It's been hot, I've been focused on work and teaching (2 weekends in a row). So here I am in the middle of our summer with no trips planned... My better half is off on an adventure 2 weekends from now... I'm on kiddie duty.
The great thing is however I have reached the 100 day mark. What is that you ask? I have ridden 100 days this year. A lot of people (even ones around here) think we do not ride much in the nations capital, you hear things like "we have a short riding season" or "winter lasts too long to ride much". But I'm hear to tell you no way, we have a great riding season, you just have to get out and enjoy.
I have only one 'rule' when it comes to riding. When riding to work, I will not ride if it is raining when I need to leave. Working in a office it is not good to be wet all day but, on the way home, who cares, you can dry off and get a change of clothes when you get there. This has meant that I commute most days, and I'll also start riding as soon as the salt is off the roads... layers people, you can still ride!
I'm a little behind last years mark, on this day last year I had 102 days of riding in. But I still have might sights set on beating last years 195 days riding...
So tell me this, if you added it up (yes I actually do keep track), how many days do you ride in a year???
Sorry gotta go ride now and add to those days....
Paws
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Birthday
A special treat for living in the nations capital is being able to enjoy Canada Day (July 1st) with about 300,000 of your closest friends. My daughter especially likes this day and being able to go downtown, wonder around, see the sites and take in the people (she also must see the fireworks at night over the Parliament buildings...). It becomes a real zoo of people, but hey it is only for one day, so why not enjoy and just go with it.
We tried to leave early... that didn't work too well as we moved outside the neighbours were gathering, you see the night before we had been awakened by a phone call, one of our neighbours was going into labour, she had asked my wife to go over and watch their daughter if/when the time came... and the time had come. So there had not been much sleep for my wife either, the call at 12:30, their daughter up at 5:30... now all the folks had to have the scoop... as it turned out, they were already back from the hospital, new baby boy in tow... that kid will always have a party on his birthday.
We finally got going, we had decided this year to bike up to the hill, this would be a first but we thought this way no waiting for buses and we could leave when we wanted. We took a route along the river and the bike paths to downtown.
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Once we got downtown we spotted a parking lot they had set up just for bikes, this was a few blocks away from the hill but it also had security, so no need for locks, and also the cost was only a donation to one of the local bike clubs... good deal I thought as one of the worries in the back of our heads was how do we make sure our bikes are still there when we want to leave. As we came out and started towards the hill we were hit with the reality, the 'royal watchers' were out... you see last year the Queen was in town, and really that was not too bad, but this year Will & Kate were in town, and the crowds were on hand and growing.
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We had to move around the hill, we actually had to go down 2 blocks before we could move freely. and worked our way around the crowds to Major's Hill Park, having to cross the roads were the royals would come by. We thought this was a good plan as everyone would be watching there, we could look around at the tent with less crowds. At the park every year there are displays from the provinces, and major retailers giving away product, we got ice cream and coffee even some soft drinks, and of course squeaky cheese ...
It was a very hot day and the kids were looking tired, so we decided we would head home... unfortunately the royals were now done and wanted to go home ( to Rideau Hall ) which meant that everyone had to wait for them to pass, not really a big deal but because of where we were it was like we were on a island and had to wait for them to pass. So we waited, a good 1/2 hour in the sun... this was not helping the kids any. But we did see the royals, well Will anyway through an open window, if you look really hard you can see him...
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We finally made it back to our bikes and headed home, everyone was tired, and hot but eventually we made it back along the river... the boy stayed outside to play with the twins next door, he later said it was a great day. The wife headed off for a nap... being a good neighbour and mother is tough at times. the daughter had a cold bath, tried to cool down and did make it to see the fireworks (a last minute car ride to a viewing spot and she was happy). And myself, well that is how we make this still about bikes...
I headed off to the yearly trip many from Ontario make on Canada day, you see... our province sells beer in special stores, this being a holiday those stores were closed. But across the river... ahhhh the dapanneur's sell beer any day of the week... So a ride across the bridge to la belle province and we had cold beer for after the nap, a good day all around.
Happy Canada Day to All
Paws
We tried to leave early... that didn't work too well as we moved outside the neighbours were gathering, you see the night before we had been awakened by a phone call, one of our neighbours was going into labour, she had asked my wife to go over and watch their daughter if/when the time came... and the time had come. So there had not been much sleep for my wife either, the call at 12:30, their daughter up at 5:30... now all the folks had to have the scoop... as it turned out, they were already back from the hospital, new baby boy in tow... that kid will always have a party on his birthday.
We finally got going, we had decided this year to bike up to the hill, this would be a first but we thought this way no waiting for buses and we could leave when we wanted. We took a route along the river and the bike paths to downtown.
Once we got downtown we spotted a parking lot they had set up just for bikes, this was a few blocks away from the hill but it also had security, so no need for locks, and also the cost was only a donation to one of the local bike clubs... good deal I thought as one of the worries in the back of our heads was how do we make sure our bikes are still there when we want to leave. As we came out and started towards the hill we were hit with the reality, the 'royal watchers' were out... you see last year the Queen was in town, and really that was not too bad, but this year Will & Kate were in town, and the crowds were on hand and growing.
We had to move around the hill, we actually had to go down 2 blocks before we could move freely. and worked our way around the crowds to Major's Hill Park, having to cross the roads were the royals would come by. We thought this was a good plan as everyone would be watching there, we could look around at the tent with less crowds. At the park every year there are displays from the provinces, and major retailers giving away product, we got ice cream and coffee even some soft drinks, and of course squeaky cheese ...
It was a very hot day and the kids were looking tired, so we decided we would head home... unfortunately the royals were now done and wanted to go home ( to Rideau Hall ) which meant that everyone had to wait for them to pass, not really a big deal but because of where we were it was like we were on a island and had to wait for them to pass. So we waited, a good 1/2 hour in the sun... this was not helping the kids any. But we did see the royals, well Will anyway through an open window, if you look really hard you can see him...
We finally made it back to our bikes and headed home, everyone was tired, and hot but eventually we made it back along the river... the boy stayed outside to play with the twins next door, he later said it was a great day. The wife headed off for a nap... being a good neighbour and mother is tough at times. the daughter had a cold bath, tried to cool down and did make it to see the fireworks (a last minute car ride to a viewing spot and she was happy). And myself, well that is how we make this still about bikes...
I headed off to the yearly trip many from Ontario make on Canada day, you see... our province sells beer in special stores, this being a holiday those stores were closed. But across the river... ahhhh the dapanneur's sell beer any day of the week... So a ride across the bridge to la belle province and we had cold beer for after the nap, a good day all around.
Happy Canada Day to All
Paws
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