Yearly archives: 2006

85 posts
Travelogue

…That night in Toronto…

I’ve got to start off by saying that I’m turning 31 this year. Over the past few years, more and more of our friends are getting married, and more frequently these days, they are going forth and procreating! Congratulations go out to the latest couple to tie the knot, Greg and Alyssa. The actual wedding took place a little while ago in Panama, but not everyone was able to make that trip. As a result, they threw a reception in Toronto, and a good contingent of the Ottawa fiends (yes, fiends, not friends 😉 were invited, and subsequently made the trek. Although the marathon is only 3 weeks away, that didn’t prevent us from partying like the old days! As can be evidenced by the numerous pictures (and several that we haven’t shared), we still know how to get up to no good. I’ve got to say though, as much as I love an open bar, they really slay me. I’m quite sure LI would have fared far better had I not been subjected to the ‘last call’ rush. The result was me skipping my final 32km training run of my program on Sunday. uckily, I’d already done 2 – 32k runs and a 30k run in the past month and a half, so I’m gonna guess I’m good to go. We only went down to Toronto for a single night, so we really had to make it worhwhile. I headed down with Alix and Jody, and once we arrived there, met up with John, Dana, Rachel, David, Kevin and Amy. Our car arrived around 12:30, and we were lucky enough to get checked in at the Delta Chelsea right away, even though check-in isn’t officially till 3pm.

Life in General

High Over Ottawa…


Well, as I look at my last blog post, I see that it’s been just about two weeks! My how time flies! There’s been plenty of things happening in the last couple weeks, so I’ll likely try to jam a few new posts on right away to catch anyone up who’s been wondering what’s new. To the left, you can see a lovely picture of Parliament Hill as seen from the air. April 29 marked my father’s 65th birthday, and he drove all the way up from Westville, NS to celebrate with his family up here. Yup, he’s now officially a Senior Citizen in the eyes of the man. You wouldn’t think it to see him and hang out with him for a while. He’s still sharp as a whip, and has plenty of stories that definitely make my life seem pretty pedestrian by comparison. Just ask him some day about the 6 months he spent slogging through the jungles, attempting the first land crossing of the Darien Gap (see this great story about the Darien Gap) in an amphibious vehicle ( a DUKW to be precise), which promptly broke down, leaving his team to slog on by foot, till he got dyssentry, and on and on! I’ve told him on several occasions that he must write out his memoirs some day. If for nothing else than for my sheer enjoyment of it all. It’s cool to hear stories from your maker about their life experiences!

Life in General

What’s Your Poison?

1 Comment

The Nanaimo Bar management is pleased to announce that the newly-renovated facilities are ready for use! That’s right, work has been completed on the new oak bar fixtures in the renovated basement of the Cheshire Studios and home complex. After 5ish months of spotty labour (you get what you pay for), the beautiful 8 foot bar is done. Not only is it done, but it’s now fairly well stocked. I finished off work last week, but hadn’t gotten around to posting anything on the completed project. The picture at the right shows the back of the bar, with the cabinet doors on, and the fridge it place. The cabinets to the left of the fridge are loaded up with all sorts of libations for future consumption. If you’d like to see a few more pictures of the bar, click over to flickr.

Race Reports

Boy, Does it Add Up….

1 Comment

So, I just did some quick adding up. Would you believe that since January of this year, up to yesterday night (April 23, 2006), I have run over 820 km? Holy crap! Well, I double checked, and that number is accurate. I’ve put this distance on my own two feet in various shoes over the past 13 weeks. All of this of course is preparation for the marathon, which will be my third time running it. This distance doesn’t include any other things I’ve done, like skiing, snowshoeing, swimming and biking either! I’d like to say I’m a machine, but it really doesn’t feel that way. I’m just a regular guy, who’s been able to be pretty disciplined about getting out there and doing what needs to be done. I’ve got a bit of drive, since I’d like to start coming out with some possible podium finishes in various races that I’ll be doing this summer.

Speaking of which, my schedule is already filling up fast it seems. As of right now, I’m planning to do the marathon, 3 triathlons (including a ½ Ironman), 5 adventure races (hopefully including a ridiculous 1-week, unsupported ‘expedition’ race), 2 trail running races, and playing ultimate Frisbee. Jody isn’t so pleased to hear about new races I’d like to do, since it ultimately means no camping or outings on those weekends. Of course, camping is usually a challenge in itself, what with the Great White Beast, Jonah.

Life in General

Uncle’s Log – April 13, 2006

1 Comment

Good Morning to you all!

As of the moment of this writing, I am not quite yet an uncle. However, the event is iminent. I’ve decided to try to keep a little log of the day as it unfolds for me (and the new family).

Things started off yesterday when I got a call from my sister: “Are you ready to be an uncle sooner rather than later?”. She was on her way to a diner for a bite to eat, since contractors had invaded their house to do some kitchen renovations. Ironically, a few days earlier, Andrea had said ‘I hope I don’t go into labour while they are there…’. Well, she didn’t, but was awfully close. It turns out that she was full term and pretty much dilated, meaning the big event could happen at any moment. The doctor pegged that within 48 hours, Andrea and Patrick would be new parents, and as a result, I would be the crazy uncle!