Alphabet Blog

A is for Canadians with small boobs.
B is for existing.
C is for C-word, aka a Capitals play. You are supposed to pick any C-word. How I am not going to call either the C word, or Cancer? Those are the first two C-words to pop into my head!
D is for Das Auto is kaputt. You speak German too!
E is for elevator, as in stuck in for 45 minutes with 16 people and a bomb threat.
F is for ficus, my new favorite swear word. Stub your toe sometime and try it out. Fye-cuss!
G is for whiz, spot and mail.
H is for Heather, duh. If you stop reading at the right time, it could also be for Heath.
I is also for Heather, it’s me again.
J is for stellar, grey and blue.
K is for agreement.
L is for ellemeno, which I used to think was one letter as a kid
M is for anems.
N is for things that are N-shaped.
O is for ring, shit, bama and sama.
P is for urine.
Q is for waiting patiently.
R is for random. Wow, random.
S is for pluralizing.
T is for weirdos who don’t drink coffee.
U is reading my blog.
V is for neck.
W is what...ever, also known as junk defense.
X is for breakups.
Y is for how the hell should I know?
Z if for ed and ee.

Working in Drayton Valley

This is probably going to be a lame blog post. I blame the Holiday Inn Express in Drayton Valley, where I am staying. They have delivered thus far on only one of the two things that I inquired about when I booked - there is a gym, but their wireless is crap. I couldn't get a connection at all. They do have a 'business centre' (where I am typing this), although they could have saved on lettering and been more accurate by labelling it 'cubicle'.

The rooms at the Holiday Inn Express are quite nice, and they have duvet covers that actually get washed! If the gym is decent, I will forgive them for turning my laptop into a paperweight.

I'm up in Drayton Valley (it's east of Edmonton, about an hour north of Rocky Mountain House) doing some field work. I have two more days for sure, and then I'll be home either Wednesday night (hopefully) or Thursday morning (more likely).

The weather is pretty fabulous, and I saw a coyote today. All great reasons to work outside all day. I did have to wear Nomex Covies and a hardhat, all good reasons to sweat buckets while working outside all day. I would have taken a picture of some of the trees up here, and the coyote too, but I decided to leave my camera in my hotel this morning. I guess my laptop was lonely (I can't imagine why, Drayton is happening), and the camera wanted to keep it company and be equally useless.

I'm off to find a field to throw in: another fun side effect of working out of town. Then, time to test out the hotel gym, and wrap it up in time to watch Heros.

No News Is Good News

I haven't heard a thing yet from my thyroid doctors, which I'm taking to mean that I still don't have a thyroid. No news is good news!

Hoax

I wish I could say that the blog about being stuck in the elevator was also a hoax, but I would by lying. I am glad that the bomb threat was a hoax, and seriously annoyed at the jerk that planted it. Why not plant a tree instead?

Turns out the rumour about the package being taped to the pillar of our building was more of a fact and less of a rumour. We were joking that the jerk must have had a lousy sense of direction. Surely they must have been looking for Shell, also at 4th and 4th, but one building over. The news said it was just some pipe and wire, but obviously, that take that kind of thing very seriously.

Hopefully they catch the jerk, and put him or her or them in a room about the size of an elevator. Then again, the penalties that they have been handing out these days, I wouldn't be surprised if the jail sentence was 45 minutes.

Bomb Threat, Elevator, 16 People, and 45 Minutes. Floor 2 - Bomb on 1.

Serious? It's too weird to make up. This afternoon, my building was evacuated due to a bomb threat. They announced over the P.A. system at about 3 pm that no one was allowed to leave the building. It seemed like a strange thing to announce, but I was having a really busy day, so I didn't think all that much of it and kept working. Soon people were bustling around the floor (I work on 30), and it was clear that something was going on. We could see from that police cars had blocked off 4th ave and 3rd street, which are both pretty major streets downtown. Next the bomb robot unloads itself from a minivan. At least I'm assuming it unloaded itself. They can do that, right? About 15 minutes later, the P.A. system announced that we are now not only allowed to leave the building, we are required too, and that it is, officially, a bomb threat. The man on the P.A. did not say 'officially', but his tone said yes. They also said to avoid the first and second floors (which would lead one to believe this is where the bomb was).

The fire marshalls came around and confirmed that we were to evacuate (who can work with a klaxon blaring away, anyway?). They also told us to take the elevator, not the stairs, and that we should exit out the back loading doors of the building once on the ground floor. I hoped on the elevator with three of my coworkers, and down we went, but not before stopping to pick up 13 more people two floors below us. Why do I know there were 13? 16 people on an elevator is seriously cramped, but everyone just wanted to get the heck out of dodge, so we made do. We went all the way down to floor 2, and then we got stuck! With 16 people in the elevator, right near the would-be bomb.

I've been stuck in an elevator before, and all we did then was push the phone button and talk to security, who phoned someone to release us. Actually, I think they had a beer first, but same difference. This time when someone pushed the button (I couldn't see who because I was at the opposite corner), but no one answered. There was zero cell phone service on any network. We waited a jammed and hot 20 minutes, frequently trying the phone, before someone else had an idea. Another person who had been stuck before (we nicknamed it Faulteous Centre from Altius for a reason) pried the doors a bit last time, and got cell reception. We tried it, it worked, and someone phoned 9-1-1.

It took then another sweaty, cramped 25 minutes to get the doors open and let us out. I thought the man next to me might have a heart attack. At one point he folded his hands in what looked like prayer, but I don't really think it was. He just didn't have enough room to rest his hands at his sides (no one did). About 15 minutes before they opened the door, a police officer came to talk to us from the other side, asking how many people were in there, and if everyone was alright. He kept checking about every 5 minutes, surely intuitively knowing about Mr. Heart Attack beside me. The answer to his first question was pretty funny.

"Is anyone in there?"
16 people: "YYYYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
It was deafening.

I haven't heard if it was a real bomb (typical skeptic, I doubt it). It was on the news, of course - downtown traffic was in gridlock for hours. They said there was package taped (taped could be a rumour) to the outside pillar of the building. While I was still at work, our office manager said that a suspiscious person had been arrested. I don't know, but I want the elevator arrested, and locked up in a very tight cell with 15 other elevators.

The Martins are off to Whitefish

Last night, I went to a going away party for my friend's the Martins. They are moving to Whitefish, MN, to become professional snowboard instructors. There little daughter is almost ready to go pro in the two and under age category.

While at the party, I had a conversation with Mr. Martin about blog privacy. I'm not sure why I'm telling you that, I'm just throwing that out there.

I'm sure the Martin's are going to have a blast in Whitefish, and they will be missed in Calgary!

Moose Packers

I think I have a new favorite ride. Saturday I went riding with Shannon, Grant, Treena, and her friend Bobby. Maybe it was just that it was a beautiful day (god I hope not the last day of summer), but the ride starts with a pretty grueling uphill, and I still had a blast. It starts with what Shannon calls "the Lance Armstrong hill", and then comments with the road up to Moose Mountain. What a grind! I was roasting in a black jersey on the gravel uphill until I had the stroke. No, sorry, a stroke of genius. I took off my helmet for the uphill and cooled down about a zillion degrees. Genius.

The uphill was a sweet workout, but the downhill was the highlight. Downhill is so fun, when you know that you've ridden up there, so it's okay. It starts as switchbacking singletrack fun, Even with hydraulic disc brakes, my hands felt like clays by the bottom. I liked Shannon's advice, 'brake less' - although sometimes I think this is getting away from 'break less'! Just kidding, it's actually really good advice - prevents skidding on the loose stuff.

Moose Packers connects with Tom Snow after the switchbacks. I've ridden Tom Snow before (the trail, not the dude. I'm sure you need that clarification), but the last time was when I first started riding, and last time it was super muddy. I hear Tom Snow is almost always muddy, but yesterday, it was roller coaster goodness. That's the WWWWEEEEEEE kind of roller coaster, not the AAAAAHHHHHHHHH kind. It was really fast, rolling singletrack where you barely have to peddle. Most of the time, I felt like the bike was doing all the work. I felt like I was rippling, but I didn't have to brake or peddle, just stand there and gently lean. So fun!

Nellie Practice the First

Okay, so really it was practice number two, but I couldn't make the last one. Credit to Nat for convincing me to go. Otherwise I admit, I may not have gone. It was such a nice night out, and I'm so still so much in ultimate mode. To me, it felt about the same way I would feel about going to a Halloween party this weekend. I love Halloween party - so fun. But now? I feel like hockey should start in January, maybe December. Of course once I got there, I had a lot of fun, and the scrimmage was a great cardio workout. We have a coach this year - Murray Miller! Pre-hockey, I went to a field to huck for 45 minutes. Good practice as always, and then I felt good to go a cross-training workout. Tomorrow is a real frisbee night, so that's good.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

I finished A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
last night, but I've actually been reading it since Potlatch. It might have even been before that, I just remember lying in my tent and reading it while I mentally prepared for our quarter final. So not a quick read, but worth a look if you get a chance (or want to borrow it).

Maybe you have read Eckhart Tolle's other book, the The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
? I hear it's quite popular, and I think this book is the follow-up, but I actually haven't read that one.

This is an atypical book for me to read, but that was part of my reason for reading it. I like to try and mix it up. Other reasons I read it:

• The author is German.
• It has an 'Oprah's Book Club' sticker on the front (I've liked others).
• Who wouldn't want to awaken their life's purpose? (How do you wake up a frisbee? JK)
• It was on sale at the Superstore.

Tolle touches on material from his first book, talking about how to be at peace and live in the present moment. He expands to talk about how to reach a new state on consciousness. My interpretation of what he is saying is that if you momentarily let go off all of the 'classic' ways your define yourself as you, if only for a brief moment in time, you can connect with a higher level of existence. For example, you are supposed to try and create gaps in your conscious thoughts were you no longer focus on your name, occupation, age, etc., at just tap into the fact that you are alive right now.

I've butchered that explanation, and I don't think I'd do much better trying to describe it in person. Did I mention I've been reading it for months? It's had to compete with German Harry Potter, which is tough.

I liked the positive message, as well as the part about coincidences as the world trying to tell you something. I am a first believer in this!

I don't like the parts were he gets a little scary, for example quoting Jesus many times. Yikes.

Overall: 6.5 out of 10. Don't go buy it (save a tree, read my copy), but you just might learn something if you read it.

Sept. 16, 2008: On my walk in to work today, it popped into my head that I should have only given it a 6.5. Officially downgraded. Also, I forgot to mention: I used a parking ticket for a bookmark while reading this book, which was unintentially, but ironic.

Capitals 2008

The Capitals (mostly out of Toronto and Ottawa) are taking me to UPA's! I'm stoked, and training hard. Sectionals was this weekend, but I haven't been able to find out any info yet. My fingers are crossed that we are on to Regionals (Oct. 11/12) in Boston. I had never been to Boston, and now I will be there twice in one year. My friend's Jenn and Ryan are getting married in Toronto the weekend before (hence no NW Regionals for me, same weekend), so I'm planning to stay out east. Hopefully there will be some practices for me to attend to get ready for Regionals.

Fernie Weekend

Fernie is gorgeous in the fall. If you haven't been, or only been to ski, try to head to Fernie in September for some riding. I've always had amazing weather, and this weekend wasn't any different.

I was in Fernie with Terri and the Sills. Terri won a weekend of free accommodation (thanks Topps) and was nice enough to take friends. Now if we could just convince her to start a blog.

By 'amazing weather', I mean 23+ degrees, lovely, sunny, and dry trails. Also amazing and also typical was the weather on the way out to Fernie, driving Friday night. It was pouring, pouring rain (where have you read that before? At least I was inside this time!), and then there was a giant hail storm. Every time!

We woke up late Saturday, and sat around the kitchen until noon chatting and drinking coffee. Then we went for a great ride, on the trails near the cemetery. This is probably the fourth time I've ridden up there, but we found some new trails that I haven't been on. My favorite was called Sidewinder. It was switchbacky, a good grind on the way up, and a super-fun bomb down. We rode a lot time on Saturday, 3 hours I think. We were all pretty tired.

Jeff cooked us up an amazing, salt-free dinner (with the help of his lovely assistants). Yum.

On Sunday, we had breaky, drank more coffee, and sat around chatting. Then off to throw the frisbee and hack. Did you know there is a disc golf course in Fernie? Neither did we! We didn't have disc golf discs there, too bad, because the course looked sweet. Of course we had a ulti disc though, so we threw for a while in an open space (the nearest usable green space) near where we were staying.

After lunch, we went for our second ride down by the Provincial Campground. It was a rolling trail with a gradual up and tonnes of roots. We were actually looking for a trail called Snakebite, at the base of the hill, that I had a blast on last year. The trail that we found was perfect for the day.

I could have stayed in Fernie for a week - curse you, day job.

The Diet Continues

I had my scan this morning. I would have been unpleasant for anyone claustrophobic, as it comes about a millimeter from your face. For me, it was a 45 minute nap. You have to stay very still, but they put your arms on armrests and hold your feet together with a bit elastic and its dark. Zzzzz.

I'll spare you the details, but last night (and the pre-scan Mag Citrate) was not a lot of fun. I didn't have to start until 6, so I still got it a really solid stair workout, but after that, I felt pretty ill all night. I started reading the warnings on the bottle, but gave it up after two of them:

-Rectal bleeding is not normal and you should see a doctor (no kidding?)
-Mag Citrate is not recommended for people on low sodium diets unless recommend by a doctor.

At this point I stopped reading (I'd already been given the directions) and started drinking. It's actually pretty hard to get down, but you are allowed to mix (Vodka, just kidding, that would be dehydrating, or I might have!), so I grabbed a 7up from work, which helped a lot.

The Mag Citrate that I had to drink was given to me (by the nice folks at Nuclear Med) in a paper bag. It was as if people in the hospital would see it from afar and snigger. Seriously, who would recognize a bottle of Mag Citrate. Of course off of the other people walking out of Nuclear Med were carrying paper bags too. I looked at them like I knew their dirty little secrets.

Unfortunately, I have to go back in Monday morning for another scan. Just a quick one, but it means that I have to stay on this blasted diet for another couple of days. It's just a couple of days, no big deal, but I'm kind of disappointed. There were big celebration plans (mostly involving eating chips) this weekend on the way to and in Fernie. The real hassle will just be having to bring all of my own food again. I may have to carry rice in my Camelbak instead of a Powerbar in case I need some food on the trail.

Ps. I realized the other day that all of my 'thyroid' tags should really say 'lack of thyroid'. I'll change that at some point.

I'm Radioactive

Today I had my radioactive iodine tracer. It was weird and tasted like stale almonds. I had to work hard not to be an asshole to the tech, mostly because I was grumpy from not being able to eat. I knew ahead of time that I couldn't eat for four hours in advance - not a long time, so no big deal. Then the tech tells me I can't eat for another two hours (strike one), and then launches into am I sure I'm not pregnant: I managed to hold a nasty sentence (involving the words dude and fuck - arrange how you'd like), but barely. Strike three was handing me the bottle of industrial strength laxative for tomorrow night (there goes practice). I've had to do this a bunch of other times (3-4?) for scans....industrial strength. The scan is on Friday, so I'm nearly done! Salt, here I come. I am also now the new proud owner of a letter to take when I go to the States (any time in the next two months) explaining why I may set off their radioactive scanner. Cool.

ps. I had my last WCT post ready to go, but blogspot ate it. I'll finish it tomorrow when I'm not....uh....

West Coast Trail - Thrasher Cove to Gordon River (km 75)

The last few kms were pretty tough and technical. We were pretty motivated: showers! sushi in Victoria! We were hiking pretty fast, but I think it still took us until about 1 o'clock to get to the end (km 75!).

Just before the end, we started running into groups of people who were just starting their hike. For the most part, they looked pretty pie-eyed, and at km 74 to their 1, we felt like seasoned veterans. All the beginning hikers looked very very clean, and they smelled amazing. Everyone. Even normally very unattractive people. At this point we smelled horrendous, I'm sure! My Prime jersey especially had several suggestions of incineration rather than cleaning.
The second ferry of the trail took us across the Gordon River and back to the WCT trailhead to check out. When we checked in to start the hike, there was a whiteboard that said the number of folks evacuated from the trail since 2002, in the ballpark of 50-70 people a year. When we left, 41 (or 47, we couldn't tell) people had been evacuated. 5 days later when we finished our hike, 61 people had been evacuated!

There are hot showers in Port Renfrew that we a) heaven b) wonderful anti-hypothermia devices after waiting around for the boat, the permit, the lift back to the other side of Port Renfrew etc. I got 6 minutes of bliss for two loonies. I have no idea why they don't change $20 - I would have paid.

After the two hour drive between Port Renfrew and Victoria, we had a sushi feast and hopped the ferry to the mainland. We stayed overnight at Liesl's family friend's before making a break for home the next morning.

What an amazing trip! If you at all thinking of going (or maybe now you are) you should!

The photos in this post are somewhat random. More photo credits to Alli, and also some dude who conveniently ended the trail (don't miss the km 75 in the group shot) at the same time as us. Alli, Weaze, do either of you have a shot of the suspension bridge from day 4?

West Coast Trail - Cullite Cove to Thrasher Cove (km 70)

The tides were such that the hiking this day was entirely in the forest. Two words: muddy roots. The kilometers between Camper Creek (km 62) and Thrasher Cove (km 70) were some of the toughest that we did. Each km took us about an hour! There was a cable car at Camper (I'll try to post a picture, maybe Weaze has one), and then muddy roots, muddy roots, and muddy roots.

Thrasher Cove took about an hour to hike down too, once we got to km 70. Thrasher was nice, but we knew it meant hiking the same km back up. We were pretty happy for this to be our last night, because at this point it had been raining long enough that pretty much all of our stuff was wet.

We unrolled our damp thermarests into the bottom of the tent (with it's mini-lake), and then sleeping bags after that. Mine was reasonably dry, just wet a bit on the outside, but surprisingly warm inside. That said, when we packed up the next morning (still raining, of course), we were pretty stoked to know if was the last pack up, and that we only had 5 km to go!

West Coast Trail - Carmanah Point to Cullite Cove (km 58)

I didn't take a lot of pictures on Day 4. It was still raining pretty hard when we packed up, and I decided to try and keep the camera dry for the day. I might have been influenced by the cable car that we got to start the morning with. It was a memorable cable car for me, because somehow I managed to lose one of my trekking poles. I clipped them too my backpack, and when I got to the other side, there was only one. I didn't think that it fell in the river, but I wasn't willing to go back to the other side to look for it, then back again. Cable cars are really tiring! It's a major upper body workout.

I don't remember too much about the hiking that day, just that it was fun, technical and that there was lots of water on the trail. I believe this was the day where two muskrats (or otters?) swam by in front of me on the trail. That's how much water was on the trail. Also, at one point I did the lumberjack log dance. I was stepping on logs to get across a small lake (aka the trail), and it turned out that all of them were floating and therefore rolling. I managed to make it across without bailing! I think this day may have been my first bail. I seemed to like falling on my ass on slippery boardwalks. No matter which way I slipped, I always seemed to land on my ass - I good thing, I realize, but I was starting to get a bit of a complex.

There were some major, major ladders to get down too, and back out of Cullite Cove. The book said there were 30 story's of ladders. I work on the 30th story of my building, and I think that's about right.

The photos I posted in this one are view from the toilet (I actually think this is Michigan Creek, but what the heck, I didn't take a lot of pictures on day 4), a random boardwalk, random ladder and camp at Cullite, and cooking dinner. The last one with the sleeping bags is another photo credit for Alli. This photo kills me! Weaze and I bought the same sleeping bag (it's great!), and that night was cold. I think my nose was the only thing showing!

West Coast Trail - Tsusiat Falls to Carmanah Point (km 46)

Day 3 was our 'big day' of hiking - 20 kms. Right off the bat, we got to go through the Hole in Wall (km 27), which I had been looking forward too for a while. You have to time the tides right to walk through the Hole in the Wall (otherwise you have to walk around it via the forest route).

The first Ferry crossing was this day, at Nitinat Narrows (km 32). This was part of the reason we stayed at Tsusiat Falls (we got there early, 3 pm) - the Ferry only runs between 10 am and 4 pm, or so. We needed to get there during the day. The Ferry crossing was kind of cool, Weaze bought us Cokes on the other side (what a treat!) and I spent more of the rest of the day saying 'Nitinat Narrows' over and over in my head - funsies.

We drank the Cokes a while past the Narrows with lunch - Spam lunch. Sound gross? Normally I would agree. It was SO good. Mmmm, Spam. Don't worry, it was the reduced salt kind.


Km 34 was the area called Clo-oose that made Weaze and I laugh during the orientation. Are we there yet? No, but we're Clo-oose.


We pushed on, and up (SO up) to the lighthouse at Carmanah Point (km 44). This was a major lung and leg burner. Thankfully there was a great view of sealions from the top for distraction.


Km 45 was Chez Moniques - now it will all make sense why we hiked so far in one day. Chez Moniques is a little resteraunt on the beach that serves burgers and beer! Yum. Okay, so I had my second Coke of the day instead of a beer. The burgers were huge and decilious. There was a tarp covering the tables, which was good, becuase it started raining (read: pouring) while we ate dinner. We had pecan pie for dessert, trying to wait out the rain before going the last km (only 15 minutes) to the campsite at Carmanah Point. The rain out-waited us!


There were a couple of other hikers at Chez Moniques, but they must have camped there (or something), becuase we had Carmanah Point to ourselves. Well, not entirely to ourselves: there was a very young black bear hanging around too! Between the bear and the rain, it was a pretty early one in the tent.

Note: photo credit to Alli on the Hole in the Wall shot, as well as the one with Weaze and I walking away.

West Coast Trail - Michigan Creek to Tsusiat Falls (km 26)

On day 2, we hiking to Tsusiat Falls, at km 26. The day was a nice mix of beach and forest hiking, and we got to do our first cable car at km 23 (over the Klanawa River).

Tsusiat Falls was my favorite campsite because it was so beautiful. Check out the ladders down. It was a long way! The weather was nice, and we could swim in the falls. There were ledges behind the falls, so you could go behind and sit on them. It was lots of fun and good to get 'clean' (as if) after two days of hiking. Logistically, the campsite left something to be desired. It was a long way to get water, and even further to the bear locker and toilet. It wasn't that far, but keep in mind we had been hiking all day already. The extra hiking was worth it to be able to swim and even throw the frisbee (aka my dinner plate) on the beach.

Thyrogen - $128

I filled my prescription for Thyrogen today, to be ready for my injections next week. Here's the crazy thing: I paid $128 out-of-pocket. Don't get me wrong, I think Thyrogen is a wonder drug - it wasn't approved yet when I had my first scan, and this is way WAY better. The alternative is going off my meds for a month, which makes me sick (at fat, dumb, cold) for two months. Go Thyrogen. Still.....ka-ching: I have 90% drug coverage!

The West Coast Trail - Day One - North Trailhead to Michigan Creek (km 12)

Hiking the West Coast Trail has been on my 'big' list of things to do for some time. I'd say 5-6 years in the 'one day I want to do that' category, and before that, some time in the 'that sounds cool' column. Check check!

Of course, it's not just about having done it. It's the experience itself, and that it was. I loved it - what an amazing place.

Planning the trip could some coordination and effort. You have to book permits (and therefore commit to timing) about three months in advance - that was probably the biggest thing. With permits in hand and the time booked off work, it was just a matter of planning and assembling the gear. I picked away it over the course of the summer (thanks for the loaner gear, and special thanks to Sue for all of the advice). The summer flew by and the trip snuck up. I didn't think about it for one minute during Nationals, at once that was over....wow, four days is not a lot of time.

We left on Friday morning and stayed overnight with my aunt and uncle in Abbotsford. We took the Ferry to the island the next morning, and drove to Port Renfrew (about 2 hours on very windy roads) north of Victoria in time for the WCT orientation. Our permit allowed us to start hiking the Sunday, so we wanted to get the orientation finished the day before. That way we could start the trail earlier in the day on Sunday, when the WCT bus dropped us at the North trailhead about noon. The bus was an experience itself (it reminded me of riding buses in Cambodia). When we woke up in Port Renfrew that morning (we managed to get a hotel to stay in, over camping, through poor planning but good fortune) to the pouring pouring pouring, wow pouring rain.

It stopped raining by the time we started the hike - a small miracle! In case you don't know them, my two friends are Liesl (aka Weaze, in green) and Alli (in tan).

When starting the hiking in this direction (making us either "Northies" or "Southies", I can't remember if its the where you start or where you are going.......), you don't have a choice of first campsite. The first one, Michigan Creek at km 12 is the only option. The hike starts off reasonably gradually, considering the whole trail. That said, there are ladders at about km 2! We sure knew we had started.

There pics are all from the first day, including the Panchena Lighthouse (km 10), and the Michigan Creek Campsite (km 12).

Low Iodine Diet

Boo urns - I'm on a low iodine diet for a week. I'm having a really tough time with it for some reason. I have to get scanned next week (thyroid stuff), and the scan uses an iodine tracer (to ensure I don't have any thyroid tissue left). For optimal uptake of the tracer, I have to eat low (read: no) iodine foods for the next week. It's kind of funny - I was just on the West Coast Trail (blog posts to follow!), where we were eating light weight, high calorie backpacking foods, all which have a tonne of sodium!

What I can't eat: anything with iodized salt (anything prepared....really most foods have salt!), plus no dairy, and no seafood/fish.

I've done this before, and it shouldn't be that hard. I'm down to 149 lbs after the West Coast Trail (probably to go back up, but I'll take it for now) - remember my 157.5 battle? I've been trying to eat very healthy as well. I'm no saint (why? everything in moderation, right?), but the thought of a week without fast food or chips....I eat that shit less than that already. Some stuff I could as healthy (for example, the hummus in my fridge that I would normally bring to go with those carrot sticks) is right out. It has 200 mg of sodium per two teaspoons! I could make homemade hummus, and that would be fine, but I was feeling really tired tonight. I did make a bunch of stuff before sitting down to right this, but fresh hummus is about to loose out to sleep.

It's the other stuff that I think is getting me. Dairy! I drink a lot of milk, plus I like yogurt and cheese. At least I am allowed a little bit of dairy - milk in cereal and coffee (love my coffee).

Sauces and dressing is right out, so I've had some pretty boring lunches of late. Yesterday I had a veggie Subway sub with no cheese or sauce (or pickles or black olives). Meh. Today I had a big spinach salad mix that was actually pretty good. It would have been delicious with dressing, but got a little boring at the end.

I guess the real tough thing is that I'm really busy right now (just back from the trip, I was behind on stuff before, and work is really busy), so it's hard to find time for extra food prep.

Maybe it's unrelated (I doubt it), but the last two days I'll felt crappy & low energy by about 3 at work. Tonight I re-stocked on groceries, so hopefully tomorrow will be better.

This would be super easy if I were willing to put my life on hold (as if I'd miss practice or BSB) or if I could stay home and eat my meals here.

Great sodium/dairy/seafood ideas? Please comment!

Backstreet's Back

I listened to a lot of Backstreet Boys on my iPod today. What possessed me? Last night, I went to their concert! Oh yes.

I got hooked up with free tickets (in the Nabors box). Toby was a good sport and agreed to come with. Both of us had ultimate, so we showed up fashionably late. I was terribly disspointed to miss the opener, Girlicous (who?), but it was worth if for practice. I actually really enjoyed myself. A lot of their songs are fun, and the synchronized dances were hilarious, although I don't think they were meant to be. The free beer didn't hurt, and the box is really close to the stage, so we had a great view. The audience was pretty funny too - some girls in the middle of the floor were holding up a big sign that said, "I'm legal now". Funny/scary.