Somebody get me some crylenol

So for anyone who doesn't know I'm on the first day of a four day solo
motorcycle trip. More specifically I'm finishing up the first day of
said trip waiting for my dinner and finding a campsite courtesy of the
magic that is the iPhone.

Ostensibly the reason for my trip is that I want to spend four days
riding my motorcycle through the mountains, and I do. However I've
learned over the years that I do some of my best thinking while
touring on a motorcycle and after the last year and a half of my life
I need to do some serious thinking.

Over my life I've played many roles, some good and some not so much
and over the last year it's been more in the "not so much" end of the
spectrum. Over the last year I've been battling depression off and on,
and I've done a number of things, and acted in a number of ways, I
wish I hadn't. Now the easy way out would be to blame the depression
but to be honest I'm not sure that puts the cause and effect in the
right order. In part I think the depression might actually be due to
my awareness of the gap between the person I want to be and the person
I've become.

So no more!

There are a number of specific steps I need to take and I have some of
them outlined in my head. Hopefully when I post tomorrow I'll have
more of them in place and I'll be able to present something that looks
kind of like an action plan.

The one thing I will do now however is apologise. There are a number
of people my actions have hurt and you know who you are. You're people
I took for granted or treated as a convenience or simply ignored you
when it was inconvenient to do anything else and I'm very sorry for
that. You deserve to be treated better and I didn't, this isn't me
asking forgiveness it's simply me saying I'm sorry.

Till next we meet....

It's a long way to the ground

It was a little before midnight on July 13, 2007 and I was headed home for the night. It was hot, which was my excuse for throwing my leather in a saddlebag instead of across my shoulders where it belonged, I even did the same for my gloves.

I was heading up to an intersection that I'd been through a hundred times, knew the lights like I know the tick of my alarm clock and when I watched them I could tell they were going green before I got there. So I moved over into an empty lane so I could just flow through without needing to brake, the only other vehicle there was a fellow on a nice Harley, I can't recall the model but I remember it was maroon. I was distracted that night, not that it's any wonder, when one's mother dies and you're on your way home from viewing the body distracting is one of the milder mental states that you're flashing through. A sensible person would have taken a cab, asked for a ride, anything other than hopped on a motorcycle. . . not that it was a surprise to anyone who knows me that I chose the latter option.

As I got up to the intersection I glanced up at the lights again and to my surprise they were red, I snapped my fingers out for the front brake, watching the light go green as I did so. Too late, the message was sent, the fingers were moving, unfortunately they were doing so without the finesse and control they usually have with the front brake. . .

I remember the sound the front tire made as the brake locked and somewhere between that noise and the ground I remembered thinking "you're in a t-shirt dumb-ass, you can't afford to slide you have to roll!" So as I hit on my left side I snapped the left hand out and slammed the back of it into the ground to start myself rolling. All in all it was a good choice, cost me a fingernail but probably saved me from some skin grafts, and I was a little pre-occupied to notice the fingernail making it's exit so it didn't really bother me.

I tumbled a few times, all those years of Judo and Gymnastics helped, it was a pretty smooth set of rolls and a smoother transition back to my feet when I got down around 15km/h. After all, I didn't know where traffic was and I sure as hell wasn't laying in the middle of the road to find out. I got to my feet at a dead run and hung a sharp right, something wasn't right in my left ankle but the boot held it all together and I figured if I could run on it it wasn't that bad, when I felt it transition to grass instead of pavement I stopped and took a seat figuring at least I was safe from traffic.

The guy on the Harley was pretty stunned, he came over to help and when I asked for an ambulance he sheepishly told me he didn't own a cell phone, probably the only guy in the city without one. I sauntered over to my bike and picked her up off her side, I did my best not to look at the damage, that was for tomorrow. I took my cell out of the saddlebag on the left and gave it to him, a few minutes later an ambulance arrived. Nice guy, I appreciated his help.

That one cost me a little over a square meter of skin and had the doc threatening me with skin grafts, the lost fingernail was just a bonus.

The next day while swaddled in bandages and before I headed off to DJ my friend's wedding I hopped online and ordered a mesh jacket. After all, I might be crazy but I'm not stupid. . . twice.

 

Till next we meet. . .

 

Why is it okay for you?

So tonight I had a conversation with someone that I've had before, not with this individual per se but with quite a number of people over the years and I'm starting to wonder. . . why is it okay for you?

The fellow I was talking to today was asking me why i don't do more with my life. He wanted to know why I'm "wasting" my life working as a bouncer rather than doing something meaningful, rather than accomplishing something, rather than being remember, changing the world etc.

Because I don't want to.

Part of being happy in life is knowing your place in the world, it's knowing what it is the universe wants from you and accepting that and working toward that rather than fighting it because I'll tell you. . .the universe always wins.

I know my place, I'm not supposed to be rich, or famous, or loved. I'm not supposed to change the world, or make a difference, or be remembered. I'm not supposed to do anything great, or have a family, or be anyone in particular.

My life is supposed to be as one of the nameless masses. I'm supposed to live quietly, alone, without fanfare, joy, or hope and to die alone.

And I'm okay with that.

It doesn't bother me that no-one will remember my name in years to come, or that nobody will cry when I pass along. I'm fine with that. As long as I have food in my belly and a roof over my head I have no particular desire to accomplish anything, or change anything, or do anything.

The part I don't get is why this is acceptable for the vast majority of the population but everyone keeps getting on my case for it? Why is it okay for everyone else to move through the world without leaving a mark but not for me?

Seriously, mind your own damn business people.

Some people are wanted for who they are, others for what they can do.

Nobody gives two shits about me for who I am and I don't blame them. I'm a lot of things and most of them aren't particularly nice. Rather people like having me around for what I can do for them specifically the fact that I'm big and strong and take a punch well.

And I'm okay with that.

Anyway, I'll end the late night rant with that.

Till next we meet. . .

Gym and back again

Well it's been a while since I posted about the changes Im hoping to
make stick in 2010 and thus far things are going pretty well.

In terms of working out I've made every workout I've scheduled for the
last three and a half weeks so that's pretty good. I'm following Dave
Tate's 9 week basic training program that you can find over on elitefts.com
.

It's not that I can't make my own program but I thought it might be
good to do something I wouldn't normally do and this program
definitely has me doing some stuff I wouldn't typically include on my
own.

I'm still a far cry from that 1000lbs squat that I'm chasing but it
gets a little closer with every workout.

Most importantly I'm really quite enjoying working out again which
means I'll be sticking with it.

So...

Till next we meet...

Gonna Party Like It's. . . oh wait. . .

It's 2010! That means it's New Years Resolution time, I however hate NYR. After all, if something is important enough to want to change in your life why the heck are you waiting for an arbitrary day to start? Start now?

So rather than calling these resolutions I'm going to address some of the goals and changes I would like to make for an in my life for 2010. I'm just going to touch on them here and fill in details a little more in upcomming posts. . . which hopefully I'll remember to make.

Financial
Generally I suck with money, I made great strides in fixing this issue in 2009 and now hope to continue with that and build on those for 2010

Fitness
I'm powerlifting again. I tried a lot of other stuff that just didn't work for me so now it's back to something I love. Will I compete again? Well there is still that 1000lbs squat calling my name. . .

Work
In general I quite like my job, I like the places I work and the people I work with however I need to get off my ass and back into business for myself. I have a potentially lucritive one ready to go if I ever get off my butt and get it going.

That's it for now short I know but hopefully there will be more next time.

Till next we meet. . .

Four Rules

So this past weekend I was able to participate in my first NAIT motorcycle course and it was certainly an interesting experience, one which I very much enjoyed. While there were a great many things to take away from the experience I'm going to relate two of them and I hope you enjoy them.

The Four Rules of Motorcycling

1) Always look good
2) Where you look is where you go
3) If you look down you go down
4) No one looks good under a motorcycle, so being there puts you in violation of Rule 1

The Story

It was the first day of class and we were performing a braking exercise with the students, basically you would ride at the instructor who would then put a hand up indicating to you to stop and you would do so in a controlled fashion.

Ideally.

One of the fellows in class was a little enthusiasic and got a hold of too much front brake. On some bikes this wouldn't matter but he happened to be on a CBR 125 and while the bikes are small they're very agile. . . and the brakes work very well. As a result this fellow ended up coming in on his front wheel with the back wheel well up in the air. Now, had he followed Rule 2 and kept his eyes up he might well have ridden in in safety. . . if not control. However he looked down and this put him at the mercy of Rule 3 and it chose to make him it's bitch.

As a result he went down and the motorcycle not only came down on top of him but chose to whack him in the face in the process. Fortunately he was relatively uninjured in the whole process and after getting cleaned up was right back on the bike. I have to admit some admiration for a man who, his first time on a motorcycle, not only crashes but does so in a spectacular manner and gets right back on the bike.

Now I've had to drill those rules into my head as they're something I'm expected to be able to spout off to students and to reference easily and quickly so the time I took to memorize them also got me thinking about them and how they apply to life.

How many people in life actually make an effort to look where they want to go? How many people spend their lives looking down, or in so many cases backwards, rather than ahead to what's coming up?

When you ride a motorcycle the road happens fast and you damn well better be looking nice and far ahead if you want to be able to react to it. I'm thinking life is the same way and at some point I need to stop looking down (at the present) and start getting a better view of where I'd like to be and what I'd like to be doing.

Well there's my thoughts for the day.

Till next we meet. . .

Ride on

Well another riding season is upon us, if we ignore today's snowfall,
and that of course means that it's spring. With spring comes rebirth,
regrowth, and change and I appear to be a part if that.

What's happening?

Well it appears that this summer I'm going to be teaching motorcycling
for NAIT which will be a fun filled adventure. I like teaching and I
like motorcycling so I can really only see those going well together.
Plus of course I'm sure I'll find myself with a plethora of funny new
stories to tell you.

I also recently ended a two year relationship to a great girl, seems
to be a recurring thing in my world doesn't it? That has caused me to
start doing some thinking about how I handle the whole relationship
thing. Right now all I have are questions but hopefully one of these
days I'll figure out some answers to go with them.

Perhaps later I'll post some of those questions and see if any of you
can help me out.

Till next we meet...

The Lazarus blog

So it appears that for some reason I've an odd urge to start blogging again. I'm afraid however for my loyal fan that this instalment is not so much a post as it is a notification of my intent to return to this blog in an active manner again.

The next post will do it's best to bring you up to speed on my life, to let you know both where I've been and where I'm planning to go.
So stay tuned

Till next we meet...

Dungeons, Bridges, and Boats

More time today spent as a tourist, again this trip was solo.

First I went to the tower of London, this of course is an old castle with way too many buidlings attached to it to ever manage to see them all in a single day unless you've got a really high boredom threshold. Not that the place isnt' fascinating, it is, you just start to get a little immmune to the concept when every room contains something just as fascinating as the last. The biggest downside to the Tower of London is that in many areas you're not able to take pictures. . . these of course include all the most fascinating areas. I did get to see the crown jewels while I was there as well as an impressive number of graves. Plus there were weapons, armour and all sorts of interesting stuff from various eras there.

Tower of London Pics Here!

The best part was that I arrived just in time to land myself a guided tour and our tour guide was perhaps one of the most amusing people I've ever listened to. He had obviously done this a number of times and obviously loves his job, it was a real pleasure to see him at work.


Next I walked myself over to the Tower Bridge which was really fascinating. Very controversial at the time it's proven to be one of London's most recognizable landmarks and the engineering that went into it was spectacularely impressive for the time, in fact it's still working away today and I managed to get myself some video of it in operation. There's a tour you can take that gets you down into the mechanical and engine rooms and it's really quite worth it if you get the opportunity.

Tower Bridge Pics!

After the bridge I stuck with the water theme and treked over to see the HMS Belfast, it was pretty cool but I've got to admit that by now my wow factor is starting to wear out. The part that made the Belfast somewhat disappointing is that they're moving from one tour strategy to another so you really have no idea where to go. I missed out on a few sections of the ship as a result because I had no idea how to get there and the signage and the map couldn't agree and neither one seemed to be predominanlty right so I finally gave up. Still, it was worthwhile and I quite enjoyed it, plus hearing stories in the voices of the crewment who experienced them really adds to the tour.

HMS Belfast Pics!

Finally I meandered over to the British War Experience which is pretty interesting. I think it would be a lot more interesting if I could relate to it better but I'm too young and hope never to be able to relate to that sort of experience. Still, I enjoyed it though due to the lighting and the smoke they use for effect pictures are difficult and so I have very few.

What will tomorrow bring? Who knows. . .

Till next we meet. . .

Here there and Everywhere

So today I decided to do some touristing. . . I have no idea if you can turn the word tourist into a verb or not but that's never stopped me in the past and I see no reason it should now.

The first place I started was at the Museum of London, it was pretty cool. They had an exhibit on about what happened on the site before London made it's appearance two thousand odd years ago and pretty much carried it through Roman times and Medival times as well. All in all it's pretty interested and some of the amazing items that they have on display definitely make the visit worth while.

Museum of London Pics!

After that I headed over to St. Paul's Cathedral which is so absolutely amazing it should be a must see for anyone who comes to London. Unfortunately you're not allowed to take pictures inside but I will admit to snapping a few before I learned this, I also snagged some while up in the galleries overlooking London. I apparently need to do more cardio because hauling my ass up 450+ steps was killer.

St. Paul's Pics!

St. Paul's is a beautiful place and seeing all the tombs is really quite moving, realizing that you're just feet away from Admiral Lord Nelson among others is really quite something.

Finally I had some more time to kill so I headed over to the London Aquarium, it's pretty cool and really worth checking out. Petting a ray is really cool, they're kind of like aquacats. . . at least the attitude toward being petted seemed about the same. I will say too that this is the hardest attraction I have ever tried to find. There is no signage, there are no directions, you actually need to pass through unrelated businesses to get there. . . bizarre.

Well, that's about it so.

Till next we meet. . .

Big Pile of Rocks

Pictures of Stonehenge trip!

Holistic Navigation - I may not get where I'm going but I'll always get to someplace I needed to be

It's a term I first learned from reading the works of Mr. Douglas Adams, particularely his Holistic Detective Agency series. While this was the first time I had seen the idea put in print in such an eloquent format it's an idea that I have subscribed to most of my life.

As a result my plans for yesterday of viewing St. Paul's cathedral and the London Museum were easily derailed whilst eating breakfast. I was talking to a pair of fellow hostel dwellers over breakfast and asked what their plans were for the day, those two ladies indicated that they planned to head out and visit Stonehenge. . . at which point I decided that it was time for some holistic navigation and attached myself to them for the day.

We started by taking the tube to Victoria Station where we proceeded to get dumbfounded looks from the ticket clerks as we asked for bus/train tickets that would get us closes to Stonehenge. . . fortunately the kind fellow in line behind us heard our requests and decided to strike up a conversation with me and shortly we had our tickets to South Hampton! 3 hours later we arrived. . .

As it turns out the gentleman had set us on the right path but we actually needed to continue on to Salsbury so we picked up some more tickets and an hour later found ourselves in Salsbury.

the thing of it is that we arrived in Salsbury at about 2:45, having started our journey at 10 am on the tube and 11am on the first bus. You wouldn't think this to be a big concern except that there's another half hour bus to Stonehenge and the place closes at 4. With that same bus leaving right away and being the last one back.

Being of an adventurous type we headed out on the bus anyway figuring that we would find out way back one way or another. I was confident that with two attractive girls with me we would get a ride even if I had to hide while they negotiated a lift.

So we arrived at Stonehenge, ran around madly taking pictures for about 10 minutes and dove back on to the bus. The wonderful driver had fallen prey to the batted eyelids and heaving bosoms of my compatriots and decided to wait an extra 15 minutes for us so we could get a ride back to Salsbury.

Stonehenge is cool . . . big pile of rocks. . . just like in movies and pictures. . .

We proceeded to walk around Salsbury looking for dinner and discover that for some reason nobody was serving food. Apparently many places don't serve food during the fair. . . fair? Whoever heard of a fair in Salsbury? Bah!

We did finally find a place to eat then proceed to head back to London on our return tickets. 12 hours after we first climbed on a bus we arrived back at our hostel, somewhat tired but glad we made the trip. I was thrilled to have made two new friends, one of which is Canadian and the other an Ausy. I'm meeting up with the Ausy again when I hit Scotland so that should be fun!

Today?

I'm moving to yesterday's plan of St. Paul's and the Museum. I'll try to upload some pics to facebook later too.

Till next we meet. . .

And we'll have some fun in the Underground

Well, I'm in London!

The flight was exactly what you would expect, that is to say I found myself trapped in a seat that was slightly too small for a 12 year old for about 8 hours. Really it was okay, the food was strangely tolerable and I didn't even bother with the in-flight movie. Rather I read, and slept as well as I can in a strange environment surrounded by people I don't know. Apparently I didn't snore. . . or I didn't snore sufficiently to overcome my fellow passanger's fear of waking me.

Upon arriving I picked up my bag, which had come around just as I got the carosel which was a strange and slightly unnerving occurance. Having arrived with such fortuitous timing I was expecting to find that not only had my bag been searched but that it had been raped and pillaged as well. . . strangely not.

I managed to make my way on the underground with great success and reached my hostel with no problems at all. This one was less luck and more advanced planning, in choosing my hostel I had intentionally picked one that was a direct ride on the underground from the airport and in fact is directly across the street from Hammersmith station, most convenient.

I did also score myself a pay as you go phone with a local number so if anyone would like that number either call or facebook me for it. It costs me a bit thought so don't be disappointed if I don't pass it along, it doesn't mean that I don't love you it just means that I love you less than I love other people.

Upon my arrival I disovered the first inaccuracy on the web site and was forced to sit and wait until 2pm until I could check in, this was okay as it allowed me to grab a burger and a couple of pints. . . it's not like I'm driving anywhere for the next 3 weeks so I can't see any harm in spending that time half cut.

When finally I checked in they sent me up to my room, 301. You would normally expect this to be on the third floor but apparently the "new" math is still too much for some people and its actually about four and a half floors up. There is no elevator, which is okay, but the staircase is this tight, twisting thing that I can barely fit through on my own. . . imagine me with a 72L, 50lbs backpack on. Suffice it to say that I have a whole new appreciation for the term "wedged in place".

After that I went for a wander and found myself an internet cafe in which to type this up. There are some strange differences here though. . . the keyboard is different and I must have hit the £ sign three times before I figured out that the @ was located somewhere else. The other problem is that the letter "n" is rather sticky. . . I'm working hard to convince myself that it's just some spilled coke and that it's all going to be okay.

Well, that's it for now folks.

Till next we meet. . .

Changes

Well there's been a lot happening in my life lately that I figure I should post about.

The first thing is that I quit my job with the City of Edmonton. Of course people are curious as to why I did and there are a lot of reasons but at the end of the day I quit because it was time to leave. It was a good job, with amazing people that I was blessed to supervise, be supervised by, and work beside but it was no longer the right job for me.

So what am I going to do now?

Well, I have an idea for a business I'm going to try opening. I figure I'll give it a run and if it works then great, if not I'll just pick something up to pay the bills until I have another career lined up.

In other news I'm going to England.

I leave on Monday (October 15th) and I'll be back on November 4th. The plan is to spend the first week or so in London seeing some of the sights. The second week I'm going to head up to Scotland and spend time with my family up there. This will also give me the opportunity to return some of my mother's ashes to that side of the Atlantic. The final week I'm really just going to head around the country wherever the wind, and Britrail, take me. The specifics have yet to be determined.

I will try to post regularly on here for those of you that read it (or read it on facebook when it's imported) to keep you all updated.

If you're interested there is a going away party for me on the 14th at 8:00pm at the Funky Buddha on Whyte. Feel free to come down and buy me a drink.

Till next we meet. . .

What the hell was I thinking?

After my motorcycle crash this summer a lot of people thought I would give up riding. . .God only knows where they got that idea.

So when I found this article I thought it was something I had to post. Unfortunately I don't know the source but it does have the author's name.

STU

What the Hell Am I Doing?
by J.D. Tuccille
There's nothing like the feeling of a motorcycle sliding out from beneath you on a busy thoroughfare to focus the mind beautifully on the value of life. As your ass bounces from the cushioned seat toward the hard tarmac with the screech of unseen cars slamming on their brakes to your rear, you have one glorious moment in which to ask yourself: "What the hell am I doing?"
You see, that's the precise question that flashed through my mind as my accelerating rear wheel spun helplessly on an oil slick and 400lbs of Japanese machinery cushioned its fall with 170lbs of J.D. Tuccille.
My left elbow slammed against the asphalt before I had time to consider the answer.
But to a large extent, it's the question itself that matters the most: "What the hell am I doing?" Sooner or later most of us ask that same question. We ask it when we're doing something foolish, or brave, or unfamiliar, and we especially ask it when the situation goes sour -- when we find ourselves airborne in late-morning traffic. And if we don't ask it of ourselves, somebody else is sure to do us the favor: "What the hell are you doing?"
The question means that we're taking risks, trying something new, or just pushing the boundaries of our usual behavior. It means that we're living, not just existing; to pass through life without facing that question would imply a tightly constrained existence lacking risk and adventure.
Not every situation that provokes the question is to our credit, of course. Sometimes we've made a mistake, sometimes we've embarrassed ourselves, and sometimes we've made a complete balls-up of a situation and we find ourselves staring up from the ground into the face of an Emergency Medical Technician. And whether we decide that our latest venture was a moment of glory or shame, it's a sure bet that somebody else views our decision with disdain; we all have our own lives, and our own very different standards by which to judge them.
But it's important to remember that while everybody has the right to ask the question of himself and others, only the person on the spot, the person living that moment has the right to offer a binding answer. And that is what gives life so much of its value. We have the right to try, to risk dignity and even death as we take the basic fact of existence and mold it into a life worthy of the name through a personal choice of experiences, occupations, and adventures.
So when others try to answer the question for us, to prevent us from taking the risk because they don't approve, they don't just do us a disservice -- they rob us of the freedom that gives life its value. Through laws and taxes and regulations they try to consign us to an existence instead of a life; and this is not because the decisions they would make for us are necessarily bad decisions, but because they are not our own.
Some people -- not enough -- do understand this. After the accident, when the EMTs had assured themselves that my limbs were all in place and that I remembered my name, one turned to me and said: "And now for the important question: How's the bike?" As an EMT he had certainly seen his share of nasty motorcycle accidents -- incidents that ended with consequences more serious than my broken arm. But he understood, or at least respected, my decision to ride and to take risks that others find unacceptable.
We have the right to demand that attitude of everybody: disagree with us, call us fools, live your own lives differently, but don't try to tell us what decisions we may make in the conduct of our lives. Because the value of life is determined not by the mere drawing of one breath after another, but by the freedom to make our own decisions; to mold our lives as best we can into a shape that pleases us, and to enjoy the benefits or suffer the consequences.
What the hell was I doing? I was living my life. Now hand me my helmet or get out of the way.

Weekend Riding

So last weekend Lindsey and I decided that we were going to hop on the motorbike and go hit the mountains for some camping. Funny how things don't necessarily work out quite the way you plan them.

Thursday and Friday were a bit of a panic for me in that I had a whole boatload of work to do to get the bike ready for the trip. Friday night also was a bit of a panic because it included packing for the trip. Now saddlebags can't carry everything you want them to but they can carry everything you need them too, especially if you help them out by loading stuff on the luggage rack. We each took a saddlebag for our clothing (and of course Lindsey took a little of mine for her stuff as well) and we put the tent and sleeping bags (cunningly placed in a dry bag from MEC) on the luggage rack. I also have a little bag behind my windshield to carry some misc. tools and other items.

Saturday morning was a little overcast but we put on the leathers, hopped on the bike and off we went. About half an hour outside of Edmonton it was looking pretty rough so we stopped and put the rain gear on, it's always better to put your rain gear on and not need it than it is to try and discover how quickly you can get it on while being rained on.

Sure enough, moments after we got the rain gear on the rain started. . . and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

The rain was cold. Really freakin' cold so despite our plan to try and make it to Penticton we decided that it was a better idea to fend of hypothermia, a cup of coffee (for Lindsey) and hot chocolate (For me) at the Tim Hortons in Edson was enough to do this for us and we continued on to Jasper.

We were expecting to see some of the wonderful wildlife that the road into Jasper is known for, they however were far too intelligent to be out in such heinous weather.

Jasper was a nice stop for lunch and some more hot coffee/hot chocolate and then we were back on the bike again and heading into BC.

The one thing you can say for this trip is that we had some wonderfully consistant weather. . . as a result Blue River seemed like a good place to spend the night. While we had been hoping for Penticton the combination of slow travel in the rain and the cold that was soaking into us convinced us to call a halt to our travels in wonderful Blue River.

I will say that if ever you're looking for a place to stay in Blue River the Blue River motel is tiny, clean, and well priced. It's a little tucked back into the town but if you ask at the Esso they can point you and it's definitely some place i would stay again.

So 570km later day one came to an end.

Funny Story

I love this story so I thought I would share.

------------------------------------------------------

Race with a Harley

I raced a Harley today and after some really hard riding I managed
to PASS the guy. I was riding on one of those really, really
twisting sections of mountain road with no straight sections to
speak of and where most of the bends have warning signs that
say "MAX SPEED 50 KPH".

I knew if I was going to pass one of those monsters with those
big-cubic-inch motors, it would have to be a place like this where
handling and rider skill are more important than horsepower alone.

I saw the guy up ahead as I exited one of the turns and knew I could
catch him, but it wouldn't be easy. I concentrated on my braking and
cornering. Three corners later, I was on his mudguard. Catching him
was one thing; passing him would prove to be another.

Two corners later, I pulled up next to him as we sailed down the
mountain. I think he was shocked to see me next to him, as I nearly
got by him before he could recover. Next corner, same thing. I'd
manage to pull up next to him as we started to enter the corners but
when we came out he'd get on the throttle and out-power me. His
horsepower was almost too much to overcome, but this only made me
more determined than ever.

My only hope was to out-brake him. I held off squeezing the lever
until the last instant. I kept my nerve while he lost his. In an
instant I was by him. Corner after corner, I could hear the roar of
his engine as he struggled to keep up. Three more miles to go before
the road straightens out and he would pass me for good.

But now I was in the lead and he would no longer hold me back. I
stretched out my lead and by the time we reached the bottom of the
canyon, he was more than a full corner behind. I could no longer see
him in my rear-view mirror.

Once the road did straighten out, it seemed like it took miles
before he passed me, but it was probably just a few hundred yards. I
was no match for that kind of horsepower, but it was done. In the
tightest section of road, where bravery and skill count for more
than horsepower and deep pockets, I had passed him. Though it was
not easy, I had won the race to the bottom of the mountain and I had
preserved the proud tradition of one of the best bits of Brit iron.

I will always remember that moment. I don't think I've ever pedaled
so hard in my life. And, some of the credit must go to Raleigh
cycles, as well. They really make a great bicycle...

Till Next We Meet. . .

Talking Heads

I had a thought that perhaps since I put up my mother's Eulogy I should also put up the speech I delivered at my brother's wedding on the 28th. Here it is for anyone who's curious, it got a few laughs in the right places so I think it went pretty well.

Ladies and Gentlemen . . . and Gord:

I would like to start by introducing myself; as the more perceptive among you may have deduced from my current attire and my earlier duties I am the Best Man. More specifically I’m Craig’s older brother Stuart.

When Craig asked me to be his best man I did my best to duck out of the duty, as those of you who know me are aware I very much dislike giving speeches and being the centre of attention, even for a brief time. However he persisted and how could I refuse him, my brother, and the person who has been my best friend since before he was born?

Now, I'm sure a number of the fellows here today have been a best man at a wedding before, but I wonder how many of you have ever received written guidelines from the bride to be? Before I go any further, I'd like to explain that two weeks ago I received this email from Nina:

I was very pleased when Craig asked you to be best man at our wedding. I knew that by selecting you, he had made the right decision. But, as we get close to the day itself, I'm sure you appreciate the stress that we are both under. And adding to this, there are two aspects of the day that cause me concern - your speech and your conduct. I appreciate that as best man you are required to write a speech that pokes a certain amount of fun at the groom, with stories and jokes about his past exploits. But I do want you to remember that this is our wedding day, and I don't want something that you might say or do to spoil it. I would ask that you also keep a very close check on Craig as well. With this in mind, please take note of the following and I’m sure we’ll all have a wonderful day:

Remember at all times that my family is there.
Remember at all times that your family is there.
So do not get drunk.
Do not swear
Do not tell rude jokes
Do not use bad language.
Do not use your fingers when eating.
Do not take food from anybody else’s plate.
Do not sing.
Do not pick your nose.
Do not leer at women with low cut tops.
Do not belch.
Do not harass the bridesmaids.
Do not steal anything.
But most importantly of all, do not let Craig do any of the above.

So with that in mind I stand here before all of you somewhat at a loss as to what to say so I’ll keep it simple. Throughout his life Craig has been surrounded by people, some for a long time and some for a short time. I can say in all honesty that in the past three years I have seen Craig smile more, laugh more, and generally enjoy life more than ever before and I feel that there is no cause other than the beautiful woman who has so recently become my sister-in-law.

James C. Dobson once said

Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without.

And in Nina Craig has found this person.

So I say

Nina, you’ve done good. Craig, you’ve done better.

So I ask you all now to raise your glasses in a toast to the Groom.

To the Groom!

Eulogy

It was my mother's service today so I thought I would post the eulogy that I presented.

In a little more than a week I will, for the first time, celebrate a birthday without my mother. This is because the person who brought me in to this world, loved me, taught me, cherished me, and occasionally scolded me passed away on July 13^th after a long battle with Cancer.

It has been said that the loss of a parent is one of life's most traumatic events. I now know the devastating truth of that statement. I've been told that, in time, the hurt will fade, only to be replaced by positive memories that soothe the soul. Already, I can feel that happening and I hope too that you can as well.

Born to Joe and Emma Alder and with an older Sister, Jean, on February 15, 1946 Carole Ann Alder began life. From all reports it was a life of fistfights, adventures, and some hardships, all of which helped to shape her into the competent, determined woman that we all knew.

When she was 14 her mother passed away after a long battle with MS and at the age of 21 she hopped on a boat and found herself here in Canada. As is typical with my mother she made her first new friend in the country before she had even arrived, this person of course being Hazel.

That Halloween at a party her friend Hazel was kind enough to accidentally introduce herself, and shortly thereafter my mother, to a young man in a most affectionate manner. That young man went on to marry her in 1969 As I’m sure many of you present remember. How could you forget someone who wears a mini-skirt as her wedding dress?

8.5 years later I arrived on the scene and by all reports I was a child of miraculous grace and beauty. . . not to mention my many other positive features. Three years and four days later my brother also graced this earth, and in both cases I’ve been told that my mother could not have been happier or more proud.

A few short years after my brother’s birth my maternal grandfather passed away, depriving my mother of both her parents. Fortunately she had found herself adopted into the Hunter clan many years before and her close relationship with her in-laws helped her through this difficult time.

Throughout her life my mother held a number of jobs but the longest and certainly most recent was with the Edmonton Public Libraries. She started there as a temporary float, moving from location to location as she was needed and eventually worked her way into a permanent position where she remained until moving onto disability two years ago. Though her years at the Library my mother made many friends, quite a few of whom were able to make it here today, something for which we are very appreciative.

Over the past two years and throughout this entire struggle my mother always maintained a positive outlook, and an attitude of optimism and determination. With the help of many of the friends and family gathered here today she was able to maintain an excellent quality of life and remain at home for as long as possible.

Finally on July 13^th my mother passed from our lives and into God’s care where we know she has found peace and an end to her suffering.

So I would like to take this opportunity to say “Thanks Mom, we’ll love you always, and think of you often”

Till Next We Meet. . .

Quite the Ride

Well, the last couple of weeks have been nothing short of insane. With the wedding coming up we had guests in from out of town including Scotland and a couple from the US so the house has been packed. This of course makes for a very busy time because these people are on vacation and want to see the sights . . . and guess who gets to take them. Now between the whole family I think they got a pretty good exposure but of course it's tough. Fun but tough.

The wedding?

It rocked. Things went beautifully, the weather was great (bloody hot) and everything was wonderful. There was a small hitch at the reception with a lack of A/C but most of us were used to the heat by then and I just don't think we cared that much. After enough alcohol it stops mattering how hot it is.

Other things?

I returned to the gym this week. I've been there off and on for the last while with distinctly more off than on but at least I've been doing something. This week however I found that I wanted to be back in the gym, finally I wasn't looking for excuses to get out of the workout early. I wasn't wasting my time talking to people only to discover that I was "out of time" and needed to get out of the gym. Rather I was in there with a joy to be there and a determination to work hard. Neither of my workouts this week were the best I've had but they weren't the worst either and that's a start.

Till next we meet . . .

Fast Update

Sorry I've not kept you all up to speed but things have been a little busy lately.

After her two year battle my mother passed away on Friday the 13th. She'll be sorely missed but it was time and it's all for the best at this stage.

An hour and a half later I crashed my motorcycle. There was no-one else involved it was strictly a case of me riding when I shouldn't have been and not paying attention when I should have been. Went down in a lowside, fortunately there wasn't a lot of damage to the bike and I had her back up and running a week later.

The delay was to let me get over my road rash enough to work on her and ride again. The road rash wasn't bad and about what I would expect from hitting asphalt at 60kph in a t-shirt and jeans. . . oh well.

Till next we meet. . .