brushed me with her car as she passed.



• Having a pissy fit when two animal transporter trucks tried to run us off the road in pouring rain.



• Getting out of bed at 6am because we couldn't lie still and listen to the swarming mass of mozzies outside.  Getting 30km in before breakfast in a truck stop at 8am.  Riding in cold cold fog and the rising sun.



• Bumping into a cafe owner from Ashton-Under-Lyne in a fishing lodge 75kms from anywhere and being served our morning coffee for free.



• Surviving a bear crossing the road 100m in front of us.  We stopped... and breathed slowly for a very long time before progressing - whistling and ringing our bells as we went.



• That's all I have time for.  Enjoy the pics.  As ever, they speak for themselves.  Good enuff for ya Loftussss?

Others are recorded in updated photos at http://trepidexplorer.blogs.com/photos/trans_canada/p7060022.html

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.149
URL:
DATE: 07/07/2006 09:34:28 PM
Sounds amazing.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.59.111
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 07/11/2006 07:50:11 AM
I always thought that loftus chap was a sadistic sort...
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Going on a bear hunt
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 07/07/2006 05:00:35 PM
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Today's post comes to you from Timmins where we are getting our first rest day since Winnipeg.  My goodness do we need it.  We are both maxed out.  A kind of fatigue which tries to persuade your body to sit down and curl up to sleep every time you stop moving.

We were supposed to be on a run of easy days.  Instead, each has turned into 120km days as we struggle to the next fishing lodge to find accomodation or stop just short of the town we're heading for and add distance to the next day. 

We have been planning a day off in Timmins.  A' has work to do, finding the shop and appartment his parents first moved to Canada for in the early 60's.  In addition to that, my mail should be here (it is not - yet another Canada Post mystery) and we both need a haircut.  When we arrived here last night, we cycled in to town, looking for the Tourist Information office to ask about camp grounds.  It doesn't strike me as the kind of town that has campgrounds, just like Ambleside doesn't strike me as the kind of place that has any heavy industry.  No sign of TI so we do the only decent thing and ask a policeman (in fact, one holed up at the fair in the command centre with an ambulance man and a fire-fighter).  There are no campgrounds in town. However, the cop is good mates with the guy who runs a very nice plush resort who was more than happy to put us up in a sheltered corner of his meadow and give us access to a hot shower and washrooms.  We held-off switching on the hot tub and sauna and took a plush meal and bottle of wine in his restaurant instead.

I'd love to give you more, but my hour is up.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: PS Just a quickie
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 06/23/2006 04:43:46 AM
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I'd like to say thanks to my parents for teaching me everything I know about camping in the shittiest of conditions and I'd like to thank my dad for teaching me everything I know about drafting effectively and I'd like to thank Dr Chin for teaching me everything I know about aerodynamics and the benefits of turning my thermarest 30 degrees to get the best of a side-to-tail wind.

Soon.

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AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.32.56.38
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 06/26/2006 02:57:31 PM
thanks for putting up those photos andy. that blue lake is SO blue. Glacial waters are so pure!

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Photos
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 06/22/2006 07:19:35 PM
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Photo Album is updated.  Go to:

http://trepidexplorer.blogs.com/photos/trans_canada/image001.html

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A weird kind of wilderness
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 06/22/2006 04:08:57 PM
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First of all... Sorry Sorry Sorry.

We have been stuck in the boonies for three whole weeks.  Now thankfully we are safely holed up in the roaring civilisation of Winnipeg, enjoying the hostellelry of, well, the backpackers hostel.  After three weeks of a complete absense of fellow cyclists, we find ourselves here in the company of another two-man team and a solo trans-Canada-ist.  Last night's after-dinner conversation consisted mainly of comparisons of routes, experiences, gear and "nutrition", though I use the last term lightly.

Our route along Highways 16 and 5 to the North of Saskatchewan left us a little lonesome in terms of other tourist company but also devoid of the kind of trucker traffic and that high prices that accompany the more direct, equally (if not more so) flat and more hyper Highway 1.  We have had a relaxing time, talking to local people, getting interviewed by the local press (copy on the way to Cheshire and Southshire allegedly), getting involved in the local charity bike ride and getting through national and provincial parks without having to buy permits, because of our bikes... though we had to argue the case with one woman who expected us to buy a permit each (until we pointed out that if we'd been a couple in a car we would've only needed one).  Eventually the campground steward gave us a refund on the one vehicle permit that we'd reluctantly agreed to buy.

SK is riddled with little farm village communities in sad decline but thankfully many of them still have little back-street cafes ranging from a junk-store / living room environment with dingey washrooms to plush tea-shoppes worthy of a place on main-street Ambleside.  Lunch food has been sometimes hard to come by and from time to time we have eaked a morning's existence out of a few granola bars, bananas and raisins before finally rolling into a town at 1:30 for lunch, starving and tired.  I have never felt so remote and yet so close to people.  To make things worse it turned out to be 2:30 as we'd crossed another time zone.  Of course by the time we'd gorged ourselves on Austrian food at the restaurant in town and finished off with strudel we had energy for nothing more than setting up the tent and falling into bed to sleep it off at 4pm.

Mechanically, after a third spoke broke on my bike I resigned myself to a new wheel and then  the tent began to die on us as my 10 year old poles that began fracturing two weeks ago took to breaking - one after the other.  Duct tape did the job of holding things together for a couple of nights and thank god the canvas didn't rip on the broken poles - Terra Nova I love you.  Three days ago my gears stopped indexing so I was stuck with a 20km ride to Portage La Prairie in a choice of approximately 4 very different gears.  Fortunately we had a tail wind and I managed to stick it in the big ring and pop out 30km/hr all the way into town.  The bike shop owner was at his other job so we waited for him to finish his 12 hour shift at 7pm then he happily admitted defeat with the Shimano RSX shifters and fitted me an old-school friction shift without indexing.  Something I am happy to keep for the rest of the trip and might revert to full-on afterwards, since it ain't gonna break - ever.

Finally yesterday we went to Mountain Equipment Co-op in Winnipeg and splurged on three new tent poles, carefully cut to size and threaded by Bryan, proper bikin' waterproof trousers for me and to a bike shop for a new back tyre for Andrew to stop those pesky punctures we've been experiencing.

We is happy.  Today we'll be doing the tourist thing for once but for now I should let someone else have a play here.

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AUTHOR: Mike
EMAIL: mike.rodgers3@btintenet.com
IP: 217.155.92.246
URL:
DATE: 06/22/2006 08:35:14 PM
Hi

Andrews brother here. Thought I would post on this side this time.

At last an update on the trip. Been looking forward to this. I hope you two guys are having as much fun as it looks like over there. Loving the updated photo album. Thats some pretty amazing stuff you're seeing. Especially like the Lake Moraine pics.

Waiting with anticipation on the next update but understand interweb cafes may be further apart than say the center of London. :-)

Cheers Mike
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.52.77
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 07/04/2006 07:05:47 AM
Wow. Sounds amazing. Should we re-do the tent vote??

Lovely to hear from you hun.

xxx
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: This week we have mostly been practicing bear-aware camping
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 06/01/2006 11:47:36 PM
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I have come to the conclusion this bear-aware lark is a bit of a gimick.  We have been advised in the last three stops to be bear-aware, yet food storage and dishwashing facilities are distinctly inadequate, complete with notices advising us not to do our dishes in the washrooms (yeah, so).

Finally, in Lake Louise - grizzly bear country we continue to be encouraged to practice bear-aware skills and yet, we are protected by a 7000V electric fence (including a charged cattle grid - you either ride it or you use the ped gate, there'll be no dabbing in cleats!@)

Our journey from Vernon to Lake Louise consisted of country roads through the Spallumcheen valley (watching the rain storms on the far side) and a camp night in Oyama near Winfield watching it rain on the RV-ers at the other campground - we had one rumble of thunder Wends, how's your hangover?

Up to Sicamous and a night out in t'pub followed by the gruelling climb up to Canyon Hot Springs where we lounged from about 7 till 9pm, outside, watching snowy peaks in a pool of water 108F.

Upwards from there via Roger's Pass to Golden.  I completed the whole ride short of one spoke (yes, the other one of the pair broke).  Andrew was much impressed by the effort involved in avoiding every pothole over a 123km mountain pass.

Bike fixed in Golden we then tackled the more notorious Kicking Horse pass to Lake Louise where we now reside on our first "day-off".  Only 40km of hacking around the roads up to Lake Louise itself and morraine lake.  Impressive photos to follow.

Only two actual bear sightings.  I saw one in teh ditch next to the road, heavily involved in eating carion with some ravens and next day, as we ate sausage rolls through the construction on Kicking Horse, we watched a bear way down in the valley running from the train.  Otherwise, we have been comuning with the ground squirrels and fighting marmots for real-estate.

Weather's expected to stay good for our continuation now in Alberta, up to Saskatchewan River Crossing and skirting round Edmonton.

Running kilometrage to date 1224km.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.231
URL:
DATE: 06/02/2006 05:31:25 AM
Some of this I can picture in my head as I read. We wandered a lot when I was a kid and even did a hotsprings themed summer once.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.33.197.35
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 06/02/2006 11:54:15 PM
Keep going andy!

Hey, those hot springs sound georgeous.

You make all of this riding malarkey sound so efffortless....please tell me its not, so i can feel better about my lazyness :)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Hope to Vernon, BC
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Trans Canada Cycle

DATE: 05/28/2006 07:40:24 PM
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Well, the climb out of Hope took us 2.5 hours to the Hope slide.  We took a turn off to look-see to be reminded of North Wales - a pile of rocks and durky mist.  Andrew discovered on the climb what happens when you don't feed a Trep and things nearly got nasty until a granola bar saved the day.  The weather continued to be nasty all day, only to be capped by the news that the hot showers campsite just beyond the Allison Summit (1300m) was still closed due to snow.  But still... we were at the Manning Park Ski resort and I've always wanted to stay there - and had earned it with all that climbing so we slurged and enjoyed the luxuries of not only a hot shower but a hot tub, hot steam room and hot sauna.  Phew!  We very nealy didn't leave the next day as we watched steam pour off the roof of the pool building. 

Next day, coming down the maountain to Keremeos we clocked 27km/hr average (instead of usual 18 kph) over a distance of 139km.  There was some point in the day where we decided that stopping in Hedley at a roadside campsite (100km along the line) was not a good idea and instead we should continue another 32km into the rain and stay in Keremeos.  Despite this poor forethought, our sorry drenched asses encouraged the campsite owner to offer us the $40 a night cabin for $25 so we could stay (and get) dry.   YESSSS.  That place is going in the lonely planet - next edition.

Things were slightly brighter next day and we stopped in Curly's snack shack (just to find out if it really is as wrong as it seems) but no, it was very pleasant, very clean and not a curly wurly in sight.  The ride to Penticton was easy for me (amazing what 766km does for the perspective of your own back yard) and after all, it was only 50km away.  Due to an impromptu rain storm in the mountain on the way down, we rode straight past work at first and to the laundrette to do much needed laundry and tumble-drying.  Caught up mainly with office-people, chores in town (like replacing the towel I lost 4 days ago - I have been getting dry on the tea towel!) and buying our hosts for the night a stiff beer and wine as thanks for us gorging ourselves on the luxuries of four solid walls.

Leaving Penticton on a Saturday, the ride to Kelowna was tough but then took back roads to Winfield to avoid the horror of strip malls and the airport.  Pushing the 100km mark again, we opted for 8 extra kms to get us out of Winfield and into Oyama, a lovely little village nestled between two lakes.  The RV park was a little over-the-top though so we continued on up to the Owl's Nest campsite - a superior spot by the lake, peace, tranquility, no rain (though we watched it rain on the RV-ers) and apparently no steward either so a free night's stay.

From Vernon, we're on up to Malakwa then tomorrow to Canyon Hot Springs (more hot water) nestled in the mountains between Revelstoke and Golden.  It's going to be a tough few days...

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AUTHOR: kilka
EMAIL: best@gmail.com
IP: 85.126.64.178
URL: http://www.gmctruck.fora.pl/
DATE: 07/31/2007 11:20:52 PM
gmc trucks here www.gmctruck.fora.pl
gmc from america www.gmctruck.fora.pl
real gmc www.gmctruck.fora.pl


and www.emeraldring.fora.pl rings
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Photos
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 05/27/2006 04:45:44 PM
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First Photos posted in the album below from the comfort of I&W's house in Penticton. 

Onwards...

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Life on the Road Part 1
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 05/24/2006 05:19:42 AM
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Well, finally.  After what seems like a million miles and a few weeks on the road, I finally find half an hour to sit down and fill y'all in on Trepid adventures.

I write this from Hope, BC, surrounded by the impending doom of a wet night, but otherwise, fluffy clouds, mountains and reasonably tepid temperatures.

My solo journey started in Penticton on Thursday after a frantic escapade of packing and organising the day before.  Nothing could have been worse than Wednesday - not even customs asking me to unpack every carefully packed bag.  Flying over Penticton and the environs was alarmingly serene.  I felt a pang of loss for its  beauty but little affection for the place itself.

I had less time than anticipated to kill before Andrew arrived in Vancouver 30 minutes early.  Bikes unpackaged and assembled, bags loaded we headed straight out to the Ferry to Nanaimo where we relaxed in 2 hours of glorious sunshine, islets and oceans before hopping back in the saddle to find the hostel - a small house all to ourselves!

There was a little excitement catching the Tofino bus at the RIGHT  mall, leaving us a sprint back to the ferry terminal to catch them in time.  The drivers were intrigued by our travel and honoured us with friendly toots whenever they passed, for the rest of our stay on the island.

Arrival in Tofino was accompanied by a relaxing coffee before riding to the quieter Uclulet and a beautiful campsite by the mariner.  Noisy students aside, a pleasant night.  The next morning we needed all our energy for riding around Uclulet trying to find the optimum place to dip our back tyres in the Pacific ocean before leaving.  Finally the optimum place turned out to be a secluded beach complete with walkways to the ocean and crashing waves.  Spot on.

A day's idyllic cycling followed.  Perfectly cloudy for the three mountain passes to be negotiated and yet the view remained apparent.  We were saved the anguish of crossing with logging trucks due to the holiday weekend.  Not good planning on our part but sheer luck.

The next night was spent in Port Alberni in the "less exclusive" hostel in town but at least the wardens assured us a good quiet night's sleep and breakfast served in the morning.  Now that's luxury.

From Port Alberni we made it back to Nanaimo in in good time for the ferry back to the mainland - unfortunately just in time for a downpour which left me soalked to the skin and Andrew (with superiour waterproofs) a little damp around the edges.  Soggy tent errected, we headed out for dinner and the chance to hang up our wet clothes.  Thank god for City campgrounds in the morning we did laundry.

Another wet ride to Fort Langley yesterday (this time Trep wore more layers) left us a little more accustomed to soggy sensations and we managed to hack it enough to actually cook ourselves a delicious pasta meal in the tent AND crawl out later for a few beers.

109km clocked today on the relatively flat roads of the Fraser valley (left Fort Langley at 9am this morning following the best night's sleep yet).  Tomorrow we have our first serious mountain range to contend with, the Hope - Princeton Highway 3, anticipated stop in Manning park or thereabouts.

Stats: clocking about 18km per hour and on the best days doing about 100km in about 6 hours. 

Photos will be posted, just as soon as I recover my USB cable from somewhere inside my fetid stuff.

In terms of turning up on a big adventure with a perfect stranger, things are working out just fine and, really, as expected but better. 

Trep, watching the clock on the interweb café.

Out.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/24/2006 07:24:32 AM
Very cool.

I look forward to the updates. Sorry I missed out on you!

(ps. Pacific ocean...)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.33.197.35
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/25/2006 02:53:52 AM
good on ya girl...safe peddling. Looking forward to the updates
x
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Soon
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 05/17/2006 09:03:21 PM
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A wild, last minute post from mon beureau before I head out into the big wide world (once I've done packing of course).  This visit to the office sponsored by the fact I was in too much of a rush to hit the bar at 4:30 yesterday, but there you have it.

Absolutely loving my first real "day off" in a long time, fraught though it is with panicky last minute chores.  Ho hum.

Anticipated next blog: Vancouver Airport.

Soon lovies.

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AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.33.197.35
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/19/2006 10:55:34 PM
Best of luck, and best wishes.
x
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: End of greenwood
STATUS: Draft
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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DATE: 05/17/2006 12:32:56 AM
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Download separation_agreement_reva.doc

Download separation_agreement_first_draft.doc

Download LBHN.CSV

Download andrea_halman_cover_letter.doc

Download andrea_halman_resume.doc

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Tee minus 2 days
STATUS: Draft
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Travel

DATE: 05/16/2006 06:56:20 PM
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I am nervous.  Even to the point where last night I considered it quite possible that Shelley and Rhiannon were correct in their diagnosis of my illness - that the sickness was indeed down to sheer nerves, anxiety and, like a small child, excitement.

They could be right.  This is the first adventure in a long time where I have had that feeling that this day will never come.  Despite all the planning, spending, fixing, packing, organising, it doesn't seem quite real that this is all going to happen.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Interesting Closure
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 05/16/2006 04:00:19 PM
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What BFOB said (gramatical errors left in for effect),

"I would not want you to go without knowing that you will be missed by me. Four
months can be a life time and ergo I will say it has been my pleasure  to
know ya and work with you. Hopefully that journey is not done.

You
were and still are an incredibly intelligent attractive witty young lady who
fits in just fine with the Canadian model…happily apathetically tuned out of
the noise of  irrelevance.  Figure that one out!

I most say at times
you have unnerved me, enlighten me, challenged me and mostly, as younger
people always do,  reminded me of how little I know or understand in the world. However, you have rarely disappointed me, I am a better person for
having known
you.

While I am sure you will be fine do not hesitate to
call if you need help, if I can I will.

Be safe and I await your return,
remember Penticton means “a place to live
forever!”

As Will Rogers said, “When you come to the fork in the
road, take it!” "

What I said,

"Can I use some of this in my epitaph"

What he said,

ADIEU……………plagiarism is
only relevant when the author is relevant

What I said,

Well, in that case, "So long and thanks for all the fish"

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.58.207
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/16/2006 06:28:27 PM
Awww. That's really rather lovely...!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Serendipity
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 05/15/2006 04:15:28 PM
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Distance since March 30 - 1280km

New hair cut to freshen up and cope with 3 months helmet head - $31

Random cycling & camping equipment - $1782.7

Telephone cards & cellphone top ups - $130.93

new underwear - $219.16

The price of liberty - $1518

Serendipity,
wind in you hair, laden-bicycle-self-sufficiency, blue skies, crystal green
lake, grinning, "this is the why" moments... PRICELESS.

For
everything else there's the rest of your life.

Poor new cycling partner had to explain to his mom that the woman he's cycling across Canada with this weekend cut the end off her finger, then gave herself food poisoning.  Yes, I spent Sunday sleeping, in between talking to god on the great white telephone.

Saturday however I enjoyed 80km of heavenly cycling around the South Okanagan with a fully laden bike as practice for the trip. It may be heavy and unweildy but for the most part it's satisfying.  Snails must be very happy carrying their homes around on their back with them.

This week at work I will mostly be clearing my desk out.

Favourite saying of the week... "See you on Thursday".
Oh... and the link works now.  Thanks.

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AUTHOR:
EMAIL:
IP: 81.159.150.178
URL:
DATE: 05/20/2006 11:11:13 AM
$219 seems a lot for 3 pairs of knickers.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Secret's Out
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Canadiana
CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Travel

DATE: 05/13/2006 01:56:40 AM
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I have no time to embellish this...

I am joining "Across Canada" in his journey.  If you want more "Trep" on the issue, go to

www.intrepid-journey.blogspot.com

which is my public site for keeping up to date with the trip without work colleagues having to trawl through all my angsty crap.

I can't write much for now as I have a finger in bandages after attempting to cut the end of it off in the course of bicycle maintennance.  No serious damage done - the hospital has overdone the dressing but at least it's well protected.

It is at least a left hand finger and I should be able to ride with it tomorrow.

More soon people.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.20
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/13/2006 02:32:59 AM
You're amazing!

You'll see more of Canada (yet again) than most Canadian's.

Mmm, cod and scrunchions...
(no, I lie..eww..but a traditional Newfoundland dish one must eat if at someone's home).
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.20
URL:
DATE: 05/13/2006 02:33:47 AM
Oh I couldn't get the link to work.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.52.247
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/14/2006 05:09:18 AM
Oh dear on the finger :( When do you guys leave on your adventure?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.33.197.35
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/14/2006 10:56:42 AM
You are so NUTS. In the best possible way. This is a great idea Andi, and i find myself wanting to come too! Best of luck with it and i am looking forward to hearing your news. PS I second the legs pictures idea.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.53.238
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/14/2006 09:10:52 PM
Hurrah!

Though the link wouldn't work for me, either.

I'm happy for you, hun.

xx
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Announcement Pending
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Personal Zen
CATEGORY: Travel

DATE: 05/11/2006 11:11:26 PM
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Soon,

but sadly

not today

after-all.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.102.59.253
URL:
DATE: 05/12/2006 12:31:38 AM
Less and less cryptic...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.49.199
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/12/2006 08:48:33 PM
That bike is levitating...

You're not using a hemp-based lube again, are you???
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 05/13/2006 02:15:19 AM
Nope honey, not the bike. What's DBO putting in your drink?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.53.238
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/14/2006 09:11:42 PM
Coke, and not enough of it!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Which one would you chose?
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Gear

DATE: 05/11/2006 03:31:47 PM
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TSK - Mountain Equipment Co-op Tarn 2 Depth - 84 inches   Width (front) - 52 inches   Width (rear) - 30 inches   Height - (front) - 30 inches   Height - (rear) - 24 inches. Weight - 2.41 - 2.8kg Value - 182 of our Canadian bucks Waterproof to 2000mm     A brand spankin' new tent Wider inside Poles are different ("but colour coded for 'ease of assembly'") 4" extra porch space for indoor cooking necessities.

TE - Terra Nova Voyager 82” 48” 36" 39" approx 24-30” at the rear apex. 2.27 – 2.6kg Value - 300 of your English quid Waterproof to 3000-7000mm A higher quality tent, but an old lady Full pole-tubes, not just loops. Poles are all the same.  Easier to erect whilst dark (or drunk) Taller Wider doorway (2zips) for crawling in and out

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.59.96
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/11/2006 07:32:34 PM
Have you considered http://www.millets.co.uk/millets.storefront/Product.aspx?CS_ProductID=094588(BLG+Base+Catalog)&CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=Millets+Summer+Virtual%3bMIL+SS06+Camping(BLG+Base+Catalog)%3bMIL+SS06+Tents(BLG+Base+Catalog)%3bMIL+SS06+Backpacking+and+Weekend+tents(BLG+Base+Catalog)?

Really.

Which one do you own, and which one needs you to buy it? I'd go with what you own unless it doesn't actually work. Otherwise, ease of assembly works for me. Specially when knackered after a hard day!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 05/11/2006 07:37:57 PM
I own one. Somebody else owns the other. There is a non-financial choice between the two to be made.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.243.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/11/2006 07:48:48 PM
The weight of the second is more than mitigated by the benefits. That's my opinion, for what it's worth.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.59.96
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/11/2006 08:13:20 PM
Me, I'm in the Terra Nova. It's bigger *and* easier to put up... That means at the end of a long day I get to throw my tent up quickly, *and* slob out in it without immediately pissing anyone else off...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Andy
EMAIL: andymax1@gmail.com
IP: 82.33.197.35
URL: http://andymax.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/12/2006 12:28:17 AM
S'gotta be the Co-op.
Will you need the 3000-7000mm rain protection and is it worth the extra 210 pounds? Value or money...Co-op

:)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 05/12/2006 04:43:55 PM
Welcome ANDY! So nice to see you at my place. Both tents are owned so no comparison with the cost.

Andy should know more than anyone how much it can rain on Vancouver Island (or have you forgotten already mate!)

For sheer lightweightness and convenience it will be the lovely Terra Nova that gets yet another season of loving abuse.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and email input.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: grac v.2
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.141.184.194
URL: http://graculus.multiply.com
DATE: 05/13/2006 07:35:29 PM
Sorry. been offline since Wednesday, camping on Dartmoor. So although I'm too late in the decision making, here is my two pennies worth. I don't know that make of ME but I do know the Torres 2, which is a big disappointment. Lots of customer returns for bad workmanship. Bits falling off. They do great clothes, like the ogre jacket, but IMO the tents need some more work. The 2000 hh isn't a problem, it would be the total minimum, and I'd be surprized if it leaked. Anything over 3000 hh is overkill. Trust me on this. Now the Voyager is a classic. Unfussy, no bells and whistles, does what it says. It's lighter. And it's kinda geek sexy. It's what I'd go for in this head to head too. BUT, if there were others in the frame, that may make a difference.....

(Did you know I can get MASSIVE discounts, like 50% off retail, maybe more?) I just got a Vango Sprite 300 for £110. Party tent!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.52.247
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/13/2006 09:52:03 PM
As long as neither seem deficient in weatherproofness and breathability (I hate waking up in a condensated tent), I would pick whichever is roomier. (which is currently confusing me from the specs) Yes lightweight is always good but after spending a lot of time in the tent you'll want comfy. (and the weight difference will seem fairly negligible) Oh and if one tent packs easier than the other that's a good bonus too I know my tent can be packed in the panniers but the poles have to stick out.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Inventory
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 05/10/2006 10:54:32 PM
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Things a freshly single woman needs on a Wednesday morning.  Black coffee served from a classy jug to a classy mug, a big silk flower and good blinds.

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DATE: 05/09/2006 10:20:05 PM
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Download andrew_birthday.DOC

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Well spent
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Friends

DATE: 05/09/2006 09:56:02 PM
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The meeting with MIL went well.

The meeting with Elaine went even better.  She is lending me good things that will make my life so much easier over the next 3-4 months.  She is a new friend, a true friend.

Like a good astrologer, she also made me realise how fortunate I am to be moving on.

I hope that soon I will be able to stop leaving criptic posts here and shout at the top of my voice about what I am doing next.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.42
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/10/2006 02:07:51 AM
Glad the mtg went well.

And stuff for an easier life is always appreciated.

I don't think you're cryptic ;)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.50.243
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/10/2006 12:53:32 PM
Well I don't think you're cryptic!! But then, I know what you're doing next... ;P

Glad the meeting with MIL went ok. I was thinking of you. I hope she didn't lay too much of a guilt trip on you.

(((hugs)))
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 05/10/2006 10:56:06 PM
Indeedy. Nudge nudge. Wink wink. Nearly time... Tomorrow, all will be revealed. I expect, I think.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A Weekend in Bullet Points
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 05/08/2006 04:17:24 PM
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On the up-side

• Shopping for vacation clothing



• Finding a bra in my size (only one in the whole city)



• Finding out that bra was half-price.



• Capitalising on other biker chick's reluctance to wear certain colours.



• Lunch with W in a very nice café with very nice coffee and good beer.



• Being motivated to do a 60km ride at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon, after beer.



• Finding a nice new route through the mountains that's a 60km round-trip



• Discovering my flexibility is returning with all the after-ride stretching I'm doing.



• Paid up at the motel until a convenient time.



• Spending an evening eating and drinking with tree-planters / students from U-Vic / climbers / surfers / Slovaks.



• Spending almost a whole day reading a good book.



• Family parcel pack bundled for the mail.



• New thermarest fits in old stuff sac.



• I wasn't actually sick (for the benefit of those who were around last time this happened).

On the down-side

• I thought I'd stopped drinking in time (I actually wrote that in my journal) but actually I am a complete lightweight when it comes to alcohol and I was incapacitated all day Sunday.



• It was a rough-night's sleep, my bed is very unmade already



• Didn't get any riding done on Sunday



• Time is rolling on and I feel nervous, anxious and disorganised (heart's beating faster and work is a disaster).



• The weather sucks.



• My bike goes in for surgery today and I am nervous, nay scared, at what they will screw-up.



• Did I mention I'm disorganised?

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: The highs and lows
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Friends
CATEGORY: Gear
CATEGORY: Love
CATEGORY: Personal Zen
CATEGORY: Photography & Nature

DATE: 05/05/2006 06:36:21 PM
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I had an appointment with LBHN yesterday to sign stuff.  It was uncomfortable.  He was asking questions about my new life which, to be honest, is one hell of a lot better than my old life. 

It seemed harsh to tell the truth.  To tell him that my new-found social circle of strong independant women is vibrant and entertaining, that since March 30th I've ridden over 1200km, that I have adventures in mind beyond his wildest imagination, that I have exciting ambitions anew, that I am relearning what life, love and freedom are all about.

When he asked if I am happier I simply replied, "oh yes".  Thinking the word is not "happier" but "happy", nay, "euphoric"

When he asked if I have found anywhere better to live yet, I remained fairly silent.  I'm perfectly happy where I am.  My suite represents freedom, yet beyond that, merely getting on with life at my own pace, free from bullying and others' expectations.

When he told me my M-I-L is in town I had to think long and hard about meeting with her but agreed. Not because I owe her anything but because I respect her and understand her need to ask questions and get some answers.  I will give her what answers I can - on Monday evening, my rest night, from the public forum of a Starbucks café (there are better cafés in Penticton but I'd prefer to keep those to myself and not introduce the M-I-L to them).

As arranged, he had brought me the stuff I asked for plus a myriad of other stuff I didn't ask for.  Some of which might come in useful in the future, the rest of which just requires my time to sort through and dump or give away.

With the rest of the afternoon I did some serious organising.  I received a book in the mail from an admirer which made me very happy and very eager to put down the library book I borrowed, starting afresh on something new.  I did an immodest ammount of gear shopping.  Though I didn't buy much, I found the most rude pair of cycling socks which just had to be purchased:


They reminded me of Silver's lesbian shoes.  These feet of mine deffinately deserve some sox.  Good sox, lots of sox.  Hopefully not to be followed by the little bunnies though.  I told the lady on the till the sox had better be as good as they say.

When I got home I decided the only thing to do after an afternoon of ex-husband interaction was to get the bike out and go for a ride.  Freshly tuned after I found a number of bikeshop faux-pas during the cleaning session, Green was running like a well-tuned sports car and the drive system is obviously also top end to since the average speeds I'm clocking keep going up and up.

I took the opportunity to get this great shot of Penticton and the airport.  You can just see Okanagan lake to the North and the KVR trail going along the edge of Skaha lake at the bottom of the pic.

Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of two bull snakes by the side of the road all tangled up in eachother gettin' jiggy wi' it.  All I was concentrating on was swerving out of the way... just incase.

Back at the motel, after a brief conversation with the tree-planters, I discovered LBHN had returned to me the sauciest CD I own.  So I proceeded to dance around my kitchen cooking dinner with the door open to the 25C temperatures outside and the early evening sun, in my new sox, nnn... and some other clothes.

A phone call from Elaine asking what she, I and Louisa are going to do Monday night gave me the perfect excuse to cut-short any uncomfortable conversations with the M-I-L and the opportunity to grab a much needed beer in the company of some great women afterwards (Elaine and Louisa are both ex employees of BFOB). I am taking the opportunity of their company to investigate another hideout of Penticton's finest young singles scene (honestly, I'm sure there's one here somewhere I just need to find it).

Satisfied with a day well organised, I settled down to eat and finally ended up watching Jerry Maguire (can you believe it's the first time I've seen it?) to the tune of the occasional chirp of my cellphone.  DBO, you got me just as I was going to bed!

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AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.52.149
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/05/2006 10:03:24 PM
You ROCK!! You're an inspiration. Glad you have taken a bad situation and found euphoria!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 05/05/2006 10:07:20 PM
Thanks Tan. It's only when you come out the other side euphoric that you realise you did the right thing.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.251
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/05/2006 11:15:22 PM
How could one not buy those socks!!!

Sounds like life is coming back together; good on you.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.62.145
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/07/2006 06:48:49 PM
Lucky you! He usually gets me just *after* I've got to bed.... sorry. That was just gratuitous!

Good luck on Monday. You don't actually *owe* her answers, you know. Just remember that you're there out of kindness, doing her a favour. And don't take any shit. It's not your fault her son is incapable of forming satisfactory attachments with women. It's possibly not her fault either, but don't let her tell you it's yours!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer1@gmail.com
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 05/08/2006 04:23:01 PM
Thank you for the wise words. You do indeed recognise how shit I am at confrontation.

I constantly remember your advice, that looking after me is my job and I'm letting other people look after themselves for now.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Oh no.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 05/04/2006 06:24:33 PM
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I just went to the main office where I always read the headlines and any stories that catch my eye.  This story was both headline and Trep-eye-catching.

Strangely BFOB didn't think this story would have had an effect on me and wanted to excitedly discuss my preparations for the big adventure.  Itried to focus.

I very much believe this has to happen in Canada (Newfoundland is actually ahead on this one).  The frequency with which cellphone-toting motorists are witnessed pulling dumb stunts or just plain not taking notice is unacceptable. 

Back in the old country my least favourite argument was "there is no difference between talking on a cell phone and talking to the person next to you in a car".  NO.  A person sitting next to you can see what is going on and knows the level of concentration required by the driver.

Can anyone throw any light on whether the ban on the use of cell phones in cars in England has changed things?  I believe it came into force just after I left.

Doctors' plea for cellphone ban - another tragic death

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AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.243.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/04/2006 07:17:53 PM
Unfortunately the lack of enforcement on cell phone use while driving in the UK has meant little prevention has happened but there has been an increase in book throwing in the event that a cell-phone talker is involved in an accident.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.133
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/04/2006 09:32:58 PM
That was nearish to me...Valley drivers are a little crazy (a lot of oldies as well as obnoxious teens). Best stick to the other side for sure.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Spirit of BC. If you don't read the words just go to the site.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Photography & Nature

DATE: 05/04/2006 04:07:50 PM
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Eagle's nest-cam.

 

This post updated: A new webcam has been set up since the egg in the other next was sterile.  There are live chicks in this nest... awww, fluffy!

Courtesy of CBC News:

A webcam is giving thousands of people around the world a close look at
the lives of a pair of nesting bald eagles on B.C.'s Hornby Island.

Last week, the website went online as the eagles laid two eggs that are expected to hatch by the end of the month.

At one point, the eagles noticed the camera and pecked at it. (CBC)

Retired accountant David Carrick said he has been keeping an eye on
the pair of eagles in his secluded property for 14 years. But about 18
months ago – with government permission – he got an even closer look,
installing a camera in the nest while the eagles were away on their
annual migration.

He said the eagles noticed the enclosed camera and "pecked at it" and then got on with their lives.

At that point, the cable from the camera only ran into his TV and
VCR. Carrick said he recorded some of the best moments, including the
female laying two eggs, last year.

He showed the videos to biologists who offered to make the feed public on his website.

David Carrick used a camera to observe the bald eagles. (CBC)

Last week, about 40,000 viewers a day went to the site after the
female laid her clutch for this year. And Hancock has had to add three
new web servers to meet the demand.

Carrick hopes the intimate look at the nesting eagles will make people think twice about threatening the species' habitat.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: The race is on...
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 05/03/2006 05:16:58 PM
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The first beauty company to come up with a shower gel that efficiently gets rid of oil gets my everlasting, undying support.

Yes, I did shower this morning but despite scrubbing, these stains did
not budge and I have no fingernails left with which to scrape the oil
off.

Still, a pleasant reminder of an evening spent in the motel parking
lot, in the setting sun, cleaning my bike and chatting to my neighbours
about my impending adventures and theirs (bravely moving to Penticton
from Winterpeg and opening a small business).

Green is now all shiny and we cycled to the old village and back last night in 15 minutes less time than it used to take us.  We is happy.

Update:  After airing my complaints in the office, this arrived with a delivery from one of the reps..

Ambassador, you are spoiling us...

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer1@gmail.com
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 05/03/2006 05:40:54 PM
And look, my girlie musckles are getting so big!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.202
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/03/2006 11:26:10 PM
Free stuff...nice!

Musckles...nicer!!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Trepid Explorer on How to Make Friends and Influence People
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 05/02/2006 08:28:33 PM
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BODY:

Not in any way to detract from the severity of events, but something happened to me last week that made me smile and was in stark contrast to things that have been going on at Crazy Biker Chick's place this week.

First a bit of background.  I was, essentially, born on a bike.  When a girl popped out of my mum she was quoted as saying, "At least if it's a girl she won't get into cycling".   Could anyone have been more wrong?  In her defence, my mum was the first person to take me out on biking adventures, closely followed by my dad, the rest of the club and finally my first foray into racing at the age of 14.

At the age of 21 I went to work for the antichrist, a manufacturer of truck components based in West Manchester.  It was there that my relationship with trucking seems to have started.  Not only was I closely involved with the development of a new, high efficiency, synchronous 16-speed heavy duty gearbox, but I was working daily with the assembly technicians and test engineers.  Occasionally I would be involved with customer feedback from the drivers themselves.

The opportunity came up for me to  apply for a bursary to do something... anything, well, it had to be engineering related.  In amongst the engineering I had been doing, there was nothing I wanted more than the opportunity to test the product I had been working on and feel the same experiences the techs and drivers were describing to me.  An opportunity was coming up for a test drive on the Leyland track and I was eager to get my license in time.  A month later I found myself driving around Stockport in circles behind the wheel of a 40 Tonne, 40 foot long HGV, much I might add, to the local residents' horror.

To be brief, I had a riot and put considerable pressure on some of the boys taking the course to perform as the other instructors hissed, "See, that girl can manage this reverse park manoevre, I'm sure you can get it right next time".

During my stay with that company I had the great opportunity to work in France for 3 months with the same crowd.  On my journey back I was reported as having spent the night propping up the bar talking general BS with three French truckers.  All of my colleagues had gone off to bed leaving me to it.  Of course, by the time I got to England I was too partied out to be able to confirm or deny any of those claims.

Ten years later, after a brief flirtation with the world of sewage, including no more trucking references than a project on a  sludge delivery facility, I find myself in charge of a small shipping department in Western Canada.  Although I have my Dave in his little orange boiler suit to do the majority of my truck related processing, it eventually falls onto my tail to ensure that product is ready, the right stuff goes on the right truck in a timely fashion and the correct papers are faxed to the US of A border. 

As in England, most of the truckers are heartily amusing regular guys and I have come to know a number of them and their dogs / wives / children / accents reasonably well.  I know  what mood they will be in when they get here, where they go for lunch, how long they tend to leave for and in some cases their cell phone number so I can call them back to get the hell out of my hair.

A few of them have yelled at me from time to time becauuse things aren't ready and they're having a bad day.  However, to their credit they generally realise that yelling at me won't get them loaded any quicker (to the contrary) and they do as I say.  Likewise, when their dispatcher screws up they display the same helplessness I have experienced.

One company of truckers I particularly enjoy working with is Berry & Smith.  Their owners used to be my neighbours.  Their drivers are professional and never complain.  Last week one guy (we'll call him Hugh) gave me a hug as he exclaimed, "Honestly, we don't come here for weeks, then when we do, you don't have room for us!".

Throughout my trucking careers I have always biked to work.  People inevitably get to know that you bike to work when they see you walking around in whippet pants and strange hats and inellegant shoes that clatter when you walk. 

Back in the old country when I biked, I always always biked in my space in the road - 1 to 3 feet from the curb.  People are more prepared to wait behind a cyclist there (yes they are).  Here it is another matter.  Whereas people in town are prepared to wait their turn to pass (in this little city anyway), get on the highway and the story changes.  The two lanes on the road are reserved for cars and cars can do 100km/hr, inevitably they do more. Cars drive on the highway.  Cyclists ride on the shoulder.  It's an unwritten rule - at least for some.

Until the last few weeks I have had relatively little experience of highway riding on the ride from the village to the city down a "narrow" windey road.  Now that I have ventured onto this country's highways I find that my high-and-mighty stance to keeping within the road lanes has changed considerably.  Though I can happily cope with the close passage of cars and trucks when there's adequate space for them to pass more safely, it is the beligerant drivers who do not believe I should be in the road that drive me to distraction.  The drivers that pass safely, perfectly safely but do so with their horns blaring.  Obviously oblivious to how loud their car horns are to people on the outside of their vehicle and completely unaware of the effects such loudness has on an unsuspecting cyclist.

In particular I'd like to mention the black Volvo driver who on Sunday failed to pass me without the use of his horn despite having two empty lanes to play with.  The only reason I wasn't on the shoulder (as this is the most effective way to avoid the sound of vehicle horns) is because the shoulder was a gravel pit on a 1:10 slope.  This is where I firmly believe the Monacco (or is it Swiss?) philosophy of a publicly available directory of number plates against owners names and addresses would be appropriate because I'd really love to ask that Volvo driver what his effing problem was (aside from the obvious mental inhibitions of being a volvo driver).

So back to my experience last week, as I cycled up the hill out of town... on the shoulder... particularly as I heard the sound of a truck approaching on the incline and there were other vehicles already in the outside lane.  I could tell from the intonation of the engine that the driver actually nosed his way into the traffic in the outside lane giving me a respectable distance and minimising the buffetting on me, the meagre cyclist.  Not only was he so kind as to do that, but it was a Berry and Smith trucker.  He sounded his horn (Gah!) but rather than a huge great Phrrrrrrp of a sound, he managed the sweetest, quietest little poop poop tee poop I have ever heard escape the grille of a 50,000lb vehicle.

Looking up into the mirror of his vehicle I saw Hugh happily waving back.  So take what opportunity you can.  Go out, meet a trucker, meet a motorist and make them think of cyclists as someone's daughter, someone's dad, someone's friend, the hot guy at the bank, the pretty girl in the shipping office.

I declare this national hug a motorist week.

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AUTHOR: Lauren
EMAIL: wildefrost@yahoo.com
IP: 4.245.197.110
URL: http://laurenjennifer.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/03/2006 02:35:37 AM
You rock.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.63.121
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 05/03/2006 06:46:43 PM
You scare me ;-)

Any motorist?? Can I hug DBO, or does it have to be a motorist I don't know? Do I have to put on cycling gear to do it? Do I have to buy cycling gear specially for it? Is there a fetish shop that sells cycling gear for the purposes of hugging motorists in?!!

xx
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Birthday Card
STATUS: Draft
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Love

DATE: 05/01/2006 09:11:02 PM
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Download for_your_birthday.doc

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Happy May-day Bank Holiday England
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Weather

DATE: 05/01/2006 03:30:14 PM
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And don't tell me it's not... I looked it up.

I see images of little girls in paper head-dresses getting all damp and floppy in the driving drizzle.

I see drenched Brownies, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts.

I see a May Queen distraught that her dress is getting wet.

I'll get back to picking at my sun burn.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: From Mr Ghastly in the Land of Aus
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 05/01/2006 02:51:23 PM
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How to call the Police



George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was
going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the
garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the
back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed
stealing things.. He phoned the police, who asked "Are any of those people
in your house" and he said no. Then they said that all patrols were busy,
and that he should simply stay in his house, lock his doors and an officer
would be along when available.



George said, "Okay," hung up ......counted to 30.........and
phoned the police again.



"Hello, I just called you few seconds ago because there were people in my
shed." " Well, you don't have to worry about them now cause I've just
shot them all". Then he hung up. Within five minutes three police cars, an
Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips residence. Of
course, the police caught the burglars red-handed.



One of the Policemen said to George: "I thought you said that you'd shot
them!"



George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Today's the day...
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: News

DATE: 04/28/2006 06:05:11 PM
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hopefully... that I get my life back.

Wish me luck and send me some good vibes.

I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments
and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was
as good as new. What is broken is broken -- and I'd rather remember it
as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as
I lived.

Margaret Mitchell

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AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.241.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/28/2006 07:50:48 PM
You'll be just fine.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/28/2006 08:01:04 PM
And I was. Went in, let him do most of the talking. Went out, walked in separate directions.

I still have to see him again tonight for more signatures but soon this day will be over and tomorrow... is Saturday.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: grac v.2
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.251.135
URL: http://graculus.multiply.com
DATE: 04/28/2006 09:10:24 PM
hug
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.241
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/29/2006 12:15:14 AM
Vibing.

Oh, that sounds bad doesn't it?!?

Chin up!!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/29/2006 12:50:46 AM
Cripes girl! You's as bad as me!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Lauren
EMAIL: wildefrost@yahoo.com
IP: 4.245.197.110
URL: http://laurenjennifer.blogspot.com
DATE: 05/03/2006 02:38:03 AM
Two words sweetie: Maid Service. :) sending hugs.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Language divide
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Canadiana

DATE: 04/27/2006 07:29:39 PM
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The differences in meaning between the Canadian "Adult" (littered through general language to mean anyone over 18 or over 50) and the English "Adult" (used in specific language to mean anything involving sex, violence or both) leading to amusement thus: 

• "Adult living" real estate - not places where couples go to have sex day and night but places where only the over-50s are allowed to live.



• Me wondering why the fines for overdue "adult material" at the library are so cheap and then... Do they really have adult material for rent at the public library? and then... realising the description applies to anything not rented from the children's section.

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AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.241.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/27/2006 08:15:24 PM
Who else reckons Trep is overcompenating and has actually been borrowing porn from the public library?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/27/2006 08:22:16 PM
Goddamn it.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.209
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/28/2006 07:46:51 AM
Well she was asking for the Canadian version of Ann Summers the other day...
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Weekend rididng.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 04/26/2006 03:54:40 PM
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I had a restless nights sleep Friday night but thankfully an involuntary lie-in which anyway, I deserved after last week.

Breakfasted I visited the proper bike shop then collected my mail.  I cycled to Summerland for my lunch where I read 2 lovely letters.  One from theh tax office and one from my friend Jo promising me that Brad Pitt would be just round the corner.  Sure.  Once he's dumped Angelina and his unborn child.  Thankfully Bradley's not my type.

Instead of continuing along the main road to Kelowna as planned (a dumb plan if ever I heard one) I decided to explore Summerland.  I rode up to the KVR, which wasn't running and failed to cross to the Agricultural Research Station despite following the Trans Canada trail to the conclusion of the railroad tracks.  It appears in their enthusiasm to improve on a local tourist site they have neglected the walkers and cyclists of the Trans Canada Trail who now have to take a long and hilly detour or pay for the train.  I think.  I hope they prove me wrong.  I descended all the way to the road to repeat the climb where I noticed this sign I haven't seen before.  Read it and weep Engand.

Finally, having circumnavigated Giant's Head Mountain

(can you see him?) and ridden through orchards, the research station did not permit me access to the continuation of the Trans Canada trail either so on I went back to the main roaad where I caugt a draft off a young mountain biker.  He had over-collogned and I was convinced his backside was going to pop out his baggy shorts any moment so I turned off for Sage Mesa to get away from him and the main road.  Embarrasingly, I took the wrong turning and had to pull a big U-ey having found myself nose to nose with a locked gate.

When I finally found Sage Mesa, I took another new road that I haven't taken before through the reserve and lovely views over the Hudus and the Green Mountain Valley.

75kms later, back at the motel I juggled laundry, groceries, cooking dinner and a trip to the beer store to end up with a rather fine, yet productive night-in.

On Sunday morning I woke up at a more Trepid time so I decided to put my long distance riding to the test witht the Ironman bike course.  Two weeks ago I arrived at the end of Green Mounatin Road, sighed, looked towards Cathederal Mountain in Keremeos and pronounced myself, "Happy".  This week I took a right hand turn and rode to Keremeos - lo the first 50km.  I feasted on a steak sandwich with all the trimmings, overlooking Cathederal Mountain as I did so.

From Keremeos I cycled a long undulating road stretching out as far as the eye could see but the weather and the widlife was beautiful past the impressive, still snowy Sumac Ridge and all its colourful orchards below.

None of it was too strenuous until the 12.5km climb up over the ridge back to the Okanagan valley from the Similkemeen Valley.  On the other side is a 12km long straight descent into Osoyoos where I clocked 68.1km/hr until I experienced a bug slamming into my lower eyelid.  Back on the flat I was dismayed to discover the bug was most probably dead,  judging by the ammount of beetle-juice I wiped off my face.  Lo the second 50kms where I refuelled on half a bar of Cadbury's fruit 'n' nut and Gatorade.  It was 3pm.  It would be dinner time by the time I got home.  I had to laugh at some lads hitchiking.  Their progress was about on a par with mine for 3 of their rides.

The only other thing I discovered I could do: when absolutely exhausted, to the point of being incapable of stopping the bike and maintaining ballance, I can withdraw half a bar of chocolate from the panier rack of my bike without dabbing a foot or disturbing the rest of the load.  Only slightly nervous of being arrested for being on a sugar-high in charge of a bicycle as the RCMP passed in the other direction.

Finally 158km, 8hr16mins since I left I arrived back at Faulty Towers.  It took me a whole 30 minutes of stretching and pacing to cool down and build up the courage to sit without seizing up.

More photos here

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Beaming
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/25/2006 05:07:57 PM
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Happy...

doesn't do justice to how I feel today.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.61.86
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/25/2006 07:45:29 PM
Hurrah for happy! You deserve some happy.
xx
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.241.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/25/2006 07:56:53 PM
That looks like a lovely place, whereabouts is it?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/25/2006 08:03:31 PM
This comes under the classification of, "I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you". I will only disclose that it is somewhere in the UK, near Luton, as Grac once suggested.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: grac v.2
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.251.135
URL: http://graculus.multiply.com
DATE: 04/26/2006 09:30:01 PM
squinty more like :)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: The WI Dinner
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Friends

DATE: 04/24/2006 05:28:12 PM
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When Silver Lining first moved to her new place, she mused on the process of making new friends, suggesting the idea of handing out cards to business associates with the words, "Will you be my friend?" written inside.

As I find myself newly single in a town with a low population density of young people in a similar situation I started to ask myself the same question.  So far I have relied on a system of not turning down any of the kind offers made to me by the few friends I did manage to make through the fug of my marriage.

So last Wednesday I found myself on W's guest list for a Mary Kay dinner.  Mary Kay is like Avon but alltogether posher and more North American.  The dinner consisted of 7 or 8 "beauty consultants", each with 3  - 6 guests.  There was food, non-alcoholic beverages (I at least expected a glass of wine!) and the chance to get your hands... well, clean, your face cleansed, exfoliated, toned (good old fashioned aqua), moisturised and made up.

When I accepted my invitation, I didn't quite see it as "my thing" but in the spirit of friendship and everything's in the world to teach you something, I did admit to thinking I could at least learn a technique or two to add to my infrequently aired, "Scrubbing up proper" archives.  What didn't help the situation was Wednesday night turned out to be a perfect night for a training ride.  I felt right and the sun was shining so off I went, waving to W's concerned looking husband who drove past me on his way home to a quiet night in with his dad, a BBQ and a few beers no doubt.

1hr 45 minutes later I was at the Inn as promised registering and being greeted by W and "Janet" our consultant for the night.  To my embarrasment (but not really) I was the only person not smartened up for this do and my first action was to ask to scuttle off to the washrooms to change.

"Oh, did you need to change?" said Janet with amused sarcasm, closely bordering on the

"HONEY, you NEED to change".

I squeezed past ladies in the washrooms into a cubicle from where I listened to spouting about how your hands give away your age, the damaging effects of UV on the backs.  I looked at my own, scarred with bike-bites on the backs and blistered on the palms from riding bare-handed for two days when I took the wrong gloves to work, smeared black with the effects of hand sweat, dust and deteriorating handlebar tape.

I text'd a friend for some moral support and got some hillariously amoral support in return. 

Now changed into my work clothes (not much of a transformation to oil stained hiking pants) I joined the others to get my hands washed.  This is a 4-stage process - who would've thought?  They watched in horror as I rubbed exfoliant cream over my scab without whincing, thinking, "I wonder if this stuff works on oil?"

Afer all that I realised I had to wash my face. "Oh no", said Janet, "We do that after dinner".  The look on my face said, "Dinner can wait".  I need to wash of the sweat - remember that?  Natural fluid, comes out your pores.

Dinner, not surprisingly was not worth what we paid for but came in sufficient volume to apease even my apetite.  Through it we listened to one tidy-turned-out consultant after another speil about their battle against da man in a male dominated worklace, how they love the product and when someone mentioned their faith I nearly left the room.

The m/c for the evening was a s lightly round lady with babyish voice that left me expecting her to pronounce w's instead of r's and listhp her ethses.  The comedy initially started with the rule that our personal consultants had to be silent and talk only to the m/c.  If we got Janet to talk to us we'd get any item half price.  W set about the task asking question after question all of which had to be tediously channelled through the M/c.  My solution was to get her to spill something then she'd have to appologise.  We truly were the rowdy English crowd.

I's mum was there.  She asked a question about the beads in the exfoliant, except she didn't seem to understand what exfoliant was.  My answer, "it's sand for scratching off the dead stuff" didn't go down well. 

Poor m/c got a little over-enthused about the phalic shape of the new mascara bottle leaving W and myself in giggles in the corner as I whispered, "W! That's RUDE!"

Eventually it was our turn to play.  I have to admit their eye cream did wonders for the post-training ride dark circles under my eyes in the try one and see philosophy.

I tried something new with the eyeshaddow - a bold look that just didn't work with my long sleeved work tee.  I just didn't feel like being glam.  Next we put on mascara.  Quietly everyone in the room set about lengthening and fortifying their lashes, or rather concentrated on not getting it everywhere or poking their eye out with the use-once brushes we were given.

The silence was broken by one noise.  It was like someone starting the air conditioning in a great warehouse.  The still air around us began to move as I blinked then Janet yelled, "Oh my god you have the most amazing eyelashes!". 

4 consultants flocked around to see as I ruffled their hair with the downdraft from another blink.  Really, did you think you could teach me anything about eyemake up?

After getting all done-up, we were asked to close our eyes and imagine an outfit in our wardrobe (not that I have one anymore), how much it cost, how often we will wear it this year.  Then to think, obviously that the product we buy tonight, is something you can wear every day for the rest of your life yada yada.

Unfortunately what came to mind for me was the little black chinese print dress, you remember the perfect dress?  The one that hangs off my every curve.  The one that's scalloped hemline swings as I walk.  The one I bought from Oxfam when I was a student for 4.99.  the one I wear all the time.

I winced as I realised the whole evening was aimed at selling self-esteem in a bottle.  All external beauty.  The woe-is-me story telling started to wear a bit thin.  I might've once picked myself a bad one, but I do actually like men.  I like working with them.  I like clashing with them.  Sometimes I walk away a little bruised, sometimes they do (speaking figuritively).  I'll go to work the next day with the same man and we'll discuss the meaning of life and share our thoughts on pets, children or the next big band in Kelowna.  I don't need a foundation to do that.

We vied to win tickets for a draw.  Tickets were won by asking questions.  I was the only person to ask if any of their ingredients were tested on animals.

I was impressed that at the end of the evening they accepted my decision not to be encumbered in my up and coming adventures with a few extra bottles of lotion and they let me leave in peace.  I gave W a hug as thanks for a bit of girl time and the chance of a laugh with her and the M-I-L.

Next time I'm thinking Ann Summers... Do they have them over here?

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.248.104
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/24/2006 07:12:52 PM
Oh Mary Kay...old people!!! Been there done that unfortunately.

We have no Ann Summers but I know there is some company that has f*ckerware parties. Is that what you wanted? Huh, huh, is it?!?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/24/2006 07:39:32 PM
Lady, you *know* what I'm talkin' about!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Busy busy busy
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 04/21/2006 09:27:37 PM
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I promised I would blog about the Dinner at the WI the other night but I just can't find the time (no idea why). 

But pictures speak a thousand words, so instead, enjoy these from last night's mamoth 60 km high mountain training ride.

Snowy gully




Paused to put more clothes on for the long descent home.

(My dad's sitting in Manchester laughing at the 40 kmph sign because he knows it's not my style).

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TITLE: Real life coming along nicely...
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DATE: 04/21/2006 03:08:51 AM
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No time to blog.  100km in 2 days (after work rides).

Need home to eat.

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CATEGORY: Luddite Tech
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/19/2006 04:52:55 PM
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I was at work, doing personal stuff until late last night.  Finalising the details of my separation.  Back to the days of contract authoring.  It was like being with the old employers but this time it was my life and my commitments I was dishing out with a ladle.  Important deadlines affecting the peace of mind I will take with me on adventures yet to come.  Not surprisisngly I used to go about descriptions of sewage works and drainage ditches with much less attachment.  Surprisingly I also went about it with less reluctance.  It's not that I'm sorry it's over.  It's not that I don't want it settled.  I don't honestly know what it is.  Probably it's decisions that will affect my life and there's a niggling feeling that I should be getting more out of the split than we've agreed on but to be honest, sitting in a court counting pennies isn't me and with the chance to avoid that (a reasonably resigned ex-spouse) I know I am getting a big break.  Please stand in line with the more fortunate.  Noted.

When I got home I was faced with my own mess, resemblant of a break-in (nothing changes eh, mom?).  Days of disorganisation, cramming more into the time available than is humanly possible (at least whilst maintaining a tidy living space at the same time). 

I was exhausted and the only thing for it was to slip my Sony CD player in my pocket (so behind the times I know) and energise. 

It's amazing how cleaning can feel like me-time with the right music and the slinkiest moves.  Before I knew it, I had cooked dinner, eaten, cooked a healthy caserole for the rest of the week, washed up, tidied, got my biking stuff ready for tomorrow, was sufficiently warmed up to do some stretching and was finally sitting lotus on the living room floor, arms stretched out, hands turned to the sky, wrists on my knees, eyes closed, my inner-self somewhere just behind my belly-button, condensed into a tiny mercury-like fluid bead of serenity.  My brain, totally empty (no giggling please, I know this is not such a rare occurrence). 

I sat there for quite some time. 

Downtime. 

Essential.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.60.69
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/19/2006 06:10:19 PM
I find cleaning quite cathartic sometimes, too.

Although I think perhaps meditation might be more useful at the moment. Perhaps I should follow your example!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Singing to myself
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/19/2006 03:19:18 AM
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I'm taking my time for a number of things

that weren't important yesterday

and I still go

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Animal thoughts
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Photography & Nature

DATE: 04/18/2006 06:47:05 PM
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I had to avoid a lot of worms on the side walk on a rainy walk to work day last week.  I understand why they don't come out of the ground when it's dry but why DO they come out of the ground when it's wet?  Do they get lost?  Forget which way is up?

"Oops sorry".  On Sunday when I startled a gigantic raven eating road kill on a rock.  I made it drop its breakfast in the lake.

Do ducks and geese enjoy the sensation of water pushing against their webbed toes as they make their splash landings into the water?  The way they push their legs out in front of them suggests to me that they do.

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TITLE: Holy crap where did that come from?
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Friends
CATEGORY: Gear
CATEGORY: Personal Zen
CATEGORY: Photography & Nature
CATEGORY: Weather

DATE: 04/17/2006 07:06:10 PM
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Easter Friday and I was not at my best.  I had to beat myself out of bed to go for a ride.  Actually the landlord's wife threw me out so she could clean.  When I did get out there was a roaring 60kmph headwind.  I set out along Eastside Road (runs along the east shore of the lake) for some excellent Prairies training.  It's the flattest road here and the headwind was suitably in-my-face.

My body was right, I shouldn't have gone out so after 15km of gritting my teeth and trying not to fall asleep in the saddle I lay down behind a concrete wall to eat my lunch by the lake.

You get the picture.  Yes those are my knees.

I then turned around and rode right back the other way.




Granted it was an easy jolly home but even on the little hills in town my body had little to give me.  I think the effects of the last two weeks finally caught up with me.

I headed back to my room and curled up in bed to do what I have been trying to do all week, balance numbers. 

To assist in nursing myself back to health I took to my sleeping bag (warmer than anything else) so at least I had the comfort of knowing I did, in a small way, have an Easter camping experience.

By the time I had to go out to I&W's for my next fix of canine cuddles, I was feeling vaguely human so managed to purchase Guiness and vino for my friends en route.  As it is, they don't drink red, so I have the rest of the bottle (the bit I didn't drink yet) left but I noticed that the chef happily consumed his Guiness.

Over the course of the evening / night / next morning I got all kinds of lovin'.  Some animals are so indescriminately affectionate at all times of day.

The chef had been on form and I finally managed to fill my face.  With a decent ammount of fine food in my belly I headed off at 9am, as instructed, with a full panier pack.  What was in the paniers didn't matter, but as you ask, a tent, a trangia, stove, gas canister, methylated spirits, a pair of pedals, my overshoes, a swiss army knife (finally, a sharp knife for my motel room) and some summer clothes.  I was glad to have my overshoes.  After 45kms it started hailing and my toes had gone to sleep from constant climbing.  The overshoes at least took away the wind-chill associated with mountain hail storms. 

I saw a red kite, was almost attacked by a dog (but it found my paniers far too offensive to be able to get near me), more sage thrashers singing and three pairs of swallows almost took my eye out on the way down the mountain.  That said, nothing on Saturday that really made me get my camera out. 

On Saturday night I had dinner with K who is a totally supportive workmate.  A 40-something single woman, the ultimate in power-to-ya women.  She lives with her cat in the cutest little alley-way cottage and makes most of her money buying and selling property (not working at the company).  She's travelled far and wide and is very savvy.  Her question, "why are women such dinks sometimes?" really hit home.  It was meant in a constructive way - and used in a constructive way.  Most importantly she had great advice for me in my up and coming adventures.  Watch this space.

Yes T, I will undoubtedly see you sometime in the summer.

On Sunday, fueled with K's pasta, I set off again loaded with camping gear (and lots of irrelevant stuff) for a second attempt at Eastside Road.  The wind was still blowing but nowhere near as bad and my crapness of Friday was gone and forgotten.  The sun was shining too which helped.




loon - otherwise known in England as a Great Northern Diver




Osprey

Lunch was taken on a park bench in Oliver, sunbathing.  It is renowned for being a good 7-10 degrees warmer than Penticton, presumably because it lacks the cooling effects of the lakes.  The orchards are already starting to blossom here, or perhaps I am missing the blossoms in Penticton because traditional agriculture is increasingly being ripped out in favour of the more lucrative vineology industry.  People would rather get drunk than eat an apple nowadays.  Sign of the times I suppose.




I rode on through the hailstorm, a total of 52kms from my place.  I really considered doing the last 8+km to the US border just so I could say that with my Easter Weekend I went to look at a foreign country (not quite the same as the old ferry to France but still...).  As it was, I didn't want to risk being caught short of the energy to get back to my place alone.  Tail wind or no tail wind.  I might've had my tent with me but I had no poles at the time.  I really didn't fancy spending the night in a soggy bag.  So, I turned tail and was whisked home in a matter of hours.

With my appetite finally in order, I gorged myself on pasta (again) with a beef, liver, mushroom and red wine sauce and contemplated how I could absolutely be getting up tomorrow to do it all over again.  Seriously, if I hadn't been pushed and inspired by my friend like I was in the olden days by my dad, I never would've found that strength in me again.  Thank you.

Alas work becons, but so does the civility of a phone line and a crammed inbox.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.153
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/18/2006 12:36:31 AM
The legs on you girl!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: An anonymous quote from an advert in a magazine.
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 04/13/2006 09:24:39 PM
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I'm not very religeously inclined, but this feels appropriate at the moment.

When you die
God and all the Angels
will hold you accountable
for all the pleasures
you were allowed in life
that you denied yourself

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.6.255
URL:
DATE: 04/14/2006 07:06:12 PM
Oh yes, oh yes OH yessssss!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer1@gmail.com
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 04/17/2006 07:34:32 PM
Whoa there Grac! I never expected you to read that well between the lines!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Greg
EMAIL: displaced.kiwi@gmail.com
IP: 81.48.161.49
URL: http://www.displacedkiwi.co.nz
DATE: 04/18/2006 07:41:45 AM
Beautiful pictures. Good quote (I'm busy trying to read between the lines).
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Tuesday's ride is full of grace
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 04/12/2006 04:13:27 PM
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Spring is the time for wearing the yellow lenses in my glasses.

They turn the green shades into emeralds, make the reds fiery, the yellows amber and the whites... well, yellowish.

Above that, the light last night was fantastic and I took some lovely pictures.

The woodpeckers were busy drilling, the chipmonks were barking at anything that moved, the horses were manoeuvring themselves in their corral to stop passing cyclists from seeing the latest addition to their family, there were calves everywhere. 

My phone chirped and it was good news.

I totalled 45kms.  I'm still a bit slow but I'm getting there, working up to doing it every day. 

I have a carrot.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Awwwwww
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Friends

DATE: 04/12/2006 03:03:52 PM
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JaG sent me a tee!

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I'm to sexy for...
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/11/2006 03:20:58 PM
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I'm
hot me

It's
good, when you're going through the nasty experience of separating, to remind
yourself that you are gorgeous. 

I
wear a hard-hat at work. This leads to
some confusion amongst the locals. I am
frequently eyed, quite considerably and languidly, by drivers and pedestrians
alike as I walk down the road in my hard-hat from my little shipping shack to
the "ivory tower" - the administration building across the moat
road.

If
I ever exchange words with any of these people, those words usually start with,
"Are you a flag lady?" (Canadian equivalent of the stop-go man or
mobile trafic lights found in the UK at numberous road works).

I
have grown tired of answering this question and now just point limply to the
roaring factory but 6 metres away from the road (the road with not a road-work
in sight).

Last
week I was discussing work-related flirtation with the ladies in the
office. There are few men I work with
worthy of flirting with. If they're in to sport it's certainly not the kind of sport I'm thinking of - the non violent kind. One
man has a sweet low refined voice, is reasonably cute and into cycling and
hiking but is married with 3 gorgeous (I am assuming they are gorgeous)
children and a devoted wife who sounds really nice on the phone. We have acknowledged that each of us is the
best looking person in the place (being blonde I win over the other girl
apparently) but that is as far as it goes.

In
the middle of our conversation, Rhiannon started laughing. She has another job at the gym and was
talking to one of the guests last week. He works at the saw mill next door to my work and asked her if she walks
through the yard wearing her hard-hat.

Initially
she responded yes, because she comes to get the mail every morning at 8am (yes
it's still one of those kind of
places). 

Then
he went on to admit that all the men at this neighbouring saw mill wait in
earnest for her to pass by (it's starting to dawn on her that they're talking
about me). Apparently I am Sooooooo sexy
in my hard hat. Everyone thinks I am
Sooooo hot. I am the highlight of their
day

I
don't care that Silver Lining and DBO think I look like someone from the
Village People - web cams do lie you know.

In
cycling news - related to blondeness - how many times can I forget to bring my
paniers from storage and what goodies will I find inside them when I do? No
doubt a joyous collection of irrelevant non-cycling related stuff. 

Despite
this setback I broke my own rule of riding with a rucsac this morning - just
far enough to get to work. I will head into the First Nations reserve tonight for some more hillclimb training. Unfortunately it’s
pissing it down with rain at the moment. Do your sunshine dance for me interweb. 

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.57.133
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/11/2006 09:23:17 PM
The Village People can be sexy too, you know ;-)

I'm glad someone's boosting your morale. Feeling hot is one of those things you just get back into. It's a bit like riding a bike...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/11/2006 09:28:59 PM
Actually, this post has generated quite a response.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/12/2006 10:31:55 AM
Hawt Stuff!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: On yer bike
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 04/09/2006 05:02:00 AM
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When
deling with gross levels of stress, there is one thing Trepid Explorer must
do... ride.

I promised "Green" a bath this weekend.  She didn't get one.  But I did make my first single-person's purchase - a bucket for $4.54 to wash my bike with. 

Since
Friday I have clocked up 120km in three rides and about 6000ft of climbing. This is a guestimate since the batteries on the cyclo....putter died and
stopped counting kms on the way back from my friends' place.

I
went to I & W's for some canine healing therapy. Aussie shepherds are good
for that. I had big smelly canine kisses, an alpha male sat on my knee, loving
nuzzles and even had my earlobes nibbled for the first time in 5 years.

On the way there I took the steep climb up the road for training. I returned to town on the KVR down my usual
running trail. It's quite loose under-tyre and gave me a few cyclo-cross
moments to consider (worse on slick tyres). Talking to I&W I was happy to discover that my off-road running
trail rises continuously at its steady 3% grade all the way to the botanical
gardens at the Agricultural Research centre in Summerland, a place I always
feel very much at peace. From there I
can observe the Kettle Valley Steam team train and
impressive 38m high Trout Creek Trestle bridge. From Summerland it is a very interesting
mtb climb to the top of Giant's head mountain, a 1500ft high rock bluff with
fantastic views.

In 2004 summer I walked
up it with LBHN and there was a mountain biker chick sat on the summit cairn
meditating. My kindred spirit ached.

Very
soon I will go there again and make my thought so, "I could ride up here
one day..."

I
think I'm gonna like it here - for now.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.248.104
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/11/2006 12:31:20 AM
For now...yes. And in spring...better.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: It's a new dawn, it's a new day
STATUS: Draft
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/07/2006 07:31:47 PM
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I woke up singing this morning.  I got in bed at 9pm last night and I slept in till 7 this morning (that's sleeping in for me). 

Today I have been busy in town doing the rounds and getting advice.  I have stopped off in the library for a quick blog.  More to comem when I have things a bit more under control.

I actually feel great for now.

Thanks to everyone for your loving support.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Conquering the fear.
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 04/07/2006 04:57:00 AM
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This
week I have ended my marriage to Hubby (hereon in to be known as LBHN). This has come as a great shock to some of my
friends who knew I was unhappy but not that
bad.

Truth
is, I am very good at bottling. If you
could sell misery, I'd make a mint.

My
mum however, saw this coming like a steam train. An email I sent, my blog on Tuesday saying I
was busy all week. She's become very
good at reading between the lines my mum.

Which
is a reflection on the way I have written and spoken my life over the last 5
years. As Grac put it, "I speak in
riddles sometimes". It's code...
for my mother.

It
all became apparent to me when I accidentally spoke the truth out loud to a
work colleague. I heard myself talking
and didn't believe that those words were coming out of my mouth.

I
write this sitting at my new dining table. I am checked into a motel for a month with surprising speed, ease and
thrift. The dining table is the most
modern thing in here, possibly except for the microwave which still has its
plastic cover on the screen. Oh, the
standard lamp, that has the plastic cover on it too.

The
room has that non-smoking smell that indicates it was a "smoking"
room 3 years ago and for its 20-year life before that.

I
am a little un-nerved to find that the stove is gas - one of my most hated
cooking appliances - but this one seems to ignite with surprising ease and in no
time I have a steaming mug of peppermint tea by my side poured from a proper
whistling kettle.

The
water makes a familiar rasping hiss against the wall of the kettle where the
metal has been superheated by the flame. Little whistled gasps of steam escape
fom the spout as sploshing water boils on the hot metal. It reminds me of camping trips and I realise that
is part of the smell of the room - gas appliances. It smells like a caravan.

The
village I thought I could never leave is not a place I want to be any longer -
but if I think about it, I know the cats will be waiting for me to come
home. Tonight I won't. Much as I'd love
to see them one last time and check my mail box, I have learned in the past
three days that it makes me sick to the stomach to go back there.

Now
with a head aching from stress release I am going to have a bath to make myself
human again after 3 days of lugging stuff. Pass me the tea bags I need to inhale.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.54.107
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/10/2006 08:13:43 PM
You know we're with you, even when we can't be with you.

A while ago, someone sent me an email that said "I know life won't give me anything I can't handle. But sometimes I wish it didn't trust me so much".

Big ((((hugs)))) for you, honey.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.6.255
URL:
DATE: 04/10/2006 10:07:56 PM
hugs.
email
CD
xx
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.248.104
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/11/2006 12:28:19 AM
Even I have a hug for you...and I'm not a big hugger.

I'm close. I could kick some ass.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/11/2006 12:39:34 AM
Thanks Guys, but what I could really do with is someone who understands angry male math???
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL:
IP: 207.102.59.253
URL:
DATE: 04/11/2006 04:56:35 AM
What is angry male math??

I have a sort of love for the math.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.6.255
URL:
DATE: 04/11/2006 07:34:07 AM
I'm male.
I'm normally angry.
Try me.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.56.121
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/11/2006 07:37:57 AM
What about DBO? He's very nearly a proxy expert...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tanya
EMAIL: crazybikerchick@gmail.com
IP: 69.195.52.149
URL: http://crazybikerchick.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/14/2006 11:23:38 PM
{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}. Just found your blog after realizing I still had the old site on my bloglines. Too bad you are so far away, so I can't just bike over for drinkin and commiserating. (hmm on second thought maybe see you in a few months ...) My boyfriend who'd been living here for several years moved out yesterday and I'm in total stun mode so I can understand somewhat how you are feeling, though know it must be even worse for you being in a strange environment away from even the feline comforters.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Leave of Absense
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/06/2006 11:27:02 PM
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So, I sat down with little boss and without any explanation, but a very serious expression on my face I said,

"I could really do with tomorrow off".

"You could do with tomorrow off" he said, buying time.  My expression grew more grave.

"OK".

No explanation necessary.  He's a good man.  I called him a hero and I meant it.  I said it like I meant it.

Talk to you soon.

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AUTHOR: grac
EMAIL:
IP: 81.151.78.67
URL:
DATE: 04/07/2006 12:53:20 AM
I hope everything is OK sweetheart. I won't sleep now.....
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.53.190
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/07/2006 05:56:43 PM
(((hugs))) honey. You so big and brave!!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Oh go on then.. a vengeful biker-blog
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 04/05/2006 05:29:01 PM
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Drivers That Cyclists Love


Barrel Drivers-They drive vehicles you can hear from miles away
barrelling up the highway. They rarely move at all to the right when they
pass by.

Pass Right-These drivers are encountered on busy streets with lots
of stores or mini malls along the way. They quickly pass by us and then make
an immediate right turn in front of us. We put the brakes on to avoid hitting
them. We wish we were in a tank and could proceed forward without doing any
damage to us.

Careful Driver-This driver is almost invariably an older driver who
is obviously driving very carefully by us so as not to hit us. Unfortunately,
he or she is only about 6 inches away from us and is going along only slightly
faster than we. This continues our nervous anxiety much longer than the barrel
driver.

Honkers- There is no stereo typical honker. It can be a truck, a four
by four or a sedate sedan. They come from behind honking wildly usually about
six feet before they are going to pass us. This startling sound lifts us
off our seats as the car goes flying by. Sometimes the driver is glaring
and sometimes waving hello. We typically have a wave of our own we would
like to give.

Yahoo-These drivers are typically young men with three or four friends
with them in an old beat up pick-up or sedan. As they pass they yell yahoo
or its equivalent enthusiastic sound. We not sure if this is a friendly greeting
or an obscenity. If they have moved way over from us, we count it as useful
enthusiasm.

Favorites- These are the drivers who pull way over into another lane
when they pass us by. We wish there were more of them.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.51.124
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/06/2006 07:49:32 PM
I remember having (possibly starting) a huge row on a newsgroup, many years ago. Someone asked why cyclists insist on riding two abreast, the selfish bastards. So I pointed out that it forced drivers to wait behind them until it was safe to overtake, and then pull out to a safe distance to do it.

What the fuck would you want to do that for?? I explained how cars leave a wash, that wobbles cyclists. I told him how it was no fun at all to be overtaken by a speeding driver, and even less fun to be passed by a lorry.

Well, he wouldn't mind so much, but he'd never seen a cyclist wobbling after he'd passed one, how the hell would he know whether they'd wobbled off or not, and anyway selfish bastard cyclists never say thank you. So I explained the concept of relative speed, and rear view mirrors.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/06/2006 08:02:27 PM
There is definately a need for every driver to take the cycling proficiency test before the driving test.

I just thought I'd share with Brit drivers the North American take on bad driving.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Nearly that time... and deffinately one of those days.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 04/05/2006 03:17:59 PM
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.196
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/05/2006 11:20:20 PM
Mmm, Purdy's peanut butter eggs.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: grac
EMAIL:
IP: 81.151.78.67
URL:
DATE: 04/07/2006 12:54:28 AM
My arse hurts too.

Another story
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Crazy World
STATUS: Draft
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: or lack thereof
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 04/04/2006 10:48:52 PM
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I have spent today organising somewhere for myself and my stuff to live for a while for I no longer live at home, or in that house that I used to call home.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Also busy
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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DATE: 04/04/2006 05:12:38 PM
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All week.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Skis put away. Got the bike out.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 04/03/2006 05:30:29 PM
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BODY:

It wasn't the best weather for skiing the last weekend of skiing so Sunday morning I was out on my bike for the first weekend ride of this year.  Everything seems to be about firsts and lasts at the moment.  I feel a change coming on. 

It would've been an early start were it not for that damn DST.  As for the weather, it was dry and warm and I was blissfully comfortable in my shorts except for the thrashing headwind.  I suffered it all the way to the KVR where the vineyards finally filtered out some of the wind's energy.

Along the KVR were flocks of people I was not accustomed to (most of my rides are at 5:30am).  Nordic walkers. A comercial phenomenon where people are "taught" to walk on even terrain with rediculous poles and take up at least 2 ft extra space on the trail. The adverts offering "classes" in Nordic walking claim to offer "something for all levels of experience".  I have about 30 years walking experience - probably since I was 2. I beg to differ that they can offer me anything.

4 of them got angry at me. I rang my new bell 4...5 times. I called, "Passing right".  Finally I was on top of them, yelling,"Can I squeeze through please".  They scattered then came back at me like little 1980's computer characters with no where to go except rebounding off eachother.  As I passed the man (in the earmuffs) he yelled, "Hey, get a bell or call 'passing on the right'"...ah the elderly.  I yelled over the wind that I had used my bell and called out and I rode off.  My gestures could have been construed as either,"it's windy" or "you deaf old coot".  Sorry, but there was no need for nastiness on a Sunday.

I saw fang again... but she didn't want to hang around for me to get my camera out.

In the city I got breakfast at my usual place where I was ignored over the people in the drive-through.  Why do I have to wait longer just because some nerd can't be arsed to  get out of his gas-guzzler truck?

With breakfast in hand, I broke into my office by climbing over the fence & left my heavy rechargeable battery & lights behind so I didn't have to carry them over the impending hills.

I fought my way up the big hill out of the city, thankful at least that the hill kept the wind off me.  I was passed by a cute, friendly chap who wanted to know if his mates had passed & talk about the weather but I was too slow to keep up to his fading conversation. Note to self - more bike miles, more more more.

This be observatory country...

Oh... OK this be ranch country too.

This is a sage thrasher.  A very plain beige bird, endangered Canada wide, but sings like a dream. There's many of them in this one spot, nature's music to the ears.

The rest of the cycling club caught me up and expressed their concern over my cold, bare legs. Truth is I have my leggings in my pocket and believe I'd be too hot wearing them - woosy Canadians.  I advised them that their missing man was miles ahead.  Like a 6-man steam-train they set about chasing him down.  They will draft (Canadian) or do bit-'n'-bit (English) - take turns at the front in the head wind to keep the group moving faster and I have no doubt that they will make up his half-hour windy-lead on a day like today.

Despite the temptation to quit sensibly and save myself for tommorrow, I made it to my 38km destination point and I continued on along to the golf club where die-hard golfers were out in wooly hats and fleece pants.   I was straining to manage the last uphills with the head wind and as I dreamed of a companion to draft with, there was a sudden flurry of activity and all of a sudden the wind smacked me on the ass and sent me on my way.

I had ambition to go further out of my way and catch the ski hill road back to the city but by the time I got to the main downhill into town I was truly spent and hungry.  I figured I'd be in town for lunch in 10 minutes.  Later I realised how little concept of distance one has in a new area when you only travel a road in a car.  70 minutes later it was time for lunch.

I relented like the woos that I am and put my leggings on for the final leg (no pun intended) to the house.  It had come over a little cloudy and I was saintly and ate a large cold salad for lunch.

By the time I got home, I had riden 89kms (56miles).  OK OK so it took me nearly 5 hours & I won't be doing it again tommorrow but it is the furthest I have riden in so long and y'know, it wasn't that bad.  Hopefully I will make it back into the saddle tommorrow.  Onwards and upwards and busy looking forward.

Footnote: I can't even remember the last time I rode more than 50 miles and I know for sure it was before I went to work in Romania in 2001.  I am promising myself I will not let this happen again.

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AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.243.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/03/2006 07:21:27 PM
I had similar comments from my riding group on Saturday. They all seemed to be layed up like we were going into the artic circle and I was there in shorts, T-shirt and fleecy cycling top. Admittedly my legs were a little on the pink side come the lunch break but I still contend that it was "not that cold".

I'm beginning to suspect that these Canadians are not as hardy as they make out, more that they are just very good at wrapping up when they feel a little chill on the air. No wonder they've never had a multi-continental empire.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.59.77
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 04/04/2006 07:37:10 PM
Won't let what happen again? Riding so far? Seems sensible. Such a long break before you ride so far again...? I suspect this is what you mean. My legs ache for you. And my heart sings that you did it!!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/04/2006 08:26:46 PM
Yes you got it right the second time. I will be riding long distances much more frequently now. Day after the day after legs are worst.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Bugger.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Weather

DATE: 03/31/2006 07:50:47 PM
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And it's raining now

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.241.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/31/2006 10:08:54 PM
Same here, and with 20 minutes left before I go home it really could have waited a little longer.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/31/2006 10:20:45 PM
It has stopped here. See, BC is better.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Sarah
EMAIL: sarah_meeker@hotmail.com
IP: 84.67.252.154
URL: http://www.rahree14.blogspot.com
DATE: 04/01/2006 11:37:36 AM
hey... where are you from? Just curious as to where the 'best place on earth' is- The only people i know who talk like that are australians and americans, and americans dont use the word 'bugger'... ('cept for me. :)) nice blog.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 04/03/2006 07:16:06 PM
Hey Sarah. Thanks. I'm in the Okanagan - just North of the US border (they call it the Okanogan down there). It's not necessarily perfect for everyone - it seems very popular with the elderly. What earns it's name is the dry desert environment in summer - great for making wines and giving it a deffinate mediterranean feel. In winter it's a snowy-kind-of-fun too.
I believe Okanagan means "Place to stay forever".
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Boxed in!
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 03/31/2006 04:52:36 PM
-----
BODY:

The safety glasses have arrived.  I nearly couldn't get to my desk to write to you this morning - you know who you are - but I broke down the wall - and moved everything onto my desk.

I rode my bike today as I need to get miles under my shorts.  The cat woke me up, vomiting again at 4am and I lay awake thinking, staring at my belly button, dreaming, planning, plotting, scheming and did I mention dreaming?

The other cat wanted in at 4:45am.  At 5:10 I got up, ate toast and fitted up the bike with battery and paniers.  It's spring.  For this week only, I didn't need my lights.  But woe is daylight saving time, next week I will need them again.  DST discriminates against early birds.  Eventually my extra daylight hour will be spent sleeping.  How is that fair?

Riding to work for the first time in 3 weeks means I forgot my shoes and keys.  I had to wait for Dave to let me in the office and now I have to clatter around in cleats all day... but it was worth it for the sounds of woodpeckers, two red finches chasing eachother through the bushes and startled quail on the KVR running, running, running trying to squeeze thier fat little bodies through the deer fence.  Oh I'm sorry, I had to stop and check it was alright.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Back on the horse - again
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Running

DATE: 03/30/2006 09:42:10 PM
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I did run last week but this feels like the first run of spring. 


The lama is all free...
She lies in the dirt and watches me approach... just thinking of getting up.

This picture makes me laugh because when I lowered my camera her teeth we bared - scary lama.

At the North end of my run, the reflection in the lake is near-perfect.

The first nations people were putting the screen into the river that
screens the sewage outflow until they release the Kokanee in a few
weeks time.  (only a shit engineer would know this stuff... I know).

Oh, and there's one of our shipping trucks on the parkway!

Then I saw the perfect shot.  The funniest company name in all the city - but possibly only if you have a certain DBO-ish sense of humour.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.87
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/31/2006 01:52:42 AM
Ah Buns Master. It's up there with Fanny's Fabrics and Randy River :)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: DBO
EMAIL: DBO@adamwhale.co.uk
IP: 81.178.221.16
URL:
DATE: 04/03/2006 07:54:28 PM
All I can say is that I'm updating my CV and applying for a job!!!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Dog Question:
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Photography & Nature

DATE: 03/29/2006 06:33:19 PM
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BODY:

Why is your camera never in your hand at just the right moment?

In my groggy 5:30 am state, as I filled the kettle this morning, I noticed something running... no padding, along the neighbour's long driveway.  It was a dog... no, it's tail was bushy, it was a fox... no, not red enough.  Just the biggest goddamn coyote I have ever seen.  About alsatian sized.

Instinctive reaction, "Where's my camera?". 

Sinking feeling. Not close enough.

Then, another one.  Just as big, just as purposeful.  Dusty grey fur blending in with the sandy earth of the bank.  Green eyes glinting in the risen sun.  Big paws leaving litte clouds of dust with every scuff of the ground.

My camera... it was at work.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.243.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/29/2006 06:55:25 PM
I have a picture, albeit not a particularly good one, of an electrical substation in downtown Toronto suffering minor explosion. The event lasted maybe 15 seconds in which time I was able to get my camera out of my bag, remove the lense cap, flick the settings to automatic and take the picture.

It made all of those days and hours of trawling my camera around completely worth it.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.0.88
URL: http://wordsby.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/29/2006 07:32:53 PM
Funny thing is, at about the same time, I put 'fang' out for a pee, and she disappeared for, oh, five minutes. Coincidence????
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/29/2006 08:11:56 PM
Grac. I think you have a black hole in your back garden... or a stargate? I was intrigued by two coyotes passing. It could well have been a glitch in the matrix.

Andrew. I usually do haul my camera everywhere - which is why I have a bit of a crappy point'n' snap digital.

We need to see more Toronto pics on your blog.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.61.46
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/30/2006 08:53:52 PM
Big coyote? Alsatian sized? Do you have wolves? Very exciting, either way!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Greg
EMAIL: displaced.kiwi@gmail.com
IP: 81.53.155.24
URL: http://www.displacedkiwi.co.nz
DATE: 03/30/2006 09:32:23 PM
D'oh!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 03/29/2006 12:50:33 AM
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I think I might try and be a 'nengineer again.

From being "the person most likely to be chartered before anyone else" in my year at university... I have gone to can't be arsed to don't have time to ski instructor to pleb to General Dog's Body to The Person Everyone asks to Get Stuff Done and now I am thinking...

about becoming an engineer again.  In amongst ordering safety glasses, I have been printing off reems of application forms and papers.

And if I can earn big contract engineer bucks for 8 months of the year... I can spend the other 4 teaching skiing!  See, there's method to my madness.

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AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 70.30.12.123
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/29/2006 04:38:31 AM
What kind of "nengineer again" are you thinking of becoming?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/29/2006 04:37:38 PM
Oh, a Mechanical one. I have the degree and everything... just... neeed... to... reboot... brain... again.

I was never really very good at it. I feel this is a second chance to *try* - properly.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Whoever thought
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 03/28/2006 07:39:09 PM
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Whoever thought that converting an entire factory over to wearing safety glasses - full time - everywhere would be such hard work.

For a start, the two notices and meeting minutes from the safety meeting I have put on the board have been torn down within hours - so only half the personnel probably know about the change.

For seconds, it's not the whinging that's causing me a problem.  It's all the things I am doing to avert impending whingeing before I get there.

All the while, I know that my efforts will be wasted.  This will make me extremely pissy towards the first person to dare to whinge.

Bring it on.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.0.88
URL: http://wordsby.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/28/2006 08:46:48 PM
I wish I worked for you. I love bossy women!!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/28/2006 11:27:18 PM
Oh my! The thought of it.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: All My Own Work
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Ski-ing

DATE: 03/27/2006 09:21:28 PM
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BODY:

Yesterday I returned to my local ski hill to watch the Canadian mogul champs, since I missed the World Cup moguls event last week.

This time I remembered my camera.

There are more photos in the album at the bottom of the page but here's my favourite, wot I am SO proud of.  Yes, it's our Christie Richards, olympic gold medalist, doing what she's best at... and you can actually see her looking for the landing.   Shame the light was poo but you can't have everything.

On another note, can you spot the deliberate mistake in this one... allowing for camera-shake?

 

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.21
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/28/2006 06:41:23 AM
Are you talking about the urination?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/28/2006 04:16:46 PM
Oh yes. Got it in one.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: The Seldom Killer
EMAIL:
IP: 199.71.241.10
URL: http://acrosscanada.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/28/2006 05:26:37 PM
That's a lot of wrong right there.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Weekend
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 03/25/2006 12:26:10 AM
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The weekend is upon me and I feel strange.  Strangely reluctant to go home.  I have a snotty nose all of a sudden.  Please don't tell me I'm brewing something new to floor-me for another week.

This weekend has so much potential with blue skies and a ski hill covered in fresh snow but I am dreading it.  Why oh why?  I want to hide in blogland and worklife.  I do not want to do any gardening... or should I say landscaping?

I want to feel the snow under my skis and the wind in my hair.  I want to feel the earth pushing back on my feet, gently, with its equal and opposite forces.  I want to be dreaming of next years season, all the time anticipating a whole summer of biking, swimming and running.

But I don't want  a fight to get there.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.14.20
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/25/2006 08:03:46 AM
you talk in riddles sometimes. I hope it goes alright for you anyway!>?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.54.161
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/28/2006 07:49:31 PM
(((hugs))) honey.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Which Stargate Character Are You?
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 03/23/2006 11:03:46 PM
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Your results:
You are Daniel Jackson

Daniel Jackson 79% Thor 75% Samantha Carter 64% Jack O'Neill 56% A Goa'uld 50% General Hammond 40% Teal'c 36% Dr. Frasier 35%

You are sensitive to the needs of others and are a good communicator. You always stand up for the little guy.

Click here to take the StarGate SG-1 Personality Test

So I did the Superhero one that told JaG that she's superman and I came out as the incredible hulk so I did the Stargate SG-1 quiz instead and then had to doctor it because I didn't want to be Thor.  He looks like the naked cat.  Me thinks this quiz needs something to identify gender... but then the only choices for women on SG-1 are Carter or the Doctor and I'd much rather be Carter, she has great eyebrows.  I don't suppose she's a natural blonde either.

Samantha Carter

Samantha Carter You are highly intelligent and enjoy scientific challenges, but you also obey the rules.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.14.20
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/24/2006 08:06:54 AM
what's wrong with nakkid cats>???
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/24/2006 11:46:42 PM
You know that as well as I do. It begins with "E".
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I love doing canadian taxes
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 03/23/2006 02:51:09 PM
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Every year I mess-up on the form and it comes out that I owe them $635 so I check everything, find 5 mistakes and it comes out that they owe me.

Mind you, this year it was only $133 as compared to $700 last year (what half a year of unemployment does to you).  I am not liking the rate of decay though.

But when (no misconceptions here) it works out that I owe them, it will mean that I have made more money than I should have so that will be OK too.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.68
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/23/2006 10:30:30 PM
My little pile of papers is waiting for me to find a moment to sit down with my pencil and paper and get to calculating. I like the nerdiness of tax time.

I doubt I'll ever owe the gov't.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Finally... A Belated Happy Birthday
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Friends

DATE: 03/23/2006 12:20:07 AM
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To one of my bestest friends.  A man who doesn't need to dress up much for fancy dress parties...




Wayne

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Back in the splash
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Swimming

DATE: 03/22/2006 11:22:35 PM
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I swam a mile today.  It was a hard mile.

After 43 lengths and 30 minutes I felt sick.  And I mean really sick.  I stopped and I burped - a lot.  Yikes! Where did that come from.

Stomach settled, I swam another two, forcing myself to think positive thoughts,

"I am going to do this.  I am going to swim the mile."

Regressed into

"I am going to swim 45 lengths, I've been sick, but it will be a good time because I feel strong"

I felt annoyingly un-tired but still sick as a pig at the end of 45 lengths so I swam breast stroke, which was OK and managed 59 lengths by the time 40 minutes came around.  WIth my target of a mile (64 lengths) in 45 minutes looming, I crawled the next 4 lengths.  I was so dizzy I couldn't really figure out which way the bottom of the pool was pointing, never mind stay in the lane.  With gouges on my ancles from a few run-ins with the lane ropes, I breast stroke swam the last length.

64 lengths, 47 minutes and no puke in the pool. C'mon

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: New Blog Friend Discovered
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 03/22/2006 06:03:36 PM
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I Blogrolled this intrepid explorer today via Tanya at Crazy Biker Chick

Andrew Rodgers Accross Canada

Planning the ultimate Canadian coast-to-coast challenge on his bike and accumulating gear at an alarming rate.

What a hero.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Spring
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Weather

DATE: 03/22/2006 05:33:05 PM
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This morning's drive to work was uneventful.  No deer, no coyotes, no hooting owls, no exciting weather fronts but two statements on the radio made me smile.

"Tomorrow, 15ºC"

"It is reported that the seasons are getting later and later.  Meteorologists say that winter is now appearing in late January, whilst the Okanagan does not expect to see summer conditions until as late as the middle of May."

Sigh... life's sooooo hard in the Thomson Okanagan.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.50.170
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/22/2006 10:11:15 PM
That's a beautiful picture!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/22/2006 10:27:09 PM
I *actually* took this one myself.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.41
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/22/2006 10:47:08 PM
It's definitely *tough* for you...how do you do it? ;)


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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: BFOB is having so much fun
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 03/21/2006 11:24:01 PM
-----
BODY:

Little boss is away.  So BFOB is answering the phone.  Relishing in talking to all the petty, snivvelling, annoying little employees that call in sick at the slightest snivel or are continually late because the dog ate their homework.

Classic snide remarks:
"Y'know, being on time is kind of mandatory"
"This is BFOB, do you know who I am?"
"Shoooooooouuuuuuurrrrrrr".

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Courtesy of Mr Leach
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0

DATE: 03/20/2006 07:43:28 PM
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Download Renault5.wmv

And don't laugh until you've watched it all the way to the end.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.144.170.192
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/20/2006 07:55:23 PM
I thought it was going to be a new ad. Somehow I don't think they'd use that clip ..
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.248.104
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/20/2006 09:31:13 PM
Can I laugh now?

They could be winners on AFV.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.53.228
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/21/2006 07:11:46 PM
I just get a blank page when I click that link.... :(
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/21/2006 07:16:33 PM
I will email it to you.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Back on bounce
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Ski-ing

DATE: 03/20/2006 04:08:16 PM
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BODY:

This weekend l have been ski-ing in the
presence of olympic gold medalists. Well, you know, not actually with them
just, you know, on the same mountain.

 

I have seen Swiss, Chinese, Ukranians, even
Belarusians (who btw won) and the cutest Canadians. Most impresively, l have seen them fly 40 feet in
the air, pulling stunts l would not consider without a rope, harness support
crew, 6 big foam matresses and an air ambulance on standby (which there
was,this being the Federation International du Ski World Cup Finals in my back yard).

And what a weekend
we picked to show off to the world. Blue sky, bright sunshine, warmth (but not
too warm), overnight snowfall. Most people even managed to park. Quite
impressive for a village the size of Mobberley (with less parking).

 

Hubby... let's not go there... he just wasn't there.

Me, I stood alone in a crowd and I cheered
my head off with the best of them. I yelled "c'mon" with the most
baggy panted teens and I whooped for my fellow Canadian until I had no more
Whoop left. Then I whistled. By the end of it I could recognise a tripple full
full and congratulate a man on his good landing - when someone made one.

(He was waving to me... he was!)

Combine this with my freedom to ski solo,
resulting in some fabulously frightening black diamond powder hounding and the
ski dawg is back.

Just don't tell anyone I caught an edge and
accidentally straight-lined down a black named "Crusher".

I didn't
quite poo my pants.

All photos courtesy of...

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.58.18
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/20/2006 08:08:00 PM
Blimey. Didn't you? I nearly did, just thinking about it!

We talked about you this weekend. Quite a lot. I hope your ears were burning!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepidexplorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/20/2006 08:13:08 PM
Come and talk to me. Did you all decide I should just come home and have done with it? Or are you all coming to visit?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/20/2006 08:13:47 PM
Did you just decide I was bored again?
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Poorly girl.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 03/15/2006 05:23:16 PM
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BODY:

My
skin hurts. I am cold, no wait, I’m
hot. My head is throbbing. I feel like I’ve just inhaled a pint of
chlorinated water.

I
have a safety meeting this afternoon, but more importantly my parents will be
messengering me from their new webcam today.

This
morning I have mostly been cutting and stickering and next I am going to do some
typing. Because that's what you do when you're sick, gentle, relaxing fun
things. Then later I am going to curl up
with teddy and watch some childrens’ TV.

Because
I am still waiting for the Neo-Citran-high to kick-in.

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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.144.170.192
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/15/2006 07:41:21 PM
That is a seriously fantastic photo.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.197
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/15/2006 10:05:58 PM
Poor thing!

Are you wandering about looking vague?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL:
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL:
DATE: 03/16/2006 12:44:00 AM
I'd tell you where it is but then I'd have to kill you.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.144.170.192
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/16/2006 07:38:52 AM
It's Luton, isn't it?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer@yahoo.ca
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 03/20/2006 03:31:36 PM
Gah! Got me.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Raceday
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Running

DATE: 03/14/2006 04:18:00 PM
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BODY:

Mornig
of the race, what happens? l get out of bed with a cough. There's nowt but
mouldy bread in the breadbin and I resort to a bowl of Special K. I realise
this is going to cause me problems. Eating cardboard before a run would. Remind me to buy anything else instead. 

At
least l find some neighbourly faces to hang out with, the man who provided the
beam that runs up the middle of our house, and his wife.

The
run was the most painful of my life. Chronic cramp in my tum all the way round,
increased by the necessity to swallow my own snot and spit from time, like only
comes from a good cold or cough.  

Eventually
I passed back a few of the people who earlier passed me and settled into a duel
with a red lady (red coat, red hair), a young teen who I made the "mistake"
of encouraging, and her dad.

There's
little to be said for the finish except pain, glazed over eyes, gritted teeth,
waves of endorphine-invoked comfort followed by nausea and my stomach saying, “stop…
running… still… digesting… cardboard”. I
did beat the red lady and the teen but they undoubtedly did it with more grace. 

I
finished 127th of 228 starters in a poor time of 27:33... but I was sick...and
I had ski legs. I was 8th in my age
group and the 57^th woman of 122 female finishers. I finished with the first 60-65 age group woman ergo that’s how old I have to
be to win a gold medal.

To
give you some idea of the field, first man finished in 15:40 minutes and the
last in 51. 

The
fastest kids (under 15s) ran it in 20mins, but not the little cutie who spent
most of the race standing, waiting frustrated by the roadside for her mum to
catch-up.

After
getting changed and heading to the finish line to watch the last finisher, I
got asked out! 

Not
by any stretch by someone I would have considered saying "yes" to but
nevertheless, it was an ask... and apparently I am kinda cute... not very, but
enough it seems.

Ho
hum. Obviously the highlights are killer!

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Race Preparations
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Gear

DATE: 03/13/2006 05:49:13 PM
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Last
time l coloured my hair, l didn't mention it to you. It was such a frightening experience. l was aiming for something close to my
natural colour - dark blonde with grey undertones or "dirty blonde",
as my coleagues like to call it. Having been through all the usual, vibrant
suspects at the drugstore, l finally resigned myself to experimenting with a
bottle of stuff that really looked like my natural colour. Promising. Except it bragged its excellent grey coverage
and had a picture of a woman in her late 50s on the front.

After
30 of the potential 45minutes brewing time, the colour of the fluid on my head
was getting terrifyingly purplish and I began to suspect I had set myself up
for a blue rinse. 

After
rinsing, it appeared that 30 minutes was no match for the Ferrier
"chestnut dream" of last year and I have been a disturbing shade of
ginger ever since.

Now, Saturday 11th March I sit with the customary plastic bag on my head, happy in
the hope that at least the woman on the front of the box is a little closer to
my age this time. Potentially, dark
blonde will mean dark blonde. After-all, I have trendy highlights to add on
top. 

Wecome
to the new genre of pre-race preparations. I can't cross the finishing line in
my 50s now, can I?

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.138
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/13/2006 06:45:30 PM
You must have very strong hair. You seem to give it quite the workout ;)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer@yahoo.ca
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 03/13/2006 06:58:36 PM
Ah yes, my hair has not grown since October, the ends just keep falling off.

This is the whole theory behind trying to get it back to "au naturel".
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Bush-whacking
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Running

DATE: 03/09/2006 10:11:57 PM
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BODY:

6.31km 33:24mins.  New trail.  Itchy legs from undergowth.  Climb through gate.  All together a very Welsh experience.

Taget for Sunday's fun run 25 minutes.  Place your bets.

Bear in mind I will be trying out my new ski techniques on the hill the day before. (Getting the excuses in now).

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: It's a cat's life...
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cats

DATE: 03/08/2006 06:07:17 PM
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Though I am sure the little one is posessed...

Perhaps she, like me, has been eating chocolate covered espresso beans on an empty stomach.

Zing!!

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A nervous breakdown is on the cards
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Luddite Tech

DATE: 03/07/2006 06:57:05 PM
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For some reason, Sil gave me the impression that using an access database to solve some of my work problems might be a good idea.  I don't know why I got that impression since it sounds like they've had as much fun as me.

I have wasted two days on it.

I have just admitted defeat.  But each time it gives me a tantalising glimmer of hope.  I have just extinguished them all.

I have outstanding actions on my ISO audit that should've been done end of Feb.  They're just waiting on me writing them up.

I have a shitty safety meeting to go to.

I have stuff to do for Worsafe BC (version of UK HSE)

Big article on the TV last week about right-hand rings being the in-thing for women at the moment.  Mine is white gold, slightly worn with Zirconia & Saphires in it.  How cheap, how false, how blue.  That's what it says about me.  Thought it was all a bunch of claptrap till I saw this...

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.130.15.219
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/07/2006 08:06:33 PM
The rings look celtic.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.60.189
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/07/2006 08:59:14 PM
Ha! Are those triathlon rings???? Kewwwwwllllll.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.216.214.143
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/08/2006 07:49:06 AM
One more thing to spend the money on...present to self, ya ya!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Wifey is not here at the moment, please leave a message
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Ski-ing

DATE: 03/06/2006 05:17:11 PM
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Three things I learned this weekend:

1. You can make 10 pairs of curtains perfectly with one sewing machine
        but as soon as you take out something to work on that you care about (ie.
        A Sprayaway windproof that’s now 2 sizes too big), said sewing machine
        will bugger-up.



2. A sure-fire way to make your husband do housework is to go off
        enjoying yourself on your own (or with a cute ski instructor) and the
        vacuuming and dishes will be done.



3. When you plant your ski pole it stops angular momentum, improves
        angulation and gives you advanced grip coming out of phase 3 of the
        turn. Also that I drop my ass too
        far back off my skis (now corrected).

At the beginning of this ski season I decided not to
teach this year. I’ve been tired. I’ve been stressed. I’ve given myself every excuse under the
sun. I paid for (!) a ski pass and
resolved to ski just for fun. And for a
while it was fun – not worrying about what time to get out of bed on the
weekend. Being able to call it a day
when I feel like it. Then last weekend I
realised not as much fun. I miss the
clients, the banter, the ski development, standing on the back of a sexy
instructor’s skis holding his waist as a spectacle for the kids, snowball
fights, being one of the beautiful people, skiing the blacks, skiing with
people who make me a better skier, discovering how light skis and boots can be
when you wear them more than shoes.

Suddenly, last week, keeping my training up to date
seemed like a good idea. I looked on
t’interweb. I’d already missed my PDP
(professional development program) on the local hills so this weekend I drove
all the way (2.5hrs each way) to the beautiful ski village of Silver Star.

Turns out I was the only one on the course with the lovely “Clyde” as an
instructor. I am thinking missing my
local PDP was a smart move. Clyde is man
of Scottish descent, but a third generation Canadian so only the colour of his
beard, the name and temperament betrayed his Lionheart origins – though there
was something in the way he called me “Trepeed”. He looked alarmingly like Pottsy’s bro.

The people who run PDPs are the gods and goddesses of
skiing and I admit to being intimidated. I am out of shape and out of balls this year.

A man called out ”You’re very lucky to go with Clyde
on your own”. There was something about
the way he said “go with” that forced me to say, “I’ve heard that about
him”. Off we went feeling kind of
naughty. There’s supposed to be five people
at least on these courses. I miss this
life.

We worked on the pole plants on a blue run, which was
really a bit false but it was feeling better. We hit a black run and Clyde beamed with pride as I ripped some
impressive, controlled sharp turns with my new technique. Then I admitted it was my first run on a
black this year, having nursed hubby for the rest of the year on blues. I was rediscovering my schwang. I miss this life. 

We hit some moguls and I did reasonably well at
holding his line and he complimented my edging on the skittery stuff.. He threatened to take me down something
ridiculously steep with 5 ft moguls on it. Like a true Scotsman he understood, “Get to fuck”.
Following him down green runs between blues and blacks
I realised how ridiculously slow my skis are as Clyde pushed me along. I resolved to get new skis but inwardly
grinned as a firm hand again gave me a speed-push on the rear. I miss this life.

At one point he passed me, hit a jump and pulled a
sweet scissor kick before landing. This
guy has coached his hometown freestyle team. He turns off high for a slope and I figure I’d better follow, but end up
a little lower down. He mocks anger,
“Always follow your instructor” he says, hitting the snow with his pole. He shows me how to take this jump. The downhill side is 4ft tall. I’m blushing now, behind my goggles, biting
my lip, wriggling like a child that doesn’t know what comes after 2x2=4. This is the biggest jump I’ve ever
taken. I shrug, I wish goodbye to three
months pay and I launch. I am somewhat
inelegant in the air, flailing my arms but I survive, land it and do not blow a
knee.

On the next lift he asks, “Do you like trails?”

“Come again,” says my brain, “Why did your mouth just
say ‘yes’?”

Trails are what mountainbikers call “Singletrack” -
thin winding paths through the trees filled with bumps and jumps – and did I
mention the trees? On a bike, no problem
for me. On skis, I flail, wobble, stall,
trip and do everything just short of falling over. This time is no exception. I join JaG in the “Skied backwards at Silver
Star” club.

Gradulally we make our way back toward the village
side of the mountain. Clyde tells me
we’re going to speed up down here, up the other side then it’s about a 90
second walk to the top. Can I handle it?

Now if there’s one thing I’m good at it’s walking – or
skating – on these slow skis Sure I’m up
for it. Thinking that my triathlon legs should be able to at least keep up with
him on this. I’ve forgotten how good you
get at moving up hill with skis on when you’re constantly back-tracking to
recover fallen clients. He leaves me for
dead, but I retain some dignity and manage to haul my ass with skis still
attached to my boots to the top and avoid walking. 

I arrive at the summit of Attridge visibly trying to
control just how out of breath I am. But
that’s OK because the view of the lake & mountains is breathtaking and I’m
a tourist for a moment with my camera as Clyde watches someone jump a 360 off a
rock into a tree saying, “I think that’s my cousin”. He skis to the edge and does a wonderful
impression of Millhouse from The Simpsons, “ha ha! Please don’t knock the snow
off the trees when you land, it spoils the winter ambiance for the guests”.

A crowd of over-trended, over-sexed teenagers is
commenting over-loudly on my picture-taking so we move on. Clyde points out the Monashee, Pinacle and
Kootenay mountains, Okanagan and Kitsilano lakes and three other ski areas in the region – including my own
local hill, in cloud as usual.

As usual, my apologies for the glitch in the matrix.

Leaving the snow-bored teens to sit around like teens
some more, we fly off into the off-piste chos – which is powder snow skied and
re-frozen into something resembling a soft version of scree-slope. My new techniques pay-off and not only do I
keep up with Clyde, but I give him a moment of worry when he thinks I’m going
to disappear off the other side of the ridge. He loses me behind a tree as we let some nervous people skitter-by, out
of control. He sees he’s found my
adventure. It was where I left it – on a
hillside, amongst the trees.

At the lift he says, “I wish all PDPs could be like
this. This morning I had 10 old people”. I miss this life (and I’m not old anymore!)

See what I saw I just discovered this part of their site today.  Click on the blinking circles to ski the slopes with ease.  Like they say, you'd need to buy a lift ticket to get better than this!

Alternatively you can look at more of my pictures in the Silver Star photo album.

Clyde admires his life and his tour-guiding skills.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.248.104
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/06/2006 09:46:36 PM
Sigh, sigh, sigh!!!

I don't even think I remember how to ski...it has been too long!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: honda-radio
EMAIL: honda-radio@dsfgk.com
IP: 81.137.240.206
URL: http://honda-s2000-radio-code.0catch.com
DATE: 02/19/2008 08:18:34 AM
Thx! :)
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I can see clearly now... and other puns
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 03/03/2006 03:54:32 PM
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Today I will mostly be saying,

"Wow! I can read that now!"

And on the way home I was treated to a pot of gold.  Which I need to pay for my new glasses.

 Also on the camera... I must've taken this whilst out running.  I understand now why I use my camer so much - the views were always clearer when I got home and looked up-close.

The sparkling icy bridge on my way to work Tuesday.  So much better in real, icy life.

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.59.161
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/04/2006 07:14:05 PM
Hurrah for the right glasses!
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Can't anyone do anything right anymore?
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Gear

DATE: 03/02/2006 10:39:54 PM
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My glasses were wrong.  They had a chip in one of the lenses.  It didn't help me ignore the fact when she handed them to me all grubby, covered in finger-prints like they'd been played with by a 5 year old for a week.

I had to ride out of my way to go to the eyecare place.  I had to ride up Vancouver Avenue Hill to get home.

I was not pleased.

Wrote a longer, more poetic post on this subject and the interweb crashed.

BOY they'd better be ready tonight.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 207.200.152.158
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 03/03/2006 06:29:38 AM
All that cash and they can't get it right OR give them to you clean????

I guess they like to lose customers.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: My World is About to Change
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Gear

DATE: 03/01/2006 04:34:19 PM
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Last night I went for my first-ever proper eye test. In my 32 years I have only ever done the
reading the letters on the wall thing. I
have always passed with a shrug of the shoulders on the occasional letter. I figured I should at least have my eyes
tested properly once (since work pays it would be rude not to).

I had little puffs of air blown into my eyes. I had to look at a little red barn in some
hills whilst the picture went in and out of focus. I had to push on a button when wibbly lines
appeared in my peripheral vision on the screen. Thankfully I passed this test since the last time I did a peripheral
vision test for my Canadian drivers license I nearly failed. It was the day after my 30^th birthday
when I was somewhat hung-over and possibly still a little drunk. I had to capitalize on the machine operator’s
hint that the red dot should be in the box (not chasing its imaginary friend
around the screen).
I went in
to see the nice Dr Singh and I was back to reading letters on the wall in a semi-darkened
room with a machine in front of me that made me feel like something from “I
Robot”.

Then all
the science seemed to disappear suddenly as I had to tell him which lens he
tried was better or worse. It was like
tuning the TV with hubby on the roof moving the aerial and me standing in the living
room shouting directions.

The
conclusion of all of this was that I could have a very slight, a very very
slight correction in both eyes in the long distance. He said I didn’t need glasses but if I have been experiencing headaches at work
through performing a particular task (counting pieces of wood at long
distances) I might want to consider getting glasses for it. They will also help reduce fatigue when
driving, especially at night. *That* I
liked the sound of.

He gave me
some lenses to try which worked OK at improving the situation with the letters
on the wall. He opened the door to the
office and I looked at the bank across the road from the Ophthalmic
Clinic. Where there had been a smear of
green undergrowth, I could now pick out individual leaves. I was sold. Kinda.

To think
about it, I drove to the bike shop to look at some thicker tyres for end of winter
riding. The tyres were high-up on the
wall. I really didn’t want to be helped
by the man with a ridiculous braid in his long, thin goatee beard but I had to
because I couldn’t read the goddamn labels. Promising him that I would check whether the particular rims I am using
are 27” or 700cc I left the store and drove right back to the eyecare shop.

Considering
I had my eye test starting at 3:40, it was quite impressive that I was still
there, considering frames, when the shop assistant told me they were closing up
at 5pm. I had just settled on a pair of
Elizabeth Arden frames (because they match my lip balm) and asked the only
remaining attendant in the store to write down the number for me when she
shrieked in horror that I had a pair of 53s and my little face was only
probably a 42.

She’s a
pro, so she noticed when my eyes glazed over and recognised an eyeglass rookie when
one was staring blankly back at her.

I
patiently waited it out whilst she and another woman cooed over my beautiful
features and flattered each other on what wonderful choices they were making
for me. OK OK I enjoyed every minute of
it but did feel a little uncomfortable looking at myself in the mirror quite so
much. I was ever-careful of not choosing
a pair that made me look like a school mistress (Silver’s comment on my new
running glasses) or like Dame Edna or like I was wearing hubby’s $5 reading
glasses from the supermarket (they look good on him but I am not one for TV
shaped eyes). Otherwise, everything
seemed to suit me but I had to admit their choices suited me more than my
choices.

Eventually,
I was won over by (of course) the most expensive pair that seemed appropriate –
though the ladies were good enough not to give me anything worth more than $250
to try on. I signed up. They have the lenses. I pick up my new eyes tonight. I expect this to have even more impact on my
life than my new feet did last year. Next: the dentist – no maybe not.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.54.13
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 03/02/2006 07:31:12 PM
Wow. Well I hope they help. If nothing else, they'll give you that seriously credible, brainy girl air. (Not that you need it, of course!)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer@yahoo.ca
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 03/02/2006 10:43:47 PM
That is a very serious point. I shall observe and blog about whether I am any-more credible.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: How Exciting
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Ski-ing

DATE: 02/28/2006 09:58:13 PM
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This weekend I'm off to Silverstar for my anual Brush-up on being a ski instructor.

I am looking forwards to it for more reasons than not.

To be continued.../.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 216.232.86.123
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/28/2006 11:39:46 PM
That is the first mountain I ever skied. I went down the bunny hill backwards.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Fruity - from JaG Via Sil and DBO
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Love

DATE: 02/28/2006 09:37:39 PM
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Women are like apples on trees.
The best ones  are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to
reach for the good ones  because they are afraid of falling and
getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes  take the apples from the
ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at  the top think
something is wrong with them, when in reali ty, they're  amazing.
They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who
is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the  tree.

 

 

Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They  begin as grapes, and
it's up to women to stomp the shit out of them until  they turn into
something acceptable to have dinner with.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: A splashy run
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Running

DATE: 02/28/2006 09:28:57 PM
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Today it's raining like a good Manchester day.  It was raining this morning when I woke at 4am to the sound of a soggy cat wanting to come in.  It was still raining at 5:20 when I concluded that I would not ride to work because I would get horribly wet and I have a 3:45 appointment to get my eyes tested - just for fun.

It is still raining now.  This hardly ever happens here.

Instead of riding I went for a lunchtime run.6.25km (dodgy value) and 32 minutes.  I went the other way around my loop to do the muddy forest part at the end.  Poor golden horse was looking a little cacky today.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Snowstorms and Interfering Busy-Bodies
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Weather
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 02/28/2006 01:24:57 AM
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It started as a warm morning – for winter in BC but by 3:30that
afternoon there was a chill in the air that smelt like snow. Dark grey-indigo clouds the colour of dirty
engine oil began to fill the valleys and gulches. As the sun set, what was left of the
darkening blue sky stood out in stark electric contrast to the flowing,
swirling mass of fluffy snow-flocs brewing in the hills. There was no rosy pink glow to warm the
soul. Fingers ached cold, curled inside
my coat. Clammy socks from the day’s
exertions sent a shiver up the backs of my legs into my shoulders where my coat
did little to take the chill away.

Doing my end of day rounds, a colleague came to see me. I thought he was going to give me grief about
rescheduling our recent meeting but he seemed prepared to wait for me to finish
my chores so I gave him my attention out of respect for his desire to go home.

He actually wanted to be important and tell me about the other woman who
works here. That she’s taking
uncomfortable remarks from another employee. I am sympathetic and outraged. Most people that work here are OK – euqalist-ish. Those that are not are just plain stupid and
very ignorable.


Suddenly my feelings change as he continues to talk. He moves from being discretely respectful to
accidentally-on-purpose disclosing the identity of the accused, calling him a
jerk and admitting that he and the accuser “had a thing”. I quickly end the conversation, promising to
evaluate the situation and consider any actions.

At the end of the day I go to my car to find the grey mush in the sky
has entirely taken over any clear blue and large clumps of snowflakes are
raining down.  They don’t float, they don’t
drift, they’re falling down. I can
almost hear the thump as each one hits the ground, such is their weight. The ground is getting whiter at an alarming
rate. I drive through the city on roads
where car tracks are turning white again almost as fast as they are laid down
and amazingly everyone registers the severity of the storm and slows down in
its honour. This is indeed a
rarity. On the country lanes I join a
long snake of cars. With each swipe of
the windscreen wipers, a smear of snow flakes is left frozen to the
windscreen. On the return swipe they are
scraped loose and piled on top of an ever-growing ice floe stuck to the
bonnet. Everyone leaves respectful
distances and concentrates.

Back at home I have no chance to think about my colleagues but as the
evening and night pass I am kept awake by them. She is someone I like well enough but don’t really know well
enough. She plays to be one of the lads
as we all did when we were younger. She adapts
to fit into the boys world. I think that
if she has “had a thing” with the accused she is getting what she asks for but
I chide myself for being stuffy and old fashioned and I think, “Why shouldn’t
two singles get together”. I think how
terribly uncomfortable it must’ve been for her when I walked past them one day
and made the comment “we only hired you because you have dainty fingers” (she
was looking for the end of the roll of tape). Now I feel bad.

I resolve one thing. I can not
ignore this. I have made myself a part
of it. I rant. I feel stoopid but empowered.

I would count the accused as one of my favourite employees and his
popularity with the supervisors puts him up for a target for bullying from
other employees. I then realize his most
outspoken advocate is the most sexist man I have ever met in my life and realize
the conspiracy implications.

I imagine this woman may be at her wit’s end and we need the people to
not leave right now.

I consider a memo to all employees reminding them of the implications of
harassment law. Only days earlier
someone made a bit of a racist reference over the radio and disturbed another
colleague who was listening at the time. I considered telling little boss and asking him what to do. The only problem being there’s just two women
working here – not very discrete.

The next day, bleary eyed I drive to work in the snow. I think I see the woman walking to work alone
in the dark and I consider offering her a ride and a quiet chat but the person
is wearing a hoody and I certainly don’t want to curb crawl at 5:30am.

At this point though, I have made up my mind. I’m not going to be a hero, I’m not going to
be a tell-tale. I’m not going to be a
coward. I’m going to do what I’m worst
at. I’m going to have a confidential
sensitive adult discussion with this woman and I am going to try not to be
over-dramatic.

I am presented with the perfect opportunity. Instead of going to find a man to do a job, I
go to find a woman. We stand at the end
of the quietest production line waiting for the machine to get going right and
we look out at the men working – arms folded across our bodies like a couple of
old wives.

“I believe you’ve had some problems” I say, “Are you OK or can you
handle it?”

“Oh Christ,” she says, embarrassed. “I can handle it!” She’s
flustered. I wasn’t supposed to even be
told. I reassure her. “He wasn’t specific,” I said, “and it’s gone
no further than me”. OK the first part
is what we call a white lie. My friend’s
dignity is still in tact. The second
part was true – until now, and you don’t count.

All the thoughts passing through my head were irrelevant. Generated by one interfering busy-body
(probably the same person who closed the broken petrol latch on my car – don’t
do that!) and all quenched by the spirit of one strong chick.

I’ll stick to listening to the snow.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Number of days since I asked Hubby to connect the laptop to the internet...3
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 02/27/2006 03:42:19 PM
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But I did manage to handwrite my set essay on "last night's snow storm and interfering busy-bodies".

To be typed up when I have time at work...

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.253.219
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/27/2006 06:32:28 PM
Why don't you scan it and post it as a jpg?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.253.219
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/27/2006 06:33:16 PM
Oh, and do you want to play 'THE' game?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
EMAIL: trepidexplorer@yahoo.ca
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 02/28/2006 01:29:07 AM
Because I have no scanner, it's too long, you'd analyse my handwriting and no, because I have no time, no CD burner and you'd analyse my choice of toons.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I don't know what to write about first...
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Weather
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 02/24/2006 03:54:20 PM
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Last night's snow storm or ...

Interfering busy-bodies.

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Greg
EMAIL: displaced.kiwi@gmail.com
IP: 81.53.16.48
URL: http://www.displacedkiwi.co.nz
DATE: 02/24/2006 05:07:36 PM
Interfering busy bodies sounds like it has more potential.

Our snow "storm" was pretty sad really. There's no snow left now.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.253.219
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/24/2006 06:28:43 PM
horrorscope? Look under 'Eric' As in ERIC the explorer. Or even Eric the epic explorer.....
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.253.219
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/24/2006 06:32:12 PM
... also - write about both, cunningly inter-twined together into a tale of mirth and adventure.....
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: You are *so* in my bed.
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Luddite Tech

DATE: 02/23/2006 04:26:13 PM
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AUTHOR: Grac
EMAIL: breathe@gmail.com
IP: 86.129.253.219
URL: http://graculus.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/23/2006 07:10:28 PM
Like I said before.





Cats are evil.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: I am a guilty geek diva
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Luddite Tech

DATE: 02/23/2006 12:42:42 AM
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Today, I talked on messenger with my parents via a webcam.  Most exciting, except my dad said they were going to report me for abuse (they had to watch me eat my lunch) and my mum said I looked like a journo in Iraq.

Oh dear.

Silver Lining and DBO enjoyed it though.  She showed me her "Boots of Doom" and I showed her my clod-hopper very lesbian toe'tectors then dressed up in my best "village people" gear.

DBO was bemused by the whole thing and very confused when Sil appeared wearing a witches hat.  When I turned round to blow my nose they expected a comedy nose but it was just my regular one.

I am now going home to attempt to write something more stirring from hubby's laptop which he's promised to interwebise for me.  Then I don't have to feel guilty about work-blogging and all necesary references will be available to me at the touch of a button.

Happy times.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Powers of Murphy
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Cycling

DATE: 02/22/2006 12:50:15 AM
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Did you see how I stopped it snowing by cycling to work on my mountain bike today?

Oh here goes a slog home with knobbly tires on tarmac (and compacted gravel).

Eh bien!

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Silver Lining "Outed" in Italy
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: News

DATE: 02/20/2006 07:21:22 PM
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And we thought she was a runner!

And who thought her name was Cindy?

How much did I smile when I saw today's headlines?

Now the new girl knows that I use her scanner only for illegal purposes.  Oops I mean, I gave the new girl a training session on using her scanner.

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AUTHOR: just a girl
EMAIL: windwardwarrior@gmail.com
IP: 70.71.248.104
URL: http://nameandface.blogspot.com
DATE: 02/20/2006 11:05:27 PM
Good ol' Menno girl.
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Paradise - In Front of You
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Personal Zen

DATE: 02/20/2006 05:20:16 PM
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The glass is definately half full today - and there's even room for more in there.

I read an article in Skier BC magazine last night that made me smile.  It was somewhat over bhuddised for a dumbass skier journo but basically, a beautiful swiss ski guide gave him a very simple answer to the ultimate question,

"Where do you find paradise?"

Right in front of you.

Easy to say when you're a ski guide I suppose but I'm finding it impossibly easy to apply to every day life at the moment.  Even if the sky is grey and cloudy - but that brings the onset of warmer temperatures and a last dump of snow before the spring comes along.

So my weekend was filled with two kinds of constant training:  Saturday, we went for a walk around the village for 1.5 hours with a stop off at the coffee shop to drink hot apple cider.  Sunday I spent the day doing the closest thing to excercise without actually excercising - cooking delicious healthy food to see me through the rest of the week. 

Last week after my fall I joked with my dad that I had learned my lesson about riding in the snow - next time I'll take my mountain bike.  That joke has worked its way into a plan so I spent the rest of Sunday afternoon fitting lights to the mountain bike and setting fire to my back light which has a short circuit thanks to a run-in with Cheshire County Council's potholes in Wilmslow (question: what do they do with all the council tax from there?).

The only piece of chocolate at the bottom of my pint glass? (Yes, my friends and I used to throw chocolate at eachother's beer). Somehow I injured my index finger on my right hand.  It's fat, it's pink and it aches like hell.  Oh and it's still -7degrees so I guess I'll be swimming today.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: My face is prickly cold
STATUS: Publish
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CATEGORY: Running
CATEGORY: Work Life

DATE: 02/17/2006 08:29:10 PM
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It was -3 when I went out for my lunctime run.  The wind chill factor is -9 degrees.  I am glad I put two running tops on underneath my windproof - one of which is silk.  I was also wearing the very nice fleecy neckwarmer (complete with silver first-nations-art salmon embroidered motif) that Hubby bought me for my 31st Birthday (boy did that one go down well during a trailer-park winter).

The neckwarmer stayed over my face for 10 minutes before my lungs were warm enough not to wince from every breath of dry icy air.  This created a few problems for the happy-orange-sunglasses which steamed up with every out-breath.  Lord knows how many of the golden horse's poo poos I ran through.

Once warm though, I was on a roll.  I ran further than Tuesday (out the other side of the railway cutting) but the ped said only 4.71km - that's because I didn't walk much at all (I never switch the ped into walk mode because I forget to switch it back) - only for 45 seconds at the top of the hill before turning around to run back to the coffee shop to get a butty.  I ran it all in 29:45minutes.

I used the washroom in the coffee shop because the water pumps at work are broke and I didn't fancy the portaloos in the parking lot - the men, the cold, the elsan blue.  No thanks.  Tuna sub and a Pee please Barb.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Messenger
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 0
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CATEGORY: Luddite Tech

DATE: 02/17/2006 06:13:52 PM
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I talked with my dad on Yahoo messenger last night.  They've been computerless for tooo long now. 

So nice.  Off to buy a webcam, or maybe two.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Non-training
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Hiking

DATE: 02/16/2006 08:01:00 PM
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A brisk 30 minute walk along the river banks in -8degreeC (with wind chill, but sunshine too), eating a bacon butty and a yoghurt and wearing happy-sunny-orange specs and lots of layers.

Perfect to keep the legs moving.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Daily Training
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Swimming

DATE: 02/15/2006 09:59:55 PM
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OK.  Maybe training EVERY day isn't a good idea. 

I still managed 49 lengths of the pool - all in crawl - but it took me 50 minutes and felt horendous.  In between fiddling with my goggles (about 5 minutes time) and stopping to let the cramp dissapear from my feet (one, or the other, at a time - thankfully not both at once) I was sluggish, un-coordinated and couldn't really remember how I made it all feel so good a month ago.

Two very fast men were in my lane doing two laps to every one of mine.  I started slipstreaming their bubbles as much as I could - just to buy myself the bouyancy that I failed to deliver with my aching, crampy legs.  Eventually one of the men got sick of co-ordinating passing me and moved over a lane.

By 49 laps I could not face the cramp in my foot one more time and I really should've  been back at work.

An easy walk tomorrow lunchtime I think.  Just across the road to get a bacon butty and back.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: This was my valentines day
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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CATEGORY: Love

DATE: 02/15/2006 05:17:47 PM
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Singletons always grumble about valentines day but here's the extent of mine:

I went training then it all went down the pan when I scoffed an entire bag of Cadburys mini eggs my boss gave me for valentines day.  Eric gave me a Lay for valentines day (it's a brand of potato chip, or "crisp" as we call them in the old country).

I got home and enjoyed the silk flowers I bought myself for valentines day a few weeks ago.

Hubby gave me a cuddle and he'd made dinner (warmed up the steak and kidney pud I made and froze weeks ago).

I gave him the four Denby cereal bowls I bought to replace the ones that got broke moving to Canada.  He'll never have to eat from a plastic Goofy camping bowl again.

He drank a glass of wine.  I had gin and tonic.  We bubbled in the hot tub as usual to ease my legs - aching from carrying all those mini eggs around.

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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: O TypePad
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: __default__
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Weblogs

DATE: 02/14/2006 11:50:53 PM
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I am liking what I see.

This is almost worth paying for!

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AUTHOR: Silver Lining
EMAIL: hiho.silver.lining@gmail.com
IP: 88.108.62.37
URL: http://silverlining.blogs.com
DATE: 02/15/2006 03:38:51 PM
I like it, too. It's everso easy...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Trep
EMAIL: trepid_explorer@yahoo.ca
IP: 24.67.0.232
URL: http://www.trepidexplorer.blogs.com
DATE: 02/15/2006 04:51:16 PM
Absolutely!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Greg
EMAIL: displaced.kiwi@gmail.com
IP: 81.53.154.202
URL: http://www.displacedkiwi.co.nz
DATE: 02/16/2006 03:52:45 PM
I keep wanting to switch from Blogger, but haven't yet. Do you know what happens to your posts when you reach your storage limit?
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AUTHOR: Trepid Explorer
TITLE: Sleeping around in Blog-space & BC Drivers
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: __default__
ALLOW PINGS: 0
CATEGORY: Cycling
CATEGORY: Running
CATEGORY: Weblogs

DATE: 02/14/2006 11:15:26 PM
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Opera is being dirty and unreliable, giving me bad connections. So whilst I bed-hop with other blog hosts, I'm here for now.

I know I haven't run for a long time but I didn't think I'd have to actually blow the dust off my running shoes. OK, it's a dusty office that I work in, so it's not SO long since I ran. I still managed to get up to the railway cutting - allegedly a respectable 5.95km, though I expect it's more like 5km or a bit less.

I seem to work better at this training lark if I give myself NO rest days (but perhaps the odd walking lunch instead of all-out day-in-day-out training would be more respectable.

Last night I went seriously sideways on my bike - actually dropping it into the road (thankfully there was a left hand camber so the bike wheels ended up in the road and I ended up on the gravel). No damage done. I was, however, disturbed by the slippiness of the road so I rode with a foot out at 7kmph (murder on the averages) all the way to the house. Coming down a hill in the car-tyre-tracks (not icy) instead of the cyclist's position (frozen snow / ice) with my foot out, a car behind me just had to beep. With the bus oncoming and gravity on my side, there was no way I was attempting any manoevres / stoppages / steering. As the car passed, I was so angry I yelled. I can't remember how I opened my yelling but it finished with, "What? Would you rather have me die?".

At the next hill climb, the car was stopped, waiting. A head was poking out the window. My heart was thumping and I was ready for a fight.

A pretty lady leaned out the window and said, "Hi. I just wanted you to know, that I wasn't beeping because I was mad at you. I wanted you to know that I couldn't stop"

Me thinking: "Thanks. Great. My problem. Your fault."

She was so distressed though, that she'd hurt my feelings and been in any way anti-cyclist. We sympathised with eachother about the horrible conditions and I stepped out of the road to let her set off - because I couldn't actually get enough purchase on the ice to start riding again till I got to the top of the hill.

So weird, so wonderful.

Then some ***t in an SUV passed me at 90kph with no room to spare and my goodwill was gone. Still, one person with good intention is better than none with any clue.

This is not actually my ride to work, I am just messing with settings.

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AUTHOR: mipsdemnell
EMAIL: plunteebump@gmail.com
IP: 71.195.117.57
URL: http://google.com
DATE: 11/14/2007 05:40:22 PM

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