Slippery places

Well, no luck on the 24 marathon this weekend. Maybe in another couple of weeks (next weekend is SuperBowl, of course). But what I did do this weekend, for the first time in way too long, was play some hockey on an outdoor arena.

I can say a lot of bad things about Winnipeg, but one thing I certainly cannot put them down for is the quality (or quantity) of their outdoor rinks. They are all well-lit. There are warm changing areas with concession stands. They use real Zambonis, and there are lines under the ice. Ridiculous.

As I stepped on the ice, I feinged inability to skate. You know, knees touching with ankles three feet apart, half the body weight on the stick, toes scraping over the ice when moving forward. The other guy I went with played a fairly high level of competitive hockey years ago, and he is currently coaching a Junior team, so he definitely had some wide eyes when he saw me. He figured it out soon enough.

After an enjoyable hour and a half of skating, passing, shooting, and getting thoroughly beaten in one-on-ones, I had to ask myself, "Why haven't I gone back to hockey?" I know I stopped in the first place for a few good reasons, including wanting to play other sports at school. But I really enjoy it, and I have started to get the basics of equipment back. I have a $5 stick, skates that are worth about $15 now, and $140 gloves. Yes, you're right, the most expensive probably isn't the most important piece of equipment. But I think I will try to accumulate the rest of the required equipment and get into a league - maybe in summer, maybe next winter. If I play here on the base I think I can even borrow everything other than skates and a stick. I'm getting sick of just running. Hockey it is. But I definitely will have to get my own cup - don't want to be borrowing that.

And why not? It looks like a good safe sport that won't endanger my career...

A departure

I would like to wish good luck to all those Canadians who are currently in or making their way over to Afghanistan, bringing our contribution of soldiers to over 2000. Your service is appreciated by the folks here in Canada, and I'm sure it is especially appreciated by those you are helping. You are the best ambassadors of this country. To my friends who are going - see you when you get back.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiams, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

I did a marathon

That's right folks. I finished a marathon. In just over 33 hours.

Huh?

Ok, I didn't run at all. In fact, I sat my butt on the couch and watched the entire season one of the show 24. The only breaks were to pick up some pizza for dinner, to sleep, to pick up lunch the next day, and to go over to a friend's house for dinner. If we hadn't gone for that dinner (there were four of us watching) we would have finished in under 30 hours. Not too shabby.

So anything that can inspire people to remain on a couch for that duration of time must be pretty damn good, right? Right. This has got to be the best show on TV. I am certainly no expert, of course, because I don't really watch much TV. But everyone I have met who has watched the show likes it. I think it is because everyone can relate to it in their own personal lives. You know, your family being taken captive by terrorists, at least one or two deaths per episode, and even "accidentally" knocking people unconscious when you are supposed to be interrogating them. Computer systems that probably costs billions of dollars and can track a man's movement anywhere in the world. Hot chicks working for the government. Ok, it is all a fantasy. But it is an extremely entertaining one. I kept on calling it a movie. In fact, despite the lack of the big screen, I think there is a lot more potential in a show like this one due to the time available for character and plot development. It works.

I have to tell you, the only reason I watched an episode of 24 in the first place was because other guys were having a marathon. I figured that anything worth watching (or attempting to watch) for 18 straight hours has got to be good. And it was.

So there is really no point to this post other than to tell you that you should watch 24. You might even learn some top secret clandestine ops stuff. That's what I am in it for.

Next weekend...season 2. Not kidding.

Oh yeah...and Elisha Cuthbert is in it. If you needed another reason to watch.

Do it

Because Mariah says so:

Snow

This evening, it was snowing here. This is not all that surprising, since it has been snowing on and off for days. But this evening, when it was dark and I was walking back from the gym, there was no wind. The snow was falling really slowly, and it was those really really big snowflakes - the kind that scatter on the ground when you stomp your foot down hard. It was very calm. It was the kind of weather that happens on Christmas morning in books and movies. It was one of the first time where I really noticed the weather in Winnipeg, and it was all good.

That's all. Just the snow. It made my day.

We're all going down

Global warming is real. The atmosphere is heating up and our ice caps are melting and we're probably all going to be living on the islands of the Rocky Mountains in a few years. I know this. I know this because I live in Winnipeg.

Last year, the daytime high was around -30 C at this time. Of course, there was a nice cold wind so we all felt like it was -40 C. In the spring, due to too much runoff, and continuing into the summer and fall thanks to too much rain, the farmers here had terrible harvests. A large number of fields didn't produce anything at all, since they had several centimeters of water sitting on top of them. The ditches along the highway were full.

That was last year. This year, it...it what? It was RAINING this week? That's right, it was raining. And then it got colder and the rain turned to freezing rain. After that, we had a blizzard, but I am hearing that there is not enough moisture around and there could be near-drought conditions this year if it keeps up.

So why do I care? I care because yesterday, for the first time, global warming REALLY affected me. The locks on my truck doors were frozen in place. Crap.

Having very limited resources, I was forced to call CAA to help me out. I have never called them for assistance before (I should have done so one time, but I called Joel instead), so I didn't know what they were going to do. What I THOUGHT would happen is the guy would step out of his gargantuan Ford F-450 SuperHeavyDutyMonster Truck with a teeny tiny little bottle of lock de-icer, give 'er a squirt, and I would be on my way. What ACTUALLY happened is the hero stepped out of his supertruck with a toolkit full of variously shaped wires and bars, specifically designed for breaking into vehicles like mine. So instead of the bottle, I got some kid shoving a wedge into my window to hold it away from the door frame, putting the wire down the space, and holding a maglite in his mouth trying to direct toward the inside lock to see if it was moving.

Well, I must admit, I had not personally used lock de-icer before. Maybe it doesn't work at this temperature. Or maybe it takes a while. In any case, this guy is a professional, right?

No.

After trying for a couple minutes, he blames it on the fact that he cannot see the door lock inside the truck (because the window has a thick layer of ice on it from the freezing rain) so he gives me his mouth-light and gets me to go to the other side so I can see it. "Nope, it's not moving."

"Oh crap," he says, "I'm using the wrong tool." So he goes and gets one with a few more bends in it, and gets back to work, mouthlight and wedge and tool in hand, trying to catch the latch in the door. Another 2 minutes. No luck. "Oh crap," he says again, "I'm used to trying on the other side." So we go to the other side, jam that wedge in there again, and he starts jamming the tool around in the door. Several minutes later, he pulls the tool up, gives it a quizzical look, and exclaims, "This isn't the right tool." So he goes and grabs one that looks mysteriously like the one he had been using before. Ok, whatever, he tries again. No luck. He gets me to hold his light from the other side again. No luck. He asks me what year my truck is, so I tell him it is a '96. He checks his trusty toolbag, pulling out tool #2 again. "If it was one year later," he explains, "it would have been the other tool." I don't care. Let me in.

He tries it again. One way. And then the other way. On the other door again. He clears off the snow from the windshield so he can see inside for the latch. No movement. Back to the other side. No luck. Back to the truck again for his toolbad. Are you KIDDING ME?

After several more minutes without success, he pulls out the wedge (I think he had bent the door panel enough by this point that he didn't need it anymore). Several more tries and there is a satisfying click as the latch moves. He tries the handle, and my very frozen truck door creaks open. Finally. Maybe a half-hour or so later. Serves me right for not wearing gloves.

So, I wonder, why would a CAA guy not have lock de-icer? Must not work all that well. In any case, I had to go to the grocery store, so after 20 more minutes of trying to scrape off the ice (and eventually settling for a small hole in the side window so I could see the mirror) I was on my way. Of course, I had to leave the doors unlocked at the store. I picked up some lock de-icer for 99 cents. How well would it work? I didn't know. After piling the groceries in my truck, I gave it a try.

Approximately 2 seconds later, my key was functional again.

Damn heros.

New Horizons, Same Themes

Yesterday I was checking some stuff for work on the internet, and I came across something that I thought was quite interesting. Apparently, there is an award for aerobic excellence that I can earn. Hey, no problem, right? I'm in decent shape, I could get that. What do I have to do? Earn 2000 points in under two years? Whoa, this is starting to sound a bit much - two years of anything is a lot. So, what earns me a point? Why should I write this all day when it is already on the internet. Copy...paste...

QUALIFYING UNITS

2. Qualifying units may be earned as follows:

ACTIVITY	PERFORMANCE	VALUE
a) Swimming	400 meters	1 Unit
b) Jogging	1 kilometer	1 Unit
c) Snow-shoeing	1.5 kilometers	1 Unit
d) X-Country skiing	1.5 kilometers	1 Unit
e) Skating/Ice & Roller	1.5 kilometers	1 Unit
f) Walking	3 kilometers	1 Unit
g) Aerobic classes	10 minutes	1 Unit
h) Cycling & Stationary Cycling	3 kilometers or 7 mins	1 Unit
i) Rowing (canoe / kayaking)	500 meters or 7 mins	1 Unit
j) Stationary rowing	500 meters or 7 mins	1 Unit
k) Stair Climbing	7 mins	1 Unit
l) Rope skipping	7 mins	1 Unit
m) Martial Arts ( karate, judo, tae kwon do, etc..)	10 mins	1 Unit

WHOA. So you mean I would have to run TWO THOUSAND KILOMETRES in order to earn this award?? Wow. That doesn't sound very easy at all. And that is for the initial level of the award. You are supposed to go for six years. Check this out:

The primary level of the program involves the completion of the initial scroll and six seals. This signifies that 12,000 units of physical activity have been accumulated.

That sounds like craziness. But apparently that isn't enough for some people:

For members who require a higher and continuing challenge, six additional levels can be achieved. Completion of all seven levels will signify the accumulation of 84,000 aerobic units.

Are you KIDDING me? That is a lot of kilometres. I hope I don't move 84000 km under my own power in my whole life. I don't even know how far that is. That's far. Farther than I have driven my truck in the 4 years I have owned it. Really far.

So the question becomes...should I try for the first level? 2000 points in 104 weeks breaks down to over 19 points per week. Since I tend to get lazy at some times in the year (i.e. summer and Christmas vacation) I would definitely have to get more than 19 per week. I ran 5km today, I suppose that is a start. I do biking on Tuesdays, and I am going to try to get back to kickboxing on Thursdays. That makes 13. I warm up before my resistance training 5 days per week, that makes 18. Maybe I could make my warmup 2km instead of 1. Or maybe I could measure how far it is to Subway, I walk there fairly often. I wonder if I can stay motivated for two long years...

Where you live

If any of you lives on the planet "Earth," you should read this article from the Globe and Mail. This is especially true if you live in Canada, which I assume all of you do. Yes, I realize that it is not a brand new article, but it is good to read nonetheless. Here is the introduction to get you warmed up:

The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible worldwide, but in few countries more so than in Canada, where rising temperatures are rapidly thawing our arctic north. It’s a grave matter not only for Canadians, but the entire world.

As Canada’s frozen tundra, bogs and boreal forests thaw, they are expected to release massive stores of carbon, accelerating the greenhouse effect linked to a recent rise in violent storms, floods, drought, surging insect infestations and other costly environmental impacts.

What are nations worldwide planning to do to combat climate change? The answer to that question will be largely determined next week in Montreal, when Canada hosts the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the largest gathering on climate policy issues since Kyoto. With the beginning of the first Kyoto period only three years away, the UNCCC comes at a critical stage of international negotiations that will shape our carbon reduced world post 2012.

And what did we get out of the UNCCC? Well, a whole bunch of legal gobblygook, the implementation of parts of the Kyoto Accord, and a whole bunch of photo opportunities with big fake smiles and handshakes and politicking between the parties on the campaign trail in Canada. The actual results are available to view here. Out of all of those things, hopefully the legal gobblygook takes us the farthest toward creating a sustainable world economy. And if not, I hope you at least read the article. Maybe it can convince you to try to walk to the store instead of driving, or to buy more environmentally friendly products, or maybe just to turn off all the damn lights when you leave a room. I know I can't compare to what an industry or a government could accomplish, but I am going to do what I can. And since my future job will involve driving holes through the sky with exhaust plumes, I think I had better be trying pretty hard.

Non-partisan politics

For anyone following the federal election campaigns, you undoubtably hear a new poll every second day about how each party is faring. And I'm sure you have the same feelings about the accuracy of these polls as I do. Considering their accuracy (read: inaccuracy) the last time around, one could be forgiven for pessimism. But, according to a recent article I read (and whose link I no longer have), investors are actually more accurate when it comes to picking a winner at election time than are polls. Might have something to do with the fact that it is one's own money at stake.

So, with this is mind, what you should do is check out this website run by some professors at UBC. Click on the "Federal Election 2006" on the left side and check out the results. You can even buy some shares if you are so inclined. If not, check out the price to buy shares in each party, and the resulting graphs depicting the predicted outcome of the election. And if you are among the millions of Canadians who don't give one single solitary F about a federal election, then...I can't help you today. Sorry.

Uncomfortable Goodbye

Today I am going to talk about my friend, Glenn Styles. I worked with him at my former job for several years. He really seemed to enjoy the job, and he could do it well, too. I remember one time where his quick decision in driving avoided an accident that would certainly have resulted in serious injuries. But mostly, Glenn liked to party. Luckily, he could do this wherever he went because he just made the party himself. He would dance, usually to music (though it was never necessary), and it could be by himself or with anyone who would go with him. Whether making his own party or out in the cold for several days in freezing weather, he could always be counted on to have a smile and a joke. I don't know that I have ever seen him in a foul mood, but if he was he certainly didn't pass it on to other people. For several months he had been preparing to go to Afghanistan with the Army in January. He was on vacation in the Bahamas before departing when, on Christmas Day, he was killed in a traffic accident. He was 24 years old.


Last Friday, he was remembered and buried in a military funeral in his hometown of Red Deer. The church was filled with family and friends from both within and outside of the army. Led first by the Regimental Chaplain, his body was brought forward in the flag-draped casket by eight stoic-looking army pallbearers. Glenn had too many friends to have a single person read out a eulogy for him, so first his Uncle Dan recounted the memories of Glenn's childhood years. His family and old friends, familiar with the stories, were visibly moved by this. A woman behind me quietly told her friend her own story, between dabbing her eyes and sniffling.

Next came his friends Dustin and Courtenay, who told the congregation about Glenn's more recent years. We heard stories about about him, from nights of drinking to jumping out of a moving car to help an elderly lady cross the road. They told stories mostly known by his close friends from school and elsewhere, and I know they remembered by their reactions - from laughter to quiet sobs.

Finally came the remembrances of his friends from the army, read by Rachel and Lauren. This one hit closest to home for most of the people there, and their stories were obviously felt by everyone seated there. They remembered that Glenn would never say goodbye, as friends would sometimes come to his house to discover that he had gone out of town for a course or when he served in Bosnia. And he would always come back. But Glenn, you didn't come back this time.

Seven elderly members of the Royal Canadian Legion, those who had served Canada in the past, lined up in front of the casket. The first read out the poem:

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Old, crooked backs were straightened as they approached the casket in turn, removing the poppy from their lapel and placing it on the wreath on the casket. Each then took a step back, gave him a salute, saying to him, "Farewell, my comrade." These men were followed by three members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, dressed in Red Serge. The final Moutie had been a good friend, and could barely hold his voice as he bid farewell.

After taking up the casket again, the pallbearers moved back up the aisle toward the exit. No longer did they seem to be stoic soldiers, but they were his friends as they cryed for their burden.

A long procession followed Glenn to his final resting place. This would be The Field of Honour in the cemetery, reserved for those who have served their country. As the hearse is opened, his body receives a Present Arms from the Honour Guard. There is no noise except the cold wind whipping the trees and the hands of the Honour Guard slapping thier rifles in unison. The soldiers of his Escort stand rigidly at attention and all members present salute as he is carriedt from the hearse to his grave. The sound of the feet of the pallbearers crunches on the hard snow as they move across uneven ground. Their arms visibly strain to hold up their friend and their necks are bent forward, away from starched collars. As the casket is placed over the grave in front of his tightly-huddled family, all members remove their headdress in a mark of respect.

The bugler plays The Last Post as people bow their head and remember. It is so cold and dark for the daytime, and now so quiet. Now I can only hear people's feet crunching on the snow in an attempt to stay warm. The wind is cold and goes right to my skin. Why is his tribute so different from his life? Why is the day so cold? Glenn was always so happy, could always warm up a room with his enthusiasm and energy.

As the piper starts his lament, the white-gloved hands of the pallbearers move crisply over the Canadian Flag, folding it sharply over the casket. Once it is folded, one of them carries it to Glenn's Commanding Officer. The CO carries the flag to Glenn's mother, and she embraces him as she takes the flag. The strong bodies of soldiers preparing for war are again weakened by their departed friend as they cry for him again.

The officers each salute the body, and pin their poppy on the casket. Everyone files past the casket before departing, leaving their poppy on the casket. The cold wind blows the poppies away. That is ok, you weren't all about ceremony anyway, were you Glenn?

You left too soon, buddy. And you left more friends than you could have known.

Someone's life is too exciting

Since my blog is boring lately (read: not updated), you should go read this dude's blog. Well, this story, anyway. If it doesn't look interesting, check out the pictures close to the bottom where it shows a guy getting shot several times and shooting back, and then another guy running out of ammo so instead tackling his enemy before dragging his ass out of the building. Craziness.