In recent months, my reading pace has slowed considerably. There were a few reasons for it that I can identify, namely my time was being stretched in more directions than it had been during the winter. When spring arrived, I ramped up the intensity of my exercise regimen. Plenty of my free time was spent running or riding my bike or lifting weights. All things that can't be done while reading. Most of my reading is done at work inbetween tasks. That time was still there, but once the calendar turned over to April, something drastically changed.
For the past two years I have co-owned a fantasy baseball team with one of my friends. I enjoy it, baseball is the best fantasy sport there is. So many numbers. Trends, situational stats, injury impacts, it is a blast trying to figure out what all the different factors mean. Our team is in year 3 now, and the league is scheduled to run perpetually. This year another buddy offered a chance to join a second league. Also a keeper league, meaning I am committed for the next handful of years, the new league might be even more competitive than the other league. It is definitely more time consuming for a number of reasons. With endless roster moves allowed, you can spend as much or as little time on your team as you want. The rosters are set on a weekly basis, so you can just log on Sunday night, make a couple moves and be done with it. Those owners doing that find themselves at the bottom of the 13 team league. Right now, I am on the edge of contention, in 5th place. I also joined a 1 year league with some other buddies, smaller entry fee, but with 12 teams involved, still worth a decent bit of money if I win. I didn't intend this to be a detailed update on my fantasy baseball teams, as I have plans to make a post on the topic in the near future. This is a book review, so let's get back to it.
For me to get into a book, and read it with a decent pace, there needs to be a flow to the story. A reason for me to keep with it, to see what happens next. If I pick the book up and read an uneventful few pages, my mind will begin to search for something else I could be doing. Often, these books are still good reads, they just take forever to get through because I am reading them 2 or 3 pages at a time. I read "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" over the course of about 2 months because it had this problem. The story did centre around an interesting character, but it too often went off on tangents with other characters that didn't capture me. The novel was drawn out over 350 pages, with a short climatic ending. Too much time spent preparing for the end, too little time spent on the end itself. I was beginning to wonder if my interest in reading was fading. Fear not. Enter Randle McMurphy.
The main character of the novel "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is different. He might the most unique character in any book I have ever read. If you took the character traits of Randle McMurphy and put them in a vaccuum, you would think villian, antagonist, bad guy through and through. But, when he is juxtaposed against Nurse Ratched, the boss of the Psych ward that McMurphy gets sent to he becomes a martyr of sorts. His frequently used and quite loud voice becomes a collective one, speaking for the patients on the ward who either don't speak themselves or didn't have the guts to do so. Nurse Ratched, called "Big Nurse" by Chief Bromden and the other patients, seemed invincible. Her cracks, so well concealed previously, are exposed with expert precision by McMurphy. The arrival of the protagonist on the ward adds life to the other patients, but as the story reaches its conclusion, it's not clear whether or not the excitement that McMurphy has brought was for the best.
Chief Bromden is the narrator of the story. His situation is unique. After experiencing considerable trauma in his younger days, much of which is chronicled in the novel through flashbacks, he is diagnosed with a handful of mental illnessess and sent to the psych ward indefinitely. He pretends that he is deaf and mute, maintaining the charade for more than 10 years by the time McMurphy arrives. After McMurphy's arrival, Bromden struggles with maintaining the ruse because he often hears shocking things coming from his mouth. Bromden has to shape his behaviours based on things he can see, and try to sort out those things that he heard. Eventually, he can stay quiet no longer, opening up to McMurphy and becoming his right hand man of sorts.
The novel is paced by McMurphy's antics, and Nurse Ratched's reaction to said antics. As far as I can gather, the theme of the novel is that while McMurphy is seemingly successful in breaking the head nurse down, he leaves a lot of collateral damage in his wake. Even McMurphy begins to unravel, but Bromden seems to be the only other patient that notices. He manages to convince the night watchman to allow a couple of women onto the ward, procuring alcohol as well. Many of the men join in on the fun, having a blast with plans to clean up before the morning staff arrives. The other men convince McMurphy that this is his best chances to escape the increasing harsh punishments that he has faced. He doesn't get away, and the men all pass out without cleaning up. When Nurse Ratched finds them all in the morning, one patient, Billy Bibbitt is still missing. He is eventually found in the spare room on a mattress with the second woman. His ever present stutter disappears as he stands up to the nurse for the first time. She sends him into her office after telling him she would call his mother. A few minutes later, they hear a horrifying scream from another nurse after she discovered Billy's body. He had slit his own throat. This leads McMurphy to attack Big Nurse in the climax to the novel. She is off work for a week because of the injuries she incurs. The ward crumbles. Many of the guys get out, signing themselves out, getting themselves transfered, etc. When Big Nurse returns, only 3 of the guys remain. She is powerless as her voice doesn't work. McMurphy is returned from the disturbed ward. He has had a lobotomy and is now in a vegetative state. The story concludes with Chief Bromden suffocating McMurphy mercifully, then escaping by using his super human strength that McMurphy helped him build up.
While I read, I knew that the end of the novel would be eventful. I wasn't sure exactly which direction it would go in. The writing of Ken Kesey is impactful and is quite a different take on the study of humanity. The Big Nurse attempted to dehumanize the men under her care. She tried to create a very mechanical atmosphere, and she seemed to have done it. Once McMurphy arrived, she began to doubt herself. The men gained confidence through McMurphy, and it turned out that you can't control people, even if they are sick and or mentally unstable. I loved the wild ride that this book took me on. It's status as a classic is widely debated, but critics be damned. I know what I like, and this, I like. Thanks Ken Kesey (R.I.P.) for bringing some excitement back to my reading
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Sheila Says Blog, So I Blog
I just finished speaking with Sheila. I mean this in the virtual sense, who actually uses a phone these days? I was chatting with her on the computer, while I relax at work, waiting to wake the guys up. She asked if I was blogging, I told her I wasn't. Why? My lame excuse was that I had nothing to share, no new news. I have no idea if it's a common occurence amongst those who blog, but lately for me, I have struggled with the concept of readership. Who wants to read the drivel I write? In the last few months, I have been making weekly updates. These updates are in a family diary style, putting down in hard copy the happenings of the previous week. I need to realize that it doesn't really matter if people are interested in what I have to share. It matters most, that I want to share it. The subject matter is family focussed, because I spend most of my time with my kids and girlfriend. When I gave it some thought after talking to Sheila, I realized the last few days have been quite busy. Maybe nothing was life-altering or impactful outside of our family, but things did happen nonetheless. I was even wise enough to take a few photos along the way.
I have been struggling with energy levels the last number of weeks. My running regimen climaxed with the race on the first weekend of June, and I haven't been able to get back on track. I have been getting very lazy about getting out of bed on my days off. Jasmine has been very mature about making sure she leaves on her bike in time to meet her friend, who she accompanies to the school. She take after her mom in the getting places on time department. Laying in bed, often half awake, Asher either joins me in bed to watch his tee-tee as he calls it, or runs around the house playing. These sleep-ins usually end by 930, but they really slow down the start to my day. I also feel guilty about leaving Asher to entertain himself. The time I am wasting lazing in bed, should be spent drinking coffee, reading the news online, updating my fantasy baseball teams and mentally preparing myself for the day ahead. All that crap still happens now, it just happens later; and I don't like it. I haven't turned into complete couch potato, but I fear the downward spiral. I want to start getting myself up by 830 every day, and to accomplish this I need to go to bed earlier. I'll let you know how that goes.
I may not be spending much time devoted entirely to exercise, but many days that I spend with Asher are filled with exercise intentional or otherwise. I had a late soccer game Wednesday night, but was up and ready to go Thursday morning. My lazy morning starts have led Asher and I to miss Strong Start quite a few times lately, but there was no way that he was going to miss out this time. It was the day of the big end of year party.
I had heard that every program in the city was invited to Fort George Park for fun and games. We arrived at the park, finding a spot 2 blocks from the park. A steady stream of snot nosers and parents/grandparents/nannies/aunties/uncles were heading towards to playground. I had underestimated how many people would be involved. I am going to guess there was ~400 children all 4 years old or younger. My son is not shy. He is very active, loves to run every where he goes. We headed straight to the playground, and I'll tell you, that was a scary experience. Asher was climbing up the fire truck structure, then heading down the slide. He did this over and over. No sweat. I got distracted, I looked up, and I couldn't see the little guy. There are a few little places on this structure where he could have gone to hide, so I circled the thing looking in all the obvious places. I did another lap, checking EVERY place. I looped around again, spotted his shirt, then realized it was another Asher-sized boy with the same shirt. Great. I'm scanning the rest of the play area the whole time. On my fifth lap of the truck, after about 60 seconds had passed, the "should I ask someone for help?" thought entered my mind. Not cool having to admit you screwed up as a Dad. The next lap my thoughts were more morbid. "This is a creep's dream right here. Mass confusion of kids, easy to snatch and go." Oh man. I think I looped the truck 9 times and about 2 minutes passed total. I found Asher on the little train adjacent to the fire truck. There was probably 20 kids swarming the train, but I spotted my guy in the fray. I picked him up, he was smiling like he does, not aware of Dad's internal panic. We left the playground area, me shell shocked, Asher not concerned as there was much more to explore. I believe that is the first time I have had that happen. Prince George is pretty quiet most of the time, and the places that a 2 year old likes to frequent aren't prone to crowds. It is now 3 days later, and it still scares me. How easily life can be turned upside down.
I had planned ahead, knowing that we would be near the water park, I packed Asher's swimming trunks. He hasn't really enjoyed the water park yet as he was too young last year. Asher was very interested, and the water provided a good reprieve for me after the scare at the playground. Asher changed into his swimming trunks then wandered his way around the perimeter of the water park. As it turns out, he was interested, but not to excited about the cold water. He patiently waited his turn for the water guns, then when he got his chance he fired away. When a bit of the water hit him though, he went running. I love that things don't really bother Asher that much. He doesn't cry over every little thing that happens like some toddlers do. It sure saves mom and dad a few headaches. After the cold blast we didn't venture back into the water again. We did take a few more trips around the outside of the park, falling at one point into some mud near the edge. Asher scraped his knee and had mud all over him, but after picking him up and washing him off with as little of the cold water as possible, he was smiling again. We had a snack, then spent half an hour chasing bubbles with Asher's teacher who was running that station. Oh the fun. Nearing nap time we decided to take off.
After eating and sleeping, Asher had a mission. He wakes up dazed usually, and it takes some kind of stimulation to get him going. Not this day. He quickly remembered what we had picked up on our way home from the Strong Start party, and we set out for the school. We hit the field and tossed the soccer ball out of the stroller. Asher and I had gone by Value Village to exchange a few things. We walked by a shelf of sports gear, and he exclaimed: "Daddy! Gocker cleats!" It was awesome to see his pure joy. He has been getting really good about using new words. Even a few weeks ago he may have hollered "Gocker!" But, getting more specific has been fun for me and Sheila. We looked and he fell in love with the first smallish pair we saw. I managed to find a smaller pair, but they were still 2 sizes too big. Soccer cleats aren't made for really tiny guys. They were cheap, so I bought them anyway. We had some fun, Asher scoring a few goals on me, then me trying to score on him. Asher is collecting a pretty impressive assortment of sports gear after we added a baseball glove and pair of soccer cleats in the last week.
After a quick dinner, Sheila, Asher, Jasmine and I headed down to the soccer fields. Jasmine had her last practice. I was less than enthused about running the practice, feeling kind of blah from getting too much sun throughout the day. Despite our lack of success, then girls on the team are committed to soccer. Nearly all of them attended the practice, and they worked pretty hard. Brady and I organized them into teams to have a scrimmage and were a little shocked to realize that most of them had no clue how to have an informal game like this. It seems that the group this year isn't fanatical about soccer, and likely most of them don't practice soccer away from the scheduled times. I can't force the love of the game on them. I don't want to overcoach them and turn them off of soccer. I do want to see them find some tangible success as it is this that keeps players interested. We ended up having a good scrimmage, I was trying to drill home the point that aggression and effort win soccer games. I hoped to see it in action on Saturday afternoon.
Friday morning saw me up nice and early once again. Asher and I got ready and walked over to Malaspina for Sports Day. His teacher had mentioned the day before that the Strong Start program was going to participate, and of course we were heading over to watch wawa in action as well. Asher had lots of fun, and he was more willing then the other toddlers to try the relay events that were set up for the primary kids. He really impressed the other parents with his lobster claws, his sack racing, his ability to throw a ring onto a mat, and to top it off, he donned gardening gloves (adult sized) and rolled the log a few feet. Most of the kids had little interest in participating, so no relays actually took place. We lasted less than an hour before we were ushered inside for a snack.
After snack we went looking for Jasmine. The events were spread throughout the field, so finding her wasn't that easy. Walking past the bouncy castle caused a 20 minute detour, and it took all of my efforts to refocus Asher back on the finding Jasmine goal. We asked a few of her friends that we saw, and finally found her. Jasmine was having fun despite how lame "Sports Day" has become. There isn't a single sport involved, but that's a rant for another day. We went back inside for circle time before going home for food and sleep once again.
Saturday morning was early again. We dropped Sheila off at the dentist and went to a few nearby garage sales. Jasmine was very nice and she gave Asher a quarter out of her little stash. As we got out of the car at one sale, he walked up the driveway holding his quarter out in front of him. He approached the crap on display and you could tell he was itching to find something to spend his money on. He saw me pick up a magazine and it back. "Oooooooohh! Baseball" He picked up the magazine. The lady hosting the sale told he he could have it. No, no. He is looking to buy I responded. Asher toodled over and handed her his shiny quarter. Jasmine found a few goodies too. She kept going on and on about the dolphin figurine she bought. "Dad, you know that these are like 10 bucks usually? How did I get so lucky?" Awesome. We went back and got mom before going to the outdoor liquidation store to pick up more gear we need for camping. We are pretty much all set now. Sheila and the kids set up the tent in the yard last night, and it will probably lead to a backyard sleepover or two this week. If Sheila can get a couple days off mid week in July maybe we will be able to test out the gear before our planned trip in August.
We found ourselves back at the soccer field for Jasmine's game. She only has a couple more games before the summer break starts. I was really hoping for a good effort from the girls, after the focus of our practice. It was nice to see that we were up against 1 of the 2 teams that we have beaten this year. It was a spirited affair with lots of the competitiveness I was hoping for. Jasmine didn't play in goal, as I wanted to go for more offense. Jasmine and a number of others played very hard despite the heat. We had a lead, but with an inexperienced goalkeeper in net the second half we fell behind. I drove home the point about competing and aggression. One or two of them understood what I meant about urgency. "Girls! The game is winding down and we are losing! Leave it all out there!" I mentioned a few times to Brady how hard one girl had been working. She may be the best player on our team, but she hasn't found a goal yet. She plays a defensive midfield style, and yesterday she was all over the place. Tons of effort, lots of stealing the ball and gaining extra possessions for her team. She understoof urgency. Their goalie played the ball in, she read the weak pass and cut it off. She strolled into the box and drove the ball into the net. We had tied it up! The referee blew his whistle less than a minute later. I was very happy for the whole team but especially this little one. She likely has no clue just how good she is. A soccer team has many different roles and many of them are thankless. She plays one of those roles, and I made sure she knew how important she is to the team after that big goal. Awesome stuff!
As I wrap this up, I am looking forward to the next few days. My sister is in town from Montreal for a visit, and it will be great to see her after work. We haven't made too many plans, but keeping the kids busy and active will be the goal. Erin will probably get a kick out of how much different Asher is from her last visit at Christmas. I will try to take plenty of pictures to share next week. For now I leave you with a few more photos from the last month or so.
I have been struggling with energy levels the last number of weeks. My running regimen climaxed with the race on the first weekend of June, and I haven't been able to get back on track. I have been getting very lazy about getting out of bed on my days off. Jasmine has been very mature about making sure she leaves on her bike in time to meet her friend, who she accompanies to the school. She take after her mom in the getting places on time department. Laying in bed, often half awake, Asher either joins me in bed to watch his tee-tee as he calls it, or runs around the house playing. These sleep-ins usually end by 930, but they really slow down the start to my day. I also feel guilty about leaving Asher to entertain himself. The time I am wasting lazing in bed, should be spent drinking coffee, reading the news online, updating my fantasy baseball teams and mentally preparing myself for the day ahead. All that crap still happens now, it just happens later; and I don't like it. I haven't turned into complete couch potato, but I fear the downward spiral. I want to start getting myself up by 830 every day, and to accomplish this I need to go to bed earlier. I'll let you know how that goes.
I may not be spending much time devoted entirely to exercise, but many days that I spend with Asher are filled with exercise intentional or otherwise. I had a late soccer game Wednesday night, but was up and ready to go Thursday morning. My lazy morning starts have led Asher and I to miss Strong Start quite a few times lately, but there was no way that he was going to miss out this time. It was the day of the big end of year party.
I had heard that every program in the city was invited to Fort George Park for fun and games. We arrived at the park, finding a spot 2 blocks from the park. A steady stream of snot nosers and parents/grandparents/nannies/aunties/uncles were heading towards to playground. I had underestimated how many people would be involved. I am going to guess there was ~400 children all 4 years old or younger. My son is not shy. He is very active, loves to run every where he goes. We headed straight to the playground, and I'll tell you, that was a scary experience. Asher was climbing up the fire truck structure, then heading down the slide. He did this over and over. No sweat. I got distracted, I looked up, and I couldn't see the little guy. There are a few little places on this structure where he could have gone to hide, so I circled the thing looking in all the obvious places. I did another lap, checking EVERY place. I looped around again, spotted his shirt, then realized it was another Asher-sized boy with the same shirt. Great. I'm scanning the rest of the play area the whole time. On my fifth lap of the truck, after about 60 seconds had passed, the "should I ask someone for help?" thought entered my mind. Not cool having to admit you screwed up as a Dad. The next lap my thoughts were more morbid. "This is a creep's dream right here. Mass confusion of kids, easy to snatch and go." Oh man. I think I looped the truck 9 times and about 2 minutes passed total. I found Asher on the little train adjacent to the fire truck. There was probably 20 kids swarming the train, but I spotted my guy in the fray. I picked him up, he was smiling like he does, not aware of Dad's internal panic. We left the playground area, me shell shocked, Asher not concerned as there was much more to explore. I believe that is the first time I have had that happen. Prince George is pretty quiet most of the time, and the places that a 2 year old likes to frequent aren't prone to crowds. It is now 3 days later, and it still scares me. How easily life can be turned upside down.
I had planned ahead, knowing that we would be near the water park, I packed Asher's swimming trunks. He hasn't really enjoyed the water park yet as he was too young last year. Asher was very interested, and the water provided a good reprieve for me after the scare at the playground. Asher changed into his swimming trunks then wandered his way around the perimeter of the water park. As it turns out, he was interested, but not to excited about the cold water. He patiently waited his turn for the water guns, then when he got his chance he fired away. When a bit of the water hit him though, he went running. I love that things don't really bother Asher that much. He doesn't cry over every little thing that happens like some toddlers do. It sure saves mom and dad a few headaches. After the cold blast we didn't venture back into the water again. We did take a few more trips around the outside of the park, falling at one point into some mud near the edge. Asher scraped his knee and had mud all over him, but after picking him up and washing him off with as little of the cold water as possible, he was smiling again. We had a snack, then spent half an hour chasing bubbles with Asher's teacher who was running that station. Oh the fun. Nearing nap time we decided to take off.
After eating and sleeping, Asher had a mission. He wakes up dazed usually, and it takes some kind of stimulation to get him going. Not this day. He quickly remembered what we had picked up on our way home from the Strong Start party, and we set out for the school. We hit the field and tossed the soccer ball out of the stroller. Asher and I had gone by Value Village to exchange a few things. We walked by a shelf of sports gear, and he exclaimed: "Daddy! Gocker cleats!" It was awesome to see his pure joy. He has been getting really good about using new words. Even a few weeks ago he may have hollered "Gocker!" But, getting more specific has been fun for me and Sheila. We looked and he fell in love with the first smallish pair we saw. I managed to find a smaller pair, but they were still 2 sizes too big. Soccer cleats aren't made for really tiny guys. They were cheap, so I bought them anyway. We had some fun, Asher scoring a few goals on me, then me trying to score on him. Asher is collecting a pretty impressive assortment of sports gear after we added a baseball glove and pair of soccer cleats in the last week.
After a quick dinner, Sheila, Asher, Jasmine and I headed down to the soccer fields. Jasmine had her last practice. I was less than enthused about running the practice, feeling kind of blah from getting too much sun throughout the day. Despite our lack of success, then girls on the team are committed to soccer. Nearly all of them attended the practice, and they worked pretty hard. Brady and I organized them into teams to have a scrimmage and were a little shocked to realize that most of them had no clue how to have an informal game like this. It seems that the group this year isn't fanatical about soccer, and likely most of them don't practice soccer away from the scheduled times. I can't force the love of the game on them. I don't want to overcoach them and turn them off of soccer. I do want to see them find some tangible success as it is this that keeps players interested. We ended up having a good scrimmage, I was trying to drill home the point that aggression and effort win soccer games. I hoped to see it in action on Saturday afternoon.
Friday morning saw me up nice and early once again. Asher and I got ready and walked over to Malaspina for Sports Day. His teacher had mentioned the day before that the Strong Start program was going to participate, and of course we were heading over to watch wawa in action as well. Asher had lots of fun, and he was more willing then the other toddlers to try the relay events that were set up for the primary kids. He really impressed the other parents with his lobster claws, his sack racing, his ability to throw a ring onto a mat, and to top it off, he donned gardening gloves (adult sized) and rolled the log a few feet. Most of the kids had little interest in participating, so no relays actually took place. We lasted less than an hour before we were ushered inside for a snack.
After snack we went looking for Jasmine. The events were spread throughout the field, so finding her wasn't that easy. Walking past the bouncy castle caused a 20 minute detour, and it took all of my efforts to refocus Asher back on the finding Jasmine goal. We asked a few of her friends that we saw, and finally found her. Jasmine was having fun despite how lame "Sports Day" has become. There isn't a single sport involved, but that's a rant for another day. We went back inside for circle time before going home for food and sleep once again.
Saturday morning was early again. We dropped Sheila off at the dentist and went to a few nearby garage sales. Jasmine was very nice and she gave Asher a quarter out of her little stash. As we got out of the car at one sale, he walked up the driveway holding his quarter out in front of him. He approached the crap on display and you could tell he was itching to find something to spend his money on. He saw me pick up a magazine and it back. "Oooooooohh! Baseball" He picked up the magazine. The lady hosting the sale told he he could have it. No, no. He is looking to buy I responded. Asher toodled over and handed her his shiny quarter. Jasmine found a few goodies too. She kept going on and on about the dolphin figurine she bought. "Dad, you know that these are like 10 bucks usually? How did I get so lucky?" Awesome. We went back and got mom before going to the outdoor liquidation store to pick up more gear we need for camping. We are pretty much all set now. Sheila and the kids set up the tent in the yard last night, and it will probably lead to a backyard sleepover or two this week. If Sheila can get a couple days off mid week in July maybe we will be able to test out the gear before our planned trip in August.
We found ourselves back at the soccer field for Jasmine's game. She only has a couple more games before the summer break starts. I was really hoping for a good effort from the girls, after the focus of our practice. It was nice to see that we were up against 1 of the 2 teams that we have beaten this year. It was a spirited affair with lots of the competitiveness I was hoping for. Jasmine didn't play in goal, as I wanted to go for more offense. Jasmine and a number of others played very hard despite the heat. We had a lead, but with an inexperienced goalkeeper in net the second half we fell behind. I drove home the point about competing and aggression. One or two of them understood what I meant about urgency. "Girls! The game is winding down and we are losing! Leave it all out there!" I mentioned a few times to Brady how hard one girl had been working. She may be the best player on our team, but she hasn't found a goal yet. She plays a defensive midfield style, and yesterday she was all over the place. Tons of effort, lots of stealing the ball and gaining extra possessions for her team. She understoof urgency. Their goalie played the ball in, she read the weak pass and cut it off. She strolled into the box and drove the ball into the net. We had tied it up! The referee blew his whistle less than a minute later. I was very happy for the whole team but especially this little one. She likely has no clue just how good she is. A soccer team has many different roles and many of them are thankless. She plays one of those roles, and I made sure she knew how important she is to the team after that big goal. Awesome stuff!
As I wrap this up, I am looking forward to the next few days. My sister is in town from Montreal for a visit, and it will be great to see her after work. We haven't made too many plans, but keeping the kids busy and active will be the goal. Erin will probably get a kick out of how much different Asher is from her last visit at Christmas. I will try to take plenty of pictures to share next week. For now I leave you with a few more photos from the last month or so.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Happy Father's Day to Me
I was going to open with a grand declaration of how great my Father's Day was. I still am, but after reflection, I was lucky enough to have a weekend, not just a day, that was an all around good time. I am lucky enough that my children both love me every day of the year. Asher being that he is 2, thinks mom and dad are the best people and the world, and not much can beat that feeling. Jasmine being that she is nearing teenage times, is a little less demonstrative with her affection. Yesterday, she put aside her teasing and her back talk and complaining. As I lay in her bed thanking her for such a nice day, I mentioned to her that she hadn't said a mean thing to me all day. She laughed a bit, a special treat to dad on his special day.
On Friday, I finally decided to get around to making some purchases that we have budgeted for long ago. Jasmine came with me as we toured Prince George in a frenzy of transactions. We stopped off and bought the family sized tent set we had been eyeing for weeks. The set included a couple of sleeping bags, a couple camping chairs, a sun shade (pointless, but free!) and a 6 man tent. Sheila's tent requirements were: big enough for all of us, tall enough to stand up in, and that was about it. If it keeps the rain and wild animals out, I guess that is just a bonus. We now have most of the things we need for a camping trip, tent, bags, chairs, cook stove, coolers, air matress. I'm still planning to pick up a lantern, an axe and maybe some fishing gear for the kids and I. We went to another store, and Jasmine decided that she had at last found her new bike. We also found a baseball glove for Asher, so he can throw his left hand instead of using Jasmine's glove. She wheeled out of the store, grinning from ear to ear. From there we visited Value Village. I don't shop at the ultimate thrift store as often as I used to, but I can still find good deals for the kids there. We handed over a bag with about 10 pairs of outgrown shoes, and the girl handed us a 30% off coupon. Well now. We escaped after finding some shoes for Asher, a shirt and toy for Jasmine, a few books for me, and a couple pairs of shorts again for me. We finally arrived home and brought all of our goodies inside. Asher loved his new running shoes, and loved that he got his very own baseball glove. Jasmine couldn't help but go for a ride right away.
Friday evening found me at the soccer pitch. Queensway Auto World were scheduled for a tough game against open division team Mr. Jake's Steakhouse. They are a team with younger, fitter guys. Talented players to say the least. They hadn't lost a game yet this year, and after Friday night, they still hadn't. It didn't help that we had very few players, only one spare, and a few of our best guys couldn't make it. Sadly, that may be our downfall this year. There is a lot of talent on the roster, but due to injuries and busy lives, we haven't all played in a game together. It may not happen going forward as the summer months will add holidays to the list of reasons why guys can't make it. I had my poorest outing of the season, but much credit goes to their team. They made us look bad. 4 goals for them, and hardly a shot for us. It was humbling.
After soccer, I went to pitch some cards at the Treasure Cove. I had made my return to poker the night before after nearly a month away. The hour and a half spent there was uneventful, but a few buddies hastily organized a game over at a friends house. In the end we had 9 of us playing a much smaller home game, that ended up being way more fun than playing at the Casino usually is. We played 25 cent/25 cent blinds with a $20 buy in. Your second buy could be $40, and we capped it at $50 for your 3rd and subsequent buys. It was a mixed game, and I don't get too many chances to play live games other than hold em. So, we started off with mostly holdem as the host's girlfriend was playing and we were being polite. I raised the button to $1, small blind who is a smart thinking player who is also wild and unpredictable went all in for $20. In the spirit of this being a small friendly game, and realizing that the $19 call was 1 raise in the casino game, I made the call with Q10 suited. I knew that my buddy was on any 2 cards at that point. I made 2 pair, my friend showed 4-2 off suit and I doubled up. The chatter was mostly friendly, I was feeling good. I proceeded to get exactly 1 more hand the rest of the night. After a raise, a call and a three bet to $5, I moved my $20 stack in with QQ9 while playing crazy pineapple. I was called by one of the other loose players. I didn't improve, but the queens were good enough. I walked out with $13 profit, but had a good time hanging with the guys outside of the casino.
On Saturday Jasmine and I went to her soccer game, and while the game didn't go our way, I was more than proud of little girl. I woke up a little late, Sheila and the kids had already gone out. Jasmine had left me a little note. She wanted me to know that she had hurt her foot really badly the night before and couldn't play. When they came home we had a chat, and she showed me her foot. It was badly bruised, she had stubbed her pinky toe, and the bruise had travelled up her foot from there. Sheila and I were able to convince her to go and try playing goal. She plays the first half of each game in net anyway, and Dad let her know how important she is to the team. Also, she had her new pair of goalie gloves to try out. She tried her best, even deciding to play out the second half. I let her know that I was proud of her effort. We ran into a hot team, and for whatever reason I couldn't convince half of the girls to run. Alas, we lost.
My mom and had come up in the morning, and had been visiting with Sheila and Asher at the house during soccer. They met up with us after soccer and we all went to Noah's Ark, Prince George's very own petting zoo. Asher had some fun meeting the animals, they mostly have different kinds of birds, sheep, goats, horses, pigs. It really is pretty cool for a small city like Prince George. Jasmine always likes going. She really enjoys the horses. They also have a number of different playgrounds, a ball pit, and a barn with a number of slides inside it. Asher was more interested in the playground then he was the animals, but we had a good time regardless. It's always nice to see my mom, and she always has fun with the kids. She spent the night and had lots of quality time with her grandchildren. Sheila made a great steak and chicken dinner that we all enjoyed.
Sunday started with work. I had Friday and Saturday off, so this was day 1 of a ridiculous 2 day work week. I used a couple of lieu days, and I'm glad I got to spend some of that time off with my family and friends. Work has been trying lately, but yesterday went off without a hitch. Nary a reminder about behaviour was needed. When I mentioned it after work to my mom, she joked that maybe that guys knew that it was Father's Day and were being nice. Most of the time the guys are very calm and relaxed, and it was good to see that things were relatively back to normal. I came home and saw my mom off, thanking her for coming to visit. Sheila had already left to Quesnel for some time with her dad. I had a few ideas in mind for me and kids. We loaded up the truck and were off.
We were hoping to get to the park in time to ride the train. It is really cool and old, and Asher hadn't been on it yet as it was out of service last year. As we got closer to the park Jasmine and I figured out that there was a Car Show going on. Then I remembered that Metis Day was also going on. We parked 3 blocks from the park, and as we walked closer signage was up for a Music Festival that was going on at the Museum in the park. It was great to see all of the people out enjoying the weather, but these factors all conspired to help us miss out on the train. Asher got to see it as it chugged around the track towards the storage shed. I promised him we would come and go for a ride next week, but what ultimately curbed his disappointment was the dozens of vehicles (he uses that word, very funny) that were still lined up in the park for the Car Show. We had missed a lot of them, but we had fun walking around checking out the ones that were still there. An older man who was showing off his car gave Asher a hat that someone had left behind. Thank You sir as dad had forgotten to put a hat or sunscreen on his son. A few minutes later we bumped into Sheila's cousin Terry and his teenage daughters. Jasmine and Asher both call him Uncle Terry, and his girls often babysit the kids. He was in the same boat as me, his girls were being all nice to him on his special day. Uncle Terry spoiled the kids with mini donuts and ice cream bars, Asher was very cute picking out a popsicle. Jasmine helped him choose to Spiderman one, which mostly just melted all over his hands and face. We visited a bit more, thanked Uncle for the treats, then were on our way back to the truck.
Jasmine ran back to the truck to grab our tennis gear, while Asher and I made out way to the nearby courts. It was getting hot so I decided to take my shirt off. Monkey see, monkey do. Asher wanted his off right away. I laughed at how quickly this happened. Asher has a new favorite sport. He has his own racket, but there is no way that he can connect with the ball yet. The best part? He doesn't care. As far as he is concerned, he is playing, and having a blast doing it. He runs up to the net and throws the ball over, and this served as a good way for Jasmine and I to start a rally. He likes to hoard the balls too, only allowing Jasmine and I to have 1 at a time, while he hangs onto the other 3. A few times he crouched by the net, then ran and got the errant balls, just as a ball boy would in the pros. We had a lot of fun, and Jasmine is getting better with practice. We are able to rally a little bit and get a sweat going. The rules are modified, numerous bounces are allowed, and Jasmine thought it was funny to play the ball even after it had hit the fence. I was concern that Asher would get roasted, and we wanted to go and cool down so we decided it was time to head to the pool. Jasmine asked Asher what his favorite sport was and until yesterday the answer was always hockey. He responded with: "TENNNNNISSSSSS!!!" ( he pronounces it more like Denise with a T, very cute)
The Aquatic Centre was hosting a free swim, and I thought we had made a mistake when the parking lot was nearly empty. We went inside and I was still unsure. It turns out, everyone avoids the free swims perhaps assuming its going to be too busy. The swim was frantic as usual, Asher never wants to stay in one place for long. We got in trouble with a lady when Asher dumped a bucket of water on my head, then her toddler copied. She was trying to avoid getting water in her eyes (not sure why), and I was laughing on the inside as I watched. We moved on, Asher politely handing the bucket back to her son so he had 2 to splash her with. Asher must have been extra cute yesterday as he had a few different older ladies fawning over him. The pool visit concluded when I suggested it was time to go out for dinner. Asher got out of the pool, ran over to Wawa as I chased him and hollered: "Time a go!!! We leaving for dinnnnnnnahhhhh!!" Everyone within 30 feet heard him and got a laugh out of his super serious face that he was giving Jasmine.
We went to the Chinese Buffet to eat, we were starving, and I wasn't interested in making Asher wait to eat. He was bouncing off the walls by the time we got there. Jasmine was reminded about my buffet rule, you have to eat at least 3 plates to get your money's worth. She tried her best, and I decided she was okay with 2 plates and 2 desserts, hehe. Asher ate a couple bites, but mostly he flirted with the old lady in the next both, smiled endlessly at every staff member that walked by, and crawled under the table back and forth between the sides of the both. He ate his whole bowl of ice cream though, big surprise there. As we left he was still bouncing around, running away from me and giggling wildly. We strapped him in his seat, he ate his cookie, then fell asleep with the last of it in his hand. Jasmine and I had to look back to see him sleeping, it was hard to believe he had turned that fast.
When we got home I carried Asher in, pulled off his socks and shoes and laid him down im his bed. I pulled the blanket up over him and turned the shade down. My little boy is getting bigger everyday, but he still looks pretty small all by himself in his big boy bed. Jasmine got ready for bed and laid down without a fuss. I came to say goodnight, crawling into bed to visit for a minute. Sheila rrived home from Quesnel a little later to find Jasmine and I sound asleep in her room. What a great way to end a great day. I'm a pretty lucky guy, and it's nice to be reminding of that from time to time.
On Friday, I finally decided to get around to making some purchases that we have budgeted for long ago. Jasmine came with me as we toured Prince George in a frenzy of transactions. We stopped off and bought the family sized tent set we had been eyeing for weeks. The set included a couple of sleeping bags, a couple camping chairs, a sun shade (pointless, but free!) and a 6 man tent. Sheila's tent requirements were: big enough for all of us, tall enough to stand up in, and that was about it. If it keeps the rain and wild animals out, I guess that is just a bonus. We now have most of the things we need for a camping trip, tent, bags, chairs, cook stove, coolers, air matress. I'm still planning to pick up a lantern, an axe and maybe some fishing gear for the kids and I. We went to another store, and Jasmine decided that she had at last found her new bike. We also found a baseball glove for Asher, so he can throw his left hand instead of using Jasmine's glove. She wheeled out of the store, grinning from ear to ear. From there we visited Value Village. I don't shop at the ultimate thrift store as often as I used to, but I can still find good deals for the kids there. We handed over a bag with about 10 pairs of outgrown shoes, and the girl handed us a 30% off coupon. Well now. We escaped after finding some shoes for Asher, a shirt and toy for Jasmine, a few books for me, and a couple pairs of shorts again for me. We finally arrived home and brought all of our goodies inside. Asher loved his new running shoes, and loved that he got his very own baseball glove. Jasmine couldn't help but go for a ride right away.
Friday evening found me at the soccer pitch. Queensway Auto World were scheduled for a tough game against open division team Mr. Jake's Steakhouse. They are a team with younger, fitter guys. Talented players to say the least. They hadn't lost a game yet this year, and after Friday night, they still hadn't. It didn't help that we had very few players, only one spare, and a few of our best guys couldn't make it. Sadly, that may be our downfall this year. There is a lot of talent on the roster, but due to injuries and busy lives, we haven't all played in a game together. It may not happen going forward as the summer months will add holidays to the list of reasons why guys can't make it. I had my poorest outing of the season, but much credit goes to their team. They made us look bad. 4 goals for them, and hardly a shot for us. It was humbling.
After soccer, I went to pitch some cards at the Treasure Cove. I had made my return to poker the night before after nearly a month away. The hour and a half spent there was uneventful, but a few buddies hastily organized a game over at a friends house. In the end we had 9 of us playing a much smaller home game, that ended up being way more fun than playing at the Casino usually is. We played 25 cent/25 cent blinds with a $20 buy in. Your second buy could be $40, and we capped it at $50 for your 3rd and subsequent buys. It was a mixed game, and I don't get too many chances to play live games other than hold em. So, we started off with mostly holdem as the host's girlfriend was playing and we were being polite. I raised the button to $1, small blind who is a smart thinking player who is also wild and unpredictable went all in for $20. In the spirit of this being a small friendly game, and realizing that the $19 call was 1 raise in the casino game, I made the call with Q10 suited. I knew that my buddy was on any 2 cards at that point. I made 2 pair, my friend showed 4-2 off suit and I doubled up. The chatter was mostly friendly, I was feeling good. I proceeded to get exactly 1 more hand the rest of the night. After a raise, a call and a three bet to $5, I moved my $20 stack in with QQ9 while playing crazy pineapple. I was called by one of the other loose players. I didn't improve, but the queens were good enough. I walked out with $13 profit, but had a good time hanging with the guys outside of the casino.
On Saturday Jasmine and I went to her soccer game, and while the game didn't go our way, I was more than proud of little girl. I woke up a little late, Sheila and the kids had already gone out. Jasmine had left me a little note. She wanted me to know that she had hurt her foot really badly the night before and couldn't play. When they came home we had a chat, and she showed me her foot. It was badly bruised, she had stubbed her pinky toe, and the bruise had travelled up her foot from there. Sheila and I were able to convince her to go and try playing goal. She plays the first half of each game in net anyway, and Dad let her know how important she is to the team. Also, she had her new pair of goalie gloves to try out. She tried her best, even deciding to play out the second half. I let her know that I was proud of her effort. We ran into a hot team, and for whatever reason I couldn't convince half of the girls to run. Alas, we lost.
My mom and had come up in the morning, and had been visiting with Sheila and Asher at the house during soccer. They met up with us after soccer and we all went to Noah's Ark, Prince George's very own petting zoo. Asher had some fun meeting the animals, they mostly have different kinds of birds, sheep, goats, horses, pigs. It really is pretty cool for a small city like Prince George. Jasmine always likes going. She really enjoys the horses. They also have a number of different playgrounds, a ball pit, and a barn with a number of slides inside it. Asher was more interested in the playground then he was the animals, but we had a good time regardless. It's always nice to see my mom, and she always has fun with the kids. She spent the night and had lots of quality time with her grandchildren. Sheila made a great steak and chicken dinner that we all enjoyed.
Sunday started with work. I had Friday and Saturday off, so this was day 1 of a ridiculous 2 day work week. I used a couple of lieu days, and I'm glad I got to spend some of that time off with my family and friends. Work has been trying lately, but yesterday went off without a hitch. Nary a reminder about behaviour was needed. When I mentioned it after work to my mom, she joked that maybe that guys knew that it was Father's Day and were being nice. Most of the time the guys are very calm and relaxed, and it was good to see that things were relatively back to normal. I came home and saw my mom off, thanking her for coming to visit. Sheila had already left to Quesnel for some time with her dad. I had a few ideas in mind for me and kids. We loaded up the truck and were off.
We were hoping to get to the park in time to ride the train. It is really cool and old, and Asher hadn't been on it yet as it was out of service last year. As we got closer to the park Jasmine and I figured out that there was a Car Show going on. Then I remembered that Metis Day was also going on. We parked 3 blocks from the park, and as we walked closer signage was up for a Music Festival that was going on at the Museum in the park. It was great to see all of the people out enjoying the weather, but these factors all conspired to help us miss out on the train. Asher got to see it as it chugged around the track towards the storage shed. I promised him we would come and go for a ride next week, but what ultimately curbed his disappointment was the dozens of vehicles (he uses that word, very funny) that were still lined up in the park for the Car Show. We had missed a lot of them, but we had fun walking around checking out the ones that were still there. An older man who was showing off his car gave Asher a hat that someone had left behind. Thank You sir as dad had forgotten to put a hat or sunscreen on his son. A few minutes later we bumped into Sheila's cousin Terry and his teenage daughters. Jasmine and Asher both call him Uncle Terry, and his girls often babysit the kids. He was in the same boat as me, his girls were being all nice to him on his special day. Uncle Terry spoiled the kids with mini donuts and ice cream bars, Asher was very cute picking out a popsicle. Jasmine helped him choose to Spiderman one, which mostly just melted all over his hands and face. We visited a bit more, thanked Uncle for the treats, then were on our way back to the truck.
Jasmine ran back to the truck to grab our tennis gear, while Asher and I made out way to the nearby courts. It was getting hot so I decided to take my shirt off. Monkey see, monkey do. Asher wanted his off right away. I laughed at how quickly this happened. Asher has a new favorite sport. He has his own racket, but there is no way that he can connect with the ball yet. The best part? He doesn't care. As far as he is concerned, he is playing, and having a blast doing it. He runs up to the net and throws the ball over, and this served as a good way for Jasmine and I to start a rally. He likes to hoard the balls too, only allowing Jasmine and I to have 1 at a time, while he hangs onto the other 3. A few times he crouched by the net, then ran and got the errant balls, just as a ball boy would in the pros. We had a lot of fun, and Jasmine is getting better with practice. We are able to rally a little bit and get a sweat going. The rules are modified, numerous bounces are allowed, and Jasmine thought it was funny to play the ball even after it had hit the fence. I was concern that Asher would get roasted, and we wanted to go and cool down so we decided it was time to head to the pool. Jasmine asked Asher what his favorite sport was and until yesterday the answer was always hockey. He responded with: "TENNNNNISSSSSS!!!" ( he pronounces it more like Denise with a T, very cute)
The Aquatic Centre was hosting a free swim, and I thought we had made a mistake when the parking lot was nearly empty. We went inside and I was still unsure. It turns out, everyone avoids the free swims perhaps assuming its going to be too busy. The swim was frantic as usual, Asher never wants to stay in one place for long. We got in trouble with a lady when Asher dumped a bucket of water on my head, then her toddler copied. She was trying to avoid getting water in her eyes (not sure why), and I was laughing on the inside as I watched. We moved on, Asher politely handing the bucket back to her son so he had 2 to splash her with. Asher must have been extra cute yesterday as he had a few different older ladies fawning over him. The pool visit concluded when I suggested it was time to go out for dinner. Asher got out of the pool, ran over to Wawa as I chased him and hollered: "Time a go!!! We leaving for dinnnnnnnahhhhh!!" Everyone within 30 feet heard him and got a laugh out of his super serious face that he was giving Jasmine.
We went to the Chinese Buffet to eat, we were starving, and I wasn't interested in making Asher wait to eat. He was bouncing off the walls by the time we got there. Jasmine was reminded about my buffet rule, you have to eat at least 3 plates to get your money's worth. She tried her best, and I decided she was okay with 2 plates and 2 desserts, hehe. Asher ate a couple bites, but mostly he flirted with the old lady in the next both, smiled endlessly at every staff member that walked by, and crawled under the table back and forth between the sides of the both. He ate his whole bowl of ice cream though, big surprise there. As we left he was still bouncing around, running away from me and giggling wildly. We strapped him in his seat, he ate his cookie, then fell asleep with the last of it in his hand. Jasmine and I had to look back to see him sleeping, it was hard to believe he had turned that fast.
When we got home I carried Asher in, pulled off his socks and shoes and laid him down im his bed. I pulled the blanket up over him and turned the shade down. My little boy is getting bigger everyday, but he still looks pretty small all by himself in his big boy bed. Jasmine got ready for bed and laid down without a fuss. I came to say goodnight, crawling into bed to visit for a minute. Sheila rrived home from Quesnel a little later to find Jasmine and I sound asleep in her room. What a great way to end a great day. I'm a pretty lucky guy, and it's nice to be reminding of that from time to time.
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!
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