THUNDERING into Thunder Bay

SNM Tour Day 31
Beware of the time zone change! 

We woke up in the dark and got ready and it was still....dark.  Executive decision to delay the start of the run for safety reasons, so I started out on my run just a bit later with a reflective safety vest and a flashing light (all of which had not been used to this point).  Now for those out there that are particularly astute, you will know that when we woke up in Upsala, the time had NOT changed as yet, this only occurred several kilometers further East.  We were ahead of the game, or ahead of the sunrise as it were.  So obviously as we get further East and into Fall, the days will further shorten and we will have to start a little later in the a.m.  This is not a major problem, but it will give us less day to work with especially on the longer mileage days that are coming in the future.

believe it or not - this in the Trans Canada Hwy

      B+B @ Kakabeka Falls

So what started out as cloudy and looking like major rain, turned out to be a few spits only and it got sunnier and hotter the closer we got to Thunder Bay.  We stopped for a quick lunch and photos at Kakabeka Falls then bumped our way through a long bit of major road construction to get to the Sleeping Giant of a city.

Given that we will have a early start when we leave, we decided to visit the Terry Fox Monument which is on the opposite end of the city.  For those that have never been, I'm posting a few pix as it deserves every bit of attention that I can give it.  As we were driving in, the editor for the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal called and we fortuitously arranged for the interview to be at this site.  When we arrived it was hot and sunny, a beautiful summer day, overlooking Lake Superior.  We shot some pictures and video, but really I just wanted to be there and take it all in again.  We had visited as a family quite a number of years ago, little did I know at the time what I might be doing today!

Terry Fox is a true Canadian hero.  There is absolutely no doubt his life journey was an epic one and he had the will and courage and vision which changes people, which changes countries - it definitely changed Canada and every Canadian.  Being on the road for a month now, I have caught a glimmer of what he saw.  I can't say I have experienced what he did, however. I am fit and healthy and am running on two strong legs and riding a fast bicycle.  I can't imagine...even after doing what I have done so far, I still can't imagine what it must have really been like for him.  The sheering pain with each hop, the agonizing slowness of literally inching across the landscape. Every km must have felt like a hundred.  His legacy touches me deeply, now more than ever.  When I finish my own tour, I will think of him often.  Was it his martyrdom while still so young? Was it his belief in miracles and his battle to make one happen? He was the first, the one and only. His life has inspired many, it certainly inspires mine.

Early on, I had stated that I wanted to do for mental illness what Terry did for cancer.  This was a very bold statement and I retracted it publicly.  I was not comparing myself in any way to Terry Fox, I can't and should not. I just wanted to state my dream of abolishing discrimination and stigma and inspiring people to talk about mental illness in positive ways.  As Terry wanted to raise money to put an end to (the pain of) cancer, I dream of raising awareness of depression and SAD.  I want to give all the silent sufferers a voice, a strong voice of action, a voice of positive change, a message that mental illness can be challenged, controlled and ultimately beaten.  If I can accomplish this, even in a small way, I have accomplished everything I set out to do. 

I stood humbled, in the shadow of Terry Fox - and I was honoured to be Canadian and to perhaps "know him" even a little more than most others ever will.

Quote of the day - and definitely not random today

Dreams are made if people only try
I believe in miracles
I have to
because somewhere the hurting must stop

Terrance Stanley Fox

Up, Up and away in Upsala

SNM Tour day #30

After a night of thunderstorms we got an early start under clouds and I ran and we cycled in just a bit of a drizzle most of the day. On such a hot and muggy day, this was actually very pleasant.  It was like going through one of those misters at the Calgary Stampede to cool off for a few minutes.  Byrnes rode along again today and was overjoyed that the hills weren't quite as intense as a few days ago.  

I guess I must be becoming a bit more "hard core" as a cyclist when I consider 105 km as a nice short day of running and riding.  After two days in a row of over 150 kms, tour day 30 was a welcome and pleasant day overall.

We were at our campsite just after noon and we had internet!!! We have been in telephone and internet hinterland's who's who out in very rural Ontario.  We can manage without the internet, but having no phone service or access to emails has been difficult as there are many things that are constantly in need of answers and arranging and the inability to communicate is challenging to say the least.  We are currently trying to sort out a way around this problem - ??another phone with still another provider on a different grid than the Rogers and Telus systems that we have.  Any suggestions out there??

Tour Day Sponsor is Larry Jacobson of Barjac Construction - thanks so much for your kind support.

Random "quote" of the day

"Git R Done"

company name of towing company advertised along the highway - which could be the slogan for many many things...

So after 30 completed days of the tour - I felt it was time to sit back and compile a list.  

The top 10 things we've learned

(or if we knew, were strongly reinforced)

from 30 days traveling on the SAD no more Tour 2010

10. Consistently blogging every day is harder than I ever would have thought

9. RVs are a bit narcissistic and demand a lot of attention

8. If there is even a fleeting thought of giving in/backing off/slowing down - I think of Terry Fox and I don't

7.  The trans Canada fluctuates from a wide beautifully paved shouldered highway to gravel shouldered, pot holed and extremely dangerous (even for cars) paths - we have been overly impressed and utterly embarrassed at times. 

6. The vast majority of people we have met have been kind, friendly, inquisitive and know someone who has SAD (if they don't have it themselves)

5. The wind can be your greatest ally or your nastiest nemesis, and this can change frequently and without warning many times in a day or be constant and predictable.

3. When you're on the bike for 5 -6 hours a day, eat before you're hungry and drink before you are thirsty, ie. eat every hour and drink every 15 - 20 minutes.  e-Load and Clif bars ROCK!!

3. On the road, good friends and family have made all the difference and have provided us with laughs, encouragement, wise advice, hands on help and food and we are forever grateful!

2. Live in the moment (not in a hallmark greeting card way - but literally)

1. This tour would not have been possible without Monique - if there is a hero in all of this - it is her!

 

Igniting our Imaginations in Ignace

SNM Day # 29         Sunday August 29

Still in an internet black hole on Sunday...hence the late posting.

Beautifully early start - when I was soaking wet on my run, I knew it was going to be a hot and humid one and it was!  Sunny, hot, windy, humid, hills and more hills - if you are guessing that this long mileage day took a bit longer than expected, you'd be right.  All the long days of training, particularly in and around Kelowna paid off today, as I shed a few pounds of sweat.  We passed through Dryden for a brief stop and then motored on.  If heaven has many rooms, I felt like we were rummaging through the drawers of many of these rooms today.

We have been meeting very few cyclists on the road but today was an exception.  Rob was going solo, traveling west to Vancouver - all the best to him on his travels. 

The Ignace sign was more than welcoming as I finished the day to ever-increasing winds.  I have already put in over 3,000 km running and cycling - a long way already with still a long way to go!

Our recently-plugged leaking tire was low again today and we were waiting for it to be fixed as we speak (or blog, as it were).  Now since I am with the A Team, well actually, the B Team (remember that we are with B + B), the time was spent wisely, if not brilliantly - we solved the hot water tank dilemma, fixed the BBQ, baked a pie (literally) in our BBQ, prepared tomorrow's lunch and finished off a crossword puzzle and cribbage tournament all while waiting for the mechanic / tow truck driver to return from his emergency tow. 

Ignace is home to the white otter.  Obviously, there are white otters somewhere around, or the town folks are just fond of short white long furry animals.  Clearly a trucking route, there was an unending parade of large, long haul trucks passing through the town, on the highway, probably through our campsite also.  

While we were stopped to eat lunch with some 50 km to go, a truck blew a back tire, spewing rubber everywhere on the highway.  A convoy was following and there was a lot of smoke and braking and very quick maneuvering.  If we had been 10 minutes later, it could have been a potentially very dangerous few minutes for our tour crew.  As it was, everyone was OK and it was just another day on the highway. Yesterday, I forgot to mention that we had see a car burnt to a crisp on the highway to the point where the brand was almost indistinguishable.  It must have been so hot that all the asphalt was literally melted and the car had sunk down into what looked like a little pit.  Quite spectacular - hope everyone was able to get out quickly and safely!

Tour sponsor of the day is Robert Hobbs - thanks again!

Cyclist tip of the day

The product e-load is an exceptionally good electrolyte formula for long days like today.  I have been known to be notoriously negligent when it comes to fluid management, particularly on runs and have paid the price with muscle cramps through the night.  Since using a well-designed fluid replacement formula and using it properly, I have not had a single problem.  I have been alternating bottles of water and full strength e-load and drinking every 15 - 20 minutes to the clock religiously, regardless of feeling of thirst.  

Random quote of the day

Change is not merely necessary to life, it is life

Alvin Toffler

Vonderful Vermillion Bay

SNM Day 28

Saturday August 28

Posted late due to challenges of travelling though internet black holes.....

A disjointed start / stop / start / stop morning with photos and video while we officially crossed the Manitoba to Ontario border for the second and final time.  4 provinces have now been officially traversed and we are now in our 1st day in a new province.  The first border crossing was on foot and not on the bicycle.  It was overcast the entire day and threatened to rain with a few times but nothing happend and we stayed dry.  

We met many groups of people on the road today from Winnipeg and Calgary, some pre-arranged and some completely serendipitously - it was fun!  It was much hillier than expected - constantly up and down, reminding me of many training rides in and around Kelowna.  We hit a stretch of brutal construction and I needed my hybrid bike for the firest time to get through the loose gravel - the only option through this area.  

 

Byrnes joined in on the cycle once we cleared Kenora and all this construction.  It wasn't fair that his clip-ons didn't fit the pedals and he was using the hybrid.  With all the hill work, he still put in a very adequate 1 1/2 hours or so and he should sleep well tonight!

We found out we had a flattening tire at a brief stop and had this attended to at the first and only auto repair place in Vermillion Bay which luckily was open and willing to do the work.  Got us to our campsite, and we did a number of minor repairs on a growing list of small things in the RV, had a great meal and are winding down.  The Blue Lake campsite has some of the nicest showers I've ever seen in a campground - a very pleasant surprise.  All in all, a good solid day of road mileage.

Tour Day Sponsor - Simone and Allen Penner, thanks again - the trucks were particularly polite today - did you guys have something to do with this?  

Random quote of the day

Leisure tends to corrupt, and absolute leisure corrupts ablsolutely

Edgar Shoaff

Happy 58th Birthday Joe Dort, sorry about the phone service kicking in and out on you - we all love you! 

B & B are the greatest to travel with - I feel that they are hosting us (and not the other way around).  It's a pleasure and with their experience in all things RV, we don't have to worry about anything.  If there's a problem, they always seem to have the solution...gotta love it!

Interesting.....we're in Ingolf

SNM Tour day 27

 

woo - hoo, passed this landmark today!

Did not complete the other half of the blog last night - sorry (I figured getting more than 4 hours of sleep might be better than trying to be real witty, so I went to bed). It was a shame that we couldn't spend a little more time with mom last night but we will have a chance to see her on the way back (and will definitely have a lot more stories at this point). 


The event last night was fully attended and went surprisingly late (all extremely good things). Physicians were engaged, asked great questions, all in all a very good night of interactive medical education. Byrnes videotaped the event and I think we will get some good footage from the event.  We also did a little video work at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg and hopefully, combining video on the road with the presentation material and a lot of still photos, we will get a very good educational video which highlights the tour as well as giving excellent current information about SAD. Coming to a theatre near you......


It was a very early morning, being on Breakfast Television just after 6 am today, again a nice solid interview. As part of the interview with Brian Yasui they actually used video footage from our arrival to Calgary, so it was good mix of past and present tour status.  We left thereafter with Byrnes and Barb, on the road a little later than usual but on a beautiful hot sunny day with a bit of a breeze - life couldn't be better.  Now Byrnes and Barb (B+B as they will be called from this time hence on this blog) are much more experienced RV-ers than us, so within 5 minutes of driving along they already had a few ideas about things - we need all the help we can get, so we have big ears.  Of course after being on the road for a few days with them, I anticipate that their volumes of suggestions may not be quite as interesting and we may be ignoring most - but let's give them the benefit of the doubt, it's only day 1 and the magic hasn't worn off yet.

                                    mere hours before "the event"


GOOD NEWS! - Natalie has delivered her 3rd child, or shall I say Justin delivered her third baby. Seven pounds and 14 ounces of boy came very fast (precipitously as we say in "the biz") at home and a 911 ambulance call which was quick but not quick enough and Dr. Justin OB/GYN put on his baseball glove and didn't drop the line drive.  Given the unexpected nature of events, a name was not forthcoming - I suggested "Catch Beaudry" but I have just been informed that the name is officially Cabrel (which actually does mean catch in French, I think - I'll ask Jill Boeshmin - I know he'll know). So I guess the sweepstakes mentioned in previous blog are a thing of the past.  The winners are clearly Natalie and Justin - CONGRATULATIONS!


This day of the tour is dedicated to the newest member of the Courcelles clan - the swift little Cabrel Joel Beaudry.


The Day Sponsors of the tour today are Simone and Allan Penner.  Thanks so much for the support - and make sure those trucks are nice to us!


BAD NEWS turned GOOD NEWS - someone tried to steal at least one of our bikes off the back of the RV last night - as one of the locks was sawed down to a few wires - they stopped for some reason and all was fully intact. Winnipeg.......

We leave another province behind as we straddle the border and are officially in Ontario. Tomorrow we will drive back to the Trans Canada and be back in Manitoba momentarily before we cross over again and enter the "very long" province of Ontario. It's very, very confusing here in the Whiteshell - Mantario as they call this area of the country. Despite being in Ontario, we are closer to Calgary than we are to Toronto - how does this work??

We're here in Ingolf - cottage country.  This is God's Country! Even an atheist would be hard-pressed to disagree.  We leave the wide open spaces of the prairies and head into the rugged, rocky Canadian Shield.  We are spending the night with Don and Cheryl and a lot of relatives.  We are just a little late - but officially HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DON and CHERYL!  B+B have already met quite a few relatives a few nights ago and survived to tell the tale - so they'll manage just fine tonight (I hope).


Tomorrow we will get into a routine with B+B, whip them into shape and keep this tour moving.  Actually what will happen is that Byrnes will whip all the rest of us and laugh incessantly.  Our cosmic cookie supply had almost dwindled to nothing, but Barb came through with a delicious batch which should get us through the next few weeks - so she can whip me any time.  Yes, I'll try and post the recipe.  Maybe I can start a "Random Recipes of the Day' part of the blog - or maybe NOT!


Random quote of the day
Keep cool and you command everybody
Louis de Saint-Just

talktalktalk in Winnipeg

SNM Tour Day 26
here`s a half a blog - more to come later (time permitting)

Thanks Suzanne (and Bill and everyone else who was there) for a great night yesterday.  Always so much extra work and prep to put on something even when  it seems so relaxed and casual - all was greatly appreciated, we felt very special and very privileged to have family around who really care about what`s going on. 

Rest day off the road today in the PEG. Much needed sleep in - felt great. There are plenty of things to be done today for the tour. Noon hour ``lunch and learn`` at a medical clinic, video work with Byrnes (you`ll be hearing alot about B+B (Byrnes and Barb) in the upcoming days, and dinner meeting with physicians tonight. 


Winnipeg Free Press article seen on the net - great photo of Frankie and me! Nice Winnipeg feel to the write up which makes for more interesting reading. Had a good radio interview with Geoff Currier, the night hawk, with CJOB last night and the message is definitely getting out there piece by piece. So the mission of awareness to action is moving ahead as we inch across that little google map.

Now at this get together last night, I find that people ARE reading this blog and enjoying some of the stories, anecdotes, photos etc. - GREAT!! Everyone can send a little message now and then in the comment section so I know you are out there - you don`t have to join up with twitter or facebook or anything that is against your moral or religious beliefs. Just send a little note the odd time so I know you`re out there. I might even come up with a few more contests - I am committed to stumping super sleuth Natalie before the baby comes and she won`t have time to be cleaning up on contests - she`ll have other things to be cleaning. Boy or Girl, delivery date, we could start some wagering here and it would be like an internet gaming site. Why play on-line poker when you can play the Super Stork Sweepstakes - winner takes all (except the kid).



Random quote of the day
Don`t let yourself forget what it`s like to be sixteen
Anon

Whipping into Winnipeg - Nailing the Peg!

SNM TOUR day 25

there`s something about Manitoba that makes me want to lift up my bike

So this will be quick as I am currently at a bit of a party for us and Ì`m hiding out trying to get just a bit of work done before everyone arrives and I will be even more officially RUDE!! If there are typos, they will get fixed tomorrow.

Excellent run, excellent public forum at CMHA in Portage la Prairie.  Nephew Frankie joined in cycle from Portage and on a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze at our backs we whipped into the peg in great time.  FRANKIE ROCKS!! What a trooper he was and what a pleasure to ride to the city with him!!

A Free Press photographer and reporter were there to meet us at the city limits/ city sign and the rest is history.  For those living in Winnipeg, the story should run on the 26th and given the reporter Melissa Martin`s intelligent questioning - I suspect we`ll be seeing a very insightful article.

Tour Day Sponsor - Mag and Ron Ferniuk - thanks so much for your very generous support and understanding!!

Random quote of the day
Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy
Gretta Brooker Palmer

Tomorrow a rest day off the road but lots and lots of media and events and video work etc etc - cannot wait - it should be more than a bit of fun!!

My name is being screamed - this can`t be good - gotta go..............

Powering into Portage

SNM day 24

A bit of a disjointed day of wake up and run, morning meet and greet session at the Brandon Clinic, then cycle for an hour, then back to town for a noon hour presentation at Wheat City Clinic, then drive out and cycle again to Portage La Prairie.  Overcast, cool and windy - but gusting in the right direction today so it was very quick (if not dangerously so) on the bike today.  When we hit good pavement I was absolutely flying with the wind at my back. At other stretches of gravel shoulders and pot holed highway, especially when the direction shifted and we were getting a nasty cross wind, I was white knuckled and hanging on tight as I got jostled and pushed around like a rag doll.

Monique had two scary close calls with truck drivers seemingly not paying attention and having to slow down far too quickly behind her despite the two lane highway, our brightly colored and lit up and obviously slow moving vehicle.  Oh well, hopefully we won't get too much of this, although we are getting accustomed to the daily trials and tribulations of the road they call the Trans Canada. 

All in all, the public forums and educational events to physicians are very well received and I have been relishing them.  The public forum last night in Brandon was particularly interesting with a lot of questions and interaction from the audience which is always a good sign of people being engaged and interested.  For the first time, a question was posed to Monique directly from a member of the audience and without any hesitation she responded.  When she grabbed the microphone, set up her own lap top and power point presentation and proceeded to speak for 30 minutes I became a little worried that she was getting back at me for all the hours behind the wheel covering my back. OK, so I embellished things a bit, but she did answer questions and commanded the attention of the room with her observations and opinion, which I thought was fantastic and showed the comfort of all the participants with sharing freely about the impact and stigma of mental illness - the time is right, the time is now. It happened last night and we had a similar experience of very personal sharing this morning and I really believe I am seeing the tide turn.  There still is far too much discrimination, misunderstanding and ignorance when it comes to mental illness.  If this tour succeeds to change this, even in a minute way, I will be honored to be part of it; to be someone who is finally willing to stand up and speak what should be spoken for myself and all those who suffer in silence.

So to lighten things up a bit, today as I was riding the wind, I thought about how much I used to enjoy canoeing and the very odd day when there was enough wind (and it was going in the "right" direction) and we used to tie a sleeping bag between our two paddles and use it as a sail.  It didn't happen often, things had to be just perfect - but when it happened, it was exhiliarating, fun and crazy. You just hung on and let nature take you.  Sort of like cycling today.  Sort of like talking about depression and mental illness these past few days - WOW!

Day sponsor of the tour, the one, the only Richardsons - thanks Jeanette and Glen

Random quote of the day

I don't think there is a proper way to celebrate something which makes you happy

Matthew Oliphant

Thanks so much to Rob and Lisa for hosting us this evening. A wonderful shower/bath, scrumptous meal and good company was just what we needed - thanks so much.  

A CMHA talk in the morning and then off to the Peg where a lot of media work and talks await - It's our third "home coming" of the tour (Kelowna, Calgary and now Wpg).  I've had lots to think about in these last few days and I think a lot of memories will be flooding back as we weave our way to Winnipeg.  Watch out blog - lots and lots more to come.  

Boating into Brandon - it's raining, it's pouring, the old man is.....DROWNING!

SNM Tour day #23

So here's the insider sexy part about being a BIG Celebrity on this Canadian Tour - are you ready??

We're sitting in a relatively disgusting laudromat in Brandon, on the absolutely slowest, slow speed internet connection which has forced us into reading old Chatelaine magazines (circa 2006) and drinking coffee from a pot that may have been here for the past week (it was still relatively warm so I figured I'd go for it) waiting for the sign in for today's blog - how have we stooped so low (or have we ever been much more high brow than this - ah there's the rub)? But before we go any further in the spin cycle - let's back up a bit to give you the preamble leading us to this point.

It poured all night and it poured all day.  The saving grace was that there was no wind and the temperature was surprisingly mild.  Mileage was relatively low, so we arrived in Brandon before noon to be greeted by Glen and Brent who were to cycle with me to the Brandon Sun Newspaper for a photo shoot.  The Sun had already run an excellent article with a stock photo on Aug 21st and had put in a pretty good "plug" for this evening's public forum.  As our trio went from the Petro Canada station on the Trans Canada Hwy into town, the rain went from a persistent drizzle to an all out downpour to a very near hail storm to a full-on monsoon - it is not hyperbole to say it was like cycling in a creek.  We went over a bridge to enter the downtown and the water was coming down the street like a waterfall.  It was unbelievable, the amount of water on the streets was epic.  Poor Glen and Brent were absolutely soaked and I stepped into 6 inches of water when we had to stop at an intersection.  The photographer was enthusiastic about the photos he was snapping of the 3 drenched souls, although he was a little hesitant to take anything but indoor shots.  Brent concluded "I'm never going to forget this day" - I said "I like to make an impression wherever I go" - he was thoroughly impressed, I think, it was hard to tell through his wet and fully steamed-over glasses. 

I was prepared for this weather so I really wasn't too bad apart from highway spatter from all the trucks.  I cleaned and dried off in the RV, and we eventually ended up here. It's so much fun to be on the road!! Since the time I started writing this, I have also found a few "Our Canada" magazines and they are actually quite good - maybe I'll submit a story or a photo or two.  Sorry but I may not be able to post any photos until later - at the rate of speed of this connection, posting a picture might literally take an hour. 

On a more sobering note, I passed the memorial to Daniel on the highway today on my run and was moved.  There is a bicycle painted all white with a picture of this Quebec cyclist who died in 2009.  This is on a stretch of straight, wide open  and well shouldered highway.  I am reminded almost daily of the potential dangers of running and cycling on the highway, something I think about but do not linger on - you can get hit by a car crossing a parking lot (just ask my mom) so sometimes just living is dangerous. Live in the moment and enjoy it all - every rain-soaked day, every laundromat, every out-dated magazine - it's all good, it really is!!

As alluded to above, I will be doing a public forum for the Brandon CMHA later this evening and I'm hoping for a good turn-out and hopefully a lot of time for Q+A and interaction.  Up to this point, I have been speaking almost exclusively  to physicians and mental health practitioners, so this will be an interesting evening.  I am very interested to see the response of the general public.  

Tour Day Sponsor - Esther Kitaguchi, thanks so much for your kindness!

Random quote of the day

In every walk with nature, we receive far more than we seek

John Muir

Virden is very velcoming

SNM day 22

It's official, we are now in Manitoba!

3 provinces already completed with over 2200 km running and cycling done!

So have you ever had one of those mornings where you really had a hard time getting up and everything seemed a bit off and out of focus?  Well, my iphone alarm rang and I got up and started to get ready and Monique just wasn't moving at all (which is unusual).  So I turned on the lights and started the coffee and made a bit more noise, but she still wasn't getting the hint.  Eventually she got up and stated she was just too tired to get going - looked at her iphone and said - it's not even midnight, what are you doing?? I looked at my iphone which clearly stated 5:40 am Sunday.  Now this was a bit of a quaundry - whose iphone was telling the truth and whose was lying. Outside it was still completely dark - Monique's iphone got the first point. It seemed like the night was very very short, Monique's iphone was clearly in the lead and we scrounged around and found Monique's watch and clearly my iphone lost.  I rebooted and the right time and date came up, and we both went back to bed. THAT was the false start of a great day (WEIRD!)

Did get an early start on the run and cycle and amidst a day of slight rain to muggy cloudy to beautifully hot and sunny, we made our way from Eastern SK to Western MB crossing the border in good time and getting to Virden without difficulty.  It was a solid day of cycling, the winds were intermittent and not nearly as strong, so the day was not as nasty as yesterday. 

Day Sponsor is Brian Hunter, thanks again!

Random quotes of the day

So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter

Gordon Alport 

If you can attain repose and calm, believe that you have seized happiness

Julie-Jeanne-Eleanore de Lespinasse

Every day you make progress. Every day may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever ascending, ever improving path

Winston Churchill  

                    

                            Monique is becoming quite the camera buff

Blowing into Broadview

SNM Tour Day #21

this was a big hairy black caterpillar day.........

Said goodbye to Joy (but really didn't, I'm still pretty happy) and left Regina with a nice early start.  Fought a headwind the entire day, no let up even for a few minutes.  The positives were that the sun was shining for the most part and the winds were quite pleasantly warm.  When we were about 40 kms outside of the city we got a call from CTV for an interview, they seemed rather surprised that we had left already. Steve caught up to us at about 80 kms and we did an interview and video shoot on the highway, which probably was quite a propos given the context of the tour.

Later in the day, I did an extensive interview with Annie for the Grenfell weekly paper - by all the questions and answers, I think the article will fill the entire newspaper. Another hour bucking even stronger winds and we finally made it to Broadview. Why did I call this a big black caterpillar day? - because I spent a lot of time crouched over on my tri-bars trying to be as aerodynamic as possible, which usually means staring at a lot of pavement (and not the horizon / sky) and I saw a lot of big black hairy caterpillars as a result.

Now if you've been following the blog you probably realize that Monique is a bit particular about her campsite selection, noise level, cleanliness etc. Well here in Broadview, it appeared that we had one choice, and one choice only.  Despite it being Saturday, this entire playground and campsite is entirely deserted, to be more specific, we are the only ones here and apart from the incessant wind, it is very, very peaceful and quiet.  This may be a good thing after a longer than expected cycle today.

Day Sponsor is Robert Hobbs.  Thanks again!

Random quotes for the day

Happiness is not perfected until it is shared

Jane Porter

With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing

Catherine de Hueck

Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire

Reggie Leach

(thanks Tom for this one - I like it a lot)

Random bits of knowledge gleaned from spending hours on a highway

So if I only found CDs on the highway from one artist, would that mean that 

A. this is a very popular artist?

B. the fan base of this artist are overly charitable?

C. the fan base of this artist like throwing things out of windows?

D. the artist has started a new marketing campaign which involves littering?

E. none of the above

You see the dilemma here. I have been keeping a mental tally of CDs (of which I have found no particular pattern of artist or musical genre), plastic bottles, cups and in particular beer cans / bottles.  McDonalds and Tim Hortons seem to have the monopoly on cups, Coke products on plastic bottles - with the exception of Gatorade bottles which appear to be particularly popular for filling with liquid human waste (aka urine - sorry) and throwing out.  When it comes to beer, and probably why I'm writing about all this, I have seen a particular trend developing in the last two days.  While Canadian was clearly the front runner, with Labatts Blue in second (Kokanee, Budweiser and various others trailing), you will be thrilled to know that Coors Light is making a strong bid for the top 2.  So is Canadian the most popular and just the most thrown out of windows?  Who knows, but I'll keep you posted on the tally - ??go Coors go??

Straight from the Rough Rider Gnome - 

"Win the Grey Cup? - no thanks, I couldn't accept the offer"

RIDER PRIDE!!

R+R in Regina = Clean and Clean in the Capital

SAD no more Tour day #20

Would love to tell you how absolutely wonderful this day of rest and relaxation was but to be perfectly frank it was far from this. We bid adieu to Tom at 6 this am, and got going shortly thereafter.  Had a great radio interview with ex-Winnipeger Roger Currie at CKRM and then spoke to a Brandon newspaper reporter for a feature article when I will be there in a few days (that's the GOOD part) then it was all down hill after that - fix a lock on the RV, clean the outside at a trucker's car wash (very interesting - never been in one of these before - I mean, why would I?) cleaned and reorganized the inside (again), went shopping for the ever increasing list of little articles that would really be helpful and then accounting/emails/sorting out photos and videos and at the time of writing, we are almost ready to really relax. 

We will be staying with Joy for the next day, an old friend from Calgary who moved out to Regina some 6 years ago to get back into her roots as a pharmacist after working in the pharmaceutical industry.  For anyone who knows Joy, you won't be surprised to hear we had a great time out last night after the medical education event and will have a fun dinner tonight reminiscing about all our common friends and experiences. We will once again experience the bounty of JOY and learn more "Joy-speak" and all the popular culture we've been missing out on, ie what is really going on in the world of television and entertainment in general.  ET in Regina with Joy - it's all good!!

What I really didn't know is how huge a Rider's fan Joy has become - this gal bleeds GREEN. 

The whole city is obsessed with this team. When the morning news tells you about the start time of the team practice, the entire injury list of all the players (in graphic detail) and how former players are doing in pre-season NFL football games, you know this city is football crazy. One of the biggest office buildings downtown has a large team logo on it, this is beyond crazy and obsessional, it is downright watermelon headed-ly nuts!

Yesterday we had a nice walk around the legislature ("the ledge" in Joy-speak) and we didn't even know it.   and with a light breeze and sunny skies, Regina was a pretty beautiful place to be.  In Saskatchewan, the city of Saskatoon gets cited for its prettiness or waterways and bridges, but we saw some Regina charm and nightlife and were more than pleasantly surprised by it all.

Day Sponsors are Jeanette and Glen who would be happy that we are getting a day of relaxation - they really do care about us - thanks again (and again and again)!

Random quote of the day

Whatever you are, be a good one
Abraham Lincoln


On the road again tomorrow and hoping for a bit of nice weather to make some good mileage in the next few days to the Manitoba border - I'll keep you posted if we don't lose all our capability to get cell phone and internet coverage.  If you don't see anything for a day or two it's not because we aren't trying!!!

Romping into Regina, gateway to the West, but we're going East!!

SNM Tour day #19

Left the Bachinsky's and the pretty hamlet of Caron and headed east entering Regina just before noon.  A short overall distance but into headwinds the entire way so I got a pretty good work-out getting there. Sunny with just a bit of haze throughout the day, you got it, you couldn't ask for much better (apart from a reverse direction of the wind). The Trans Canada did not get much better, the RV was jostled pretty good and some of those cracks must have felt like major speed bumps.  I could hear the banging and subsequent yelling (which sounded very similar to French swearing, but I couldn't be too sure)

Apparently there is an article in the Regina Leader (newspaper) this morning about the tour and there did seem to be more honks of support the closer we got to Regina, so people must read this paper OR people love to honk in Regina! I give a talk this evening to physicians and some more media work tomorrow.  Day #20 is a much needed rest day from the road and a bit of ketsup (catch up).


RIDER NATION - yeah Ronnie!

Tour sponsors of the day are Jean and Bunny Walus who celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary today - CONGRATULATIONS and thanks for all the support and prayers.  See you very soon in Winnipeg.


It's Tom's last day on the tour bus today as he leaves to get back to work in Saskatoon.  He has been great to have as a driver and we made him work (probably more than he expected) on his little "holiday".  We shared some good laughs and observations about the people we met and the landscape we encountered and his involvement goes down in the tour annals. He tends to have a warped sense of humour much like my own. Thanks Tom for everything.  For his 50th birthday we got him a bike, after the time on the road with us, he might be thinking hard about pawning this off for something more sane, maybe a new set of golf clubs (of course new clubs didn't work the last time, did they?) And that's the last jab at Tom, unless of course he actually starts to read these blogs and comments on them..... 

                Tom put an offer on this cute little bachelor's pad fixer-upper
                        He says he's really "handy", I guess we'll see....


Random quote of the day
Time is the only thief we can't get justice against
Astrid Alauda

 



 

Catching up in Caron

I apologize again for the inability to post - no internet or phone service on either of our phones last night.

SNM Tour Day 18

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but you couldn't have asked for a better day today.  Got a nice run in, and just as I was getting to cycle, the skies darkened, there were a few bits of thunder and lightening, so we headed out quickly only to get caught in about an hour and a half of pretty good rain.  Then there was a mini-miracle kind of Hollywood occurrence, where the sky literally parted with the sun breaking through one half and the skies of the other half remaining dark.

Thankfully we were heading into the sunlight portion and it remained rain-free and relatively sunny thereafter, which was a definite bonus for our 150 km day today.  Anyone who says that Saskatchewan is flat as a pancake must be mistaking waffles for pancakes, there was an abundance of ups and downs and rolling hills - quite fun!

                                                       Thanks so much Gladys and Bill!

We went specifically to Caron SK today to meet and visit with some great old friends, Bill and Gladys, as we had some catching up to do.  Gladys used to work as a receptionist at the clinic where I work in Calgary and they moved to Caron to retire (ha!) a few years ago.  They were gracious enough to host all of us, give us a wonderful meal, a beautifully smelling / clean hot shower (well, they didn't give us the shower...I don't want you to get the wrong impression) and a comfortable bed to sleep in.  After living in an RV, even for only a few weeks, you come to appreciate the simple things in life that are usually taken for granted.  After dinner, we got a tour of the hamlet, met a few neighbours and spent a really nice time chatting about "old times" as well as finding out that their retirement is far from it - busier than ever, these two.  Thanks so much Gladys and Bill for your kindness and great hospitality.

Bill and Ted's excellent adventure in Caron
A few things of note:

1.    Our arrival to Caron increased the population by .25%
2.    We were within a km of a very famous / infamous person and their farm (bonus points if you can guess who this refers to)
3.    The local post office used to be the local jail
4.    Gladys and Bill are great people!

En route today, we passed through Mortlach SK and checked out a few galleries, very nice little town which is doing something right!

I'm sure we'll see worse in the next few weeks, but I must say, we went over some of the roughest patches of the Trans Canada seen to date - it was hard to know what was safest, the gravel shoulder or the pot-holed highway - ouch!!

Wherever we stop, the Sunshine Mobile stills draws interested and curious individuals.  They come out to chat and find out what we are all about.  It is great as I am definitely able to continue to get out that awareness messaging - it's all working!

Random quote of the day

Even nectar is poison if taken in excess
Hindu proverb

Fast and Wet into Swift Current

SNM Tour day #17

Card from Monique today

Cover "Remember, I'm behind you all the way."

Inside "and I'm ready to give you a swift kick in the ass whenever you need it!"

gotta love that woman (and I DO!!)

                                     here's where we started today

Rain threatened the entire day, but only got a few drops here and there and really couldn't ask for more.  The wind was challenging for the first half of the ride but calmed a bit thereafter so got at least a bit of a break to end things off.  With about 20 km to go, we passed a set of 3 cyclists, but given that it had just started to rain, I slipped by without stopping and talking, which I now regret.  Since coming out of BC, we have seen very few cyclists, so meeting anyone on a highway trek demands some acknowledgment.  Sorry team, maybe we'll meet later on and swap stories.

Got a very nice television interview with a Swift Current TV station - Southwest TV News and story should air shortly.  The reporter claimed that the area had been extremely wet and that she wasn't surprised that the day was overcast and spitting as that was a typical day lately.  This certainly is farm country, and we definitely knew that we were in RIDER NATION! (sorry about last year's Grey Cup guys, there will always be another chance in a decade or two - just kidding.....)
 

            Had a another riding partner for a bit but the pace killed him.....

Day Sponsor is Brian Hunter, thanks again for your support!

Random Quotes of the day

Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom

Phyllis Therous 

Choose your pleasures for yourself, and do not let them be imposed upon you

Lord Chesterfield  

I am a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it
Thomas Jefferson