My first blog Post

Finally being pushed over the edge and decided to start blogging. No idea what this will turn into and if I am going to keep it up…really no time for self centered posts…and not that philosophically inclined to write meaningful things about the mundane we encounter everyday. So, lets just wait and see where this will take us

My Sorry Fat Ass

After last years epic 50km on New Years Day I had my heart set on a repeat, but alas it wasn’t meant to be. Despite an increase in our training runs, Michele, Pat and I just couldn’t get our mileage up enough to realistically attempt 50km. When the snow in late November and the storms of early December put a damper on some of our runs we finally declared defeat and aimed for the 25km distance.

The question in the final preparation of this run always is how much partying and drinking can you handle without suffering too much the following morning. Well, my neighbors child decided he can handle a hell of a lot of partying and didn’t consider my need for sleep after an evening of snowshoeing and chocolate fondue on Seymour Mountain (Dom, take note, you can get altitude and snow and still brave the wet elements to start the New Year) and before a 25km run.

I crawled out of bed with a splitting headache, feeling like I was the one who emptied all the beer bottles that littered the street. Luckily, there is always vitamin I By the time Ean send us of around the east side of Stanley Park I felt slightly better and enjoyed the morning scenery around Coal Harbour and Lost Lagoon.

Photo: Turtlepace, Michele and Isabelle rounding Kits Point

Like last year, we kept leap frogging Baldwin, who followed some version of the run/walk schedule. As we approached Burrard Street Bridge, he was definitely ahead of us and I started to feel my hips and was looking forward to the trails of Pacific Spirit Park.

Turning onto Chestnut Street right after the bridge we picked up a lost lamb. Turned out Isabelle Thielen missed Kits Point and backtracked, loosing her front position. Thanks for staying with us for a while, Isabelle. You certainly pushed us to be much faster than usual.

Photo: Approaching Burrard Street Bridge, not the pack of Fat Asses crossing the bridge

Despite the forecast for rising temperatures, it felt like it was getting colder. The rain was now mixed with snow and a steady icy wind blew in from the ocean. Getting into the protection of the trails felt good. My strides were getting shorter by the minute. Michele was going strong, but kept me company. Thanks, Michele.

Photo: Karen Smith cheering on the Fat Asses

After crossing 16th Ave, we began to see the faster runner on the return leg. A welcome distraction and the first sign that the finish was in reach. Boy, do I love that slight downhill on the trail parallel to Marine Drive just before hitting the turnaround, or in our case the finish. Pat and Gottfried welcomed us and supplied hot beverages. I would have liked to hang out longer to see the few runners that were behind us, Sharon, Rhonda and Danelle and her friend, but we realized that we needed to get out of our wet clothes quick and took Owen and Joyce up on their offer of a ride back to the start.

As always, despite the adverse weather we seem to have every New Years Day, it was a great way to start the New Year.

Of Fabric Softeners and Plastic Bottles

I am a sucker when it comes to nice smelling fresh laundered clothes. It's like comfort food for me. Maybe it brings back childhood memories or it makes up for the years travelling or using washing machines that left the laundry gray and murky looking and smelling. Several years ago I was able to buy a second hand Asco frontloader and there is joy in doing laundry again (just kidding).

While always limiting the use of chemicals in my life, I find it hard to say no to the fabric softener. The other day I needed more fabric softener and realized that the store where I buy most of my household items and dry groceries, did only sell softener in big plastic bottles. I was looking for those refill packages that make a mess, but use less packaging. No such luck. I almost walked away without the product...but as I said, I am a sucker for that nice smell. Ok, I thought maybe I can do without the smell, but who likes stiff, hard laundry? I settled on a product without perfumes...laundry is soft, but no fragrance.

Did I really need to research to find that fabric softeners contain chemicals that can be toxic to humans...no. For those reasons I have never dyed my hair, bleached my teeth or used pesticides in the garden...but duh, I am a sucker for that smell. I found an article on the Grinning Planet outlining the dangers and alternatives.

I will slowly cut down on my softener and will not buy a new bottle (funny, all I wanted to begin with was not buying yet another plastic bottle). Have to try adding vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar is not necessarily my favourite perfume. Over the summer I will also hang my laundry outside more frequently to conserve energy on the drying.

Any hints and tip on how you deal with your laundry without damaging our environment or health are appreciated.

Out Of Balance

I've always felt compelled to wag my finger at the person tossing garbage out of a driving car, idling their SUV while sitting in a parking lot, driving around the block to drop the kids of at school and doing other stupid things that would harm nature and my enjoyment of it.

Unfortunately, my personal pet peeve is not so personal anymore. Our globe is at risk. The earth is warming, species are becoming extinct, habitat is lost, humans are getting sick. I believe, we can change. I believe it is possible to change the direction we are heading. All of us are in this together, but rather than wait for our governments to implement change toward sustainability (and believe me, as soon as it hits the pocket book, change will come) we can start changing small habits of ours... think before hopping in the car, using pesticides on your roses or heating the house with the windows wide open. Small changes by each of us can have a huge impact.

Chocolate Poppy Seed Bars

Ingredients:
Dough:

• 300g whole wheat flour
• 150g sugar
• 200g unsaltedbutter
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Poppy Seed Filling:

• 250g butter or unsalted margerine
• 200g sugar
• vanille extract
• 5 eggs
• 400g yoghurt
• 200g whole wheat flour
• 3 tblsp baking powder
• 200g poppy see

Chocolade Icing

• 30ml milk
• 200g dark chocolate (melted)

Mix dough ingredients and press into the bottom of a high baking tray. Mix everything for the poppy seed filling and spread onto dough. Bake at 200C (180C convection) for 20min. Gently and evenly pour 30ml of milk on the hot pie. Spread chocolate over pie and let cool. Best to bake a day or two ahead.
(note: the original recipe calls for 300cc cream to be poured over cake and 300g sugar and 400g sour cream in the filling - turns out way too heavy, fatty, sweet and soggy)

The Story Of the Stolen Bike

The Story Of the Stolen Bike, originally uploaded by Turtlepace.

You may remember that a few weeks ago I found my stolen Norco Hybrid bike in the ditch off Capilano Road. It was quite battered and needed some love, but the frame, crank, pedals etc seemed still ok. I had already replaced the bike with a used Norco Mountain bike and offered the bike to whoever could use the frame.
The response was overwhelming. Not only did my bike find a new owner, we also got a very kind offer from Dave the bike guy at DeD Metal Cycle Repair : “Hi, Saw your add was wondering if you would like me to fix the bike for you? At least that way whoever gets it will have a decent running bike just thought I would throw a little good karma back into the situation…I would be willing to do the labor for free the cost of the parts however would have to be picked up by yourself or the lucky person that gets it. Cheers, Dave”
Sounds like the new owner is taking Dave up on his kind offer.
A nice ending to this story.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys!

Bad Boys, Bad Boys!, originally uploaded by Turtlepace.

I’ve always had a special relationship to the bikes I owned over the years. My first memory of riding a bike is my dad holding on to my hand-me-down bike just after he had removed the training wheels. I was scared and screamed “Don’t let go!” and then realized that he already had and I was just fine. Flash forward to my first full size bike, a brand new shiny purple bike with three gears. Was I ever proud of my bike…Nobody was allowed to touch it. My little sister decided that she wanted to test drive it anyway. She crashed my bike into a parked car and bend the fork. My parents tried to cover up and the bike was repaired without my knowledge…Of course, the new fork colour didn’t match and I found out anyway. The mismatched colour always made me sad.

I owned that bike until I decided to cycle the Panamerican Highway from Mexico to Argentina and purchase a cheap 18 gear Specialized mountain bike. That bike was my home for 19month. I learned how to fix tires, brakes, gears, chains and derailers. After settling in Canada it became my commuter bike, but its heydays were over. I still feel I was disloyal to my travel buddy, but I didn’t have room for two bikes….

The replacement was a Norco Hybrid all tricked out for commuting in the city. It was stolen together with half our wordly belongings in the great heist of 1997. Another replacement, a Norco hybrid. It wasn’t a flashy bike, but it was sturdy, survived some trails, but mostly I used it to haul the kids in a trailer, haul the kids in a bike seat and haul groceries and library book. It was perfectly fine for my everyday commuter needs.

Alas, my trusty (not rusty) Norco hybrid bike was stolen in the fall of last year. I kept looking for it when running on the trails or walking in the neighborhood. Eventually, I replaced it with another Norco, a used mountain bike. My “old” Norco was in perfect condition, tricked out with fenders (we are living on the Wet Coast afterall), a bell, lights, a rack (to attach bags for my groceries) a bottle holder, a rearview mirror and a kick stand. My bike was my transportation!

Yesterday, Ean drove up Capilano Road noticing a green bike in the bushes. He couldn’t stop, but called me to check it out. Sure enough…it was my bike. Wrecked and stripped bare. Brakes are gone, fenders half gone, rack gone, bottle holder gone, kick stand gone, mirror gone. Spokes wrecked, tires/rims replaced and wrecked….a total write off (but for the little light clip that I can salvage and use on my new bike).

I guess the positive fall out from this story is that when I was checking out the abandonded bike off Cap Road, a man approached my and asked if I was ok. He had driven by and thought I had a tumble. I told him the story and he offered to help me get my bike home in his pick-up. I declined as I knew I would be able to get the bike into the trunk of our Subaru Forester. When loading the bike I was approached by a second guy, inquiring if I was ok and helping me getting the bike into the back. Thanks to all the nice folks on this earth! Thumbs down to thiefing, stealing, vandalizing scum.

The bike is of no use to me as it is no longer functional, however, I suspect that the frame could be salvaged and used to put a new bike together. It’s a 19″ Norco Arctic Hybrid frame, as far as I can tell the derailer, pedals/crank, chain are still ok. If any of you is into rebuilding bikes and could use a frame (and some tangled components) let me know and it’s yours.