Friday, August 31, 2012

You choose how you spend your time

Enjoy every bit of time you can.

Do the things you want to do, 
and enjoy doing them.

~Granny

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Explain to me why they don't come in adult sizes?

"We don't stop playing because we grow old... We grow old because we stop playing."

My toothbrush of saber light with a +10 to awesome ;)

When it just isn't the person you were trying to get ahold of


Op 1: "VE7 *mumble* *mumble* *mumble*"

Op 2: "Is that Jason?"

Op 1: "No."

Op 2: "Oh, thought I recognized the voice! How are you up in Vernon there?"

Op 1: "I'm in Westbank."

Op 2: "Well you've got a nice clear signal into the repeater there..."

Op 1: ... "alrighty then"

*awkward silence*

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Modern day torture

Dental Hygienists, please review the following video from the BBC for pointers which is presented as a thinly veiled criticism.


(skip to 1:38 if you're pressed for time)

Now overall the cleaning itself was a lot better than last times ordeal, however there are a few points I would like to make perfectly clear in case you missed them.

Don't be all friendly and ask me personal questions, if you want to do that then become a hairdresser.  I can't answer anything coherently with your instruments of torture in my mouth.

I'd also like to point out that when I attempt to answer, you stop what you're doing... Now call me crazy, but I don't want to prolong this any more than necessary, so lets just skip the idle chit-chat and get this over with.

If you feel the need for conversation by all means tell me about yourself, but I'm not particularly interested in what's actually happening in my mouth... I know you find it interesting, but that's why you are the hygienist.

Please, just tell me what it is that I need to be doing differently.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Just stop for a moment... and smile


Wanna go ride bikes?

Sunrise over Enderby


I left Revelstoke at 5:30am this morning... I will not be able to consume enough coffee to get me through the day :p

Friday, August 24, 2012

Stand back! We are going to attempt the horizontal loop

I learned how to drive the Unimog this weekend *grins*


This Sunday just after checking in on the morning net Aaren and I got to thinking that we should get his horizontal loop up before the snow flies... and with summer slipping through our fingers, we got the bright idea that we should do it *right now*.

I'm sure we did at least half of the things on the list of "Things *not* to do when putting up a horizontal loop antenna" but I'd like to think we learned a few things along the way... and we had some fun.

Aaren on the Mog, next to his existing tower

Now two of the corners of the loop are going to be held up by his antenna tower, and his new wooden mast... the other two corners are going to be held up by willow trees.  That's the part where I come in, he let me back and forth the Mog all over the yard topark it at the base of the willow tree, as a reward for what was to follow...

We used a ladder *on top* of the Mog to get half way up the 40 foot height he was hoping to get his loop up to... I know right, safety first. Shhhh! we wont talk about the clippers and chainsaw I used just so that I could get up *into* the tree ;)

The Unimog ladder extension
 The first tree we did was tough, there was a 'Y' section that I needed to be standing in, but it didn't really have any branches to get up to it. I don't honestly know how I got up there (or down), only that it involved some scootching, and as I sat there with my shin wedged between the bark I distinctly remember thinking

"Yeap, definitely should've put on pants!"

After getting the pulley attached, and the rope that would pull the loop tight, we pulled it up and down and through a few times just to make sure the pulley worked get everything where it should have been.

The second tree was much quicker, other than the rope toss which we realized should have gone *over* the G5-RV... and you thought we were almost done ;)

Nope, those aren't my shoes either... figured big shoes were safer than flip flops ;)
"You would have some sexy legs if it weren't for all those scars!" ~Mich
It was pretty cool when we were done, although unfortunately next to impossible to get a decent picture of... I have a little bit of tree rash to show for it, and I had bark in places that no normal human being should have bark... Ever. But it just goes to show... I still got it *snaps*

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The trouble with "Sam will "

... Is that I usually do *rueful look*

Warning: This post contains images of a graphic nature *hehe* but seriously if you don't like bruises, skip this post cause I've got a doozy of one, and it's all documented ;)

It all began with Mitts' having the most valid reason for downright *refusing* to ride black diamonds (she's a doctor in specializationing), even if she is a wayyyy better rider than I am... but with his new bike lighting his shorts on fire her husband wanted nothing more than to try them on for size.

"Sam will ride them with you" she assured him, knowing me entirely too well... The moment those words are uttered I might as well give in. Tales of the ride over dinner and I can already feel the wind on my face and the adrenalin in my veins. I'm committed, or at least I should have been *wicked grin*

I meet Adam up there, both of us quickly gearing up in the parking lot eager to get on the hill.  The first run down was brutal, my balance was weird and every jump I took was half a twitch away from a garage sale... I was thinking maybe this wasn't the best idea *tugs collar* buuuuuuuuut the first big ride of every season starts out like this for me... so I just gotta do it and get through it.


And the texting begins... we try to keep Mitts informed of everything she's missing out on *haha*. Riiiiight...


The second run down, was half a lifetime better as my scattered centered of gravity regrouped itself and solidified into my core. My rental bike and I got over our first date jitters and awkwardness and figured out how to hold hands... and I started to relax, and remember how awesome riding is.



Dude! I just about forgot the craziest part of the day!!

This one run down Rockstar we had just pulled out onto the fire access road for a break, when we saw a black bear about 35' down the road!!! So cool, but I didn't need any further convincing that it was time to go when he started ambling towards us.


The riding was epic, I took drops I wasn't planning to... and landed them! We tore it up, refueled with jellybellys and a fabulous cooler lunch, then started up all over again *grins*


Nearing the end of the day we decided on one last hard technical ride, and then we would take it easy...

Well I'm not quite sure *what* exactly happened, but one second I was navigating the rocks and roots relatively well and the next I was airborn executing a beautiful somersault, or at least it was beautiful until a tree stump rudely interrupted my thigh screaming "CHARLIE HORSE!!!" and then ran away laughing...

As I limped down the mountain, Mitts' husband had just started walking back up the trail to see if he needed to pick up my pieces... we took a moment to assess, and there was barely a scratch!

If you squint a little you can just see it thinking about bruising...

Are you kidding me?!?! *groans* it hurts soooo muuuuuuch!

"Lets go down to the car put an ice pack on it, give you some drugs and then re-asses" he says. Fabulous idea. So I coast down to the parking lot rolling over everything and not taking any jumps or drops of course *rolls eyes*

A tylenol-ibuprofen cocktail, an asprin rub and I'm sitting on the ground in the parking lot with an ice pack on it while Adam goes for a pee... comes back and says "So?"

me: I'm done dude *shakes head*, I can barely stand up and I can feel it stiffening up already :(

Even the drive home sucked, I was all "Noooooooooo don't make me shiiiiiift!" *shakes fist* Aaarrrrrg one of the few downsides to driving stick *scowls*

Saturday Evening - Still doesn't even look close to how bad as it feels... the muscle is definitely stiff and sore
Starting to show its true colours
Sunday Evening - Nearly said a bad word when a certain basset hound jumped up into my lap with one foot squarely in the middle of my owsa.

Stairs suck. 

I look pathetic trying to get up and down them.


Tues Morning - Things are feeling a little bit better... but they certainly don't look it *uhg*


Tues Evening - Yep, it still looks terrible...


Wed - Stairs aren't quite so bad, thank goodness...

...and you thought it looked bad yesterday
Thurs - I can finally walk up and down stairs, and I think whatever muscle was supporting everything finally relaxed or died... I can feel my quad jiggle a little when I'm walking...

That's a good thing right?!?

...please describe gangrene again? *tugs collar*

Fri - I think its... yep its lightening up, and its a little bit itchy, definitely getting better :)


Sat - A week later, and it still looks kinda gross... See! I told you it hurt even though it didn't look like it should :p


Nothing really that interesting happening with it, but just for the sake of bringing you completely up to date... here you go...

 Tuesday Evening - See just about all gone! It still feels kinda weird, I think it's retaining some fluids... and the underlying muscle still hates me. Now its time to start using it again, anybody up for some downhill this weekend?

I'm just kidding... :p


Advil gel caps...

They don't do hot weather.

Monday, August 20, 2012

The Roadtrip - July 16th 2012 - Leg II

Had a wonderful leisurely sleep-in, in an amazingly comfortable bed. I understand now why you don't want your guest bed to be too comfortable... they'll never leave!!!

Keeping with the theme of "something we can only eat here" Mel brought us doughnuts for breakfast, *shrugs* What? we're on vacation!! ;) But these were from a special place called Voodoo doughnuts. We were as excited as little kids... opening up a pink box doughnuts for breakfast ;)


Okay but seriously, you are never going to believe what was in this box... Alright, I know you've probably already looked at the picture below, but you don't know what it is do you? On the left, looking lovely in well done Lady Gaga formal wear is the maple dip WITH BACON ON IT!!! *ahem* sorry for yelling, but I'm that excited about it, and really it's that awesome! On the right is a Voodoo doll, complete with gooey raspberry jam filling and a pretzel stick through the heart... be nice, he's having a rough day already ;)


We also found out that McMenamins has multiple locations and each one has a different theme and location inspired awesomeness - *whispers* like one is built on the grounds of an old asylum! *shibbers* Obviously did not have enough of a visit soooo we need to go back for another visit, but nonetheless we bid our farewells, and set off with a number of suggestions for the trip ahead.


Recommended stop #1 Multnomah Falls! Perfect little pull-off in the middle of the divided highway, it was sooo nice and cool that we totally should have stopped the night before on the way in... but the things you find out after the fact :p

There were two sets of falls, with a little bridge you could hike up to... and packed upon it like sardines the chance to feel the cooling mist upon thine skin.


But, behold the uninterrupted view of the falls from that bridge...



(Oooops I missed a bit, insert that bit here)

Random roadtrip stop number 2... I have no idea where this was, but there we were driving and suddenly we saw a wall of wood... it was some kind of tree farm, but man did it look cool with those trees all neatly planted in rows!


Washington countryside (evergreen state? really?!?!) *hehe* Alright, but we did see this one tree out in the middle of nowhere, and thinking out loud I was wondering how it got there when Faith responded "A bird ate it and pooped it out." All I could picture was an enormous pterodactyl chomping down a full grown tree, and then pooping it out whole *giggles* as we drive towards a thunder and lightning storm, or I should say as Faith drives towards a thunder and lightning storm...


 ... and I assure her that we wont catch up with it, because it's like Alberta where you can see your dog run away for five days... See look how beautiful it is!


So of course, naturally we catch up with it...


Well there we are cruising along, with Faith doing awesome at driving stick while I was attempting to catch some of the wicked fork lightning we were seeing... when all of a sudden there's a huge *CRACK!!* Of course my calm response as I sat bolt upright was "WTF was that!?!?!"

In my defense we *both* thought we'd been hit by lightning or something on the road, it was so loud.

Relatively quickly Faith cleverly did damage assessment, and using our shadow realized the clam was wide open!? pulled over and put the hazards on without stalling!!!

The wind had ripped the back latch off completely and bent both locks on the opening side of the clam!!!!

In one fluid motion I unclipped my seatbelt, turned to unload pausing for only the splittest of seconds to point out "Ooooh look a double rainbow!" before I was outside wrestling the lid of the clam down, while in the same motion Faith was unloading the trunk and digging out a chunk of rope.



In our second motion I got everything tied down and secured, while she documented it all (including the rainbow of course)


Now I would just like to point out that all of this was happening in gale-force winds, ones that were even stronger than when you *used* to be able to run around the front of the ferry and fill your cheeks up with air. Just check out those trees in the background...


We were going to dig out the big camera and stop and take more pictures, but all of a sudden there was a really huge crack of thunder and lightning practically on top of us!!! In the same motion we were back in the car! "Start the car, start the car we gotta go!!"

That evening saw us late late into Couer d'Alene... minus minus :/ with a quick chinese fire-drill at a very quiet red light on the way into town. Most of the hotels were booked up and we should have phoned ahead as apparently there's a huge waterpark in town, but luckily it was early enough in the trip that Faith didn't disown me ;)

End of day two and we've driven from Hillsborough (just outside of Portland) Oregon to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho...

Daily dose of driving: 652km (~405mi)
Trip total thusfar 1500km (~932mi)

Sunday, August 19, 2012

We couldn't have done it without you

*ahem*

I would like to thank my TomTom Doug-Doug.

Named in honor of this awesome commercial... and because my boss said I needed it so I could find my way back to work. Doug-Doug was truly the brain behind the scenes on The Roadtrip... especially in those crazy concrete over-under-through passes of the big cities.



Doug-Doug has a very feminine voice, but neither of us could think of the feminine version of Doug... it certainly isn't Dougina.

Thank you Doug-Doug without you on this trip well, it may have been possible, but it definitely wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Overthrown

Every once in awhile my body mounts a riot to overthrow the dictator and say enough is enough, and enforce primeval law.

The law is simple, thou shalt exist as closely as possible in an optimal state of warm, dry, rested and fed - not necessarily in that order. This coup occurs whenever I hit some secret threshold, and curfew isn't lifted until the imbalance has been restored.

Yesterday morning I was alright, but by noon I felt like I had been hit by a truck, I had a nap at lunch and a Montster just to make it through... I felt like I was hung over and dehydrated, but the worst of it was I hadn't even had the fun of deserving it! I mean yeah I've been going, and my body is still recovering from my weekend wipeout up at Silverstar... but during the drive home to let the dogs out I felt awful, like when you're so tired you're nauseous and your eyes itch.

I *barely* made it to 8:30 before I had to hit horizontal or my body was going to do it for me regardless of the location...

So I find out this morning, through talking to the cleaning lady at work that she feels exactly the same way I did yesterday.  So maybe I'm not crazy, maybe I was just fighting off a massive internal assault and didn't even know it!

Yes, this is also a long winded explanation as to why I didn't post the next installment of The Roadtrip last night :p

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The Roadtrip - July 15th 2012 - Part Oregon

They don't give you any warning that you're crossing into another state, so it sure made it hard getting "Welcome to..." pictures, like this - Oh by the way when you crossed the river, you're in Oregon now.


As we  entered into a land of concrete and overpasses we feverishly listened to our GPS Doug-Doug's directions... Shhhh! *holds breath* "In 500 meters take the exit 62A, on your right" we both mimicked 62-eh? *hehehe* then indignantly yelled Doug-Doug!? as we passed exit 62B... only to have Doug-Doug pipe up "In 150 meters take the exit 62A on your right"... and sure enough, there was exit 62A *shakes head*

Dude, since when does B come before A in the alphabet?!?.

Oh, by the way Roadtrip Note #2. When Doug-Doug says 150 meters, it basically means "By the time I finish giving you this instruction - you need to already be doing it"

Completely unrelated cool bridge in Oregon
 The aptly named Sunset Highway is *awesome* at sunset, pardon my sarcasm... Apparently it wasn't bad enough that the angle of the sun was below the visor and shining directly into your eyes, so they resurfaced the asphalt (which you pronounce ass-fault in America *rolls eyes*) with deceivingly black shiny stuff so the sunset reflected beautifully off the road as well.

I'm fairly confident that the only reason we made it to Faith's brother's place that night, was because of Doug-Doug and the 3D view that showed which way the road was turning... but we did get there :)

Accidentally artistic angular shot of The Dalles
 Michelle, Mel's wife assessed the situation and immediately took charge, and promptly took us out and fed us *heh* which I think was best in our travel induced dazes.  We will both "eat anything", but the only (and brilliant) request Faith had was that we go somewhere we couldn't go anywhere else in the States... something unique to Oregon.

Michelle and Mel took us to the coolest pub called... McMenamins! I have no idea where it was or how long it took to get there, but it was like walking into another world. The parking lot was small and dark, but the path up to the pub was like a green vine covered arbor tunnel lit up with beautiful white bulbs... like something from a fairy tale *smiles*

A picture of McMenamins would be much more appropriate here... but it was too dark, so instead you get countryside ;)
We didn't even look inside, instead grabbing a spot out by one of the fires at a huge rustic picnic table that would have been large enough to seat a shipload of Vikings! It was crazy how cozy, and intimate and incredibly comfortable... not the benches, but the atmosphere were... as it felt like being out somewhere camping, cozied up around a campfire.

The company along with the terminator a tall dark and handsome beer, and the summer copper ale were a perfect end to the long day. The food was amazing! the waitress having personally tried many of the dishes and highly recommended *all* of them, I can't remember what I settled on but it had mushrooms and an awesome name. Awesome when said in an *announcers voice* "The Communication Breakdown Burger... Tillamook® cheddar, grilled mushrooms, onion, & bell peppers"


End of day one and we've driven from Vernon BC Canada to Hillsborough (just outside of Portland) Oregon USA...

Daily dose of driving: 848kms (~527mi)

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Roadtrip - July 15th 2012 - Part Washington


The Fits all packed up we're ready to go, and as we both joke that all you really need is a mastercard... we have a moment of uncertainty... One passport check stop on the side of the highway and we're off! again.
First random ADDDDDDD stops on the trip, were a flea market where we met the nicest lady who wished us well on our adventure... and we picked up our mascot Stitch! Oh and we also stopped at Tickleberries where we got the hugest bag of kettle-corn, it was sooooo good, but I felt like the cookie monster as I managed to eat it *all over* the front seats... I just have this feeling that I am going to find popcorn in the Fit forever now.


Something that would start a trend for the trip to follow, would be pictures of rocks and trees and trees and rocks... and bridges. *I* am a civil-engineer's daughter, I'm not sure what Faith's excuse is. ;)


For a *lot* of the first part of the drive through Washington we were on a highway winding itself between beautiful densely treed mountainside... Faith was driving and gazing in awe at the passing countryside saying things like "Oh wow that's so beautiful" to which I nonchalantly replied "This looks a lot like the Island" ... or "We have that on the Island too"...or "Yeap, the Island's kind of like this"


By about the fifth such exchange she yelled while shaking her fist in mock outrage "Stoppit!!! Let me enjoy America!!!"


This is the random shoe tree, which was kinda cool... until Faith says "Yeah, or it's the way some serial killer keeps count"... Thanks dude, get in the car. Aaaand we're leaving. Now.


Just as we reached a bit of a lull in the day Faith says to me...

F: Should we stop and get gas?
Me: Nah, we still have more than a quarter tank left... and we filled up at the border, we should be good for awhile still.

... as the gas light comes on ...

F: Dude! We're just about out... how you feeling?
Me: A little nervous... you?
F: *nods* A little nervous too...

Fingers crossed and collectively holding our breath we coasted into the 76 "It looks like a racecar!" gas station in Goldendale. 

*phew*

Roadtrip Note #1. Henceforth, the quarter tank mark is practically empty.

"The Evergreen State" you say? Hmmmm maybe ever-green energy... cause I don't see *any* trees, let alone any evergreens :p


And you thought it was just jam

But Mom's can also package their love up and send it to you...

See!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Fish Tails

A couple days before the trip I had finished all the last minute running around and had reached the point of "hurry up and wait" ... wait to buy fruit because you can't take it over the border, wait to be on vacation, wait for Faith to get up here...

*twiddles thumbs*

Of course when waiting it helps to have a bit of a distraction...like puttering around Swan Lake when Ed says "I think I got something" ... "no, maybe not" ... "yeah I got a big'un!"


I thought for sure he'd hooked onto a log, or a patch of swamp grass... so while we puttered in circles around his line I took pictures like this

...and then the tip of his line jiggled, and not just once. It was that very distinctive tug... tug... tug-tug that fishies do! Except that this fishy wasn't running, this fishy had swum straight down to the bottom and was camped out.

After wrestling with this guy for at least 45 minutes we had traded the pole back and forth a number of times, stretched, repositioned, finished a beer, and traded back again... and he had moved about 6 feet, with the grace of a bulldozer. It was 'round about this time we decided that it was a scuba diver messing with us because there isn't anything this big in Swan lake right? Right.


The trouble was we only had 5lb test on, so we couldn't just haul him up by his ear and see what kind of fish he was... Then being the extremely large, wise old fish that he *must* have been, he got bored of fishing with us and removed his new piercing on the weeds that I was so certain Ed had caught in the first place... and swam off without so much as a flip of the tail.

And that my friends, is how fish tales are born.

Shortly after some of the widdle pike took pity on us and let us catch them... just to take the sting off ;)


Patience is not one of my virtues, but after going fishin' with Ed I believe that you just need the right person to wait with... of course the scenery helps too ;)