No bike = No Triathlon

As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be doing my first triathlon this August. For the last few weeks I have been searching and searching for a high end used road bike, with no luck.

Desperate, I started to call a few local cycling shops to see how much a new one would be...holy sticker sock! The cheapest one I could find new was $900! At that price it better seat 5. This really got me down, I wanted to do the Tri so badly, but there's no way I could justify that kind of money for a bike. With my training starting in just 2 weeks it was starting to look like I would have to abandon my Triathlon dream for another year.

Then I received this email that changed everything...

Jim,

I have been reading your blog for about a year and always enjoy your updates. I read how you are doing a triathlon and if you need a bike I have a great one for sale. It is a Trek 2300 SL Aluminum racing road bike size 60 cm. Bike has been kept in great condition. Loaded with Shimano 9 spd Ultegra group, Flite saddle, and Rolf wheel set. Bike retail value $4,000. Let me know if you're interested.

Jordon


I contacted him immediately and after a few emails back and forth, I was on my way to meet him. We met at a coffee shoe near Young/Eglinton and talked about biking, canoeing and exercise for a while. He was a great guy and although we were both tight for time, it was cool to talk to someone that only knows me through my blog. He asked about Tanyia and the kids by name...even asking how Jacob was doing with hockey. It was a little weird that this guy who was a total stranger to me, knew so much about my life....that's the magic of the blogging world! Soon the conversation turned to the bike and he had brought it with him. It was stunning and I agreed to by it on site and oh yeah, the price? God bless him, he only charged me $300....again, what a great guy.

I have since bought some racing pedals off of eBay ( racing bikes don't come with pedals...who knew?) and will get some cycling shoes asap. I am so happy with this bike and almost embarrassed to say how beautiful this bicycle is...but trust me, if this bike was a female she would be just crazy, drool on the floor hot.

A HUGE thanks to Jordon for seling such an incedible bike and giving me such a great deal. You're the best!

CC 2007 and Rock Lake Solo trip Booked!

It is done! I booked C.C 2007 and my solo trip today and now all that is left to do is book our canoe rentals this afternoon. Both trips suddenly feel very real and although I am excited for both, my solo trip has me feeling a bit more nervous then excited. You can checkout the details for CC 2007 in this previous post.

I decided on this route after conceding the that Crow Lake/Dickson route I had originally planned on was just to much for my first solo trip. Many of the wise folks on the Algonquin Adventures Board suggested the Rock Lake -> Pen -> Harry- Lousia-> Rock Loop, but I was still holding on to the fantasy of doing the Dickson solo.

Two things changes my mind..

1) A very wise person said to me that people go on a solo trip to "learn about themselves, not to test themselves". I am enjoy pushing myself to see how far or fast I can do things, but a solo trip is not the time. All it would take would be one misstep and I could be in serious trouble. I want a challenge, but I shouldn't compromise safety. Rock Lake will provide a good balance of adventure, challenges and safety.

2) Markus put together an amazing trip log and after reading it through, I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. You can check out his trip log HERE. It was his trip log that completely sold me on this route. The waterfalls, the sites, the lakes, the long portages...thanks Markus!

My Rock Lake Solo July 10-13, 2007:

Tuesday, July 10 - I plan to leave my home by 4:30 am and arrive at Rock Lake put in for about 8 am. I will be booking my canoe rental through Opeongo Outfitters and I have been told that they will deliver my canoe to Rock Lake for a fee. I will update once I know more. I plan to be on the water for no later then 9 am and make my way South to the last site on the East side of Pen Lake. Only one small 375 meter portage on this first day.

Wednesday, July 11 - Up early and the goal for today is to make it to Harry Lake. The Galipo River found on route to Harry, is prone to low water levels, so I will most likely have to get out and walk the shallow river for a bit. The portages on this day are 295, 1170 and 700. These will be my first tough solo portages and I plan to single cary them all, but reserve the right to bail on that plan. The site I plan to stay on is the Last site on the North side and is equipped with a huge open area, a well built fire pit, 3 benches and a big log complete with a foot bench.

Thursday, July 12 - Up early and travel from Harry to Louisa via the 32o and 1725 meter portages. Yeah more portages! Once on Louisa I hope to find one of the island sites with a western view for my last night. I have seen many wild sunset shots from this lake and look forward to the chance to capture my own.

Friday, July 13 - Up early and make my way back East to the 2895 portage that leads from Louisa back to Rock Lake. The head home!

Wonderful Weather ALERT!

If you are reading this and live in Southern Ontario STOP what you are doing and go outside! You can go now if you want...don't worry, I'll wait for you to come back.
Did you go? Just in case you didn't, it feels like spring! The sun is out, it's warm..well warm-ish, bright and the snow is melting. With the exception of the snow storm we are scheduled to get Thursday evening, this may be the last we see of the cold stuff for a while.

As far as winters go we have had a real mild one and I did miss the snow at times, but there's something about days like today that affect me. I feel happy and I like feeling this happy! As I walked outside this afternoon the weather had me thinking about the summer and all the things I look forward to doing. The weather has me humming and even singing to myself. It's amazing how just a little sunshine can have such a powerful impact on my mood. Maybe I have seasonal affective disorder or perhaps I am just a guy who like the sun, either way I feel amazing right now and hope you do to.

On a different note, I did my first "Brick training session" today. This is triathlon jargon that means bike then run. It was not as hard as thought it might be, and in 30 minutes I did 11.2 miles and then immediately ran 2 miles. The transition felt weird, as I got off the bike and started to run every muscle in my lower back was still trying to ride a bike...just felt weird. After a few minutes all the muscles figured it out and it felt normal again. It's fun to have something new in my training again. Today was just a test to see how hard it will be when I start my real 20 week training program next month, but tests can be fun too right?

Anyway, I know my posts are usually a little more structured then this, but I guess this rambling post is the product of how good I feel right now... almost euphoric in fact, so I for now I don't care. Thanks for stopping by folks!

It's freezing cold and windy...let's go run a half marathon!

Tanyia, the kids and I arrived at the Peterborough YMCA about an hour and half before the start time which gave me plenty of time to ask questions and check out the facility. The race bib pick-up, bag check and the information desks were all in the brand new YMCA building that had only been open 3 weeks! It is a stunning facility, loaded with state of the art equipment and even an Olympic sized pool....but this day was not about swimming.

My Mom, Dad, niece Hayley and "baby" sister Kate arrived about 30 minutes before the start time and we made our way over to the start line. This was a little strange. The start line was a good 10 minuted walk from the Y and I am not sure why it had to be. Not a big deal , but I would love to know why they chose that as the starting point.

As we arrived at the start line, there was about 1000 people, which is about double the number at my first run. I think that if this has been my first I would have been intimidated by the sheer numbers, but I felt a real rush of confidence as I said my goodbyes to my family and found my place in the crowd. In a race with these kind of numbers it is essential that people are able to group themselves by the pace they run, otherwise you could have people running slow at the front of the pack and slow down everyone else. To help this, they have people strategically placed in the crowd carrying signs with the time they run a half marathon. I run a half in about 1:50, so I had to weave my way through the crowd at the back until I got about half way up and found the guy holding the 1:50 sign with just a minute until the start. It was very cool to walk through the crowd, many of the people wishing me good luck as I past them to move forward, some even giving me a healthy pat on the back saying " way to go!".

As the announcer starts the countdown I do my self talk ritual "five"...OK Jim you can do this..."4" ...stick to the plan "3" ...mp3 player on.."2"...just breath and focus "1"...I am ready for anything.. "Go!!!" and I am off and running!

The first 15 kms went very smooth and I remember being surprised at how good I felt. At this point I was on pace for a personal best of 1:45. Then at about the 16 km mark the course turned into the wind and what a wind! Now running into a very strong wind, my pace slowed and many of the people I had kept pace with were now stopping to walk. I kept running, but the wind cost me allot of time and really drained my energy. With each step I was fighting back the thought of taking a bit of a walk break, this wind was killing me! But as I approached the Gatorade station my spirits lifted and as I sucked back a cup of liquid energy I regained my focus. I was now just 3 kms away.

The final 2.5 kms were tough , but with my renewed focus I ignored the pain and pushed on. As I approached the finish line with only 400 meters to go this Scottish Man in the crowd jumped out at me and yelled " Give it your all...PUMP...PUMP...PUMP !" and man did it work. I found renewed speed as I went from a run to an all out sprint. I crossed the finish line and Tanyia rushed to greet me. As I saw her I was overcome with emotion and kissed her with tears on my eyes. My Dad has often asked me why I do these runs and I would always respond "for the challenge" or "to see if I can", but as I stood holding my wife in a crowd of thousands, with tears rolling down my face..I knew the real answer. For anyone thinking about running for the first time, it is an experience like no other. It is the cleanest high you can experience...hard to even describe.

I had a great day all around! My final time was 1:55, not my best, but I don't care that much. I am just happy my family was there with me for the race and always.

Countdown to Marathon...my last?

Just 16 over hours from now I will have finished my second half marathon. Unlike my first one last September, I feel as prepared for this run as I could possibly be. I woke up early this morning and got all my gear ready and all of my training is over, so all I have to do now is kick back and relax until tomorrow....or at least try. I don't usually sleep very well the night before a race, but I hope that being this prepared will ease the constant worry of forgetting some key piece of gear or sleeping in.

But as I mentioned in the title of the post, this will likely be my last marathon. In running I have accomplished everything I wanted to and need a new challenge. On that note, I am proud to announce that this fall I will be competing in my first Triathlon. I have entered the Subaru Sprint Triathlon Series in Orillia and it will be on Sunday August 19, 2007. This is an event I have always dreamed of doing and I can hardly wait to start training. This is a sprint triathlon which is one level above the entry level "Try a Triathlon" level.

Here are the distances for my Sprint Triathlon:

1. Swim 750 meters ( This will be tough, but not my biggest challenge)
2. Bike 35 Kilometers (This is where I will have to do the most work...I hate the bike)
3. Run 7.5 Kilometers ( I could do this with my eyes shut)

It is getting late, so I should get to bed. Wish me luck and I will update with results.....Man I am so pumped I know I won't be able to sleep, but I should try...good night all!

Welcoming the members of AlgonquinAdventures.com

I wanted to welcome the members of algonquinadventures.com to the blog. The owner of the site Barry Bridgeford was kind enough to post my blog on the main news site for AA and the traffic this has created for my blog has been simply astounding. I have a real passion for all things Algonquin and it is amazing to go to a place where everyone are just as passionate...maybe even more? The members of the algonquin adventures forum are some of the friendliest and knowledgeable people you will find. For anyone who is searching for the ultimate Algonquin community...look no further then the AA forum.

Anyway, just wanted welcome all of you that have come to check out my blog and thank you for creating the ultimate online community.

My first solo Canoe Trip!

After thinking about it for a while, I have decided to go on a solo trip. I have penciled it in for early July and it will be 4 days, 3 nights. This will be the first time I have been to Algonquin without Gerry and to be honest, I am feeling a bit guilty about going without him. You see it was Gerry that introduced me to Algonquin and we have learned everything to this point together, so it just feels wrong for him not to be involved. I did ask him if he would be interested and he was, but he only has so much vacation, so he is unable to go. It will be so weird to be there without him, but the experience I gain here should help us both on CC 2007.

Now I have posted a map of a route I may take, but as many of the guys on Algonquin Adventures have noted, this may be to much for my first solo...so I may just stay on Big Crow. The idea of doing the huge Dickson Portage solo is very appealing to me...hmm, still need to consider it , but at this point I am leaning towards staying on Big Crow.

For my first solo I wanted to go somewhere very cool and from what I have read Big Crow Lake fits the bill. There's so much to see on this lake...like the fire tower, the old stand of while pines, the view, the ranger cabin, the spring and lots of other cool features. I will be using the water Taxi to get to the start and again at the finish to avoid having to paddle the Op.

"Stop thinking about boy George..."

OK...this is way out of the realm of Canoe Trips, but I need to tell this to someone before I burst!

A female client just came in to see me and I swear she looked just like Boy George. She was wearing the trademark hat, hair in braids, sunglasses and a black cape...I am not kidding here folks...a frigg'n cape! This woman we be in her early 40's and dressed like a confused superhero. She was here to discuss some serious problems she is experiencing, but in my head I just keep thinking "....my god, it's Boy frigg'n George". I feel like a real bastard, but I just couldn't help it. Every time I gained control over my thoughts I would look at her and hear " ...do you really want to hurt me...do you really want to make me cry..." and suddenly I am fighting back laughter again. I have to say it again that I feel bad, 'cause she seemed like a nice lady....but she was wearing a cape people!

Unless Wham and the village people show up this afternoon this is all for now...A CAPE!!!

Low Maintenance Portage Route on CC 2007!

As I mentioned in our UPDATED PLAN for CapsizedCanoe 2007, we are venturing into some uncharted territory for us on this years trip.... Algonquins infamous "Low Mainantance Portage Trails". For Gerry and I, the lure of these relatively unused trails speak for themselves. They represent a new challenge and that feeling of adventure that will be somewhat absent as we retrace many of our steps from CC 2006. Below is a response to a question I posed about the Low Maint Routes we will be taking this year.

"I went in to North Cuckoo, Macoun and Plumb coming from the Petawawa . Sounds like you would be coming from the other direction (Robinson Lake). Macoun gets very liitle use. The campsite is quite small and had not been used for about 2 seasons when I stayed there. There was a large site around the point from Macoun on Plumb Lake that looked like it had regular visitors each fishing season. It had tables etc all made up. The portage from Macoun to North Cuckoo is tricky. Its an old road for about 1000 meters. when you come off Macoun just remember to always stay left on the road. There is a fork in the road part way down. Stay to your left. The remainder of the portage to North Cuckoo turns off the old road on the right side of the road. It was poorly marked when I used it. Portage signs were ripped down and the trail off the road is not easy to see. Part way through the bush to North Cuckoo you come to an area where there is a small creek. Very difficult to identify the trail at this point for about 100 meters. You may need to wander a bit at this point to pick up the trail again so take a good bearing before doing so. The good news is that the portage from Macoun to North Cuckoo is downhill all the way to the Petawawa.
Since you are going to be in that area I would recommend that you try Lynx and Luckless lakes as well. There is a very nice site on Luckless and the portage from Luckless to the Nippising, is long but easy. Mostly flat road and downhill."

The goal for 2007 is to build on the practical experience from '06. While it was a great trip, I want a second chance to prove to myself that I can finish strong on any of the portages that kicked my ass on the first attempt. The one that really stands out was the 2345 M form the Petawawa R. -> Narrowbag L. This was my first portage and as I set out I remember saying to Gerry " I am going to crush this...". Well, the only thing that was crushed was my spirit as I was forced to hand off to Gerry about 1/3 of the way in. By the time we got to the half way mark at "Unicorn Hill" I was feeling pretty deflated. In retrospect, I really had no idea how hard a single carry with a 60lb pack and a 50 lb canoe would be....well now I do! By the time we tackle it again, it will be a year of thinking about how hard it was, so my hope is that I will now be overestimating how difficult it is. Ah...it's a theory anyway...

Below is a quote from Scott Smith's Trip Log and it describes the portage to a "T"...

"If you consult the Canoe Routes Map, the 2,345 meter portage doesn’t look all that intimidating. But I can assure you, it is very unforgiving .. even for the experienced Voyageur. This is definitely one of the most challenging portages I’ve ever done in Algonquin. On this carry, you climb most of the 80 meters difference in elevation between Cedar and Catfish. It’s an uphill grind all the way and it really takes a toll on you physically and psychologically. With light packs and determination, it can easily be done in a single carry. At the hilltop, you pass by a canoe rest on your right that has a sign that reads “Unicorn Hill”. I’ve always wondered what the significance of the name is and hopefully one day I’ll discover its meaning."

This year Unicorn Hill....this will be the year I crush you!

TGIF!

This week has been a pretty shitty one by most accounts, so I am happy it is mercifully over.

I was unable to go for my long run earlier this week due to the pneumonia, but I will be completing it this afternoon. This will be the last time I run over 20 kms before my half marathon next weekend, so I am both excited and anxious. This run will be all about fun, so I am not concerned with time at all! To add to the fun I plan to bring my digi cam with me for the run and do a little " This is what it's like to run with Jim " video. I will let you know if it happens, 'cause I still have not figured out where to keep the camera. Uwww...lol

...check out this video of how NOT to run rapids...

Great Wolf Lodge Compilation

A few weeks ago Tanyia, the kids and I took a 3 day mini-vacation to Great Wolf Lodge, in Niagara Falls. I shot allot of video while there using my new digital camera and this is my attempt at editing...so be kind!

The camera is an Olympus Stylus 720 SW and as you will see in the video, it is completely water proof! A few times I caught the looks of horror on the faces of some of the other dad's as I went under water with the camera...funny stuff! This camera will be very cool on our trip this year as well.

So turn on your speakers and enjoy...

Puppy Update!

Despite my feeling less then 100% yesterday, we went to visit the puppy we will be bringing home in 3 short weeks. This was the first time we had seen him in person and I shot some video of our little "Jack"(attached below). He is 5 weeks old and saying he's cute hardly covers it!

We picked up a toy for each of the kids to give him and they were excited to see how much the little guy enjoyed playing with them. All three of the kids were excited, but it was Ethan (the real dog lover) who was enamored by Jack the most and every moment he spent petting him he had this huge smile on his face.

Must not...get sick....not now....please god!

It seems Karma bit me in the ass on Friday, when I was boasting to a client about never getting sick. About 24 hours later I developed a rough throat, that over the next few day was followed by a cough, fever and generally feeling very unwell. But to this point I figured it would pass, until I woke-up Tuesday morning with a gurgle in my chest and a productive (phlegm) cough, the perfect environment for pneumonia. This was the point where my laze fair "it will pass" attitude turned into "...holy shit this could screw me for my marathon". A bit panicked that my immune system (normally an impregnable suit of armour) had failed me, I went to the clinic.

Like most people, I only go to the clinic when I absolutely have no other choice. I expect a long wait and despite being impatient at the best of times, I really don't fret about the wait time. But as a nurse, the part I dread is sitting in deaths waiting room with all the other coughing, sneezing, vomiting disease ridden people. It's like being forced to pull up a chair inside a diseased gas chamber and I am always tempted to wait outside, but I reluctantly take my seat. In the clinic all the bugs and virus's combined to form this concentrated cocktail that could compromises even the strongest of immunities. With my virus shields already at half power to begin with I have the feeling I will be leaving here with more then just a prescription.

Anyway, I was eventually seen by the Doctor in only 1 hour, 15 minutes...a new record. I was diagnosed with either a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection AKA, Pneumonia) OR Influenza. WTF? I grilled the doctor for a bit and eventually she conceded to give me the meds to treat both and after even more coaxing she agreed to me treating the Pneumonia first with anti-biotics, then the influenza med as a last resort. I really pushed her on the idea to try anti-biotic treatment for pneumonia first, mostly because I don't want to take the Tamiflu (a harsh anti-viral med riddled with side effects) unless I have to.

Well after 1 day taking the anti-biotic I am pleased to tell you that I am now fever free and my coughing has been reduced by half...in other words, I am getting better fast! I have also been taking Cold FX and it seems to have helped with my cold symptoms.

Man...what a relief! Fortunately, my training was hardly interrupted and if anything, having a couple of days off has helped heal some minor aches. With just 10 days until the race it is now full steam ahead and (fingers crossed) healthy!

Canoe Trip in New Zealand

Stumbled across this great video put together by a group of six Kiwi's that built their own canoes then paddled for 60 days. Incredible pictures and great editing make it very special...check it out!

Yoga and Running Update:

Wednesday night I went to my first group yoga class. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous about going, mostly because the gym is a place I normally feel at home, so these feelings made it even more strange. The classes are taught in the same gym where I do much of my cardio and weight training. As I stood in the weight area outside the studio not so patiently waiting for the doors to open, I noticed more then a few confused looks from a few of my "gym friends". I just smiled and tried to ignore their expressions of "...what are you doing?". The teacher showed up and ushered us in. I grabbed a mat, removed my shoes and before long, I was doing it!

The class was an hour, but it really did seem to fly by. Lots of good stuff...here are the highlights:

• The instructor commented that I was "remarkably flexible for a beginner"

• The female instructor seemed to be a real "touchy feeley" person and surprised me a few times when she "corrected my poses" by grabbing my but! At the time I thought little of it, but I think she was just taking the opportunity to grab my bum....and I kinda liked it :)

• Amusing thing...we were doing this pose where you put your feet up the wall. The instructor says to me "...when we walk around upright all day the blood in our legs is trapped there...this allows all that stale blood to be returned to the body". LMAO! Yeah...if that were true I would have two rotting dead stumps for legs! Instructor: Great at teaching yoga, but not so good with her Anatomy and physiology.

I really enjoyed the class and found the instruction to be very helpful. I will be going every Wednesday from now on and will continue on my own 2 additional days a week.

Also, my "Yoga for Dummies" DVD came yesterday and I am looking forward to using it to help master the common poses. If anyone wants a free copy just shoot me and email: jim"at"capsizedcanoe.ca

Yesterday I went for my last long hard run before my race and man was it cold! If felt so much colder then what was posted. Much of the run was with that feezing cold wind in my face and I am sure this is why it felt so much worse then it was. Despite the frigid temps, I pulled off my half-marathon distance in 1 Hour, 54 minutes and better yet, I was holding back for the first 12 kms! My race pace is 5 minute kms ( +/- 30 seconds), so if all goes well I could break my summer time of 1 hour 50 minutes! The race is 2 weeks form this Sunday and unlike my first half-Marathon, I feel so ready for this one.

Blog Updates:

Just a few changes.

1)Updated the Gear List and it can be downloaded by clicking HERE.

2) Changed my profile picture. This was a self-take I did about 2 minutes ago. At least you can see my face in this one...

That's all for now!

Why does nature want to kill me?

I love the outdoors and despite having a severe allergy to bees, I don't think much about what could happen. The way I have always looked at is I live minutes from a hospital and always (the truth is sometimes...) carry my epinephrine needles with me. That said, if I am stung I will only be aware of my circumstances for a couple of minutes and then my life becomes someone else's responsibility. My friends and family are painfully aware of this and have instructed on what to do. I had always been comfortable with this arrangement, until Gerry and I started doing interior camping trips....this has changed everything.

Last year we had a safe trip in that regard, but in retrospect, I am no longer comfortable burdening Gerry with this. If I did have a reaction while in the middle of the park, it would be Gerry that would be forced to leave me behind and paddle/portage 8-12 hours for help. It just never struck me how bad that could have turned out...what if I ran out of epinephrine and died? Not Gerry would blame himself....no something had to be done before our trip this August.So today I set the "allergy-less" wheels in motion.

I contacted my Doctor and he has refereed me to an allergist that will begin the process of ridding me of my bee allergy for good! It is called being desensitized to the venom. An allergist can administer increasing doses of bee venom over the course of several weeks until the body develops immunity and can tolerate a large dose of the venom. In one study published in 2000 in Clinical Therapy, this immunotherapy regimen was shown to be effective in up to 79 percent of people.

I am waiting 4 weeks to start the process, as I have my marathon in 2 weeks and don't want to do anything to screw that up. If all goes well, I will be allergy free before spring!

Take that mother nature..you B**ch!

Must Read Book: K.I.S.S Guide to Yoga

What a find at the library yesterday. If you want a liberal arts education in yoga, this is the book for you!

It gives a brief overview of just about everything related to yoga from the different styles of yoga to meditation, health tips, and even eating. For the person who knows nothing about yoga or the person who has practiced yoga without learning the background, this book fills the knowledge gap.

In short, this was exactly the book I needed and I can't recommend it enough!

Memories from the produce aisle

For some reason the task of doing the grocery shopping for our home has always been my job. It has its advantages...like buying things I like to eat ( ...like those pricey Soy rice cakes) and avoiding things I don't (fish cakes..yuk!). Since I do most of the cooking, I guess it makes sense that I am the one collecting the ingredients. I really do enjoy going and I have developed a system that to make the "Grocery Store Experience" a more pleasant one.

No kids is essential- add kids to the equation and a quick in and out to grab some milk is easily turned into a 20 minute "dad can we get this...." battle of wills.
Know your store- If I need a bunch of things and time is a factor, I avoid going to a store I am unfamiliar with. The additional time spent searching shelves for that "imported jar of curry paste" in the new store is a total waste of time.
Have a Plan- I have a grocery list that includes the names of the foods we commonly buy and have organized them into the corresponding isles in my grocery store. Example: In my store the Fruits and veggies are in the first isle, so they are first followed by the other sections I pass as I weave my way through the aisles...may seem a bit nuts, but it eliminates having to back track.
Meal Planning- I always grocery shop based on what meals I am planning, otherwise I am just buying a bunch of stuff that may not equal a meal.

Enough of that stuff though, this was not what this post was even about. What can I say, I am easily distracted. Anywho, back to the real topic of the post...

Yesterday as I was grocery shopping... (incidentally, with no kids, at my store, a list in hand and Chicken Cesar Salad with wild rice on the menue) ...a song came on the radio and it immediately brought me back to a very vivid memory from last years trip.
It starts just moments after piling into Gerry's Jetta, as we began winding our way up the bumpy gravel road that heads out of Brent. As both of us sit silently brimming with the pride of completing our first canoe trip, Gerry switches on the radio. The song "Crusin" by Huey Lewis and Gweneth Paltrow starts to play and although never a fan, for me this song perfectly preserved this moment in time and all the emotion attached to it.

Back at the grocery store...as I listen to the song, I am flooded with details that until then were unavailable memories. Like the way the sun cut through the thick web of trees, at times almost blinking Morse Code. Or the smell of the freshly cut trees....or the sound of the air as it passed by my arm. But most of all, I remembered how good it was to know that I was going home to see my family.

I have attached a the song below. It makes me feel really good just hearing it, so if nothing else, now I know where to look if I need a reminder of happier days.

Free Satalite Radio...kinda?

This may be a sign that I am getting old, but I have a hard time convincing myself that it is OK to pay for radio. As it stands now, I am not a subscriber, but learned to appreciate the service while Gerry and I drove to Brent last year. Gerry has subscribed to Sirius Satellite Radio for a couple of years, but this was the first time I had been exposed to it for any meaningful amount of time. Besides a very funny guy named "Bubba the Love Sponge", there is also station I really liked called "Alt Nation". It is a great mix of old and new alternative music, but it was something else that was the home run for me....if I liked a song, I could look at the screen and see the name of the band/title. At my age, this is necessary 'cause I can't recognize bands anymore, but I still know what I like.

But still, I can't come to grips with the monthly fee...so I came up with an Alternative, Jim Satellite Radio...OK, not really but this is a free "alternative" to Sirius (pardon the pun).

I go to Sirius Satellites countdown chart for Alt Nation and copy and past the song titles into Microsoft Word so I can....ahhh.... go buy them...yeah that's it....buy them!(insert grin here) Then before you can say piracy, I have them on my mp3 and I am off and running. This way I can check out a song and find out if I like it. If I do I keep it, if not nothing lost. This is a perfect solution for those days that I want to hear something different, but don't know where to look. They have lots of channels, so if Alt Nation isn't your thing, find a channel that is.

Another great option is Pandora "the musical genome project". (...Gerry introduced this to me). This allows you to put in the name of a song or artist and it play music that are similar in tempo, music etc. I have found some great music using this...give it a try.

Various Updates:

The past week has been so busy that it has even been difficult to find the time to post, so I apologize for the lack of updates...but I have a great excuse!

Last week we went on a mini family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge and I had planned on using some of the nightly down time to do some updates. But just as I was loading my laptop into the van on the morning we were leaving , Tanyia spotted my computer and gave me that look of death that screamed "don't even think of bringing that" and fearing for my life, I didn't. Tanyia is a very easy going girl, but don't be fooled by this. She's as tough as nails, so unless there's something I feel I have to go to war over...when she says "no", I listen.

UPDATES:

1) YOGA - I continue to practice yoga 3 times/week, but I don't feel as though I am doing all the positions right. I have ordered the "Beginners yoga for Dummies" DVD after reading some great reviews and believe this may be just what I need to learn the correct movements. I am also very interested in the spiritual side of yoga and want to find balance between that and the physical portion. My hope is to have enough experience under my belt by the time we go on CC 2007 that I can do it each morning when we are on Robinson Lake. This lookout I am standing on in the attached picture (taken last year) would be the perfect place and I have envisioned this as being a truly magnificent setting to find my "spiritual happy place". I have also stumbled onto a great yoga workout series on TV called Namaste and with the help of my PVR, I plan to collect all of the episodes. My gym (Goodlife), also offer group classes and although I am still reluctant to make an ass of myself in public, a friend has convinced me to go with her this Wednesday. To the guys that have jokingly poked fun at me, for the last time ...this is not Gay! Gay is not doing something 'cause I am afraid what "they" might say....I am done with that stuff.

2) Gerry's Basement - It might seem a little weird that I am reporting on my buddies basement, but I just have to get this said. Saturday night I went over to drop off some things for Marie, to say hey to Suds and to check out the progress he has made on finishing his basement. I was blown away and although I hope it didn't show at the time, I am so jealous! It looks great, but more impressive was that he had done it all himself. I have allot of respect for a man that can use his hands, as I have limited skills in that regard, but desperately want to learn and hope that Gerry "Bob Villa" Suthers, will show me the way of the nail gun. Congratulations Gerry! That is one top notch basement!

3) Gear Updates- I ordered the Amigo, our new gravity fed water filter today and was happy to find out that it had just been re-designed for 2007. It now has reinforced elastic draw strings to make hanging easy. As I said in an earlier post, this water filter will be much easier and will allow make filtering water less of a chore.
It was one year ago on Sunday that Gerry and I went to MEC for the first time to get our gear for CC 2006. In the spirit of that trip, I placed an order with MEC this morning. I bought the short version of the RidgeRest sleeping pad and 3 Cactus Creek Stuff Sacks. The Ridge rest will be used with the self-inflating thermarest I already own in hopes of giving my hips and shoulders just a bit more padding. Last year both were sore and it meant waking up every hour to turn over. The stuff sacks are 3 different colours and will be used to separate food. Instead of digging around in the food bag for that elusive last flakie, we will be separating food into 3 different bags: Breakfast/Snacks, Lunch and Dinner. This way we will only have to look through a quarter of the food!

4) New Links Section - I have added a new "Blogs I like to Read" Section to my sidebar. Feel free to check them out.

Time to "out" myself...

I consider myself a real "Guys guy", so believe me when I say, what I am about to admit flies in the face of many of my beliefs about what a man is all about. For the past 3 weeks I have been doing YOGA and worse yet, I like it! But before you revoke my Guys club Membership let me explain...

For the past couple of months I have been getting "runners stitch" when doing my 20 km+ runs. While at the gym lifting big heavy weights (...very manly) I ran into a fellow runner who suggested the problem was most likely due to my breathing and suggested that yoga would benefit all aspects of my running. I have always said I would do anything if it helped, so I started researching.

I stumbled across a great yoga website where you can download an hour long instructional video. It is an easy to follow, high quality production and best of all it's free!

I have been doing the program for a few weeks and have noted the following improvements:

• Smoother breathing while running


• Increased flexibility


• Improved stress control


• Absence of the dreaded "runners stitch"


• Increased felling of well being

I encourage everyone to try it once...like me you may be surprised by how much you enjoy it, despite what my buddy's might say.

In the spirit of admitting the embarrassing/Non-guy things, here are a few more:

• I sometimes I intentionally watch movies that will make me cry


• I sing in the car and imagine myself performing the song on stage
  


• I have had a facial...it was only once, but I did like it
  


• I have waxed body parts


• I watch and enjoy, "Dancing with the Stars" and "So you think you can Dance"..ouch!


• I have no less then 4 books from Oprah's book club

.....and I don't care who knows it!

A new member of our family

After considering it for the last few years, last fall we decided to get a dog. Tanyia and I have always liked yellow labs and after meeting with several weird breeders decided on one from Peterborough. We want a male and have decided on the name "Jack", after Jack Bauer from 24 and yes, I know I am a geek. The next liter will be ready to be brought home in March and with we are all very excited. I have attached a picture of Jack that the breeder was kind enough to send us.

Meeting breeders was an eye opener and I learned something about "dog people". For the most part, dog breeders don't have kids, but love to compare having a dog as being the same as having children. Yeah, you heard me correctly. These folks need a reality check. I found it a bit offensive that someone would compare having a dog to raising children and no matter how many times I heard it, it still ate at me. My solution was to just nod and smile, then change the subject ASAP! I think these people should have a child, that way their dogs can become pets again and restore the natural order of things. I love dogs, but in our house pets (although deeply loved) are still pets!

In the years to come I hope to bring Jack on our Canoe Trips, but for now we will be happy just to have him come home.

Running Update

I received an email over the weekend asking if I had given up running, as I had not mentioned anything about it in quite a while. After scanning my previous posts, you are right, it has been a long time since I updated my status, so with that in mind...

After I completed my first half marathon, I stopped running for a week to give my body a break and then started a lite speed program.

All the running leading up to the marathon took a real toll on my lower back and this time off would give me some time to heal...or so I thought. Once I started running again, my back started to get bad after any runs over 15 km. Over the next month, this pain continued to escalate until it was so bad I could not even stand in one spot for more then a few minutes without overwhelming pain. Nearing my breaking point, I reluctantly made an appointment with my wife's Chiropractor and knew that if this didn't work, I would have to give up running for good.

Despite being sceptical of Chiropractic, I continued to go and within 2 weeks almost all of my pain was gone, despite running every day! It has now been 3 months since my first treatment and I am happy to report that I am 100% pain free and running faster then ever before. The problem was caused by a few factors: not enough stretching, I have a flat lower back and I pushed myself way too hard without enough rest days.

As a result, I have changed my training program a great deal since I started running almost a year ago. I now run 5 and 10 km for speed once a week and run for a distance of 20 - 25 km once a week at a more relaxed pace. On my off days I cross train for intense, low impact cardio using a stair climbler or stationary bike for a 30 minutes. In addition to this, I am continuing my weight program and proud to say this is my fifth year doing the program!

My next half marathon is February 25th in Petebourough Ontario and this will be my first cold weather race. I have found training in the winter can be allot of fun, provided you have the right clothing. I wear two layers at all times to keep warm and block the wind. For head gear I wear a winter skull cap and face mask. But I found out the hard way what the most important piece of gearis... wind briefs.
I went running one day in minus 18 weather and forgot the to put them on. While running into the wind on a busy highway, it got so cold down there it started to hurt. After a few minutes it continued to get worse and I had no choice but to shove my hand down my pants just to warm things up. So try to picture this... I am still running down the street, but now I have my hand in my pants, wearing all black and a ski mask. I am lucky I wasn't arrested.

I have not forgotten my "wind protection" since and will be sure to report my results from the Peteborough Half Marathon next month.

A pub right out of the twilight zone

Last Friday Gerry and I decided we needed a guys night out. After we batted around a few ideas, we thought we would try out the new pub that opened just a few blocks from us. Although the pub is named The Black Knight, if it were called "The Strange Confused Babbling Night" it would have summed up our evening.

We met at Gerry's around nine and were quickly on our way. We decided to walk since it was fairly close and despite the extreme cold, it felt great to be outside. As always, the conversation flowed as we exchanged updates on the good and bad of each others days, the way only good friends can. As we shuffled along our voices grew more boisterous, the only competition was the crisp sound of the snow being crushed underfoot as we weaved through the side streets that lead to the pub.

Until recently, the pub had been a condemned building. I have no memories of the derelict building, other then often wondering if someone would ever cut the badly overgrown lawn. As we approached the pub it looked clean and inviting, with any lawn care problems of the past hidden beneath a blanket of ice and snow. As we entered the restored two story pub, my first impressions were mostly of the "..this is way to small" variety. The entire first floor of the pub might have been 300 sq/ft and was filled with a few tables, a makeshift stage and of course, the bar.

There were only a handful of people in the pub and they all stared at us without saying a word. It was as though the conversation stopped the moment we entered. I was feeling a little uncomfortable, as I made my way to the bar where John the owner, introduced himself and took our order. Like the other people in the bar, John's faded black leather jacket, bushy mustache and long hair screamed of a man desperately holding on to the 1970's. He looked like the kind of guy that would have a collection of REO Speedwagon concert shirts and drive a van with a half naked lady riding a tiger airbrushed on the side. As he continued to pour us a beer, I leaned over to Gerry and made reference to him looking like Cheech Marin. We were barely able to contain ourselves and stood there smirking at each other like a couple of idiots until "Cheech" handed us our draft. I commented how it was about time Newcastle had a pub and Cheech responded "...guys our age need a place to go to". Was he serious? This guy was easily 10 -15 years older then either of us, but I shook my head in agreement trying to hide my shock. He then told us there was a pool table upstairs, hoping for a little privacy we headed to the second story half wondering what decade awaited us and mouthing to each other "...Guys our age"?

The upstairs seemed even smaller with the pool table in the larger room and the remainder of the space for washrooms and what we would find out later was a kitchen. Neither Gerry or I are any good at pool, but it was fun to see who was worse (Gerry) as we played a few games.

This is where the evening turns odd. Every so often, Cheech would come in and try to strike up a conversation , then offer to get us more drinks. A very friendly guy, but it was obvious that I had barely touched my beer and Gerry's draft was only a few sips ahead of mine. We politely told him we were fine and he would leave us only to return 1o minutes later and go through the same routine with food. Over the next hour we went through this dance about 5 times, but the best was yet to come. He approaches us this time with menus and starts to recite the entire thing to us...no kidding the whole thing! After 10 minutes of this it is all I can do to stop the grim on my face from exploding to laughter. I felt like when I was in grade 3 and the teacher would tell me not to laugh and it makes stopping almost impossible! When I heard "....the roasted rack of lamb for two is two $38..." I couldn't hold it in any longer and had to pretend to play pool to avoid him seeing my laugh so hard I could have wet myself. All the while, Gerry continued to listen patiently, not a smirk to be found...he was much better at this then me. After 15 minutes Cheech's performance was finished and we felt obligated to order something, so we settled on wings and nachos.

The kitchen is next to the room we were in and before too long, a different guy delivered our nachos and wings. Not to sound like a complainer, but the Nachos were ice cold and the wings had less meat then Rosie O'Donnell's honeymoon. I don't recall that being mentioned in Cheech's 15 minute infomercial?

Undeterred, we made quick work of the Nachos and Ethiopian chicken wings. As we started to play our third bad game of pool new visitors arrived, a couple in their early 40's. She did all the talking while her husband stood and waiting. She was very friendly...too friendly in fact. It was as though she was trying to hit on us subtly enough that her husband wouldn't notice. Nothing really overt, but enough to make my skin crawl. Gerry would later correctly describe the experience as "...she was rapping me with her eyes".

With the wings, nachos and most of the beer gone, we collected our things and settled our bill with Cheech. The flirty cougar spied us and gave it one last try as we shoved a few twenties to the owner and bolted for the door. The walk home was cold, but at least it was quite.

Things that drive me crazy

I am going to do something here I have never done before...I am simply going to complain about a bunch of things that have been eating at me for a while. This rant is not directed at anyone and I am not even in a bad mood, I just have to get this stuff off my chest.

Now for those of you that came here looking for information about Algonquin Canoe trips rest assured you are in the right place, but this post will be of no help to you. Feel free to read below or click here to get out of here and go to a random blog.

Here we go....

1)Smokers- If you people want to kill yourselves that's fine, but the problem is you don't just die, you linger in our health care system for years costing everyone money for sure, but also the lives of people that are ill by no fault of there own. If you smoke then you should be forced to the bottom of any surgical waiting list...end of story. People, you can not treat your health with total disregard and then expect all that abuse to be undone by the taxpayers. These are the same people I see driving, with a smoke hanging out of their mouth and 2 kids strapped in the back seat...all but guaranteeing the next generation to have the same health problems as the first. Oh...and stop smoking outside the entrance to every building I want to enter. It is all I can do to hold my breath while I walk through the putrid fog.

2)Heavy Drinkers- Same rant as above....just substitute "drinking" for "smoking".

3)Littering out of your car window- When driving you will have to stop eventually and that garbage is not going to explode before you get there. So unless you have just found a bomb wrapped in a McDonald's bag under your seat, keep your crap in the car until you get to a garbage can.

4)Teenagers Walking out in front of cars- It blows me away how young people will walk in front of a moving car, expecting the world to stop 'cause they want to cross the road. It is just a matter of time before one of these ipod toting idiots gets killed....but no worries, the next day there will be 10 others to their place.

What length of a bent shaft paddle is best for YOU ?

Ever since I became interested in owning a bent shaft canoe paddle I have been unable to find some form of a guideline on how to size for the correct length..until now. I found the text pasted below at another paddle makers site. To my knowledge, it is the only bent shaft sizing guide one on the net. Enjoy!

"As with all things in life, there are no absolutes. Some paddlers kneel (shorter paddle works best)--some paddlers sit most of the time (longer paddle) and some canoes are deeper requiring more paddle to get into the water.

Here however, is a good system. Sit on a flat,hard chair and look straight forward without lifting or lowering your head. Have someone measure the vertical distance from the BRIDGE of your nose to the seat surface. Add that to the 20" of predetermined blade and that will be a pretty good length for you."

Capsized Canoe 2008?

As I have mentioned many times before, Gerry and I really enjoy trip planning. We have a few weather beaten maps that have served us well over our 2 years. Every wrinkle and water stain on our canoe routes maps stand testament to the countless hours happily spent planning. In fact just the thought of pouring over maps makes me smile.

Now, our trip for CC 2007 has been planed for some time (see ORIGINAL PLAN and UPDATED PLAN )and although this is good, it also leaves be with very little trip related things to do. With this in mind, I stumbled across some pictures while doing an Google image search and before I knew it...I was planning CC 2008.

Capsized Canoe 2008 Plan


Goals- To complete a large loop, large portages and lakes we have not visited before.

Route- The map shows our proposed route.


Highlights

• Radient lake- a shallow lake that (from pictures) looks stunning. There is also a grave site containing casualties of the log drive in the south ease shore that will be worth taking a look.

• Big Crow lake- has many features that make this lake the primary goal for this trip. The lake itself is one of the crown jewels of the park and I would love to spend 2 or 3 days here enjoying and exploring. There is an old ranger station that is now rented out, but exists now as it did when it was built in the 1920's. Just behind the ranger station is a path that leads you on a 15 minute uphill hike. At the end is one of the most breathtaking views imaginable. There is also a decommissioned 100 foot fire tower on this site. Although the bottom 20 feet of the ladder have been removed, I have read that it is still possible to climb the frame up to the point where you can reach the ladder. This is something I will have to check out, but reserve the right to bail on any plans of climbing the tower.

Know Your Bear Poop

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is advising hikers and campers to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field. They advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. They also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear poop. Black bear poop is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear poop has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

Litter sucks

As Gerry pointed out in his most recent post, somethimes people just don't get it. Here is a classic reminder....

New Links

I am always looking for new sites to check out and thought I would post some links to some of the best Trip Logs on the web.



Mark in the Park - Mark Rubino's incredible Algonquin Park canoe trip logs
Chris Lawson - Chris' personal website, great read
Darren's Outdoor Pages - some excellent canoe trip logs here
Algonquin Park Weblog - a good example of a blog
Canoe Trips - Dave Harmen's Algonquin canoe trip logs
Nadine Lake Trip Report - a good trip log with large photos
Algonquin Adventures - A great site with an abundance of info and photos on trips to all sections of the park, highly recommended

Oh....and if you know of a good website please post a link in the comments and I will add it to the list.

Hockey Night in Newcastle

Here is a little video I put together of Jacob's first hockey game.

TURN ON YOU SPEAKERS!

New Calander and I love my wife

I meant to mention this before now, but better late then....well, you know the rest.

Ironically, my copy of the 2007 Ontario Outdoor Adventure Calendar arrived the very day I wrote about taking down last years version. It always has some incredible photos and 2007 is no exception. The two that stand out for me are a stunning shot of a dog sled on the South River in Algonquin and a little girl ice skating on lake Wawa. If you would like to get a copy call 1-800-ONTARIO.

Another item on my mental to do list is a word of thanks to my wonderful wife. Tanyia and I have been together for about 12 years and she has never failed to amaze me with her ability to get almost anyone that "Wow" gift. This year was no exception, as Tanyia absolutely blew me away putting together a collection of mementos from my marathon in a boxed frame. This is one of many areas where Tanyia is just so damn good. Not only did she get me a gift I would never have thought of, but it is also the single most thoughtful gift I have ever received! I have posted a pic and just wanted to let her know how much it means to me.

What is your favorite Alonquin route?

One of the things I enjoy almost as much as the trips themselves is choosing the route. Over the last few years Gerry and I have spent many cold winter evenings pouring over the Algonquin route map dreaming up new challenges for the warmer days to come.

Gerry and I have decided on the route changes perviously discussed here. and on our return route will be doing the low maintenance portage routes. These routes will take us out of Robinson Lake to the east too Junco -> Hayes -> Macoun -> North Cuckoo before we rejoin the Pettawawa. This will add about 5500 meters of portaging to our return route, but will also quench out thirst to see something new on every trip.

With all of the planning we have done it has me wondering about the favorites routes of others?

So I am asking what Algonquin route is your favorite and why?

Canoe trips can put life into proper perspective

As most of us in Southern Ontario are starting to wonder if we will ever get any snow, I find myself reminiscing of the sunny days spent on CC 2006. We were lucky to have excellent weather for the trip last year, but one of the other pleasant, yet unexpected things that occurred on the trip had nothing to do with trip at all. Let me explain...

It is easy for me to get lost in the daily grind of work, chores and routines. Although this makes day-to-day life easier, it also makes loosing site of what is really important almost inevitable. But while on our canoe trips, I am forced to stop and take a hard look at my life without any of the distractions of everyday life. It is this difficult look in the mirror that reminds me that the little things are just that and what really matters are the people that make my house a home. The result...by the end of our 5 day trip I miss my wife and kids so much I could almost cry. Maybe not one of the most "guy" things I have ever said, but it is true and even stranger, I would not trade that for anything. It's that rekindled feeling of excitement as I catch my first glimpse of my wife and kids that makes our canoe trips so special.

Our trips are for fun and adventure, but to quote Gerry "...it's a time to recharge the batteries", both emotional and spiritual.

Hard to throw out my 2006 calendar

I am sitting in my office and look up to notice the that my 2006 Ontario outdoor adventure calendar is still faithfully hanging above my desk. With the month of December still staring me in the face, I take down the calendar and begin to flip through it one last time before placing it in the recycle bin. As I do, I notice all the important dates circled or written in and start to reminisce about what a great year it has been.

-My kids first day of school- (Lauren grade 1, Jacob J/K, Ethan Montessori School)
-Family trip to Nova Scotia
-Weekends at my parents house
-Jacob starting hockey
-Me and Gerry camping with our kids
-My first Marathon
-All the kids first soccer games of the year
-My Go-train trip fiasco getting to the Outdoor show
-Birthday Parties
-My 8th anniversary with the lovely Tanyia
-and our Algonquin Trip

Maybe this is why I am having such a sentimental attachment to this calendar. It is less about the lovely pictures and more to do with the events that occurred this year that defined who I am as a person, parent, husband and friend.

Of all the things that happened this year, there is one that will stand out as having the most direct impact on my life. It occurred while Gerry and I were on our trip last August, while on Burntroot lake and it permanently changed the way I look at myself as a father and husband.
It was a time where I completely let my guard down and unburdened myself of years of emotional baggage. Gerry was there for me, as only a best friend can be. His advice and unwavering support, further cemented our incredible friendship while helping me cope with things I had kept secret for years. The details are unimportant, but he made me realize that it is what I do now that defines who I am and that despite appearances, everyone has secrets.

Although I had Gerry promise never to speak of what was said that day, I could not let 2006 pass without letting him know how truly lucky I was to have him there that day and as my best friend every day.

Calendar recycled...

Questions Answered...

When I sent out my request for comments, I had no idea that you would respond in the numbers you have. Another surprise was the numerous questions people asked in the This is where I beg for your help post and the now infamous "Yoke Pad" Video. I will now do my best to address all of your questions and comments.

All References to Andy Kaufman- When I first read these I was not sure how to take it. I remember thinking, "Are they making fun of me?". I simply did not get why anyone would find my video remotely funny. Astonished, I turned to Gerry, Marie and Tanyia and asked there opinion. As tears welled up in there eyes and they struggled for the breath to mock me I finally got how nuts I look...just standing there for 30 minutes. Also, Gerry made a good point that it is more about the way I edited the video that made it humorous. example " ..it has now been 30 minutes" . Thanks to all of you for the reference to the great Andy Kaufman, but he is a comedic genius... I am just a goofy, awkward guy who likes yoke pads.

What do you do for a living?- I am guessing this stems from people wondering what job would allow me to have that kind of free time. Well it is a great job I assure you. As for what I do, I am a Registered Nurse and co-owner of a small chain of medically supervised weight loss clinics called Diet Wise. You can check us out at www.dietwiseclinics.ca

Too my Older Readers May and Orville- Your posts touched me the most and I would love to swap Algonquin stories with you both. Please email me!

Mrs. Stromnecker- She was the one that chose to criticize my spelling and grammar. Spelling has always been a weakness for me and something that I have always been ashamed of. Even as I write here, I will ofter avoid words if I am unsure how to spell them....sad, but true.When I first read your comments it made me a bit angry, but that was more because I knew that you were right. I wish I could spell better and welcome any suggestions anyone may have.

The Gimmick Guy- To the guy the suggested that Yoke Pads are "the worst gimmick ever"....have you seen my video?

All the positive feedback and good wishes- To all of you that posted posted praise for my blogging efforts....thank you! As many of you can attest, my interest in posting has been up and down over the past year, but knowing that there are so many of you reading will be great motivation if I am ever hesitant to post.

Thanks again to to all and please feel free to post a comment or question.

Thank you!!!

Two big thumbs-up to all of you that responded to my request for comments! It was so great to see the remarks from the people that actualy read my blog and I will do a seperate post to respond to all of your questions.

I was able to get the 20 comments just in time and I am pleased to tell you that Steve will be reluctantly delivering me a bottle of Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 early next week.

Since I would not have won without your help, I will be sharing this bottle with all of you. We will meet in Algonqin Park August 2, 2007 @ 8;30 pm on Robinson Lake . We will share the bottle while we enjoy another Algonquin sunset.

In the event that no one else is available, Gerry and I will be forced to drink your share, but will be thinking of you while we do...

Thanks again!

This is where I beg for your help...

Hey everyone!

Today I was just blown away by the traffic on the blog...OVER 100 page views today(and counting) ...simply amazing!

I was talking about it with a work friend and they took a look at the site, counted the number of comments and were quick to point out how almost nobody leaves a comments. From this he (falsly) concluded that the traffic is being generated solely by Gerry and me.

I then bet him that I could have at least 20 comments posted by Christmas eve and this is where I need your help!

PLEASE POST COMMENTS I am begging you!!!

RULES:

1) Gerry and I do not count
2) Each reader can only post once
3) Comments must include your name and comments on the blog


Thanks in advance for your time....oh and Steve if you are reading this, you better have that bottle ready 'cause you are going down!

Testing our New Bolt-on Yoke Pads

Weekend Update:

This was another good weekend.

Like many others, this time of year always has me feeling a little better then normal and I try to use this time to focus on my family. I can be a fairly intense person and with that, I often fall into a "can't see the forest for the trees" state of mind. With all the things that have to be done, it is easy for me to get lost in tasks and not appreciate what little time I have to enjoy my family. This weekend I put aside my usual routines and devoted all of my time to my kids and it was a real eye opener...in the best way possible.

We all went to Jacob's hockey practice on Saturday and for a practice, he was much more excited about it then usual and it showed. He has done very well and next Saturday is his first real game. He and I went to get him a new stick on Sunday and he was very happy that he got to pick any stick he wanted. For my part, I was very happy that he chose the $12 one.

Lauren and Ethan are just as excited as there Brother and will be in the stands cheering him on.

Below is a short clip of him at a practice a few weeks ago.