I'll tri it.

Fire at Camp

2009-02-18T12:48:00.006-05:00

The Salvation Army Camp, just north of Montreal, that I attended as a kid, while my parents ran the show, then as a camper, then as a lifeguard and last summer completing the circle of life, with my wife and kids, has had a major fire.

I can remember staying there from about age 4. Now Darcy has those same memories. I know that ground like my own backyard. The Titcombe's have been a main stay name there for a long time. In fact my Dad was a lifeguard there, then my sister, older brother, then me, then my younger brother. I'm not sure what they would have done for about ten years if we hadn't been on the beach!

It's still WAY too early to know what happened, or what will happen this summer. One article speculates at arson. The video mentions electrical faults and accidental ignition. Nothing has been confirmed. My source tells me that the power was shut off.

Here's a photo as it should be remembered:

Basically, everything to the left of the middle chimney is gone. That was the kitchen, staff area and food storage. To the right of the middle chimney is the dining area, it sounds like there is some damage, but it's too early to tell if anything is salvageable.

Here's what it looks like now.

Back at it.

2009-01-25T20:34:00.003-05:00

Almost one month into 2009 already. The last two months have flown by for me, with Christmas and traveling during the Holidays, then back to work for a few days, then out of town again for three weeks of very stressful training, I'm glad to be back at home.

Being stuck in a hotel for three weeks got old pretty fast, but it did give me the opportunity to keep up the cardio in the fitness room. I got to run/walk on a treadmill, which was nice. I did it nice and easy (just like the doctor said), I don't expect to be able to keep it up now that I'm home, but it was nice while it lasted.

I got some great bad weather biking gear and I'm anxious to try it out. Hopefully Wednesday.

Sliding down the road

2008-12-14T19:56:00.002-05:00

I'm still biking to work, I plan on doing it year round, as long as the roads are mostly clear. In the winter months I use an old mountain bike, with thick / knobby tires. It's a beast, very heavy and starting to corrode, but it's cheaper than a car and faster than the bus.

This morning things were slick. Our little street was a complete sheet of ice when I left at 6 am. As I was going down the road I was thinking, "I really need to be careful here, I really don't want to wreck here." Then at the end of the street I tapped the brakes to slow down and before I could blink I was on the ground sliding. Some people say that a moment like this happens in slow motion, not for me. I hit on my left knee first, then hip, wrist, elbow, back and then my head hit really hard. Good thing I always wear a helmet. The bike slid about 15 feet, I slid about 10 feet. There is not a scratch mark on any of my clothes, the bike or even the helmet. It was pure ice and I was gliding along the top.

I picked myself up, did a quick inventory of the body parts and got back on the bike. I don't have any soreness anywhere, but I do have a mild headache. The rest of the ride was uneventful and the main roads didn't have any ice on them, they were just wet.

Tomorrow's goal is to buy a new helmet.

This is a sick world.

2008-11-26T22:01:00.003-05:00

This link is a story about a pedophile who is now dead, he hung himself before a court appearance. I warn you it is "go home and hug your children" disturbing.

What caught my eye was a Windsor connection that ended up being how he got caught in the first place.

Vacation

2008-11-14T14:50:00.002-05:00

I haven't written anything about what's upcoming for us. But tonight we leave for a 7 day Caribbean cruise, to celebrate our tenth anniversary.

Suckers! You all get to stay in the cold fall / winter and we'll be getting crispy beach/pool side.

You can read the specifics on Sue's blog.

To quote Nelson, "Ha ha!"

Nine times

2008-11-02T19:46:00.001-05:00

The woman whose blog that I follow finished her ninth Ironman race yesterday.

Congrats to you Shelley, that is truly an amazing feat!

Not that I said I told you so, but...

2008-10-18T20:00:00.004-04:00

I told you so.

Work auto-union, lose job.

Today's news featured two stories about the Windsor Assembly van plant shutting down for the equivalent of a week. Here is one. Here is the other.

Here's what I notice. In one breathe they were told that the shut down wouldn't happen. The next day, they were told it was going to happen. First they say it's for three weeks. Then they say that after three weeks they'll re-evaluate. In one breathe, they call say it's because of an over stock of parts. In the next breathe, they're saying that orders and demand are down.

So what do you believe?

The key, to me, is this line "The only reason they're not shutting the plant down entirely is they have a contract to build VWs."

What? A foreign car is saving a North American plant? "That's unpossible," to quote Ralph Wiggum.

Look, I don't think 4500 local people being out of work is good in any way. It's bad for all local business, it's bad for morale, it's bad for our local image, it's bad for our already dead housing market. It's bad.

But I told you so.

Some one has read my mind

2008-10-16T20:02:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to make you think I wrote any of what's below, or even that I got permission to post it here. But credit goes to the author of the following article for getting inside my head and writing exactly what I've been going through over the last 15 months. Even the picture could be my legs, but I like to think I have better muscle tone ;)

Freaky side note, I stopped running on my first stress fracture on June 4th, 2007. Two days before she posted the article. Wooooooo.

Running:
The cause or cure for stress?">Running: The cause or cure for stress?

Posted June 6th, 2007 at 2:33 PM by Jessica Galvano

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

Work. Errands. Overgrown lawns, full laundry baskets, and empty bank accounts. With countless concerns and unrelenting responsibilities, where is the relief? For many, exercise provides a much needed reprieve from life’s incessant demands. If your exercise of choice is running, however, you could be unintentionally creating rather than alleviating stress.

While running may seem the “safest” of athletic endeavors, its non-contact allure oftentimes conceals its high impact risks. Each meeting of foot and pavement introduces the possibility of new stresses, or more specifically, stress fractures.

No strangers to injury, distance runners are often intimately acquainted with this dreaded affliction. Inevitably, over time, constant pounding predisposes shins and feet to fracture; these tiny cracks cause point-specific pain and occasionally, mild swelling. The areas most susceptible to stress fractures include the foot’s delicate metatarsal bones, calcaneus (heel), and tibia (shin)—all essential areas in a sport that requires limber lower limbs.

If you suspect a stress fracture, it is important to consult a sports physician for a confirmed diagnosis. Because X-rays can only detect fractures weeks after the initial injury occurs, MRIs are common diagnostic tools. After an MRI verifies the fracture, there is unfortunately very little (other than rest) that you can do to accelerate healing; a recommended 6-8 weeks of no- to low-impact activity is the standard prescription for complete recovery. In more severe instances, casting or crutches may be necessary to limit weight-bearing and reduce discomfort.

The nagging pain and lengthy recovery period cause runners to regard stress fractures with intense loathing. A two-month-long hiatus from activity—understandably inconvenient for the casual runner—is all but intolerable for the dedicated marathoner.

How to avoid the weeks of inactivity, muscle atrophy, and near insanity? Quality running shoes, gradual increases in training intensity, and daily stretching have proven most effective. Shoes tailored to your individual foot type and mechanics (i.e. neutral, stability, or motion control) will provide the necessary correction for healthy, fracture-free legs. Whether natural or shoe-induced, a neutral strike better disperses the shock of impact and ensures that pliable muscle rather than rigid bone receives the physical stress of your run.

Despite our inherent need for instant gratification, experts discourage increases in training intensity that exceed 10% per week. While we all crave the immediate satisfaction of trimming a minute or two off of our route, an abrupt change in mileage or pace places additional strain on the lower legs and feet. If this sudden increase in demand repeatedly tries the body’s physical limits, the result will likely be a stress fracture.

Although we acknowledge the potential for injury, many of us remain stubbornly determined that today’s five mile run will become tomorrow’s ten mile run. A timely reminder of two to three months of recovery, however, might convince us that tomorrow can wait.

Research sources and for more information: [Men’s Health], [WebMD]

***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***

Election Question

2008-10-14T20:10:00.002-04:00

I don't pretend to know a lot about the election process.

If a person from a small party (ie: Green) gets elected, do they become the leader of their party?

If a leader from another party (ie: NDP) does NOT get elected in his riding, do they lose their job? How do they stay an MP, if they don't get elected to a seat?

Your help is welcome.

My favorite site

2008-10-09T20:33:00.001-04:00

Commute by Bike is now my new favorite site on the internet.

Thank you. Carry on with your day now.

Here we go again!

2008-10-07T10:44:00.004-04:00

Yes, I haven't posted in a long time (Hi Neesha!). I know.

Not for lack of things happening, just lack of hours in the day. If you've read Sue's blog recently, you'll know and appreciate how Wesley is keeping us on our toes.

But this post is about me, not the kids.

I've been doing an okay job of biking, still using it as my main source of commuting to and from work. I also did a good job of rebuilding my running. I used a run/walk program. Building from 6 & 2 and got up to comfortable 10 & 1 sets. Every run was 'easy', no set pace to meet or beat. Just run and enjoy it. I did not want another injury like the stress fracture last year.

That was my own fault. I wasn't running regularly, I was building too much mileage and I was wearing the wrong shoes. It forced me to take a year off and I didn't enjoy that for a minute.

My goal this year was to run a 5km race at the end of July, but scheduling made that impossible. Since I couldn't run the race, I ran my own private 5km on July 30th and was quite comfortable with everything. But then, at the beginning of August I started getting tenderness in my right shin, then same kind I had last year in my left shin. I took about ten days off, while on vacation, and the tenderness disappeared. When I started up again I took a step back, ran slower, didn't run as far, really tried to not have the leg flare up again.

I took my time again building to 10 & 1 run/walk sets and was fine in the cardio department, but the leg was starting to hurt. The pain was exactly the same as last year, in the exact same spot, only on the right leg this time. I tried to ignore it, that didn't work. I tried to cut back and take it easier, that didn't work. I tried to deny that I was injured, that didn't work.

Last week I took a run and felt pain throughout the run. Last year I knew I couldn't ignore it any longer when it started to hurt when I walked. The morning after my last run, my leg hurt while walking. I let it get FAR worse last year, this time I know what's coming.

So I've made an appointment with my doctor. Last year I feel I wasted six weeks going for two x-rays and then finally a bone scan for what I already knew was broken. When I got a see a specialist my doc hadn't sent him any of the test results and seeing him was a complete waste and total frustration. Hopefully, we can skip some of the preliminary steps and go straight to a bone scan and then a quick consult with the specialist.

The problem with a stress fracture is that there is really nothing that you can do for it. Time is the only thing that will help the bone really heal. My left leg has had no pain or tenderness whatsoever. I think I'll be patient enough to let it heal properly. Hopefully both bones are stronger after the break and I'm done with stress fractures. They suck.

Oh, and Sue, I'll be buying new shoes.

VW - the North American version

2008-07-21T09:53:00.002-04:00

Here's a link to some news about VW putting a plant in Tennessee. They'll be creating 2000 jobs in the area and producing an entirely North American vehicle.

But why would anyone buy a foreign car?

Open your eyes people!

Inspired

2008-07-13T20:38:00.003-04:00

I've been catching the Tour de France at night before I go to bed. It's amazing to see the speed these guys are going. First, they're riding hundreds of km's per day and secondly they're sustaining speeds I can barely hit.

Lately I've been pushing to see how fast I can get home from work. I did 5km in 8:46 (avg of 34.22 km/hr) and the other day I hit a new PB top speed of 57.5 km/hr (yes, a downhill was involved). Today I set a new best for my time home, 5km in 8:02 (avg of 37.34 km/hr). There was a great tail wind and I was running late, so I just pushed it the whole way. The bike makes an incredible sound at that speed. The tire hiss, the road is almost smoother and the pedaling feels effortless. But I couldn't keep that up for more than half an hour.

The Tour riders sustain speeds over 45km/hr for hours at a time. It's insane. Yesterday, in the rain, they were pushing 55 km/hr on flat ground at the end of hours on the road. How is that even possible?

Cool Run

2008-07-07T08:48:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my sister-in-law Lynn for sending me this info.

Who wants to run on the ocean floor? Lynn said that IF she were a runner, she'd have to try this one. Well Lynn, what's stopping you from becoming a runner to try this one? It would be amazing.

Linked up

2008-07-06T21:40:00.002-04:00

My last post got linked to two different sites. Glenn posted a link of his site (thanks, eh!) and then Sue noticed that I was getting all kinds of hits from W.E Speak. I had never heard of this site before, but somehow someone linked my blog into it. Cool. It seems to be a collection of local blogs and highlights interesting stories around the area.

What's Foreign?

2008-07-03T14:58:00.005-04:00

Domestic cars vs. Foreign cars. Easy to define right? GM, Ford and Chrysler are domestic. Toyota, Honda, VW and company are foreign, right?

Here in Windsor there are a lot of "Out of a job yet, keep buying foreign" bumper stickers. Not surprising, right? We have (for now) the Big 3 automakers and related companies employing the majority of people in the area. But, to me anyway, the truth behind these stickers has absolutely nothing to do with buying foreign.

I drive a Honda Odyssey. Japanese right? Built in Alabama, the majority of it's parts are manufactured in North America. But maybe for our second car I should support our local economy and buy something domestic. Like a Chrysler Crossfire. Oh wait, that's built in Germany. How about the new award winning Saturn Astra? Oh, it's an entirely European car that's built in Belgium. And I will never buy another Saturn, but that's another very long post of its own. I'd love to own the new VW Routan minivan, but that's obviously a German car, right? Oh, it's assembled HERE right on the same assembly line as the Chrysler Caravan, 3 km from my house!

So somebody tell me what is domestic and what is foreign.

Cars.com recently put out an American made vehicles index, based on the percentage of parts and if assembly is done in the US. First place, Ford F-150 pickup. But in the top ten (5th, 6th & 7th) are the Toyota Tundra pickup, Toyota Sienna minivan and my very own Honda Odyssey. Ahead of iconic American vehicles like the Ford Mustang and GM Corvette!

Living in Windsor you see a lot of people driving the Chrysler minivan. No surprise. It's built here, everyone and their brother can get super cheap employee pricing (except this family...). But even that "locally" produced vehicle doesn't match it's domestic content to the Sienna or the Odyssey.

It seems pretty clear to me that this 'don't buy foreign' concept is really related to who builds the cars, not where they are built. The Big 3 are unionized (and practically putting themselves out of business because of that). The two biggest 'foreign' car makers (Toyota and Honda) are not unionized and are make an enormous impact on the market that used to be dominated by the Big 3. Why do you think the Big 3 are getting so defensive?

"Out of a job yet, keep buying foreign" should really read, "Keep buying non-union."

Race day

2008-06-14T21:48:00.004-04:00

Not for me. Darcy ran the Kids' Dash of the local running shop's race series. She had done one in the spring of 2007, but it was frigid out and hardly felt like running weather. Tonight's 'race' was far more enjoyable.

There were huge crowds, but the organizers did a good job of keeping things on time and getting people to the right spot, especially when it was in a brand new location from other years and events.

Her race didn't consist of more than running around two sets of pylons and into the finish area, about 100m. Sue was going to run with her, but about 5 minutes before the race she announced that she wanted to run the race alone, with the other big kids. So she did. After a bit of a slow start, she took off and even though I could only see her back, I could tell she was smiling from ear to ear. When she came around the bend for the 'back stretch' her grin was ear to ear. She saw me and said, "I can't catch them!" But I told her to run hard and get to the finish line. Which is where she got her medal.

She seemed to take pleasure in the fact that this was HER race. Last time I ran with her and then did my own race, but today she was the only one running. So this is HER medal and she's very proud about earning it.

Me too.

Oh, pictures are here.

Slowly, but surely

2008-06-11T18:29:00.003-04:00

It seems like my year off has slowed me down. That's fine, I'm in no rush. I'm just happy to be running again. I looked back in my log to see how I started back in April 05. I'm pretty much using the same sort of program, run/walk slowly building until you take out the walk (some people leave it in with great success).

Even after a few short, slow runs, I've noticed how much I feel better after running. It's not just the 'runner's high' it's that I'm more focused, I can concentrate better, I breath better, I have more energy. Sue and I have even been able to figure out a decent schedule for getting runs in. But we still have to work one out for her to run too...

You know, I really missed how great a good sweat feels. I just don't get the same sweat on a bike, whether on the road or stationary. After running somewhere, I just feel like I've earned the right to be soaked.

In other news: My sister and her dragon-boat team won a competition in Boston recently and are being sent to NYC for other one! Pretty cool.

Time goes by too quickly

2008-06-06T21:30:00.003-04:00

Somehow I have a four year old daughter. I don't really know how that happened. Seriously, how is Darcy four?

She was so excited all day. Right from the first thing out of her mouth this morning, "Is it my birthday now? Am I four now?" So we did everything in 'fours' today. Four more bites, four more minutes at the park, four stories for bedtime. And depending on who's team you're on four minutes for time-out. And despite all the excitement of the day she did manage to go through the whole day without getting one. Miracles do still happen.

In other news, please note that my running total has begun to increase in the right hand column. After I wrote my post the other day I was inspired and went for a run. It wasn't anything special. My legs felt the burn and I was pretty tired after TWO WHOLE MILES, but I ran (well it was run/walk of 4 minutes & 1 minutes, repeated four times) and I enjoyed a runner's high afterward, so it was worth it. The next morning my legs felt like they'd run ten miles instead of two, but I've got to (re)start somewhere. I went again tonight and am committing to find the time to run three times a week. I'm not planning on any races, but I need to be ready when the urge hits.

First post of the year

2008-06-04T18:31:00.003-04:00

Does anyone read this anymore? Oh well, that's my own doing.

So why post now? Why not wait six more months and make it a whole year? It wouldn't have been hard, believe me.

I realized today that it's now been a year since I broke my leg and stopped running. My last run was on June 3rd 2007 and could barely get through it. I did try again in September, but the pain returned and I gave up.

To me running was therapy. It was time to burn off steam, to see things clearly, to test myself. Without running I would say there is definitely been a bit of a void in my life. Don't me wrong, I have a great life; I have the most amazing wife, wonderful kids and an exciting job. But over the last three years running had become my identity and without it I feel somewhat goalless. At the same time, I have absolutely no time to run. I need to start from scratch and I don't know when I'll actually do that. The best time is after the kids are in bed, after 8pm, and that's taking away from time alone with Sue.

Getting the stress fracture when I did was a blessing in disguise. It forced me off the road shortly before Sue was put into hospital for six weeks. Even if I had been healthy, I wouldn't have been able to run during that time. Then the WesMan was born and it took us four-six weeks to feel like humans again. I couldn't put together a regular schedule then and when I tried to run, the pain returned. Now I'm still working rotating shifts (one week days, then afternoons, then nights, etc...), which kills the structure of regular training.

So here I am a year out from having a severe stress fracture. Probably 20 lbs. heavier, lacking energy and without a fitness goal (although I tempted by this P90X program, anyone heard of it?). It hasn't been all bad though. I've lifted weights more than before (more than zero that is), I'm still biking to work as much as possible (I did it all winter through ice, snow, rain, sleet, slush, wind and cold) and I still WANT to run.

Maybe tonight I'll lace them up again and start from scratch. Better late than never, right?

A Year in Recap

2007-12-31T10:14:00.000-05:00

Let's all get sentimental on the last day of the year, time wasted or time well spent?

A little of both for me, but I won't complain.

It's been hard to keep a steady training schedule with my job, working rotating shifts doesn't help. This lack of training caught up to me in June with a pretty severe stress fracture of my left tibia. When I've tried running, the pain returned after about three weeks of light running. My left calf is still going through wierd perma-cramps, so I haven't been able run since June. It's been frustrating.

However, this year has seen some highlights for me. Trips to Bermuda and Ottawa, vacations to Montreal and Niagara. A new van. Oh there was something else...

Wesley. With his arrival I took parental leave from work and spent 14 weeks at home with Sue and the kids. It was the best time ever. Last year I had to be away from the family for 13 weeks of work training. That time away let me be at home this year.

I'll leave you his video to watch and wish you all a Happy New Year. Hopefully it ends on the same high note as Darcy does!

Happy Birthday to me

2007-12-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to all my readers. There must be tens of you by now...

Today is my birthday, my daughter even figured it out without too much prompting this morning.

I'm lucky enough to not have to work over Christmas, but not lucky enough to go to Switzerland with the rest of the family. I'll just have to 'settle' for a big turkey dinner at one of Sue's aunt's. Yeah, that'll be a real chore.

Stay tuned for more posts, but don't hold your breath.

The Energizer Bunny

2007-10-31T20:56:00.000-04:00

Even though Darcy went out as a Chicken this year, she could have been the Energizer Bunny. One of the local mall had stores doing trick or treating for little ones from 4-7pm today, so we met Alisa and her parents there and did a lap of the mall, filling the bag up so that Darcy was forced to drag it towards the end.

We were going to hit half a dozen houses on our street, but since it was such a nice night, we ended up doing almost the whole block. Again filling up her bucket to over flowing and she needed Dad to carry it at the end, it probably didn't help that someone put a full sized can of pop in there!

She was a trooper and didn't complain about anything, walked up all the stairs and said thank you to everyone. A few people she even struck up conversations with about their decorations. Not too surprisingly, A LOT of people commented on how cute she is and apparently that translates into A LOT of candy. We kept track of the candy we gave out (106 pieces) and I did a count of what she brought in (124 pieces, not counting what she ate at our neighbour while she was his 'helper'). Clearly she is good at this, too bad it only comes once a year. But fortunately for her, her father will try to get this loot to stretch out of the next 124 days, then we'll almost be half way to next year!

Flickr

2007-10-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

Lots of new pics on the Flickr page.

Auntie-Stef or Anti-Stef

2007-10-28T22:42:00.000-04:00

Last night Darcy was playing with Alisa and they were talking about going to swimming lessons. The question was asked, "What do you wear?"

Darcy answered, "I wear my bathing suit. But sometimes grown ups don't wear clothes."
A concerned parent asked, "What do they wear then?"
Darcy calmly answered, "They go nudey."
The follow up question was asked, "Who told you that?"
"Auntie-Stef."

So.

A few questions need to be answered.

Is there any truth to this?
What is Auntie-Stef teaching my THREE year old?
Should her teachings, which include pudding bathes and the introduction to the word "CRAP", get her "Auntie" title changed to an "Anti" title?

Vote now.

GO GLENN GO!!!

2007-10-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

UPDATE:

Glenn finished the marathon in 3:31 and change. Another PR for him, by about 8-10 minutes. I'm very impressed and envious. Conditions were pretty much perfect, cool to start and then a good breeze when the sun got warm.

Awesome job.

----------

Yes it's been a while.

Last time I posted about Jake running the Chicago marathon. If you didn't hear, it was a brutal experience for all of the 45,000 people who choose to run. Jake did finish in 3:59, quite amazing considering the circumstances.

Sunday is the Detroit Marathon. Sue's cousin Glenn is running it. It will be his fourth and he's really just looking to have a good time, nothing wrong with that. In January Glenn will be doing the "Goofy Challenge". That is where you run a half marathon (21.1km) on Saturday and then a full marathon (42.2km) on Sunday. It all takes place in Disney World, hence Goofy.

Anyway, good luck Glenn. Darcy was practicing her cheers tonight with some pretty enthusiastic flag waving to boot.

GO JAKE GO!!!!

2007-10-06T15:53:00.001-04:00

There are four exclamation points in my title because this Sunday Jake is running his forth marathon, the Chicago Marathon. It's his goal to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon by running a 3:14:59 or better. He came close last year at Detroit, staying on pace until mile 20 or 21, when the wheels feel off and he came in at a 'measly' 3:34. It was still a 15 minute PR for him.

This year he has put in some H U G E miles (on week being over 60 miles) and has stayed healthy (not like me...), so I'm confident that he'll get there the time he needs.

GO JAKE!!!!

Bigger Than Jesus

2007-09-28T20:17:00.000-04:00

A long time ago D & I were in the car together and out of the blue she started singing "Hello, hello. I don't know why you say good-bye I say hello," over and over again. Then while Stef was here after Wesman was born I introduced her to "Yellow Submarine." That was a mistake on my part and we were serenaded with an unending chorus of "We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine. We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine," for the next six days

The other night I'm reading D a story from kids Bible and it was about the disciples. The story listed a few of their names; Peter, James, John, Timothy and Andrew. At the end of the story there are always a few questions to recap. One question was, can you name some of the disciples?

Her answer: Paul (not sure how she knows about him. I'll give her part points), John, (pause) George ...

I stopped her before she could get to Ringo.

New Van

2007-09-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

We've been driving a Neon for the last 5 years. Not a big deal with just the two of us, a little tight with three of us and virtually impossible with four. So I started looking a little while back for used cars. The top three contenders were the Jetta Wagon TDI, the Honda CR-V & the Honda Odyssey. I found one of each that were close in price and mileage. The Jetta was the highest mileage, but being TDI was really just broken in. The CR-V was the most expensive, but a really great model with tons of features. The Odyssey was the oldest, but offered tons more room then either of the other two. So it came down to numbers and the Odyssey won.

We are paying $120/month LESS than the Neon and $200/year LESS in insurance. That's a savings of around $1600/year. The Odyssey is listed as using about $1400/year in gas, which is a lot and is certainly more than the Neon. But with the lower payments and lower insurance, we still come out ahead of the Neon, because the Neon used about $980/year in gas. So based on these estimates, we $1200 ahead of ourselves.

What also couldn't be overlooked was the enormous amount of room the Odyssey offered. It seats seven while the Jetta and CR-V each seat five (like the Neon). While the Jetta and CR-V would solve our storage issues for travel, neither would help us get more people into the vehicle. So although we have more room, both the Jetta and CR-V would be full. The Odyssey will comfortably take another two adults in the back bench. I'm sure Stef will be among the first to thank us for that...

Stoopid Leg

2007-09-17T21:15:00.000-04:00

So I had been running every second day. Starting slowly, not in a rush, running easy, building gradually. Following all the rules for not getting injured (again in my case). Then Friday I started out and got a whole 48 seconds before an all to familiar feeling came in to my lower left leg. Pain.

So I stopped and walked home. Freaked Sue out coming home so quickly, but I won't risk going through another stress fracture. That being said, if running lightly brings back the pain, what kind of running won't? My answer is none. I'm not running anymore for a long time. I may take it with my doc, but that was a big waste last time. I'll continue to wait until the leg feels 100% again. In the meantime, I'm breaking out the old rowing machine for my cardio.

Twenty-five solid minutes of rowing gets me nicely into my fat burning zone and gives me some decent resistance training as well. I've also thrown in an intense ab work out for after the cardio. Hopefully this will burn off the ten pounds that creeped back on during the summer.

Wobbly

2007-09-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

Warning this is a little more risque than usual.

So I'm putting Darcy down for her nap today and she comes out with this bit of advice for me.

D: I don't have a wobbly thing on my bum. My boy friends at Betty-Ann's do, Justin and Branden. And Wes has a wobbly thing. I don't have a wobbly thing. They have wobbly things, to tickle them. But I don't.
N: That's right, boys are different than girls.

I didn't laugh once while I was in the room. But I haven't stopped since.

Family of Four

2007-09-09T22:05:00.001-04:00

Well today was the first day we spent as a family of four. No guests, no visitors, no extra help. It will be yet another adjustment for us to make, but I'm sure eventually we'll get our own laundry done again.

My sister, Stef, had been here for the last two weeks. Where did those days go? She was an enormous help and I'm not sure who's saddest to see her go, me & Sue or Darcy. She is definitely my best sister. But Marc might be a close second, if you ask her.

THANKS STEF!!!

Flickr Pro

2007-08-31T22:09:00.000-04:00

Thank you Stef for getting us hooked up with a Flickr Pro account. Now we can (and will) upload all our Darcy and Wesley pictures to Flickr for easy viewing.

You can find our picture here.

Or click the link I've added on the sidebar.

Running again

2007-08-30T17:57:00.000-04:00

I ran today! Only 88 days off. My sister is here for two weeks and wanted to see how running would go for her. So since I wanted to get back into it, starting back up with someone who doesn't run much is a good way to keep myself in check.

We did four 5 minute run, 1 minute walk sets. The distance ended up being 3.9km, not as important as actually getting out there and doing it again. Not going to lie, my legs felt beat a couple of hours later. But I'm back and on the way to going long again.

More of "Wes-man"

2007-08-30T17:52:00.000-04:00

Darcy has taken to calling Wesley, "Wes-man" or Happy dude. More pics:

Can't keep up

2007-08-23T13:58:00.000-04:00

I am overwhelmed at how many people have sent their best wishes these last six weeks. It is impossible to thank everyone, I've tried and I can't keep up. Most of it is thanks to facebook, but my hits on this blog have been through the roof since Sue went into hospital. What some people won't do for ratings, I know.

Sue and Wesley are home. He's sleeping on my lap as I type. Sue is sleeping in her own bed and Darcy is supposed to be taking a nap, but is too excited about having her brother home. She is really being a good sister and sings to him when he's crying. So far it's worked to calm him down a couple of times.

Now what you've all been waiting for, more pictures.

Much ado about nothing

2007-08-21T23:59:00.000-04:00

Well after 5 weeks and six days in the hospital, we have our baby boy! He and Mom are fine. No problems, no worries, eating well already, alert and looking around for the first two hours. He doesn't have to go to the NICU, he is perfectly healthy.

It a little while to get things going, but once things kicked in, it was pretty quick. They didn't get the induction started until almost 11am and it was about 6pm before things were moving.

He was born at 8:21pm, weighing in at 5lb, 14 oz (only 4 oz less than Darcy). I don't know his length.

Please let me introduce my son, Wesley Albert Titcombe. Oh and his mom is in some the pictures too.

Last day

2007-08-20T14:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day Darcy will be an only child. We hope. Sue's induction will be starting at 7 am tomorrow morning, I'm hopeful that everything is said and done before noon. I'm sure she's hoping for that as well...

You'll understand if there aren't a lot of updates in the next few days. I can only imagine how busy we'll be. I will list the birth details and hopefully a picture, but probably not much more than that.

More pics

2007-08-17T20:55:00.001-04:00

Here's some more pictures. I can't be bothered to write anything and I'm sure you all find these far more intesting than my stories.

This is how I found her, 11:00pm.

Swimming anyone?

New tool belt. Hang out with Dad for 5 weeks

and these are the toys she ends up asking for.

"If I had a hammer..."

Cool spider web outside kitchen window.

Note: 5 meals ready to go.

Totally Useless Dr. Appointment

2007-08-16T14:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I wasted the entire afternoon at the hospital, supposedly to see a specialist about my stress fracture. How to manage it, how to get it back to strength, blah, blah, blah. So I went, got x-rayed (you feel pretty stupid walking into the x-ray room for your broken leg) and then waited for the specialist.

His questions to me were, "Who sent you here and why are you here?"

Turns out my doc didn't forward any of the previous two x-ray's or the bone scan. So the specialist didn't have any info to go on. He also said that I should have been referred to his office, not the clinic. Then he told me everything I already knew about stress fractures and suggested that rest is the best way to get it better. Duh.

So I've decided that as long as there is no pain, I will start running again before labor day. I will start from scratch, using the run/walk method and I won't be in a hurry to get back to where I was. No races this fall, just rehab. Hopefully I can get strong through the winter and go injury free next summer.

Time apart

2007-08-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

Sue joked the other day that it seems like we've spent more time apart in the last year then together. So I did a little math and she is right. We've spent more nights apart then we have in the same house. How?

Going from Aug 21/06 to Aug 21/07:
79 nights Nick was away at training.
57 midnight shifts.
42 nights Sue will be in the hospital.
8 nights Nick was away on trips.
186 nights apart.

That leaves 179 nights together through the last year. That will change in the next little while because once baby#2 arrives I'll be off work for 14 weeks!

Some Pics

2007-08-14T16:22:00.000-04:00

Here's a few pictures from the last few days of being an only child. The induction date has been set for next Tuesday. For some reason, I still think it'll be put off a few days. Either way, only a week left. Good, I'm beat. Nothing like a new baby to help me get some good rest.

Oh wait.

Crap.

New dress from Grandmaman.

Orange Smile.

P O P S C I C L E .

A week already

2007-08-07T14:16:00.001-04:00

Somehow my first week alone has already gone by. Needless to say, it was a little busy.

I got Darcy moved into her "big sister room" on Friday and she's been sleeping in there ever since and loving it. As with every other transition she's been through, this was a piece of cake. The room has been painted, new blind, new ceiling fan, new carpet and her bed with new bedding was moved in. She was asking to move in sooner, but it wasn't going to happen.

This week I've got a few people watching her when I work and so far it's been perfect. She's had her naps and eaten well. Another perfect transition. Hopefully when little brother comes home it goes as smoothly.

Sue had another ultra sound with measurements today. The weight was up, 4lb 15oz. Not quite enough to make Sue happy, but the doctor and nurses are impressed. The fluid, which had been up to almost normal levels, was down again. I don't know why this happens, but I'm pretty sure the fluctuation will mean that she's not coming home until #2 is born.

The doctor is hoping to induce sometime after 38 weeks (another two weeks). So it's possible for the baby to still gain some weight.

It's another hot day in Windsor. Even with the rain it's 28C, add the humidity and it's 41C! I wish I could get out and enjoy it, but I'm stuck being a parent.

Single Parent

2007-08-01T15:36:00.000-04:00

So while I was away training for my job, Sue got the privilege of being a single parent for 3 months. Now she's returning the favor to me, but only for about 3 weeks. Sue's mom leaves tonight and from now until about the 18th, it's just me and Darcy at home. Because once Sue & baby #2 come home I'll be able to get lots of rest...

I'll admit, I'm burnt out. Spent. Done. Darcy is doing ok, but we're both a little on edge, so when either one of us get frustrated things boil over quicker than usual. Part of the burn out has come from flying between work, home and hospital on any given day. Fortunately, I have more days off then days on coming up. So I should be less stressed out. Should.

Another part of being stressed out is that I have done NO exercise in the past 20 days. And for someone who is used to missing one day a week, to go this long without any is tough. So I think D & I will bike over to visit Sue in the mornings, it won't make a huge difference physically for me, but I think it will help mentally.

I can only hope.

It's a...

2007-07-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

We didn't find out whether Darcy was a boy or girl until the second she was born. It was a good surprise and we were going to do the same with baby #2. But then things got complicated and with Sue in the hospital, it was just another surprise that we didn't want to deal with.

So we waffled back and forth about a dozen times and then we finally caved on Tuesday (this is the first chance I've had to write about it.)

So you want to know whether it's a boy or girl?

Really?

Well, the ultrasound tech had us guess. Sue picked one and I picked the other, so that one of us would be right. And for the record, I was right.

It's a boy.

It's broken

2007-07-24T16:47:00.001-04:00

So even though I was barely able to walk six weeks ago and still have moderate pain in my leg, today I learned that I officially have a stress fracture. But since it's been so long that I've been managing it, there's not much for me to do with it.

I am being referred to a orthopedist, for continued care and ideas for managing it back to normal. I'd say it's about 70%, but it's been that way for a month and isn't getting much better. So I need to figure out how to get it back to 100%.

Ironman USA

2007-07-23T21:36:00.000-04:00

For those of you who care, Ironman USA was held Sunday. If you don't know, it's a 2.4 mile (4.8km) swim, 112 mile (180km) bike and then a full marathon. That's another 26.2 miles (42.2km) by foot, for a grand total of 140.6 miles in less than 17 hours. Frightening.

Two of the bloggers that I frequent were among the finishers.
Shelley completed her seventh Ironman. Seriously, who can do seven of these things?
Cliff completed his first. And this three weeks after tearing a muscle in his shoulder in a bike wreck.

Outstanding. One day I hope to join the club.

"Routine"

2007-07-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

So having your spouse in the hospital, working full-time, decorating the 'big sister room' and trying not to ignore your three year old really changes things. Thankfully we've had help so far with Sue's mom and then my mom. The guard will change again Wednesday morning back to Sue's mom. But how do you keep things 'normal' for Darcy? That's been my biggest struggle. She still needs to be a three year old and there's not always time for me to do that with her.

One definite for her is that we've visited the hospital every night after supper. She enjoys that and runs around the 'zagebo' (gazebo), chasing squirrels and sea gulls. Of course, that will change now that I'm going to afternoons for a few shifts. Ugh, this poor kid.

The 'big sister room' is shaping up. I got the priming and the two end walls (different colours) done today. The two long walls will be done tomorrow. Darcy really likes the colours and her excitement for getting the room to herself seems to be growing. She did ask a pretty smart question today. "Daddy, where's the bed?" Once I explained that her big girl bed would be switching rooms, she was alright with that.

I go for my bone scan follow up tomorrow morning. I haven't touched my bike since Sue went into the hospital. Strangely I feel like I've been working harder since then, maybe it's all the trying to be in three places at once that's wearing me out.

Only four weeks to go!

Family health updates

2007-07-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

The waiting continues.

Sue had an ultrasound yesterday and the fluid was lower than before. We don't know what the cut off point is where the doc will say, "Alright, the baby is coming out." So hopefully it doesn't get much lower. She's got another ultra-sound tomorrow and should be able to see her doctor to answer some questions.

Darcy is doing fine. She's happy to have Grandmaman here and has enjoyed her visits to see mom. There's a little park on the grounds where she can run around, chase birds and squirrels and just be herself. I also took her for a follow up about her echo test and the doctor said that everything is fine. She has a "benign murmur". I supposed that's the best kind of murmur to get?

I should be following up with my doc about the bone scan some time this week. But I actually have to work all week. Crazy, I know. Then I've got to get "the big sister room" painted and set up before Titcombe #2 arrives. I'm off a few days next week, so I'll make sure to see my doc in between coats of paint.

Also in the good news column, one of Sue's roommates is moving out tomorrow for good. She's having her scheduled section. The 'hick' factor in the room should fall dramatically now.

Long day ahead. Bye.

Aug 5-18: Help needed.

2007-07-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

So, day 4 already.

We're in good shape for the next little while. Sue is taking it all one day at a time. Having to face a possibility of six weeks is too overwhelming for anyone.

Her parents have been here since Thursday afternoon and her mom is staying until Tuesday evening. At about which time my mom should be arriving. She'll stay for a week (25th), so I can go back to work. Then it looks like Sue's mom should be able to come back for a few days, until the 31st. I've got a bunch of days off lined up, so we're covered until Aug 5th. I'm hoping work can move my schedule around so that I get arrange some day-care for D for a couple of weeks. Then Uncle Brian comes the week of the 18th and then Auntie Stef comes from the 26th-Sept something. All I know is that we'd better freaking have another baby by that point.

So if anyone wants to spend some time here, it looks like we need help Aug 5-18. We'll see what work can do for me, but regardless, we'll need another body around.

You know how to reach me.

No real news

2007-07-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

There's been no real change in the situation. Sue is resting and there's been minor improvement in some areas, but no where enough to warrant her going home. The possibility of her being in the hospital for six weeks or longer is very real.

That thought makes it pretty agonizing for everyone. She is going to lose her mind in that room, Darcy doesn't understand why Mom can't come home and I'm stretched pretty thin between being at home with Darcy, visiting Sue and having to go back to work. It reminds a lot of the time that I was away for job training for 13 weeks. Pretty brutal.

Sue's been in a ward room, with two other girls. And I mean girls. One girl is not playing with a full deck and the other, against the wish of her husband, parents, in-laws and doctor, checked herself out and went home to rest. But that benefited Sue because she was able to take over the empty spot and know has a window view, instead of a hallway view. The girl who's missing a few marbles has been in the hospital over a month and has a section scheduled for next week, so she won't be around for much longer. And, I guess because she's been there so long, so gets 'day passes' every now and again. She's out on one now, so Sue has the room to herself for a day or so.

As for me, I had a bone scan on my leg this past Monday. I should see my doctor to talk about the results in a week. I could see something on the scan, so I know there's definitely something wrong. Coupled with the current situation, any momentum I had built on the bike, waiting for my leg to heal is dead. My 'season' is over having completed one measly 5km race. Probably a pretty good time to have a stress fracture!

Sue - update

2007-07-13T13:20:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest.

She's been seen by two docs today. They both think that the lack of fluid is a sign that the placenta is not doing it's job properly. Which means the baby is probably not being nourished properly. Which means that the baby will probably be better off on the outside than the inside. The baby has developed fine, but is small.

They have not given any dates or time frames. Just that it looks like it'll most likely be a long hospital stay. Possibly until the baby is born.

Sue is fine, other than SERIOUS boredom. She's only allowed out of bed to use the washroom, so the days are going to be long ones.

That's all for now.

Things Change

2007-07-12T12:48:00.000-04:00

I was at work today and got a phone call from Sue, it went a little like this.

"Hi, they're admitting me for a week."
"What? When?"
"Right now."
"I'm on my way."

So after a good report from her OB yesterday, she went for her scheduled checkup at the hospital today. Her fluid was too low and they called her doctor, the doctor spoke to Sue and had her admitted.

Right now, I don't know anything more than that. Stay tuned.

We've got help on the way, so we'll be covered for the next few days. I was going to take parental leave anyway, I may just have to take it early.

Back Home

2007-06-28T20:18:00.001-04:00

I'm back home from my trip. No sunburn this time. Too much time spent sitting listening to lectures that don't apply to my job. But it beat working for a living, so I won't complain.

So far I have two takers on the run portion of the Windsor Tri, but no swimmers. Do I feel 'rock, paper, scissors' coming on to make the decision?

The race is Sunday, August 12th. It starts about 9 am, I think. The swim portion is the easiest 800m you'll ever have to swim. It's so shallow you could walk the entire way, in fact many people do. It's such an easy swim that somehow I was first in my age group last year. Seriously, if I can do that, then it can't be that hard. Consider it more of a water run.

Internet Cafe: Ottawa

2007-06-26T20:48:00.000-04:00

I've got 16 minutes left of my $2/30 minutes.

I'm Ottawa until Thursday on a mandatory training course that I don't exactly see the point of. Well, it's not just me, I can't think of many people who enjoyed sitting through an entire day of lectures and group building exercises. But this counts as my work for the week and I don't go back until July 3rd, so it's not all bad (Yes Jake, more time off).

Quick update on my leg. Now three full weeks since I last ran and it's about 70% better. But still not good enough to run on. I had my second x-ray last week and have an appointment for a bone scan on July 9th, still to rule out stress fracture. Sometimes it's still really painful, sometimes it feels like the muscle is seizing, sometimes it feels like the muscle might be pulled or torn. The doctors has suggested that I keep the biking up, because it's not an impact related sport. So I won't lose all my fitness, but it is frustrating.

My motivation has been a little low and I've come to the realization that I will probably have to skip the triathlon this year. Unless I can put a relay team together. I'll take care of the bike, anyone want to swim 800m or run 6km? If we register before July 1st it's a bit cheaper, so let me know if you're serious.

9 minutes left.

update

2007-06-09T21:21:00.000-04:00

So I'm back from vacation, had a great time, blah, blah, blah.

But I'm injured. Before Bermuda I had a twinge in my left shin. Before going to Montreal it was getting worse. In Montreal I "ran" 5 km in barely 28 minutes. This is lethargically slow for me and I could not have gone any faster. The rest of the day and most of the week I limped around. From what I read on the internet, I have a really good shin splint. But to be prudent, I got it x-rayed when I got back home, to rule out a stress fracture. The doc said at least two weeks off and that I need to get it another x-ray in a week's time. Possibly a bone-scan.

So my running legs are on the shelf. That pretty much rules out two races for me. But allows me to crank up some bike miles.

Higher miles

2007-05-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

I ran 8 miles tonight, 13km. Jake and I had been looking for a time to run together for a while and this was the first chance we had. It is so nice to have someone to run with. It takes your mind off the fact that you're running for over an hour. At the end we both had a bit of the jell-o legs, but felt good.

I feel 100% better then I did two weeks ago when I struggled through 6 miles.

A few shorter runs this week, plus I need to get my cross-training going again. Next weeks long run is 10 miles.

---------

UPDATE (05/30/07 21:10)

Not that you care, but I realized today that I misread my schedule and this weeks long run was only supposed to be 6 miles, not the 8 miler that I did. But that's ok, because this will give me the option now of building my long runs to be longer than the half-marathon race distance.

Oh, and I'm going for a nice long bike ride tomorrow morning.

Suffering for Jesus

2007-05-29T10:24:00.000-04:00

The reason for the trip to Bermuda was a trip for the Youth Band that I help organize for our division of the Salvation Army. It's always fun to travel and if we're going to play for people it might as well be tropical! Yeah, some real suffering was done over THAT decision.

We flew out of Buffalo at 9:50am on Thursday, but with checking in, travelling in a group of 30 with over sized instruments, it meant being at the airport by 7:30am. Now is a good time to mention that Buffalo is a solid 4+ hour drive from where I live. Do the math and you can see that it was an early morning.

So the Windsor crew (9 of us) went to London the night before to sleep (although I didn't sleep a wink) and then we all took a coach bus from there to Buff. Other than the insane departure time from London (4am), things went great. Flying into Newark for our connection was cool, because I didn't realize how close it is to NYC, which I had never seen before, and we got a good view of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty from our side of the plane. Side-note: Newark airport has stuff well priced. I bought a bagel w/cream cheese for $1.49, in an airport!

The next flight to Bermuda was great, although coming in for a landing and not seeing ANY land is a little freaky. By the time we got to our billets, had something to eat, drove around a few of the sights, I had been up for almost thirty hours. When I hit the pillow that night I didn't even move until my alarm went off 9 hours later.

Friday was a busy day, we played in a few schools, did an hour or so on street corners and then had some free time. I convinced the rest of the leaders to take a ferry with me across the island. We didn't have much time to do it, but it ended up timing itself perfectly. Plus, this gave us 40 minutes to sit on a boat in the Bermudian sun. The sacrifices of leadership, I know...

We had a sound check for our concert Saturday morning, then spent the early part of the afternoon at the beach, Horseshoe Bay. At first the water was cool, but it didn't matter it was the ocean and it warmed up nicely. A few hours in the sun and water and most of us looked fairly pink. It was pretty evident when someone had missed a spot on their backs with sunblock. I got burned a bit, but only in the spots I missed. It's a little itchy, but it was worth it.

Saturday night we shared a concert with their Divisional Bands and then we did the church service Sunday morning. A quick, and wonderful, lunch was provided to us after church and we bolted for the airport. It was over too quickly.

But us Windsor folk still had about 14 hours of travelling to do. We had a four hour layover in Newark, then our flight was delayed an hour because of weather, after we had boarded. We got back to London around 3:15am Monday and I was home by 5:20. Fortunately shift work has taught me how to handle being up all night and I just treated it like a midnight shift. Once Sue and Darcy were on their way in the morning, I went to bed.

I feels like a dream. A very vivid and detailed dream. I'll have to go back to make sure it was real...

Back Burned

2007-05-28T16:03:00.000-04:00

"There's a double meaning in that" - Benedict, Much Ado About Nothing

I'm back from Bermuda. A full update will follow. Just a quick note to say how great it was. It was so beautiful and went so quickly that it felt like a dream. Even though we were there for a band trip, I did managed to find time to get a little sunburn.

Other than that and getting burned with horrible flight times, no complaints.

10k a ok

2007-05-22T17:03:00.001-04:00

So I did another long run today and was much stronger mentally than last week. I even ran it a minute faster.

I thought that the fact that it was the hottest day might have had something to do with last weeks struggles, but today was plenty hot and I was fine.

I just need to suck it up and run.

The sacrifices we have to make

2007-05-22T16:54:00.000-04:00

When I started my new job in November I figured that being at the bottom of to totem-pole, I would get stuck with working all the crappy shifts, holidays and have trouble getting time off when I needed it. Boy, was I wrong.

Somehow my schedule gave me almost all of the stat. holidays off. I had to work this Monday, but that wasn't so bad because it was preceded with four days off anyway! Plus, I go into work tonight and then I'm done until June 9th. Tomorrow I leave for five days on a trip to Bermuda with the Salvation Army Youth Band that I help organize, then I come back for three days of rest before leaving again for a week in Montreal for a family vacation.

When I finally have to go back to work, I only have 10 days in June where I'm actually AT work because I'm being sent to Ottawa for some training for four days. Score. I also had the shifts I was working changed recently, from 8 hours to 10.5 hours. The extended hours means I get more time off. Previously I was working 40 of 56 days (the length of our schedule). Now I work 30 of 56 days. This is going to be great once Sue is done work at the end of June.

The mind game

2007-05-15T16:54:00.000-04:00

It's been said that running is 20% physical and 90% mental. Lately I've been finding that to be true.

Working shifts makes biking to and from work harder than in previous years, so my cycling numbers are way down. But I'm getting out there for more runs then usual, so while my fitness isn't great, it's still good. The thing is, every time I go out for a long run I have to battle my mind to make it through.

Today was no exception. I did a 10 k, my goal was to do it nice and easy, keeping my heart rate low'ish' and just getting to the end of it. I did two 3 mile loops, picking up a bottle of Gatorade at the half way point, so physically I was fine. I've been building my distance again slowly, so I have no concerns there. But mentally it was a slugfest. I don't understand why I beat myself up so badly. "The next mile is with the wind, there'll be no breeze." "There's not enough shade." "Am I dehydrating?" "The bottle is getting heavy." "Don't drink too much." and my favorite "My feet are too hot."

I've run that distance countless times. I've run longer than 10 k many times and have even run twice that far. So why the mental weakness? WHY? Over the next 10 weeks or so I plan on increasing my long run by about 2 miles a week, so in 4 weeks a 6 mile run will seem like a day off. Why the battle?

10,000

2007-05-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

For no important reason I have a site metre at the bottom of this blog. I guess the real reason is so that I can know how many people are reading this and where they come from. Also, it's boosts my ego.

At 2:34 pm, May 13, 2007, I received my 10,000 th visitor. And it's not like I was visiting the site myself to inflate the numbers, this was a legitimate visitor all the way from Harare, Zimbabwe! I imagine it was one of two people that I know in Harare.

Thanks for visiting John or Rochelle!

Facebook

2007-05-03T13:04:00.000-04:00

This is not an authorized plug for Facebook.com, but it is still a plug.

If you don't know what it is, basically you can look up people from your past, that you've lost touch with and reconnect (if they use facebook too, but right now it seems almost everyone does). There are other services like this (classmates, gradfinder), but facebook it miles better then those two combined. And it's free. My wife started using it about a week ago and commented how addicting it is. I used her account to look around for a day or two before getting my own account.

I refuse to use the word 'addicted', but I certainly am committed. I cannot believe how easy it to find people. People from every part of your own personal history. Grade school, high school, college, family, extended family, lost friends, long lost friends, co-workers, former co-workers, even ex's. Not that I have many of those...

For example: The day I signed up, I found my childhood best friend. A guy who I spent everyday with from kindergarten until the end of high school when we went to different colleges. I haven't seen or heard from him in at least 13 years and we've chatted for the last couple of days. If you played a lot of Tim Horton's Roll-up-the-rim and doubt that anyone ever wins big, well some people do. He won a Toyota Hybrid, but he doesn't drive so he sold it!

I give two thumbs up to facebook.

24 C - nice. Take two

2007-04-22T20:20:00.001-04:00

So the last time I wrote about how nice the weather was, it turned cold again and snowed for about two weeks. Well, I'm going to risk saying that the weather is warm for good now. At least it better be. The three of us went down to the river this afternoon and then played on the sidewalk with Darcy's chalk. She loves being outside.

I'm getting my bike back from the shop tomorrow, so I can hardly wait to get out there again. I've been doing my best to run every second day, it's tough with shift work, but it gives me something to aim for.

Wow

2007-04-03T10:12:00.000-04:00

My buddy Jake has been running marathons for the last three years. He started off with a respectable time of just under 4 hours and has lowered his personal best each time he's raced. He's done it the old fashioned way, hard work and a lot of miles.

Last Sunday he ran the Martian Half Marathon, with a goal of 1:30, 5 minutes better than his previous best. He ran a 1:30:39, finishing 50-something out of 1000-odd people, or in the top 5% of all finishers. You can read his account here.

Catching up

2007-03-29T17:21:00.001-04:00

If you follow the little mileage counter I have in the right hand column, you'll see how far I've swam, biked and ran each year. I have an on-line that totals everything up for me, so it's not hard to keep track of.

So far this year I've run a little over 136 km. Nothing special, I know.

However, in January and February combined I ran 69 km. So far in March I've run 67.25 km. I plan on going out on Saturday to increase that total.

My bike is in the shop right now, getting the wheels trued and some spokes replaced, as well as fixing a clunk that I had in the steering column (probably a dead bearing). I should have it back soon and then I'll be cranking out those miles too.

24 C - nice.

2007-03-26T13:14:00.000-04:00

I was sitting here at the computer and I noticed that the temperature was 23 C outside. By the time I got this post opened up, it jumped up to 24 C. And today is an off day for me! What was I thinking. Oh well, I have to work this afternoon, so there's no time to squeeze in a short run. Tomorrow is only supposed to be 18 C, I'll have to survive.

Warm weather means I can put the tights away! I think Sue is happier about that than anyone else.

Did you see the Amazing Race last night? It was, well, amazing. The teams are really spread out now, like over 24 hours between first and last. That never happens. The only unfortunate part is that the most annoying team is in first place.

First Race

2007-03-18T16:22:00.000-04:00

Today was the first running race of the season, held by our local Running Factory. For grown-ups it is a 5 km race, for kids the offer a 1 km event and for little ones they have the Kids Dash, about 100 metres or so. Darcy came to see me run a few times last year and ever since then, she's been talking about doing a race. When I told her we could race together, she could hardly contain her excitement!

The big day was this morning, although the event is called the Spring Thaw at -5C it didn't really feel all that much like Spring. But the cold didn't dampen Darcy's spirit. She was ready to run the whole race, and she did! I don't think she's ever been this excited, she laughed the whole way down the street. Being one of the littlest little ones, she brought up the rear of the event, but that seemed to get the crowd going in her favor. I saw several people taking her pictures and heard lots more calling out to her. I heard someone say, "Look at how determined she is."

Once we crossed the finish line, she got her medal and several high-fives from the volunteers. Then she started asking for her racers treats, so I made my way over to the athletes snack table and grabbed something for her. Before her nap this afternoon she asked Mommy, "When's my next race with Daddy?" Hopefully she remembers this for a long time.

Oh, I ran the 5 km. Overall I finished in 52 place, 6 of 19 in my age group. I ran a 21:18, an improvement from last year, but I've still been unable to break the 20 minutes mark in a race. Jake ran too, blew away his PR and finished with a 19:05! That's sick. Fortunately, he got another year older and is now out of my age group, so I move up a place. Full results are here.

Close call

2007-03-02T11:50:00.000-05:00

I've done a lot of driving in my day, 7 years doing some delivering and about 3 years working in car rentals. I haven't had an accident yet (knock on wood). That streak almost came to a brutal end last night.

We were on our way to Cambridge through some rainy weather and the closer we got, the worse the roads got. Near London the gusts of wind were moving us around pretty good and then we hit a big patch of ice that sent us into a wicked spin. Sue thinks we went around 2 1/2 times, I thought it might have only been 1 1/2. Who cares really. The point is that we were spinning out of control with traffic behind us closing in, including a tractor-trailer. Somehow we stayed in the lanes, off both shoulder, off the wall and out of the ditch. I have no doubt that my hands weren't the only ones trying to steer the car.

After the last spin we straightened out and I thought I had it fully corrected, but gave a little too much gas and we did another half spin. This sent us across the road and towards the ditch, but we were going slowly at this point and I was able to stop before going into the ditch.

It all happened so quickly that I really don't remember it all very clearly, but the one thing that I remember is that while were spinning, the tires barely squealed at all. Which tells me that we were on a pretty solid sheet of ice. I have to think that if we had been going sideways and hit a dry patch, this story would be completely different.

When we stopped, Darcy said, "Wow, what was that?!" We told her it was a big spin, she said, "I didn't like that. It scared me." Yeah, kiddo, it scared me too.

So we stopped at a hotel for the night and finished the last 30 minutes this morning. It was the right thing to do, as we saw several cars being pulled out of the ditch this morning.

Corner Gas

2007-02-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

Do you watch Corner Gas? If you like good sarcastic Canadian humour, you should. Last night's episode was a brilliant parody of the Canada-Russia 1972 Summit Series. It was a table hockey match up between Karen, the rookie cop who passes crisply and trains fiercely against Brent, a beer swilling out of shape talent. I've been known to be a bit of a hockey history buff and this had all the details. Right down to Brent doing a spoof of Eposito's famous rant after game 4, Alan Eagleson (Wanda) getting carried away from the ice shooting the bird to the Russian officials, even having Espo fall on the ice before game eight, to great embarrassment.

Since art reflected life, I'm not spoiling the ending by telling you that Brent won.

I've been watching the first couple of seaons on DVD and a great question was raised by Hank: Where do people who live in igloos go to the bathroom? I've often wondering that about astonauts, but thanks to the internet, I can sleep well knowning that the space toilet only cost $23.4 million US.

The Great One

2007-01-26T14:06:00.000-05:00

He turns 46 today.

Name Game

2007-01-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

When we were expecting Darcy, choosing a name was not an easy task. Eventually we narrowed things down to a few shorts lists for either sex and after much negotiating we agreed on Darcy.

This time I think we're going to have a bit more fun. Like getting Darcy to approve suggestions. I had a good friend write with an idea, which I think is brilliant, but Sue is less than convinced. Sue asked Darcy about a different name and we let her decide which one she liked better. It went pretty much like this:

S: Darcy what name do you like better for the baby; Lucy or Omegatron?
D: Omegatron!

I think that settles it. Omegatron Titcombe, has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

And then there were two

2007-01-15T20:53:00.000-05:00

I took a little heat at home for only being willing to throw out one pair of running shoes. So I took a leap of faith and threw out two pairs. Both pairs of Asics (#1 & #2 pictured) are now gone. A bit of a sad day...

Another thing that there'll soon be two of is children for Sue and I. You can read about that here.

And another thing that there'll be two of is Sue's cousin Glenn running two races in two days, also known as the Goofy Challenge. First a 1/2 marathon (21 km) and then the very next day a full marathon (42km). You can read about that craziness here.

Running Shoe Anonymous

2007-01-12T11:45:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Nick and as this picture displays, I may have a problem. When it comes to shoes, everyday shoes, I own four pairs; one pair of winter boots, one pair of casual/dress shoes, one pair of every day runners (I don't actually run in these) and one pair of work boots. The work boots are issued to me and are only ever worn to and from work, so those don't really count.

I do, however, own a lot of running shoes. Some people would say that I have too many pairs. I probably have two many pairs (yes, very clever, I know...). But I can defend almost all of their existences. As you can see I have six, count 'em S I X pairs of running shoes and most of them are used frequently and only for running. Most of them...

What is perhaps the most disturbing part of my problem is that I know when I got them, how many races they've been used in, what the longest distance is that I ran in each pair and how many total miles/kms are on each pair. Oh, and I can tell you any of that off the top of my head.

Here's a partial index for you:

Pair #1: Asics Gel 1090: Apr 05 - 500km total (retired - now used only to cut the grass)

Pair #2: Asics Cumulus: Jan 06 - 465km total (retired - about to be disposed of)

Pair #3: Saucony Grid Pheonix: Jan 06 - 376km total (racing shoe for 06 - still active)

Pair #4: Adidas Tundra: Apr 06 - Used only for walking (still active)

Pair #5: Saucony Azura LC: Jan 07 - 3.2km (racing shoe for 07)

Pair #6: Adidas adiStar: Jan 07 - 5km (trainer for 07)

I know I'm not the only runner who is a little too obsessive about their shoes, I expect to hear some support from of you!

Good to know

2007-01-02T22:25:00.000-05:00

Darcy was telling us about her day tonight during supper.

D: Bradan picked his nose and ate it.
N: That's gross.
D: Yea, that's yucky. I did it to my ear.
N: Did you eat it?
D: No, I put it on the blanket.

New Shoes

2007-01-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

If you notice my sidebar, you'll see that I've started my distance counters over again. It's a new year, time for new counters. I'm not going to predict how far I'll go this year, but I do hope it's farther than last year.

One thing that remains the same is that I got two great deals on running shoes. I was really happy with the Asics Cumulus that I had last year, but they're dead now, after nearly 500km, and causing me some heel pain after 3 miles. I also used Saucony Grid Pheonix for shorter distances (less than 10km) and that pair is still going strong at about 380km. But since they're too firm for long distances I needed a pair of good cushioning shoes. Unfortunately, there were no Cumulus in my size, so I went with the Adidas adiStar Cushioning.

Since I know that the Pheonix won't last me the year, I got a pair of Saucony Azura LC. They are racing flats. A light weight shoe that is designed to have the absolute minimum cushioning and stability necessary to get you through a shorter race (10km or less). A big plus is that the bare bones nature of the shoe will increase my foot strength and my feet will be stronger longer. That's the theory anyway. Some people are able to adapt to using this sort of she during marathons and say that their feet feel less tired than when they use regular trainers. We'll have to see...

She's gifted

2006-12-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

We're home from our little trip to visit family for Christmas. It was nice. A quick couple of days, but nice to see everyone and catch up. I hadn't seen some people since before going away for three months, so there was a fair bit of catching up to do.

It doesn't really need to be said, but Darcy is extraordinarily gifted, at least from my point of view. This trip she proved that she has an undeniable for having to go to the "baff-yoom" right as we're passing the last rest stop on the voyage. She did it Sunday afternoon and laughed about it all the way to her grandparents house, "Woo hoo, I have a stinky bum!"

She had a blast playing with her cousins, eating garbage and staying up way too late. Last night we managed to get her to bed at a relatively normal time and she slept for nearly 12 hours. When I went in to get her this morning I was immediately engulfed in two distinct smells; poop & vomit. She claimed that she hadn't pooped, but said she had a scratchy throat (while whipping her face off on my shoulder). My theory was that the smell of toxic poop her diaper had forced her to choke on her own filth. She was fine for the rest of the day. Eat well, played hard and had a solid nap.

On the drive home tonight, right as we were passing the final rest stop, she declared that she had "pee and poop". What a gift. And then she pooped. I find out later that even if we had stopped, it would have been too late. She wasn't upset by the dirty diaper and we were within 20 minutes of being home, so we pressed on. As we got about 5 minutes from home, the smell of toxic poop again forced her to choke on her own filth and she spewed all over herself, her blanket, her car seat and her brand new Dora doll. But she was remarkable calm and patiently waited for us to get home. As I was getting her out of the car she said, "Oh no, what a mess I made. Oh no, look at my Dora." But we got her cleaned up and put her right in bed and she never even shed a tear.

Sue can't sleep because she's worried D's going to be sick again tonight and I'm on midnights. So I should be sleeping now to prepare myself, but I can't sleep either. I'll pay for this around 4am...

--------

UPDATE (12/27)

Well, I was wrong about two things. One, I was paying for not sleeping closer to 2am. Two, Darcy must actually be sick because she was up from 4:30-6:00am with Sue throwing up again. This kid is so needy, geez!

The tally last night was something like:
Sets of sheets: 2
Pillows: 3
Pyjamas: 3
Hours Sue slept: 3.5

Happy Birthday to me

2006-12-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

I turn 32 today. It was a good day, I worked the midnight shift and came home to hear Darcy say, "Happy Boofday Daddy" she was pretty excited for me. Then she said, "My boofday is June 6!"

Somehow I fluked my way into having the 25 & 26th off, not bad for the rookie. So were headed out of town to see some family.

And I quote!

2006-12-14T00:15:00.000-05:00

My dear wife and I were recently discussing books to read. She said that she could recommend a couple that she knew I was going to like. On Dec. 13, 2006 at 1337, referring to one book, her exact words were, "It's not like Pride & Prejudice, it's good stuff."

She tried to take the words back. But at last I was able to uncover the truth; Sue is not the P&P fan that she claims to be. Now we're going to have to change Darcy's name.

Never a dull moment

2006-12-11T00:21:00.000-05:00

*** Warning, this post is about a 2 1/2 year old pooping.***

Today Darcy was on the toilet, pushing her brains out. As usual, she needed to have a book read to her to accomplish the task at hand. So I was reading about Baby Pluto following his nose, but she kept getting distracted and was forgetting the task at hand. I asked what I thought was a simple question and the following conversation ensued.

N: Darcy, did you do your poops? Where did your poops go?
D: I dunno. Did you take them?
N: No.
D: Did Mommy take them?
N: No. Are they still in your bum?
D: Yes, I will pull them out (tries to put her hand under her bum).
N: No honey, push them out. No hands.

Sorry kiddo!

2006-11-29T18:36:00.000-05:00

Tonight's Daddy-Daughter night, while Sue is at work. We were playing some silly games, like where she throws the mini-nerf football off my head and laughs like a maniac or when she says, "Don't laugh Daddy." And then I laugh and she laughs. Good times.

She also asked for a horsie ride and climbed on to my back. We took a bit of a ride and then she decided to get off. But before I could let her, she did a back dive and landed on her toy telephone, head first. The bruise came up within a minute. She's going to look like football player tomorrow.

She's the birthday girl

2006-11-23T17:08:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to my beautiful wife, Sue.

I can't believe you're really that old.

Love,
Nick

PASS

2006-11-15T12:14:00.000-05:00

I'll save you the suspense; I passed.

However, it's a total hollow victory. Four of my classmate did not and I feel like I've lost family members. This morning was the worst few hours I've ever been through, seeing people disappear was unreal.

Thanks for your support during these last three months. Big thanks go especially to those who helped Sue while she was alone. I'm just glad that it's all been worth it.

I just wish it felt better than this.

The Waiting Game

2006-11-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

So it's all over but the waiting. I find out my results Wednesday morning, hopefully by 10am. If all goes well, I graduate Thursday and start work back home on Monday.

I'm not going to lie. Yesterday was the most stressful day of my life. Although I'm reasonably sure that Wednesday morning will surpass it, up until this point, I've never been as nervous as I was yesterday. I know that a lot of my classmates feel the same way, so at least I know we're all feeling the same way.

It's time to let it all go now. Sue and Darcy arrive this afternoon and Sue and I are going to see Elton John tonight. That will be a great time and, for the record, it is her birthday present, so that has to earn me some big points in the husband of the year category.

ps: I switched to the new version of blogger (I'm sure you could tell). Now chalk full of beta-goodness.

Ironman Florida

2006-11-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Ironman Florida. Several people from Windsor made the trek and competed. I found a few of their results and as if completing an Ironman isn't sick enough, they did it some disgustingly fast times.

Matt Gervais: 9:45:49
Mark Kloppenburg: 9:58:40
Shelley McKee: 13:52:20

World class guys! That is amazing.

No time to blog

2006-11-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

I'm into the home stretch and I've barely had any time to read email, let alone think about blogging in the last week or so. The next week doesn't look any better. I write my final exams next Thursday and Friday.

Congrats go out to the recent marathoners, Glenn (4:21) and Krista (4:43) in Toronto and Jake (3:34!) in Detroit. Great job. Well deserved.

Since the stress level of the final exams is building in my life, I've taken to running on the treadmill (gasp!) to blow off steam. Tonight was an exceptional steam blowing session. Another new personal best: 5km in 19:44 (3:57/km or 6:21/mile). It felt good.

Hopefully after the exams of next week I'll have time to blog.

Meeting Goals

2006-10-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to run 700km. It was a bit of an arbitrary number, based on what I had run last year and was hoping to increase this year. I met that goal last week. I've swam almost twice as much as last year, but being away from home has killed my cycling and I'll fall about 600km short of my goal. I think if I really push it, I might be able to get to 1000km, but the early morning darkness is really killing my long runs.

Yesterday, I went for a 10km run and set out at what felt like a fast, but comfortable pace. In the end it turned out to be a 43:02 run (6:55/mile), crushing my old PR by 44 seconds. I never felt like I was working all that hard and my heart rate didn't even get as high as when I've raced. Woo hoo!

Hard Week

2006-10-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

This has been a hard week. Darcy had a few break downs after her Papa left and Sue has to deal with it all herself. I just can't consider my being here to be fair to her, even in the smallest degree. I just really feel that I should be at home now. And on Tuesday I very nearly decided that it was time to pack things up and leave. Being away for 9 weeks has gotten to me and I want it to be over.

Fortunately, I have the most amazing classmates and several of them could tell that I was not myself before I even had the chance to tell them. We just know each other well enough to know when something is wrong. In the end I had a break down myself and again they were there to pick me up and to talk me away from the cliff. Some of the best advice someone gave me was, "If you quit now, you go home with nothing and this has all been a waste. If you stick it out, you go home with something. You've got to go home with something."

I'm feeling better about life, but still wish this was over. I had the first round of final exams today and feel that I totally rocked them. Two more weeks of learning, a week of exams, a week of orientation.

It had to happen

2006-10-13T17:11:00.000-04:00

Groups start their training sessions roughly every two weeks. The group that is two weeks behind me got their exam results today. I remember how stressful it was sitting, waiting for your turn to get the results. But, obviously, I passed and was very relieved.

Things didn't go as well for a couple of people and they were escorted off the premises. I saw some of their classmates and every one of them looked like they had seen a ghost. They were relieved to have passed, but blown away by the reality that their friends weren't coming back.

On the bright side, I have now finished 8 weeks. I have 3 weeks of learning left, 1 week of exams and then a final week of orientation before heading back home!

Marathoners

2006-10-10T19:52:00.000-04:00

A quick shout out to Glenn & Krista (Sue's cousins), who are running the Toronto Marathon this Sunday. Go get 'em! You've trained hard, now race harder. A few short, mind you possibly painful, hours is all that remains between you and a lifetime of bragging rights.

Also to my former co-worker Jake, who makes his run at a Boston qualifying time in Detroit on October 29. Have fun Jake, but don't forget to change your clock that night! It would sort of suck if you were an hour early (or would it be late? I never get it right). I seriously hope you make it. That would be amesome.

Half way

2006-09-29T18:27:00.000-04:00

Today marks the academic halfway point for me! Woo Hoo! This has been a stressful week with exams and waiting for the results, but I passed, so I keep on going with the process.

Today also marks one more week until I get to go home for Thanksgiving. That will be awesome, I can hardly wait. Poor Darcy is so out of sorts and poor Sue is having to deal with everything. It's a pretty crappy situation, but we're halfway there.

Thanks to all those who have emailed support, it meant a lot especially this week.

ps: Happy 60th Birthday to my Father-in-law! Way to go H, you've honed that body into one that doesn't look much older than 70!

Have you heard of this?

2006-09-21T17:24:00.000-04:00

There is a club called the "Marathon Maniacs", their goal is usually just to complete a marathon in all 50 states at some point in their lives. Some are little more hardcore and try to do 50 marathons in 50 states, in one year.

But this is crazy. Dean Karnazes is the ultimate of ultra-marathon runners. He has been featured in Runner's World several times and was one of the first people ever to run over 300 miles at one time! Although, he did admit to occasionally falling asleep while he was running.

His lastest endevour has been to run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days. Don't worry Sue, this is something that I will never have interest in trying. It's for the clearly unstable.

Stress time

2006-09-20T18:33:00.000-04:00

We are rapidly approaching our first set of "pass/fail" exams. We do them early next week. Even though I feel well prepared, I've done very well on all the review material and have improved the little areas that needed improving, the stress level is rising quickly.

I'm enjoying the program and have wonderful classmates. These are some of the most dedicated and supportive people that I've ever had the pleasure to work with. But that is also how we got here...

So, I've got a few days of practice and studying left, then it's crunch time.

Feeling guilty

2006-09-12T19:13:00.000-04:00

Darcy had a great week last week with Stef, but this week has noticed the difference with Stef gone. I can't help but feel guilty for putting Darcy through this stressful time. She's so young and she doesn't understand that I'm not there right now. She's at the point where she doesn't really want to talk to me on the phone. I think that's because she doesn't want to talk to me, she wants to see me, to play with me, she wants me to be there.

I know that if all goes well, this will really pay off in the end. But right now I feel like a pretty terrible father for forcing such trauma on her young little life.

One Quarter Done

2006-09-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

Three weeks in. It's amazing to think that I'm already 1/4 finished. In some ways it feel like I'm been here for ever, but in other ways it feels like time has just flown by. I have an amazing group to work with, we can totally count on each other for help and support. That has made life away from my family easier.

I'm still keeping in shape. I'm not biking nearly as much as I'd like to, I get out maybe twice a week, but my running is still going nicely; I get in about 20 miles a week. I'm also able to swim more consistently and the weight are always available too. Although, I have yet to actually touch them...

Combined, I've managed to put in over 150km in since I've been here.

Home

2006-09-02T21:42:00.000-04:00

I'm home in Windsor for the long weekend. On Thursday I told Darcy that I would see her Friday. We barely made it, but I was in her room watching her sleep at 11:55 pm. When she woke up this morning, I walked in and she started to say "Hello, Mommy." But she caught herslef and spent the next five minutes saying, "Daddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddy!" In between that she would say, "You were in the telephone." It's good to be missed.

Oh yeah, Sue missed me too.

Tonight on CNN - program change

2006-08-29T16:36:00.000-04:00

There was supposed to be a documentary feature about the eight years that Sue and I have been married, but it's being replaced with ongoing Katrina coverage.

What some people will do for ratings!

Love you Sue, even if we don't have our own tv special ;)

Distance

2006-08-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

I'm in Montreal for the weekend. Stef and I went for a long ride this morning, nothing hard, just keeping an easy pace over mostly paved trails. We got as close as we could to the F1 Track, where the Champ Car Series is having a race this weekend. We were within a kilometre of the track and could see the tents, I could also hear the cars all the way from here, about 12.5 km away. We did do dome gravel trails and a few sections of trails that are still being completed. Some good hills and some good descents (with some nice skidding). It was a great ride, we were gone for 2 1/2 hours and covered 47.5 km, according to Gmap Pedometer.

It was an intense first week. I'm really enjoying the learning, but it's really hard to be away from Sue and Darcy. If you've read Sue's blog, you'll know that Darcy's having a tough time adjusting to my being away. It's having an effect on all of us. Fortunately, next weekend is a long weekend and I'll headed home to see my favorite girls! Yee Haw.

I love Air Canada

2006-08-21T16:42:00.000-04:00

Have you seen Windsor Airport? If not, it's small. I think there is one gate. Yet, the last two times I've flown from Windsor to Toronto, my bags have been lost. What is up with that? How hard is it? There was only one plane in Windsor, how come my bags didn't get on it?

I won't even get into some of the other diasters that AC & I have shared. I could write a book about it.

My dear wife, who I totally ADORE for her wisdom, suggested last week that I take a uniform as carry-on, just in case. Being the obedient husband that I am, I followed her advice and packed everything I'd need for one day in my carry-on. Except toileteries. Now, my first day is done and I STILL DON'T HAVE ANY LUGGAGE!!! I'm told that they will be delivered today, but I'll believe it when I see it. Big points to Sue for coming up with her idea. Wow, I'd be so totally up the creek without that suggestion.

So here I am, with the clothes that I wore yesterday and the one uniform I carried on. Hopefully my bags come soon.

Like right now would be nice.

----------

UPDATE: 9:00pm

Apparently I'm quite a powerful writer. It turns out that as I was writing my little rant, my bags were being delivered that very minute. Hah. Oh wait, they were only 22 hours late, so it's really not THAT funny.

I'll tri it.

Fire at Camp

Back at it.

Sliding down the road

This is a sick world.

Vacation

Nine times

Not that I said I told you so, but...

Some one has read my mind

Running:The cause or cure for stress?">Running: The cause or cure for stress?

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

Election Question

My favorite site

Here we go again!

VW - the North American version

Inspired

Cool Run

Linked up

What's Foreign?

Race day

Slowly, but surely

Time goes by too quickly

First post of the year

A Year in Recap

Happy Birthday to me

The Energizer Bunny

Flickr

Auntie-Stef or Anti-Stef

GO GLENN GO!!!

GO JAKE GO!!!!

Bigger Than Jesus

New Van

Stoopid Leg

Wobbly

Family of Four

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Running again

More of "Wes-man"

Can't keep up

Much ado about nothing

Last day

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Totally Useless Dr. Appointment

Time apart

Some Pics

A week already

Single Parent

It's a...

It's broken

Ironman USA

"Routine"

Family health updates

Aug 5-18: Help needed.

No real news

Sue - update

Things Change

Back Home

Internet Cafe: Ottawa

update

Higher miles

Suffering for Jesus

Back Burned

10k a ok

The sacrifices we have to make

The mind game

10,000

Facebook

24 C - nice. Take two

Wow

Catching up

24 C - nice.

First Race

Close call

Corner Gas

The Great One

Name Game

And then there were two

Running Shoe Anonymous

Good to know

New Shoes

Running:
The cause or cure for stress?">Running: The cause or cure for stress?