Was it tempting fate to post about the fact that the snow was almost gone? Or was it the fact that Michael has been wishing that there would be snow on the ground for his birthday next week? There is of course no such reason for it, but the reality is that over the weekend and Monday/Tuesday we had about 72 hours of snow. Not big fluffy flakes, but tiny pin head kind of flakes. But when it’s been falling for that amount of time, my god does it build up?!
Of course it started whilst we were in Edmonton on the weekend. Sunday morning we awoke and were thinking about what we’d like to do before we went back. As we enjoyed our breakfast we heard that there was a snow storm predicted all the way from Calgary through to Fort McMurray. Deciding that discretion would be the better part of valour, we got in the car and drove, with a commitment that if we got an hour out of Edmonton and the roads were too bad that we would then turn around and stay the night.
The roads were pretty good and we were travelling between 90 and a hundred clicks for hours. It was when we turned north up Highway 3 that things started to get a bit slower. In the main, driver behaviour was good and with the conditions being what they were, I wasn’t taking any chances with overtaking, so if someone in front of me was doing 80, that’s what I did until there was a really really really safe chance to go past them (I think I overtook two vehicles) or they took a different route.
Apr 23, 2008
Fit n Firm
So for the last 12 weeks I have participated in a program that the local equivalent of TAFE has been running called Fit n Firm. The result has been watching my eating habits and a lot of time spent on the elliptical trainer in the basement.
Tonight was the final measurement. The results? I’ve lost 15 pounds (yes, I’ve noted before that although we’re in a metric country, they’re still sometimes a little backward). I lost cm off my waist and 4 off my hips and improved my reach (in a stretch out and touch the toes sense) by 10 cm.
Overall, I’ve been really happy with my success. I’ve actually managed to buy a pair of shorts a size smaller than normal and for the first time in a very long time, bought a t-shirt that was a medium rather than a large. But there’s still room for improvement!
Tonight was the final measurement. The results? I’ve lost 15 pounds (yes, I’ve noted before that although we’re in a metric country, they’re still sometimes a little backward). I lost cm off my waist and 4 off my hips and improved my reach (in a stretch out and touch the toes sense) by 10 cm.
Overall, I’ve been really happy with my success. I’ve actually managed to buy a pair of shorts a size smaller than normal and for the first time in a very long time, bought a t-shirt that was a medium rather than a large. But there’s still room for improvement!
Apr 19, 2008
Suicide Drive
As I sit in a hotel room, waiting for four young children to depart to the land of nod (or sleepy bo-bos) and Caroline parties with her ringette team, I find myself with that wonderful confluence of events ... some time to write, and something to write about. Even though it’s small, I decided that I should capture it.
I was driving with the kids today, having finally managed to get them into the car as we attempted to get to Caroline’s ringette game somewhere near the front end of the game (she had wisely gone on ahead with team-mates) and given I didn’t really know exactly where I was going, i wasn’t perhaps paying quite the attention to the road that i might normally.
I pulled up at an intersection and looked at the arrow on the sign above me that clearly indicated that I was in a lane that could only make a left hand turn. No problem there, left was the direction that I wanted to go in. So I reached into those somewhat dormant recesses of my mind that relate back to the study I did to get my Canadian license and thought, “one way road onto one way road, you can make a left hand turn against the red light, just as you normally can for a right hand turn.
Now because I was on a one way road, I was against the left hand curb of the road, rather than the island as I would have been had I been on a divided road. Which meant of course that because I was turning onto another one way road, I hugged the curb just as if I was turning left at anytime with care back home.
I made the turn and casually started accelerating. There was no traffic so I was nice and relaxed. That relaxed feeling wasn’t a long-term friend though, it had no intention of hanging around. It really started to flee at about the point in time when I realised that there was a small red sedan travelling in the lane next to me on my right. Of course, that in itself wasn’t so bad. It was the fact that it was travelling toward me that gave me pause. That and the really strange look that I could see on the other driver’s face as he looked at me.
Because of course, in Canada, when someone is driving towards you on the road, they are supposed to go past you on your left, not your right! And when I think about it from his perspective, he was actually driving on a divided road. A road that consisted of 6 lanes, three either side of a substantial traffic island. And given he was in the middle lane of his three, there was no way in hell that there should have been another vehicle heading toward him on his right!
Fortunately there was a hotel on the corner and so i quickly aborted my suicide drive and decided to pull into their carpark, traverse it, pull back onto the road that I turned left from and try again. This time I managed to wait for the lights and make my left hand turn to the far side of the intersection.
On the bright side, the kids didn’t even notice that something was wrong!
I was driving with the kids today, having finally managed to get them into the car as we attempted to get to Caroline’s ringette game somewhere near the front end of the game (she had wisely gone on ahead with team-mates) and given I didn’t really know exactly where I was going, i wasn’t perhaps paying quite the attention to the road that i might normally.
I pulled up at an intersection and looked at the arrow on the sign above me that clearly indicated that I was in a lane that could only make a left hand turn. No problem there, left was the direction that I wanted to go in. So I reached into those somewhat dormant recesses of my mind that relate back to the study I did to get my Canadian license and thought, “one way road onto one way road, you can make a left hand turn against the red light, just as you normally can for a right hand turn.
Now because I was on a one way road, I was against the left hand curb of the road, rather than the island as I would have been had I been on a divided road. Which meant of course that because I was turning onto another one way road, I hugged the curb just as if I was turning left at anytime with care back home.
I made the turn and casually started accelerating. There was no traffic so I was nice and relaxed. That relaxed feeling wasn’t a long-term friend though, it had no intention of hanging around. It really started to flee at about the point in time when I realised that there was a small red sedan travelling in the lane next to me on my right. Of course, that in itself wasn’t so bad. It was the fact that it was travelling toward me that gave me pause. That and the really strange look that I could see on the other driver’s face as he looked at me.
Because of course, in Canada, when someone is driving towards you on the road, they are supposed to go past you on your left, not your right! And when I think about it from his perspective, he was actually driving on a divided road. A road that consisted of 6 lanes, three either side of a substantial traffic island. And given he was in the middle lane of his three, there was no way in hell that there should have been another vehicle heading toward him on his right!
Fortunately there was a hotel on the corner and so i quickly aborted my suicide drive and decided to pull into their carpark, traverse it, pull back onto the road that I turned left from and try again. This time I managed to wait for the lights and make my left hand turn to the far side of the intersection.
On the bright side, the kids didn’t even notice that something was wrong!
Apr 12, 2008
(S)no(w) More
Or the big melt. As much fun as the snow has been, it is kind of nice to see it slowly retreating across the yard, revealing the all but dead and brown, though not lifeless lawn beneath. I think the departure of the snow is quite possibly even more fascinating than its arrival.
The snow falling is beautiful, but the build up of it isn’t particularly interesting. The melt however is a different story altogether. I was driving home the other day and noted that one particular road that I was traveling on was white on one shoulder and completely barren of snow on the other. The roofs are similar and it becomes quite apparent that it only takes a little bit of a lee to create an environment in which the snow will hold out for a few more days than where it exposed to more direct sunlight.
One of the more unexpected things that I have noticed is that the area around the bases of trees seems to become devoid of snow quicker than the areas further out. I have no idea why. Perhaps the trees are getting thirsty with the burst of energy that will be required for spring. After all, I would have thought that in the more shaded environment that this place provides, the snow would have lasted longer here. Or perhaps there simply isn’t as much snow there to begin with because the branches restrict the amount that manages to accumulate there.
And in the larger accumulations on the side of the road, the pattern in which it melts also appears to relate to the aspect in which it sits in relation to the sun’s path. In some instances it appears to melt out from the bottom. And so ledges form at the edge of the bank that are undermined as the snow melts out from beneath them.
Other than that, there is of course the appearing garbage and dirt that you’ve carefully hidden away for the winter months. Nothing a little cleaning up won’t help!
The snow falling is beautiful, but the build up of it isn’t particularly interesting. The melt however is a different story altogether. I was driving home the other day and noted that one particular road that I was traveling on was white on one shoulder and completely barren of snow on the other. The roofs are similar and it becomes quite apparent that it only takes a little bit of a lee to create an environment in which the snow will hold out for a few more days than where it exposed to more direct sunlight.
One of the more unexpected things that I have noticed is that the area around the bases of trees seems to become devoid of snow quicker than the areas further out. I have no idea why. Perhaps the trees are getting thirsty with the burst of energy that will be required for spring. After all, I would have thought that in the more shaded environment that this place provides, the snow would have lasted longer here. Or perhaps there simply isn’t as much snow there to begin with because the branches restrict the amount that manages to accumulate there.
And in the larger accumulations on the side of the road, the pattern in which it melts also appears to relate to the aspect in which it sits in relation to the sun’s path. In some instances it appears to melt out from the bottom. And so ledges form at the edge of the bank that are undermined as the snow melts out from beneath them.
Other than that, there is of course the appearing garbage and dirt that you’ve carefully hidden away for the winter months. Nothing a little cleaning up won’t help!
Apr 3, 2008
Seasons
We've reached that time of year here when the seasons are starting to change again. There's signs that winter is coming to a close. That means that the snow is melthing (though having said that it was snowing again today ... hey it's only April after all)
But the signs are there and I am having trouble deciding what to call the next season. it's got to be one of two things really. I mean when the winter is this long, is there really any point in dividing what's left up into 3 seasons. I'm opting for one of the following two titles:
Brown
Let's face it, with the snow melting, and with grit having been distributed throughout the winter and with the grass that is now appearing having been covered for months, it is the dominant colour. It's probably not really appropriate because we know that the grass does actually turn green.
Roadworks
They haven't started just yet, but its only a matter of time. With the roads covered all winter, the rest of the year becomes the time to do the maintenance. So yes, I think that really is the two seasons that we'll be having up here. Winter and Roadworks.
But the signs are there and I am having trouble deciding what to call the next season. it's got to be one of two things really. I mean when the winter is this long, is there really any point in dividing what's left up into 3 seasons. I'm opting for one of the following two titles:
Brown
Let's face it, with the snow melting, and with grit having been distributed throughout the winter and with the grass that is now appearing having been covered for months, it is the dominant colour. It's probably not really appropriate because we know that the grass does actually turn green.
Roadworks
They haven't started just yet, but its only a matter of time. With the roads covered all winter, the rest of the year becomes the time to do the maintenance. So yes, I think that really is the two seasons that we'll be having up here. Winter and Roadworks.
Circus of the air
It seems that even when I do manage to actually write something, I'm getting slacker at posting them! At least they make it here eventually.
----------
Yes, our blissful time back home has come to a close and so once again I find myself in the skies between Australia and Canada with what can only be described as more than adequate time in which to record some thoughts.
It’s taken me a couple of hours to pull the lap top out because quite simply, by the time that we managed to get on the plane in Adelaide, I was well ready to turn around and go back to bed.
Any day that starts with getting four kids out of bed in the proximity of 4am after getting yourself to bed at midnight is never going to be a great day. Add to that the emotional trauma of fare welling everything that is good in life to travel back to the other side of the world (particularly when that part hasn’t exactly been winning awards as far as family delight is concerned) and sure enough, you have a recipe for a situation that borders on stressful.
And of course, when you’ve beaten and battled your way from the trenches to the airport in time to actually be able to board the first of the four planes that you have to catch, what you really want to find out is that the computer system that is responsible for check-in,. seat allocation and baggage tracking is being electronically challenged (or substitute the past tense of a four letter word that possibly rhymes with duck); because that was the start of our day today. But that’s okay because we only had some 26 hours together to look forward to beyond that. And as I said to Dad, “I’d rather the computer that dishes out the tickets malfunctions than the one that flies the plane.”
And things always improve remarkably from these challenging situations don’t they? Because to quote the song, “Things can only get better …”
Yeah, of course they do.
Well, bollocks.
Because I’m sure if that had been true then at the point that we go to the stage of allocating seats, we wouldn’t have discovered that we were one luggage tag short and then, when we finally got on a plane, all children would have sat quietly in the first seat that they came across without any discussion as to who had sat near the window last time and therefore had future rights to that particular piece of real estate.
Of course, there does always tend to be a point where things finally turn for the better and given the start to the day, I was on the lookout for that point. I can however assure you that it wasn’t at any point during the transition in Sydney where our mostly agreeable children (who admittedly have had almost as little sleep as ourselves) were almost to a child decidedly unhelpful and so of course Caroline and I were saddled up like a couple of pack horses bound for a trek of epic duration (oh wait, we were).
We did eventually manage to get on the plane (for another round of musical seating desires) and thought that we might now manage to get everything settled down and underway. After all, there’s those neat seat-back entertainment units to baby-sit the kids for the 13 and a half hours that we’ll be in the air.
Which would be great if they actually worked; because yes, we managed to get our three boys in one of those rows on the plane where there’s been a minor technical hitch and thus their screens are going to be nothing more than an unreflective mirror for the next 13 and a half hours. Did I mention that this would go on for thirteen and a half hours!?
And I find it mildly amusing to have heard a conversation between the person sitting on the other side of the aisle from me and the cabin crew as to how to go about getting the reading light for the seat turned off given that every time the activated theirs, the light 3 rows behind theirs flicked on and off. Of course, I try to ignore the nagging doubts that it might raise in the mind of a sane around, if they can’t get the light switches to work the right lights and the entertainment system is just a little bit broke … exactly can one expect from the auto pilot … (but like I said, a sane person would ignore those questions).
But to close for today, I think we need a lighter note, something that isn’t quite likely to lead to wrist slitting mayhem. And so:
Quote of the day from Emily as she peeks out the window at 30,000 feet and gazes upon the clouds, “Wow we’re up high!”
----------
Yes, our blissful time back home has come to a close and so once again I find myself in the skies between Australia and Canada with what can only be described as more than adequate time in which to record some thoughts.
It’s taken me a couple of hours to pull the lap top out because quite simply, by the time that we managed to get on the plane in Adelaide, I was well ready to turn around and go back to bed.
Any day that starts with getting four kids out of bed in the proximity of 4am after getting yourself to bed at midnight is never going to be a great day. Add to that the emotional trauma of fare welling everything that is good in life to travel back to the other side of the world (particularly when that part hasn’t exactly been winning awards as far as family delight is concerned) and sure enough, you have a recipe for a situation that borders on stressful.
And of course, when you’ve beaten and battled your way from the trenches to the airport in time to actually be able to board the first of the four planes that you have to catch, what you really want to find out is that the computer system that is responsible for check-in,. seat allocation and baggage tracking is being electronically challenged (or substitute the past tense of a four letter word that possibly rhymes with duck); because that was the start of our day today. But that’s okay because we only had some 26 hours together to look forward to beyond that. And as I said to Dad, “I’d rather the computer that dishes out the tickets malfunctions than the one that flies the plane.”
And things always improve remarkably from these challenging situations don’t they? Because to quote the song, “Things can only get better …”
Yeah, of course they do.
Well, bollocks.
Because I’m sure if that had been true then at the point that we go to the stage of allocating seats, we wouldn’t have discovered that we were one luggage tag short and then, when we finally got on a plane, all children would have sat quietly in the first seat that they came across without any discussion as to who had sat near the window last time and therefore had future rights to that particular piece of real estate.
Of course, there does always tend to be a point where things finally turn for the better and given the start to the day, I was on the lookout for that point. I can however assure you that it wasn’t at any point during the transition in Sydney where our mostly agreeable children (who admittedly have had almost as little sleep as ourselves) were almost to a child decidedly unhelpful and so of course Caroline and I were saddled up like a couple of pack horses bound for a trek of epic duration (oh wait, we were).
We did eventually manage to get on the plane (for another round of musical seating desires) and thought that we might now manage to get everything settled down and underway. After all, there’s those neat seat-back entertainment units to baby-sit the kids for the 13 and a half hours that we’ll be in the air.
Which would be great if they actually worked; because yes, we managed to get our three boys in one of those rows on the plane where there’s been a minor technical hitch and thus their screens are going to be nothing more than an unreflective mirror for the next 13 and a half hours. Did I mention that this would go on for thirteen and a half hours!?
And I find it mildly amusing to have heard a conversation between the person sitting on the other side of the aisle from me and the cabin crew as to how to go about getting the reading light for the seat turned off given that every time the activated theirs, the light 3 rows behind theirs flicked on and off. Of course, I try to ignore the nagging doubts that it might raise in the mind of a sane around, if they can’t get the light switches to work the right lights and the entertainment system is just a little bit broke … exactly can one expect from the auto pilot … (but like I said, a sane person would ignore those questions).
But to close for today, I think we need a lighter note, something that isn’t quite likely to lead to wrist slitting mayhem. And so:
Quote of the day from Emily as she peeks out the window at 30,000 feet and gazes upon the clouds, “Wow we’re up high!”
Mar 25, 2008
Park Life
So we’ve spent the last few days on our annual Easter pilgrimage, camping out in a caravan park and I was given pause yesterday and stopped to think about the different types of people that one finds in a caravan park.
There’s a few stereo types that I thought that I’d take a moment to share.
In previous years, there’s been the young girls that like to strut about the caravan park in all sorts of weather in their bikini’s. And whilst one can be appreciative of the aesthetics that this provides, when you look around the caravan park, you have to stop and wonder just who it is that they would like to be impressing. Because as far as I could determine, what they lacked was an audience of the young single male type. But that was a couple of years ago and clearly most of them have moved on.
There is of course the contingent that is made up of us and our family and friends (quite possibly referred to by those outside the group as breeders), which means families of kids that terrorise the caravan park in various ways. In years past it was the crying babies as we put them to sleep or during the middle of the night whereas these days, whilst the baby trend has continued with the extended group of friends that are part of our ‘party’, our own contingent’s terror now takes the form of t-ball games during the day or noisy games of spotlight (reminiscent of my own activities here some 20 years ago) at night, or even bicycles screaming around the asphalt roadway at excessive speeds.
And of course, there’s the group down the end that show up with trail bikes and noisy toys and like to party into the night. But given that we’re up playing cards on most nights until late, carrying on drinking and being silly, this isn’t really a problem for us.
And of course, then there’s the demographic that gave me pause and prompted me to sit down and write this. It’s the older blokes of the greying set that you find wandering about the caravan park.
Because you know when you’re standing in the amenities block, shaving or waiting for the shower early in the morning and a rotund, somewhat elderly, Mediterranean man walks in, toiletries bag tucked under one and towel over the shoulder and heads straight for cubicle number two that it’s time to swiftly vacate the premises. It doesn’t matter whether you’re only half way through shaving or partly unwashed, just grab your stuff and get out. Because the aural explosion that swiftly follows the closure of the door to cubicle number two is nothing compared to the violent and sudden assault that is about to confront the olfactories!
You soon learn to recognise these guys as they walk in and begin your hasty retreat.
There’s a few stereo types that I thought that I’d take a moment to share.
In previous years, there’s been the young girls that like to strut about the caravan park in all sorts of weather in their bikini’s. And whilst one can be appreciative of the aesthetics that this provides, when you look around the caravan park, you have to stop and wonder just who it is that they would like to be impressing. Because as far as I could determine, what they lacked was an audience of the young single male type. But that was a couple of years ago and clearly most of them have moved on.
There is of course the contingent that is made up of us and our family and friends (quite possibly referred to by those outside the group as breeders), which means families of kids that terrorise the caravan park in various ways. In years past it was the crying babies as we put them to sleep or during the middle of the night whereas these days, whilst the baby trend has continued with the extended group of friends that are part of our ‘party’, our own contingent’s terror now takes the form of t-ball games during the day or noisy games of spotlight (reminiscent of my own activities here some 20 years ago) at night, or even bicycles screaming around the asphalt roadway at excessive speeds.
And of course, there’s the group down the end that show up with trail bikes and noisy toys and like to party into the night. But given that we’re up playing cards on most nights until late, carrying on drinking and being silly, this isn’t really a problem for us.
And of course, then there’s the demographic that gave me pause and prompted me to sit down and write this. It’s the older blokes of the greying set that you find wandering about the caravan park.
Because you know when you’re standing in the amenities block, shaving or waiting for the shower early in the morning and a rotund, somewhat elderly, Mediterranean man walks in, toiletries bag tucked under one and towel over the shoulder and heads straight for cubicle number two that it’s time to swiftly vacate the premises. It doesn’t matter whether you’re only half way through shaving or partly unwashed, just grab your stuff and get out. Because the aural explosion that swiftly follows the closure of the door to cubicle number two is nothing compared to the violent and sudden assault that is about to confront the olfactories!
You soon learn to recognise these guys as they walk in and begin your hasty retreat.
Mar 16, 2008
The Long Stretch
I am currently sitting in a plane on my way home, something that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time as you’d probably realise if you’re a regular reader. I’m on the longest leg of the journey right now and due to the vagaries of international travel, I’m not actually sure what the time is or exactly where I am.
I know that the current time in Fort McMurray, where my journey started is 12:35pm. I also know that I left Vancouver at 11:55pm Vancouver time (which is 12:55am Fort Mac time) and I know that the flight duration is just a touch over 15 hours.
15 hours. My God that’s a long time. I’ve attempted to sleep, recognising that this is surely the best way to consume time on one of these jaunts and have had varying degrees of success. I think I managed about 2 hours the first time and then another hour during the last movie that I was watching. The inability to get horizontal to sleep is a big inhibitor, which is really frustrating given that during the time that I worked offshore, I used to boast that I’d developed the ability to sleep anywhere. I even slept on a scaffold plank under an oily tarp once. Of course, the key there was that at least it was nearly horizontal. But sleep on aeroplanes in the main part eludes me. Probably because I end up with my neck contorted in a manner that eventually just bloody hurts. I bought a travel pillow and that has been mildly successful.
But I am really struggling on this particular flight with just how bloody long it is. I mean based on the mental arithmetic that I am trying to smash through my sleep deprived head, there’s still something like 5 hours to go. I have to wonder how the hell Caroline managed to do this and stay sane.
Because of the departure time, all of the flying until now has been in the dark. And just at the point where the sun was starting to caress the horizon and a slight bit of colour appeared, they came around and asked everyone to pull down the shutters. Hell, I was actually looking forward to getting see something, even if it was just a bloody cloud or the wing of the plane. Because with the cabin lights dimmed, everyone is essentially trying to sleep (though there’s a lot more movement about the cabin now than there has been for the last 7 or so hours) which means that even if I was the sort of person inclined to strike up conversation with random strangers (ie Caroline) there’s really no one to talk to anyway. At least I have a vacant seat between myself and the guy next to me.
The irony that I feel compelled to document is that I can be a real shit to travel with, because I really dislike having a conversation that I feel everyone for 3 rows around me can hear and so I tend to opt for watching movies in silence, but of course presented with no other option, I’m almost bursting to have a conversation with someone!
Let’s not forget that I started this journey 6 hours before I even got on this plane …
I know that the current time in Fort McMurray, where my journey started is 12:35pm. I also know that I left Vancouver at 11:55pm Vancouver time (which is 12:55am Fort Mac time) and I know that the flight duration is just a touch over 15 hours.
15 hours. My God that’s a long time. I’ve attempted to sleep, recognising that this is surely the best way to consume time on one of these jaunts and have had varying degrees of success. I think I managed about 2 hours the first time and then another hour during the last movie that I was watching. The inability to get horizontal to sleep is a big inhibitor, which is really frustrating given that during the time that I worked offshore, I used to boast that I’d developed the ability to sleep anywhere. I even slept on a scaffold plank under an oily tarp once. Of course, the key there was that at least it was nearly horizontal. But sleep on aeroplanes in the main part eludes me. Probably because I end up with my neck contorted in a manner that eventually just bloody hurts. I bought a travel pillow and that has been mildly successful.
But I am really struggling on this particular flight with just how bloody long it is. I mean based on the mental arithmetic that I am trying to smash through my sleep deprived head, there’s still something like 5 hours to go. I have to wonder how the hell Caroline managed to do this and stay sane.
Because of the departure time, all of the flying until now has been in the dark. And just at the point where the sun was starting to caress the horizon and a slight bit of colour appeared, they came around and asked everyone to pull down the shutters. Hell, I was actually looking forward to getting see something, even if it was just a bloody cloud or the wing of the plane. Because with the cabin lights dimmed, everyone is essentially trying to sleep (though there’s a lot more movement about the cabin now than there has been for the last 7 or so hours) which means that even if I was the sort of person inclined to strike up conversation with random strangers (ie Caroline) there’s really no one to talk to anyway. At least I have a vacant seat between myself and the guy next to me.
The irony that I feel compelled to document is that I can be a real shit to travel with, because I really dislike having a conversation that I feel everyone for 3 rows around me can hear and so I tend to opt for watching movies in silence, but of course presented with no other option, I’m almost bursting to have a conversation with someone!
Let’s not forget that I started this journey 6 hours before I even got on this plane …
Mar 11, 2008
Today it rained. The snow is getting washed away and turning to brown muddy slush on the sides of the road at the moment and it seems a strange time to finally go and escape the winter wonderland. Of course, they are forecasting about 5cm of snow tomorrow, so winter is far from over. Talking to everyone back home and reading the news, I've noticed that its been a little extreme with the heat and Caroline told me that it's supposed to be 39C when I get home, so I thought that I'd check the forecast and see just what it was that I was going home to.
Ye gods, this is going to be a shock to the system!
Thursday Dry. Sunny. Min 24 Max 39
Friday Dry. Windy. Min 28 Max 39
Saturday Dry. Partly cloudy. Min 20 Max 38
Sunday Dry. Sunny. Min 21 Max 38
Monday Dry. Sunny. Min 23 Max 39
Tuesday Dry. Sunny. Min 25 Max 39
Ye gods, this is going to be a shock to the system!
Thursday Dry. Sunny. Min 24 Max 39
Friday Dry. Windy. Min 28 Max 39
Saturday Dry. Partly cloudy. Min 20 Max 38
Sunday Dry. Sunny. Min 21 Max 38
Monday Dry. Sunny. Min 23 Max 39
Tuesday Dry. Sunny. Min 25 Max 39
Mar 7, 2008
The Bachelor
Yes, for the last two weeks I have been here in Canada sans family; left to my own devices and fending for myself.
I had some grand plans for this time alone and some of them have come to fruition and others have fallen by the wayside. Principally the ones that haven't have been things like cleaning the house, where as the ones that have have been along the lines of maintaining an exercise regime.
And of course with a new job, there's been more than enough to keep me busy. When you consider the fact that after I dropped Caroline and the kids off in Vancouver I was only then home for 3 nights before going away for 4 nights, then back late on the Monday, in Calgary for Wednesday and today is only Friday, things have really been just a little bit hectic.
With the exercise regime that I've kicked in to go with the Fit n Firm Challenge that I am participating in, by the time that I've cooked, eaten and exercised, there really hasn't been time for much else. But considering I've managed to get my weight below what it was when I left home, I'm pleased ... but there's a long way to go still. Coming home to real take away food and chocolate is going to be a hell of a challenge on my will power. Especially over Easter.
Of course, I did manage to squeeze in a little skiing in the Rockies (but I can't say that I enjoyed it too much (I did, but I can't say it – people might get jealous)). Which if you happen to have noticed the little photo thingy at the top right, you'll see some evidence of.
It is very strange to come home to an empty house and not have it invaded by the noise and chaos that we consider normal within the household. I find myself going to bed and saying goodnight to the kids bedrooms, just because I don't get to go in and give them that final kiss at the end of the night. I'm really looking forward to my hugs.
I had some grand plans for this time alone and some of them have come to fruition and others have fallen by the wayside. Principally the ones that haven't have been things like cleaning the house, where as the ones that have have been along the lines of maintaining an exercise regime.
And of course with a new job, there's been more than enough to keep me busy. When you consider the fact that after I dropped Caroline and the kids off in Vancouver I was only then home for 3 nights before going away for 4 nights, then back late on the Monday, in Calgary for Wednesday and today is only Friday, things have really been just a little bit hectic.
With the exercise regime that I've kicked in to go with the Fit n Firm Challenge that I am participating in, by the time that I've cooked, eaten and exercised, there really hasn't been time for much else. But considering I've managed to get my weight below what it was when I left home, I'm pleased ... but there's a long way to go still. Coming home to real take away food and chocolate is going to be a hell of a challenge on my will power. Especially over Easter.
Of course, I did manage to squeeze in a little skiing in the Rockies (but I can't say that I enjoyed it too much (I did, but I can't say it – people might get jealous)). Which if you happen to have noticed the little photo thingy at the top right, you'll see some evidence of.
It is very strange to come home to an empty house and not have it invaded by the noise and chaos that we consider normal within the household. I find myself going to bed and saying goodnight to the kids bedrooms, just because I don't get to go in and give them that final kiss at the end of the night. I'm really looking forward to my hugs.
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