I am in the midst of a slump. I have written very little over the last handful of months, and people are beginning to notice. Unfortunately, my lack of motivation stems from boredom of sorts. This space had devolved into a weekly diary, and while that type of content can be fun, it can also become monotonous. I have still had the same free time every week to produce content, but I have chosen to do things such as obessess about my fantasy baseball teams, read a book, or even do extra chores at work. The last few weeks of activity have involved me thinking about writing quite frequently, and even half finishing a post on a couple of occasions. I have come up with a gimmick that may help me post more regularly while at the same time making me look at tad bi-polar. Each paragraph will start with one of two words, either up or down. Then I will either rant or rave about a topic, but will devote no more than a singular paragraph to each. Why up or down? See the title.
UP: Two weeks ago today our little family returned from our modest summer vacation. We spent 3 nights at Valentine Lake in the southern Cariboo. From all accounts everyone enjoyed our little getaway. We met up with Sheila's Aunt Sherry and Uncle Terry and it was great to get to spend some time with them. It was a rare chance to spend time together as our regular visits are short and rushed around the holidays. The lake was secluded, only a few other people were there. The lake was quiet, no outboard motors, no highway traffic near by. The weather cooperated, lots of wind, but only a few minutes of rain one afternoon. The fishing, thanks to Uncle Terry's knowledge, help and gear, was great! Jasmine caught her first fish, and her second, and third, and fourth. Many more were on the line only to get away as she fought valiantly. Sheila caught the biggest one, a 4 pound trout. Asher helped me reel one in, though surprisingly, he didn't find the fish flopping into the boat nearly as excited as I thought he would. When I asked him what his favorite parts of the camping trip were he told me: "Hiding under blankets!" A game we play regularly at home, we stuff ourselves under any blankets and pillows were can find and pretend that there are guys coming to get us. Asher makes it seem pretty authentic. If a crack opens up in the blankets he shouts: "Close upa windows, Daddy!" The other thing he mentioned was just "sleeping in the tent." We spent a night curled up, him soundly asleep as the wind whipped the tent wildly. I was convinced that only our bodyweight kept the tent from flying off into the woods. We had a lot of fun on the Thursday of the trip when all 6 of us piled into Uncle Terry's pickup truck and went exploring. He had been told about a lake nearby that had seen 12 pound trout pulled from it. After galavanting down a number of different dirt roads, we bogged our way to the shore of the lake. It didn't look like much, but it was enough to convince Terry that it would have to be tried on a subsequent trip. We continued our exploration, and Jasmine was happy when we found Whale Lake. A beautiful setting, hills, forests, and most of all, quiet. We got some very nice photos, and Jasmine and I took the plunge into the cool clean water. Jasmine dove off the end of the dock a number of times, hollering each time. On our way home the next day we stopped in for a dip and some breakfast at Lac La Hache, making it 3 different lakes that I had swam in over 2 days. We parted in Quesnel where Auntie and Uncle live with some goodbye hugs and plenty of appreciation for the wonderful hospitality.
UP: Jasmine makes me proud regularly, but her willingness to embrace my spendthrift ways had me beaming on a few occasions recently. We made a trip to our favourite thrift store recently, "St. Vincent de Paul's" and made out like bandits. The kid's clothing selection is usually pretty thin, but we found a few things. Jasmine "hates" jeans, but she was willing to try a pair on. We found a hoodie and a long-sleeve t-shirt that fit nicely. Dad agreed to buy a framed unicorn print that Jasmine got even more excited about when she found out it was from 1979. "That's sooooo old Dad!" I grabbed a stack of 6 novels, and Jasmine found a couple as well including Goosebumps that I read 20 years ago. 8 books, 1 picture, 1 pair of jeans, 1 hoodie, 1 long sleeve t-shirt. Out the door for 8 dollars and 50 cents! Turns out there was a sale on the clothes and they were even cheaper than they had been tagged. I always leave my change at St. Vincent's as they are a charity, and one that gives endlessly. They are always giving away clothes to those in need, and while I was there a man came in looking to buy steel toed boots for a job he was starting the next day. Readying to pay, he stared in disbelief when the lady said, "Now don't you worry about that" gesturing for him to put his money away. The next week we found ourselves at the mall. We found the Sears kids department, then I quickly noticed the clearance racks were an additional 40% off. Jasmine got 10 or 11 pieces of clothing for 65 bucks and not once did she mention all the other racks in the store. When she picked out her fox hoodie at a different store later, I pointed out that all the money we had saved at the other store meant that I could afford to pay full price for this one. No, this wasn't a brand name Fox Racing hoodie that would have cost 60 bucks. Jasmine has no interest in logos and brands. This was a fox hoodie, red and white with whiskers and paws screenprinted on. She ended up picking it over the zebra one because the ears were just sooooooooo cute. A typical female love of shopping mixed with the cheapness of a typical man? Wonderful, just wonderful.
DOWN: I have many faults as a parent, and the biggest one is patience. I feel like Jasmine is at a critical age where she is beginning to figure out that she has ways of "fighting back" against her parents. For the most part she is a great girl, but we have been dealing with some new things this summer. She can often be deceptive, and will even tell bold faced lies to Mom and Pop, willing to deal with the consequences later when her falsehoods are uncovered. I will admit, I don't know what the best approach is, as I tend to be overly strict. I want Jasmine to be a well mannered girl who adults aren't disgusted by. When I see teenage girls I shudder to think that my own daughter may act like that before long. The catch-22 part of it all is that being a hard ass will just drive her to rebel further. I should probably do some research about this subject, though I doubt that will help, it will likely make me even more puzzled.
UP: After years of driving some disgusting cars and trucks that have left me embarassed on many occasions I bit the bullet and strolled into the dealership. Within hours I walked out to my new car. A 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Shiny and black with plenty of features it looks awesome. It's a 4 door sedan, with plenty of room for Jasmine and Asher and Sheila to ride with me. Nice stereo, air conditioning, heated seats for the winter, no complaints whatsoever. It feels weird not to have people staring at my ride as I pull up somewhere. It has a reasonably small engine with great fuel economy so it will be ideal for roadtrips as a family. Nearing a month since I purchased, I am happy I finally removed what was an ongoing point of stress for me, and replaced it with another one.
DOWN: After years of driving junkers, I went ahead and bought new. I got a great deal on the financing as there was a sale going on and my credit rating is immaculate. The dealership had no problem offering me a long term payment plan. Sheila and the kids headed off to Quesnel in the car right away to spend the weekend visiting. I spent the weekend at work, and all the while I was second guessing my decision. I barely slept for a few days. Should I have taken longer to decide? I feel like I had been shopping for years. Every time I grabbed the wheel in a deathtrap Ford Explorer I was in a way, shopping. Could I have dithered over the decision for weeks? Yes, but I believe I would have had doubts afterwards regardless of how long I had shopped. Some positives came out of the whole stressing over the new vehicle payments.
UP: The new responsibility of paying for my car led me to take steps towards gaining more hours at work. I spoke to Asher's daycare lady about extra days, and she agreed. I asked my manager at work about my availability and told him I would be willing to add shifts. I took a look at my budget and cut a couple of corners though there wasn't much there to cut. Another thing the new car got me to do was take a long look at my poker game. A significant source of income had dried up, and I was struggling to explain it. I could find an answer though, couldn't I?
UP: Poker income is a difficult beast. There are not to many sources of income that come with no guarantee at all. Even scarier, poker could cost you money instead. I spent the first 7 months of this year playing less often, and winning less often. I played hockey during the winter months. I coached Jasmine's basketball and then soccer for the winter and spring months. I joined a soccer team of my own for the first time in a few years. I have been devoting more time to exercise and working out then I ever have before. My free time was pretty well booked up. The inactivity of poker drove me crazy. I don't like to sit and not move for long periods of time. If I am going to expect to make some money playing the game though, I need to treat it with more respect. I can't just stroll into the casino whenever I feel like and sit down and make money. The opponents are better than that. It dawned on me that poker had to get a little bit more of my attention. Not all of it, no. I need a balance in my life. But, I need to make a few bucks each month so I can have some spending money. My pay checks are pretty tied up making payments on obligations. I re-read some of Dan Harrington's first volume on cash games. I played some small stakes games on the computer, focusing on the play rather than just going through the motions. As a positive coincidence, August was the third month of the quarterly freeroll cycle at the poker room as well. If I managed to play a significant number of hours in August I may be able to qualify for both the monthly and the larger quarterly freeroll tournaments. Both provide great opportunities to make some extra cash without having to pony up any money. Just play lots, and you are in. I made more than $3000 in 2012 playing these free tournaments, but I have yet to play any of them this year. I haven't played enough, and usually I have coaching and work commitments on Saturdays that get in the way. I already had booked off the first 2 Saturdays of September for other reasons, so I would be able to play. Get to work I told myself. My renaissance has started well. I have put in lots of time over the past 3 weeks and I have seen some decent results. More importantly, I feel like I playing great. I will likely play less in September after exhausting myself this month. I'll update here with the outcome of the tournaments.
UP: Sports gambling has been pretty lucrative for me this past year. Last winter I won a NFL survivor pool for a couple hundred. Last spring I got second in a hockey pool for a profit of $400. I subsequently won the playoff hockey pool to make another $400. This summer, I have 3 baseball teams on the go, and as the season winds down, all three team have a chance to be profitable. I have been investing a decent amount of time, so hopefully my efforts pay off. In one pool the playoffs start next week, another the week after that. The third pool is points based so it just runs until seasons end. I am currently 4th of 13 in that one, with 3 teams getting paid. I have already committed any winnings from baseball to playing the hockey pool again, and I am jumping into a different football pool that will draft next week. Ah, fantasy sports the only thing better is real sports.
DOWN: Speaking of real sports, they have slowed down considerably for me lately. About a month ago I jumped for a header on the soccer pitch and come down on my ankle. With a nasty turn of the joint, I threw the rest of my season for a whirl. I limped off, but as our team has been decimated by injuries, I was right back out there 10 minutes later. Over the next couple of days I swelled up to a baseball sized ankle. I haven't had a significant sports injury since I tore my groin in grade 12. So, each game I taped up and went ahead and played. I went to hockey once, and my ankle didn't bother me. So, early last week I played soccer, beginning an 8 day span where I had 5 games of hockey and soccer scheduled. At some point in the second half my hamstring went. We had no extra players and we were hanging on to a 2-1 lead at the time. I continued to play. I made it worse. Just today I started to notice significant improvement. It has been 9 days. I missed my other 2 soccer games, and my last 2 summer hockey games. I hope I can play our soccer playoffs that start next week.
UP: I had an awesome outing with the kids earlier this week. In order we: visited the horses at the agriplex, we browsed at the hockey store, we visited all the animals at Total Pet, we went for a swim at 4 Seasons Pool, we got a treat from the german bakery and ate it in sun downtown, and we went for a walk an stopped at a handful of stores. Asher fell asleep on the drive home.
UP: Sheila and I watched the movie "Mud" last week. It stars Matthew McConnaughey, but the really great performances were from a couple of teenage boys, one of whom was making his acting debut. Great job by the director finding a couple of kids who worked so well. Do yourselves a favour and go see it.
UP: Sheila and I have gotten back on board with "Breaking Bad". Excellent start to the season through the first 3 episodes. Also, AMC has a new show called "Low Winter Sun" airing right after Cranston and company. It started with an authentic, intense scene, and I have enjoyed it immensely through the first 3 episodes. I'm also pleased that "Duck Dynasty" is back for another season. Sheila has her "Big Brother", you can call this one my guilty pleasure.
UP: Finally, I have found a few new music gems. I can't stop playing the album "Howlin'" from the Aussie electronica group Jagwar Ma. The other day, I may have found my favourite album of 2013 so far. A cross between bluegrass, folk, americana and soul, Aoife O'Donovan's "Fossils" is breathtaking. It should appeal to a wide variety of people, it's mellow but uplifting at the same time.
That's my time. Remind me to return mext week.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Friday, 30 August 2013
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Inside My Mind
I have been struggling to get something written this week. Normally, I look forward to my time spent pecking away. For some reason, come Monday this week I wasn't feeling it. I worked hard this weekend, the routine at work was broken by some unexpected situations. I am going to give you an old fashioned rambling blog. Follow along as I search my brain.
-Jasmine's soccer team. Wow! I was pretty discouraged to start the year. It seemed many of the girls weren't very interested in soccer, and I would have a trying time teaching new skills. I have to some extent, but I have spent my time instead encouraging aggression and working on finding the ideal position for each to girl to play. I have found 3 dedicated and strong defenders. Steve's (my co-coach) daughter has regained her confidence and along with Jasmine has been providing goal after goal. After starting the year with 5 losses and a tie, we are unbeaten in our last 3. After a 1-1 tie last week, a 3-2 win on Saturday, and a 2-1 win last night I'm not sure what the ceiling is. The girls are watching the game from the sidelines now, and when good things happen they are getting excited and screaming and yelling. I'm glad they are having fun with it.
-Queensway Auto World, member team of the 30+ division in the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League, did not concede a goal this week in 180 minutes of soccer. We used two different and very capable goalies in the games, but for the most part, they just watched. We knocked off the newest team in the league 3-0. then played the top team on Friday. A physical battle ensued, but we came out on top, in part thanks to a replacement goalie who allowed 3 very soft goals. It was all we needed. 3-0 scoreline once again. I didn't score, but I am getting a fair bit of time on the ball, and I can see the benefits of my conditioning. I had some fun, trying a move or two I don't usually go with. I pulled off the move where the ball heads through your legs, but you reach back at the last minute and heel pass it the other direction. I can't recall ever trying it before, and it even worked. At 3-1-1 we are now tied at the top of the table.
-My son is sports obsessed. He has to come to all of Jasmine and my soccer games. He takes part in the warm up with Jasmine's team. He kicks the ball around the backyard any chance he gets. A day doesn't go by without him playing hockey downstairs. He has to join me lifting weights every chance he gets. As I realize nearly every topic on my mind also has to do with sports, I guess it's not his fault. He was born with it.
-As I type, Asher has climbed up on the couch, set up a pillow and cuddled up in the blanket. This is about the same time he does this most days that we spend together. It's pretty cute. Making it even more so is that he is staring over at me batting his eyelashes as his eyeballs head into hiding. If I look over and smile, he smiles back, even bigger. What can I do but work hard to match his width? Smile away little man!
-Jasmine is pretty awesome in her own right. I don't get the super big smiles from her as often as I do Asher, but she still loves Dad. When I arrived to buy some goodies at her SPCA bake sale on Sunday, she ran up and gave me a huge hug. She was dressed very nicely with earrings and a nice dress, and her hair very fancy too. Jasmine and her friend had come up with idea to sell goodies and donate the money to the SPCA. Sheila slaved away making cookies, while the other girl and her mom made cupcakes. When I arrived, they had recruited a bunch of helpers. There was 7 or 8 of them altogether, having fun, helping out. Jasmine saw half of her class, either helping or buying goodies. Everything went, and after a few donations were added, the girls had $123 to give to the animals. They went down and gave the money to the SPCA last night, and Jasmine is very excited. She and her friend had their picture taken and may appear on the SPCA Facebook page!
-8 guys got together and drafted 10 players each for a hockey playoff pool. 6 of the 10 guys I grabbed were gone after the first round. I gave up on the pool, and barely caught a minute of round 2. I didn't realize that when I drafted David Krejci, I would be getting the leading playoff scorer. I watched as the Bruins dispatched the Penguins, and the Hawks knocked off the Kings. This leaves a bizarre situation. First place guy has 73 points but no players. Other guy also has 73 points and only Dave Bolland left who has 1 point so far. 68 points and in 3rd place, he has 4 players, 3 Hawks and 1 Bruin. I'm in 5th, 64 points, 4 guys, 3 Bruins and 1 Hawk. Two poolies will be rooting for plenty of 1-0 scores. One guy wants a long series with Chicago doing most of the scoring. I will be cheering for a long series with Boston scoring more. Only top 2 get paid, I will be certain to make money if I gain the magical 10 points to pass the tied guys. Assuming Dave Bolland doesn't get a hat trick or two.
-I got a little carried away yesterday. I did my chest and triceps workout in the morning and early afternoon, I was way to distracted playing around with Asher so it took me forever. I went and coached Jasmine's game. Came home and ate with Sheila and the kids. A fantastic chicken and rice dish, that had us all eating second helpings. After sitting and hanging out for a while I set out. A 7 km bike ride, the first time on my bike in 3 weeks. It felt good. I timed in at 18:07. I sat down for a bit. Checked on my fantasy baseball teams. I stretched out. I completed the 5 km run in 24:51. I finished off the night with a long leg workout, 8 exercises, 3 sets each. I discovered a new favourite exercise. 1 leg squats. Just your body weight. I even grab onto the weight bench to assist. I can do about 10-12 each side before the legs give out. Feeling alright today, was expecting the hit by a truck feeling.
-I'm reading again! I started "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" last week, and I have actually been spending some time with it. I like the original style of storytelling, and I get into these types of storylines quite easily. It has a very similar feeling to Aldous Huxley or George Orwell. Full report to come once completed.
-Sheila is thinking about turning her baking passion into a more serious endeavor. She is thinking about selling baked goods at the Farmer's Market, specializing in gluten free items. Jasmine would likely join her in the project, and it sounds like a great idea to me. Asher could wear a sandwich board and walk around promoting the booth. Who could resist that little smiling face?
-We are being very casual about planning our holidays in August. First we were planning to go spend some time on Vancouver Island. Now the plan is stalled at "camping". That where, how and the rest of it has yet to be determined. I would like less driving time and more relaxing time. Maybe somewhere near a city so that we can do some tourist type stuff too. Of course, any other city requires considerable driving time. We still have 2 months to figure this out, right?
-My fantasy baseball teams are doing pretty good so far. My 1 team has been in 1st or 2nd all season in the 12 team league. I keep finding studs on the free agent list, and 2 weeks ago I snagged Domonic Brown right before he produced 8 homers in 7 games. Jason and I share 1 team, and we have been top 3 all year. We currently sit comfortably in 2nd out of 10 teams. Lastly, I am in 7th of 13 in my other one. I have managed to put together a really solid pitching staff, and with a little work on my offense I could be contending.
-Until next time!
-Jasmine's soccer team. Wow! I was pretty discouraged to start the year. It seemed many of the girls weren't very interested in soccer, and I would have a trying time teaching new skills. I have to some extent, but I have spent my time instead encouraging aggression and working on finding the ideal position for each to girl to play. I have found 3 dedicated and strong defenders. Steve's (my co-coach) daughter has regained her confidence and along with Jasmine has been providing goal after goal. After starting the year with 5 losses and a tie, we are unbeaten in our last 3. After a 1-1 tie last week, a 3-2 win on Saturday, and a 2-1 win last night I'm not sure what the ceiling is. The girls are watching the game from the sidelines now, and when good things happen they are getting excited and screaming and yelling. I'm glad they are having fun with it.
-Queensway Auto World, member team of the 30+ division in the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League, did not concede a goal this week in 180 minutes of soccer. We used two different and very capable goalies in the games, but for the most part, they just watched. We knocked off the newest team in the league 3-0. then played the top team on Friday. A physical battle ensued, but we came out on top, in part thanks to a replacement goalie who allowed 3 very soft goals. It was all we needed. 3-0 scoreline once again. I didn't score, but I am getting a fair bit of time on the ball, and I can see the benefits of my conditioning. I had some fun, trying a move or two I don't usually go with. I pulled off the move where the ball heads through your legs, but you reach back at the last minute and heel pass it the other direction. I can't recall ever trying it before, and it even worked. At 3-1-1 we are now tied at the top of the table.
-My son is sports obsessed. He has to come to all of Jasmine and my soccer games. He takes part in the warm up with Jasmine's team. He kicks the ball around the backyard any chance he gets. A day doesn't go by without him playing hockey downstairs. He has to join me lifting weights every chance he gets. As I realize nearly every topic on my mind also has to do with sports, I guess it's not his fault. He was born with it.
-As I type, Asher has climbed up on the couch, set up a pillow and cuddled up in the blanket. This is about the same time he does this most days that we spend together. It's pretty cute. Making it even more so is that he is staring over at me batting his eyelashes as his eyeballs head into hiding. If I look over and smile, he smiles back, even bigger. What can I do but work hard to match his width? Smile away little man!
-Jasmine is pretty awesome in her own right. I don't get the super big smiles from her as often as I do Asher, but she still loves Dad. When I arrived to buy some goodies at her SPCA bake sale on Sunday, she ran up and gave me a huge hug. She was dressed very nicely with earrings and a nice dress, and her hair very fancy too. Jasmine and her friend had come up with idea to sell goodies and donate the money to the SPCA. Sheila slaved away making cookies, while the other girl and her mom made cupcakes. When I arrived, they had recruited a bunch of helpers. There was 7 or 8 of them altogether, having fun, helping out. Jasmine saw half of her class, either helping or buying goodies. Everything went, and after a few donations were added, the girls had $123 to give to the animals. They went down and gave the money to the SPCA last night, and Jasmine is very excited. She and her friend had their picture taken and may appear on the SPCA Facebook page!
-8 guys got together and drafted 10 players each for a hockey playoff pool. 6 of the 10 guys I grabbed were gone after the first round. I gave up on the pool, and barely caught a minute of round 2. I didn't realize that when I drafted David Krejci, I would be getting the leading playoff scorer. I watched as the Bruins dispatched the Penguins, and the Hawks knocked off the Kings. This leaves a bizarre situation. First place guy has 73 points but no players. Other guy also has 73 points and only Dave Bolland left who has 1 point so far. 68 points and in 3rd place, he has 4 players, 3 Hawks and 1 Bruin. I'm in 5th, 64 points, 4 guys, 3 Bruins and 1 Hawk. Two poolies will be rooting for plenty of 1-0 scores. One guy wants a long series with Chicago doing most of the scoring. I will be cheering for a long series with Boston scoring more. Only top 2 get paid, I will be certain to make money if I gain the magical 10 points to pass the tied guys. Assuming Dave Bolland doesn't get a hat trick or two.
-I got a little carried away yesterday. I did my chest and triceps workout in the morning and early afternoon, I was way to distracted playing around with Asher so it took me forever. I went and coached Jasmine's game. Came home and ate with Sheila and the kids. A fantastic chicken and rice dish, that had us all eating second helpings. After sitting and hanging out for a while I set out. A 7 km bike ride, the first time on my bike in 3 weeks. It felt good. I timed in at 18:07. I sat down for a bit. Checked on my fantasy baseball teams. I stretched out. I completed the 5 km run in 24:51. I finished off the night with a long leg workout, 8 exercises, 3 sets each. I discovered a new favourite exercise. 1 leg squats. Just your body weight. I even grab onto the weight bench to assist. I can do about 10-12 each side before the legs give out. Feeling alright today, was expecting the hit by a truck feeling.
-I'm reading again! I started "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" last week, and I have actually been spending some time with it. I like the original style of storytelling, and I get into these types of storylines quite easily. It has a very similar feeling to Aldous Huxley or George Orwell. Full report to come once completed.
-Sheila is thinking about turning her baking passion into a more serious endeavor. She is thinking about selling baked goods at the Farmer's Market, specializing in gluten free items. Jasmine would likely join her in the project, and it sounds like a great idea to me. Asher could wear a sandwich board and walk around promoting the booth. Who could resist that little smiling face?
-We are being very casual about planning our holidays in August. First we were planning to go spend some time on Vancouver Island. Now the plan is stalled at "camping". That where, how and the rest of it has yet to be determined. I would like less driving time and more relaxing time. Maybe somewhere near a city so that we can do some tourist type stuff too. Of course, any other city requires considerable driving time. We still have 2 months to figure this out, right?
-My fantasy baseball teams are doing pretty good so far. My 1 team has been in 1st or 2nd all season in the 12 team league. I keep finding studs on the free agent list, and 2 weeks ago I snagged Domonic Brown right before he produced 8 homers in 7 games. Jason and I share 1 team, and we have been top 3 all year. We currently sit comfortably in 2nd out of 10 teams. Lastly, I am in 7th of 13 in my other one. I have managed to put together a really solid pitching staff, and with a little work on my offense I could be contending.
-Until next time!
Monday, 3 June 2013
46 Minutes and 28 Seconds of Sunshine on a Sunday Morning: or How I Ran Faster Than I Ever Have Before, at a Distance I Have Only Tried Twice Before
I am someone who often struggles with my own self doubts. Am I good enough? Am I successful? Am I doing the best I can in life? I don't want to say that I get depressed at times, but I do get down on myself for periods that can last minutes or even hours or days. I know that people who are truly depressed constantly fight a battle against themselves. This weekend, I lined up a challenge for myself that until Sunday morning seemed daunting. In all my imperfect moments going forward I can look back at what I accomplished and smile.
I had managed to get most of the week off from work. I wanted time to prepare for Sunday morning, I was able to play my soccer game Friday night, and I was able to spend some time hanging out with my family. I had run a 10 km trial run on Monday and lived to tell of it. Please spend time reading the post I authored after that run if you haven't already. It's here. I ran a slower paced 7 km on Wednesday and that also went well.
On Friday night I suited up in the red and white kit of my mew soccer team "Queensway Auto World" and arrived at the field ready to take on "Eden Spas". I got a fun surprise when a couple of the guys I was going to play with in the recreational league arrived. They were set to play as call ups for our opponent. One of the guys joked about me "ditching them", and assured me that I would pay for my rudeness in the game. All in good fun, Dan is a great soccer player, who could easily play in the league if he wanted to. As expected, he more than held his own against us, providing his team with endless energy in the midfield. I started the game on the bench, as we had a full squad with 4 extras. I came on about 20 minutes in, played striker for a few minutes before shifting back to left wing. Nearing the end of the half our striker had the ball just inside the 18 yard box in the left side. He is shifty and quick, so a second defender moved over to help on him. He quickly moved laterally and fed the ball between the two defenders to me, as my mark had left me to help. I took one touch to control, then blasted a low left footed shot. It skimmed along the turf with an out turn as it headed towards the far side of the net. Having the perfect view, I knew it was in well before it entered the net. The ball clanged off the inside of the goal post and settled into the net. I can't recall the last goal I scored in a soccer game, and the last meaningful soccer goal I scored in a full field soccer game was probably back in high school. (erm, I barely scored any then either, but there must have been at least 1!) I sat again to start the second half but I joined the game about 10 minutes in this time and helped our team hold on to the 1-0 lead. We didn't play great, and neither did Eden Spas. It was an odd game where very little happened. We committed plenty of fouls, but nothing really malicious. As the thoughts I having my goal hold up as the winner were dancing in my head, we conceded a free kick about 30 yards from goal. The ball came in, took a couple of bounces and fell to one of their guys. He hit the ball, it deflected off of a defenders leg and alluded the goalie's diving effort. No chance to save it, and the game was tied. Worst of all, there was 3 minutes left in the game. It took a little shine off of the night, but I still have my goal to remember. I've never played at this level of soccer, so scoring a goal in only my second game of the season was an awesome feeling. I believe there is more to come.
I coached Jasmine's soccer game Saturday afternoon, then planned to take it easy the rest of the day to prepare myself for the next morning. Ian came over and we watched the Bruins and Penguins game. After the game, I threw on a movie "Oz the Great and Powerful" hoping it would interest both the adults and the kids. Meh. It was pretty bad, but Jasmine seemed to like it. My mom, dad and sister all arrived from Quesnel. They were up to watch in the big race in the morning. Sheila had run out to the store and spoiled me with a few protein bars, gatorade drinks and a pedometer that also tracked time and distance. I went to lay down pretty early, hoping to get lots of sleep for the race. I wasn't nervous, but more anxious. I had laid off the junk food for a couple days, chewed a protein bar and had some gatorade. I surfed on the internet, hoping to bore myself to sleep. In the end, it was a fitful night's sleep with only a little rest. I rose at 645 to prepare.
Observations from race day:
-Having a hot shower before running is great. I usually run in the late afternoon when Sheila gets home, but I will have to remember how much energy a shower seems to provide.
-I kept most of my pre-run routine as consistent as possible. I had a half cup of coffee. I ate a few bites of a banana, and bit of a protein bar. Typically, I want to run on an empty or close to empty stomach. I knew that I would need a bit of energy for the race, so I ate a bit. It worked out, I didn't get a stomach cramp, and I had a decent amount of energy.
-My dad drove me down to the track, with the rest of my supporters (it feels good to type that) due to arrive closer to race time. After getting my shoes on, it was nice to walk a few laps with my dad and chat, it took my mind away from the race which was a mere half hour away.
-I had my pedometer, my plan was to use it to run at a steady pace. I was shooting for a time of 50 minutes or 5 minutes per kilometer. I had run at or around that pace throughout most of my training. Without my ipod I thought maybe I would run slower. I was hoping that the competitors ahead of me and my desire to keep up would counteract this.
-I wanted to start the race near the front of the pack. Too close to the back and I would be stuck weaving through people. If I was too close to the front though, having numerous people run by me would probably be demoralising. I just moved onto the track, and people kind of filled in around me. The race organisers counted us down, and we were off.
-We circled half of the track, then left the stadium to begin running the roads of Prince George. I quickly realised that my pedometer had reset, and was currently counting miles and not kilometers. Not a big deal, I still had a timer, but I would now rely on feel and instinct to pace myself.
-One lady ran past me as we left the stadium, and I would soon realise how much I didn't want this to happen during the race. I started up the hill on Massey drive, and soon had someone breathing down my neck. A lady passed me as we neared the top of the hill, but only for a few seconds. As we crested the hill I lengthened my stride and passed her back. I slowly moved away from her and for the next 3 or so kilometers I ran completely by myself. The nearest person ahead of me was probably 200 meters, and while I wasn't looking back often, I could see when I went around corners that I had a comfortable gap behind me as well. I didn't expect this. I thought it would be a tighter race, but with 122 runners of all shapes and sizes, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
-The caterpillars were out in full force to cheer us on, happily being squished underfoot as they were impossible to avoid completely.
-I'm used to running without any drinks on the road. It was nice to have 3 different drink stations along the course.
-Something that is quickly becoming "my thing" while I run, I said hello or thank you to every single person that was out on the course. There were a handful of spectators, and most of them shouted words of encouragement, or clapped. Every one of them got a "thank you" or "good morning" from me. The volunteers at the drink stations and the crosswalks who made the race possible also got "thank you" from me. It was fun and inspiring at the same time.
-While the support of strangers was nice, it was even more inspiring to have my family there to support me. About 3 km into the race as I gradually gained ground on the woman in front me we came up on one of the local schools. I noticed 3 people sitting in chairs in the parking lot, and I realised as I got closer it was Sheila and my mom and dad. They stood and cheered, I waved and hollered back at them, then got back to racing. Jasmine and Asher both hollered at me from the playground. I looked over to see Jasmine waving from the top of the jungle gym. I would see them again shortly as they jumped in their vehicles and drove by me. My sister Paulette, and Jasmine and Asher were all hollering out the windows as they drove by, with the horns going as well. We covered a few kilometers of Ospika, and I managed to get past the lady I was chasing, before setting my sights on the next runner. He was a good few hundred meters ahead, but he seemed to be slowing somewhat. We ran a short hill as we approached Massey once more, and after we crested I decided to pick up the speed considerably to get by. That might have been the most enjoyable part of the race, passing someone while giving everything I had. We rounded the corner onto 18th, and my family drove past once more, hollering and making a commotion. They stopped up ahead, snapping photos, and my Dad successfully passed me a drink. I got one more drive by as I left the CNC parking lot, and Paulette famously shouted: "GOOOOOO Matt!! You're in first place!!!!" She couldn't see anyone in front of me, and there wasn't anyone. I had a laugh and kept going.
-As I turned onto Westwood for the home stretch I looked at my timer for the first time since the first kilometer. I had run for 40 minutes. I wasn't sure how close to the finish line I was, but I had a feeling that I was running a fast race. I approached Massey and turned the corner towards the stadium. The runners from the 5 km race were coming in from a different direction, but we would all run back down Massey together. A sign was placed near the corner telling us we had 1 km to go. I knew I was running a fast time, and I felt like I had some gas left in the tank. There was a downhill portion, and I relaxed my body, allowing myself to lengthen my stride. I passed at least a dozen runners down the hill, picked the pace up a little more as we approached the track. I entered the track, and decided to leave it all out there. I sprinted the last 250 meters, passing another 5 or 6 runners. I even got a reaction from the race m.c. who couldn't help but notice this crazy man galloping across the line. As it turned out, this isn't normal and I was literally the only person who did a flat out sprint across the line. I felt great. I checked my time and I knew I had clocked in at less than 47 minutes! Sheila and Asher approached, and I got a huge hug from my son. What a feeling!
-I found out a short time later that my official time was 46 minutes and 28 seconds. I had finished 14th out of 122 runners. The 13 people who finished ahead of me were "runners". Most of them were seasoned veterans. I'm more than happy that I could be that competitive when I have only run that distance twice before in my life.
-They handed out medals to the top 3 finishers in each category. I was in the 19-49 year old male category, and I finished a respectable 6th of 22. I was 6 minutes off of the third place time, to which Sheila remarked, "well, it's only 6 minutes. I'm sure you could do that." Very supportive, but a lofty goal no doubt.
-While my time is a great accomplishment, the thing I am most proud of, is that other than 1 lady passing me in the first 200 meters, not a single person passed me during the 10 km race. At the crest of Massey when a different lady passed me for a few seconds, I set that as a goal. No one was going to overtake me as I ran. I kept my pace up and didn't feel like I had too many lulls in the race at all. Other than that brief moment, no one else came close to passing me. Proof that I can run this distance regularly, without suffering.
-Other than some pain in my left shin, which was present before the race, I feel fine today. This makes me think I didn't over do it, and maybe I am capable of doing even better.
-My mom asked me if I got the bug, and honestly, I don't know. The competitor in me wants to do this more often. And I will do it again. In fact, I plan to pull an even more ambitious double in less than 2 weeks. This time was soccer Friday night followed by a 10 km run on Sunday morning. June 14th I play soccer again, followed by a 10 km trail race the morning of June 15th. Why not keep the challenges coming?
I had managed to get most of the week off from work. I wanted time to prepare for Sunday morning, I was able to play my soccer game Friday night, and I was able to spend some time hanging out with my family. I had run a 10 km trial run on Monday and lived to tell of it. Please spend time reading the post I authored after that run if you haven't already. It's here. I ran a slower paced 7 km on Wednesday and that also went well.
On Friday night I suited up in the red and white kit of my mew soccer team "Queensway Auto World" and arrived at the field ready to take on "Eden Spas". I got a fun surprise when a couple of the guys I was going to play with in the recreational league arrived. They were set to play as call ups for our opponent. One of the guys joked about me "ditching them", and assured me that I would pay for my rudeness in the game. All in good fun, Dan is a great soccer player, who could easily play in the league if he wanted to. As expected, he more than held his own against us, providing his team with endless energy in the midfield. I started the game on the bench, as we had a full squad with 4 extras. I came on about 20 minutes in, played striker for a few minutes before shifting back to left wing. Nearing the end of the half our striker had the ball just inside the 18 yard box in the left side. He is shifty and quick, so a second defender moved over to help on him. He quickly moved laterally and fed the ball between the two defenders to me, as my mark had left me to help. I took one touch to control, then blasted a low left footed shot. It skimmed along the turf with an out turn as it headed towards the far side of the net. Having the perfect view, I knew it was in well before it entered the net. The ball clanged off the inside of the goal post and settled into the net. I can't recall the last goal I scored in a soccer game, and the last meaningful soccer goal I scored in a full field soccer game was probably back in high school. (erm, I barely scored any then either, but there must have been at least 1!) I sat again to start the second half but I joined the game about 10 minutes in this time and helped our team hold on to the 1-0 lead. We didn't play great, and neither did Eden Spas. It was an odd game where very little happened. We committed plenty of fouls, but nothing really malicious. As the thoughts I having my goal hold up as the winner were dancing in my head, we conceded a free kick about 30 yards from goal. The ball came in, took a couple of bounces and fell to one of their guys. He hit the ball, it deflected off of a defenders leg and alluded the goalie's diving effort. No chance to save it, and the game was tied. Worst of all, there was 3 minutes left in the game. It took a little shine off of the night, but I still have my goal to remember. I've never played at this level of soccer, so scoring a goal in only my second game of the season was an awesome feeling. I believe there is more to come.
I coached Jasmine's soccer game Saturday afternoon, then planned to take it easy the rest of the day to prepare myself for the next morning. Ian came over and we watched the Bruins and Penguins game. After the game, I threw on a movie "Oz the Great and Powerful" hoping it would interest both the adults and the kids. Meh. It was pretty bad, but Jasmine seemed to like it. My mom, dad and sister all arrived from Quesnel. They were up to watch in the big race in the morning. Sheila had run out to the store and spoiled me with a few protein bars, gatorade drinks and a pedometer that also tracked time and distance. I went to lay down pretty early, hoping to get lots of sleep for the race. I wasn't nervous, but more anxious. I had laid off the junk food for a couple days, chewed a protein bar and had some gatorade. I surfed on the internet, hoping to bore myself to sleep. In the end, it was a fitful night's sleep with only a little rest. I rose at 645 to prepare.
Observations from race day:
-Having a hot shower before running is great. I usually run in the late afternoon when Sheila gets home, but I will have to remember how much energy a shower seems to provide.
-I kept most of my pre-run routine as consistent as possible. I had a half cup of coffee. I ate a few bites of a banana, and bit of a protein bar. Typically, I want to run on an empty or close to empty stomach. I knew that I would need a bit of energy for the race, so I ate a bit. It worked out, I didn't get a stomach cramp, and I had a decent amount of energy.
-My dad drove me down to the track, with the rest of my supporters (it feels good to type that) due to arrive closer to race time. After getting my shoes on, it was nice to walk a few laps with my dad and chat, it took my mind away from the race which was a mere half hour away.
-I had my pedometer, my plan was to use it to run at a steady pace. I was shooting for a time of 50 minutes or 5 minutes per kilometer. I had run at or around that pace throughout most of my training. Without my ipod I thought maybe I would run slower. I was hoping that the competitors ahead of me and my desire to keep up would counteract this.
-I wanted to start the race near the front of the pack. Too close to the back and I would be stuck weaving through people. If I was too close to the front though, having numerous people run by me would probably be demoralising. I just moved onto the track, and people kind of filled in around me. The race organisers counted us down, and we were off.
-We circled half of the track, then left the stadium to begin running the roads of Prince George. I quickly realised that my pedometer had reset, and was currently counting miles and not kilometers. Not a big deal, I still had a timer, but I would now rely on feel and instinct to pace myself.
-One lady ran past me as we left the stadium, and I would soon realise how much I didn't want this to happen during the race. I started up the hill on Massey drive, and soon had someone breathing down my neck. A lady passed me as we neared the top of the hill, but only for a few seconds. As we crested the hill I lengthened my stride and passed her back. I slowly moved away from her and for the next 3 or so kilometers I ran completely by myself. The nearest person ahead of me was probably 200 meters, and while I wasn't looking back often, I could see when I went around corners that I had a comfortable gap behind me as well. I didn't expect this. I thought it would be a tighter race, but with 122 runners of all shapes and sizes, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
-The caterpillars were out in full force to cheer us on, happily being squished underfoot as they were impossible to avoid completely.
-I'm used to running without any drinks on the road. It was nice to have 3 different drink stations along the course.
-Something that is quickly becoming "my thing" while I run, I said hello or thank you to every single person that was out on the course. There were a handful of spectators, and most of them shouted words of encouragement, or clapped. Every one of them got a "thank you" or "good morning" from me. The volunteers at the drink stations and the crosswalks who made the race possible also got "thank you" from me. It was fun and inspiring at the same time.
-While the support of strangers was nice, it was even more inspiring to have my family there to support me. About 3 km into the race as I gradually gained ground on the woman in front me we came up on one of the local schools. I noticed 3 people sitting in chairs in the parking lot, and I realised as I got closer it was Sheila and my mom and dad. They stood and cheered, I waved and hollered back at them, then got back to racing. Jasmine and Asher both hollered at me from the playground. I looked over to see Jasmine waving from the top of the jungle gym. I would see them again shortly as they jumped in their vehicles and drove by me. My sister Paulette, and Jasmine and Asher were all hollering out the windows as they drove by, with the horns going as well. We covered a few kilometers of Ospika, and I managed to get past the lady I was chasing, before setting my sights on the next runner. He was a good few hundred meters ahead, but he seemed to be slowing somewhat. We ran a short hill as we approached Massey once more, and after we crested I decided to pick up the speed considerably to get by. That might have been the most enjoyable part of the race, passing someone while giving everything I had. We rounded the corner onto 18th, and my family drove past once more, hollering and making a commotion. They stopped up ahead, snapping photos, and my Dad successfully passed me a drink. I got one more drive by as I left the CNC parking lot, and Paulette famously shouted: "GOOOOOO Matt!! You're in first place!!!!" She couldn't see anyone in front of me, and there wasn't anyone. I had a laugh and kept going.
-As I turned onto Westwood for the home stretch I looked at my timer for the first time since the first kilometer. I had run for 40 minutes. I wasn't sure how close to the finish line I was, but I had a feeling that I was running a fast race. I approached Massey and turned the corner towards the stadium. The runners from the 5 km race were coming in from a different direction, but we would all run back down Massey together. A sign was placed near the corner telling us we had 1 km to go. I knew I was running a fast time, and I felt like I had some gas left in the tank. There was a downhill portion, and I relaxed my body, allowing myself to lengthen my stride. I passed at least a dozen runners down the hill, picked the pace up a little more as we approached the track. I entered the track, and decided to leave it all out there. I sprinted the last 250 meters, passing another 5 or 6 runners. I even got a reaction from the race m.c. who couldn't help but notice this crazy man galloping across the line. As it turned out, this isn't normal and I was literally the only person who did a flat out sprint across the line. I felt great. I checked my time and I knew I had clocked in at less than 47 minutes! Sheila and Asher approached, and I got a huge hug from my son. What a feeling!
-I found out a short time later that my official time was 46 minutes and 28 seconds. I had finished 14th out of 122 runners. The 13 people who finished ahead of me were "runners". Most of them were seasoned veterans. I'm more than happy that I could be that competitive when I have only run that distance twice before in my life.
-They handed out medals to the top 3 finishers in each category. I was in the 19-49 year old male category, and I finished a respectable 6th of 22. I was 6 minutes off of the third place time, to which Sheila remarked, "well, it's only 6 minutes. I'm sure you could do that." Very supportive, but a lofty goal no doubt.
-While my time is a great accomplishment, the thing I am most proud of, is that other than 1 lady passing me in the first 200 meters, not a single person passed me during the 10 km race. At the crest of Massey when a different lady passed me for a few seconds, I set that as a goal. No one was going to overtake me as I ran. I kept my pace up and didn't feel like I had too many lulls in the race at all. Other than that brief moment, no one else came close to passing me. Proof that I can run this distance regularly, without suffering.
-Other than some pain in my left shin, which was present before the race, I feel fine today. This makes me think I didn't over do it, and maybe I am capable of doing even better.
-My mom asked me if I got the bug, and honestly, I don't know. The competitor in me wants to do this more often. And I will do it again. In fact, I plan to pull an even more ambitious double in less than 2 weeks. This time was soccer Friday night followed by a 10 km run on Sunday morning. June 14th I play soccer again, followed by a 10 km trail race the morning of June 15th. Why not keep the challenges coming?
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
The Running Man or: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love to Pain
I had laid out the yellow brick road to success 8 weeks ago. I would run three times every week, gradually increasing the distance until I was more than comfortable tackling the 10 kilometers I was to cover come race day. As we all know, the best laid plans are usually just that. I have other commitments in my life and I also battle against laziness on occasion. The latter has been overcome for the most part as I make a concerted effort to get in shape. Well, with less than a month to go until race day, I fell off the proverbial wagon. I went a total of 12 days between runs, and quite frankly I was beginning to have doubts creep in. I wasn't entirely stagnant. I still went to the pool a number of times, walked with the kids a few times, played basketball once, and lifted weights 3 or 4 times every week like I usually do. But, it's no secret that long distance running requires something different than casual exercise or weight lifting does. For me, it's more about mental fitness and strength. These two things can overcome other obstacles if they are strong enough. My slump of inactivity ended last Wednesday when I had my first soccer game with my new team "Queensway Auto World". I had a blast chasing around the pitch, getting a good run in a game for the first time in 18 months. As I relaxed with a beer after the game, gaining some positive feedback from my new mates I told myself I had nothing to worry about. I had plenty of time to get my act together and prepare to race on Sunday June 2nd.
On Wednesday night I mapped out the next 11 days in my mind. I knew I would be in rough shape Thursday after walking 5 km then playing in the evening. The pace of the game was intense. These guys were all over 30 but that didn't mean much once the game got going. There was hardly a gut in sight, with both teams full of fit guys who didn't stop running. I held my own, playing about two thirds of the game. I had a handful of decent runs, including a few that I got hit on, and sent a few solid crosses in. I was particularly proud of a ball I sent hard across the middle of the pitch while we were transitioning to offense. It wasn't something either team expected, as I sent the ball 30 yards along the ground into the path of my opposite winger who was dashing up the field. He ended up playing a give and go with one of the strikers, getting the ball back in the corner and sending it into the box. Our striker and I had both made the run, and the ball was played so either of us could have got there. The goalie was unsure of who to play, and the ball ended up falling to our striker who side footed into the onion bag. We beat the defending league champions 5-2 and all the boys were pretty excited about the 4 new guys. Our next game is Friday night, and my family should be in attendance. I am excited to show them what I can do.
So Wednesday was soccer, and that night I decided that I would get my first run in on Saturday morning. Jasmine's soccer was at noon, so I figured I could go for a nice casual run before that. I decided to keep it short, and I didn't turn the stopwatch on, wanting to just get through it. The weather was nice, and it was a pretty solid effort. Easing back into had been successful, but as soon as I got back to the house, my thoughts turned to Monday. I told myself I had to complete the full distance at least once before race day, and not wanting to do it too close to the real thing, I had chosen Monday. The mind started racing early Monday morning.
I woke up for my morning shift having fallen asleep early Sunday evening. I was fully rested for a Monday shift, something that happens very rarely. As it turned out, I would need all the energy I could muster. I work with special needs adults, and usually I have pretty relaxing job. I help the guys to accomplish daily life tasks that most would find routine. I do chores around their home as a housekeeper would. For the most part the guys are relaxed, down to earth people who don't need me to tell them how to behave. On occasion my patience is tested, and like anyone else, a bad day occurs. I was frazzled, plain and simple. For confidentiality reasons, I won't get into any of it. I thought it interesting, that the day that I planned to run further than I had in 6 years, one of the guys would have a miserable day. When someone can't speak, or communicate in any way really, you find yourself at a loss as to how to help. There were a few things to try, but I was unsuccessful. I made a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast and coffee. This was the only time during the shift when we were all able to relax. I made sure to have a relatively healthy day with my food as I knew the run was coming. Lunch consisted of a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of mushroom soup. I skipped the traditional cookie after the meal. I made it to 230, and got home with Asher about 3. I still had more than 3 hours to go before Sheila would arrive home, and I would be able to go. I checked out my fantasy baseball teams some more. I brewed some coffee. I took a shower to "wake me up". I felt lethargic, and really felt like there was no way I would actually complete the run. Around 5 I started making dinner. I was planning to have dinner ready for the time Sheila came home. She and the kids could eat, and I would go running. I baked the squash, sauteed the other vegetables, and it was ready to eat when Sheila arrived. I already had my shorts and shirt on. I greeted Sheila, and I stepped out the door. I didn't want to be tempted to eat, as this would make it impossible to run. I grabbed an energy bar on the way out to tide me over.
Random Observations From My Run:
-A few times during my run I remembered that come Sunday I would have no ipod as they are banned for insurance reasons. I never run without an ipod, and I am a little worried that this may effect my performance. Hopefully, the desire to chase down other runners and finish with a solid time will over come this.
-I have been quite happy with my newish lightweight running shoes. Unfortunately, the last few times I have put them on, they have felt uncomfortably tight. Even weirder, is that only the left shoe is noticeably uncomfortable. If I tie the shoes while sitting down, I end up tightening them to much. In the end, I tied and retied my shoes about 8 times yesterday before I finally just left them. It was a subconscious stalling tactic most likely, one more obstacle to overcome.
-I always have a smoke before I run. Judge me if you like, but I feel like cannabis enhances my mental strength, and it takes little away from me physically. When you have the amount of time inside your own head that a long run provides, all sorts fo mental hurdles can pop into that space.
-Something quite exciting took place during my run, that I shared with Sheila immediately after. I passed approximately 12 people or couples out walking on my route. Oddly, there was a number of women, by themselves, all of them with two dogs each. It seems no one has just one dog anymore. Every time I ran by, I said a big hello, and as I was having a great time, flashed a big smile that rarely left my face throughout the run. Every single time I got a greeting in return. When I passed a woman and her dogs for the second time, we said hello and laughed a little. Even as I finished the tenth kilometer, I said hello to a couple of girls and got a big one back. This really does pick up the mood while I run, I'm not entirely sure why. Sheila was impressed that not only could I still talk at the end of the run, I wasn't breathing heavily. Jasmine thought I wasn't sweating either, but as she came closer she could see that Dad was indeed glistening, having just burnt approximately 800 calories.
-Breathing techniques. It was something I wanted to work on before the big day. I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to running, and I breath with an open gaping mouth. I've heard that breathing through your nose is better, but I have never heard why exactly. I believe it keeps your breathing more relaxed, and it obviously stops you from gasping for air. I have tried at times to breath through my nose while mid-run, and it does work. The added bonus is that I have to focus my thoughts on each breath, taking my mind away from other issues such as leg pains, cramps or whatever else I might be thinking about. I didn't nose breathe once during my run yesterday, but I hope to use the technique at times on Sunday to relax and refocus.
-Short underwear is a bad idea when one is running ten kilometers. Chafing. That is all.
-Caterpillars are harmless, but pretty revolting. I spent time looking ahead during my run, paying attention to which trees would have hanging critters, and crossing streets when possible to avoid the worst ones. Of course, I only started doing this after I ran through a battlefield while rounding a corner. I didn't have a chance to see the tree in advance, and managed to get clobbered pretty good. I could feel a silky thread hanging off my arm the rest of the way. Funny thing was, in the middle of the night, while Sheila tried to get Asher back to sleep, he pointed out a caterpillar that had found a home in our bed. Sheila grabbed it a tossed it in the bathroom sink, and flushed it away with a little water. For you humanitarians out there, please don't fret about a dead caterpillar, there must be about 50 million of them in Prince George alone right now. One nice thing about having only evergreens in the yard. I heard the caterpillar story in the morning, when I asked Sheila about the still living caterpillar in the sink. Turns out the flush had missed him in the early morning and he had survived.
-I don't usually deal with a lot of soreness in my legs or feet while running. Yesterday was a different story. I had to rely on all of my mental toughness to ignore pains that at times were in my quads, my hamstrings, my calves (shin splints), my arches, and a new one, my ankles. When I was nearing the end of the run, the pains had all run their course, and I was feeling the best I had the whole run. Perhaps I could run further?
-An odd happening that I have been acutely aware of this spring is that I don't seem to have a go to style for swinging my arms. I feel like I could be doing more with my arms to build momentum. The range over which they travel is quite short. My hands always feel very awkward. Do I run with them in tight fists? Open and loose? Sometimes, I point my one finger out and extended my thumb as if I was indicating "this guy". Just another of the odd things to enter my brain while slapping the pavement.
-It is very cool to be able to check one's running posture while out on the road. If the sun is parallel to you, and you have a fence or pavement on the other side, you can see your shadow clearly. I like to check my posture this way, and it often amuses me. I run in a very straight up posture, at times it even looks like I am leaning back. I look like I am very relaxed in this stance. It makes me feel like I could put out more effort. I then remind myself that putting out as little excess energy as possible is the ideal, and likely my running style is a benefit to me. I covered 10,000 meters on my run yesterday. If I was going to say a stride is 1 meter ( I really have no clue) that means I put in 10,000 paces. Let's not mess with the posture at this point.
-I didn't let myself check my watch until I was nearing the end of the first lap. I had checked my posture a few kilometers earlier, and I was expecting to see that my pace was a little slower than it had been the last time I ran the 7 km loop. I have been just off a 5 minute pace per km all spring. Whether I run 3 km, 5 km, 7 km my pace stays pretty steady. I was happy to see that my casual posture had not led to a slower time. I was going to complete the 7 km in just over 35 minutes.
-I set my route intentionally so that I would have a few obstacles to deal with. The route is flat for the first 1.5 km, but then has a decent sized upslope. 6 or 7% grade, followed by a long 2 or 3 % grade. You are climbing for probably 500 meters. I like that this battle is early in the run, and once I complete it, I feel like the tough part is already over. I knew yesterday that the real battle would be later on. I don't have a 10 km route mapped out online, but I do have a 7 km route and a 3 km route. This means that in order to complete the full distance, I would have to pass by my house, and continue on. Remember, 7 km is the furthest I have run previously. I had a number of voices in my head telling me that it would be okay to quit. Inspired by the time I had just seen on my watch, I picked the pace up slightly and powered past the house to complete the second, shorter loop. I would be running on some of the same roads I had already gone down, and I would have no more hills to tackle.
-As I started the second loop I found myself asking the ultimate question. Do I feel any different then I did when I ran down this street the first time? I actually felt better. While obviously a little fatigued, the pain that had started almost immediately upon beginning had subsided. I laughed in my head at the thought. How many people would believe that one? No, no. Really. If you run 7 km, then continue to run, you will actually feel better than you did when you started. Yeah right, funny man.
- I rounded our corner to complete the crescent and reach home. I even managed to pick up the pace for a short end of run sprint. I checked the watch, happy enough to see that my pace had hardly fallen off. I punched the button on the ipod at 51 minutes and 22 seconds. As I sat down outside to rest for a second, the impact of my accomplishment hit me. Not only was I going to be just fine on Sunday, I am going to compete. Let's not get carried away. I won't be chesting the ribbon at the finish line. If I run the same time on Sunday, I will be competitive. If I use last year's race results as a gauge, my time would have put me in 15th out of 30 runners in the 19-49 men's division. It would have put me at 35th out of 135 runners overall for the distance. I would be more than pleased if I could come close to the 50 minute threshold, and with the competitive juices flowing, I don't see this as unrealistic.
-I felt weird last night after completing my run. I got greeted by Asher like I always do when I come through the door. Whether I have been out for an hour or a few days, he always hollers: "Daddy back!!" He then sprints to the door to bear hug me. I will never grow tired of this. I sat in bed and ate dinner. Asher and I laid down together and watched wrestling. He moved away from me and promptly fell asleep, propped up against a bunch of pillows. I went to the kitchen, mixed up some juice and proceed to go downstairs and work out. With the adrenaline going from the run, I lifted heavier than normal during my chest workout. Sheila and Jasmine had gone out the swimming pool and then the grocery store. They came home, and Sheila and I watched a movie together. Robin Williams made an obscure film a few years ago called "World's Greatest Dad", and we put it on. I had heard of it for the first time yesterday, quite surprised that Robin Williams made a movie with so little fanfare. As is usual for Sheila and I we didn't finish it, but the hour that we did see was great. I am excited to finish it tonight.
I have a busy week ahead of me, in terms of preparing myself for Sunday. Tonight, Jasmine has soccer. Tomorrow Asher and I have Strong Start, and we are going to the park. Believe me, this might be the most strenuous thing I do all week. He ran non-stop at this very same park on Saturday afternoon. I chased him for an hour, then went to work. I was spent. Wednesday we swim after school. I have a 7 km run planned for that day as well. Thursday I coach Jasmine's soccer again, as a practice is scheduled. Friday night I have soccer at 630. I was hoping to take it easy for a couple of days before the race, but soccer isn't cooperating. I am none to upset about this. I'll take it easy Saturday, or at least try to. Then it will be race day. Wish me luck!
On Wednesday night I mapped out the next 11 days in my mind. I knew I would be in rough shape Thursday after walking 5 km then playing in the evening. The pace of the game was intense. These guys were all over 30 but that didn't mean much once the game got going. There was hardly a gut in sight, with both teams full of fit guys who didn't stop running. I held my own, playing about two thirds of the game. I had a handful of decent runs, including a few that I got hit on, and sent a few solid crosses in. I was particularly proud of a ball I sent hard across the middle of the pitch while we were transitioning to offense. It wasn't something either team expected, as I sent the ball 30 yards along the ground into the path of my opposite winger who was dashing up the field. He ended up playing a give and go with one of the strikers, getting the ball back in the corner and sending it into the box. Our striker and I had both made the run, and the ball was played so either of us could have got there. The goalie was unsure of who to play, and the ball ended up falling to our striker who side footed into the onion bag. We beat the defending league champions 5-2 and all the boys were pretty excited about the 4 new guys. Our next game is Friday night, and my family should be in attendance. I am excited to show them what I can do.
So Wednesday was soccer, and that night I decided that I would get my first run in on Saturday morning. Jasmine's soccer was at noon, so I figured I could go for a nice casual run before that. I decided to keep it short, and I didn't turn the stopwatch on, wanting to just get through it. The weather was nice, and it was a pretty solid effort. Easing back into had been successful, but as soon as I got back to the house, my thoughts turned to Monday. I told myself I had to complete the full distance at least once before race day, and not wanting to do it too close to the real thing, I had chosen Monday. The mind started racing early Monday morning.
I woke up for my morning shift having fallen asleep early Sunday evening. I was fully rested for a Monday shift, something that happens very rarely. As it turned out, I would need all the energy I could muster. I work with special needs adults, and usually I have pretty relaxing job. I help the guys to accomplish daily life tasks that most would find routine. I do chores around their home as a housekeeper would. For the most part the guys are relaxed, down to earth people who don't need me to tell them how to behave. On occasion my patience is tested, and like anyone else, a bad day occurs. I was frazzled, plain and simple. For confidentiality reasons, I won't get into any of it. I thought it interesting, that the day that I planned to run further than I had in 6 years, one of the guys would have a miserable day. When someone can't speak, or communicate in any way really, you find yourself at a loss as to how to help. There were a few things to try, but I was unsuccessful. I made a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast and coffee. This was the only time during the shift when we were all able to relax. I made sure to have a relatively healthy day with my food as I knew the run was coming. Lunch consisted of a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of mushroom soup. I skipped the traditional cookie after the meal. I made it to 230, and got home with Asher about 3. I still had more than 3 hours to go before Sheila would arrive home, and I would be able to go. I checked out my fantasy baseball teams some more. I brewed some coffee. I took a shower to "wake me up". I felt lethargic, and really felt like there was no way I would actually complete the run. Around 5 I started making dinner. I was planning to have dinner ready for the time Sheila came home. She and the kids could eat, and I would go running. I baked the squash, sauteed the other vegetables, and it was ready to eat when Sheila arrived. I already had my shorts and shirt on. I greeted Sheila, and I stepped out the door. I didn't want to be tempted to eat, as this would make it impossible to run. I grabbed an energy bar on the way out to tide me over.
Random Observations From My Run:
-A few times during my run I remembered that come Sunday I would have no ipod as they are banned for insurance reasons. I never run without an ipod, and I am a little worried that this may effect my performance. Hopefully, the desire to chase down other runners and finish with a solid time will over come this.
-I have been quite happy with my newish lightweight running shoes. Unfortunately, the last few times I have put them on, they have felt uncomfortably tight. Even weirder, is that only the left shoe is noticeably uncomfortable. If I tie the shoes while sitting down, I end up tightening them to much. In the end, I tied and retied my shoes about 8 times yesterday before I finally just left them. It was a subconscious stalling tactic most likely, one more obstacle to overcome.
-I always have a smoke before I run. Judge me if you like, but I feel like cannabis enhances my mental strength, and it takes little away from me physically. When you have the amount of time inside your own head that a long run provides, all sorts fo mental hurdles can pop into that space.
-Something quite exciting took place during my run, that I shared with Sheila immediately after. I passed approximately 12 people or couples out walking on my route. Oddly, there was a number of women, by themselves, all of them with two dogs each. It seems no one has just one dog anymore. Every time I ran by, I said a big hello, and as I was having a great time, flashed a big smile that rarely left my face throughout the run. Every single time I got a greeting in return. When I passed a woman and her dogs for the second time, we said hello and laughed a little. Even as I finished the tenth kilometer, I said hello to a couple of girls and got a big one back. This really does pick up the mood while I run, I'm not entirely sure why. Sheila was impressed that not only could I still talk at the end of the run, I wasn't breathing heavily. Jasmine thought I wasn't sweating either, but as she came closer she could see that Dad was indeed glistening, having just burnt approximately 800 calories.
-Breathing techniques. It was something I wanted to work on before the big day. I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to running, and I breath with an open gaping mouth. I've heard that breathing through your nose is better, but I have never heard why exactly. I believe it keeps your breathing more relaxed, and it obviously stops you from gasping for air. I have tried at times to breath through my nose while mid-run, and it does work. The added bonus is that I have to focus my thoughts on each breath, taking my mind away from other issues such as leg pains, cramps or whatever else I might be thinking about. I didn't nose breathe once during my run yesterday, but I hope to use the technique at times on Sunday to relax and refocus.
-Short underwear is a bad idea when one is running ten kilometers. Chafing. That is all.
-Caterpillars are harmless, but pretty revolting. I spent time looking ahead during my run, paying attention to which trees would have hanging critters, and crossing streets when possible to avoid the worst ones. Of course, I only started doing this after I ran through a battlefield while rounding a corner. I didn't have a chance to see the tree in advance, and managed to get clobbered pretty good. I could feel a silky thread hanging off my arm the rest of the way. Funny thing was, in the middle of the night, while Sheila tried to get Asher back to sleep, he pointed out a caterpillar that had found a home in our bed. Sheila grabbed it a tossed it in the bathroom sink, and flushed it away with a little water. For you humanitarians out there, please don't fret about a dead caterpillar, there must be about 50 million of them in Prince George alone right now. One nice thing about having only evergreens in the yard. I heard the caterpillar story in the morning, when I asked Sheila about the still living caterpillar in the sink. Turns out the flush had missed him in the early morning and he had survived.
-I don't usually deal with a lot of soreness in my legs or feet while running. Yesterday was a different story. I had to rely on all of my mental toughness to ignore pains that at times were in my quads, my hamstrings, my calves (shin splints), my arches, and a new one, my ankles. When I was nearing the end of the run, the pains had all run their course, and I was feeling the best I had the whole run. Perhaps I could run further?
-An odd happening that I have been acutely aware of this spring is that I don't seem to have a go to style for swinging my arms. I feel like I could be doing more with my arms to build momentum. The range over which they travel is quite short. My hands always feel very awkward. Do I run with them in tight fists? Open and loose? Sometimes, I point my one finger out and extended my thumb as if I was indicating "this guy". Just another of the odd things to enter my brain while slapping the pavement.
-It is very cool to be able to check one's running posture while out on the road. If the sun is parallel to you, and you have a fence or pavement on the other side, you can see your shadow clearly. I like to check my posture this way, and it often amuses me. I run in a very straight up posture, at times it even looks like I am leaning back. I look like I am very relaxed in this stance. It makes me feel like I could put out more effort. I then remind myself that putting out as little excess energy as possible is the ideal, and likely my running style is a benefit to me. I covered 10,000 meters on my run yesterday. If I was going to say a stride is 1 meter ( I really have no clue) that means I put in 10,000 paces. Let's not mess with the posture at this point.
-I didn't let myself check my watch until I was nearing the end of the first lap. I had checked my posture a few kilometers earlier, and I was expecting to see that my pace was a little slower than it had been the last time I ran the 7 km loop. I have been just off a 5 minute pace per km all spring. Whether I run 3 km, 5 km, 7 km my pace stays pretty steady. I was happy to see that my casual posture had not led to a slower time. I was going to complete the 7 km in just over 35 minutes.
-I set my route intentionally so that I would have a few obstacles to deal with. The route is flat for the first 1.5 km, but then has a decent sized upslope. 6 or 7% grade, followed by a long 2 or 3 % grade. You are climbing for probably 500 meters. I like that this battle is early in the run, and once I complete it, I feel like the tough part is already over. I knew yesterday that the real battle would be later on. I don't have a 10 km route mapped out online, but I do have a 7 km route and a 3 km route. This means that in order to complete the full distance, I would have to pass by my house, and continue on. Remember, 7 km is the furthest I have run previously. I had a number of voices in my head telling me that it would be okay to quit. Inspired by the time I had just seen on my watch, I picked the pace up slightly and powered past the house to complete the second, shorter loop. I would be running on some of the same roads I had already gone down, and I would have no more hills to tackle.
-As I started the second loop I found myself asking the ultimate question. Do I feel any different then I did when I ran down this street the first time? I actually felt better. While obviously a little fatigued, the pain that had started almost immediately upon beginning had subsided. I laughed in my head at the thought. How many people would believe that one? No, no. Really. If you run 7 km, then continue to run, you will actually feel better than you did when you started. Yeah right, funny man.
- I rounded our corner to complete the crescent and reach home. I even managed to pick up the pace for a short end of run sprint. I checked the watch, happy enough to see that my pace had hardly fallen off. I punched the button on the ipod at 51 minutes and 22 seconds. As I sat down outside to rest for a second, the impact of my accomplishment hit me. Not only was I going to be just fine on Sunday, I am going to compete. Let's not get carried away. I won't be chesting the ribbon at the finish line. If I run the same time on Sunday, I will be competitive. If I use last year's race results as a gauge, my time would have put me in 15th out of 30 runners in the 19-49 men's division. It would have put me at 35th out of 135 runners overall for the distance. I would be more than pleased if I could come close to the 50 minute threshold, and with the competitive juices flowing, I don't see this as unrealistic.
-I felt weird last night after completing my run. I got greeted by Asher like I always do when I come through the door. Whether I have been out for an hour or a few days, he always hollers: "Daddy back!!" He then sprints to the door to bear hug me. I will never grow tired of this. I sat in bed and ate dinner. Asher and I laid down together and watched wrestling. He moved away from me and promptly fell asleep, propped up against a bunch of pillows. I went to the kitchen, mixed up some juice and proceed to go downstairs and work out. With the adrenaline going from the run, I lifted heavier than normal during my chest workout. Sheila and Jasmine had gone out the swimming pool and then the grocery store. They came home, and Sheila and I watched a movie together. Robin Williams made an obscure film a few years ago called "World's Greatest Dad", and we put it on. I had heard of it for the first time yesterday, quite surprised that Robin Williams made a movie with so little fanfare. As is usual for Sheila and I we didn't finish it, but the hour that we did see was great. I am excited to finish it tonight.
I have a busy week ahead of me, in terms of preparing myself for Sunday. Tonight, Jasmine has soccer. Tomorrow Asher and I have Strong Start, and we are going to the park. Believe me, this might be the most strenuous thing I do all week. He ran non-stop at this very same park on Saturday afternoon. I chased him for an hour, then went to work. I was spent. Wednesday we swim after school. I have a 7 km run planned for that day as well. Thursday I coach Jasmine's soccer again, as a practice is scheduled. Friday night I have soccer at 630. I was hoping to take it easy for a couple of days before the race, but soccer isn't cooperating. I am none to upset about this. I'll take it easy Saturday, or at least try to. Then it will be race day. Wish me luck!
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Life Ain't So Bad
As I sit here at the computer on this fine Sunday morning, I am deep in contemplative thought. The sun is shining brightly through the window, something I just became aware of when I pulled the string to raise the blinds. The weather man couldn't decide what today was going to be like ahead of time, waffling between sun and cloud like a toothless old woman trying to chose which of her cats she prefers. It looks nice right now, and if the weather holds for another 8 hours, Jasmine, Sheila, Asher and I will probably spend time this afternoon beautifying our yard.
Our home is quite modest, and I am not one for going overboard with yard upkeep, but I do feel a certain level of pride when it comes to the appearance of our place. In the front yard we have a small garden plot, with a lilac bush in one portion of it. We will pull the weeds, rake the leaves out and plant a few new flowers in hopes that they survive the season. Sheila loves lilacs, they were her dearly departed mother's favourite flower, so in honour of her mom, Jasmine and I planted a second lilac bush in the front yard, near the road. We made a tiny circular garden space around it, and once again this year, we will add a few annuals to this little space. The flowers were safe from the Asher man last year, but he is another year older, and somewhat more destructive. He is smart little 2 year old, so I am hoping that an explanation from Dad will stop him from pulling heads off of flowers, or squashing the plants flat. We will have to see. We also have a small plot of gardening space in the backyard. Unfortunately, its located near the high wooden fence, and is partially blocked by a tall evergreen tree so we had limited success with the vegetables last year. With a bit more forethought, and a bit more attention from Jasmine and I, maybe we can see some better results. Ever year I get a little excited about gardening, though I wouldn't call myself an avid gardener. It's kind of fun to see if you have what it takes to grow a successful garden. As it is, we are about 0 for 5, but we will give it a go again this year.
The title of today's post is in reference to this past Tuesday's Provincial Election. The line above is one of a few different coping mechanisms I have been falling back on after the election resulted in a less than desirable outcome for myself. It truly is a bizzare feeling to support a party that was ahead in the opinion polls for 2 full years prior to the election, not once in that entire time were they behind, then have them fall soundly come election day. I was nervous coming into election day for a few reasons, and most of all, it's the power of the older crowd. Old people get out and do things when they matter to them. And when it comes right down to it, if you have the support of senior citizens, you can count on that support in the same way you can count on death and taxes. I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am disappointed in the younger crowd who simply didn't turn out at the polls, and most of all I am disappointed with the state of the political world as a whole. I have lived in Prince George for more than 10 years now where the municipal government, the provincial government and most certainly the federal government all lean heavily to the right of centre. I didn't cast a ballot for any of the people currently serving as my representative, save for 1 or 2 city councillors. What I see as a significant silver lining though, is that despite the fact that I don't care for the political ideals of these people who represent me, I am lucky enough to live in one of the best countries in the world. A country where even the politicians who represent the "right" are reasonably progressive. I am not going to get carried away, the federal Conservatives are far from proactive, but due to the culture of Canada, they are forced to move away from their most extreme ideals towards a more acceptable right of centre stance. Canada's version of right is actually left in many places in the world. We are so very lucky here in Canada to have the freedoms that we do have, so for me, despite the disappointment I felt earlier this week, I am just happy to have been born in a place and time where I am free to do or say almost anything. Will the Liberal Party do and say things that I don't agree with? Sure. Will they put economics ahead of people? Sure. But, I believe that while misguided, their intention is to do good. To improve the province that we live in. Time will tell, and if their track record is indicative, I will likely by let down, but even a let down in British Columbia is better than most places in the world.
Earlier this week, I finalized my plans for the summer in regards to sports and fitness. I had signed up for summer hockey a few weeks ago, then last week I committed to playing recreational soccer. I didn't play soccer last summer because it conflicted with Jasmine's soccer schedule. I also had written off playing in the open league due to frequence of weekend games that conflict with my work schedule. Saturday, as I haphazardly coached the opening game of Jasmine's soccer season, a friend of mine approached. His daughter is on our team, and I have been a soccer teammate of his in the past. I had asked him to help me out and coach the team for the next game while I was busy. Instead of asking about his coaching gig, he isntead inquired about my interest in playing with his soccer team. My reflex reaction was negative, as I knew the obstacle of scheduling would make things difficult. Also, I knew he was playing in the "30+" division, and I am stubbornly holding onto my twenties card, at least until my birthday in October. I asked my friend about the age thing, and he thought it was okay, as I will be 30 this year. We decided to wait and see, pending the schedule. It was released the next day, and it a happy twist of fate, many of the games fall on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and I can play most of them. I was officially drafted last Wednesday and the first game is in 3 days. I have abandoned a few buddies who are set to play in the recreational league, but the chance to play a higher level of soccer is one I want to take. I didn't play soccer at all last year, and spent the season before in the recreational league. Prior to that I played 2 seasons on a very weak division 2 team. Needless to say, it is likely that my new team will be the best team I have been a part of in a long time. My friend is the reigning "Top Defender" in the league, and he is the only member of my new team that knows my game. On his word, the team signed me up. It adds a little pressure, and I am admitedly a little nervous going to the first game. My love of fitness and exercise is continuing to grow and one of the fun things that comes with it is my ability to challenge myself. I look at this as one of those opportunities to put myself out there and go for it.
I spent some time the other day figuring out which days I could book off that would allow me to have a few extra free days with Sheila and the kids. The residual effect of this is that it frees me up to play a few more soccer games that fall on weekends, and it also opened me up to add another running race to my plans. As we stand, I am going to run 5 races this season, starting in 2 weeks when I run the YMCA Road Race. Adding soccer to my summer plans, to go along with the running races and the hockey games will lead to a few interesting tests of my stamina and fitness. One such situation falls of the weekend of June 14th and 15th. I have booked the days off, and will play soccer on the Friday night at 630. The next morning at 10, I plan to participate in the "Beat the Bugs" 10 km trail run. I really like to challenge myself, but this will likely be my biggest test yet. I'll let you know if I survive, a discontinued blog and you can draw your own conclusions.
My rekindled love of sports has shown up in Asher in spades. His favorite things are his "truckies", his potato heads, and his growing collection of sports gear. He has his set of plastic mini "gicks" and his mini hockey nets. He has a handful of hockey balls, hockey pucks, 3 or 4 "buuballs", a couple "gocker" balls, a "baaball" glove and bat to go with the balls themselves, and it goes on from there. On Thursday morning after we had roused ourselves from bed we went outside to go for a walk. Asher found his glove and ball, and we got distracted. Asher handed me the bat, and before long we were all set. Asher was the pitcher, and yes, he can throw. Standing about 15 feet away from me, he was able to throw a hittable pitch time and time again. I crouched down to his size so that he didn't have to throw it high, but nonetheless I was blown away by his accuracy. When I hit the ball, I would run across the yard to the fence, and he was able to figure out the idea of tagging me out. He would laugh hysterically as he chased after me, and when he caught me he even threw in the "you're out!" for effect. I snapped a couple of pics of the little guy and his gear, then when I attempted a video, hilarity insued. I wanted to show off to Sheila just how good he can toss the ball and I start to record. I provide commentary, then realize that Asher won't have me crouching down as a hitter to provide a target. I say "throw a pitch", while standing safely off to the side with the record button down. He winds up to throw straight ahead of him, but I had obviously caused some confusion. The throw came straight at me with perfect accuracy. I jumped out of the way while hollering, shocked that it was so perfectly thrown. I will have to rethink my videography plan before attempting it again.
We went for our walk, but not without the glove and ball that he wore the whole time. Our destination was the park at Jasmine's school where we stopped to play basketball. Asher wore his glove, and he tossed the ball at me while I shot hoops. I would retrieve the ball and throw it back, kind of like a game of fetch. Asher befriended a boy who was sitting on the park bench watching us. He was about 7, and Asher went right over and sat beside him. Smiling, waving and coaxing him into playing catch with him. Asher got his wish, but after a few throws his teacher hollered at him from across the way to sit back down. As it turns out my little man got him in trouble, but I love the way that he will be friendly with just about any kid that comes along. Asher is a lot more guarded with other adults, just the way we want him to be. Asher was disappointed that his new buddy couldn't play, but he joined me with the basketball instead. He dribbles the ball by slapping it as hard as he can, then when he is bored he passes it back to me. He doesn't get upset with the fact that he can't shoot yet, even with my help. We left the park and finished our walk. Later in the morning Asher joined me in lifting weights, its pretty funny how much he enjoys being like daddy. His 2 lb rubber dumbells get lifted up over his head repeatedly while he beams proudly. That night, as if we hadn't had enough sports, Sheila, Asher and I bought a soccer ball at the store. While we waited for Wawa while she attended a play with her Guide group, Asher and I played soccer. He decided that 2 signs that were close together provided a good enough goal, and he jumped between the pipes. It's really funny, but as a goalie he actively roots for people to score on him. The ball almost dribble across the line on him, but he decided it was close enough. He let out a big cheer for me, then ran to give me a big hug. Then on his prompting we switched places. He managed to get a few past me, he is already hitting a size 5 soccer ball with his instep, something I can't get some of the 9 and 10 year olds to do. When his time comes, he will be ready. If you are one who keeps track of such things, Asher played soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, swam and lifted weights this week. And they say we are getting inactive as a society, obesity rates are soaring and all is doom and gloom. Something tells me there is hope for us yet.
While Asher won't stop playing sports, Jasmine is a little different when it comes to physical activity. She is athletic that's for sure, but she doesn't obsess over sports the way her little brother does. Jasmine enjoys playing soccer and basketball with her teams and gets a lot out of her interactions with her teammates and coaches. She wants me to be her coach, and it provides some great father/daughter time that we both have fun with. While she has been gifted with an athletic body, and she is capable of great things, her desire to practice and work to get better isn't there. She just likes playing, and that is quite alright with me. Jasmine and I found a couple sports that she likes and it seems like she will stick with them long term. She's not worried about being the best, and it's nice because she doesn't get discouraged either. Besides her 2 teams sports, Jasmine has been an avid swimmer for her entire life. She goes at least once a week, and would stay all day if she could. This spring she has been riding her bike to school every day, and this has led her to going for more leisure rides as well. Her dedication to her bike has me on the lookout for a bigger one, something I promised as long as the current one got regular use. Hopefully the growth spurt is done for a while, and this next bike will fit for a while. It will be an adults bike so lets hope it works for a few years. Speaking of getting to big, she has also outgrown her soccer cleats, that she has never worn. That's right, Sheila found a bargain at the end of last season and stored the shoes away for the spring. Jasmine put them on last week for her first game, and found them to be too small. Like, 2 sizes too small. I took her to the mall to search for new ones, then we discovered with the sizing doohickey that she is actually completely out of kids sizes. This shouldn't be a surprise, she has been borrowing her mom's size 8 shoes for a while now. She needs a 7.5 in womens shoes, and dad had to go home to reformulate a plan. The adult shoes are much pricier then the kids ones, but hopefully they fit for a while once bought. Jasmine likes her sports, and I want to keep her comfortable while she plays. In the past week Jasmine played soccer and basketball, rode her bike every day, and swam on Wednesday. I am proud of both of my kids when it comes to the active lifestyles they have.
On the arts and culture front, my reading has stalled. I have been in the middle of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers for what feels like months now. I've been busy balancing family, exercise, extra work, poker and yard work and reading has been restricted to work time. I feel like I have been enjoying the book, but if I am going to be honest with myself, not picking up the novel is a sure sign that my interest isn't quite there. Hopefully I can make some progress on it this week, and I can move on to something else soon. The movie front has also been quiet. The last few weeks at work we have been unable to attend the theatre for various reasons. The last movie I watched if I remember correctly was "42". It was well done, with sports and drama mixing nicely. I think the last movie that Sheila and I watched at home was "The Adams Family". It was mediocre, and as is typical put me to sleep. Maybe we will find time this week to cuddle up and watch one, but with soccer season underway the schedule is filling up.
I have found a few great albums that I have been playing regularly in recent weeks. Apache Indian has a style of music that is unique to him. He is a British artist of Indian ancestry who created the genre "bhangramuffin". Most, including myself aren't familiar with the "raggamuffin" genre either which is a sub-genre of dancehall or reggae music. It relies more heavily on electronic instrumentation than reggae or dancehall does, and incorporates sampling quite often. Apache Indian puts a unique twist on it, in that he provides reggae style delivery with his indian accent. His sound is quite authentic as he practiced his craft, and recorded his albums with a number of different reggae artists in Jamaica. I can't help but move when I listen to it, and it never fails to lift my mood. The other new find is a dancehall group called Culcha Candela. They are a dancehall group formed in Berlin in 2001. The founding members go by the super cool names of Johnny Strange, Lafrotino and Itchyban. What I most enjoy about these guys is their multiculturalism, which leads them to incorporate english, german, spanish and jamaican patois into their tracks. The guys have German, Polish, Colmbian, Ugandan and Korean roots (there are now 7 members), and they move away from dancehall into reggae, salsa and rock genres as well. I have been playing their one album very heavily, and will likely give the rest of the work a try soon. Allow me to provide more info on both Apache and Culcha Candela, and a couple tunes as well.
Apache Indian Wiki
Culcha Candela Wiki
Last Sunday was a very nice day. After work Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I drove to Quesnel to celebrate Mother's Day. We stopped at the municipal cemetary to visit Sheila's mom. We brought tulips, and cleaned off her headstone. Asher didn't really understand, but he was well behaved while we stayed. After a few minutes, Asher and I wandered away and let Sheila and Jasmine have some quiet time to reflect. Jasmine has some recollection of her Nana, but she was only 3 when she passed away. Sheila had a chance to shed a few tears as memories flooded over her. It was very nice that we had the chance to visit on such a special day. We then went for dinner at my parents house, and had a nice visit with my Mom and my second Mom, Anna. She is my mom's best friend, and just a wonderful kind hearted woman just like my mom. My mom always loves to see the kids, and it was great to see her so happy on her special day.
I really am quite lucky in life. I have a girlfriend and kids that love me, and I also have a very supportive extended family as well. My mom and dad as well as my sister Paulette have been seeing us regularly, and I think everyone has enjoyed the increased contact. Rather than making excuses as to why we can't get together, we have all made an effort to see each other frequently. We only live an hour apart, and it seems that excuse of distance has been cast aside in recent months and over the past year. My mom has made a few solo jaunts to stay with us, something that I know is outside of her comfort zone, but once she arrives it seems that she quite happy for having made the trip. Asher and Jasmine never fail to bring a smile to her face. My younger sister Erin lives in Montreal, but we have also made a better effort to have regular contact. She makes me very proud when I discuss all of the things she has accomplished in her short life to this point. Erin and my brother in law Adam recently sent Sheila and I a lovely note to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day and it was a nice reminder of how lucky we are to have such family. My brother Ian lives in town here, and he and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in a few months. We are all getting very excited to meet him or her, and I know Ian and Larissa will be great parents. I am happy to be alive, and I hope all of my readers feel the same way. Have a great week!
I teased you all earlier about this video, then decided I had to include it as well. Watch Asher "Roger Clemens" Prosk nearly take out his Dad! Enjoy!
Our home is quite modest, and I am not one for going overboard with yard upkeep, but I do feel a certain level of pride when it comes to the appearance of our place. In the front yard we have a small garden plot, with a lilac bush in one portion of it. We will pull the weeds, rake the leaves out and plant a few new flowers in hopes that they survive the season. Sheila loves lilacs, they were her dearly departed mother's favourite flower, so in honour of her mom, Jasmine and I planted a second lilac bush in the front yard, near the road. We made a tiny circular garden space around it, and once again this year, we will add a few annuals to this little space. The flowers were safe from the Asher man last year, but he is another year older, and somewhat more destructive. He is smart little 2 year old, so I am hoping that an explanation from Dad will stop him from pulling heads off of flowers, or squashing the plants flat. We will have to see. We also have a small plot of gardening space in the backyard. Unfortunately, its located near the high wooden fence, and is partially blocked by a tall evergreen tree so we had limited success with the vegetables last year. With a bit more forethought, and a bit more attention from Jasmine and I, maybe we can see some better results. Ever year I get a little excited about gardening, though I wouldn't call myself an avid gardener. It's kind of fun to see if you have what it takes to grow a successful garden. As it is, we are about 0 for 5, but we will give it a go again this year.
The title of today's post is in reference to this past Tuesday's Provincial Election. The line above is one of a few different coping mechanisms I have been falling back on after the election resulted in a less than desirable outcome for myself. It truly is a bizzare feeling to support a party that was ahead in the opinion polls for 2 full years prior to the election, not once in that entire time were they behind, then have them fall soundly come election day. I was nervous coming into election day for a few reasons, and most of all, it's the power of the older crowd. Old people get out and do things when they matter to them. And when it comes right down to it, if you have the support of senior citizens, you can count on that support in the same way you can count on death and taxes. I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am disappointed in the younger crowd who simply didn't turn out at the polls, and most of all I am disappointed with the state of the political world as a whole. I have lived in Prince George for more than 10 years now where the municipal government, the provincial government and most certainly the federal government all lean heavily to the right of centre. I didn't cast a ballot for any of the people currently serving as my representative, save for 1 or 2 city councillors. What I see as a significant silver lining though, is that despite the fact that I don't care for the political ideals of these people who represent me, I am lucky enough to live in one of the best countries in the world. A country where even the politicians who represent the "right" are reasonably progressive. I am not going to get carried away, the federal Conservatives are far from proactive, but due to the culture of Canada, they are forced to move away from their most extreme ideals towards a more acceptable right of centre stance. Canada's version of right is actually left in many places in the world. We are so very lucky here in Canada to have the freedoms that we do have, so for me, despite the disappointment I felt earlier this week, I am just happy to have been born in a place and time where I am free to do or say almost anything. Will the Liberal Party do and say things that I don't agree with? Sure. Will they put economics ahead of people? Sure. But, I believe that while misguided, their intention is to do good. To improve the province that we live in. Time will tell, and if their track record is indicative, I will likely by let down, but even a let down in British Columbia is better than most places in the world.
Earlier this week, I finalized my plans for the summer in regards to sports and fitness. I had signed up for summer hockey a few weeks ago, then last week I committed to playing recreational soccer. I didn't play soccer last summer because it conflicted with Jasmine's soccer schedule. I also had written off playing in the open league due to frequence of weekend games that conflict with my work schedule. Saturday, as I haphazardly coached the opening game of Jasmine's soccer season, a friend of mine approached. His daughter is on our team, and I have been a soccer teammate of his in the past. I had asked him to help me out and coach the team for the next game while I was busy. Instead of asking about his coaching gig, he isntead inquired about my interest in playing with his soccer team. My reflex reaction was negative, as I knew the obstacle of scheduling would make things difficult. Also, I knew he was playing in the "30+" division, and I am stubbornly holding onto my twenties card, at least until my birthday in October. I asked my friend about the age thing, and he thought it was okay, as I will be 30 this year. We decided to wait and see, pending the schedule. It was released the next day, and it a happy twist of fate, many of the games fall on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and I can play most of them. I was officially drafted last Wednesday and the first game is in 3 days. I have abandoned a few buddies who are set to play in the recreational league, but the chance to play a higher level of soccer is one I want to take. I didn't play soccer at all last year, and spent the season before in the recreational league. Prior to that I played 2 seasons on a very weak division 2 team. Needless to say, it is likely that my new team will be the best team I have been a part of in a long time. My friend is the reigning "Top Defender" in the league, and he is the only member of my new team that knows my game. On his word, the team signed me up. It adds a little pressure, and I am admitedly a little nervous going to the first game. My love of fitness and exercise is continuing to grow and one of the fun things that comes with it is my ability to challenge myself. I look at this as one of those opportunities to put myself out there and go for it.
I spent some time the other day figuring out which days I could book off that would allow me to have a few extra free days with Sheila and the kids. The residual effect of this is that it frees me up to play a few more soccer games that fall on weekends, and it also opened me up to add another running race to my plans. As we stand, I am going to run 5 races this season, starting in 2 weeks when I run the YMCA Road Race. Adding soccer to my summer plans, to go along with the running races and the hockey games will lead to a few interesting tests of my stamina and fitness. One such situation falls of the weekend of June 14th and 15th. I have booked the days off, and will play soccer on the Friday night at 630. The next morning at 10, I plan to participate in the "Beat the Bugs" 10 km trail run. I really like to challenge myself, but this will likely be my biggest test yet. I'll let you know if I survive, a discontinued blog and you can draw your own conclusions.
My rekindled love of sports has shown up in Asher in spades. His favorite things are his "truckies", his potato heads, and his growing collection of sports gear. He has his set of plastic mini "gicks" and his mini hockey nets. He has a handful of hockey balls, hockey pucks, 3 or 4 "buuballs", a couple "gocker" balls, a "baaball" glove and bat to go with the balls themselves, and it goes on from there. On Thursday morning after we had roused ourselves from bed we went outside to go for a walk. Asher found his glove and ball, and we got distracted. Asher handed me the bat, and before long we were all set. Asher was the pitcher, and yes, he can throw. Standing about 15 feet away from me, he was able to throw a hittable pitch time and time again. I crouched down to his size so that he didn't have to throw it high, but nonetheless I was blown away by his accuracy. When I hit the ball, I would run across the yard to the fence, and he was able to figure out the idea of tagging me out. He would laugh hysterically as he chased after me, and when he caught me he even threw in the "you're out!" for effect. I snapped a couple of pics of the little guy and his gear, then when I attempted a video, hilarity insued. I wanted to show off to Sheila just how good he can toss the ball and I start to record. I provide commentary, then realize that Asher won't have me crouching down as a hitter to provide a target. I say "throw a pitch", while standing safely off to the side with the record button down. He winds up to throw straight ahead of him, but I had obviously caused some confusion. The throw came straight at me with perfect accuracy. I jumped out of the way while hollering, shocked that it was so perfectly thrown. I will have to rethink my videography plan before attempting it again.
We went for our walk, but not without the glove and ball that he wore the whole time. Our destination was the park at Jasmine's school where we stopped to play basketball. Asher wore his glove, and he tossed the ball at me while I shot hoops. I would retrieve the ball and throw it back, kind of like a game of fetch. Asher befriended a boy who was sitting on the park bench watching us. He was about 7, and Asher went right over and sat beside him. Smiling, waving and coaxing him into playing catch with him. Asher got his wish, but after a few throws his teacher hollered at him from across the way to sit back down. As it turns out my little man got him in trouble, but I love the way that he will be friendly with just about any kid that comes along. Asher is a lot more guarded with other adults, just the way we want him to be. Asher was disappointed that his new buddy couldn't play, but he joined me with the basketball instead. He dribbles the ball by slapping it as hard as he can, then when he is bored he passes it back to me. He doesn't get upset with the fact that he can't shoot yet, even with my help. We left the park and finished our walk. Later in the morning Asher joined me in lifting weights, its pretty funny how much he enjoys being like daddy. His 2 lb rubber dumbells get lifted up over his head repeatedly while he beams proudly. That night, as if we hadn't had enough sports, Sheila, Asher and I bought a soccer ball at the store. While we waited for Wawa while she attended a play with her Guide group, Asher and I played soccer. He decided that 2 signs that were close together provided a good enough goal, and he jumped between the pipes. It's really funny, but as a goalie he actively roots for people to score on him. The ball almost dribble across the line on him, but he decided it was close enough. He let out a big cheer for me, then ran to give me a big hug. Then on his prompting we switched places. He managed to get a few past me, he is already hitting a size 5 soccer ball with his instep, something I can't get some of the 9 and 10 year olds to do. When his time comes, he will be ready. If you are one who keeps track of such things, Asher played soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, swam and lifted weights this week. And they say we are getting inactive as a society, obesity rates are soaring and all is doom and gloom. Something tells me there is hope for us yet.
While Asher won't stop playing sports, Jasmine is a little different when it comes to physical activity. She is athletic that's for sure, but she doesn't obsess over sports the way her little brother does. Jasmine enjoys playing soccer and basketball with her teams and gets a lot out of her interactions with her teammates and coaches. She wants me to be her coach, and it provides some great father/daughter time that we both have fun with. While she has been gifted with an athletic body, and she is capable of great things, her desire to practice and work to get better isn't there. She just likes playing, and that is quite alright with me. Jasmine and I found a couple sports that she likes and it seems like she will stick with them long term. She's not worried about being the best, and it's nice because she doesn't get discouraged either. Besides her 2 teams sports, Jasmine has been an avid swimmer for her entire life. She goes at least once a week, and would stay all day if she could. This spring she has been riding her bike to school every day, and this has led her to going for more leisure rides as well. Her dedication to her bike has me on the lookout for a bigger one, something I promised as long as the current one got regular use. Hopefully the growth spurt is done for a while, and this next bike will fit for a while. It will be an adults bike so lets hope it works for a few years. Speaking of getting to big, she has also outgrown her soccer cleats, that she has never worn. That's right, Sheila found a bargain at the end of last season and stored the shoes away for the spring. Jasmine put them on last week for her first game, and found them to be too small. Like, 2 sizes too small. I took her to the mall to search for new ones, then we discovered with the sizing doohickey that she is actually completely out of kids sizes. This shouldn't be a surprise, she has been borrowing her mom's size 8 shoes for a while now. She needs a 7.5 in womens shoes, and dad had to go home to reformulate a plan. The adult shoes are much pricier then the kids ones, but hopefully they fit for a while once bought. Jasmine likes her sports, and I want to keep her comfortable while she plays. In the past week Jasmine played soccer and basketball, rode her bike every day, and swam on Wednesday. I am proud of both of my kids when it comes to the active lifestyles they have.
On the arts and culture front, my reading has stalled. I have been in the middle of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers for what feels like months now. I've been busy balancing family, exercise, extra work, poker and yard work and reading has been restricted to work time. I feel like I have been enjoying the book, but if I am going to be honest with myself, not picking up the novel is a sure sign that my interest isn't quite there. Hopefully I can make some progress on it this week, and I can move on to something else soon. The movie front has also been quiet. The last few weeks at work we have been unable to attend the theatre for various reasons. The last movie I watched if I remember correctly was "42". It was well done, with sports and drama mixing nicely. I think the last movie that Sheila and I watched at home was "The Adams Family". It was mediocre, and as is typical put me to sleep. Maybe we will find time this week to cuddle up and watch one, but with soccer season underway the schedule is filling up.
I have found a few great albums that I have been playing regularly in recent weeks. Apache Indian has a style of music that is unique to him. He is a British artist of Indian ancestry who created the genre "bhangramuffin". Most, including myself aren't familiar with the "raggamuffin" genre either which is a sub-genre of dancehall or reggae music. It relies more heavily on electronic instrumentation than reggae or dancehall does, and incorporates sampling quite often. Apache Indian puts a unique twist on it, in that he provides reggae style delivery with his indian accent. His sound is quite authentic as he practiced his craft, and recorded his albums with a number of different reggae artists in Jamaica. I can't help but move when I listen to it, and it never fails to lift my mood. The other new find is a dancehall group called Culcha Candela. They are a dancehall group formed in Berlin in 2001. The founding members go by the super cool names of Johnny Strange, Lafrotino and Itchyban. What I most enjoy about these guys is their multiculturalism, which leads them to incorporate english, german, spanish and jamaican patois into their tracks. The guys have German, Polish, Colmbian, Ugandan and Korean roots (there are now 7 members), and they move away from dancehall into reggae, salsa and rock genres as well. I have been playing their one album very heavily, and will likely give the rest of the work a try soon. Allow me to provide more info on both Apache and Culcha Candela, and a couple tunes as well.
Apache Indian Wiki
Culcha Candela Wiki
Last Sunday was a very nice day. After work Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I drove to Quesnel to celebrate Mother's Day. We stopped at the municipal cemetary to visit Sheila's mom. We brought tulips, and cleaned off her headstone. Asher didn't really understand, but he was well behaved while we stayed. After a few minutes, Asher and I wandered away and let Sheila and Jasmine have some quiet time to reflect. Jasmine has some recollection of her Nana, but she was only 3 when she passed away. Sheila had a chance to shed a few tears as memories flooded over her. It was very nice that we had the chance to visit on such a special day. We then went for dinner at my parents house, and had a nice visit with my Mom and my second Mom, Anna. She is my mom's best friend, and just a wonderful kind hearted woman just like my mom. My mom always loves to see the kids, and it was great to see her so happy on her special day.
I really am quite lucky in life. I have a girlfriend and kids that love me, and I also have a very supportive extended family as well. My mom and dad as well as my sister Paulette have been seeing us regularly, and I think everyone has enjoyed the increased contact. Rather than making excuses as to why we can't get together, we have all made an effort to see each other frequently. We only live an hour apart, and it seems that excuse of distance has been cast aside in recent months and over the past year. My mom has made a few solo jaunts to stay with us, something that I know is outside of her comfort zone, but once she arrives it seems that she quite happy for having made the trip. Asher and Jasmine never fail to bring a smile to her face. My younger sister Erin lives in Montreal, but we have also made a better effort to have regular contact. She makes me very proud when I discuss all of the things she has accomplished in her short life to this point. Erin and my brother in law Adam recently sent Sheila and I a lovely note to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day and it was a nice reminder of how lucky we are to have such family. My brother Ian lives in town here, and he and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in a few months. We are all getting very excited to meet him or her, and I know Ian and Larissa will be great parents. I am happy to be alive, and I hope all of my readers feel the same way. Have a great week!
I teased you all earlier about this video, then decided I had to include it as well. Watch Asher "Roger Clemens" Prosk nearly take out his Dad! Enjoy!
Monday, 29 April 2013
This is a Blog Post
I had grand illusions of using this space to let everyone know how busy I am. The truth is, that while I may have had a fairly busy week, the real reason that I am unable to produce a longer post is that my normal blogging time, the quiet of the early morning before the guys I care for have risen for the day, will be used for more important things. Later today, we are doing our annual refresher course for Therapuetic Crisis Intervention. It is required learning, and in the case of emergency at work, is beneficial to keeping myself and the guys safe. I am lucky in that the guys I work with are general calm and jovial characters, and I have little reason to use any of the training. That doesn't mean it's not worth knowing. Having peace of mind is a nice thing for mind, body and soul. I thought I would provide a quick update on the week that was, provided my time doesn't run out.
Last weekend, just over a week ago, I struck a deal with one of my competitors to "chop" our hockey pool. Those of you who are poker players will know the term, but the "chop" is a splitting of the prize money reducing the gap between the finishing positions and reducing the variance involved. We had 10 entrants at $100 each, and then 6 of the guys put in an extra $50 for a winner takes all side pot. Both Cam and I were in the side pot and had run away from the other 8 teams. We had 9 days left in the season, and I had closed the gap from 30 points to 8 points in the 2 weeks preceeding. First place with the side pot included was scheduled to get $1000, and second was set to get $225. I offered to make a deal, and within a couple of days, I recieved a response. $600 for him, $500 for me, and we play it out for the last $125. After doing some quick math, I decided to take the offer. I then proceeded to close the gap to 3 points with a few days left, but never did get any closer. I took second, and the $500. All in all, a good result after getting dead last in the same pool last season. My best picks? They were Patrik Elias late, Jakub Voracek when everyone giggled, and Matt Moulson.
Having locked up a bit of cash in the hockey pool, I decided it was time to get back to the poker tables. I made a few visits to the Treasure Cove this past week, and while mostly uneventful, I came out in the black. 10 days ago, on Friday after work I stopped in to play. I visited with a friend while I waited for a spot to open up. When I got in to play it was a quiet game, but I immeadiately started catching cards. While most of my good luck was being wasted due to a lack of action it was a very encouraging sign to at least be hitting. My luck had been so sour that anything positive was welcomed. As we sleepily played a limp and call type of game, I found a big hand. I played Queens for a raise in early position and got just one caller. I flopped a set, with an ace on the board. I got the call. When a second club turned and I led out again, I was promptly re-raised. I shoved for the rest of my stack (~$250) and managed to win when his A6 of clubs didn't hit. I booked a solid win that night, which had me itching to return. I played a few more times this past week, and while I broke even overall, I felt like I was playing really well. My game gets rusty due to inactivity, but I also don't have a ton of time to play when I am juggling everything that life throws at me. I have a couple more weeks to play, then soccer season starts which will cut into my free time quite significantly.
Speaking of soccer, I went and picked up the gear and schedules for Jasmine's team this past Saturday. The season is set to begin in less than two weeks, and I'm getting excited. I'm coaching with the same partner I had last year, and I really enjoyed hanging out with Steve. We both had the same goal, to help our girls and the rest of the team have a lot of fun. I think we were pretty successful last season, the girls all seemed to enjoy themselves, and we also won almost every game. Most of the wins came due to hard work and effort, as the girls grinded out plenty of close games. As I looked over the new team for this year, aside from Steve's daughter, I recognized only one other name. I'm looking at this as a chance to get to know some different kids and see what I can do to help them along their soccer paths. Enjoy the game, improve your skills while you are at it, and see where it takes us. I'm anticipating the challenge greatly.
I'm still contemplating what I am going to do for summer sports myself. I feel like I should play soccer, despite my annoyance over the escalating fees. I have had a number of recent discussions with people asking me if I am going to play. I bumped into a teammate from 2 years ago at the youth soccer office, and he asked me if I was going to play. I ran into an old Quesnel acquaintance and found myself encouraging him to get back into soccer (he was damn good 20 years ago when we were kids). I got together with my hockey pool buddies, and had a couple of them talking about playing. The recreational league doesn't conflict with Jasmine's soccer so that excuse is out the window. Just do it, right?
The hockey pool buddies only get together for one reason, and it was with that in mind that we met up last night. I had to collect my cash from the regular season pool, then turned around and handed part of the money back over for the playoff pool. Only 8 entries this time, we lost 3 guys and added 1. I didn't prepare properly, and the end result was a team I don't care for. Channeling all the powers of Nostradumbass I've expertly decided that Boston will meet and defeat Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final. This will happen after they beat Pittsburgh and Vancouver respectively in the Conference Finals. With that in mind, I tried to stick to those teams for my players. The problem being that Boston is quite a low scoring team that spreads their offense around. I didn't get my hands on the top Chicago guys, and the Pittsburgh guys went very quickly. This left me with Vancouver and all their talented snipers. Of course, I didn't get them, I got the second line guys. If these boys win, we can all be shocked together. I have Dave Krejci, Marian Hossa, Henrik Sedin, Patrice Bergeron, PK Subban, Tyler Seguin, TJ Oshie, Alex Burrows, Brendan Gallagher, and Jannik Hansen. To make life more interesting, I took a bet that says Vancouver beats San Jose in the first round. Yes, I hate the Canucks. And yes, I will be stuck cheering for them to some extent as I have 3 of their players, and a sizeable bet to see them win in the first round. Go me!
I think it's fair to say that I'm addicted to this exercise thing. I know, I talk endlessly about it, but it's now reached a whole new level. If I have an unproductive day, I feel off. Having a solid cardio or weight lifting session makes me feel better for the rest of the day. It frees my mind, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. I managed to nicely fill my week with exercise, and I am pretty damn proud of myself. I totalled 10 km running, 16 km biking, 9 km walking, 4 sessions with the weights, 2 hours of yard work, 2 trips to the swimming pool and as my Dad pointed out, spent plenty of time chasing a 2 year old. I time my runs, and this week I managed a 5km run in 23:40, my second run in driving rain and gusting wind clocked in at 26:01. I would be more then happy if I could run at that pace over the full 10 km next month when I race, but I am shooting for the more realistic goal of 5 minutes per kilometer. I know there is a different feel on race day, adrenaline, other runners to keep pace with and so on, so I am going to set a realistic goal and look to out pace it. I like they way the training is going so far.
I'm currently in the middle of two books. I usually like to read one at a time, but circumstances led me to having two on the go. I will politely describe my friend as a non-reader, someone who only picks up reading material when he needs to drop the kids off at the pool. When I visited him recently in Quesnel, I was chatting his wife up about reading and the books we have been enjoying. Next thing I knew and my buddy was chiming in with a strong recommendation to read "Crazy Man's Creek" by Jack Boudreau. My friend is an outdoorsman, loving all things that involve getting out in nature. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, tree sapping (is that the right term?), and mining are all interests of his. He told me he likes to read about thing that are "real", not made up stories, and he especially likes to read about the local area. He passed along his copy of the book, and the other day I dove in. It's a fun read, and I can relate to the idea that local stories add some interest as well. Most of the stories centre on the early half of the 20th century and the initial settling of the Prince George area. Thanks Richie for the solid recommendation! I'm also reaching the climax of another book on the Modern Library list, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. It's really good so far, another work from the Southern gothic genre, with a focus on black struggles against racism and opression. It really focusses on the nature of humanity, and the power of listening to one another. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Last but not least, I found time to enjoy a few movies the past couple of weeks. I got to the theatre 10 days ago with the guys to enjoy "42". I loved it, and I think most everyone will enjoy it. Baseball is the background for a great human rights story. Harrison Ford pulls off an awesome performance as Branch Rickey the man who decided to take it upon himself to break the colour barrier in baseball. If it wasn't for him, Jackie Robinson never would have got his shot. At home, Sheila and I caught "The Adams Family", which neither of us had seen. Meh. Really, it was okay, but the unique concept could have been done better. I got a kick out of seeing Christina Ricci again, as she was and still is one of my favorite actresses. When I saw her in "Casper" as a pimply youth of 12, I fell in love. Later, she cemented my crush with a steamy performance in "Buffalo 66" when I was 15. I was smitten, what can I say? I don't care for her looks much now, but nothing will take away that teenage attraction. I also watched "UHF" starring Weird Al this week. It was odd and quirky as you might expect, but it wasn't bad. It was made 24 years ago and led to Weird Al getting zero other movie roles, so maybe it wasn't well recieved amongst those who matter in the movie industry. All in all, I enjoyed it. I also watched "The Foot Fist Way" starring Danny McBride this week. Made on a whopping $78,000 budget, McBride is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd star. Playing the lovable loser who runs a kung fu training facility, he is convinced that he is a really big deal. No one else thinks so, and hilarity ensues. I already liked McBride from his work in a "Pineapple Express", "Hot Rod", "Tropic Thunder", "Your Highness" and this just makes him even cooler. Definitely, its worth a watch.
I have saved the most important bit for last, as my younger sister is set to celebrate a birthday tomorrow. Erin turns 28 tomorrow, and as the world turns we just can't stop getting older. I remember the days clearly in my mind when I would torment her endlessly. Despite the hell I put her through my sister become an amazingly accomplished woman. She holds a B.A. from McGill, a Masters from U.B.C. and she is currently keeping busy running a Compassion Club with her boyfriend in Montreal. I am very proud of her, and often enjoy bragging about the things she has accomplished. Happy Birthday Erin! I hope you enjoy your day, and find some time to relax and celebrate.
Last weekend, just over a week ago, I struck a deal with one of my competitors to "chop" our hockey pool. Those of you who are poker players will know the term, but the "chop" is a splitting of the prize money reducing the gap between the finishing positions and reducing the variance involved. We had 10 entrants at $100 each, and then 6 of the guys put in an extra $50 for a winner takes all side pot. Both Cam and I were in the side pot and had run away from the other 8 teams. We had 9 days left in the season, and I had closed the gap from 30 points to 8 points in the 2 weeks preceeding. First place with the side pot included was scheduled to get $1000, and second was set to get $225. I offered to make a deal, and within a couple of days, I recieved a response. $600 for him, $500 for me, and we play it out for the last $125. After doing some quick math, I decided to take the offer. I then proceeded to close the gap to 3 points with a few days left, but never did get any closer. I took second, and the $500. All in all, a good result after getting dead last in the same pool last season. My best picks? They were Patrik Elias late, Jakub Voracek when everyone giggled, and Matt Moulson.
Having locked up a bit of cash in the hockey pool, I decided it was time to get back to the poker tables. I made a few visits to the Treasure Cove this past week, and while mostly uneventful, I came out in the black. 10 days ago, on Friday after work I stopped in to play. I visited with a friend while I waited for a spot to open up. When I got in to play it was a quiet game, but I immeadiately started catching cards. While most of my good luck was being wasted due to a lack of action it was a very encouraging sign to at least be hitting. My luck had been so sour that anything positive was welcomed. As we sleepily played a limp and call type of game, I found a big hand. I played Queens for a raise in early position and got just one caller. I flopped a set, with an ace on the board. I got the call. When a second club turned and I led out again, I was promptly re-raised. I shoved for the rest of my stack (~$250) and managed to win when his A6 of clubs didn't hit. I booked a solid win that night, which had me itching to return. I played a few more times this past week, and while I broke even overall, I felt like I was playing really well. My game gets rusty due to inactivity, but I also don't have a ton of time to play when I am juggling everything that life throws at me. I have a couple more weeks to play, then soccer season starts which will cut into my free time quite significantly.
Speaking of soccer, I went and picked up the gear and schedules for Jasmine's team this past Saturday. The season is set to begin in less than two weeks, and I'm getting excited. I'm coaching with the same partner I had last year, and I really enjoyed hanging out with Steve. We both had the same goal, to help our girls and the rest of the team have a lot of fun. I think we were pretty successful last season, the girls all seemed to enjoy themselves, and we also won almost every game. Most of the wins came due to hard work and effort, as the girls grinded out plenty of close games. As I looked over the new team for this year, aside from Steve's daughter, I recognized only one other name. I'm looking at this as a chance to get to know some different kids and see what I can do to help them along their soccer paths. Enjoy the game, improve your skills while you are at it, and see where it takes us. I'm anticipating the challenge greatly.
I'm still contemplating what I am going to do for summer sports myself. I feel like I should play soccer, despite my annoyance over the escalating fees. I have had a number of recent discussions with people asking me if I am going to play. I bumped into a teammate from 2 years ago at the youth soccer office, and he asked me if I was going to play. I ran into an old Quesnel acquaintance and found myself encouraging him to get back into soccer (he was damn good 20 years ago when we were kids). I got together with my hockey pool buddies, and had a couple of them talking about playing. The recreational league doesn't conflict with Jasmine's soccer so that excuse is out the window. Just do it, right?
The hockey pool buddies only get together for one reason, and it was with that in mind that we met up last night. I had to collect my cash from the regular season pool, then turned around and handed part of the money back over for the playoff pool. Only 8 entries this time, we lost 3 guys and added 1. I didn't prepare properly, and the end result was a team I don't care for. Channeling all the powers of Nostradumbass I've expertly decided that Boston will meet and defeat Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final. This will happen after they beat Pittsburgh and Vancouver respectively in the Conference Finals. With that in mind, I tried to stick to those teams for my players. The problem being that Boston is quite a low scoring team that spreads their offense around. I didn't get my hands on the top Chicago guys, and the Pittsburgh guys went very quickly. This left me with Vancouver and all their talented snipers. Of course, I didn't get them, I got the second line guys. If these boys win, we can all be shocked together. I have Dave Krejci, Marian Hossa, Henrik Sedin, Patrice Bergeron, PK Subban, Tyler Seguin, TJ Oshie, Alex Burrows, Brendan Gallagher, and Jannik Hansen. To make life more interesting, I took a bet that says Vancouver beats San Jose in the first round. Yes, I hate the Canucks. And yes, I will be stuck cheering for them to some extent as I have 3 of their players, and a sizeable bet to see them win in the first round. Go me!
I think it's fair to say that I'm addicted to this exercise thing. I know, I talk endlessly about it, but it's now reached a whole new level. If I have an unproductive day, I feel off. Having a solid cardio or weight lifting session makes me feel better for the rest of the day. It frees my mind, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. I managed to nicely fill my week with exercise, and I am pretty damn proud of myself. I totalled 10 km running, 16 km biking, 9 km walking, 4 sessions with the weights, 2 hours of yard work, 2 trips to the swimming pool and as my Dad pointed out, spent plenty of time chasing a 2 year old. I time my runs, and this week I managed a 5km run in 23:40, my second run in driving rain and gusting wind clocked in at 26:01. I would be more then happy if I could run at that pace over the full 10 km next month when I race, but I am shooting for the more realistic goal of 5 minutes per kilometer. I know there is a different feel on race day, adrenaline, other runners to keep pace with and so on, so I am going to set a realistic goal and look to out pace it. I like they way the training is going so far.
I'm currently in the middle of two books. I usually like to read one at a time, but circumstances led me to having two on the go. I will politely describe my friend as a non-reader, someone who only picks up reading material when he needs to drop the kids off at the pool. When I visited him recently in Quesnel, I was chatting his wife up about reading and the books we have been enjoying. Next thing I knew and my buddy was chiming in with a strong recommendation to read "Crazy Man's Creek" by Jack Boudreau. My friend is an outdoorsman, loving all things that involve getting out in nature. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, tree sapping (is that the right term?), and mining are all interests of his. He told me he likes to read about thing that are "real", not made up stories, and he especially likes to read about the local area. He passed along his copy of the book, and the other day I dove in. It's a fun read, and I can relate to the idea that local stories add some interest as well. Most of the stories centre on the early half of the 20th century and the initial settling of the Prince George area. Thanks Richie for the solid recommendation! I'm also reaching the climax of another book on the Modern Library list, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. It's really good so far, another work from the Southern gothic genre, with a focus on black struggles against racism and opression. It really focusses on the nature of humanity, and the power of listening to one another. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Last but not least, I found time to enjoy a few movies the past couple of weeks. I got to the theatre 10 days ago with the guys to enjoy "42". I loved it, and I think most everyone will enjoy it. Baseball is the background for a great human rights story. Harrison Ford pulls off an awesome performance as Branch Rickey the man who decided to take it upon himself to break the colour barrier in baseball. If it wasn't for him, Jackie Robinson never would have got his shot. At home, Sheila and I caught "The Adams Family", which neither of us had seen. Meh. Really, it was okay, but the unique concept could have been done better. I got a kick out of seeing Christina Ricci again, as she was and still is one of my favorite actresses. When I saw her in "Casper" as a pimply youth of 12, I fell in love. Later, she cemented my crush with a steamy performance in "Buffalo 66" when I was 15. I was smitten, what can I say? I don't care for her looks much now, but nothing will take away that teenage attraction. I also watched "UHF" starring Weird Al this week. It was odd and quirky as you might expect, but it wasn't bad. It was made 24 years ago and led to Weird Al getting zero other movie roles, so maybe it wasn't well recieved amongst those who matter in the movie industry. All in all, I enjoyed it. I also watched "The Foot Fist Way" starring Danny McBride this week. Made on a whopping $78,000 budget, McBride is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd star. Playing the lovable loser who runs a kung fu training facility, he is convinced that he is a really big deal. No one else thinks so, and hilarity ensues. I already liked McBride from his work in a "Pineapple Express", "Hot Rod", "Tropic Thunder", "Your Highness" and this just makes him even cooler. Definitely, its worth a watch.
I have saved the most important bit for last, as my younger sister is set to celebrate a birthday tomorrow. Erin turns 28 tomorrow, and as the world turns we just can't stop getting older. I remember the days clearly in my mind when I would torment her endlessly. Despite the hell I put her through my sister become an amazingly accomplished woman. She holds a B.A. from McGill, a Masters from U.B.C. and she is currently keeping busy running a Compassion Club with her boyfriend in Montreal. I am very proud of her, and often enjoy bragging about the things she has accomplished. Happy Birthday Erin! I hope you enjoy your day, and find some time to relax and celebrate.
Friday, 22 March 2013
Soccer
Sheila and I returned to Prince George this afternoon, having spent the last few days visiting in Quesnel home to my mom, dad, older sister, Sheila's dad, sister, brother-in-law, 2 nephews, 2 neices and her nanny (Grandma) as well as numerous cousins and other relatives. Sheila had been visiting with Jasmine and Asher since Saturday and I had been in Quesnel since Tuesday. While the only plans we had really made was a trip out to the ski hill, the visit turned out to be quite eventful.
After arriving at mom and pop's house Tuesday afternoon and getting greeted by Asher with a huge "DADDY!" and the corresponding hug, I recieved an invite from my dad to attend his Special Olympics soccer practice that evening as a "guest coach". My dad is heavily involved in the organization, as he runs the thing with my mom. He also wears a number of coaching hats, curling, bowling, track and field, honestly I am unsure of just how many sports he is directly or indirectly involved in. Soccer though, is his pride and joy.
My dad has coached a soccer team in one form or another for over 30 years. Before I was born he began volunteering with Quesnel Youth Soccer, and at his peak he was coaching my team, my sister's team, my brother's team and at least one rep team either mine or my brother's. As we got older and my sister and I were no longer involved in youth soccer, my dad moved on to coach the Correlieu high school team, featuring my brother. Coaching soccer in Quesnel can be a thankless job. My dad has never been in it for the accolades, or the team trophies. It's difficult because Quesnel is a small town with a small player pool. Soccer is not the most popular sport in Quesnel with the athletic kids. Hockey is king, and soccer is more like the court jester. Once in a while a particularly talented age group comes along and a trip to the provincial championships make occur, but being competitive at these events is challenging at best. My dad has been involved with the Special Olympics soccer program for 6-7 years I think. If memory serves, he started the program. The team as a whole has improved considerably, and their yearly trip to a tournament in the Lower Mainland has seen some significant successes. Last year, they did very well and managed to qualify for this year's B.C. Summer Games in the Lower Mainland.
I arrived at practice with Asher, and the athletes were already warming up. Asher got set up with Grandma on the bleachers while I joined the practice. Plenty of jogging, followed by stretching, then the real work began. There were about 16 athletes at the practice, and they make up two teams of different skill levels. It is likely a difficult task for my dad to find drills and skill development activities that all are capable of doing, and can challenge the various levels that the athletes are at. There was no easing into the practice. Everyone was asked to line up on the goal line, and we ran a series of windsprints. Many, including myself were already winded, but we moved right into a series of ball control and passing drills. I worked with a trio of guys on quickly making return passes, even tossing in some headers back to the original passer. The practice concluded with some work on delivering crossing balls while being pressured by a defender, then a short but intense 4 on 4 scrimmage. I have had the chance to see these same players play almost every year as I will referee their games whenever I get the chance. I knew that the guys were capable of playing decent soccer, but I walked off the field Tuesday mightily impressed. One of the athletes threaded a beautiful pass threw two defenders leading to a great chance to score on the mediocre goaltender (me). There was a series of passes during the scrimmage with little wasted time, as the guys tossed the ball around in an umbrella formation, leading to plenty of open space and another quality scoring chance. All of the athletes took the practice quite seriously and it was good to see. My dad has done a solid job impressing on the athletes that while the idea of playing soccer is to have fun, you are also there to be competitive, get better and to win games.
Throughout the rest of my visit, the topic of the soccer team came up a number of other times. I gave some suggestions to my dad about ways they could continue to improve in advance of the Summer Games, and while he was a little skeptical, I believe that a handful of his players could compete in the local mixed league. These guys aren't just good Special Olympics soccer players, they are good soccer players. Period.
After arriving at mom and pop's house Tuesday afternoon and getting greeted by Asher with a huge "DADDY!" and the corresponding hug, I recieved an invite from my dad to attend his Special Olympics soccer practice that evening as a "guest coach". My dad is heavily involved in the organization, as he runs the thing with my mom. He also wears a number of coaching hats, curling, bowling, track and field, honestly I am unsure of just how many sports he is directly or indirectly involved in. Soccer though, is his pride and joy.
My dad has coached a soccer team in one form or another for over 30 years. Before I was born he began volunteering with Quesnel Youth Soccer, and at his peak he was coaching my team, my sister's team, my brother's team and at least one rep team either mine or my brother's. As we got older and my sister and I were no longer involved in youth soccer, my dad moved on to coach the Correlieu high school team, featuring my brother. Coaching soccer in Quesnel can be a thankless job. My dad has never been in it for the accolades, or the team trophies. It's difficult because Quesnel is a small town with a small player pool. Soccer is not the most popular sport in Quesnel with the athletic kids. Hockey is king, and soccer is more like the court jester. Once in a while a particularly talented age group comes along and a trip to the provincial championships make occur, but being competitive at these events is challenging at best. My dad has been involved with the Special Olympics soccer program for 6-7 years I think. If memory serves, he started the program. The team as a whole has improved considerably, and their yearly trip to a tournament in the Lower Mainland has seen some significant successes. Last year, they did very well and managed to qualify for this year's B.C. Summer Games in the Lower Mainland.
I arrived at practice with Asher, and the athletes were already warming up. Asher got set up with Grandma on the bleachers while I joined the practice. Plenty of jogging, followed by stretching, then the real work began. There were about 16 athletes at the practice, and they make up two teams of different skill levels. It is likely a difficult task for my dad to find drills and skill development activities that all are capable of doing, and can challenge the various levels that the athletes are at. There was no easing into the practice. Everyone was asked to line up on the goal line, and we ran a series of windsprints. Many, including myself were already winded, but we moved right into a series of ball control and passing drills. I worked with a trio of guys on quickly making return passes, even tossing in some headers back to the original passer. The practice concluded with some work on delivering crossing balls while being pressured by a defender, then a short but intense 4 on 4 scrimmage. I have had the chance to see these same players play almost every year as I will referee their games whenever I get the chance. I knew that the guys were capable of playing decent soccer, but I walked off the field Tuesday mightily impressed. One of the athletes threaded a beautiful pass threw two defenders leading to a great chance to score on the mediocre goaltender (me). There was a series of passes during the scrimmage with little wasted time, as the guys tossed the ball around in an umbrella formation, leading to plenty of open space and another quality scoring chance. All of the athletes took the practice quite seriously and it was good to see. My dad has done a solid job impressing on the athletes that while the idea of playing soccer is to have fun, you are also there to be competitive, get better and to win games.
Throughout the rest of my visit, the topic of the soccer team came up a number of other times. I gave some suggestions to my dad about ways they could continue to improve in advance of the Summer Games, and while he was a little skeptical, I believe that a handful of his players could compete in the local mixed league. These guys aren't just good Special Olympics soccer players, they are good soccer players. Period.
Monday, 11 March 2013
What's In a Name?
The power of speech is well established in modern society. Language can be used to manipulate situations, those that possess a larger vocabulary essentially have a larger arsenal to fire with so to speak. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about this idea, that words are weapons in a sense. Specifically, how we speak to one another carries a lot of weight in the world. To narrow it down even further, my thoughts have been about names, given names, nicknames, names that we call others both derisive and endearing. Why is it that names hold so much weight and power? When a name is hurled at you, either positive or negative, you are recieving a glimpse into the person's mind. Often, insults are played off by the delivering party with cursory comments such as "I didn't mean anything by it", but in reality, the words wouldn't be in your mind to begin with if there wasn't some intent behind them. It is quite startling how frequently the topic of names comes up in every day life, in such a wide variety of contexts.
My mom and my sister were up for an overnight visit last week, and while they were here the topic of names came up a few times. My sister's name is Paulette, which I think is a very nice name. It is one that most people will have heard of, it's easy enough to spell, but when you look it up in any database's you will realize how rarely it is actually used. My mom was telling us how she always gets a kick out of Paulette's reaction to meeting other people with her name. It is infrequent, but when she goes to the hospital in Quesnel she will see the nurse there named Paulette. As mom tells the story, the woman has been there since time began, and is in her seventies. Paulette first met the other Paulette when she was a child, now she is 31 (Not to worry my sister is happy to share her age with everyone). My sister loves this lady. It may have something to do with her being very friendly and helpful as she is a nurse and they have a knack for that kind of thing, but it mostly comes down to their shared name and the common bond it seems to create. My sister has also taken to lighting up when someone has the same name as my mom. It's interesting, because this facination with names is something that my sister and I share in common. I am always curious about names, where they came from, how they are spelled and the like.
We, being Asher, my mom, my sister and I all went to meet my brother and his girlfriend at Tim Horton's to visit. My brother and his girlfriend have a baby on the way in July and the discussion turned to baby names. Not surprisingly, baby's mom (not sure she wants her name out there so I'm going to play it safe), has had some names picked out for years as many females are apt to do. She announced that if it's a girl she wants the name to be Elizabeth. I could tell Ian didn't like the name, and I provided support by agreeing, it wasn't a name that I liked. I regretted this afterwards, as I really should play no part at all in the naming of your baby Ian. I hope the two of you choose a name for your baby that you both like after having a lot of discussions about it. My obsession with names aside, once the baby arrives, the special bond between parents and baby and the overwhelming love that you will have for baby takes precedence over the name you choose. Sheila and I both feel like "Asher" suits our little guy perfectly, but I have a feeling we would say that about any name we had gone with.
At Asher's favorite place these days, the Strong Start class at Malaspina, one of his little friends goes by the name of Princess. She is just shy of 2 years old, has blonde hair, with big blue eyes, the type that seem to follow you as she observes you. She is very cute, and the name Princess just seems perfect for her. It's a unique name, and due to my curious mind, I had been wondering for weeks about it. She comes to the program with her nanny, but I didn't want to offend by asking about the origins of the name. I was signing Asher in one morning and noticed that she had been signed in as "Aaralyn/Princess". So, as we helped the kids I brought up the name thing, and as it turns out, Princess became Princess by simply acting like a Princess. Her nanny had taken to calling her that because of her demeanor and it stuck. There is nothing wrong with her given name but Princess just suits her perfectly. Normally, I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to given names, but a little girl lucky enough to have a very nice given name and a perfectly suited nickname is a lucky girl indeed.
At work the other day over coffee myself and a co-worker were discussing what led us to working in the field that we do. As it turns out, we were both the recipients of bullying and intimidation in our younger days. My co-worker is more middle-aged then I, and it seems the treatment he recieved was much harsher. From what I can see, he overcame this and became a caring, well-rounded person. This had me wondering though, perhaps my obsession with names leads back to my time being bullied in high school. I've experienced the power of name-calling first hand. While my work can be dull at times, the position of support I can provide for the guys who work with is fulfilling.
High school really is the home base of the personal name calling type of insult. It has been years since I can recall being the target of a personal attack. At University I was taken aback initially by the mostly accepting culture where those from such a wide variety of backgrounds can co-exist peacefully. The default attitude went from prejudging those who were different to more of a curiousity. When I met someone from a different background I always wanted to know more about them. Be it another culture or socio-economic background or otherwise, I didn't have a predetermined outlook on what that person would be like. Often, I wonder if I am too curious, and too open with others. Maybe to the point of being annoying. In the end, I can't do a whole lot to change that. It's the way I am.
Names are a large part of life. My focus of today's writing was largely on names of people, but all things we come across in life have been named, and often these names that things or people have been given influence the way we look at them. Whether it be the name of a band, or a television show or movie, we are likely to draw conclusions about the content or style of something based on the name that they have. Self-given names are usually less telling, but if something or someone has had a name bestowed on them by others, say Princess for instance, you are likely to get more of an idea of that person's nature or that band's style.
What ultimately prompted me to write this content was a comment a friend gave me about my previous series of posts. Having my material called boring shouldn't shock me, as people do have varying tastes. Having my content called boring publicly was a bit more surprising. While I know the comment wasn't meant as a personal attack, I initially took it that way. My blog, being that the content comes from my mind, is an extension of me in a way. My blog being insulted, felt like an attack on my person. I know that I am sensitive to "put downs", but it was very reassuring that another friend then defended my content. It goes without saying that those that are bored by this blog need not read it, but things aren't always that simple. I want people to speak their mind just as I do, even though the results may not be pleasant or heartwarming. Ultimately I want to thank both guys for being honest and truthful, not to mention that the exchange spawned another post boring, intriguing or otherwise.
My mom and my sister were up for an overnight visit last week, and while they were here the topic of names came up a few times. My sister's name is Paulette, which I think is a very nice name. It is one that most people will have heard of, it's easy enough to spell, but when you look it up in any database's you will realize how rarely it is actually used. My mom was telling us how she always gets a kick out of Paulette's reaction to meeting other people with her name. It is infrequent, but when she goes to the hospital in Quesnel she will see the nurse there named Paulette. As mom tells the story, the woman has been there since time began, and is in her seventies. Paulette first met the other Paulette when she was a child, now she is 31 (Not to worry my sister is happy to share her age with everyone). My sister loves this lady. It may have something to do with her being very friendly and helpful as she is a nurse and they have a knack for that kind of thing, but it mostly comes down to their shared name and the common bond it seems to create. My sister has also taken to lighting up when someone has the same name as my mom. It's interesting, because this facination with names is something that my sister and I share in common. I am always curious about names, where they came from, how they are spelled and the like.
We, being Asher, my mom, my sister and I all went to meet my brother and his girlfriend at Tim Horton's to visit. My brother and his girlfriend have a baby on the way in July and the discussion turned to baby names. Not surprisingly, baby's mom (not sure she wants her name out there so I'm going to play it safe), has had some names picked out for years as many females are apt to do. She announced that if it's a girl she wants the name to be Elizabeth. I could tell Ian didn't like the name, and I provided support by agreeing, it wasn't a name that I liked. I regretted this afterwards, as I really should play no part at all in the naming of your baby Ian. I hope the two of you choose a name for your baby that you both like after having a lot of discussions about it. My obsession with names aside, once the baby arrives, the special bond between parents and baby and the overwhelming love that you will have for baby takes precedence over the name you choose. Sheila and I both feel like "Asher" suits our little guy perfectly, but I have a feeling we would say that about any name we had gone with.
At Asher's favorite place these days, the Strong Start class at Malaspina, one of his little friends goes by the name of Princess. She is just shy of 2 years old, has blonde hair, with big blue eyes, the type that seem to follow you as she observes you. She is very cute, and the name Princess just seems perfect for her. It's a unique name, and due to my curious mind, I had been wondering for weeks about it. She comes to the program with her nanny, but I didn't want to offend by asking about the origins of the name. I was signing Asher in one morning and noticed that she had been signed in as "Aaralyn/Princess". So, as we helped the kids I brought up the name thing, and as it turns out, Princess became Princess by simply acting like a Princess. Her nanny had taken to calling her that because of her demeanor and it stuck. There is nothing wrong with her given name but Princess just suits her perfectly. Normally, I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to given names, but a little girl lucky enough to have a very nice given name and a perfectly suited nickname is a lucky girl indeed.
At work the other day over coffee myself and a co-worker were discussing what led us to working in the field that we do. As it turns out, we were both the recipients of bullying and intimidation in our younger days. My co-worker is more middle-aged then I, and it seems the treatment he recieved was much harsher. From what I can see, he overcame this and became a caring, well-rounded person. This had me wondering though, perhaps my obsession with names leads back to my time being bullied in high school. I've experienced the power of name-calling first hand. While my work can be dull at times, the position of support I can provide for the guys who work with is fulfilling.
High school really is the home base of the personal name calling type of insult. It has been years since I can recall being the target of a personal attack. At University I was taken aback initially by the mostly accepting culture where those from such a wide variety of backgrounds can co-exist peacefully. The default attitude went from prejudging those who were different to more of a curiousity. When I met someone from a different background I always wanted to know more about them. Be it another culture or socio-economic background or otherwise, I didn't have a predetermined outlook on what that person would be like. Often, I wonder if I am too curious, and too open with others. Maybe to the point of being annoying. In the end, I can't do a whole lot to change that. It's the way I am.
Names are a large part of life. My focus of today's writing was largely on names of people, but all things we come across in life have been named, and often these names that things or people have been given influence the way we look at them. Whether it be the name of a band, or a television show or movie, we are likely to draw conclusions about the content or style of something based on the name that they have. Self-given names are usually less telling, but if something or someone has had a name bestowed on them by others, say Princess for instance, you are likely to get more of an idea of that person's nature or that band's style.
What ultimately prompted me to write this content was a comment a friend gave me about my previous series of posts. Having my material called boring shouldn't shock me, as people do have varying tastes. Having my content called boring publicly was a bit more surprising. While I know the comment wasn't meant as a personal attack, I initially took it that way. My blog, being that the content comes from my mind, is an extension of me in a way. My blog being insulted, felt like an attack on my person. I know that I am sensitive to "put downs", but it was very reassuring that another friend then defended my content. It goes without saying that those that are bored by this blog need not read it, but things aren't always that simple. I want people to speak their mind just as I do, even though the results may not be pleasant or heartwarming. Ultimately I want to thank both guys for being honest and truthful, not to mention that the exchange spawned another post boring, intriguing or otherwise.
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