So I have to admit I am feeling like there is something afoot. You know if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it must be a duck. Let me elaborate a bit more on this thought wave of mine. I start each spring looking forward to getting onto my bike rather than the ctrain. The freedom and exercise are such a wonderful thing. As with every spring I pull the bike up tune it up get it ready and then start the slow process of riding in the cold spring mornings with sweaters and extra layers on. I also keep a spreadsheet of my biking. I know sounds a bit corny but what it does for me is sets my goal for the year. I have found that if I ride consistently through the year I can get 6000km's of outdoor riding in. So you can see how the motivation starts, I have a graph in my spreadsheet that moves as the KM's change from have left to ride to finished riding column. Now how might this lend itself to a conspiracy you ask. Let me present my evidence to you.
1. winter seems to take forever to stop dumping snow on me. That is right the snow seems to find a way to keep happening and does not want to simply clear up in spring the way it should. So this equals a later start or more sporadic start to the riding season. In this case I did not get start for almost 4 weeks later than normal.
2. Spring rains, we had a lot of cold spring days with rain and then suddenly we end up with a major dump of water, so much water in fact we end up with a 100 year flood. Yes, I had thought to myself about a week before the flood that the spring run off had been gradual enough that I might make it through the spring with all the trails open and no flooding. Then bam! We get a disaster of which I think we will maybe need a year or two to resolve.
3. Flooding equals damage. The trails I ride and love are left in ruins. There are so many sections that are damaged, I have multiple detours, in some cases I am even riding in zones that are closed (the trails are ok but the signs are still up). So damage is such that I think when will I be able to ride from my house into downtown. I am now forced to drive over to another community on the far side of the river and ride in. Which on the way home has left me sitting in traffic, something I truly hate to do. The frustration is mounting.
4 This is my final bit of evidence, Monday on the way home from work the rain comes and it is a major down pour. I am hustling to get to the truck, I throw on the rain coat. Halfway home, bam! flat tire. Now you think to yourself this is not usual riding a reasonable distance every day you must get those flats regularly. The truth is I have tires that are built to resist punctures, this does not make them 100% never going to get a flat. But I have had 2 flats on this brand of tire in 3 years. Some might say I was overdue. But I changed the tube in the rain and got to the truck. Bam! Stuck in a major traffic jam and what takes 10 minutes of riding on my bike when the trail was still in place, took 45 minutes in the truck. So I get home inspect the tire some more and pump it up. Check the tire before bed the tire is 100%. 95% of the way into downtown on Tuesday, Bam! flat number 2. Thank you to the two individuals and fellow cyclists that stopped and gave me a hand getting enough air in my tire to get to the office. So, I replace the flat, find the chunk of glass in my tire and from there ride home. I then ride on Wednesday with no issues. Life is grand. Bam! Thursday I am going to load up the bike and my tire is flat. So I say screw it. I took the ctrain.
So I present this evidence to you as a my cycling this year is now taking major hits. I am no longer getting my full 50KM's per day, I now get 38KM's per day. I also get hit by flats and frustrations getting home.
I ask you to think about this but I believe that there is a conspiracy to keep me from riding. Who is behind this I would really like to find out.
Happy Trails.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Great weekend!
Had a great weekend up in Sherwood Park. Kids ran in track and it was an awesome time to play with the camera. I find the track a very challenging environment to take photos. My camera is never the limitation it is definitely my skills. But that is the enjoyment for me the challenge to try and get the shot and not only the shot but the emotions or the feelings. I have to say I am not totally unhappy with the photos but I am always wondering why a pictures comes out the way it does. In the end I am sure it rests on my shoulders.
That said the the camera was in full use this weekend it got on the track and captured a bunch of shots. I am really starting to see more of what I am doing wrong at times and but still trying to figure out what it is that needs to be done to correct the wrong. That is my learning curve. I will say this I am impressed by the guys and gals that do capture sports and manage to do this in a way that shows the action. I think it is the emotion of the sports that is what you want to really show. The effort the strain the power. Those are the things I see in some of my images. I have to believe if I see these others do as well. In that they are good images as those emotions in my opinion make the viewer understand the athlete.
So what else is there, so busy on so many fronts and yet we are still struggling to get this bathroom done. I have some progress on the front entry as it is now sealed and we are getting so close in the bath room area we may have a toilet at some point. So all in all I am ready for another weekend and more camera action.
That said the the camera was in full use this weekend it got on the track and captured a bunch of shots. I am really starting to see more of what I am doing wrong at times and but still trying to figure out what it is that needs to be done to correct the wrong. That is my learning curve. I will say this I am impressed by the guys and gals that do capture sports and manage to do this in a way that shows the action. I think it is the emotion of the sports that is what you want to really show. The effort the strain the power. Those are the things I see in some of my images. I have to believe if I see these others do as well. In that they are good images as those emotions in my opinion make the viewer understand the athlete.
So what else is there, so busy on so many fronts and yet we are still struggling to get this bathroom done. I have some progress on the front entry as it is now sealed and we are getting so close in the bath room area we may have a toilet at some point. So all in all I am ready for another weekend and more camera action.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
The Job you never wanted, but got anyway.
This is that little lesson on the wonderful world of Jobs. I have had a few jobs as a younger person and I think we all can appreciate this little fact that they build your character. I know some of the jobs I have done are not that fun some of them were the right job at the right time. Others well they were just jobs. But what I want to focus on is that job you never knew was a job. In this case I will talk about drywalling. Yep, I have been drywalling and I honestly can say I am not interested in this job. I have some home reno experience doing this sort of thing over the years but I am most definitely never planning this as a career. So this gets me thinking about other jobs. What other jobs have I had to do and never wanted to do? Think about anything you see or do is to some person in this world a job, a source of income (may be large or small) that puts food on the table. I started to think more about this as I sanded the drywall tonight. I though you know people make money doing all sorts of things not that they are all that great but they are a job.
So what in the world does all this mean? Well think about it, you have a job, you go and do your job, that is a job that maybe somebody else would never want or could never see themselves doing. I have come to think about this as we only see work as a stepping stone to some form of status in life. It gets you money or gives you that satisfaction or maybe power over others.
So I keep thinking about this as I was watching the Tour De France, cycling a job for these guys what about the guys in the cars leading the team. What a crazy job. Now every place I look I see jobs all sorts of them. Well my job continues to transform itself it is never the same and it never stops changing. I guess in some ways it is annoying but in others it is what you want change and something different to keep you going. But all in all I look at it as a job a necessary evil if you will that gets me some of my wants in life. I do one day plan to retire and certainly hope my retirement plans are going to work out.
For now it is a job which is better than no job in my mind.
So what in the world does all this mean? Well think about it, you have a job, you go and do your job, that is a job that maybe somebody else would never want or could never see themselves doing. I have come to think about this as we only see work as a stepping stone to some form of status in life. It gets you money or gives you that satisfaction or maybe power over others.
So I keep thinking about this as I was watching the Tour De France, cycling a job for these guys what about the guys in the cars leading the team. What a crazy job. Now every place I look I see jobs all sorts of them. Well my job continues to transform itself it is never the same and it never stops changing. I guess in some ways it is annoying but in others it is what you want change and something different to keep you going. But all in all I look at it as a job a necessary evil if you will that gets me some of my wants in life. I do one day plan to retire and certainly hope my retirement plans are going to work out.
For now it is a job which is better than no job in my mind.
Friday, 12 July 2013
That is all she wrote?
So I am amazed by how many times this week hill that I was climbing seemed to get steeper. I am not sure what exactly I am suffering from but I think it involves all my wrongs coming back to bite me. I am certainly glad to see the end of this week and hope to have an opportunity to sit and relax. Nope not a chance which is why I say the week and now it seems the weekend is still out to get me.
I was back to work this week, had a couple of stampede lunches and events to attend but we had too many things going on at work to allow for me to actually go. Sad but true I put work before a free lunch. One has to appreciate the importance that stampede holds on this city. Full of people from out of town, business shutdown effectively and the week is a blur of pancakes and beef on a bun. Lots of people and by people I mean adults spend the week intoxicated to a large degree. Sales people for vendors spend their entire 12 days drinking, I am sure their liver thanks them.
But for me this was not a week of relaxation, too much happening we played finish work that was delayed due to the floods. And this was followed by how many little problems will appear on your systems this week. Thursday it was all day long, started with issues in the morning followed by one in the afternoon and another in the evening. Just one long up hill climb. Then a big one this morning and hey at 4pm on friday afternoon boom! lets turn on the firewalls on your citrix servers. What the hell is that?!
Not to bitch too much but it is just a flow of a lot of little things that have amounted into too many things this week. I am not convinced it is simply the company stretching us too thin and we are starting to see our systems wobble. But I am frustrated and really just want it out of my head for this weekend. I am going to allow this little post to be my brain dump then. I have now said my peace the week is officially behind me and I will move forward onto the positives.
With that I am now going to sign off and get some sleep. I hope your weekend is full of the fun things you enjoy and that only the positives present themselves.
Smile.
I was back to work this week, had a couple of stampede lunches and events to attend but we had too many things going on at work to allow for me to actually go. Sad but true I put work before a free lunch. One has to appreciate the importance that stampede holds on this city. Full of people from out of town, business shutdown effectively and the week is a blur of pancakes and beef on a bun. Lots of people and by people I mean adults spend the week intoxicated to a large degree. Sales people for vendors spend their entire 12 days drinking, I am sure their liver thanks them.
But for me this was not a week of relaxation, too much happening we played finish work that was delayed due to the floods. And this was followed by how many little problems will appear on your systems this week. Thursday it was all day long, started with issues in the morning followed by one in the afternoon and another in the evening. Just one long up hill climb. Then a big one this morning and hey at 4pm on friday afternoon boom! lets turn on the firewalls on your citrix servers. What the hell is that?!
Not to bitch too much but it is just a flow of a lot of little things that have amounted into too many things this week. I am not convinced it is simply the company stretching us too thin and we are starting to see our systems wobble. But I am frustrated and really just want it out of my head for this weekend. I am going to allow this little post to be my brain dump then. I have now said my peace the week is officially behind me and I will move forward onto the positives.
With that I am now going to sign off and get some sleep. I hope your weekend is full of the fun things you enjoy and that only the positives present themselves.
Smile.
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
On the road to no where......
So I am back on the bike and back to work. The floods that have ruined so much of the city pathway system are truly making the ride a different adventure. I spent Sunday night sitting up all night worrying about the ride in to work. I did not get a chance to do a test run so I was winging the trip on Monday morning. As it turned out it was an adventure with many different roads and some not so good stretches of crosswalks. I have found that I am very cautious going from pathway to crosswalk, there are at least 6 areas I go through right now that to my feeling are total death traps. You do not assume anything and by no means do you think you have a right away. That said I have managed some of these crossings before but I was able to get back on the other pathways so I did not have to use the alternate route, but I fear it will be a while before the old routes is an option. So for now I will brave the journey and once again learn to keep a sharp eye out for cars and such.
On to other things. we are getting so close to finishing some of the reno's the week off was extremely productive. I am very happy to think that we may have the first half of the house finished and can take a small break. But we are at that point that takes the hard push to get it over the line, you are tired and really are thinking it can wait but not in this case I am determined and back to the word for the year disciplined to get this done.
So that is the update to this point. I am not sure that there is much of value in these comments. I am again drawn to the camera and what it has produced this week. I was able to get a lens for my dad, he was quite happy that I found a 150-500mm here in Calgary. I am potentially going to update my Nikon to a newer one perhaps if my father in-law decides he wants to sell his. In which case I may have a Nikon for sale. If there are any interested people out there. May have to part with a couple of lenses as well we will see.
But for now it is back to work and all the fun that comes with it.
Let's see is there a happy pic some place?
On to other things. we are getting so close to finishing some of the reno's the week off was extremely productive. I am very happy to think that we may have the first half of the house finished and can take a small break. But we are at that point that takes the hard push to get it over the line, you are tired and really are thinking it can wait but not in this case I am determined and back to the word for the year disciplined to get this done.
So that is the update to this point. I am not sure that there is much of value in these comments. I am again drawn to the camera and what it has produced this week. I was able to get a lens for my dad, he was quite happy that I found a 150-500mm here in Calgary. I am potentially going to update my Nikon to a newer one perhaps if my father in-law decides he wants to sell his. In which case I may have a Nikon for sale. If there are any interested people out there. May have to part with a couple of lenses as well we will see.
But for now it is back to work and all the fun that comes with it.
Let's see is there a happy pic some place?
Thursday, 4 July 2013
What next?
Simple times this past week. Mostly work on the house. Nothing like some renos to see how well you can work with your spouse. My better half is as always amazing. Puts up with me and my frustrations. I get quite short on some of this work. It is challenging to me to have to build and construct but I guess that is why there are professionals.
I thought it was time to relax. The best news is all the tile is done. Yes we have all the tile in place on the floor. Sooooooo happy I really do not enjoy that job. But now the fun work we have to clean up and grout. But we are taking a day off tomorrow. No plans beyond a small shopping trip for some shoes.
So I will leave you with these few gems. From the flyfishfoto (Traci came up with the foto part) camera here are some pictures from this week.
I thought it was time to relax. The best news is all the tile is done. Yes we have all the tile in place on the floor. Sooooooo happy I really do not enjoy that job. But now the fun work we have to clean up and grout. But we are taking a day off tomorrow. No plans beyond a small shopping trip for some shoes.
So I will leave you with these few gems. From the flyfishfoto (Traci came up with the foto part) camera here are some pictures from this week.
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Stepping Away for a minute.... or a week.
As I have taken the week off from work, it is has been just a week since I was at the office. It was nice to get some time away. We have gained a bunch of ground on the renos. Tile is going down faster than the titanic. I am happy to say we are conserving water by removing an old shower (saving the bucks on the reno of the shower) it is now a closet which will free up room in our master bedroom closet as we can put our winter blankets in this one. We have painted ordered baseboards done new lights drywall work and on and on. As this is renos there is no surprise.
We sent the kids to Kelowna for track, they had a great time out there, we stayed home and relaxed in the evening had a drink and watched a movie. What a very relaxing time. I managed to get out and take some photos at the car show on Canada Day. I am so happy with the shots, some are great and some are so so. I even got a chance to photograph an old building I was eyeing all winter. I will see what I can do in the digital dark room. I have moved to PS CC which has opened up a new can of learning for me. Youtube and Adobe tv are my evening viewing.
Sinclaire started her job, working at the dental office as a helper really great opportunity that found her. So happy for her, we have heard nothing but moans about how we are on vacation and she has to work.....oh how the world has changes.
Looking back a week the floods. These are still a major impact to the work world and to the people in Calgary. I do not discount the people that are just getting a chance to see their homes for the first time. I think it would be truly terrible to be sitting and waiting almost a week just to see your home, not to get to fix it or begin to take in the effort to fix it.
For me the bike path is destroyed out of the SE I have an alternate route ready and I can definitely bike to work starting next week. Little more effort to get it all done but I am willing to do this as biking for me is a release and relaxing time. I am thankful it is still an option.
That is all not much but an update today. Not in the mood for much more than that. Enjoy the warmth and maybe try a random act of kindness. Make that choice.
cheers.
We sent the kids to Kelowna for track, they had a great time out there, we stayed home and relaxed in the evening had a drink and watched a movie. What a very relaxing time. I managed to get out and take some photos at the car show on Canada Day. I am so happy with the shots, some are great and some are so so. I even got a chance to photograph an old building I was eyeing all winter. I will see what I can do in the digital dark room. I have moved to PS CC which has opened up a new can of learning for me. Youtube and Adobe tv are my evening viewing.
Sinclaire started her job, working at the dental office as a helper really great opportunity that found her. So happy for her, we have heard nothing but moans about how we are on vacation and she has to work.....oh how the world has changes.
Looking back a week the floods. These are still a major impact to the work world and to the people in Calgary. I do not discount the people that are just getting a chance to see their homes for the first time. I think it would be truly terrible to be sitting and waiting almost a week just to see your home, not to get to fix it or begin to take in the effort to fix it.
For me the bike path is destroyed out of the SE I have an alternate route ready and I can definitely bike to work starting next week. Little more effort to get it all done but I am willing to do this as biking for me is a release and relaxing time. I am thankful it is still an option.
That is all not much but an update today. Not in the mood for much more than that. Enjoy the warmth and maybe try a random act of kindness. Make that choice.
cheers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)