Tuesday, June 08, 2010

That toddling town

In Chicago waiting for flight to Nashville. Here in OH it is 13C and rainy which feels like home. Only home today was 13C and sunny. So I drove to the airport with the top down and enjoyed the spring morning sunshine.

Last week and this week have been and will be full of life. I managed a latin gig on Saturday night with four amazing musucians from Guatemala and Cuba who withstood my fumbling cascaras and politely overlooked my playing of 2|3 son claves when I should have been playing 3|2 rhumba claves. (Look it up. Butchery). No excuse other than lack of preparation due to distraction from work and ride preparation.

Speaking of which, wifey has been doing incredible things on her bike, with a butt-numbing 100km ride on Saturday, followed by another 70 on Sunday. She is inspiring to me.

Unfortunately my training has been fitful at best. Between setup/ soundcheck at the Mexican wedding gig on Saturday, and the gig itself, I managed a meagre 73km. On Sunday, I unfortunately slept in (2am to bed the night before after teardown) and dragged my pathetic self on a 62k ride. Monday after work and before prepping for this trip, I did a quick 27k.

Trying to tell myself that I have been doing extra hills to compensate (like a couple of trips up the 4km Cambie hill from SW Marine drive to QE Park), but the reality is that nothing matches long distances and hours in the saddle. It's less training and more enduring.


I look forward to riding my bike for pleasure again. This week I have one more day of training before I am off to AB to spend some time with the parental units. Then four short evenings to train next week.

No more long rides. I will have to pedal on the inspiration of Wifey, and our friends who are joining us on the ride to conquer cancer.


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Thursday, June 03, 2010

Don Q's my dinner

What's everyone else going to eat?
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Thats a big bottle o wine you got there little fella


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Sculpture

Amazing moving wind sculpture at Tantalus winery.
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VinoVelo Tantalus

Wifey gives me the eye
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Sunday, May 23, 2010

Chop chop

2nd weekend on Galiano. The garage sale raised $2300 in sales and
donations. Over $1100 in sales alone.

Have a cold which is sapping my strength and whisked away my voice to
the relief of my wife and our hosts and travelling companions.

Wifey and I will try to knock off a ride tomorrow before I fly to
Phoenix on business.

Managed to get some wood chopping done.
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Sunday, May 16, 2010

The Hills

Galiano Island is quite hilly for such a little place.
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Scout's honour

Shelley inducting Blue into the Dog Scouts.
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This much wood would a Hoto chop

Mmmm blisters
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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Hummingbirds

Getting buzzed by countless hummingbirds in the garden on Galiano.
They make the coolest varieties of sounds.
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Dogs on a beach

Mmmm walking dogs by the ocean...
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How much wood could a Hoto chop

Next to mowing lawns, there's no other household chore I like more
than chopping wood.
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Friday, May 14, 2010

Patio garden

A large flowering garden in the sunshine and a good book.
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Close to heaven

Warm day on the gulf islands.

Large pork roast on the BBQ.

A couple of proper dogs to play with.
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Sunday, May 09, 2010

Good route


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Saturday, May 08, 2010

90km

Wifey and I rode from downtown, around UBC, down under the Granville
and Oak bridges to the bike path over the new skytrain bridge. Then
down the river in Richmond to the Gilbert road bridge, back over it to
the airport and out to Iona beach

Then back again. Did a couple of monstrous hills in there too.

Now we are wandering around the house like zombies trying to remember
our names.
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Sunday, May 02, 2010

Corner bed, planted and trench gravelled


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Corner bed dug, preplanted


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Corner bed, planted and cedar hedge gone


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Saturday, May 01, 2010

Corner bed, after


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Corner bed, before


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Flower Bed 2, planted


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Flower Bed 1, planted


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Flower bed 2, prepped for planting


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Flower bed 2, before


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Flower bed 1, prepped for planting


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Flower bed 1, before


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Strawberry patch after


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Strawberry patch before


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Kamloops landscaping

For my brother in law, wifey and I gave him three days of gardening
labour for Christmas. Not a lot of people do anything nice for Brian,
despite the fact that he routinely does amazing things for others.

So we arrived to find a large list of tasks ... Including lots of
digging, weeding, and prep for future rock work.

Here are some pics taken fr his back deck prior to our work starting
on Friday.
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