Oh, and I forgot....

36 days 1 hour and 45 minutes

Attention everyone: GeWilli is not a dirty hippie...

lol!

GeWilli, ya know I got a lot of respect for ya, right?

Apparently I insulted GeWilli inadvertanly. GeWilli, I'm sorry. I did say "Mordern-Day Hippie" if that helps. You're right though, you are more of a Foodie. By the way, are hippies dirty? I never knew that. I was tryin to focus on your environmental conscience, your lean towards whole foods and organic foods, and that type of thing. Can we skip the ass whoopin and go for a beer(I'm buyin') next time we're in the same area of the continent instead? :)

Not much to say today but I wanted to apologise on record to GeWilli.

Oh, and Jim sent this over to me but I haven't looked at it yet: http://www.oilandwaterproject.org/

Anyone out there compost? I was reading Kerry Litka's diary entry about composting (a link from GeWilli's blog) and thought, "That would be a great project for me and the kids!" I'm gonna research more into the best way to do it.

Okay, back to work for me so I can leave for home!

g.

GeWilli gets me fired up every time....

read his post titled " oh no you didn't" about biodiesel and the energy costs... you can't really argue with biodiesel... go ahead, try, I'll unleash GeWilli on ya! ;)

I guess I have get off my ass and start lookin at makin my own fuel...


check this out, it's a link from GeWilli's post.

I just went running for the first time in 2 months...

and it hurt. More mentally than physically... or should I say, I still felt the physical aspects of running but the mental sting of not being able to go the distance on my longer route (which is not very long in comparison to seasoned runner's routes) was harder to take. I know, I know, I've been very sedintary for that last two months (at least when it comes to exercise) so I should cut myself some slack but sheesh, it's hard to take at 05:30. Anyway, I ran 3km and walked 1km. Not bad I guess. On a positive note, I bought new running shoes yesterday on the way home from work and boy does it make a difference in how I feel running. I stayed loyal to New Balance since they're on of the only companies out there that give a crap about people who have wide feet. Sure there are other manufacturers that have models that "fit a little wider" but NB is the only one that makes actual widths. I take a 4E size 10.5. I mean, when you've got feel as wide and flat as mine, they almost look square.... take a moment and visualize it.... see, I don't care who you are, that's a funny picture - square feet. hee hee! Hey, is that the basis for a new cartoon?

I can't miss mentioning this: 37 days 9 hours and 58 minutes until we leave for Algonquin! Check out Jim's blog for some good tips on camping, backpacking, etc.

Hey, I read a neat article (actually it's a new blog feature they're running) this morning in my e-mail from Men's Health. It's about the whole low-fat craze and the misconceptions out here. I thought it warranted posting here:

I Scream for Ice Cream

Here’s the type of study headline that makes me want to poke my eyes out:

The GM Ice Cream That Will Keep You As Slim As An Eel

The “GM” means “genetically-modified,” which I don’t necessarily have a problem with. (Let’s just say the jury’s still out, but there could certainly be benefits to some genetically-modified foods.) However, if you read the story, you’ll see that the only reason that the GM ice cream “keeps you slim” is that it’s low in fat. Now here’s the problem: Most of the time, saying a food (besides milk, meat, and cheese) is low in fat is just code for “it’s high in sugar” or other fast-digesting carbohydrates. That means it raises your levels of the hormone insulin, which signals your body to store fat. In other words, there’s no reason to think it would keep you slim. It’s just that it’s been engrained in most people’s heads—including well-meaning journalists—that fat makes you fat. This is despite the fact that several recent studies have shown that eating more than 60% of your daily calories from fat results in faster weight loss compared to consuming 30% of calories from fat.How can this be possible? Without all those carbs to raise insulin levels, your body keeps burning dietary and stored fat for energy. So the real problem is sugar and those other fast-digesting carbs such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. Don’t get me wrong: There’s no doubt that if you eat too many calories you’ll gain weight either way. But these foods are especially harmful because, if fat is the bullet, they’re the smoking gun.

Anyway, I read through the article hoping to at least find out how much sugar this super ice cream contains. But somehow, the reporter didn’t think to get this information. So I’m disappointed, but not surprised. After all, it’s typical nutrition reporting: Focus on the fat; forget everything else.

One last thought: Are eels slim?

Isn't it crazy how mis-informed we can get about what's healthy? Hey I'm no expert but doesn't it piss you off that they can sell a product sayin' it's low-fat and promoting it almost as a health food and it turns out that it's chalk full of other shit and ingredients that make it potentially unhealthy?
Hey, I'm no "health nut" but I try to eat healthy (okay, I've got some issues with food, especially waffles, those little naughty little things of yummy sweetness... err... sorry, back to the original thoughts) and it amazing how many people don't read the nutrition labels on the food they buy. Did anyone out there see Jamie Oliver's School Dinners show? Wow, if you get an opportunity, watch it and it'll really open your eyes, especially if you have kids. The impact that food has on behaviour is amazing. I know GeWilli will prolly be well aware of that given his organic foods/whole foods way of shoppin' and cookin'. I often think of him as a modern-day hippie... anyone who *really* knows me knows that I don't consider that a bad thing. I know that there can be a lot of negative connotations with the whole "hippie" reference but for me I see many positives in it. Peace, Love, be good to the earth... okay, make fun of me now.

Marie just read something to me from the editorial in today's Toronto Star about the MPs (Members of Parliment) in Ottawa voting themselves a raise of $2000/month because of the cost of living in Ottawa. It says that it's like a union writing, ratifiying a new contract without even letting the negotiator or employer into the room. They didn't even hold a press conference or send out a press release. We need to know that the average MP earns $147,700 a year. Okay, excuse me but how can you not survive on that salary plus and expense account of $20,000. It's now bumped up to $24,000. Damn, I thing I should become an MP.

I just had to write to my MP... it really pissed me off. Here's what I wrote:

Ms. Oda,

I would like to know how much you make as a base salary, what your expense allowance is and how you could not survive on the average salary of $147,700 a year that MPs make. I just read that there was a “secret” meeting that took place that granted MPs a 20% increase to your living expense and there was no public meeting, press release or anything. You, as a group, just waited for the minutes of the meeting to come out quietly a month or so after the meeting on the very day that the House of Commons closed for the summer. Shame on you Ms.Oda. What happened being transparent in the way our government operates? You already get more time off, more money and live a more lavish lifestyle as an MP than a lot of working Canadians that pay your salary. In the last five years MPs have increased their salaries from $131,000 to $141,000! $10,000 in five years… unbelievable.

As the editorial I read points out, if you could not manage to get by on your current (and plentiful) living expense, the MPs should have made the case to their employers – the Canadian Taxpayers – and had the courage to defend the request instead of acting in this almost deceitful manner. You gave us $300 a year (that’s taxed) and gave yourselves $4000 a year. Thank you very much.

I expect to hear back from you, not one of your minions that answers you e-mail. I voted for you and pay part of your salary – please do me the courtesy of personally replying to me directly. Unlike our elected representatives, I will be available throughout the summer as I do not get my summers off.

Regards,
G******

I gotta get in to work now so... have a good day everyone and I hope that some more Canadians write to their MPs to let them know how shameful their actions are.

g.

A new 'puter...

I finally got tired of dealing with the grief that my laptop was giving me and I bought a desktop. Pretty nice one too... Gateway GT5012 Intel Pentium D 820 2.8GHz (Dual-Core), 1GB DDR2, 250GB SATA HDD, DVD±RW Dual-Layer, CD-ROM, Flash Media Reader, Windows XP Media Center 2005.

It's a refurb unit but the price was right...actually a little more than I wanted to pay but only by about $130 and that $130 took me into the current technology so I should be good for a long time. We'll use it as a business expense for Marie's business (which is on hold but it will get going again I'm sure).

Since I mentioned Marie... we went for the first of two ultrasounds last week. It was great! The baby was quite active when I saw it. It moved it's legs and kinda flipped it's feet and moved it's fingers... almost like it was waving "Hi Dad!"... awsome! I'm really looking forward to this baby being born. As most people close to me know, I'd love to have a daughter but I think we may be statistically speaking in for another boy... that's a little scary eh... 4 boys. Marie will need to have weekly visits to a spa to be pampered and do girly things in order to survive life in a testosterone engulfed home! lol!

Well, I'm off a little early today since I have Merry Maid coming by the house to get a quote. I decided that I've reached my limits (actually went past them last week and had a meltdown... wow what a weird experience) and need help. I figure that maybe I'll have someone come in once a week to help with some of the housework for the next month and see how Marie is coping then and maybe cancel the service if she's feeling better. I just don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done especially since work is so busy lately and I can't let that slip since I kinda need the job...

See ya and have a great evening everyone!

g.

There aren't enough hours in the day...

to get everything done.

I make lists. I adjust priorities. I try to plan ahead as much as possible. All this and there still seems to be a shortage of hours in a day and days in a week.

Work is still very busy. Home is busy too. To tell you the truth, I think I'm just 1) feelin sorry for myself, 2) burnin out a bit and 3) feelin sorry for myself.

See, I knew this blog thing would be therapeutic. Damn.

I guess I just am feelin drained with all the demands at home. Marie still can't contribute too much 'cause she gets tired so easily. I kinda fell like, "What can I do? I hafta work all day or else the money stops comin' in. I can't be there all day and night to be the parent." I know, lots of people have to deal with worse situations, it's just that I'm feelin' overwhelmed at times with all that's pullin' on my time - both the things that need to be done and the things I want to do.

Waaa. What a whiner eh?

F#ck it.

Speakin' of things I want to do... I think I need to get back to runnin' in the morning. Perhaps that will help with stress levels. I've been doin' well with the weight loss and will continue with that, I just need to get exercisin' again. Healthy body, healthy mind. w/r/t the weight loss stuff... boy, do those cravings ever go away? I'm cravin' stuff all the time. Waffles call my name every morning (why waffles? I don't know, they're just so damn tasty with all that syrupy sweetness and toasty crunch with a hint of soft fluffiness... huh? where am I? and why am I covered in sticky syrup? lol!)

Jim and I are doin something together this Thursday... we're going to MEC to get our last bit of gear. I can't remember, did I post what gear I'm gettin'? Lemme check... yep, sure did. I'm really excited (okay, excited might be a bit strong) about gettin' a look at that hydration pack. I think that's gonna be key to me doing well on the portages. I'm good as long as I'm hydrated. Once I get a little dehydrated, I can't perform as well. For those keepin' count (me and Jim), it's
52 days 0 hours and 45 minutes according to Jim's countdown clock. Man, is that time flyin by or what? See what I meant up above? Time is positively screamin' by. Look at that, it's almost time to head home. I feel like my mind is stuck in a slower speed than reality... remember in that movie Young Guns when they had the peyote (sp?) and they were kinda hallucinatin'? Kinda like that... okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the point.

I've become a little fixated on have a nice lawn. I did some weed and feed for the first time really and it worked well. I was tryin' to avoid adding anything to the lawn (chemical-wise) but I couldn't really get it to come back. Now I've got it to a point where I think it's good, I'll try to maintain it by takin' care of weeds the ol' fashion way - by hand (or by fancy tool that I bought). It really works.

Well, that's all I have to say for now...

(in a booming announcer voice) "[shot of Dick] This is the High Commander. He has assembled an elite team of experts. [shot of Sally] A decorated military officer. [shot of Tommy] A seasoned intelligence specialist. [shot of suds] And... (in normal voice) well, they had an extra seat." - 3rd Rock From the Sun

It's always good when your best friend...

dreams as big as you do.

Jim has now decided that we're going to have an expedition to the Everest Base Camp for his 40th birthday. Most guys want to buy a fast car or motorcycle (although I'd wager that Jim would like the motorcycle as well!) but Jim wants to go to a place where people walk by a dying hiker. Nice.

Just kiddin' Jim... that sounds like a trip of a lifetime and one that I would love to do. Jim has some good new posts to his blog about packing your pack and backpacking food choices. Good reading for anyone thinking about either of those things. Of course I am and Jim and I keep reminding each other about how many days are left. (56 days 4 hours and 8 minutes by the way! lol!)

Marie is doing better with her condition... she's beginning to adjust to the way things are gonna be for her. I know it's tough for her and at times I feel like there's nothing I can do to ease her mind. I'm trying to keep things under control with everything on the homefront but I just had a couple of very long days at work running a disaster recovery test (14 hour days kinda long) and I think that took a toll on Marie. She never did well with lack of sleep before all this happened to her and the situation is only aggravating that. She's also frustrated that she hasn't been able to get out on her own due to both being too tired and the fact they suspended her license until she's seizure free for one year. I was thinkin' that maybe I'd take her to the mall and drop her off for an hour... she can walk around and buy stuff, be by herself... I dunno if that'll help. I'm stereotyping here (women and shopping), just tryin to think of something that'll give some time to herself but not involve her driving. Maybe I can get a babysitter tonight and take her out for dinner.
...
Okay, so I hit "Save as Draft" and never came back... oh well, I'll leave the post as-is and continue... I ended up cuttin' out of work early and taking Marie to the mall. She had a bite to eat in the food court and we walk a little bit (bought some new bed sheets for the new bed) and then she'd had enough so we headed home where she had her sleep.

Marie found out that she also suffers from sleep apnea which combined with the pregnancy made he so exhausted that it triggered the seizure she had at the beginning of May. This is good news in that we know have a treatment option for getting better sleeps and therefore reducing the risk of more seizures. So we end up with a root cause for her seizure within 12 hours of the seizure and we have a diagnosis on what is causing the extreme fatigue. A lot of people go a year or two without knowing the cause of their seizures... we're blessed with our situation. (doesn't make it all easy on Maire but at least it helps keep the sanity... for her not me, I'm not sure I'll ever be considered sane, lol!)

Well, Jim and I should be hittin MEC to get the remaining pieces of gear for our trip. I need one nalgene bottle, one hydration pack (thanks for the advice GeWilli), a waist pack (to double as a small day pack for our day trips), the Outback Oven, and the various outback oven food items that we want (like brownies... mmmmm, brownies). By the way, 53 days 0 hours and 14 minutes !

Jim and I are taking our kids camping in July and we're gonna do a test run with the new (to us) stove and I've made it mandatory that we test drive the brownies! lol! This should be a fun short trip... two days in a provincial park is not really camping but it's an adventure that the kids will enjoy and remember. I love knowing that we're doing something that'll become one of their childhood memories. I know both my boys love camping and being outside in general and I love that and want to foster that attitude. Not that they don't like to play video games but we limit their time doing that and watching TV. My parents went to the extreme but I believe it's better to teach them that moderation is the key.

Well, that's it for me today, gotta do a few more thing before I leave for home in an hour so, have a great one everyone!

g.