January 2019

“Bicycling is a manly pursuit and, unlike other foolish crazes it has not died out” Daily Telegraph, UK 1877

I didn’t make New Years Resolutions this year. I created goals.

• Cycle 5,000 kms (outdoor)
• Cycle the Blueberry route in Quebec
• Relearn Tai Chi and do it daily
• Visit the U.K. with my friend
• Eat well, drink in moderation and stay active

January has been brutal for winter weather. So bad, that the second week in January the school buses were cancelled every day. Monday and Tuesday because of the bitterly cold temperatures (-26 with wind-chills of -35), Wednesday because of the snow and Thursday because of the freezing rain. Friday was a PD day (Professional Development day for the teachers.

Yes we got every kind of weather in one week, bitterly cold temperatures, snow and warming temperatures to cause freezing rain.

On the bright side I have been planning my trip to the U.K. with my friend. Hoping to go in June. Although I have now found a job (part-time) and I am hoping I will be able to get the time off to do it.

Ralf has booked his crazy cycling trip to Indiana. RainStorm – Ride Across Indiana – Same Thing Only Ride More. 100 miles (164 kms) every day for five days and then 164 miles (264 kms) on the sixth day. Yes on the seventh day he rests. He has already received the approval from the City for his week away.

The organization has found him a room-mate which reduces the cost by about $500.00. He is already training like crazy on his road bike in the basement, leaving pools of sweat on the floor. It’s a good job we have a sump pump to pump out the water.

I tend to cycle more sedately next to him and only do one DVD at a time. I had a wonderful teacher who once said “Horses sweat, men perspire and women gently glow”. I gently glow!! Ralf will often do the DVD twice or complete one of the longer DVD’s that last up to three hours. He has the time between his morning school bus run and his afternoon school bus run.

With all this training we both should have lost weight in January, unfortunately that did not happen. We love chocolate.

We have had a lot of snow, Ottawa beat their previous record of 93 cms (36”) for the month of January, I think they reached over 105 cms (41”). We were not far behind in Brockville. Fortunately where we moved to we do not have to shovel our driveway or the walkway. We pay a yearly fee to have the snow removed in the winter and the grass cut in the summer, perfect.

I am volunteering at our local museum, which is very interesting. I have been transcribing letters that were written over 100 years ago. They were donated to the museum by a local family. Some of the letters are from Fred Gilbert to his sister Viola. Fred was in England serving in the navy during the First World War. My blog has been active for six years. I am sure that no record of our Grand Adventure will be accessible in 100 years time. Makes you think what we are leaving for future generations.