Go Home, Where Else Would I Go...?

Well, uphill for one...The first part of the Go Home course winds it's way from sleepy Deep Cove at sealevel up to the Lookout Parking Lot off Mt. Seymour Road. A calf busting climb on the best of days.

I had started with the hope to be able to hang on to the slower ladies, but had to let them go once we reached Indian Arm Rd. I've been training a lot and have worked on my speed, but lately, there just isn't any "umph" in those legs.

The trails were beautiful. Bright yellow mushrooms sprouted in a few spots and gurgling creeks and clear waterfalls greeted me behind every corner. Kept my mind off the fact, that I would be arriving alone, wet and tired in back in Deep Cove with no car and no ride...Hm! Couldn't keep my mind off that one for long. I pondered running most of the course, but turning towards Lynn Canyon once back on the BP and calling my ride from there - if I would get stuck there, at least I would know which bus would get me home before freezing to death. Thought about running the whole course and dropping in on a good friend in Deep Cove while waiting for my ride. Nothing really appealed to me as the rain was falling harder and colder. My brand new test Club Fat Ass Wear technical shirt (boy do I like that new fabric) kept me cozy, but at the historic mushroom parking lot I decided to cut back to the BP in the hope of running into some of the faster runners. Bingo! After a nasty slow motion tumble on a downhill stretch I first greeted Ann, then Curb, then Dom and Cheryl. Things weren't as lonely anymore. Running down into Deep Cove a whole group of Fat Asses passed me on light feet.

After fuelling up at Honey's with mudrunner and Penny we headed home. That hot shower never felt that good.

Buy Nothing Day

Hey, that's an easy one! Buy Nothing Day. Who wants to be stuck in a stuffy store, Christmas tunes jingling in the background, cranky people whacking their shopping carts into you, stressed cashiers trying to be friendly (or trying hard not to be snarly). Go for a run during lunch or after work instead.

The Chili Dilemma (continued)

I went to shop for some of my chili ingredients today. Jackson accepted my challenge to concoct his own "authentic" chili. He found a rattlesnake meat supplier, but the rattlesnake got stopped at the border. I am not kidding. Instead of rattlesnake I got beef for Jackson, not the ground kind...apparently he is chopping the meat up to desired bite size pieces.

I had studied the lore of chili's over the last couple of days and went shopping with the thought in mind that I am going to create an "authentic" chili (no beans no ground meat) but use my bastard recipe (beans and ground meat) as a base to work from. Just before the checkout, I realized that I don't really give a darn about authenticity when it comes to chili. Sorry, Texans! Who gives you the right to claim the yummy chili as your own, exclude beans and ground meat? Back went the chunk of beef and with determination I paid for the ground beef.

Really, you chili snobs, what it comes down to is the taste...I have my secret ingredients at the ready. Let the battle of the chili's begin.

Oh, one last word. With all this purist talk about Texan chili's, I fear we are scaring off the vegans and vegetarian. Please do not feel intimidated and bring your vegetarian chili version before the judge. It's the taste that counts. Rules are there to be broken ;-)

Club Fat Ass Wear - A Sneak Preview

Excitement is in the air. I got my hands on the first mock-up ClubFatAssWear shirts. Vanessa has been busily designing the pattern, running the fabric and mock shirts through the oven at the screener, calculating shrinkage and driving patterns and fabric to and fro.

Today she dropped off a men's and a women's test shirt. I am wearing mine right now. The material feels luxurious, very soft. If you have read the newsletter, you'll know that the shirts are made from a environmentally friendly, non-toxic, anti-microbial material called Chitosante. So far, I am thrilled with the look and feel!

I love the colour...uh uh...this is secret territory. We have not disclosed the colours yet. We'll probably go for different colours for men and women's shirts, just because I was told men don't wear ... (oops, can't say more!).

Ean and I will be "testing" the shirts over the next few days for functionality and fit. I'll take mine for a run tomorrow. Ean will place particular emphasis on the no stink feature - so far so good. I'll run them through the washer and then test again.

The ClubFatAssWear shirts will be a very special edition and only available for members on record 1 January 2008 (that's when the order goes in). To make sure you'll get yours don't forget to register or renew your Club Fat Ass membership before the end of the year. As a special incentive to sign-up early, we will enter everybody registered by 1 November in a draw for a refund of their membership dues. Don't miss out!