The fence is done! I have to say, I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I photographed it before the hinges were installed, hence the blocks under the gate and the clamp in the top corner.
Life of Dave
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Fence update
The fence is done! I have to say, I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I photographed it before the hinges were installed, hence the blocks under the gate and the clamp in the top corner.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Art of Fence
Fencibility
Origin: 2009
Context: in the front, side and backyards of residential neighbourhoods of Vancouver and adjacent suburbs.
Related forms:
Fen-ci-ble, adjective
Fen-ced-ly, adverb
Fen-cing-ly, adverb
Fence-ment, noun
Use in a sentence: The goal is to seek a fencible, safe and off-leash solution to the containment of one’s beloved American Cocker Spaniel.
Forms of treatment: several bottles of chilled micro-brewed beer or ale.
At this point I think I could quite ably teach a course on fencibility. How many times can a simple 4 panel fence be built and re-built?
Or, more simply (but equally as exasperatingly) put…how long is a piece of string?
It’s a good thing I generally enjoy carpentry. Also, it never hurts to work under the guidance and supervision of a trusted carpentry Spaniel.
You know, the ones bred specifically for their finely tuned ability to identify cedar at 40 paces. Well OK, that’s an exaggeration; they actually MUCH prefer the scent (and taste!) of Milkbones. But none-the-less, I certainly enjoy Shelby’s company while I build stuff. She lowers my blood pressure when fence panels still don’t fit even after being measured twice or thrice.
Actually, I think there is a fair bit of sawdust (not necessarily Cedar) coursing through my veins. My Grandfather apprenticed as a shipwright in his youth and never tired of woodworking his whole life. I’ve inherited his tools and I try to give them a decent workout as often as I can. I’ve added some new technological wonders over the years like a compound mitre saw and a table saw, but there are a number of vintage tools in my wall-mounted tool chest (Grandpa-built) that I don’t even know what they are, much less what to do with them.
I was thinking…if Apple really wants to stomp Microsoft into the ground once and for all, they need to produce a software program called iFence. Simply download the program, select the fence style, and press ‘Enter’. Voila; instant fence.
But then I’d miss out on the smell of fresh-cut Cedar.
Origin: 2009
Context: in the front, side and backyards of residential neighbourhoods of Vancouver and adjacent suburbs.
Related forms:
Fen-ci-ble, adjective
Fen-ced-ly, adverb
Fen-cing-ly, adverb
Fence-ment, noun
Use in a sentence: The goal is to seek a fencible, safe and off-leash solution to the containment of one’s beloved American Cocker Spaniel.
Forms of treatment: several bottles of chilled micro-brewed beer or ale.
At this point I think I could quite ably teach a course on fencibility. How many times can a simple 4 panel fence be built and re-built?
Or, more simply (but equally as exasperatingly) put…how long is a piece of string?
It’s a good thing I generally enjoy carpentry. Also, it never hurts to work under the guidance and supervision of a trusted carpentry Spaniel.
You know, the ones bred specifically for their finely tuned ability to identify cedar at 40 paces. Well OK, that’s an exaggeration; they actually MUCH prefer the scent (and taste!) of Milkbones. But none-the-less, I certainly enjoy Shelby’s company while I build stuff. She lowers my blood pressure when fence panels still don’t fit even after being measured twice or thrice.
Actually, I think there is a fair bit of sawdust (not necessarily Cedar) coursing through my veins. My Grandfather apprenticed as a shipwright in his youth and never tired of woodworking his whole life. I’ve inherited his tools and I try to give them a decent workout as often as I can. I’ve added some new technological wonders over the years like a compound mitre saw and a table saw, but there are a number of vintage tools in my wall-mounted tool chest (Grandpa-built) that I don’t even know what they are, much less what to do with them.
I was thinking…if Apple really wants to stomp Microsoft into the ground once and for all, they need to produce a software program called iFence. Simply download the program, select the fence style, and press ‘Enter’. Voila; instant fence.
But then I’d miss out on the smell of fresh-cut Cedar.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
12th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #12, June 4, 2009
It's hard to believe it was only last week I needed a wind breaker on my ride home from work. Today I need industrial strength sun screen. It's over 30 degrees this afternoon.
But as happens every year, three days into a run of undeniably hot weather people start asking, "Will this heat wave EVER end?"
Not me. I've always liked this kind of weather. My Dad was like that too. That got me to thinking about the coincidence that it'll be Father's Day during the weekend of The Ride.
If it's this hot on June 20 & 21 it'll be quite a confluence of memories and events for me. I'll explain what I mean. My Dad passed away from Cancer 18 years ago. He is one of the main motivations for me to sign up for this event; and he loved being out in the hot summer sun.
It'll be even more poignant for me to be riding in the heat because before he became a paraplegic my Dad rode a moped in Germany and had wanted to get a motorcycle when he came to Canada. We never really talked about bicycles, I guess since obviously he couldn't ride one with me as I was growing up. Although he kind of did. I remember fondly riding my first bike (with training wheels) with him rolling alongside in his wheelchair.
I guess with Father's Day approaching I have been sub-consciously thinking about my connection to my Father and all the things it would be nice to talk to him about these days.
Participating in a strenuous physical activity on a hot summer day seems to me to be a fitting tribute to my Dad.
Happy Father's Day, Dad.
Cycle blog entry #12, June 4, 2009
It's hard to believe it was only last week I needed a wind breaker on my ride home from work. Today I need industrial strength sun screen. It's over 30 degrees this afternoon.
But as happens every year, three days into a run of undeniably hot weather people start asking, "Will this heat wave EVER end?"
Not me. I've always liked this kind of weather. My Dad was like that too. That got me to thinking about the coincidence that it'll be Father's Day during the weekend of The Ride.
If it's this hot on June 20 & 21 it'll be quite a confluence of memories and events for me. I'll explain what I mean. My Dad passed away from Cancer 18 years ago. He is one of the main motivations for me to sign up for this event; and he loved being out in the hot summer sun.
It'll be even more poignant for me to be riding in the heat because before he became a paraplegic my Dad rode a moped in Germany and had wanted to get a motorcycle when he came to Canada. We never really talked about bicycles, I guess since obviously he couldn't ride one with me as I was growing up. Although he kind of did. I remember fondly riding my first bike (with training wheels) with him rolling alongside in his wheelchair.
I guess with Father's Day approaching I have been sub-consciously thinking about my connection to my Father and all the things it would be nice to talk to him about these days.
Participating in a strenuous physical activity on a hot summer day seems to me to be a fitting tribute to my Dad.
Happy Father's Day, Dad.
Cycle blog entry #11, May 22, 2009
I'm eagerly anticipating the completion this summer of the on-going upgrades to the Burnaby bike trail system. The "trail" is actually patterned after Vancouver's bike routes; a safer alternative for bicycles to travel on secondary roads parallel to major traffic thoroughfares.
The Central Valley Greenway is a bit patchy thus far. The railway overpass at Burnaby Lake (very close to my office) is scheduled to open in June. Recently I photographed the installation of the overpass sections as they were craned into place over several days. I like being able to look back and see the progress as each section was secured. The overpass seemed to inch its way across the road and railway tracks.
I've ridden the whole route between office and home a couple of times to see how it all fits together. After riding along the North trail of Burnaby Lake I followed Still Creek Avenue until it ends, then across a soil distribution yard which connects with the road where the new Costco is located. That road passes under Willingdon Avenue. Another gravel path breaks off from there and crosses a wooden foot bridge over Still Creek. From there I crossed Gilmore and traveled along a new asphalt trail under the Skytrain tracks that took me to Boundary Road, where Burnaby meets Vancouver.
It's a good jaunt, about 10 miles. Strangely enough, I seem to catch a head wind most times I ride home. It makes for a challenging workout since there's quite a hill at the end starting near Clark Drive along E. 10th. There's not much opportunity for coasting along the whole route. So despite not having done many long rides to train for this event, I think all the riding I've been doing lately on my daily commutes has certainly benefited me.
10th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #10, May 13, 2009
I had a Eureka moment this afternoon as I rode home from the office in the rain.
I was riding along the new gravel path along the North side of Still Creek thinking about how I really have to get my act together soon concerning riding longer distances on weekends to build up my legs (and backside!) for the Ride. It's been 2 weeks since my trip to Iona Park and back.
I glanced down at my digital odometer/speedometer to see what speed I was maintaining on a flat surface with no head wind and noticed it was displaying miles per hour.
I've had this digital device almost as long as I've had the bike, about 3 years, and I guess I'd forgotten that I'd set it to display Imperial units. It took a couple of seconds to sink in, but I realized, of course, that if the speed was being recorded in MPH, then the distance was also most certainly in miles.
Since January I've been thinking I was traveling kilometers, but in reality I've been traveling MILES. From office to home isn't 10 km, it's 10 MILES (16.7 km). My ride to Iona park wasn't 32 km, it was 32 MILES (53 km).
No wonder I was tired when I got home! Doh!
Cycle blog entry #10, May 13, 2009
I had a Eureka moment this afternoon as I rode home from the office in the rain.
I was riding along the new gravel path along the North side of Still Creek thinking about how I really have to get my act together soon concerning riding longer distances on weekends to build up my legs (and backside!) for the Ride. It's been 2 weeks since my trip to Iona Park and back.
I glanced down at my digital odometer/speedometer to see what speed I was maintaining on a flat surface with no head wind and noticed it was displaying miles per hour.
I've had this digital device almost as long as I've had the bike, about 3 years, and I guess I'd forgotten that I'd set it to display Imperial units. It took a couple of seconds to sink in, but I realized, of course, that if the speed was being recorded in MPH, then the distance was also most certainly in miles.
Since January I've been thinking I was traveling kilometers, but in reality I've been traveling MILES. From office to home isn't 10 km, it's 10 MILES (16.7 km). My ride to Iona park wasn't 32 km, it was 32 MILES (53 km).
No wonder I was tired when I got home! Doh!
9th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #9, May 4, 2009
A few days ago the ride organizers issued the Ride Guide. It's a booklet with more details about the upcoming event.
On June 20th we're going to begin our journey at 7:00 a.m. at Guildford Mall in Surrey. After the official opening ceremonies I'm guessing we'll travel along 152nd Avenue to South Surrey and then South along King George Highway to the border.
At this point only the start, middle and end destinations have been disclosed. All we really know about points in between is that we won't be riding on Route #1 or I-5. It'll all be secondary roads.
The end of Day 1 will find us relaxing/ recuperating at a campsite (or maybe a farmer's field?) in Mount Vernon. I scaled the distance in my handy-dandy atlas and calculated the distance to be about 110 km.
The finish line for this year's Ride to Conquer Cancer will be at the campus of the University of Washington. And as much as I'm sure participants will already be looking forward to next year's event, it would be nice to be able to say that it was the finish line for Cancer. The end of that race is coming, and all the support from your donations is speeding us along to that conclusion at an ever-increasing rate.
Thank you very much for supporting event participants and especially researchers, doctors and cancer patients.
Cycle blog entry #9, May 4, 2009
A few days ago the ride organizers issued the Ride Guide. It's a booklet with more details about the upcoming event.
On June 20th we're going to begin our journey at 7:00 a.m. at Guildford Mall in Surrey. After the official opening ceremonies I'm guessing we'll travel along 152nd Avenue to South Surrey and then South along King George Highway to the border.
At this point only the start, middle and end destinations have been disclosed. All we really know about points in between is that we won't be riding on Route #1 or I-5. It'll all be secondary roads.
The end of Day 1 will find us relaxing/ recuperating at a campsite (or maybe a farmer's field?) in Mount Vernon. I scaled the distance in my handy-dandy atlas and calculated the distance to be about 110 km.
The finish line for this year's Ride to Conquer Cancer will be at the campus of the University of Washington. And as much as I'm sure participants will already be looking forward to next year's event, it would be nice to be able to say that it was the finish line for Cancer. The end of that race is coming, and all the support from your donations is speeding us along to that conclusion at an ever-increasing rate.
Thank you very much for supporting event participants and especially researchers, doctors and cancer patients.
8th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #8, May 1, 2009
We have a Social Committee where I work and they were kind enough to plan a fundraising event to benefit my Ride to Conquer Cancer. Yesterday was the Trow Chili Cook-off. Four managers agreed to participate and they prepared their secret chili concoctions, recipes no doubt passed down from generation to generation.
Ironically enough I almost missed the event myself. Posters were put up advertising the event starting at 1:30 pm. I thought I had plenty of time to go to a job site in the morning to perform a review of the construction. I got back at noon and the event was already underway.
A couple of the participating managers/chefs had had an important meeting re-scheduled so the cook-off got moved up. I had checked my email that morning before the re-scheduling occurred. All ended well however, although I almost missed tasting one of the chili recipes. There was barely a spoonful left in the bottom of the pot, but I did get to sample all four.
The fundraising consisted of donating $5 in order to taste and vote for your favourite. Weather was perfect as well. We ate chili on the West patio in the sunshine and raised $170 for the BC Cancer Foundation.
Many thanks to everyone that participated.
Cycle blog entry #8, May 1, 2009
We have a Social Committee where I work and they were kind enough to plan a fundraising event to benefit my Ride to Conquer Cancer. Yesterday was the Trow Chili Cook-off. Four managers agreed to participate and they prepared their secret chili concoctions, recipes no doubt passed down from generation to generation.
Ironically enough I almost missed the event myself. Posters were put up advertising the event starting at 1:30 pm. I thought I had plenty of time to go to a job site in the morning to perform a review of the construction. I got back at noon and the event was already underway.
A couple of the participating managers/chefs had had an important meeting re-scheduled so the cook-off got moved up. I had checked my email that morning before the re-scheduling occurred. All ended well however, although I almost missed tasting one of the chili recipes. There was barely a spoonful left in the bottom of the pot, but I did get to sample all four.
The fundraising consisted of donating $5 in order to taste and vote for your favourite. Weather was perfect as well. We ate chili on the West patio in the sunshine and raised $170 for the BC Cancer Foundation.
Many thanks to everyone that participated.
Cycle blog entry #7, April 27, 2009
Only 8 weeks to go until I ride my farthest one day distance to date.
A few summers ago I think I rode about 50 km in one day. I didn't have an odometer at the time, but that's what I remember and I'm sticking to it! It was basically a loop around Vancouver from my place, down to Spanish Banks, up to UBC, through a portion of Pacific Spirit Park, then a meandering route home from there.
Sunday I went on my first long training ride. The weather was perfect. I actually planned the route this time; usually I just start riding and go in the direction that looks the most interesting.
I rode from 35th and Fraser to the end of the causeway at Iona Beach Park. That's the long thin piece of land that juts out into the water West of Vancouver and Richmond. It's 4 km from the parking lot to the tip. It's a great place to watch the planes take off and look back at UBC, the mountains and the airport.
Round trip I rode 32 km in about 2-1/4 hours. I have to admit though that by the time I crossed the Arthur Lang Bridge and got back to Granville and 70th the buses were looking mighty attractive. I have a monthly transit pass so I waited for a bus with a bike rack and got a ride from 70th to 37th. That saved me from riding a substantial distance uphill.
Plus, at that point, I was late for dinner.
All things considered it was a satisfying first training ride.
6th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #6, Apr. 21, 2009
Phase 1 of my training is now over; the running part. I set a goal for myself of 55 minutes for the Sun Run and I did it! 55:01 was my time. The InTraining program really helped. The interval training, especially, really paid off.
I gained a lot of speed from the last off-ramp from the Cambie Street bridge and managed to carry that momentum to the finish line. I think that was the fastest pace I've ever maintained for a finish line sprint. No knee pain either, which was certainly a welcome relief. I've had a few sporadic knee aches this season.
I didn't ride on Monday to give myself a much deserved rest. My plan of attack now for cycling training is going to be riding the whole 10 km distance home from the office twice a week with a longer ride (distance increasing each week) on Saturday or Sunday.
I've just installed new brake pads on my bike but they still need a bit of adjustment; they're too tight. Also I might have to replace the rear sprocket before the trip. It's starting to skip once in a while. The bike is 3 years old and it gets ridden a lot so I have to stay on top of replacing parts as they wear out.
It's OK if bike parts wear out, it's the body parts I really have to take care of. I scaled back my cross training earlier this year because my knees were starting to protest. They feel good now. Plus I have the added boost of having met my Sun Run target. I know I can meet my next one; to ride to Seattle for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Cycle blog entry #6, Apr. 21, 2009
Phase 1 of my training is now over; the running part. I set a goal for myself of 55 minutes for the Sun Run and I did it! 55:01 was my time. The InTraining program really helped. The interval training, especially, really paid off.
I gained a lot of speed from the last off-ramp from the Cambie Street bridge and managed to carry that momentum to the finish line. I think that was the fastest pace I've ever maintained for a finish line sprint. No knee pain either, which was certainly a welcome relief. I've had a few sporadic knee aches this season.
I didn't ride on Monday to give myself a much deserved rest. My plan of attack now for cycling training is going to be riding the whole 10 km distance home from the office twice a week with a longer ride (distance increasing each week) on Saturday or Sunday.
I've just installed new brake pads on my bike but they still need a bit of adjustment; they're too tight. Also I might have to replace the rear sprocket before the trip. It's starting to skip once in a while. The bike is 3 years old and it gets ridden a lot so I have to stay on top of replacing parts as they wear out.
It's OK if bike parts wear out, it's the body parts I really have to take care of. I scaled back my cross training earlier this year because my knees were starting to protest. They feel good now. Plus I have the added boost of having met my Sun Run target. I know I can meet my next one; to ride to Seattle for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
5th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #5, Apr. 3, 2009
Today is the second day this year it's honestly felt like Spring. Hopefully no more reports of "unseasonably low temperatures...snow in April...a cold front closing in from Siberia... teams of Huskys seen pulling sleds down Granville Street...sleety showers in the forecast...unprecedented run on snow tires and rock salt...good Spring skiing conditions...late cherry blossoms..." In other words, the seasons have changed, just in the nick of time to prevent mass public unrest.
Yesterday I actually wore shorts on the ride home from work. Now that's more like it!
This time of year, as unlikely as it sounds, is about the only time when people are relieved to see the rain. Although I'm sure that won't last long. It's gloriously sunny today, but if it clouds over, watch out! Public opinion can change on a dime. What the world (city) needs now is a bit more appreciation for the wonderful climate we inhabit in this region.
There is definitely more prep required in order to ride in the rain, and I must admit, I hate getting rain on my glasses. But really, it's only water, not battery acid. Vancouver's weather is really quite conducive to riding year round (this past winter duly noted as a glaring exception). Even in the summer it's not very often it's too hot to ride.
So, keep smiling through the rain that will fall this Spring. If your lips have trouble curling up at the ends with the sight of the rain that will inevitably follow this recent sunshine, maybe try remembering that old Bugs Bunny cartoon where he sings about "April showers bring flowers in May".
You smiled, didn't you?
Cycle blog entry #5, Apr. 3, 2009
Today is the second day this year it's honestly felt like Spring. Hopefully no more reports of "unseasonably low temperatures...snow in April...a cold front closing in from Siberia... teams of Huskys seen pulling sleds down Granville Street...sleety showers in the forecast...unprecedented run on snow tires and rock salt...good Spring skiing conditions...late cherry blossoms..." In other words, the seasons have changed, just in the nick of time to prevent mass public unrest.
Yesterday I actually wore shorts on the ride home from work. Now that's more like it!
This time of year, as unlikely as it sounds, is about the only time when people are relieved to see the rain. Although I'm sure that won't last long. It's gloriously sunny today, but if it clouds over, watch out! Public opinion can change on a dime. What the world (city) needs now is a bit more appreciation for the wonderful climate we inhabit in this region.
There is definitely more prep required in order to ride in the rain, and I must admit, I hate getting rain on my glasses. But really, it's only water, not battery acid. Vancouver's weather is really quite conducive to riding year round (this past winter duly noted as a glaring exception). Even in the summer it's not very often it's too hot to ride.
So, keep smiling through the rain that will fall this Spring. If your lips have trouble curling up at the ends with the sight of the rain that will inevitably follow this recent sunshine, maybe try remembering that old Bugs Bunny cartoon where he sings about "April showers bring flowers in May".
You smiled, didn't you?
4th in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page:
Cycle blog entry #4, Apr. 1, 2009
I thought my senses were appropriately attuned to weed out any and all April Fool's Day shenanigans this morning. I woke up and immediately was aware of what day it was before my feet hit the floor as I got out of bed.
I put on my slippers and grabbed a jacket as I headed to the back door to let our Spaniel out into the back yard. Ah yes, I smugly said to myself, no one's going to pull the wool over my eyes this day! You could have knocked me over with a feather what I opened the door to discover... snow! I could almost hear Mother Nature herself doing that kid's sing-song voice from the Simpsons, "Ha, Ha!"
To be honest I hadn't planned to ride today anyway. Sun Run training is coming to a close as race day is only about 2-1/2 weeks away now. I jogged 45 minutes yesterday and I'm scheduled to run 60 minutes on Thursday. That'll be it for long practice runs for the InTraining group. I find I get sore knees if I jog one day, ride the next. A day of rest in between seems to be very beneficial. I don't want any injuries this close to the event.
After the Sun Run I'll start riding part way to work and all the way home. That'll definitely be good for my legs.
Cycle blog entry #4, Apr. 1, 2009
I thought my senses were appropriately attuned to weed out any and all April Fool's Day shenanigans this morning. I woke up and immediately was aware of what day it was before my feet hit the floor as I got out of bed.
I put on my slippers and grabbed a jacket as I headed to the back door to let our Spaniel out into the back yard. Ah yes, I smugly said to myself, no one's going to pull the wool over my eyes this day! You could have knocked me over with a feather what I opened the door to discover... snow! I could almost hear Mother Nature herself doing that kid's sing-song voice from the Simpsons, "Ha, Ha!"
To be honest I hadn't planned to ride today anyway. Sun Run training is coming to a close as race day is only about 2-1/2 weeks away now. I jogged 45 minutes yesterday and I'm scheduled to run 60 minutes on Thursday. That'll be it for long practice runs for the InTraining group. I find I get sore knees if I jog one day, ride the next. A day of rest in between seems to be very beneficial. I don't want any injuries this close to the event.
After the Sun Run I'll start riding part way to work and all the way home. That'll definitely be good for my legs.
3rd in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page (with minor edits):
Cycle blog entry #3, Mar. 29, 2009
I've decided to take advantage of a road bike trick of installing cleated pedals to my mountain bike. They attach to a special clip on the bottom of the shoes. Essentially the pedal and the shoe become one unit which enables the rider to pull the pedal up with one foot while pushing the opposing pedal down with the other foot.
I know this is a much more efficient use of physical effort but until now I have resisted the change. I had installed plastic baskets (for lack of a better name) on the pedals that cover the front portion of the shoes, and these helped when climbing hills, but to be truly effective they must be cinched quite tight over the shoes. I didn't think that was very safe because you wouldn't be able to get your foot free if presented with a sudden stop.
Now I'm in a different frame of mind since I'm planning to be in the saddle for many hours at a stretch. I want to give myself every advantage to reduce fatigue while maintaining speed during ascents.
But then again, maybe the real reason for getting new pedals and shoes is the excitement of buying and installing new technological gadgets. Common perception is that it's a guy thing.
And I'm not too proud to admit to that.
Cycle blog entry #3, Mar. 29, 2009
I've decided to take advantage of a road bike trick of installing cleated pedals to my mountain bike. They attach to a special clip on the bottom of the shoes. Essentially the pedal and the shoe become one unit which enables the rider to pull the pedal up with one foot while pushing the opposing pedal down with the other foot.
I know this is a much more efficient use of physical effort but until now I have resisted the change. I had installed plastic baskets (for lack of a better name) on the pedals that cover the front portion of the shoes, and these helped when climbing hills, but to be truly effective they must be cinched quite tight over the shoes. I didn't think that was very safe because you wouldn't be able to get your foot free if presented with a sudden stop.
Now I'm in a different frame of mind since I'm planning to be in the saddle for many hours at a stretch. I want to give myself every advantage to reduce fatigue while maintaining speed during ascents.
But then again, maybe the real reason for getting new pedals and shoes is the excitement of buying and installing new technological gadgets. Common perception is that it's a guy thing.
And I'm not too proud to admit to that.
2nd in a series originally posted on my Ride to Conquer Cancer personal page (with minor edits):
Cycle blog entry #2, Mar. 23, 2009
I should come clean and mention that I don't ride every day. During torrential downpours I take advantage of Shauna's offer of a car ride to the bus stop on Broadway at Kingsway. I have rain gear and I know how to use it, but seriously, everyone has their limits.
Recently, those snow days weren't conducive to riding. Then the snow melted and turned to ice in the mornings, and before I knew it, it was March. I know studded tires exist but I'm not exactly an Alaskan ice racer.
Now I'm riding my bike regularly again. I made a change in tires this season in anticipation of riding to Seattle. Truth be told I likely should have bought a road bike last time I upgraded but I'm still partial to an off-road trail now and again. During my teenage years the rims on my road bike had permanent wobbles in them from jumping curbs and riding where road bikes were never meant to go.
The recent concession I have made to road riding was to install hybrid tires. When inflated to near maximum pressure they offer limited rolling resistance. I'm confidant they'll work well for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. It'll be interesting to see how many mountain bikes there will be on the trip. I'm guessing not many.
Cycle blog entry #2, Mar. 23, 2009
I should come clean and mention that I don't ride every day. During torrential downpours I take advantage of Shauna's offer of a car ride to the bus stop on Broadway at Kingsway. I have rain gear and I know how to use it, but seriously, everyone has their limits.
Recently, those snow days weren't conducive to riding. Then the snow melted and turned to ice in the mornings, and before I knew it, it was March. I know studded tires exist but I'm not exactly an Alaskan ice racer.
Now I'm riding my bike regularly again. I made a change in tires this season in anticipation of riding to Seattle. Truth be told I likely should have bought a road bike last time I upgraded but I'm still partial to an off-road trail now and again. During my teenage years the rims on my road bike had permanent wobbles in them from jumping curbs and riding where road bikes were never meant to go.
The recent concession I have made to road riding was to install hybrid tires. When inflated to near maximum pressure they offer limited rolling resistance. I'm confidant they'll work well for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. It'll be interesting to see how many mountain bikes there will be on the trip. I'm guessing not many.
Ride to Conquer Cancer
I started blogging in March as part of my fund raising efforts towards participation in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. It's a 2 day bicycle ride from Vancouver, BC to Seattle. Each participant must agree to raise $2,500 in order to go on the Ride. I've done that and now I'm going to post my blog posts here dating back to March. I'm not sure how long they'll continue to be posted on that site after the Ride (June 20 & 21, 2009). Hopefully I'll have some photos to post after the event.
Cycle blog entry #1, Mar. 20, 2009
As the weather improves I'm been trying to increase my cycling distances per ride while also training for the Sun Run. It's proving to be a bit of a challenge. I'm adjusting to a gradually more rigorous training schedule since the Season of Over-indulgences (Christmas) has now ended.
I would have tried cross training sooner, but as those of us that live in the lower mainland know, there's been a fair bit more snow this year than usual. I track the number of days I ride to work and in January I only did it twice. February wasn't much better: only 6 times.
Part of my "green" commuting strategy is to take advantage of Transit's offer to travel with my bike on Skytrain. The only limitation is that you can only bring your bike onto a train going opposite to the flow of rush hour. That works for me. For the past 2 years I've been riding my bike 5.6 miles down the hill in the morning from where I live to the Clark Drive Skytrain station and taking the train to Burnaby Lake. It's an easy trip.
The route home, however, is the real workout. Skytrain takes me to Commercial Drive and I ride up the hill to our house near Fraser and 35th. Total round trip adds up to about 11 miles.
Cycle blog entry #1, Mar. 20, 2009
As the weather improves I'm been trying to increase my cycling distances per ride while also training for the Sun Run. It's proving to be a bit of a challenge. I'm adjusting to a gradually more rigorous training schedule since the Season of Over-indulgences (Christmas) has now ended.
I would have tried cross training sooner, but as those of us that live in the lower mainland know, there's been a fair bit more snow this year than usual. I track the number of days I ride to work and in January I only did it twice. February wasn't much better: only 6 times.
Part of my "green" commuting strategy is to take advantage of Transit's offer to travel with my bike on Skytrain. The only limitation is that you can only bring your bike onto a train going opposite to the flow of rush hour. That works for me. For the past 2 years I've been riding my bike 5.6 miles down the hill in the morning from where I live to the Clark Drive Skytrain station and taking the train to Burnaby Lake. It's an easy trip.
The route home, however, is the real workout. Skytrain takes me to Commercial Drive and I ride up the hill to our house near Fraser and 35th. Total round trip adds up to about 11 miles.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Shelby's grad from Novice Obedience
This blog-book format doesn't provide an option to include my Header photograph, and it'd be a deal-breaker for me to have to exclude it. And I can't time travel back to insert a post before my first post. So...it'll have to be shoe-horned in here, paired with my first entry.
This is Shelby's grad from Novice Obedience class on Monday night. It's a bit blurry, I know, but I just had to post this shot to show the happiness on my little dog's face. It's like she's asking, "What are my marks? Please tell me!" What a keener.
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