10 Points for Effort - Zero Points for the Bagger Challenge

Mid September, the family had planned and hoped to camp at the Frosty trail race and enjoy a last late season camping trip...but circumstances saw us throwing a birthday party for a freshly minted teenager and hauling dirt for the never ending backyard project...

No wonder that when this weekend promised glorious sunshine and dry skies, we were plotting an escape into the back country, tent and kids in tow. Since we are all a bit wound up with the amazing Bagger Challenge, why not try to hike with the family, camp out overnight AND bag some peaks? I had some reservations about being left alone with the rug rats in the cold mountains, while ActionJackson and a few other Fat Asses would be bagging peaks, but I couldn't say no to a weekend away.

Friday night, Wendy Montgomery confirmed that she'll join us and we quickly figured out a menu and a packing plan to avoid hauling up two of everything. I was in charge of dinner, Wendy took on chocolate and coffee. Which worked out great, since my stash of chocolate miraculously disappeared.

The Happy Bus left shortly after 9:00am Saturday morning. In retrospect, that was a tad late, but after a busy week, we all felt we deserved to sleep in a bit. By 10:00 we were on our way from Porteau Road up the Howe Sound Crest Trail towards Deeks Lake. By 10:15 Neil and Caroline Ambrose confirmed that they would be catching up to us and keep Wendy company while bagging Hat and some other mountains. Jackson had committed to climb Hat with us but then had his eyes on Hanover Mountain. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The trail follows a rough gravel road steep up into the mountains. We were moving at a good clip, but my heavy pack soon slowed me down. EJPowderhound didn't like the gravel road and kept me company, but as soon as our path turned into a rough little trail he sped up too and left me in the dust. I was cursing not to have loaded some more gear into the kids packs...mine was definitely too much for me.

After what seemed an eternity of steep uphill along a rushing river (Deeks Creek), countless waterfalls and millions of mushrooms, the trail emerged at Deeks Lake and into some sunshine. I was hoping that my crowd would have waited for me, but I only heard a brief, "there you are" in the distance and continued alone along the lake. My water bladder nozzle was leaking and stopping the cold water from dripping on me was becoming very aggravating. I tried to enjoy the marvelous views of the mountain ranges around Deeks Lake but was too caught up feeling miserable and lonely.

Finally, Ean was waiting at what would otherwise have prompted me to sit down and cry...a log jam river crossing...and the logs were very slippery. Luckily, Ean was kind enough to relieve me of my pack, so that I could elegantly bum slide across and quietly mumble something about turning around. Things looked up from here though. I am not fond of lone hikes and company soon revived my spirits...didn't even flinch when we had to climb up a slippery rock face with the help of some frayed rope. The views got better by the minute and soon we saw beautiful, turquoise blue Brunswick Lake appear through the trees.

We made camp just up from the lake near a tiny emergency shelter. Ean, Erik, Caroline, Neil and Wendy decided to make a dash for Hat Peak. But considering my slow speed and the fact that we were at the snow line, my daughter and I decided to hold the fort and stay put. We had hot soup ready for the cold climbers when they returned from their semi successful mission (I let Caroline elaborate on that). Caroline and Neil said their good byes and returned to their car.

A feast of Mac'n Cheese, peperoni's, chicken and chocolate filled our bellies. We even got a good fire going thanks to some fire starter and the macaroni boxes. We saw the first stars and a full moon but by 8:00pm we were tucked into our sleeping bags. Wendy, JoJo and Erik complained that they were cold, but Ean and I were toasty in our down bags.

It was hard to get going in the morning. Every thing was frozen solid and only a cup of hot coffee finally got us in gear. Wendy and Ean decided to attempt humble looking Wettin Peak to the west of our idyllic spot. EJPowderhound and JoJo and I packed up and then explored the shoreline. Down at the water the sun was blazing and tempted EJPowderhound and me to a brisk dip in the ice cold water. Brr, very refreshing.

Early afternoon, and the two baggers returned full of adventure and bum sliding stories. Our return trip was relatively uneventful: blue skies, more views, a lot of downhill...oh, and the kids didn't even notice that they carried a bit more downhill than they had uphill - it certainly made a difference for me

More photos are posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/turtlepace/sets/72157622529951410

Successful lost clothes recovery Mission

I lost my favorite Club Fat Ass Wear shirt. For two days I've been completely stumped as to where and how and when - and of course miffed, as the bag that I lost also contained my favorite MEC pants, a fleece sweater and a brand new pair of wool running socks.

But let me start from the beginning. I rode my bike to work on Tuesday. Given that the weather is finally getting a bit more unstable and the fact that I already got soaked twice on my bike commute I started packing a change of clothes. So far so good. On my way home from work I deviated from my usual route to run some errands. First stop was on Lonsdale near 20th. I locked my bike up, took my valuables (leaving the bag with the clothes in my pannier's) and dashed into two stores. Came back, stowed bought items (a bag with bread) into pannier's. Clothes bag is now on top of the bread bag. Push my bike a few blocks up Lonsdale and lock it in front of the MacDonald fast food outlet (what do you call these places...it's NOT a restaurant) and dash into the New Apple Farm for produce, again taking my valuables along, but leaving the clothes and the bread in the pannier's. There is a pan handler sitting beside the bike rack and lots of pedestrians on the sidewalk...but I generally trust people - besides, who wants my sweaty Club Fat Ass shirt and stinky socks. After buying produce I have to reload the pannier's to make everything fit. I distinctly remember placing the bread and clothes bag on the sidewalk. No recollection of packing everything, but also no recollection of leaving stuff on the sidewalk. I am eager to get home and cut down to Chesterfield, up to 23rd and down to Westview.

When I arrive home all three of my charges great me with different needs and wants and before I even unpack my bike I go inside to sort things out for them. Back to unpack my bike with EJPowderhound helping me to lug stuff up. Later that night I want to change from my shorts into the before mentioned MEC pants... but can't find the clothes bag. Hm. I turn the house and garage upside down, ask all the little and big Jackson. No luck. I went over my commute back multiple times, but just can't figure out what happened to my clothes. Option A: somebody swiped them out of my pannier's. Option B: I forgot them on the sidewalk. Option C: they fell out of the pannier's on the way home. Can't visualize any of this.

Fast forward to today. I figured I better retrace my steps and ask at the stores on Lonsdale if anybody turned in my clothes. On the way out I took the scenic route, as I swung by my son's school to deliver forgotten math homework. To my dismay, New Apple Farm was still closed, but MacDonald next door was open and bustling. I have never eaten at MacDonald's and don't even like to set foot in there...but hey we are talking about my favorite shirt. I suffer through the long line up and hope none of my friends walk by and see me. Scan the seated customers and promptly discover Rune who is hoovering down some fatty items to replace calories lost on Mt. Hood. Busted! Anyway, I tell the nice girl behind the counter my dilemma...figuring if they have the CFA shirt I can figure out how to explain the funky name then. No luck. Same at Seven Seas next door and New Apple Farm, which just opened. Argh. I decide to follow the route I took by bike on Tuesday in the faint hope that the bag did in fact fall out of the pannier's...No luck on Chesterfield, 23rd and Westview...but then, cutting into the little trail crossing Mosquito Creek Park (about 1 block away from my home), there is a bag hanging in a tree. YES. I hardly can believe it. All my clothes are in there. I whoop and holler all the way home.

LolaWusel's Erster Tag in Kanada

Ich konnte die ganze Nacht vor Aufregung kaum schlafen. Lolawusel war unterwegs nach Kanada. Ganz alleine.

JojocheesePig und ich wollten um 8:45 losfahren. Das Flugzeug sollte um 9:20 ankommen. Genuegend Zeit, um rechtzeitig an den Flughafen zu fahren. Allerdings hatten wir nicht damit gerechnet, das das Flugzeug frueher landete...

Zum Glueck hielt sich der Verkehr in Grenzen und wir waren in Rekordzeit beim YVR. Als wir in der vor der Eingangshalle Deutsche Stimmen hoerten, dachten wir schon, wir seien zu spaet, aber zum Glueck war noch keine Lolawusel in Sicht.

Die freundliche Dame bei der Information bestaetigte, dass Lolawusel aus dem Flugzeug begleitet und dann in der Ankunftshalle mir uebergeben wird. Nach ungefaehr 20min Warten, taucht endlich eine strahlende, aus dem Ei gepellte Laura auf. Wir verdruecken ein paar Traenen, die Begleiterin macht Augenkontakt mit mir und Lola verabschiedet sich. Gut gelandet.

Auf der Fahrt nach Hause stehen die Muender nicht still. Lola erzaehlt vom Koffer der erst nicht ankam und dann von den Verstandingungsschwierigkeiten beim Zoll. Einer der anderen alleinreisenden Kinder half beim Uebersetzen. Hunger schiebt sie, da es nur ein Broetchen und Reis mit Huehnchen gab. Die 4 Filme, davon zwei Liebesschnulzen waren dafuer aber toll. JoJo babbelt ununterbrochen und spielt Deutsche Reisefuehrerin.

Die beiden Kusinchen beschaeftigen sich den ganzen Nachmittag...Nagelpflege, Fahrradfahrt ins Dorf, Spaziergang zum Mosquito Creek, Koffer auspacken (danke fuer die tollen Socken, Mama, und die Trikots, Katja) JoJo hat Spass mit ihrer Tasche und Erik mit den Fliegern (einer ist "bis uebermorgen auf Nachbars Dach), Frisbee und Lampe.

Kurz vor dem Abendessen dann ein Nickerchen. Wir bekamen sie fast nicht wach zum Essen und alle Anstrengung sie bis um 19:00 Uhr wachzuhalten, halfen nichts...um 18:30 lag Lola im Tiefschlaf und schnarchend im Bett!

Stress Eating

Some people lose weight when they are stressed. Makes sense to me. Wouldn't that be a natural response. You are stressed and anxious, your stomach gets into a know...you don't eat. This holds not true for me. I eat to fight stress. Funny that this is a fairly new realization of mine. When I am relaxed and don't have a worry in the world, I lose weight easily. When stressed, my thoughts centre around food and I don't have the energy to fight it.

I am quite aware of what my stressors are:

• Sleep Deprivation: This is huge for me. I have been an insomniac all my life. My sleep is poor, easily disrupted and fragmented. In my younger years, I probably was able to cope better with the exhaustion and sneak in a nap during the day. With the demands of work and my family, naps are out of the question now. I have read that scientists have identified different sleep patterns inherent to specific people. One of the more common pattern were two sleep cycles per day, i.e. sleep from 11pm to 3am and again from 5am to 7am. And here I thought I was an insomniac. The above describes my natural sleep pattern - not that it plays out like that every night... What to do with that information? I am not inclined to get up at 3am and busy myself...too cold and I might wake up the rest of the family.
  For now, I try to be in bed by 11pm. I need 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep to fill my bodies need for sleep. Getting up at 7am allows for an hour of toss and turn...
• Fighting children: Ever have the feeling after the kids are finally in bed and all the bickering has stopped to just stuff your face? I always feel that once they are tucked in, I am in need and deserve something sweet. Very dangerous. My tactic to fight that right now is to keep busy after dinner. I am also following the rule of no more food after dinner (difficult with a grazing, skinny husband).
• Abdominal discomfort: this is almost counter intuitive, but I often eat when my stomach/intestines feel irritated, bloated or crampy. I think I have a bit of IBS and when I do have symptoms I tend to put more food into my system to fight the uncomfortable feeling. Weird one. Eating veggies and fruit eliminates my abdominal issues almost completely, maybe because they are easier to digest?
  

They say that knowing your enemy is winning half the battle, but I have known most of my stressors for a long time...

Double Dipping Moms

The cooks in this world deserve a pat on their shoulders for staying thin or attempting to lose weight. Think about it, you are supposed to cook healthy, nutritious and tasty meals for your charges, what is more natural than lick a spoon here or sample a little something there. How can you cook without sampling? Don't you have to test your product?

I try to limit my nibbling during cooking, but boy, it's not easy. First of all, I am hungry when I am cooking. It's dinner time after all. And of course, I want to make sure that the dish is balanced and passed my taste buds. Cooking and baking to me is an art. I love experimenting with spices, consistencies and combinations. I hardly ever cook from a cookbook or if I do, I change the recipe to suit our tastes or availability of ingredients. I grow my own herbs and some spices and love to use them. I pick up new ideas from books, conversations or just standing at the grocery check-out looking at the covers of magazines. I am proud of my cooking... and a ruined meal is a stain in my reputation as good cook.

But even if you just try to get dinner on the table without any culinary aspirations, how do you avoid turning into a double dipping mom? During the last couple of weeks of intense dieting, I have stuck to tried and true recipes, where I didn't feel the need to sample before serving. But I know the day will loom when I am tempted to experiment and need to sample. One might say that if you sample during cooking you'll limit what you eat at dinner...well, that has never worked for me.

Come to think about it, I am not just a double dipping mom, but more like a triple dipper...What to do with all the leftovers. I was raised in a time where you ate your peas and finished your plate. Never a problem for me, unfortunately. I admire people who for reasons nebulous to me cut the crust off their pizza or the fat of the meat. Since I raised my children to listen to their hunger indicators in their bodies, I have never forced them to finish what is on their plate...so they regularly have leftovers. Danger zone for me. It just hurts to throw food out. Are you a triple dipping mom? And what are your tricks to avoid the pre and post dinner sampling?

To Die For Chocolate Cake

My daughter dug this recipe up (Internet) and we adjusted a bit to replace egg substitute and white flour... Absolutely to die for, moist and rich but not too sweet!

Devilish Raspberry Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup vanilla yoghurt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry Sauce

• 3 cups raspberries
• 1/3 raspberry jam (PC or Smuckers)
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Topping

• whipped cream

Combine all the dry dough ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl using electric mixer mix wet ingredients for 30 sec. Combine both mixtures and mix with electric mixer first on low speed until blended then on high speed for 3 min.

Fill into greased spring form. Bake at 165C in convection oven (180C /350F in normal oven) for 35-40min. Let cool completely.

To make the sauce, slowly heat the raspberry jam. When hot add lemon juice. Add fresh raspberries just before serving. Serve with fresh whipped cream. Yummy!

Fighting Injuries

For the last few month I have been running fairly regularly 2-4 times a week. Injury wise, I stayed out of trouble, but my calves have been getting increasinly tight and for a week or so, the side of my heel bone has been excruciatingly painful at night, early in the morning at at the beginning of my runs. I never have been a great uphill runners, but with my calves feeling like they are bursting on the slightest incline, I hardly have been able to walk uphill yet alone run. It's been a bit frustrating, as my overall running and speed has improved over the last few months.

I did a bit of digging and assessing my routines. The biggest downfall probably has been, that I didn't stretch during and after my run over the winter month (too cold, too wet, etc.). My half hearted attempts at stretching didn't do a thing and when the outside of my left heel started to throb, I knew I had to do something.

Lacking coverage for physio or massage therapy, I tend to self treat...maybe not the best solution, but I've had pretty good success. With a background in nursing and 35 years of running behind me, I've learned a trick or two.

Massage: Proud co-0wner of a Myofascial release ball I started to massage my calves every evening. The first time, I felt I was just trying to figure out which areas responded best. When finished, I was surprised at the feeling of release in my muscles. Definetely working in breaking up tightness.

Stretching: Ahem, I try to stretch extensively each evening before bed. I should probably add 1-2 more sessions throughout the day. Working on it. I go through a routine of common calf stretches, taking about 10 minutes.

Ice: I feel icing the side of my heel, would be benefical. I swear by icing anything that is slightly irritated and half had good success...this time around, I just haven't been to keen putting cold ice on my body...it's been a long winter ;-)

Strenghtening: Once my acute heel pain is under control, I will start on heel drop excersise, sets of 3x20 3 times a day.

Ibubrofen: I don't like taking drugs, but sometimes it helps to get the healing process started.

Wish me luck in getting over this.

Nutrient Values of Some Common Foods

This is a great resource from Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/nutrition/nvscf-vnqau_e.pdf

The Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods lists 19 nutrients in 975 foods marketed in Canada. The nutrient values are taken from the 1997 version of the CNF and are given in terms of the common household measure of the ready-to-eat form of the food. The nutrients listed in this booklet are:

Energy in kJ Protein Carbohydrate Total Dietary Fibre Total fat Cholesterol Calcium Iron

Zinc Sodium Potassium Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin B6 Folate Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin

Values for total saturated, total monounsaturated and total polyunsaturated fatty acids are given for some foods in an appendix to the main tables.

Use this quick and easy reference as a guide or a teaching tool towards forming better food choices through an understanding of the nutrient content of the foods you eat.

Obtain Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods

PDF Version

You can view or print the PDF version of the publication , Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view this file.

Order a booklet:

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Date: 1999

Tired of the Auto Industry Mess

I just about choked the other day when I read yet another report about the auto industries demise. No sympathy here. The writing was on the wall. Big, honking SUV's from the big North American Automakers are gas guzzlers, environmental disasters and most people who drive them, only need them to boost their ego not to navigate the rugged back country or transport their tools. I guess the margins where bigger than for smaller, economical cars and why not milk it to the bitter end? But what got really got me was one line where an hourly wage of an autoworker was mentioned. Are you sitting down? $79! You are kidding me. To put it into perspective, a registered nurse makes less than half that. Sorry guys, time to get real and cut those fat pay checks. You had enough time to put away a nest egg or pay down the mortgage and if you haven't, well, welcome to the real world.

Lebanese Spinach Buns - Fatayir

I came across this recipe for spinach buns a while ago and thought they might be worth trying...if only to get some spinach into my children...

Yesterday, we were invited for an after dinner glass of wine to my neighbor with Lebanese background giving me the perfect opportunity to dig out the recipe:

Crust:

• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 3-4 cups whole wheat flour

Filling:

• 1 package frozen, chopped spinach (or equivalent fresh spinach)
• 1 cup finely minced onions
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup of pine nuts
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs. dried marjoram
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 200C (175C in Convention). Make a yeast dough with the crust ingredients, let rise while preparing the filling. Blend all the ingredients for the filling. When dough has doubled, knead for a couple of minutes. With a rolling pin roll it out very thin, but not too thin that it will break. Cut 10cm squares with a pastry wheel, place heaping teaspoon of filling on each square and fold into triangle. Pinch the edges together and place on slightly oiled baking sheet. Brush with some olive oil and bake in oven for about 20-30 minutes or until light brown. Cool on rack or serve hot.

The original recipe is from "Breads of the World" by Mariana Honig. However, like quite a few of her recipes, the ingredient measurements are off. She only called for 1 1/2 cups of flour which isn't nearly enough. I also had to adjust baking temperature and time.

My neighbor thought the buns were pretty good, although I think she was being polite as I had skimped on the salt and the buns definitely needed more flavour, salt or otherwise. She also mentioned that Lebanese have different fillings, i.e. meat. The spinach buns are traditionally eaten with a dip that sounded very similar to Tsatsiki.

And did the kids eat them? Yes! Eureka...

Naan Bread Recipe

By popular demand here is my naan bread recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 pk dry yeast
• 4 tsp sugar (I use 1 or none)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 tbsp milk
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp minced garlic

Make yeast dough with these ingredients. Let rise for 30min-1hour. Form naan patties, make them about 0.75cm thick. This recipe makes about 8-12 depending on size. Brush breads with melted butter (I use olive oil). Grill 2-3 min each side (20min at 200C or 400F in oven works fine, too).

The recipe I made up in a hurry today (very yummy) was very plain. I used about 400g flour, tsp salt, 1 tbsp dry yeast and warm water (@350ml) to make a workable dough. Made 8 paddies, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with minced garlic and dried herbs from my garden. Perfect fit for the wicked curry...

I have no idea where the original recipe came from. I hand wrote it in my recipe book.

Eliminating Household Chemicals

It took a while and I still cringe when I am buying new supplies of expensive, but non-toxic household cleaners, but I am proud to say that I have eliminated most harsh daily household cleaning products.

Motivated by skin irritations in family members, I started with the laundry detergents. Because I was a sucker for the nice smell of fabric softeners, I weaned myself very slowly from the product. Using less and less and finally diluting the product with water...until my last bottle was used up...Gulp. I don't think anybody in the family noticed.

Next on my list was the laundry detergent. I researched and shopped around and found VIP laundry soap at the local supermarket was affordable and met my criteria. VIP is a local company based in Mission. Their laundry detergent is Scent free, dye free, comes in a recyclable bottle (I actually used the granules that come in a plastic bag), biodegradable, septic safe, no Phosphates, no NTA or EDTA, not tested on animals and no optical brightener. The other product that I since have found is by Nature Clean. They have a whole line of household products which now are available at my local supermarket.

Laundry under control, I moved to find a general cleaning product. I do use Baking Soda and Vinegar, but do find that for dishes, floors, toilets I need a bit of sudsing action. Nature Clean, also a Canadian company (based in Ontario), has a great All Purpose Cleaner. I replaced my household cleaner, bathroom cleaner and dish detergent with this one procuct. Apparently, one can also use it for laundry. Eureka.

The last item on my list was the dishwasher detergent. The natural products for this purpose seemed shamelessly overprized. I finally caved in and bought a box of Nature Clean dishwashing detergent.

Because the products are quite a bit more expensive, I am using minute amounts. Luckily, the softness of Vancouver's water lends itself to that practice. Using about a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent per load, my box has lasted almost a year, or about 150 loads. Ditto for the laundry detergent. I eliminated the cost of softener and have cut down on the amount of granules used per load. A teaspoon full is about all I need for a normal wash.

Since embarking on this quest, sustainability and ecofriendliness have become part of everybodies vocabulary. Hopefully, with more and more people switching to less toxic alternatives, these products will become more affordable and widely available.

Dealing With Rejection

It's been a week of ups and downs...closing with a down it appears!

How does one deal with a rejection after interviewing for a job? I am not talking about the usual non response (how rude) or polite expression of "not interested" (thanks for being respectful). This is an established, growing (or so they said) company. The position was a good fit for my experience and qualifications. After the obligatory phone interview, I was invited for an in person interview at their office. It went very well and I was asked to continue the process and interview with the person I would be reporting to. That meeting was positive as well and I was told that a decision would be made before week end. They were moving fast, I had established a rapport, they seemed honest and personable. To my surprise the next phone call informed me of a change in pace in the hiring process, a change in the job description and closed with an invite for a third interview. Apparently, there were a handful of people left in the race. Not bad for today's job market. I considered the changed job outlook and decided that the company still represented a good career choice for me and I was willing to go with their slower outlook and downsized job tasks. They admitted they were flying by the seat of their pants, things were changing constantly and this position could be molded by the candidate...that sounded positive to me. I had a good feeling about the third interview, which was reinforced when I arrived home to find a request for references from the HR department in my inbox. No problem there, as I had lined up a handful of professional and character references. I confirmed coordinates and willingness to act as a reference with my list before emailing it to HR later that day. This was early in the week and again I was told that the decision would be made before week's end. Two days later - early in the day - I received a brief email informing me that the company decided to move forward with another candidate. After my initial surprise, I discovered that none of my references was called upon. What was going on here? It's hard to deal with a rejection when feeling so close to a "Yes". I am a level headed and balanced person, but my initial reaction was quite intense from stomach cramps over nausea todizziness. Wow, haven't had such a strong emotional reaction since my first love dumped me...

It's the day after and I am trying to rationalize. Taking into account that I am very good in reading people I've come to the conclusion that the position was pulled from underneath them. Too bad that they didn't have the courtesy to be upfront and honest about it. Yes, I invested a lot of time in travelling to these interviews and yes, they probably felt embarrassed about the situation. But who are they trying to fool?

My friends and references have been very supportive and expressedsimilar thoughts: "Think about it, would you like to work for somebody that acts like that and worst, be in on it and required to do the same thing?" No! "Their loss, you'd be such a gain for any company that would hire you". With that in mind, I try to keep a positive attitude and am still looking...

Elfin Winter Wonderland

We timed our annual trek to the Elfin Lakes perfectly. The forecast called for clear skies and crisp temperatures. Despite the favorable weather nobody had taken us up on the call for other adventurers to join our clan for this CFA Flash family adventure. Maybe no surprise given that we picked a Sunday departure and Monday return to avoid the weekend crowds at Elfin Cabin.

Considering that we lost an hour of sleep in the "spring forward" time change we were making good time, hitting the road at 9:30 and ready to rock at the trail head by 11:00.

My pack was immensely heavy. Everybody carried their own emergency gear, food, clothes, sleeping bags and mats. Ean had the honor of lugging lunch for all, breakfast and dinner, plus a chocolate bar or two. My pack held the "kitchen", but I swear, next time the little Action Jackson will get a bigger load.

Weighed down by my pack, I was the slowest on the long trek up the access trail to Red Heather. The boys had charged ahead, but luckily JoJo kept me company. For the first time ever, there was no whining what so ever. At Red Heather, we should have eaten our lunch in the bright sunshine outside, but ran into a gaggle of friends and attempted to get the stove in the cabin going. By the time the fire starter had kicked in and the freezing cabin started to warm-up, we said bye to our friends and continued toward Paul's Ridge. It's about a 2km climb from the warming hut to the highest point of the hike on Paul's Ridge. At 1660m JoJo was wondering if the thin air would affect her performance ;-) I doubt we felt any effects of the altitude, but foolishly promised a good nights sleep...

Menacing clouds started to move in, but fortunately, the views of Diamond Head, Mount Atwell, the Gargoyles and the Tantalus Range remained unobstructed. The trail meanders along the ridge for about 5km, every once in a while revealing the end point of our hike, Elfin Cabin, in the distance.

Nobody was at the cabin when we arrived around 4:00pm, but by the time dinner was served there were about 10 people vying for snow melt water and cooking spots. Speaking about melt water...ever noticed how a huge amount of snow results in a minute amount of water??? I had the production line going, the kids kept the melt pots full of snow and new arrivals were able to get a hot bevvy in no time flat. Chicken Noodle soup hit the spot in the appetizer departments and Macaroni and Cheese never tasted that good.

While the boys played a rather rowdy round of Monopoly and I unsuccessfully tried to finish my book club novel, more and more hikers and skiers arrived, filling the cabin with excited chatter. Word was that a school group of about 20 teenagers was also in approach. Bets were made if they would make it before midnight - apparently their pace was extremely slow. I didn't envy the teachers..imagine being on the mountain with a group of grumpy, cold and hungry teens. Mercifully, they pitched tents at Red Heather for the night.

Before heading upstairs to the bunk beds, we secured our food on hooks from the ceiling. A few years back, a little wood rat was busy all night trying to reach our food supply (unsuccessfully) and we rather not have any unpleasant surprises in the morning. On that note, the cabin was very clean this year (we'd like to think it was our friends around Rebecca who we met descending earlier in the day, that cleaned up and left everything spic and span. Unlike in past years, where food was left on the counters attracting mice, there was no food and no garbage sitting around. I had brought up an extra rag and garbage bag to be prepared for a clean-up...but we just had to deal with our stuff. Nice!

Action Jackson was tasked with telling "funny stories" as we huddled in our sleeping bags. I started drifting away very quickly...but a loud snorer interrupted our bliss. JoJo thought he was sawing through the supporting beams of the cabin .

Morning dawned very cold and foggy. Through the fog one could sense crystal blue skies...and by the time we had breakfast wrapped and the packs zipped up (I managed to get rid of the kitchen and lighten my load), the fog had lifted, revealing amazing 360 degree views of the mountain ranges around us. There was a new layer of about 5cm of powdery, light snow...when did that happen (unbeknowst to us, Vancouver also had been hit with more snow, resulting in morning traffic chaos)?

The plan was to hike back, have lunch at Red Heather and then tobaggon down to the parking lot to make it back to town before night fall. I was slightly stressed about keeping to the schedule as I had left a trip plan with two friends and didn't want to end up the subject of an unnecessary search and rescue mission. The sun was beckoning, though and the big and little Action Jacksons took the opportunity to slide down gentle virgin slopes. We found the perfect lunch spot in a protected little meadow. Oma's Frikadellen, boiled eggs, cinnamon buns and chocolate - we could have fed an army.

Where the ridge ends and the trail descends to Red Heather, the kids took their snowshoes off, strapped them to their packs and unrolled their sleds. Record time to the parking lot....I think the tobaggoning on the return trip is the major reason the little Jacksons like this trip so much.

Back at the car, the last remaining obstacle was the perilous drive down the access road. We've almost gone over the cliff a few times. I was laughed down suggesting we should put on the snow chains. Luckily, the new contractor in charge of clearing the road has been doing an amazing job. We inched our way down, past the steep and slippery pitches, but our little car and Action Jackson at the wheel had no problem.

Here are some more photos of our Winter Trip to Elfin Cabin.

Grocery Shopping

What does your family budget for your monthly grocery bill? I bet if you add it all up, you'll be close to $900 for a family of four just for food.

I did my bimonthly mega grocery run yesterday. Painful experience to say the least. It seems, every month I am noticing huge price increases in yet another product. I used to be able to get 1 litre of 100% pure Maple Syrup for CAN $9.99. I always grinched when I had to buy a new bottle...imagine my surprise when I discovered about 6 weeks ago that the prize had gone up to $16.99. I've remained hopefull and checked yesterday if the cost had gone down (yeah, right) only to discover that The Superstore has hiked the prize yet another dollar. Say bye bye to Maple Syrup - at $17.99 for a litre it is unattainable.

What's Growing In Your Hydration System?

I dug out my hydration pack today to get packed up for the Squamish Scrambler tomorrow. To my disgust I found the thing was overgrown with specks of mold....Yuck.

I have been taking great care to dry out the bladder, tube and mouth piece after each use... but after Mike and Melissa's run in November I was so bushed that I must have just dumped the water and lovely Action Jackson packed the thing away. It's been rotting quietly in the basement storage ever since.

Action Jackson, observing me cleaning my pack with the wooden handle of a cooking spoon and a rag a couple of years ago, wisely went to the MEC and purchased a set of flexible hydration bladder cleaning brushes...I was very excited to be able to properly clean my Source hydration bladder only to discover that I wasn't able to remove the tube from the bladder or the mouth piece from the tube to gain access with the brush. Every time I used the bladder, out came the brushes. Fingernails were broken, swear words deployed, but the tube didn't budge until I finally gave up and resigned to my wooden spoon and rag method.

Facing the growing mold in the bladder today, I let out a shriek... Always practical Action Jackson suggested I search the web for cleaning instruction/instructions on how to detach the tube. Websites abound covering the mold problem in water bottles/bladders and how to get rid of it. MEC site didn't offer any instructions on how to disassemble the Source Hydration bladder...

A variety of other websites recommended bleach for serious infestations. Problem is that since I switched to all natural cleaning methods, I do not stock bleach in my house. The second often mentioned alternative was a mixture of baking soda, water and lemon juice. Anybody who cleaned anything with baking soda and vinegar knows that the third and most important ingredient in that combination is elbow grease... which brings me back to my wooden spoon and rag...Sounded like a lot of work, mess and questionable results.

Before whipping out the baking soda, I gave one more tug on that hose...and voila, it came off. Eureka. The tube brush and bladder brush together with soap and hot water did a beautiful job. All set for tomorrow!

BTW, other than the cleaning issues, I love the Source Hydration bladder. I bought the 3l one a few years ago for $12 at the MEC. It has a wide screw top, a non-leak mouth piece and it fits (filled with about 2l) into my small MEC running hydration pack (the bladder in that one always leaked and also developed holes not too long after purchase). I also use it in my day pack or big knapsack for overnighters.

Lions Gate Bridge

Sourdough Starter

This takes a bit of time to get ready, but not much work. My kids claim it is disgusting...but they do like the bread and it is so much cheaper than if I'd bought the equivalent at a bakery.

The original recipe comes from "Breads of the World" by Mariana Honig. If you are into baking breads this is a great resource. The book was published in 1977 - not sure if it is still in print.

• 2 cups warm water
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsps salt
• 2 tsps sugar
• 1 envelope yeast (this might be cheating a bit, but it works to get everything going)
• 1 1/2 cups grated, raw potatoes

Using a glass, earthenware (not metal or plastic) bow, mix all ingredients well. Leave bowl uncovered in warm place for 24 hours. Then stir down, cover with saran wrap and let stand for 3-4 more days. Stir down several times a day.

The starter should now be foamy and has a sour smell. Pour into a glass jar with a lid (mason jars work great) and store in fridge. You can begin to use the starter when a layer of clear liquid appears on top.

The night before you want to bake, take the starter out of the fridge, pour into a bowl (not metal) and stir in 1 1/2 cups flour and cold water. Blend well, cover with saran wrap and store in warm place over night. The next morning stir the starter again and pour off 2 cups into a clean mason jar. This becomes your starter for next time (I try to keep two starters in the fridge in case I forget to set one aside). The remaining 2 cups of starter are what you will use for your immediate baking. See my sourdough bread recipe here.

Sourdough Bread

I have baked our own bread for a number of years now. I started with a fool proof whole grain yeast bread, unsuccessfully dabbled a bit with sourdough until about 2 years ago, when I came across a sourdough starter recipe, that worked right from the get go.

I now have two starter batches in the fridge, just in case I forget to set a new one aside when baking. It's a big pain to set up a new starter and you want to avoid that at all cost. I was told that some old restaurants, who have their own, old sourdough starter, actually advise their staff that in an event of fire one of the things to save is the sourdough starter. Anyway, I will post my starter recipe here another time.

Here is the recipe for my sourdough bread:

Pre Dough

• 500ml of sourdough starter
• 500g whole wheat flour
• 1000ml warm water

Mix all ingredients well in a wooden or plastic bowl with a wooden or plastic spoon. do not use metal. Metal and sourdough do not mix. I don't know the chemistry behind this, but the dough won't rise in a metal bowl, so don't try. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap and let stand overnight in a warm spot (38C would be perfect), but normal room temp works as well.

The next morning, take about 500ml of the starter dough and fill into mason jar, close lid lightly and store in fridge for your next batch.

Sour Dough Bread

• sourdough starter dough (minus 500ml)
• 500g whole wheat flour
• 500g of mixed grains, seeds and or nuts
• 1 Tblsp salt
• warm water to make a mushy dough (if you use loaf pans) or a non-sticky dough if you make loafs

Mix all ingredients well (again, don't use metal). Let stand until late afternoon. Dough should have risen and almost doubled in size. Either fill in loaf pans (3) or form 3 loafs. Preheat convection oven to 175C (200C/400F for traditional electric oven). Bake loafs for 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack.
Note: all amounts are approximate. I don't usually weigh the ingredients, not do I measure the water.

Pfannkuchen

The other day I couldn't find my standard pancake recipe. Disaster... The pancakes I usually make are not the thick, North American kind, but rather thin, not quite a crepe, but halfway there. You can fill them with sweet stuff like maple syrup, sugar and cinnamon, applesauce, yogurt or make them savoury and fill them with mushrooms or even curries. My kids like them for dinner and not with curry. Loosing my recipe was not good... Pancakes was one of those things that I had made a thousand times, but unlike breads and pies, I could never remember the ingredients and amounts. Loosing the recipe made me improvise and I remembered that somebody once mentioned that they just followed the 1:2 ratio. OK, 1 part and 2 parts of what?

Basic ingredients are whole wheat, eggs, milk, salt and sugar. I experimented around and found that 5 eggs, 500g flour and 1000ml milk worked perfect. This isn't really 1 part eggs, one part flour and two parts milk, but the 5 and the 500 are easy to remember ;-)

So here is the basic recipe that is easily remembered:

500g whole wheat flour
5 eggs lightly beaten'
1000ml milk (soy milk works too)
1 dash of salt
1 tbsp sugar

Combine all ingredients and mix well with electric mixer. Add a little vegetable oil to two frying pans and turn heat on high. When oil is hot, add a ladle of dough to each frying pan and distribute evenly by tilting the pan in all directions. The dough is fairly runny. Once dough sets, flip pancakes and fry on other side until golden. Adjust heat as needed (medium high to high).

Store pancakes on plate in preheated oven (100C) until all dough is used. Serve warm with applesauce, sugar and cinnamon, maple syrup or savoury fillings like mushrooms or curries.

Extreme Weather Running

Let me qualify the title before I get the laughs of denizens of harsher climate zones...Based in Vancouver, I cherish the temperate climate of the Pacific Coast. It never gets too hot or too cold, we don't have blizzards or suffer through slush for 6 month of the year. Until the winter of 2008/2009 rolled around!

Mid December saw us shiver in a cold snap with temperatures not getting above -10 degrees C for a week or so. Vancouverites get puzzled as to their clothing choice in conditions like that. We don't own overstuffed full length down jackets, heated boots and whatever else keeps the rest of the country warm. What to wear when heading out for a run during this deep freeze was a favorite topic of discussion among my running buddies. Some didn't even consider braving the elements and headed to the gym.

For my part, I love running in the cold, crisp air. Nevertheless, it was a challenge to dress appropriately. Bottoms were the easiest part. My usual alpaca wool running socks and trail runners did the trick for my feet. I dug out a pair of MEC thermal tights usually worn under my ski pants. My kids claim they look like long johns and they are probably right, but who cares about looks at minus 10. How to layer shirts and jackets was a more complicated issue. I overheat easily and hate having too many layers. In the end I found the perfect combination with the Chitosante Club Fat Ass shirt, that I have come to love not only for design, feel and no stink features, but also for it's thermal regulation qualities (no matter the temperature it always feels great) as the first layer, followed by another goodie, the hoodie matching the thermal tights. For the outer layer I went with my bright green MEC Jetstreak jacket. I had no experience with the jacket as, after suffering through years of monsoon running in not much more than a windbreaker, it is a recent addition to my running wardrobe. The product info recommended it as a waterproof, windproof jacket for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, winter running, or other cold-weather aerobic activities. Bring it on. My wardrobe choice was perfect. The snug hoodie (combined with a rather large fleece neck wrappy thing) kept my ears and chin cozy. The jacket kept the wind and the cold out and looks snazzy to boot. Only complaint is that the zipper didn't consistently stay up all the way (maybe had to do with the bulk of the hoodie and fleece wrap)

The next weather challenge came just before Christmas. Snowflakes as big as mosquitoes in Winterpeg started to blanket Vancouver. You might laugh, but snow is normally a once a year occurrence in Vancouver. It hardly ever stays on the ground for longer than a day, but is washed off by a nice Pineapple Express. Not so this season. Blizzard after blizzard added to the snow cover and in my back yard, we measured about 70cm. While I did sympathize somewhat with the whining about road and sidewalk conditions and that the stuff was challenging for the elderly, I loved it. Running wardrobe now included gaiters and snowshoes or - during the Vancouver New Year's Day Fat Ass 50- Yaktrak type attachments (thanks for lending them, Michele). The temperatures had risen slightly and I managed with only two top layers, my CFA shirt and my Jetstreak jacket (which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine).

On to the current weather situation...incessant, hard rain. Together with rising temperatures there are flood warnings out for the valley and some communities are handing out free sandbags. Luckily, we live on higher grounds, and short of clearing the storm drains from snow and fearing for the roof to hold the mass of heavy, wet snow, we are not threatened by flooding. The trails are a slippery mess, though and I abandoned my usual trail running loop in favour of a road running session. To avoid traffic and darkness, I ventured out during my lunch break armed with my bright green jacket (great for visibility and a reflective, flashing band around my upper arm. Because of the sidewalk conditions, I chose to run facing traffic (i.e. on the left hand side) on the roads in my neighborhood. I couldn't totally avoid busier roads, but the drivers were in general friendly and I moved out of their way as much as possible. I was looking forward to test the waterproof qualities of the Jetstreak jacket, but alas, the rains stopped for my run (I swear I didn't plan that ;-) and the water test will have to wait...With daytime temps of around 9, I was worried that I would overheat in a jacket designed for cold weather and I only wore an ancient short sleeve Club Fat Ass shirt underneath. Perfect again! I am quite impressed with the heat regulation and breathability qualities of my new jacket.

Let's see what the coming months have to offer on the extreme weather front...and I promise to report in if I manage to stay dry.