everyday is d. day

a-riding we will go

today we decided to tackle the central valley greenway. we've heard the foofaraw about it. we live near one end of it and have seen bits of it from the aerial view of the skytrain. the steep descent on the narrow sidewalk to the entry was a bit too much for me first time out on my new bike. and after a good six years of not being on a bicycle at all a bit daunting.  so we walked down, which made getting on the bike and feeling some wind on the face a wondrous thing.

we cycle along the gravel trail that ends at a sort of cul-de-sac. there an 8x11 piece of paper with an even smaller arrow denotes the path switches to the dead end road, which then feeds onto cariboo. a busy bit of road filled with big trucks belching out exhaust and no clue as to where the "path" continues. we crossed at the crosswalk and entered into cariboo dam park, which posts signage that it is a pedestrian only system of trails. i'm not sure why it is pedestrian only, but s. insisted that we walk with our bikes and after 20 minutes of walking i discovered that the trails were the exclusive domain of the mere 3 runners. we passed. to continue this way to where the ped path met up with the mixed use central valley greenway path meant at least another 20 minutes of pushing my bike and that is not what i brought my bike out for. another day we could walk this whole thing. we'd gone the wrong way. obviously. we've ended up in a part of burnaby lake park at the base of a dead end street. the road intersects with the greenway path the direction we should have taken. the going is hilly and tough in spots, but exhilarating.

along the way

my blue suede (giant) bike is made for the smooth of pavement. sitting up tall in the saddle, hands wide on the handlebars, i figure out how to make best use of its 7 speeds and proudly manage all the hills without getting up out of the saddle. along the way i have a few thoughts. to get the rack and panniers so i don't have to carry my possessions on my back; that a vendor selling water would make a killing and my big comfy seat makes me sweat in a way that causes me to make a mental note to self: wear dark shorts. the signage is a tad better once it integrates with the skytrain system  but could use some improvement. those 8x10 pieces of paper are laughable and poor stand-ins for large clearly indicative signs. there could be blurbs along the way just reinforcing where a person is in relation to the whole system, how the system came to be, some wildlife proof litter bins, benches. the portion of the greenway beyond the urban centre is still clearly in its infancy, and there are rough patches and detours. some of them annoying, but understandable. others that make you shake your head. like the work truck parked on the path/sidewalk. (i mean why do they do that? they have an area cordoned off with pilons around another work truck. park on the road behind it man!) even so, we managed to ride the distance of 15 k from new westminster to commercial drive without having to ride in traffic throughout the whole route. it took us somewhere between 30 to 45 minutes depending on whose sense of time was used as a measuring stick.

we were almost home when i caught some loose gravel at the edge of the trail and couldn't maneouvre out of it. i know from my experience that the best thing to do is just to relax as much as a person can and allow the fall to happen with as little injury to self as possible; try to control it. with a hunk of metal machine in my hands it was hard to do much but fall and let it smack me just after i smacked the ground. it could have been worse. i could have tumbled down the embankment and into the river. i've got a gravel bite to show for my adventure. 30k.

i'm ready to go again.

cool as a cucumber

i created some sham of an errand to go to the mall. past experience has taught me that even on a cool day the building is more than sufficiently cool. my trip merely means some waiting in the overheated shade and a ride on a bus which on much less warm days feels like being basted and broiled in the cruelest of ovens. of course, i can only imagine.

apparently a whole lot of other people clearly have gotten the same idea because the mall normally deserted during the week is thick with throngs of people. i wonder if everyone isn't working like me or seeking relief from the heat; or ditto on both scores. all i know is that not one of the cozy and inviting armchairs that dot the mall are available in which to sit. i retreat to the food court, with the actual intention to eat something and have to work to find a table to eat my meal. i'm presumably just finished my meal and am still perched in my chair to read. my discomfort is trumped by the book. i can't tear my eyes away. it is incredibly compelling and somewhat complex; my kind of novel, but it is also one that leaves me feeling slightly dense and obtuse. i've already emailed myself a half dozen words to look up when i get home. i have vaguely understood their meaning from the rich contextual language surrounding them, but i want to be sure to get the full impact of the novel.

after i spend two hours malingering in the mall til i feel i've worn out my welcome i reluctantly exit into the suffocating heat of late afternoon. i stroll leisurely to the train, gaining an insight into the pace of the very hot climate. slow and steady to avoid becoming uncomfortable. to avoid the sweat. i arrive home feeling fairly accomplished in my effort.

despite all efforts to create some modicum of cool, i return to an apartment that is sweltering and oppressive. poor bijou lies listlessly in a corner by the window and doesn't greet me customarily at the door. one might say it is a change in attitude, she is a cat, afterall. she's a rather pathetic sight but i can't think of some way to cool her without some trauma. she wouldn't be very happy with a plunge into the bath. i know that.

i take up residence in front of the fan and tell myself it's not so bad. hot air awhirl is better than it not moving at all. when it gets to be too much i take a deliciously cool shower. dress and take up my place again. the effects of it are gone in seconds. it's bad for the budget but we decide on dinner at the local pub where we know the air is cooled by efficient a/c. most any other day i might wimper a complaint about it being bad for the budget, and even winge about the cool, but tonight there is no protest and it is bliss.

the sky is a drab grey with ambitions of dousing torrential; deepening like a spreading blush to charcoal, as we head out for our evening constitutional--dessert for shaun, exercise for me. there is the pitpat of the lightest of drizzle. down our little main street and toward the park we look for the gap in the fence that will be our entry to little used path. even less so with the weather as uninviting as itis. on a usual summer day the adjoining hume park is full of people enjoying all the park has to offer.

under the canopy of trees a hush surrounds us and the air is fresh and full of birdsong. you'd hardly know that a busy street is anywhere near, though the rush of vehicles can be heard passing by.

daylight is beginning to fade, and the sky looks angry, but we continue our intended loop, popping out onto the sidewalk for the last bit of our stroll home. i wonder to myself why we don't do this more often and promise to myself as well that we will.  i gingerly work on a cherry popsicle that sticks to my tongue. sort of like a pole in the middle of a frigid calgary winter. i don't really need the refreshment, but it is a nice sweet treat. a small pleasure.

onwards and upwards

from our north facing window the weather looked rather ominous and less than ideal, so i packed my umbrella as a safeguard. of course as soon as i began the uphill climb the clouds parted and the sun danced high in the sky. as my only exercise of the day i was putting my shoulder into it, or more aptly, my sad sorry ass into it, to propel myself up the grade. i mentally kicked myself for forgetting my water, as i felt a pointy tip of my umbrella poking me.

yup, could have done without it and packed t'other. that's for sure. that's me, i plan like crazy and somehow in the flurry always manage to forget something. strangely it's worse now that i have more time on my hands. could be a case of overthinking everything to the point of some distraction. 

i decide to take the circuitous route home and i discover a tennis court with a wall. it is neglected and deserted. perfect for me. the weekend might prove different. some mid-day ball bashing, might serve a two-fold purpose--pent up frustration release, and to aid in the pursuit of some modicum of decent fitness. i make a mental note of the route. surrey street, to richmond (both places i've lived yes....) and down the sherbrooke hill home. busy street 8th ave. drivers not so cooperative. probably the last thing they want to do as they are zooming with some abandon downhill, is brake for a mere two legged ped. and then i discover this.....

a pedestrian tunnel under the roadway. i approached it at first with some trepidation, but it is daylight and it is lit. though it reeks of urine it is safe passage under the street. parfait!

sleep and walking but not at the same time

i woke up surprisingly refreshed after a long awaited decent sleep. i logged in a solid 7. finally. it's been about a week since i've been able to manage more than 2 hours strung together. i willed myself to stay asleep and forced myself not to make the customary 3 nocturnal trips to the loo in the night. somehow it worked and i am thrilled. i almost can't believe it. part of the strategy includes not drinking anything 3 hours before hitting the day. so much for taking in a nice relaxing tea.

after a weekend of living it up a little too much, too much food and not enough exercise--save for the a hike on the trails around hume park--i fired up the ea sports active to continue with day 7 of the 30 day challenge. i'm firm in my resolve to shift some weight and gain some tone and strength. today was supposed to be mostly upper arms, but i found that most of the exercises focused on the lower body, several repetitive sets of side lunges and jumps. the provided band doesn't seem to provide enough challenge for any of the upper arm exercises and a couple of times the band snapped off the band. one beef, wii didn't seem to want to entirely acknowledge completion of the exercises, regardless of how i held the controller and nunchuk--infuriating. i improvised with my own hand weights for subsequent reps. it was simply easier than trying to figure out what was going on with the electronics aspect of it.

there was a light breeze blowing as i set off for extra foods. i welcomed it as i hoofed it in swift tempo to my walkman. it was an overly confident pace even on the shady-ish side of the street. i could feel a rivulet of sweat begin to make its way down my back. about halfway there i encountered a woman stood at the end of a driveway. she was very fair and clearly sweltering in the unrelenting sun. she seemed to be waiting for something, and seemed lost at the same time. she wasn't at the bus stop and if she was hoping for a bus she stood watching the wrong way. as i passed i smiled and said hello and she responded in kind and then turned her head and continued to watch expectantly up the hill. puzzle, that. 

i concentrated on the music in my ears, and determinedly kept apace as the downhill curved into an unkind uphill; looking forward to the chill of the grocery store.

age and time

today while i waited at the bus stop and older woman and a young girl joined me waiting. the young girl came over and sat right beside me and chirped a cheery hello. then she told me she liked my phone. it was probably the purple and pinks of  the butterfly motif adornging its case that attracted her. she told me she was five and asked me how old i was, i thought about it and replied "a lot older than her". her grandmother bemusedly told the girl that women who are older don't like to be asked their age. i don't even know if she comprehend the age of me or her grandmother. i remember when i was young that the concept of double digit ages was a bit unfathomable. and most certainly very very old. ancient.

i've been noticing that about our new neighbourhood. people nod their heads and say hello as they pass, much in the way of the small town, and the area feels that way. e. columbia street is a stretch of roadway with no chain stores, small one off shops and the wide sidewalks of a small town's main street. this does leave a few challenges when shopping, but the convenience and feel of metropolis is only a short bus or skytrain ride away.

i didn't wait for the bus, it was going to take too long. i chose to walk down to the skytrain. that is the one drawback,  half hour bus service, but all it takes is a little cagey planning to get around that. i've programmed the stop numbers into my phone so i can avoid waiting in the elements by finding out when the next one comes from the comfort of home.

Sunny Saturday on Sapperton Landing

the day was absolutely perfect. i threw on my big cotton sun hat and we strapped all the cameras on us to go for a walk along the waterfront path that starts from sapperton landing. we didn't realize the starting point was so close. we spent more time waiting for the bus longer than the trip itself. one stop. something to remember for next time.

the scene on the path is pastoral and quiet, virtually empty of people, giving us free rein with our cameras. along the way there are explanations of what has been done in the area. conservation and reclamation efforts somewhat mimic a sort of wetland area. small signs posted declare that the plants have been planted but they will be allowed to grow as they will. the trill of birdsong is in the air all around us. tall birdhouses are dotted throughout the tall grasses like erratic sentries. i notice that there are no pigeons or crows spoiling the scene.

the track tails out into railway tracks and we realize the description of the path leading all the way to new westminster quay means that the path ends. there is nowhere to walk but alongside the tracks and there is no sidewalk along the narrow road that runs alongside the railway tracks. we follow the tracks like a couple of hobos making our way to the next town, taking pictures along the way. i lose my sweater and have to double back. with my sling bag, camera bag and other paraphernalia, shaun says i look like a storm trooper or something.

a train does go by, but it passes on another set of tracks and passes over us, casting debris down onto us.

we finally get to a gap where it is safe to cross the street, we do, and continue our walk along front street. we get to the other side and notice a big double locomotive firing up to head down the tracks we just came from, and laugh. it could have been interesting. us plastered against the fence waiting for the train to go by. the narrow passage wouldn't afford much more. it would have been an experience. the antique row shops are open and we hopscotch in and out, idly window shopping. we need a tv stand for the bedroom, and want it to match the waterfall style of the all the funky furniture we already have in there. it could be quite the undertaking. so far we've come up with nothing. it may have to involve power tools and re-purposing something else.

we end up at the paddlewheeler, which is pretty much the only half decent place to wet the whistle at the end of the road. the market has since been closed for good. just in time for our arrival to the area. it's something we found out the week before, much to our chagrin; extensive renovations. in a year or so the new westminster quay will have a new face. apparently it will rival granville island market. i'll be the judge of that. i can't wait.

light reading

coffee and the newspaper.

not the newspaper per se, but the georgia straight. i usually collect it on thursdays and barely crack it. then later, when i am shuffling through the basket that serves as our magazine rack i'll find myself flipping through it cursorily just before recycling and notice all sorts of stuff that has happened and of which i wasn't even aware. not that it matters, most of the content is just a tease to me, since i can't afford to dine out,  or really do anything and theatre has been reduced to that what i can produce in my head. that's just the way it is. today i combed it from cover to cover just in case there was some sort of freebie activity i could engage in and then i realized it was the newspaper from last thursday. it was the issue previous; already irrelevant.

given my new attitude i really shouldn't be collecting it at all. i should be reading it online. i've never done it this way. i have to say there is something in the comfort of flipping the pages and dog-earing some for reference later. the only thing it's missing is a crossword. i generally grab a 24 most ever day from the hands of one of the vendors paid to thrust it into the hands of commuters for this very reason. i don't care about the stories (they are mostly the stuff of tabloid trash and sound bites anyway). i know i could read the thin rag and do the crossword online, because i've done it. just can't do it when on the move. but i am given pause when i see the 24 and the metro blowing around on sidewalks and cluttering underfoot in buses and the skytrain and it makes me think. the purveyors of the publications should actively be involved in the clean-up of the mess caused by their little newspapers.

killing time

i ran out of the house to get errands done, situating myself near the skytrain so i could easily jump on and meet up with s. and avoid the debacle of last week (when i was still on the skytrain when i was meant to be there.)

today, i was left with a handful of time and a complete lack of window shopping desire. if i ventured into a shop it was to get in out of the wind. after i had trod a few times over the same stretch of cement i decided to set awhile. glorious as the day is, there's only so much bluster i could take as witnessed by the sub-zero feel of my hands and fingers.

so now i am sitting in the end, on one of the tall seats in the window with the sun blaring in on me and i'm squinting against the sun i just came out of. the server has shown up and calling me hon, which i find annoying. he's a bit of a throwback--could swear i dated a guy sporting his kinda hair some 15 years ago or so, (actually, to be more accurate, he looks like some of the guys from my highschool days). my guinness in a bottle arrived as a winter ale in a glass, and my sanger--a club--was ordered minus the 3rd piece o' bread, it came with. a little playing with my food solved that, and when he came over to ask me how my food was tasting, i didn't have the heart to point out his dereliction. really, i shouldn't be in here swilling beer or noshing on over priced food, but i am. part of me does not want to succumb entirely to my current status.

if it isn't one thing it's another

i've been experiencing a new agony lately and i wondered what it was, but did nothing about it. every morning as i swung my feet out of bed i was reminded that i might need to get to the bottom of it. months have gone by and i thought about going to see the doctor, but really didn't feel like going to his office for him to tell me what i just found out myself.

the temple is going to hell, the new bit of damage to plague the structure: plantar fasciitis. as you might imagine i am over the moon about the development of this new physical ailment. now i've got stretching, icing (and not the yummy creamy kind) and orthotics to figure into my daily life. oh joy. and my love affair with walking has to cool some until it works itself out.

i ignored it today though as i walked in the glorious sunshine. i decided i would pay for it later if need be. the day was as crisp and clear as a person could hope; the sun a blazing, glowing, yellow dew drop orb in a cloudless deliciously cerulean-blue-as-it-gets sky. i strolled down victoria, taking in the neighbourhood, the sweetness of the air, and the utter lack of pedestrians. it was as if i had the whole world to myself for awhile. i may not be rich, quite the opposite, but i am enjoying an exquisite luxury all the same. i felt a lightness of being, an uncomplicated momentary, blissful nothingness. enhanced by the atmosphere of music in my ears, removing me from the blather of crowds and nonsense of the mundane. i felt ridiculously at peace. there's no amount of money that can buy the sensation. good thing too, i don't have any.