Big bucks on a trainer

The best money can buy here, Endurance Matters and it's all in order that I receive all the pain I can recover from. Seems silly I know. I've got a lot on my plate, but I had a scary migraine this week and running seems to keep me free of those. Normally I get an aura and then a two day hang over where my head screams in pain when it experiences any pressure from a sneeze or from bending over, but I got the bigger dose of pain this week and it's just a little scary. I'm not anxious to encourage a patter of pain that's getting worse if I don't run at least a maintenance level. I have no doubts about Dwayne taking me down the garden path far, far away from any previously path thought wise. I'm really excited.

I've been cutting wood and figuring it wouldn't be bad to work some different physiological elements for a while and call the wood cutting "cross training", but apparently I need to run even if that means uncomfortable organisational issues.

I've been on rails lately in most things, but not running. The pile of winter heating wood grows, but that's not going to be enough. It's ten weeks to the Manitoba Marathon (I'll be racing the half) and that isn't enough time to do much other than survive. I'm hopefully going to take advantage of some diet changes in hope of keeping ahead of the demand from Dwayne about the game. This will be either the beginning of something great of the end of my competitive running. He's a man on a mission.

I have a good friend that he's worked wonders with and I'm hoping I can develop some of her discipline and reap some of the same rewards. Dwayne is dispensing pain for a lot of friends. Now I'm trying to follow. Don't save me until I'm dead OK?

Too tired to edit... sleep now!!

sub 24 hour new crescent moon

An astronomy highlight tonight. I bagged a crescent moon that was younger than twenty four hours old.

I don't understand quite yet how it is that the spring and fall are best for catching this event, but I do know that many seasoned veterans of the game are challenged to add this to their lists. If the whole thing wasn't so unexpectedly spectacular I don't think I'd be so quick to admit to not having to try too hard.

It was like looking at an eclipse. I was surprised to find it a bowl where it's leading brilliant edge was facing directly at the sun that had just set. Weeks ago I had danced my way through the RASC handbook and taken all the numbers that would account for my latitude and longitude to come up with reasonably accurate time for the setting sun and then the setting moon.

Our local time is CDT and -6 of UT. Sunset was at 2:09 UT I believe. The moon would be set at 21:33 UT. After the hour it too me to believe I'd proofed the math and instructions out sufficiently I thought that there must be an online calculator to do this stuff. Surprises of surprises, I'd just wasted an hour of my life again. I say that in jest. I still like to work my brain now and again, especially with numbers. My numbers looked good against theirs so it was doubly good for me.

It was a day of wood hauling and splitting. Manon and Kyle helped pull limbs away and clean up the broken bits from three trees I felled yesterday. I hauled the stove lengths out to the pile and they joined me until it was done.

The day was grey but bright, +5 with a breezy +20km wind north west. Even still, once I got up to speed with the axe I was down to a short sleeved tee shirt, jeans, work gloves and toque rolled up twice. It was more like a beenie by that time, but a warm one for my bald pate.

The air was incredibly fresh. The only down side is that there is a lot of mold showing as the snow retreats and Manon and I are suffering from the interference. Fortunately we both had enough energy to make a day of our efforts and the pile grows. I've never done the whole job before. Felling, limbing, cleaning up and stacking the refuse, bucking up the logs, hauling it to a pile and then biting in to spilt the big stuff with wedges, and axes for the smaller stuff. I love my axe. It was a Lee Valley purchase early on. My customer number is a point of pride for me on a good day. (#132) On a bad day I see a lot of useless stuff in there. But when you want a real wood tool with no shortcuts in manufacturing and generations of evolution into it's design so it's honed in use and sharpness to a razors edge, that is my beacon of quality is Lee Valley Tools.

It's an Iltis Oxhead Splitting Axe - 31" and it has split a lot of wood in it's time. I've also never had a regret about coughing up the coins for it.

I have a spiral wedge, an eight pound sledge hammer and a BFS limbing axe all in good shape with secure handles so everyone got into the act. All the ugly huge butt ends of the biggest of the trees got broken down today. What a great feeling to know those aren't waiting for me. Kyle was a real sport about it, but he still wears his emotional armour around us no matter how many laughs are going on.

I'm doing a lot of administration on the MHS site now. You might say I'm doing everything. It takes time, but we're getting there. I think I have some educated types that can write well without too much blood letting that are going to help create some new contend. I've a couple of young kids that are keener's that will be fun to have on board too. Hopefully we can do it all on line. I do not need more meetings. One tomorrow for runners, and then again on Wednesday with that same crew. We're going to see "Spirit of the Marathon." Big surprise? Not.

hair raiser/razor - sub 24 hour old crescent moon

I love my Mum. She has joie de vivre in spades. I hope that if I get that far in life I can have that same selfless style she musters well. I got this from her this weekend:


To celebrate the tenth anniversary of my recovery from colon cancer; to honour the too many family and friends who have not been as fortunate; and to encourage several friends who are living and suffering with various cancers, I am having my head shaved.

On April 27 at the Dashwood Fire Hall (http://www.visland.ca/dashwood) Canadian Cancer Society is having a fund raising event. Having contemplated this idea for a long time. I am now ready and asking for your moral and financial support. If you so desire, make your cheque payable to The Canadian Cancer Society and send it my way.

Thanks in advance


Love you Mum! I would love to have a studio study in B&W photography of you afterward if you would sit for it. Do you know a guy?
Your proud as punch first.

hair raiser/razor

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of my recovery from colon cancer; to honour the too many family and friends who have not been as fortunate; and to encourage several friends who are living and suffering with various cancers, I am having my head shaved.

On April 27 at the Dashwood Fire Hall (http://www.visland.ca/dashwood) Canadian Cancer Society is having a fund raising event. Having contemplated this idea for a long time. I am now ready and asking for your moral and financial support. If you so desire, make your cheque payable to The Canadian Cancer Society and send it my way.

Thanks in advance, Agnes

I got this from my Mum this morning. What a sport. I love her to bits. I can't wait for the images!
One of three

A sewing jones...

I'm tired of not having back stitch. If anyone local knows of a decent used sewing machine for sale, please get me sewing.
Thanks.
Ian