I had an invitation to go to Tobermory last weekend but am glad I decided to wait until the next trip because the Southside Shuffle was on in PC.

In past years, paddlers never got to enjoy the shuffle completely because it always fell on a race weekend. (actually, every festival and fun thing in Port Credit falls on a race weekend). This year I took full advantage by buying a weekend pass for $10.

Friday:
I met up with Jess and Chanda on the patio at Raw Aura for dinner & drinks. Chrissy and Jeff arrived a little later and we headed west to see what was up at the shuffle. Eve texted that she and Katy were walking towards us and we met up at a patio in the parking lot behind Spice. Great band, $5 cover charge, eserved seating and a special price on a bucket o' Canadian Club & mix or beer.

We partied there for awhile - great band playing - before crossing the street and entering the festival park. We were in time to catch the last couple of acts. They invited everyone to a jam at the legion but, as much fun as that would be, it had the potential of a really messy night so I headed home.

Doug and Boog, along with Surf Ontario and Danny Ching, put on a really fun stand up event this past weekend.

On Friday, Surf Ontario ran a clinic hosted by Danny who came up from Redondo Beach for the event. Chanda, Eve and I loaded our boards on the Pathfinder (I insured it for 3 days) and hiked it out to Kew Beach for the late afternoon session. None of us had ever met the owner of Surf Ontario, Mike, and we were completely charmed by him. He is the consummate surfer boy; gorgeous, blond, fit, tanned and really, really nice. Danny, a former sprint kayaker, is the flipside - a dark-haired, Hawaiian-California boy who is also super-fit and charming.

As it turns out, it was a very basic beginner clinic but still fun to be on different water with a new group of people. Afterwards we headed home, had dinner at Fionn's in Clarkson and discussed our plan for the morning.

We left the boards loaded on my truck overnight. Early on Saturday, I picked Eve up (Chanda was heading to the cottage after the race so she drove herself) and headed to Frenchman's Bay. It was a fantastic day -  sunny, clear and warm. The wind was non-existent which was too bad for us since it completely levelled the playing field but overall best for every level of paddler attending.

It was like a sprint paddler reunion out there. Besides Doug and Boog, Chanda, Eve, Jess and I, there was Attila, Stringer, Rich Phelan, JR, Mike Scarola, Richard Dalton (sans KC, sadly), Diggs and Bill Trayling. So awesome to see them all and catch up in real life. Chrissy and Jeff were away on a weeklong camping trip, otherwise they would have been there too.
The course was an  "M" shape. Set up as a 6km course,  I would guess it was about 5km by the time we raced.  Really a lot of fun. I lost a lot of time on the turns (and wasn't as aggressive as I would be, now that I know what to expect) but I did pretty much as I thought  - respectable with room for improvement. Jess 1st, Chanda 2nd, Eve 3rd and me 4th.
After that, bib numbers were drawn to create relay teams. I was on a team with Eve, Rich and an old guy we didn't know. It was mayhem and as far as I could tell, no one knew, or cared, how they finished.
I thought that after this race I might be fired up to do more races on our great lakes, but no. I still feel the same about racing stand up boards on flat water - it's like racing bikes with square wheels. The overriding question has to be "why would you?"  At least a B.O.P. style course makes it an interesting, technical paddle. It was all laughs out there. The standard, point A to point B race makes absolutely no sense to me as anything but a downwind run you plan with friends on a windy day.

After the event, Eve and I booted back to PC and did a quick freshen before jumping on the GO train and heading to BMO. The TFC were playing Kansas City. During the team intro, before they played the national anthems, they announced they had some special guests to introduce and out walk Mark Oldershaw, VanK, Brady Reardon, Morty, Diana Matheson and Karina LeBlanc. It was awesome! Everyone was cheering and chanting "Canada, Canada" and Morty was grinning like a fool and waving. Not sure how he ended up out there with the Olympians but good for him. Brady was there because he was Adam's training partner in France where they had a final training camp on their way to London. Mehak was also there but did not go out on the field. He posted this pic on Twit though - they all received personalized TFC jerseys. Not a big deal but it made the match a little more interesting.

Thursday morning and the lake was up, perfect for a 6AM paddle/surf. Okay, I slept in so perfect for a 6:10 paddle. As I approached JD park I could see the gate was still locked and was heading east to Richards Memo when I saw the security car pass in the opposite direction. I turned around and followed him back.
I didn't recognize the security guy - the one I usually see looks a little like Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and opens the gate promptly at 5:45 so this new guy must have stopped at Starbucks. I'm not being cranky,  it's just that my window for paddling is tight and I was already too late to go anywhere further from home. I have to be off the water by 6:50 to get to work.
The waves looked good from the beach - steady sets from the east - but the lake waves are weak and, at this beach, break too close together. If the wind kept up all day, they might build enough to be decent by 1-3pm. It would have been better to drop my board in at the harbour where the rollers have lots of room to get stretched out but... no time!
In fact, the original plan was for me to paddle over and meet up with Chrissy and Eve, who were dropping their boards in at the Port Credit boat ramp. Under the circumstances, I figured they'd elect to stay and play in the harbour. As it turns out, they elected to stay in their beds so just as well I didn't make the effort.
I was having some fun - the water's warm and the air fresh - and had just finished a decent little ride. As I approached the beach, I was on the wrong side of the break and dropped into the water, intending to turn my board quickly into the next wave and paddle back out. I didn't realize how shallow it was - the waves were really sucking up the water. I dropped with both knees straight onto rocks - basically the only rocks along that stretch of beach. The next wave scraped me back and forth across them until I pushed myself clear. I paddled  back out but damn! my knees were sore and stinging.
After one last half-hearted run it was time to pack it in. Fine with me. Bashing my knees really took the fun out of things.
The fronts of my legs were already turning yellow and purplish under the scrapes. Perfect. My legs are uncovered from April to November (and beyond if I can help it) and now they're a mess. Add that to the bruises on my arms and it look like I've been acting out chapters from "shades of grey".  
I know I'm making a big thing out of bruised knees but when I left the house this morning, I didn't expect an injury. This is JD beach on Lake Ontario, not Mavericks. I've sustained MUCH worse injuries surfing on the ocean, usually Marisha and I are thinking its time for a girls get-together and that Saturday September 14 is a good night for it. She is going to bring over 'cards against humanity' which everyone tells me is a GREAT game plus we gave been trying to watch my box set of the Mary Tyler Moore show for about 5 years now (or I have on demand movies. ) Really, let's just get out of the house, drink wine, catch up! Lynnefrom contact with fins, board and ocassionaly the ocean floor. (One time I thought for sure I'd ruptured my kidneys when I went over the nose of the board and it bayoneted me with the full force of the wave.) And every time, I carried on happily surfing, ignoring the pain or the blood. But you go out on the ocean anticipating a tangle of some kind. You're engaging the farking ocean for crying out loud!
Anyway, I'll give the lake due respect from now on. I still don't expect the wipeouts you'd get on the ocean but it's still a big body of water. With that in mind, I'm actually more excited for the next wavy day on Lake O! 

Life is especially great in the summer!  The weather has been amazing so I'm up before sunrise to paddle, then jump on my bike or into the convertible to go to work.  Also, there's lots to do in the evenings and on weekends.   I'm only working a 4-day week for the summer so if it's my day off, I enjoy a post-workout Starbuck's and then do what stay-at-home moms and retired people do; meet friends for lunch, take naps, read books, dig in the yard.
Louise is in the country for a few weeks. Rather than sit in a bar or backyard, we decided to meet up for a paddle one night. I'm so glad I bought that extra board and paddle for exactly this reason - although there's no shortage of people offering loaners. She's never tried stand up but of course she was naturally good at it. It was a choppy night too. We had a great time catching up. She's off to the cottage for a week or two but everyone's hoping we can organize a dinner or something with her before she heads back to Singapore. 

Meanwhile, The No Book Book Club has developed a collective crush on Channing Tatum so we went to see Magic Mike on Friday. Overall a fun night out, starting with sangria at Philthy's, while we waited for Jackie. The theatre was PACKED with women in the 36-60 range (plus 3 adolescent boys, one with a date, who sat in the back row and giggled). The movie was pretty awful but I don't think any of us were expecting something Oscar-worthy. I mean seriously, Olivia Munn is in it.

I was glad I'd put in so many kilometres on the lake on Friday because Saturday morning was miserable. Thunderstorms, excessively hot and humid, zero wind. I rolled over and went back to sleep.
It's too bad about the conditions because it was Derek's 'downwinder' race that day. This is the second year for his event. I haven't done this race, mainly because he doesn't allow race-day registration. I understand his perspective - if he didn't get the money up front, a year like this would put him in debt - but with our less-than-ideal stand up conditions on Lake Ontario, it's a deal breaker for a lot of people. That stretch is an agonizing 15km slog on a flat day. The only thing that could make it worse would be knowing you actually paid Schrotter money to DO it.
As far as connecting with the sup community? Well, the people I paddle with are great and we get together regularly. Unfortunately, the southern Ontario sup scene is dominated by middle-aged suburbanites who run around squealing "Sweet!!", "Brah", "Stoked!!" and throwing up shakas every couple of minutes. They're all really nice people, just a little ... uh, you know...over the top.

I met up with friends who did the race at a party later in the evening and it sounds like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The race start was delayed for a number of reasons; unexpected road closures due to the Indy and a broken water main on the Gardner, thunderstorms with pelting rain rolled through right around the planned start time, there was no organizer at the rec race starting point and participants were left to wander aimlessly, the wind direction shifted to easterly after he declared a westerly race direction. Racers had to paddle into a stiff headwind and a west-running current. The after-party dragged on so long, lots of people had to leave before the awards even started.
Quite a few "names" from the U.S. stand up community had made the trip to Canada to support this event so it's too bad the conditions didn't cooperate. (although I'm sure Derek made sure they enjoyed themselves). I would like to have met that group - I own their boards, use their paddles, follow their blogs and facebook groups - but I'm sure the chance will come up at other, legit races. 

I moved to my neighbourhood because of it's proximity to the water and for the recreation trail that runs by my house. They've been improving and expanding the trail this summer. The crooked sidewalk along Lakeshore, from Clarkson to Lorne Park, has been ripped up, flattened, widened and is just awaiting paving. Cyclists will be able to completely bypass Rattray Marsh and Jack Darling now - great news because pedestrian congestion makes it treacherous to navigate.

Looking east along Lakeshore from Meadow Wood

The trail is even more important to me since I've been riding my bike to work for the past couple of months. It's not a bad ride. 20 km each way, more than half of which is along the waterfront trail. Once I exit onto Dixie though, things deteriorate quickly. 

Dixie is one of those roads that hasn't been upgraded in decades. Extremely narrow lanes, killer sewer grates, the pavement is buckled, heaved and crumbling all the way up to the QEW. Even the downhills feel like uphills on Dixie. Once you climb up and over the highway, things improve. I'm still on roads but they're either quiet residential streets or the West Mall where they've recently added a beauty bike lane. Still, I'm always checking around for car-free routes that will bypass the Dixie quagmire.

I've always suspected that I could duck under the QEW at the bottom of the West Mall to connect with the Etobicoke Creek Trail to Marie Curtis. Super-appealing since it would mean I'd only have to deal with 1km of traffic and then pure trail, all the way home.
Google Earth shows a substantial dirt trail so last night I gave it a try. The trail picks up just off the Trillium parking lot. It's a dead end road that goes past the Tim Hortons and winds around the back where cops hide in their cruisers and pedestrians hop the gate to take a shortcut across the creek. 

It doesn't look like this route will be a viable alternative. It's hardcore dirt bike territory with lots of switchbacks, rocks, roots and sewer-creeks to cross. Going under the QEW is dark, creepy and messy, which would be fine if you could just breeze through there but it has a gridiron of man-made stalagmites covering the path - possibly the original footings for the hwy.

You have to get off and walk a lot and since I ride a hybrid, the potential for damage is huge. Once through though, you're on a beautiful trail that winds along Etobicoke Creek, under the Lakeshore and straight onto the waterfront trail at Marie Curtis.

Anyway, in the course of researching bike routes and trails in Mississauga and Etobicoke, I found all kinds of info about current and future projects. One of which explains the activity going on under the QEW where it crosses the Credit River. I may even be able to forgive them for ruining the symmetry of that beautiful viaduct. 

Check back in a day or two and I'll have some links and photos for you. 

Hard to believe what I'm watching on the news. 8 people were shot in the Eaton Centre. 1 25 year old male died, 1 13 year old boy in critical, 1 20 year old male critical, 3 men, 2 women in serious condition. Plus a pregnant woman who was trampled in the panic has gone into labour. This has been a week of crazy. Luka Magnotta (aka eric newman from Scarborough) dismembers a Chinese university student and mails his body parts to conservative party office. Zombie face-eater in Florida. Hope things settle down soon.

What a great Victoria Day weekend!
I was at the beach early every morning. On my own on Saturday, Sunday with Jackie and on Monday with a whole bunch of friends. Even though I had a camera (and phone) with me, I didn't take many photos. On the one hand, it's a good thing but I do enjoy having the group shots years down the road. Oh well.
At the start of the weekend, I had the vaguest of plans; paddle, hang out with a couple of friends, but by Saturday, plans and party invites were racking up.


The weather was so unexpectedly amazing that the lake is warming up quicker than usual. I paddled early on Saturday because I was supposed to meet Marisha at the Boulevard Club for the afternoon. Something came up with her boyfriend or whatever, so we changed that to Sunday afternoon. With an entire afternoon to myself, I decided to visit my dad. He actually looks pretty good. He's got some colour on his face and Bernadette told me they're getting him outside in his wheelchair a lot. After his lunch, we took him for a walk around the neighbourhood, then I headed home. Dinner plans with Robert and then an early night.
Jackie and I met at the beach around 7am on Sunday. Beautiful weather and flat conditions - so flat, we actually passed 4 rowers on the lake - anyway, great for a chatty paddle.  We did about 6km together, decided that a beach party was in order and planned it for Monday morning. Jackie had to go but I was free for the morning and went back out for more paddling.
I met Marisha shortly after noon. We haven't had a chance to get together for awhile so we spent the hours poolside, sipping coolers and catching each other up on our lives. She told me that she'd spent Saturday afternoon picking up Cynthia (rower) from where she'd had a cycling accident and taking her to emergency. She'd broken something in her hand/wrist, which would be so frustrating, right at the start of the season.
After spending 2 entire days in the sun, I was crispy and wiped out by evening. Still, a fun day of catching up with 2 good friends. And what's not to love about lying around the Boulie pool bar?

Monday morning, I went to the beach early so I could do some paddling before people arrived. Since pretty much everyone we know owns a board or two, I decided to leave my extra board at home. There was a decent wind blowing when I got there, not so much surfing but I was taking a ride on the conveyor belt for sure. Because the temperature shot up so suddenly, algae forms a 2 foot barrier between beach and lake. Further, there's a fly infestation along the lakeshore. I paddled through 300-500m of a fly carpet on the water before passing to clear water. Well, not exactly clear - kind of murky, actually.
Chrissy/Jeff & Jess/Del paddled over from Port Credit and met the rest of us at the beach. We were a large group - around 20 people with 6-8 boards sitting on the beach at any given time. Jess is using one of those M&M boards I've been curious about - designed by sailboat manufacturer Morrelli & Melvin. She really likes it. Jeff showed up on a 404 he bought online so now everyone has their own gear. Around noon, we decided conditions weren't ideal for the kids, what with the flies and wind, so everyone headed for home. We were all meeting at a friend's for a BBQ in a few hours anyway. I got a text inviting me out for a paddle with Stringer and the boys before the bbq but instead I slept for a couple of hours and then headed to Mike's. I passed Doug with his boards on my way there.

What a great party at Mike's! Everyone was there - it could have been 15 years ago at the canoe club (except for the addition of wives and children). I still see most of the people but there were some, Ian & Gord A., for example who I haven't seen for ages. Both are married with children of course. Gord's wife is currently pregnant with twins! Also pregnant are Brandon's wife (it's a boy) and Mike's sister! Carrie suggested I refrain from drinking the water. Mike's little girl is very cute and looks exactly like Mike. The little ones were passed between parents while the older ones, Dylan, Grayson, Charlie, Sydney and Mason (plus others whose names I don't know, like Toby's youngest and the Andersons') charged around the big yard. Mike's family had cooked up a crazy amount of food; mini burgers and dogs for the kids, fajitas, beef and chicken and then desserts. Seriously the best back yard party I've been to in a long time. I was supposed to head over to Jackie and Blake's for fireworks after dark but older = smarter. The next stop for me was home/bed.

I caught a virus over the weekend, stayed home from work on Monday, went in to work yesterday (mistake) and was sicker than ever today. Stayed in bed half the day, then spent another few hours lying on the couch reading.
I'm glad I went Chapters shopping before I got sick. Today I cracked the spine on The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach's debut novel. I was holding onto it until I had time to give it a proper read. I like this part - a very true thing he writes about coaches...
" Schwartz knew that people loved to suffer, as long as the suffering made sense. Everybody suffered. The key was to choose the form of your suffering. Most people couldn't do this alone; you needed a coach. A good coach made you suffer in a way that suited you. A bad coach made everyone suffer in the same way, and so was more like a torturer."


I got bored of reading mid-afternoon but, feeling like a bag of poo, didn't feel like going anywhere. God, my hair and skin are dry. I remembered there was half an avocado going brown in the fridge - no good for eating but perfect for a honey-avocado face mask. I put the leftover in my hair and wrapped it in cling film. I ransacked the baskets in my bathroom, pulling out all the scented gift products I've received - SPA DAY!! After a jacuzzi, I feel much better, softer, smoother and my house smells like shea butter and coconut.

I was talking to Chrissy and she's sick too. I would think that we caught it at Melissa's wedding on Saturday except that it's been going around our office. This week there've been at least four people off sick every day.  Anyway, we both cancelled out of Pilates so Janet is proposing to the group that we go Sunday evening instead. I hope everyone goes for it because I hate to miss a session. I'm going up to Collingwood for the weekend but was coming home Sunday night anyway. You know, I was hoping my flu shot would protect me from stuff like this but I guess not.

Schools are on March break this week and we've taken most of our servers down for upgrades or whatever so there's time for a little upgrading on my blog.

The last time I wrote, I was at the funeral for K.C. and Mariane's mom. The church was packed, overflowing in fact. People who arrived late had to sit in side rooms. The priest who spoke wasn't known to the family but was, as he let us know, currently a resident at a nearby nursing home and the funeral home called on him frequently to perform services. He rambled on for a bit and then trailed off and seemed to remember what he was there for. A few words into the service he went into an old-man coughing fit. It went on just a few seconds too long so everyone started to look a little concerned.
Once the family members started getting up to speak, everyone relaxed. Johanne's sisters spoke with much love and humour, ignoring a fire alarm that went off for about 5 minutes. KC, Marianne and her brother all spoke. There were lots of tears when they talked about the graduations, weddings, grandchildren and other life events she would miss.
Everyone gathered in the foyer after the service. Great that so many friends were able to make it. I had been planning to jet as soon as it was over, KC understood since she was originally going to be coming to Melissa's wedding, but there were so many people to see.

Eventually I was on the road (after a quick Starbucks stop by Eighth Line). I forgot how far it is to Hamilton. And the weather out that way was brutal, icy and windy, making the roads super-slick. I got to the Old Mill in Ancaster just as everyone was sitting down to dinner. I knew I was sitting with Jess/Del and Chrissy/Jeff but it was a nice surprise to find that Sarah Bell and Amanda Wessell along with their significant others were at the same table. Sarah's mom was at the wedding also. Besides the girls, there were a bunch of other paddlers there; Chris, Dustin, Kyle and their respective girlfriends.

I know people always say this but Melissa really was beautiful! And so happy. I've only met John once before at national team trials but he seems like a truly nice person. It was one of those weddings where everyone is relaxed and having a good time.

Instead of clinking a glass or singing a song with the word "love" in it, each table or group had to make a lego addition to Melissa & John's "home". The dance floor was full all night, the cheesier the song the better. I got a chance to speak with everyone I wanted to catch up with before I left around 11:30pm. Great party!

Very sad news, KC and Marianne's Mom passed away suddenly. Funeral is set for Glen Oaks Memorial on Saturday at 3:30.

Melissa is getting married on Saturday at 2:30. Unfortunately I'll miss the ceremony, at which her brother will preside, but I will be out there for the reception. (fyi, there'll be a J.of P. on the side to make it official)

Cool stuff...Matt Abbott on a German tv show. Two twenty-somethings apply for jobs; a girl trying to become a waitress in a UK restaurant and a guy who wants to work rescue in British Columbia - Silver Star to be exact. The show flips back and forth between the two subjects. The segment for Silver Star begins around 16:34 but Matt's not in it until a little later, closer to 28:40 (he's the patient in black).

A beautiful, sunny day - I was thinking a trip down to Queen West would be a good plan but Ryan was working and the shopping trip just wouldn't be the same without my Q-West sidekick. I decided that downtown Oakville would suffice. When did they dial down the speed limit along Lakeshore Rd, west of Southdown? It's still 70 at the bottom end of Southdown but as soon as you round the bend, it drops to 60.

Oakville didn't disappoint. House Warmings was having a HUGE sale. So big, in fact, that I was concerned they were going out of business. Nope, even better news, they are just making room for the spring shipment. I don't think I've ever spent less at that store. And I came home with more than I usually purchase.

I could have sworn I saw Adam in town but he was across the road, a little too far to catch his attention and I was headed in the opposite direction. I thought he was in Florida but with the Grand Finale of Gold Medal Plates happening in Kelowna next weekend, it's very possible he stopped home on his way there.

At least one pair of petrocan deer have become pets of a sort. They were hanging around at the fence when I went out and when I came back 2 hours later. I imagine they're a good selling feature for the realtor having an open house across the road!

I seriously want to go dancing tonight. A few years ago (okay, a decade), if no one was up for it, I'd have just gone to a giant club around 11pm and done my thing - nobody would notice. But 52 is 52. The last time I went to see a live band at the Hideout , I was just hanging, leaning up against a wall enjoying the music. A guy who was completely stoned and reeked of weed was fascinated with me. He kept asking me who I was, he was guessing along the lines of Chrissy Hines or some ex-Toronto band front-woman. I told him I was no one, I just liked live music, but he wouldn't let it go. It was kind of crazy. I had to go to the ladies and wait a few minutes before I could go back to my wall pillar unmolested. Still, I saw him pointing me out to his friends. Actually, I was fine with that.  Another time I was in a club enjoying the band, I was with friends this time, and a guy asked if I was a narc. I was like, really?? No, not a narc. So what was I doing there? Looking for my kid? I just shook my head and walked away. Anyway, guess I'll be dancing in my living room tonight.

I went on a Port Credit pub crawl on Saturday night. We started in the Cue (nice to see both Conor (tending bar) and Donal (working the door)) and then moved to the Stable, Pumphouse, Harp and Spice. We ran into a few friends along the way. It was a great time! I bailed after Spice - couldn't drink any more.
On Sunday, I spent most of the day on the comfy couch in my pyjamas. Watching tv. So...relaxing. I liked it a lot.

Work in progress...


I'm committed now. I've said yes and booked a hotel room in Rarotonga. Not that there was ever any question about me returning to competition. I've missed it. Dropping off the map in 2007 left a big hole in my life. A hole that filled up with grief and worry for my dying parents and made me angry and lonely. I don't mean that I was alone. My son was back in Toronto, I hung out with friends, went on the occasional date, worked out at the gym and in my outrigger, I took up tennis and stand up paddling... Reviewing the checklist in my head, I was convinced that I was moving forward and getting on with life. Instead, I was just getting four years older.


Last year, in an attempt to regain some competitive spirit, I joined an outrigger club and completed my goal of racing in 2 events. I also did an adventure race with some guys from work that required me to paddle 12km and run a 6.5km leg through the York Forest. I felt a little like my old self but training was hard. In the intervening years I'd developed a taste for pinot grigio and shiraz and rediscovered my old friend, Cheeses. I'd hung a giant flatscreen tv in my basement and gotten used to doing what I wanted, when I wanted; sleeping until noon on weekends, lying on the couch watching hours of recorded programs, eating bad food and drinking every night. (I also suddenly had insight into the mind of every single guy I've known from my teens 'til now.)


I'd gained 20lbs and, because I hadn't really looked in a mirror for 4 years, it was like I'd gone to sleep one night weighing 135 and woken the next day at 155. It was a shock but, on the plus side, I'd finally gotten those C cups I'd wished for when I was 14! Compounding the weight issue, pronounced bunions now twisted my feet painfully. Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it. Just standing up first thing in the morning became a challenge.


Okay, so obviously things had to change. I was hoping for some external catalyst to come along and transform me. When that didn't happen I had to admit that all the hackneyed psycho-babble was right. When you can't change your circumstances, you have to change yourself. 


Trying to get back into some kind of routine, I started running again. It's always been my go-to activity. It requires minimal equipment and you can do it anytime, anywhere, in any weather. Plus, I genuinely enjoy it. But you try strapping on a 20lb fleshpack and see how enjoyable it is! In fact, everything is more difficult; riding a bike up a hill, moving an outrigger against the wind. And forget body weights! Push ups + 20lb fleshpack, body row + 20lb fleshpack, chin ups +...who am I kidding? I just stopped doing chin ups altogether. I used to like that gyms had mirrored walls reflecting your progress back at you. Now I just resent it.


The funny thing about life though, is once you start taking responsibility for yourself, the universe responds with gifts to support and promote your efforts. Gifts, I have to point out, that wouldn't be noticed or appreciated while you're feeling sorry for yourself.


Deciding to rejoin the world seemed to be the hardest part. Once I'd done that, it was like I flicked a switch. I received an email asking if I'd like to be part of an OC-6 crew planning to race in the Cook Islands in November 2012. There's no waffling on a decision like this. You're in or you're out. If I said yes and bailed later on, I'd be burning an important bridge and no one would ever consider me a serious racer again. I said yes and suddenly realized that it was true. I absolutely and unquestionably wanted to commit to this crew. And just like that, I stopped filling the void with food and wine and started getting up at 5am every day to go to the gym.

Okay, of course it never actually happens 'just like that'. The tools and support systems have to be in place if you're going to accomplish your goals. And I have that in spades. Over the past 18 years, I've trained with amazing coaches and athletes. The things I've learned from them form a solid foundation upon which I continue to build. I constantly refer to my training logs from those years, for workouts, inspiration or reminders that it wasn't always easy. I review the workouts and tips I find in books and on the web pages of athletes I admire and work them into my routine. On top of that, I'm fortunate to be surrounded by some truly impressive people. Continually inspiring and supportive, they provide the impetus for all kinds of endeavors.

One of the most important springboards for my personal transformation was the Christmas gift I received from my friend, Marisha. It's a framed magazine article about a women's OC-6, the winners of the 1990 Na Wahine o Ke Kai. When she tore it out of Shape magazine in January of 1991, Marisha didn't even know what an outrigger was. It was those women, propelling a 400 pound boat 41 miles across the treacherous Kaiwi Channel, that impressed her so much. She'd stuck it on her fridge as motivation when she took up rowing and it's hung there all these years, helping her stay focused on her goals while she put herself through law school and won a boatload of medals and awards in various sports. Now she was passing it on to me, saying she hoped it would inspire me in the same way.

Until I got this gift, I'd forgotten the importance of touchstones in the process of achievement. When you're about to let fatigue, pain or inertia get the best of you, there has to be a timely reminder that you're better than that, to switch your attitude to "GO"! Do the work, stay focused and, as Winston Churchill said, "Deserve Victory!".

I've hung the photo in my kitchen where I see it every day; walking down the stairs in the morning, preparing meals, getting my coffee, sitting on the stairs tying my shoes or gathering my things to head out the door. It's encouraging on so many levels. I'm inspired by the words printed on the page, by the accomplishments of those women and by those of the friend who gave it to me. When my brain tells me to skip a workout because I'm sore or tired or I just feel like having chicken wings, its a  powerful token of what I hope to accomplish 10 months from now, or next year or the year after that.


And because it was a gift, I know there are people who believe I'm capable of big things, even when I question it myself.


I don't know anything about the conditions we'll face in the South Pacific. I've never raced on the open ocean or heard anything about the crews against which we'll compete. What I do know is, I have everything I need to do the work, put in the kilometres and prepare myself to compete at the highest level of my ability. I'll be ready.

I've never really been a fan of the Oxford comma. Even before advances in technology promoted the compression of language, I thought it was extravagant. Seriously, how many commas and conjunctions do you need to get your point across? Context has to count for something.
I haven't written it off completely because so many of its proponents are people or journals I respect. Lately though, I find myself edging closer to partial acceptance because of this...

A couple of things referencing 1988 dropped into my mailbox today. They made me smile...

Considering how much online shopping I do, its kind of surprising that I haven't been the victim of fraud or identity theft. Today, when I logged on to do some banking, I noticed a charge on my credit card for $500.00 at The Beer Store.  I don't buy beer but I did spend over $100 at the liquor store this past weekend. I thought about it - was I overcharged by accident? No and anyway, I used my debit card. Are they owned by the same corporation? No. Then I noticed the posting date was Monday. I was at work on Monday and out with a friend in the evening. So, clearly it wasn't my expense. I called my bank and they're on it. They've cancelled the card and are sending me a new chip and pin. I feel better now that I'm not funding a field party in small-town Ontario.

Later today, there was a union rep in our office. I guess he had a bunch of meetings at our building and needed a hotel spot to check his email, surf porn or whatever it is he does all day. After lunch, one of the guys said he was downstairs in our lounge, lying down on the couch, sound asleep. I wanted to go take a cell pic so bad but you know a union person would NOT be happy about that, after all the TTC shenanigans. Seriously, how can they keep complaining about negative stereotypes when they're constantly reinforcing them?

This past weekend, all of our female cousins (maternal) got together at my sister's house. It was fun to catch up with everyone.



Judi, Linda & Debi arrived from Winnipeg in the middle of a snow squall. Their plane circled for 45 minutes, supposedly waiting for workers to clear snow from the runway. That never happened so they finally landed in the messy conditions, skidding along the runway to a stop. Isabel's flight from Regina landed in Toronto about the same time, in the same way. After that Pearson diverted flights to Ottawa until they cleaned things up. The Calgary contingent; Susan, Dale, Marie, Dianne, Barb & baby Atticus, got a brief tour of Ottawa airport before they were able to get on a flight back to Pearson. We were supposed to meet them for dinner but they didn't get in until 10:30 in the evening. Once they had checked into their hotel on South Sheridan way, Susy called - they were all still on Calgary time and wanted to go out!

Amanda arrived from Winnipeg early Friday morning. I had the sound turned off on my cell so didn't see that she had texted a couple of times. She was supposed to take a cab to Laurel's but forgotten her address. And Laurel wasn't answering her phone. We got her sorted though.
Julia was already in Toronto. She works for an MP who is having surgery at Toronto Western (big secret) but she was able to get the weekend off and arrived Friday afternoon around dinner time.

Here in the west we love our gadgets. We have at least one with us at all times (sometimes more) we line up for days outside an Apple store when a new version is released and we mourn their creators when they die. So...have you ever wondered where all our gadget crap is made? How it's made? Who is making it?
This week's podcast from This American Life is a brilliant (and entertaining) report on technology giant FOXCONN. They produce almost all of our tech tools, from the most basic components to finished, packaged products. Click to listen to EPISODE 454: MR. DAISEY AND THE APPLE FACTORY

I saw a familiar face on the news wrap-up tonight - remember Fiona who used to paddle with the women's team in the early days? She did something that happens quite often - locked her baby and keys in the car - Link with video-goodness . For some reason City felt it was capital "N" News.  As always, I was impressed with her absolute cool in a tense situation. Reporters arrived while her 2-year old daughter was still locked in the vehicle. That's got to be annoying. Firefighters were quickly on the scene but Fiona had called her husband to bring the spare set of keys so they waited for him. It took about 30 minutes to get there - he arrived just as they were about to break a window. I knew Fiona was getting married a few years ago but I hadn't heard about her having a baby.
I did the exact same thing when Ryan was about 18 months old. I had just dropped off some dry cleaning and, while I was putting him back into his car seat, the driver's door swung shut, keys on the seat. I closed Ryan's door before I realized the lock was engaged. The best and the worst thing about older cars is how easy they are to break into. This was an old Vista Cruiser (that's right, Eric's car on That 70s Show) so, after a moment of dismay, I went back into the dry cleaners to borrow a coat hanger, stuck it down the door panel and popped the lock. 

Let's see... swap the gender references, switch naked bars to shopping malls, wine instead of beer & liquor, yoga & paddling not hunting & motorcycles and the toilet seat stays down. Leave the rest and... yup, that pretty much sums up my life...

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.
So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.
Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.
~~ Neil Gaiman