Mt. Jefferson

Trip report - Mt. Jefferson - Coos County, New Hampshire - Saturday July 27th
Elevation:  5,712 ft (1,741 m)
Trail: Castle Trail (from Route 2)
Distance: 10 Miles Round Trip
Time: 10 hours (8am - 6pm)
Hiking Partner: The Super Amazing Miss Julie Smith!

You know you are going to have a fantastic hiking day when you find something as cool as this on the way to the mountain...

The day started at 4:45am. I'd packed the night before: Camelbak (complete with nutrient sludge), poles, headlamp, compass, extra layers, rain gear, map, spare socks, snacks (energy bar, foil packed tuna, apple, orange, 2 Luna bars, dark chocolate!), and spare water bottle (full and frozen).  I grabbed my pack, hiking boots & poles, and my after hike clothing and hit the road. Dover, NH to the trail head is about a 2.5 hour drive. With an 8am meeting time, I was on my way by 5:30. Having posted my hiking intentions over a month ago, I was lucky enough to schedule the day with Julie Smith, a kayaking friend. If you've ever had the good fortune to paddle or hike with Julie, you'll understand when I say that she is the perfect trip leader. Julie knows her stuff, plans ahead, and has the patience of a saint. No kidding. You try leading 8 crazy kayakers down the Kennebec Gorge at high level during a dam release... Just saying.

Arriving just at 8, I met up with Julie, we geared up and headed off. I was not familiar with this mountain and had reached out to a friend for suggestions on trails. I took half of his suggestion and chose the Castle Trail. We decided to hike both up and down on this trail rather than looping off on several other possibilities.

The day was overcast and I was concerned that we might not make the summit as Julie & I had agreed that rain, fog, or extreme wind would cancel.  I mentally crossed my fingers that the day would clear.

The first part of the hike is through a field, under the high-voltage lines, and into the forest. Fairly quickly you reach a stream that you'll need to cross to continue on up the mountain. The water level was low but still covering most of the rocks so we took our time picking a crossing a bit upstream & the poles were a great help. After the crossing we were fully under tree cover and hiking a decently wide path, well cleared, and only a mild incline for the first mile or so in. And then....

Only 3.7 Miles to Go!

The trail became steeper and composed of rocks and roots which often formed steps in the hillside. Some natural, some man made. Now, I don't wear a watch and my cell phone was tucked away for the trek so I'm not sure how long we hiked up and up and up but it was at least an hour of fairly steep, breathing hard, heart pounding in my ears, hiking. And I was loving every second of it!!! All I could think of was how far I had come (figuratively) since November. I couldn't help but grin.

We stayed under tree cover as the trail flattened out for a good long stretch (Mt. Jefferson is a sneaky mountain, lulling you into a false sense that it will be an easy hike) and the sun began to peek through the clouds. All the while I could hear the stream babbling along on our left. Little did I know what the mountain still had in store as the trail took another upward turn and we headed for The Castles which give this trail its name.

As we hiked higher, the trees became shorter and shorter. Approaching The Castles, it looks as though you are nearing the peak of the mountain and have only a short distance to go. How wrong I was (but more on that later)! A few small scrambles over fairly large boulders and a steep, root grabbing, scrabbling climb later, we reached the first Castle.   See below.

Looking Up at The Castles

Stopping to take a couple of pictures, I couldn't believe where we had come from. Though the mountains to our left were still shrouded in clouds, the path we had traveled was clear behind us. The long flat section, of the trail that we had hiked, crossed the mound you see below. We had come from the far side of that mound!

Looking Back from the First Castle

The view to the left was not so promising as the clouds still menaced the tops of the mountains to the left. I'll admit that I was concerned about making it to the summit at this point.

After our picture break we began tackling The Castles. Up, over, through, over, scramble, crawl, is pretty much how it works through this section of trail. The Castles are comprised of HUGE boulders that push up out of the ridge of the mountain and the trail goes from Castle to Castle (and through them). Here are a couple of shots as we went:

Julie Picking the Route

 Here is where Mt. Jefferson really starts its trickery: once you complete the castles, you see that you are not, in fact, at the summit but are faced with the scene below. Okay, I wasn't ready for this hike to be over anyway! I remember pointing to what looks like the summit and asking Julie "Is THAT where we are going?". She confirmed that it was. What I should have asked is "Is that the summit". :) Feeling a theme here? Tricky mountain!

Looking Up Past The Castles Towards What Appears to be the Summit

The sky continued to clear as we ascended, affording us some amazing views of the valleys below. As we climbed, we discussed the challenge this hike afforded. There is something for everyone here: Steep inclines, scrambles, scrabbles (I differentiate scrambles as going over boulders with fairly easy hand/foot holds and scrabbles as steep, root grabbing climbs where you may very well slide back down to where you started and then some), and amazing views (see exhibits 1 & 2 directly below).

Exhibit 1: Oh the views!

Exhibit 2: Clearing clouds

 One of the interesting parts of this hike is that once you get past The Castles, you encounter a series of lawns and granite boulder fields. There is no going around the boulder fields, they spread out across the mountainside. So over we went. Fortunately there are cairns to guide you as you hop from rock to rock in the general direction of the summit. Each boulder field is an uphill climb that finishes with a small dip into a lawn of scrubby grass and alpine flora. And then onto the next boulder field. I was more than thankful to have my poles during these climbs. If memory serves, there were 3 sets of boulder fields and lawns to climb/cross before the final ascent to the summit.

The above is looking up towards the start of a boulder field. The path heads to the right of this picture and the boulder field is not the deceiving little strip of rocks that it looks like. You could easily spend 10 - 15 minutes traversing a field before you came to lawn again.

Finally reaching the summit, I found Julie and the sun waiting for me. Julie was kind enough to "save" the highest point for me and I climbed up with joy. I was standing on top of the world! This was a personal best. The tallest mountain I had ever climbed, the longest hike I had ever participated in. It was an amazing feeling that is nearly beyond words and the views went on forever! Gorgeous George was in full view in all his glory, Great Gulch and all! It looked as though you could just walk across in a few minutes (as I wish was the case!).

After a bite to eat and about half an hour of soaking up the sun & taking photos, we were ready to head down. What a completely fantastical and amazing day! Thank you to Julie for the wonderful company and to Mother Nature for bringing on the sunshine!

The rest of the photos are here. 

Lyz(y)

The best greeting I have ever received when arriving at an airport!

I was thrilled to see my wonderful friend, Lyz(y) waiting for me at the gate. :) So happy you could find a couple of hours in your busy to schedule for me. :D

Day 2 of vacation (Day 1 in NH) is off to an amazing start!

Chick-A-Go!

Wednesday afternoon I landed at O'Hare International in Chicago and I learned a few things...

1. Rental cars are WAY more expensive in Chicago and at O'Hare than they are in Canada or New Hampshire. I kinda knew this when booking my rental before the trip but imagine my shock (jaw to the floor type shock) when I asked how much it would cost to rent the cheapest car overnight from O'Hare and return it to Midway and the answer was $254.00. Really? REALLY!?!???!?? Who pays the price of 2 hotel rooms or 2 weeks groceries for a family of 4 for a single day car rental? Who?

2. Traffic in and around Chicago is crazy. I drove out to Hodgkins to visit OPW and I couldn't figure out why the traffic was going at a snail's pace and then nearly reaching the speed limit only to drop back to a crawl 2 minutes later. Repeat this cycle over and over in all lanes and that was my 45 minute drive. I don't think I'll ever understand what makes ALL lanes of traffic drive stupid.

3. Root Beer Beer Floats are AMAZING!!! How could one not love this delicious invention of deliciousness? They couldn't not love it is the answer! See attached image of said deliciousness (or half of the deliciousness as the other half was already inside my tummy). And yes, you read right, this is Root Beer Beer. The real McCoy.

OM NOM NOM!

4. If you love Italian, you must visit Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar. Say hello to Peter while you are there. He is the best! The waitstaff and barkeeps get into the spirit of Italy, wearing Italian soccer jerseys. It is an all around fun and OMNOMNOM restaurant experience. Prices are reasonable and the food is terrific! Have an antipasto plate, a pizza (brick oven, of course), and a pasta dish. I'd recommend the tortellini Alfredo. Thank you Carla for picking the perfect place!

5. Kanela is Greek for "cinnamon" and the Kanela Breakfast Club makes amazing food!!! Kanela Chip Pancakes with melted honey butter, salmon or asparagus Benedict, scrambles with gruyere, caramelized onion, and bacon... *sighs* I know where I'm going for breakfast on August 5!

6. My son is growing up! I'm sure every mom out there can appreciate the fact that if you haven't seen your child in a loooong time, it is a little shocking to see that they have changed a bit. (even when it is for the better). I had a wonderful visit with Matthew who is now 22, working full time (plus extra shifts), has his own apartment with friends, has a terrific girlfriend, and is self sufficient. When they are 2 you never picture them at 22. I'm so proud of the man he is becoming. I enjoyed staying with him and meeting all of his friends and co-workers at Cheesie's #chzlyf  @cheesieschicago on twitter and sharing a beer even! (see said deliciousness above).

You are Now in the USA

It is the strangest thing to see a sign in a Canadian airport that says "Entering the United States".

After nearly 9 months away, it is surreal to be returning to the US and eventually New Hampshire. I've gone through US customs and am, technically, in the U.S.A. right now. Weird! I've got mixed feelings. I am always proud to be an American but of course feel a fraternity (sorority - I am a girl) with Canada. On one hand I am so excited to be going "home" and on the other, I am going away from "home" for the next 2 weeks... It must be something in the water up there, eh?

I'm a big ol' bundle of nervous excitement right now. But then again, perhaps it's the coffee...

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Good morning (at least it is morning as I write this)!!!

Today, after 8.5 months, I am making the trip south of the border to visit family & friends. Currently at the Edmonton International Airport, I've had a lovely breakfast and pondered the fact that there were no less than 4 people, each drinking multiple beers, at the bar at 6am. Who drinks multiple (large) beers at 6am?

Interesting sign in the airport stating that now that the 2012 expansion is complete, the airport is now 50% larger and awesom-er. Uh huh! It is a pleasure to fly out of an awesom-er airport... In all fairness, it is bright, clean, architectural, and an all around nice airport. :D

First stop will be the (I'm sure equally lovely) airport in Toronto where I'll have a 2 hour layover just in time for lunch. Currently in the Mountain Time Zone and have only just finished breakfast so I'm not sure how well that will work out, being only 10:30 MST by the time I get there. I'm really hopping zones today! Reminds me of the movie, In Time, with the zone changes. After Toronto (Eastern time) I'll be heading to Chicago (Central time) for a quick visit with one of our manufacturers and a longer visit with my wee boy child who I've not seen since a 2 hour visit in November while heading to Canada.

Thursday I'll head east again for an extended stay in my home state of New Hampshire where I've got so many activities and visits planned that I was required to write out a schedule to assure that I would be able to fit everything in.

Stay tuned for stories of adventures around the state, on top of a mountain, on an Island, at the beach, and more! :D Oh! And I got so little sleep last night that my right eyelid is twitching!!! AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH! :D Were that I was as lucky as the Big Black Dog who is still home in bed...

He Wants to Make New Friends

Up next we have a gentleman (I'll use the term loosely) who is open to chatting and making new friends.

Let's have a look at his interests:
Golf - I don't play but I'm thinking of taking it up since everyone and their brother and sister and 3rd cousin seem to play here in Canada.
Hockey - Well who in this country doesn't like hockey?
Nutrition - Good, I am into this too.
Camping - Excellent! I just got a new sleeping bag!
Fitness - kinda goes hand in hand with nutrition, eh?
Snowboarding - meh, not so much but you've got to have differences right?
True Blood - I think this is a TV show and I don't have a TV or cable so I can't be sure.
Music - I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like music.
Softball - I played when I was 12, got a conk on the head with a ball. That hurt.
Crossfit - I do some of this so that is cool. Goes with fitness doesn't it?
Dexter - Probably a HUGE red flag but it is a TV show afterall.
Running - more fitness so that is good.

And what is the man looking for?
"So this asks for a description. But what does one say about themselves without coming across as arrogant. So ill be brief and to the point.
Open and honest to a fault.
Caring and wear my heart on my sleeve.
Like to live and love life as much as I can.
I like going to the gym and being healthy, plus being outside being active even tho Mother Nature hasn't granted us with the best spring/Pre summer so far, well unless you're a duck. Lol"

Well, 1 point for not wanting to sound arrogant. 1 more point for being brief and to the point (you wouldn't believe how long some of these profiles get!)  Minus 1 for "loling". I can't stand the human need to "lol" after everything they think might be funny or intend as a joke. 1 point for the funny duck comment (negated by the "lol" of course). So that puts him at +2 for the time being. 

This bit is new since I emailed him last night so I haven't anything to say about it other than it appears that he has been getting a lot of messages asking him for sx: "So I have updated my profile from wants to date but nothing serious do looking for a relationship because apparently nothing serious means i just want sx even tho i explain my choice in my profile. But I guess women read profiles just as much as men do lol. Just a note ladies a guy can list pretty much anything on his profile and just be looking for sx. So i would to think since i took the time to explain why i made my choice that i wouldnt be lumped in with those guys, but if you did maybe some trust issues need to be worked out before you are ready to date, just saying. So ultimately I would still like to find my best friend and last girlfriend. "

ACTUALLY... I would say 1 point for trying to set the record straight, -1 for assuming that women don't read profiles, -1 for "loling" yet again after assuming women don't read profiles, -1 for lumping all women into a trust issue pile. So that, coupled with the above gives us a current 0 overall. 

The rest of his profile before he changed it: "Now for what im looking for. (Oh good! Now we can see what he wants in a woman) Im looking for open and honest and when i say honest i mean honest, tell me the way its. Like if we meet and you aren't feeling it just let me know. Don't say sure we'll get together again only to ignore my messages and or calls. (guessing he's experienced this in the past. Perhaps having been put through this, he'll stick to his own advice and tell it like it is. AKA: respond with a "I'm not interested, thanks" rather than just ignoring an email he receives - we'll find out)
We are adults here, some more mature than others when it comes to rejection, so lets act like it and just lay it out there.
Plus I'm also looking for someone with a great sense of humor and personality. (Well, gee! I tend to think I'm pretty funny, have a great sense of humor and a rather decent personality. I can laugh, love to laugh, love to make people laugh - or rather help them to laugh. This could be good) I'm all about enjoying life and having fun. And I like nothing more than to make the people around me smile and laugh as well.

If you would like to know more feel free to message me and ask. Always up for chatting and the chance of at least making a new friend."  

Excellent! He is up for chatting and the chance to make a new friend AND he likes to smile and laugh as well. Let's send him a message!
My email: 
"Hello there,
I AM, in fact, a duck! So this has been a completely fantastic year for me. Plenty of ponds to paddle in and I just love a good thunder storm! You haven't got anything against dating a duck, have you? We ducks love the gym, have excellent nutrition, and are very much into fitness and camping though we can't hold a golf club to save our lives! Snowboards scare the bejezus out of us and we often get mistaken for the puck when playing hockey. But if you can see past all of that, drop me a note.
:D" 
  
Pretty amusing stuff there, right? Am I right? I am one funny duck! Okay, let's get his reaction:

chirp... chirp... chirp... chirp... chirp... chirp... He read it, he didn't bother to even look at my profile and (drum roll) he deleted it.

So much for chatting and making new friends while laughing and smiling...

Next!

He Knows What He Doesn't Want

At least this guy has a few standards. He knows exactly what he doesn't want:

"Ladies .... Let me tell you what I'm NOT looking for ..... (and here it comes!)

Topless mirror pics ... Like really. !!? Put a shirt on girls ... And if your flexing ... Move on ...!! (Is it just me or does it seem like nearly every guy on dating websites has a topless, flexing mirror pic?)

If you have pictures of your crotch rocket , sports car or your jacked up rig pig truck .... Move on (Hmmm, sounds like another guy thing. I don't go perusing the other womens' profiles but I sure see a lot of the above on the guys' profiles..)

Pleas stop sending pics of your junk !!! If that's your best asset..... I feel sorry for you !! (Say what? Are there really that many women sending their "junk" around on dating websites? I've been blindsided by guy junk but didn't know women did this too)

If your holding a beer in every pic. Or are drunk in every pic ... I'm not interested !! (Ah, the beer/drink shots... I think it is required of 4 out of 5 men to have a drink shot among their pics but every last one of them claims to only drink "socially")

Ladies if your wearing your pants around your ass with a baseball cap that has a flat rim , giving some sort of gangsta sign. ... Don't even !!! Move along !! (errrrrrrrr, yeah)

And if you think you can just say everything a guy wants to hear in hopes of getting some ... Your sadly mistaken .... I respect myself too much for that .. (By this point I am beginning to think that this profile is actually written by a woman. Most of the above are guy tendencies on online dating sites and well, I don't really think this "guy" could have run into that many women who do the same... just saying)

Girls that are players .... I'm not into games ... Take a hike .... I can spot someone being fake a mile away
Hope this weeds out all the losers out there ..."

What have we learned? Anyone who does the above is a "loser" and should move along. Let's see if he gets around to talking about what he DOES want...

"Just so I know you read my profile. Type the word dolphins in your message that way I know you took the time to read my profile instead of just looking at my pics .... I'm way more than a pretty face .... " 

He likes dolphins? What is it with guys and dolphins on this site. I once ran into one who complained that all the women had their pics taken with dolphins and he was jealous or something... Okay, so, what else does he like? 

"Ladies if your giving the " people's eyebrow ( raised eyebrow ). Without trying ....... Fix that sh*t!! Geez like dont you have any girlfriends who would be honest with you and tell you straight up you look like some sort of clown ....
Ok ok I'm done venting :p "

Oooops, that is another doesn't like... but, he does say he is finished venting so let's move along.   

"On a more serious note ...

single guy looking for an amazing connection.... are you out there ?

Lets find the spark that's been missing ...

I'm up for it ..... Are you ??

they told me to say ... "I'm unique"" 

Well, not much to go on. He is single so that is a plus. Oh, wants an amazing connection and a spark. And someone put it into his head that he is unique.  And the venting continues...

"One more thing !!! Ladies !!! If your gonna post pics of your girlfriends with you, Suck it up if I ask if they're single ...!!! Geeez lol"

Errrrr - I don't know what to say. Really? He would ask if your girlfriends are single if they happen to be in a picture with you on an online dating website? That is like showing up at the house and asking the other sister out once you got there. WOW! 

Ah, here is what he is looking for: 
"The other day I was browsing profiles ..... I came across one in particular ... Age 37 ,height 6 ft 1 , body type - atheletic. ... Everything I find attractive in a woman .... Then I had a closer look and it was my own profile ... ;p"

And, maybe not! Apparently he is hung up on himself. Any parting tidbits?    

"Another thing ....
When it comes down to it , I don't want to be your " change " what I mean by that is . It seems a lot of women decide , now is the time the don't want to be used for just sex .... I have no problems with that and I don't plan on using anyone for just sex ( I want to use them for everything else as well ... Haha I'm totally kidding )
But if you even have to make that decision, you've already been played far to many times and your more than likely weak and vulnerable and that's why that has happened to you. .... I'm not looking for you , I m looking for someone who exudes confidence and doesn't need a man to feel good about herself.
Now if that's you ..... Please .... Feel free to message me :) "

Well... alrighty then! We know exactly what he doesn't want and that would be to date a woman. This guy wants to date himself. Sadly I believe I messaged him asking what a "people's eyebrow" was (never heard of it before) but thankfully I didn't hear back from him (note that he did amend his profile to say what it was after I emailed him). I'd have to say that it was a moment of weakness because it was either really late or I was drinking and taking topless pics of myself and my best girlfriend with our junk hanging out in front of my jacked up rig whilst giving the people's eyebrow to the camera man who I planned to play later. Yeah, most likely the latter. 

NEXT! 

Open Letter to the Fashion Industry

Dear Fashion Industry (those who make women's clothing),

    This letter has been a long time coming. The trends and quality of womens' fashion have taken a serious dive over the past several years.

The first thing that I recall noticing was that bottom hems on tops changed. Instead of turning the fabric under and creating a hem, clothing companies began over stitching the raw edge and calling it good. This was mostly on sportswear and more casual tops but still disturbing as there were several companies doing it on business wear as well. Did it save time, money, material costs, skilled labor costs? Probably some of each.

Next came the style of printing all tops with some urban design. And it wasn't only that the tops were printed, the printing was done over any creases/wrinkles in the cloth creating voids in the printing. It didn't look very nice but it certainly saved on ink and time when you could just slap those garments down for printing, not worrying if the fabric was laid out properly.

Following that was the changing of sizes in womens' clothing. This even made the mainstream news. Wearing a size 12? Now you fit a 10! Magically, overnight, womens' sizes were scaled up. Smaller numbers actually corresponded to bigger sizes. Honestly, guys, no matter what the number on the tag, if the clothing doesn't look good, I'm not buying it.

And how about the addition of STRETCH to everything. Don't misunderstand, a bit of give is good in swimsuits, undies, bras, and workout wear but add it to pants and you have a disaster on your hands. I've come to conclude (through trying on many items in store fitting rooms) that "muffin top" is directly correlated to the sad trend of adding stretch to denim. You see, "normal" denim is stiff, fitting, holds up against any extra pounds you may be carrying around the middle, and tends to have a higher waistline on womens' jeans. Toss in a bit of stretch and suddenly jeans don't fit the way they should. They sag. Here I thought it was a poor choice by today's youth, to wear their jeans a bit lower on the hips, muffin tops hanging out. Nope, they had no choice as all they have been offered over the past few years are stretch denim that falls down the second you put it on. Pretty telling when the back pockets of the pants are actually on your upper thighs... Stretch in denim doesn't hold up. Stretch khaki is just as bad!

Add to the above that there is no thickness to the cloth used in clothing any more. Shirts are see-thru and pants are so thin that they hide nothing. I've got a mosquito bite on my thigh that you can see the outline of through my pants, that is how thin they are. Just as the plastic water bottle has gotten thinner to reduce waste (and costs for their manufacturers), clothing has gone thin too. I don't want everyone seeing my bra through my shirt. Does that mean I should buy two shirts and wear them together to maintain a bit of modesty? Where is the sense in that?

Don't get me started on granny bottom shirts either! Not every woman has the figure to or the desire to wear a top that has a wide elastic waistband or some form of drawstring at the bottom.

Finally, the dying off of the linen or cotton shirt. What happened to business dress shirts that you HAVE to iron? Everything is made of some sort of flowy, poly, stretchy blend as if we are expected to live in athletic wear.

Please, bring back quality, well made, stylish clothing for women. Enough cutting corners and sacrificing style. I want clothing that I enjoy wearing and that looks good. Oh, and that lasts longer than 3 washings.

Thanks.

Thank You!

Thank you, every single one of you.

I've been thinking a bit about where I am in life and I've realized that I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for you.

Here is where I am and here is how you helped me to get here:

You encouraged me to take a chance; pack up my house, leave my job, and drive 2600+ miles across the continent and into another country to start a new life.

You convinced me that signing up for a 2-day, 200KM bike ride was actually a good thing and that I COULD do it.

You supported me by donating towards my fundraising goal.

You've attended fitness classes with me.

You tell me "You've got this!" and you actually believe I do. 

You've read my blog and come back for more.

You've been a friend when I've needed one. 

Virtually you've held my hand, given me a hug, patted me on the back, picked me up when I've fallen, and sent me back out for more.

You cheer me on and always have a kind word.

You believe in me even when I don't believe in myself.

Without you, I wouldn't be here.

Thank you.

Session 3 - Week 2

I've hit a bit of a plateau with my weight loss but at the same time as progressing with size loss and increased strength so as of yet, I am not concerned about having a pause in 1 of 3 journeys. I am constantly amazed at what I can do and the improvements that I can make. In January of this year I was unable to complete even 1 second of a suspended side plank during TRX class. Today I completed 3 sets of 30 seconds on each side (To be completely honest, I completed 2 sets of 30 seconds on each side, and 1 set of 27 seconds on each side). I am amazed. In awe of what the human body (and my body) can do.

I have now completed week 2 of the 3rd training session (this is a shortened 8 week session) and my days were as follows:

Sunday - lawn mowing, gardening, casual biking

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - TRX - 60 minutes of crazy new TRX moves. On this day, our warm up required a warm up. I kid you not. We jogged for 10 circuits of the gym to warm up before starting our warm up of: Wall balls with squats, tricep pushups (WAY different than regular pushups), regular pushups, bear crawls, and resistance jogs. NOW we were ready to move onto the crazy new TRX moves.

Wednesday - 1/2 hour dog walk followed by 120 minutes of legs, legs, and legs! Single leg lunges (one foot on a bench) - oh, and they were weighted. Weighted squats, weighted sumo squats, back extensions, hamstring curls, hip abductions and adductions - the sets were 40 minute sets with 40 seconds rest.

Thursday - Rest and recovery

Friday - walking like a crazy person due to Wednesday's workout. :)

Saturday - 60 minutes of crossfit inspired TRX (the class actually ran over as well). Warm up again consisted of a variety of crazy moves and the class itself was legs, arms, core, (every part of the body basically) and it was here that I achieved my plankedness! :)

See you all in a week!

He Was the King of Spain

Okay, I admit that his headline should have, most likely, probably, aught to have scared me off in the first place: "Once I Was the King of Spain" (though the song is pretty upbeat). Obscure references that I have to google make me go hmmmm...

Anyhow, I think I was suffering from "this might be a little challenging" syndrome or was thinking "maybe he is only looking for a friend and that would work for me too depending on his interests".

His profile:
"YET ANOTHER UPDATE (apparently 3/4 ladies read these and approve) (Not sure where he gets his scientific evidence to back this up... but um, okay)
Taking a bit of break. If you are the quasi-nerdy girl next door with little to no baggage and are emotionally available I would still love to hear from you. (I mean this in a completely non-jaded way...sadly there is no emoticon for that)

give this a watch if POF has gotten you down and remember you are fantastic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao  (Nice of him to include an inspirational video)

UPDATE(summer 2011..apparently some people do read these)
Well hello again POF after a brief hiatus in a committed relation I have returned (to be fair I was back a couple of months ago, but didn't have the time to update this). So apparently amoungst my wit and charm (and if it's not coming through...trust me I'm awesome...lol) people are confused what i'm looking for (hmmm...it says dating and i'm looking for a relationship...maybe people aren't actually reading these). I don't tend to send out a lot of e-mails on here (not a lack of confidence per se, but it seems that ladies on her are so bombarded with every Tom,Jimmy and Sven sending messages that I think we've become desensitized to those with genuine interest...also being that I am still not in the city it's going to take someone who's open to that, realizing sometimes the juice is worth the squeeze). (This portion of his profile should have been a red flag. He was here back in summer of 2011 and I hadn't seen his profile until just now which means he has probably come and gone several times since 2011. Serial dater perhaps?)

NEW UPDATE (still not sure if anyone reads these)
As I stated in my last update I was going to start looking for something more. In my searches i've noticed a few things 1)If I lived in the city I probably wouldn't need to be on here. Yes ladies if you have gotten this far and are saying "He seems nice...I wonder what's wrong with him?" that's the catch. I don't live in the city. So if you want to meet someone who lives next door...i'm not your guy. If you figure a great guy is worth a little effort by all means send me an e-mail. 2) No matter how hard I try I still have manners. Just the way I was brought up and I can't help it...and heaven help you if it's a dress up occasion. Not to sure what else to add here as I am a horrible sales-person but I am recommended by 2 out 3 dentists and am pretty sure I know the Caramilk secret (not that i'll tell you :P). (I'm not sure where he lives, he never does say. So he thinks the only reason he is on the dating website is because he doesn't live in the city though according to the paragraph above he had a relationship (brief) and is now back. Methinks it is something more than living in the city.)

Update (not that anyone actually reads these): So even though i'm still happy meeting friends and such to go out dancing, I plan on looking around for something more (with it being the new year and all). So with this in mind i'm also looking around a little closer to home. So if you're interested drop me a line with something like "I'd walk 500 miles" or "if you lived next door and I wasn't washing my hair that night". I've also left up my original profile for those of you that are just looking to hang out and dance.

I originally came on here looking for someone who liked to dance when I came into town to visit my friend. I'm not much of a "bar star" as everyone so fondly says, but I love to dance (non-country, sorry cowgirls), and frankly where else are you going to go to dance?

As this is a fairly unique situation (or not) i'll be taking a pretty passive approach. Meaning if you're interested let me know (preferably with an e-mail, this whole favourites thing confuses me....lol) as i'm not going to be one of those guys sending out mass e-mails to every Sally, Jane, and Helga (although i'm sure they're all very nice)."

Now, I'm not sure which end is up with his profile and the order of the updates. So I figure I'll just toss out a line:

My email:
"Hello there. I can't tell which update was first or last or what you are looking for but I read them all. Dancing and non-bar scenes came through. So.. What do you do besides dance? And where do you actually live? Hope that you will at least take an active enough approach to respond to an email anyway. :) the whole Meet Me thing confuses me. I think favorites is just to save you for later viewing. Dorky that it tells the user they have been favorited... :D" 

His response:  He read it and said nothing. 

I'm fairly certain that my email to him was sent later at night and that had I reviewed him in the harsh light of day, I would have refrained. Late night tireds + internet access do not always = smart moves! What was I thinking?

:D Carry on, nothing more to see here but join me next time for more Adventures in Online Dating! 

He's Chivalrous

For J.R. who really IS chivalrous and who is amused by my snarky online dating reports. :D

chiv·al·rous

[shiv-uhl-ruhs] 

adjective

1. having the qualities of chivalry, as courage, courtesy, and loyalty.

2. considerate and courteous to women; gallant.

3. gracious and honorable toward an enemy, especially a defeated one, and toward the weak or poor.

This one is a self proclaimed animal lover, good looking, and lists the following interests:  weight training, cooking, hiking, kitchen parties, and wine tastings. 

Not bad, I like hiking, cooking, and wine! Oh, and I'm seriously weight training at the moment. Looks like we have a few things in common! Let's see the "about me" section:

"Okay: So I have been on here a grand total of 3 days (1 July) and I have come to the conclusion that 95 percent of first emails sent consist of only 2 words:
"Hey There".....so what else can the response be other than "Hey back"....lol......I guess there is no other way to make contact....Ha!"

Okay, he's as frustrated with the email communications on the site as I am. I'm sure I can do better than "Hey There". He's also new to this forum so maybe he is still responding to emails when he receives them. Let's see what else he is looking for: 

  

"On a similar but separate note:

I am looking for a strong, independent woman. (I don't personally think that this is a similar note but okay)

I am :

Chivalrous, strong, independent, humble, attentive, affectionate and a protector.

I am not:

A Player, married, narrow-minded or needy. (Thank goodness!)

I am fit, love to hike and stay active at the gym and play hockey regularly still. I also love to cook and do so often.

Some quotes I like and can relate to:

1. Healthy citizens are the greatest asset a country can have: Winston Churchill
2. Courage is about being scared to death but saddling up anyway-John Wayne
3. Alcohol--Because no great story ever happened by someone eating a salad...lol" 

While the last quote is a little bit concerning, his profile lists him as a social drinker only. Let's hope that he doesn't think that any human interaction is a social excuse for a drink. And I'm pretty sure I can come up with a pretty great story that occurred while eating salad (I'll get back to you on that).

So, one email coming up! My email:

"Greetings & Salutations! How are you today? I like to think that I am part of the other 5% on this site. :D You know, the ones who are capable of saying more than; "hey there". So what does your current favorite cool hat look like? Cute dog you have there as well. How old is he or she? Where do you like to hike and what was the best thing that you have cooked in the past month (I guess that would go back to mid June). :)
Have a lovely weekend!"  

His Response: He read it (7 days ago now) and never responded. 

I think it is really too bad that the only "gifts" you can send through these dating websites are things like virtual roses. In this guy's case I would send a copy of the dictionary with "chivalrous" highlighted. I'd probably throw in highlights for "courteous" and "considerate" too... just sayin'!  

Simply Cinnamon

Ingredients:

1 Medium Banana - Sliced
1/2 Cup Canned Pineapple (Shredded or Chunks work best)
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup Milk
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
1 TBSP Flax Meal
1 TBSP Hemp Hearts
1-2 TSP Ground Cinnamon

Blend Milk, Banana, and Pineapple until smooth.

Add Chia, Flax, Hemp Hearts, and 1 TSP Cinnamon. Top with Yogurt and blend until smooth. Add additional Cinnamon to taste.

Pour and enjoy!

He's a Cad

cad

[kad] 

noun

1. an ill-bred man, especially one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women.

This one has a fairly well thought out profile, and interesting way of expressing himself, and a puzzle for you to solve. I would not have messaged him but for the puzzle. While we do share some interests and he is a handsome enough guy, he is 6'3" (I'm a whole 5'3") and there was just something that I wasn't sure that I'd be interested in. So, I decided I'd message him just for the puzzle. 

His puzzle: 

"I'm not kidding... I will buy dinner for the first woman that answers this correctly:

Solve for x ---> C12H22O11 + Capsaicin + x = You

No hints :-p" 

Now I know that Capsaicin is related to the HOT in chili peppers and the like. What? It's been all over the news as a metabolism booster... it has. Having no idea what C12H22011 is, I googled. The rules only say no hints, it doesn't say no googling. Really, the only rules are above. I got a wiki hit that indicated this compound has something to do with sugars - aka: sweet stuff. Having read quite a few male profiles that indicate they are looking for sweet, attractive women, I send the following: 

"SWEET + HOT + SMART = YOU"

I don't generally write up guys who respond back and had no intention of writing up this one. I got back the following: 

"Almost! Good try :-)

Out of all the answers received so far... yours is the only one that was heading in the right direction.

I did register the answer with another member as proof that I am playing fair ;-)" 
 

He then went on to send me a second response indicating that he likes a portion of my profile, is actively pursuing someone and that once he "seals the deal" he'll be writing up something similar for his profile. Now I scratched my head a bit and wondered to myself: Why is a guy who is actively pursuing someone still on the website with an active profile? Why? Anyway, I responded back about the thought behind my profile and the (unscientific) research that went into my conclusion and offered to chat via email as friends, assuring him that I wouldn't take his email correspondence as anything but friendship as he was actively working to "reel one in". No response but at this point, it wasn't expected. 

The story continues as I do a bit of thinking on the puzzle. Hmmmm, I can figure this one out. I mulled it over the next morning and had a lightening bolt strike. AH HA! Capsaicin is spicy - if I change HOT to Spice... and the compound refers to sugars... nursery rhyme time... It can't be, can it?  I figure I'll send it to him but am stuck on the whole "he is already pursuing someone" thing. I figure if I get it right, I can tell him to take his interest out to dinner instead. Yeah, I can live with that.

I fire off: "Sugar + Spice + Everything Nice = You" 

And I get back this:

"Indeed.

x = everything nice :-)

It's a shame it took you two guesses (and a subtle hint) ... I would have honoured my pledge ;-)

Don't tell anyone please!!

I'm testing for outside-the-box thinking ;-)"

Honestly, I think there are better ways to tell a woman that you are not going to honor your word than to start making up rules as you go. Suddenly there is a, until now unstated, guess limit and apparently there was a subtle hint in his response that I was heading in the right direction. Uh, Huh... 

C.A.D to the core.  
 

Oh, I'm not telling "anyone", I'm telling everyone... :D

 
 

Session 3 - Week 1

Just wrapped up recovery week on Sunday and am now back at training. This session (at The Boxing Club) will run just over 7 weeks. I'll be continuing TRX Suspension Training, adding 2 weight training days, and continuing to bike, bike, and bike in preparation for the August 10th & 11th Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.

Week 1 is now complete and it looked like this!

Sunday July 7th -The final day of recovery week. Much lounging around the house and watching of movies occurred (aka: slug mode).

Monday July 8th - First day of weight training with the lovely Miss Ashley "Crunchy Frogs". I hour of hardcore weights - quads, hammies, abs (yeah, I asked for it so she gave it to me), more quads, and some arms. Spent an hour or more vacuuming the shop at work this day too - you might think that vacuuming isn't much of a workout. I'm here to tell you that it is! Ever seen "the shop"? It's a BIG shop.

Tuesday July 9th - Mowed the lawn and did some gardening.

Wednesday July 10th - Take 2 on weight training. 1 hour of the baby muscles - all of those little bitty muscles that you don't usually realize exist until you make them work. Yeah, those. :D Arms, hip flexors, calves, shins, triceps, biceps and whatever else I am forgetting due to muscle tiredness. Also spent an hour mowing the lawn and my neighbor's lawn (he loans me the lawn mower, the least I could do is mow his lawn).

Thursday July 11th - TRX with Heather (Miss Sheila is away for the month learning to instruct YOGA) - Compound exercise night - 1 hour of Squat/Rows, I/Y flies, Chest Press/Tricep Curls, Single Leg Lunges, Sun Salutation Lunges, Drop Burpies, Suspended Planks, Hamstring Curls, and so much  more. Ouch, Ow, Owie! Headed home for some light gardening as I welcomed 6 eggplant plants and 2 new perennials to my garden patch.

Friday July 12th - Rest and Relaxation

Saturday July 13th - Biking, what else!

Those I Didn't Email

So as you go through a pile of online profiles looking for new friends, partners in crime, people to have adventures with, etc., there is always a pile of "discards". You now the ones. They wrote that little special something in their profile that made you go "well, huh..." and pass them by.

Here is a collection of some of those little special somethings:

1. By Mr. Tall, Dark, & Handsome (names have been changed to protect the not so innocent):
He writes a decent profile about patience, honesty, integrity, trust, communication and building a foundation of friendship. Not too shabby. He then wraps up his profile with this tidbit:
"I know you are out there, come to me, i am ready now."
EWWWW factor: 8

2. Mr. Listen UP! Actually his headline is "listen carefully" and coupled with this little beauty in his about me: "I do what I want to do, when I want to do it. If I want to take a random road trip to Las Vegas to get wasted and blow some money at the Craps table, I’m going to do it."
Um, yeah... no. 
EWWWW factor: 6 - he is more of a child with a bit of growing up to do but has the potential for a greater EWW factor if he keeps up with this track. 

3. Mr. Split Personality - He has a very limited profile but what he is looking for is as clear as mud: "I would love to meet an uninhibited woman" and followed by:  "My ideal partner is calm, and cool." Now, I don't know about you but I'm not convinced that "uninhibited" meshes well with "calm and cool". No EWWWW factor here, just a mixed up man. 

4. Mr. Women are Only Here for an Ego Boost - The bulk of his "about me" is filled with a random rant about how bad the women on the dating website are: "I've been on and off of this site for almost a year now. One thing I have learned Women are on here for An ego boost . They rarely or never Message you back . I was talking to a local girl Just trying to make a friend She told me that she had too many messages to answer them all back And she was hideous . I got news for you ladies The average guy Only Gets Three or four messages a week . At least be honest You say you want a relationship But your always looking for the next best ride . I was talking to one girl She said it was third in line Out of seven Like I was supposed to thank her " Coupled with his sexist pictures that portray women fairly poorly in general, this guy gets a pass.  
EWWWWW factor: 6 - he is more of a bitter woman dis-liker than anything. Too immature to realize that just because 1 or 2 have turned him down doesn't mean the rest of us are bad.  Dis women in general and you are dissing me too. 

5. The Sales Man - aka: Mr. Honest - This guy can't quite spit out what he is looking for without going into an about me. He starts with: "First before you read further. Please be none of these.a liar, cheater, gambler, alcoholic, selfish. If you are still reading, here is what i desire. Looking for a companion and best friend to laugh with. I enjoy going out for dinners, holding hands, and up for anything fun. I enjoy many types of entertainment and activities, but lack somone to spoil, give flowers to...you know, the romantic stuff. I am honest, loyal and trustworthy,with a big heart looking for a woman who is the same." The next paragraph is much the same:  "Here is what I am looking for; a smart, sweet, beautiful woman who likes to laugh and have fun. I am very Honest, sincere, devoted, and romantic, and would like the same in my companion." Okay but once you have a look at his facebook profile (yeah, he stuck that in there on one of his photos so that you can find him outside of the dating website) you learn that he is into cars (I think that is what he sells) and all of his photos are of him posing in/with the cars or with hot chicks. Really? That is what we came to facebook to learn about you? You give slimy lot lizards a bad name. EEEWWWWW factor: 8

This post will be updated as more of these gems are uncovered so check back!

 

Whitecourt Adventure

Went on an adventure to check out the sights today. Beautiful skies above fields of Canola... :D

Okay, not much else to see out this way but it was a nice drive and I met a fun person. :) At least Ghiry thinks he's nice, feeding him water from his hand so Ghiry won't be scared of the dripping from the water bottle. Crazy dog!

He Has the Worst Profile EVER

I think this one steals the cake for worst profile of all time:


1. The username has a thinly veiled swear and racist slang word in it
2.  The headline includes the words "Master" and "Baiter"  - I know the site is fish themed but come on...
3. All of the user's photos are either sexual in nature or have a very bad joke as the caption
4. I'll let you read and decide for yourself - 

"Did Not pass go & Did not collect $ 200 In the hole again ..Baaaaastards

*** HUNG LIKE A HORSE -------SeaHorse That Is { See theres a gooder -Cant take a joke never get anywhere } --
I work a little much but guess that supports my drive to be ....something ..Maybe the yodeller
RRRRRIIIIIIICOOOOLLLLAAAAA Honestly officer I was helping the sheep over the fence & how did you get up this steep cliff ??????

*** This One Time at Bandcamp { Not going there ..Never Been
& Never played a flute or a Tuba } ***

My goal is to drown in a beer vat, be Front row on the Menudo or Justin Beaiber tour or hold the bathroom door for George Michael { ** Totally Kiddin ** }

I guess to be Rich & or Infamous { Whatever works right } or end up making your licence plate if I get caught doing something a lil illegal like that u turn a few months back !!

I collect Beer cans & bottles to count the bunnies , find squawsnatch { No } & Make Blue mountains turn grey .

I have a great sense of humor & Im damn Funny Lookin { Looks arent everything }I do have a Teenage daughter who lives with me full time { Just so ya know }

Music is good , doesnt taste good since they got rid of Vinyl but goes well with any coocktail"

WHAT THE?!!!!???!?!??  Can it get any worse? You tell me. His idea of a first date:

"Milk a Moose or Make a Bad Impression on your dad { U know he hates all us men anyway } The 2 latter are probably just as ballsy & would probably offer similar consequences . kiss your momma { her hand that is } & beat your lil bros ass at some stupid 1980s q bert game.

Board games .. Naked Twister ,Tiddliewinks or Maybe ...you can sink my battleship { Nah }

Somewhere & something outta the ordinary ... Not takin a bullet for ya on the first date most likley but never say never
Just Something Fun ." 

Needless to say, this one is not getting an email. I may need to go and flush my eyeballs out to try to get this profile out of my head... 

EWWWWWW Rating: 11 out of 10.  

He's Adventurous!

ad·ven·tur·ous

[ad-ven-cher-uhs] 

adjective

1. inclined or willing to engage in adventures; enjoying adventures.

2. full of risk; requiring courage; hazardous: an adventurous undertaking.

3. disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown 

4. willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences 

This one fancies himself as an Adventurer with a long list of interests: 

Science, specifically geology and fossil/mineral hunting, mountains including camping and rock climbing but NOT running into grizzly bears. Beverages liked include beer, wine, and coffee (I'm sure not all at once - at least I hope not). Going out to dinner and chocolate. Also going out for coffee (hmmm, he likes coffee). Going to the movies - he certainly is a goer! Squash (not sure if this is the veggie or the sport), skipping stones, hitting pop flys all afternoon (I'd think his arms might fall off after that), rain forests, books, animals, folkfest, road trips (back to the going), sky gazing (probably goes with hitting pop flys), listening to the campfire and last, but not least, LANDSCAPE PAINTING (his caps, not mine).     

Whew! That is some list of interests. At least he is well rounded. 

What he says about himself: 

"Hey you! Whoever you are:

I'm an adventurous geology nerd that loves camping, rock climbing, squash, landscape painting, science, dinosaur hunting, conducting geological fieldwork in remote places by helicopter - and most of all animals of all sorts, ranging from cats to horses to frogs (My favourite dogs are huskies and border-collies - okay, Palmeranians are cute...). I also enjoy cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and baseball.

I especially love Music and Movies. My favourite music ranges from U2 to enya, and of course I'm madly in love with Bjork. My favourite movies are Braveheart, all of the Indiana Jones, Cast Away, Jurassic Park, and any movie starring Captain Jack Sparrow.

Although I'm a scientist/geologist, I also love to paint - feel free to check out my artwork at: www.******.com (Blanked out to protect the not-so-innocent)

My favourite past-time is skipping stones across the surface of a still lake, preferably in the Mountians somewhere.

Looking for an outdoorsy lady who likes camping out under the stars, is a bit nerdy, who loves scrambling up mountain peaks, but also cozy cuddles on the couch while watching a favourite movie. Must be an animal lover (including cats and dogs, among other wild sorts like Pikas, Chinchillas, and Prehistoric Man-eating Therapods)."

I had a look at his art (I liked most of it - he's pretty good!). I figure myself as an otudoorsy lady who likes camping, I'm a bit nerdy/geeky, love hiking, and can certainly go for a cuddle on the couch (if i had a couch) during a movie (oh, and Captain Jack sets my heart atwitter!). Let's email him!

My email: 

"Hello there! You are in luck as I am a therapod (especially the velociraptor if that is a therapod - now I've got to google Therapod... *sighs*) loving girl geek who also enjoys the outdoors, painting, photography, animals, and Captain Jack Sparrow. :D Your paintings are great (not to boost your ego, I actually looked and like most of them - the scary snake haired creature not so much but the landscapes are great) and I'd love to see them in person sometime. Care to chat a bit and see if perhaps we have more than chocolate in common? :D" 

His Response:  He read it and apparently it killed his adventurous spirit as I've yet to hear from him. 

Ah well, on to the next unwitting victim...