Victoria's Island

Weekend Recap

Well, when I last left you I was sitting in my comfy hotel room in Belfort getting ready for the Nommay World Cup. I am now home from the race and had a pretty darn busy but good day. I guess I should back up and tell you about Sunday.

I'm going to take the lazy route and make you go to Ottawa Cross to read my race report. Yes, I know... But hey, have to drive traffic to the web site and I really don't want to repeat myself too much! Suffice it to say, it was a darn hard and fast race. The winner (Katie Compton) was doing 6:30 laps. I finished 35th. I got lapped. Not what I had planned on. But as I wrote over at Ottawa Cross, I've taken a lot of learning points from this race. I'm not crushed or devastated with my result. Don't get me wrong - I'm not happy about it. But I'm not feeling down in the dumps about it. The race reminded me that I've still got lots of hard work to do to get to the level I truly want to be at. I've come a long way this past year, and I'm going to go even further this year. So without anymore blathering, go read about the race and the day over at Ottawa Cross. Oh, and there are a few pics there thanks to cyclephotos.co.uk - two from the warm-up on Saturday and one from the World Cup in Treviso.

Sunday in France was really a good day. I had a good time at the race. I really love racing my bike. I especially love it here in Europe. It is so much fun to see the spectacle and to be part of the spectacle. I signed a few autographs. Did my share of star watching. Chilled out. Hung out with Jos, Matt, and Nikki. Warmed up. Laughed. Raced. Cooled down. Laughed some more. Then we hit the road for the drive home. I suppose I should tell you about our morning... We decided to hit up a baker in Belfort - we wanted food for Jos for the day and some food for me post-race. Well, we weren't disappointed. We found the perfect bakery and walked away with two small quiche, two almond croissants, a small tomato/olive pizza (for me), and a loaf of bread for Jos. Here is the photographic evidence (no picture of the pizza...)

I was super lucky to have Jos with me for the weekend. She did everything and more for me. Whatever I needed short of pedaling my bike - she was doing it! Thanks so much Jos. One really cool thing Jos did was secure a warm-up tent for myself and Nikki. We had parked in front of this tent on Saturday and Jos determined that this tent would be super useful on Sunday. So we made it ours:

Jos was my pit man on Sunday but she also managed to snap a few race pics:

We hit the road pretty quickly after the race and made it back home in really good time. The drive passed very quickly as we both talked non-stop. Nothing like catching up after almost a year apart to make the time fly by.

I ended up staying up rather late getting two loads of laundry done and decompressing from a big weekend of racing and travel. This first week has been a bit of a whirlwind, with the travel, the flat tire, getting settled and then traveling to France. Nice to be staying put for a while without any big trips upcoming.

Today I got up early and got my recovery ride done and then jumped in the car to return it at the Zaventem airport. I then picked up my brand new Renault Kangoo. I've leased this car and will have it for the duration of the trip. It truly is a new car. Pretty cool race vehicle. Tons of space in the back. The back seats fold down flat. And the rear doors are sliding doors. Perfect for cyclo-cross. I then zipped off to Booischott to get my phone sorted. Alas, when I arrived the electronics store was close for lunch. My tummy was grumbling so I drove to Heist-Op-Den-Berg to find some lunch. Heist-Op-Den-Berg is a larger town that has a very good main shopping street so I kind of wanted to check it out anyway. I took the easy route and ate Panos (similar to Subway). I then wandered around and poked in some of the shops. Nice little bit of leg stretching and then back to Booischott. Unfortunately the phone expert was not in, so I'll have to return tomorrow. No matter - the town is very close by.

Had a great little chat with Marc and then it was on the bike for the second ride of the day. I wanted to check out the 'cross trails at Averbode. Averbode is about a 15 minute cycle from here - so perfect distance for 'cross training. On my way, I bumped into Jos - she had ridden over hoping to find me at Averbode! So she took me over and showed me the trails. I had a great little ride, sourcing out the trails, putting together a little course for myself and enjoying being in nature. There were lots of people out walking and enjoying the woods. These riding trails are next to the Averbode Abbey and the beach area so there are lots of people out enjoying the fresh air. I had a good ride - found some serious sand, a few steep climbs, some fast descents. Just what I wanted. I plan to go back on Thursday. Tempted to go tomorrow but I am racing on Wednesday.

So really, that's what has happened. Nothing ground breaking. But just a pretty good couple of days. Today was quite good. Got some big errands done, got two rides in, and got to relax a bit with a quick lunch out and walk around the shops. As I arrived in Booischott, the morning market was closing up. I definitely want to go back and check it out (I went last year on a weekend day with Tim and Jos) - there was a truck with the most amazing looking roast chickens, another couple selling cheese, lots of veggie stands, and then people selling clothes, lingerie - basically anything you wanted. I'll try to put it on my list for next Monday.

Well, I'm going to close off now. Thanks for reading. Many thanks for the emails and messages over the weekend. The race was tough but in the long run, a good thing. Remember to go to Ottawa Cross and read in more detail about my racing and training. See you all tomorrow.

20 years since the Berlin Wall came down. Amazing. Thinking a trip to Germany could be a good way to round off our trip here...

Mmm, France

Ah, I do like France. Not to offend Belgium, but I do so like France. I don't know exactly what it is about France, I simply like it here. Not even the rain bothers me. Yep, happy to be here in Nommay for the World Cup.

Had a great drive down with Jos. Awesome having her here with me this weekend. She has been a massive help already - did the bulk of the driving, helped out during the warm-up, navigated the number pick-up bonanza, and just generally has been most excellent company. Sometimes traveling to these races alone can be a bit draining so it has been super to have someone to talk to, eat with and help out on race day. Thank Jos! Oh, and happy belated birthday - it was Jos's birthday on Friday!

So got to the race in good time and quickly hopped out on the bike for some pre-ride laps. I really like the course. It is very grassy. Bumpy grass. With some steep ups and fast downs. Tricky off-camber section. Few gravel sections. And more of the bumpy grass. Not sure if it will be super muddy tomorrow (last year was very muddy) - depends on how much rain we get tonight. So had a good pre-ride - tested some different lines and tires.

Got the numbers, pit passes, parking passes and all that stuff and quickly found our hotel in Belfort. We are staying at a dandy little place call All Seasons Belfort. Excellent rooms. Good location downtown. Breakfast included in the morning. Free WiFi. Perfect! Extra bonus is, there is lots of room for my bikes in the room.

Jos and I hit up downtown Belfort for some supper. I wanted to take Jos somewhere nice since it was her birthday and she has given up her weekend to take care of me at the race. We were strolling along admiring all the shops that we resisted when we spied a long-time favorite: Flunch! Flunch is the best place to eat. Cheap, good, fast food. Hard to explain really how this is possible - suppose it is because we are in France... So the deal is you choose your entree (we both had quiche) and then you get unlimited sides with your entree... So tonight the choices included: french fries, potatoes, zuchini, a veggie ragout, some weird pea dish, green beans, carrots, rice, pasta, creamed spinach, and a couple of other options. You get unlimited amounts of this. So in total including a glass of wine and a bottle of water, our supper cost a mere 13 Euro! Can't go wrong with this. It wasn't fine dining but it is a quintessential French dining experience. (In Paris last year, Marc and I searched high and low for Flunch.)

I took a picture of Jos eating at the Flunch - just need to figure out how to get it off my phone and onto this web site!

So now just chilling out in the hotel. Had a great chat with Marc's mom - happy birthday Annette! Had a super chat with my dad, brother, and sister-in-law - super to see and talk with them. Then I talked to Marc. He is in Northampton racing this weekend. He had a really good race and finished 11th. I'm super proud of him.

Now, I'm just going to surf the WWW for a bit and then hit the sack. Big race day tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to racing. I've written a pre-ride report over at Ottawa Cross (Kathleen, Jos suggests you go read my Ottawa Cross web site as well...).

Going to hit up a bakery on the way to the race tomorrow so Jos has some food for the afternoon and we've got some tasty food to keep us going on our drive home after the race. I'm off at 1:30 tomorrow. So be sure to send me some speedy vibes at around 7:30 EST. I'm looking forward to racing tomorrow. The course is excellent. I'm feeling good. Just looking forward to getting out there and having fun on my bike. Can't beat it really - I'm in France and I get to race my bike! Super lucky.

Work

Friday. Sweet Friday. The end of the work week for most. But for me, it really signals the start of my work week. Yes, racing time. Racing is my new work. Training is my new work. Recovery is my new work. Nutrition is my new work. Nap time is my new work. Quality food is my new work. Yoga is my new work. Hydration is my new work.

Couldn't be happier with this new work. My bank account won't grow with this new work. But my heart and soul will most definitely grow exponentially. Something I've realized at the tender age of 37 is worth more than any dollar bill.

Some of you are not fully buying into this. I can appreciate that. Until you've done what I'm doing - you can't really fathom how much more valuable dreams are as compared to a swelling bank account. Regrets only make you poor. Living life to the maximum and going for it are prizes I can carry with me forever and hopefully the good feelings they give me will be passed on to others.

Yes, in case you haven't guessed by now - I'm feeling pretty darn good about things. Scared shitless? Yes - definitely. I'm 37 and I don't have a "paying job". But who cares? I'm chasing my dreams. I can go to bed with memories of an exciting day and with thoughts of the adventures that lay ahead. Find me a cubicle that can give me the same thing and I'll eat my shirt.

Phew, glad I got that out of my system. Okay, in other Vicki news....

Had a most excellent day again today. Soothing ride on some of my favorite routes. Just long enough to spin the legs out and clear my head. All to get me in the right frame of mind for the weekend. Ah, race time. Can't hardly wait. Looking forward to going to the office. Heading out tomorrow morning for the drive to Nommay, France. Sweet.

Made a couple of great discoveries at the grocery store today. Nubmer one: Fage Greek Yogurt! Yum! I love this stuff. Sadly it is not available in Ottawa. I don't know why. Ah well, I'll get my fill here. If you've never had Greek yogurt, you simply must have some. Super thick and creamy (even the 0%) kind. Oh so tasty with some chopped fruit and oatmeal. Second discovery: honey tea. Yes, honey tea. It smells just like honey on toast. It tastes just like honey spread on a piece of bread that has a thin shmear of butter/margarine on it. So very soothing. (In fact I think I'll have another cup!)

Well, the time is getting on and I still have a couple of things to do. Have a great weekend. Send me some speedy vibes at 7:30 EST time on Sunday. Remember if you see Marc - hug him!

Bonfires

If you are English or of English descent, the title will have relevance to you... Yes, it is Guy Fawkes day. I had forgotten about this infamous "holiday" until I was reminded of it while listening to CBC Radio. Funny I had the BBC morning news magazine program on this morning and didn't hear a word about Guy Fawkes. Perhaps Guy Fawkes and his associated festivities are not high-brow enough for the BBC? No matter - to you I wish you "Happy Guy Fawkes Day" - a perfect excuse to have a wee bonfire in your backyard and whip up some gooey chocolatey smores or if you prefer to fully honor the tradition - burn a scarecrow-like object in effigy. (Myself, I lean towards the smores...)

Another good day here. Got in a most excellent ride. Hit up some of my favorite routes. Ended up riding along the canal. Amazing bicycle path that one could follow to Antwerp. Pretty quite out there on the paths today. Suppose the rain and ridiculous wind kept people home. Regardless of the weather, I had a great ride. I was dressed for it so the rain was nothing to worry about. In fact I think I was only rained on for about 15 minutes. Not bad considering I was out for 2.5 hours.

Had a busy afternoon. Highlights being a short walk to my neighbourhood health food store. It is literally a one minute walk from my place here. I was happy to find almond milk and tahini. This little store has so many interesting items. I consider it to be a real health food store, as opposed to those in Ottawa that are really high-priced grocery stores that masquerade as health food stores. Then it was off to see the tire man... Success - I have a new full-sized tire on the car. Phew! Now I can actually drive places! Popped into Carrefour to get some help with iPhone (had trouble popping up the chip holder thingy) - got that solved and then picked up a cheapo fleece sweatshirt. For some reason I came to Belgium without a warm sweatshirtish shirt.

Sealed the afternoon activities with a nap. Popped on CBC Radio over the WWW and got caught up thanks to The Current and Q. Now I'm listening to Ideas. Quality programing. Though as I've written before, there are some serious misses on CBC these days, but I'll take the bad to get the good stuff. Not much else on deck for tonight. I do need to do some race research... That is, watch the video of the Nommay World Cup. Also need to research tire selection for the expected muddy conditions. Then it will be back to my book. Currently reading My Life in France by Julia Child. This is the perfect book to start this trip with. A funny coincidence is that Julia Child began her life in France on November 3, 1948 (and I began my current trip here on November 3, 2009) - don't worry this interesting fact does not inspire me to put away the bike and pick up the whisk, rather it comforted me to know that 61 years ago someone else was starting out on a big adventure. (I hope I got the math right...)

Alright, the time is getting on here. Best go do my studying! Oh, forgot to mention this yesterday - I am not surrounded by H1N1 hysteria here. Doesn't seem to be much panic about it at all. In fact even in the three airports I was in on Monday/Tuesday, there was hardly any sign of the H1N1 flu craziness. Here in Belgium, the flu is called the "Mexican flu". Other thing I saw today was an amazing display of pumpkins and scary Halloween figurines - this front yard display trumped anything I've seen at home.

Okay, really going now. More tomorrow. Have a great Thursday.

Comfy

Pretty much all settled in here now. Got the kinks out with a good night of sleep. The morning came pretty fast and I was tempted to lie in bed but I really wanted to get the bikes sorted out. I managed to put both bikes together with minimal fuss and headache. (I think it was a really good thing that the bikes arrived rather late - this way I wasn't tempted to stay up and put them together.)

Even though the wrenching went pretty smoothly, I did have some headset issues. Rather than fret about it, I took both bikes into 4Bikes to get checked over. I figured that since I'm racing a World Cup this weekend, it would be super useful to be confident that the bikes won't fall apart. Only drag about taking the bikes in was that I couldn't pick them up until 4:00 - making it tight to get a ride in. Managed to squeeze in 30 minutes - probably long enough considering the travel fatigue. Many thanks to the gang at 4Bikes for getting my bikes done on such short notice.

The tire is another matter. Took it in today. Was told to come back at 4:00. So I did. Guess what? I have to go back tomorrow at 4:00... Ah well, it will get sorted. Just would have been nice to have this taken care of today.

Other than that, I didn't really do much today. Got unpacked. Did a bigger grocery store shop. That's it. Amazing how the time passes so quickly.

I did get to the bakery. Ah, how nice to be in the bakery again. There truly is nothing like a Belgian bakery. Especially as the one in Blauberg. Did see something startling in the bakery - a pig (a large pig) made completely out of marzipan... Must be a special order. Anyway, picked up a loaf of the all-time favorite bread: multigranen. I expect the loaf to last me close to a week. (When Marc arrives, this loaf of bread will disappear in a couple of days.)

Speaking of Marc - if you see him - please give him a hug for me!

Okay, I'm going to sign off. Want to get off the computer and chill out. Might watch a movie or the Nommay World Cup race. Happy Wednesday!

Made It

Dudes, all I can say about this past day and a half is this: EPIC. Yes the all caps are required. This block of travel has been crazy. Just a little trip to Belgium. No big deal. Done this before. Well I guess all the good karma I experienced on my previous trips had to paid back sooner or later. And boy did I pay it back today.

It really started I think with the $500 I had to pay (or Marc had to pay) at the airport. Yes, $500! $225 for each piece of extra luggage. $50 for each bike. Not good. But we sucked it up and dealt with it. In retrospect, I should have not brought the extra clincher wheels - could have bought some here for cheaper. Lesson learned. Got off to Toronto fine. Was crazy chaotic at the gate for the Frankfurt flight. But on international flights this seems to be the way.

Flight to Frankfurt is going really smoothly (with the exception of the exceedingly cranky man sitting next to me - he was not happy from the moment he got on the plane). Then all of a sudden I hear "If there is a nurse, doctor, or paramedic on the plane, please identify yourself to a member of the cabin crew." This is not good. There was lots of action behind me. But really I put it out of my head. Watched some episodes of the Office and ate my "beef". Then it went south. We had to make an emergency medical landing in Halifax. We were on the ground for an hour in Halifax. Turns out there is landing protocol that must be followed - so the plane had to be inspected by the mechanics before we could take off again. Problem was - the mechanics had never seen such a plane. Oh well, hang out - talk to some people, stretch the legs (we had to stay on the plane). Finally we take off.

We land at 9:30 in Frankfurt. I've missed my connection by 15 minutes. So now  have to wait 3.5 hours in Frankfurt for my next flight to leave at 12:55. Okay, get a sandwich (wicked sandwiches in the Frankfurt airport), grab a tea misto from Sbucks and get comfy. Had to make a few frantic calls regarding the car rental to get that sorted. Board the plane. Now this flight is delayed 30 minutes. Sleep all the way to Brussels.

Basically traverse the entire Brussels airport to get to the baggage pick up. Find my yellow suitcase and my wheels. No bikes. No bikes anywhere. Okay, make the baggage claim. Not the best, but not the worst. Pick up the rental car. Fire up the GPS and start driving here. I hit Herseltsesteenweg and there is mega construction. Hmm, okay just go around the traffic calming things. Hmm, the road seems to be completely blocked. Alright, I'll pull into the Aldi parking lot and go around it. Bang!

Now I've got a flat tire. Yes, a flat tire. Sigh. Call the rental company. They arrange to send someone to change the wheel - this is after I find someone in the Aldi (Belgian discount grocery store) to talk to the guy from the rental agency to confirm the address. Now at this point it is 4:30. I was supposed to originally arrive in Brussels at 10:10. I'm tired. I'm hungry.

I call Marc. He was super patient and reminded me to take a deep breathe and that everything would work out. So I decided to heed his advice and did a little grocery shopping while I waited for my tire saviour to arrive. The super tire man was there within 30 minutes. Perfect. He puts the spare tire on and we're just about to leave, when Jos shows up. Perfect.

Boy, was I ever happy to see Jos. Nothing like seeing a friendly face after having such a day. Turns out Marc had called her and told her what had happened. So now I'm here at the house in Blauberg. Had a quick chat with Jos, got some groceries and had some supper. And the most excellent news of all - the bikes have arrived and should be delivered here to the house before 11 p.m.

Phew. Now I need to concentrate on staying awake that long! So in the end, everything worked out. I still need to deal with the tire tomorrow. But I've found a place to take it to and that will get done on Wednesday. Now just keep your fingers crossed that the bikes have arrived in the shape of bikes and not of mangled aluminum. Think I'll just put them in the garage and deal with them tomorrow morning...

So I can definitely say, "it has been one of those days". I think it is a really good thing that I'm an experienced traveler or I very well would have cracked in Frankfurt and most definitely in Brussels. So far I'm still together. Looking forward to getting out on the bikes tomorrow and testing them out. I'll go check out some of my favorite training routes. I'll also hit up the bakery tomorrow and take a gander into the health food store. When I went into the Bambus (grocery store next to the house), the ladies there were super friendly and remembered me from my previous trips. Very nice feeling to be welcomed back.

Okay, I'm out. I have lots of WWW reading to catch up on and I should unpack. Might leave that until tomorrow as well. Racing this weekend in Nommay, France. Lucky me.

Time to Go

Gotta go. Yep. It is that day. The big day. Jumping on a plane in a few hours and taking off for a mere 98 days. Wow! Basically the entire winter. Not too shabby. And to top it off, I get to live in the land of cyclo-cross and really all things bike. Even better.

So, I'm taking off today. I'll be in Blauberg by lunch-time (assuming there are no flight delays or missing bags...). Very very cool.

The other day, Marc asked me what the first thing I was looking forward to doing in Belgium. The only thing I could think of was going for a ride. Suppose this does make sense. I'm there to ride, race, train and be a bike racer. So it is really a relief that this is what I want to do most. I'm looking forward to hitting up some of my favorite training routes. I'll probably get lost, but this is all part of the adventure.

Had a fantastic weekend. Uber-busy. But this is the way I like it. We had some awesome evenings with friends on both Friday and Saturday night. Great day on Sunday with the racing at the Kanata Rec. Center followed by a pleasant evening with Marc's parents and sister/husband. Then to round things off we met up with Skip from Kingsbridge for breakfast and talks that revolved around bikes, computers, technology and all things not related to the hum-drum of the daily job.

Just had some minor excitement here. Okay, maybe it should be rephrased to be panic. We lost Murphy. Yep, could not find him anywhere... Marc was convinced  I had let him out. We searched everywhere. Called him. Got some food out. Then I looked in the walk-in closet... Found him - puffy tail and big eyes. Silly cat. Or maybe it should be silly people?

Well, that's all about I've got time for today. Sorry about the quick post. Time is running short here. So I best be off. Next post will be from Blauberg. Thanks again for the emails, messages, friendly words - I'll be keeping these tucked into my skinsuit when I'm out there racing all over Europe.

Later

This seems to be the theme running through my brain today. Later. I'll just do this and then I can do that later. A few more minutes and I'll do the other thing later. It seems as though that and the other thing are pressing items on my to do list. Sigh, I knew this would happen. Give a dawdler/slow-to-move person a bit of spare time and look out. Things will grind to a halt. It is a proven fact, in order to be productive, I need to be busy. Uber-busy. When I've got time. I waste it. I like to tell myself that this dawdling and lumbering around the items that should be done is good for my soul. I'm resting. I'm recovering. I'm not getting worked up or stressed. Ha, isn't it amazing how powerful the brain can be? Sure take your time. You've got tons of time. Do that later. No hurry. You deserve a break. A few more minutes won't hurt.

This is exactly what has been going on around these parts the last two days. Then when push comes to shove, I get a bit hot under the collar and the world is collapsing because all of a sudden, I don't have enough time and how am I ever going to get all this stuff done? So no I don't have time to sit and relax. I've got this and that other thing to be done.

So now I'm taking a quick break. And then it is on to being a whirlwind of productivity. I've got three things stroked off my list. I'm going to get three more stroked off before heading for dinner tonight. This will be a successful day.

I knew I could do it. Just had to put my mind to it...

Alright, so what has been going on? Well baked a cake today. Actually two cakes. I'm not much of a baker. And in my zealousness and excitement, I always forget/neglect to let the poor baked item cool before removing from the pan. I do this each and every time. So I baked the unfussy apple cake. Let it cool for a nano-second and removed it from the pan. Yes, it started to break apart. Hmm, what to do? I grabbed the jar of dulce de leche and slathered it on - the plan being the stickiness will keep things together. Smart - yes? Then I got looking at the cake. It looked a tad dense... I reviewed the recipe. I looked at the bag of flour I used. Uh oh, used the wrong flour. Fine, I'll bake another. So I did. I let this one cool for a super long time - 1 hour - a record for me. Flipped it out on the tray. It does not look as dense. Did not break apart either. Good. Phew. Problem is, I have no idea if these cakes taste okay. That is the problem with cake. No way of testing it. Good thing we're having supper with friends - friends are always honest right?

This is really the excitement of the day. Cake baking. Next time I'll stick to my favorite go to dessert: chocolate mousse and fruit salad. Boring. But safe. Or I'll buy a dessert next time. Keep your fingers crossed that the apple cake truly is unfussy.

Got in a most excellent ride on the 'cross bike this morning. Hit up the trails and tested out my SRM on the bike. Very interesting to see the wattage numbers produced when riding on the trails. Took a couple of good wipe-outs as well. Those roots and bridges are very slippery when wet.

I went and checked out the new T & T Supermarket yesterday. It was busy. But tolerable busy. I left with a good haul of food for our supper. Pretty tasty if I do say so myself. I have never seen such a selection of soy sauce, shrimp crackers, and dumplings. If you like Asian food, definitely check out this grocery store. I will be adding this store to my grocery shopping routine when I return in February.

I'm a big fan of yogadownload.com. I downloaded some of the free 20 minute yoga sessions. Love them. It is not the same as going to the yoga studio, but in a pinch they work quite well. Just did a core yoga work-out that had me sweating and quivering a bit and then a detox flow to finish things off. Perfect.

Now that my mind and body are at ease, I suppose I should get back to you know what... But the thing is, I've got a nice mug of chai tea sitting here. Kind of hard to enjoy tea while working on that and the other thing. A few more minutes won't hurt...

Busy but Good

Pretty much sums up my Wednesday. Jam-packed day of action. Got a lot ticked off my list and still found time to chill out. Pretty solid for a Wednesday.

Had a rather soggy ride today. Didn't realize it was supposed to rain. Ah well, I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt. But, I could have done without the rain. Today was a killer work-out. Suprathreshold intervals. Yes, they are that fun. But the good thing about these torture tests is the feeling of satisfaction when they're done.

I ended my ride at Marc's office. We hit up Phu Yen for some lunch and then I was off to run errands all over the city. Okay, maybe city is an exaggeration - ended up being all over the suburbs. The one thing I wanted to do but didn't get to, was a visit to the new T & T Supermarket at Hunt Club and Riverside. Thanks to the power of Twitter, I learned that the new Asian super grocery store was insanely busy. Apparently people lined up at 8 a.m. - the store didn't open until 9:30! I'm hoping to check out the store tomorrow.

Really not much else. Everything is pretty much under control. Lists are made. I have a few more things to pick up. But really now it is down to packing. Can't do this until Saturday and then finish it off Sunday night.

I really haven't given much attention to H1NI, but after talking to the nurse/receptionist at my gastro doc's office, I realized I probably should get the shot... I guess I'm considered high-risk now since I have a "challenged" immune system. Problem is, the shot is not available in Ottawa for people with chronic illness until Nov. 9. I'll be in Blauberg, Belgium by then. Guess I'll look into getting the shot in Belgium. Probably will be a much more efficient system there. From what I've experienced of the medical system in Belgium, it is much more uncomplicated and sensible than what we have here.

Looking forward to the race in Kanata on Sunday. I think Sunday will be a bit insane. Good insane. Racing. Lunch plans. Bike cleaning and packing. Dinner plans. Last of the packing. Sleep.

Picked up a couple new books for the trip: My Life in France and The Ten Year Nap. I am not going to crack either of them until the plane next Monday. Surveyed the mags at Chapters - but the pickings are a bit slim right now. Guess I'll get Marc to bring me some when he comes over...

Alright, I'm out. Sorry I haven't got much for you today. I'm looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow. Friday is going to be busy. I'm baking a cake. It is called Unfussy Apple Cake. I think it will be tasty served with some dulce de leche. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Start

It is here. It is really really here. I am no longer working in the "traditional" sense. Nope. Taking a break from the 9-5. Now my hours are uber-flexible and the work attire is a little bit more relaxed. Instead of a big comfy chair and a flat panel monitor, I'll be sitting on a narrow hard bike saddle and staring at the brilliant blue sky. I'll also be dressed head to toe in spandex. Pretty cool eh?

So the last day at the office had many "moments". I'd have to say that as last days go, it was a pretty darn exciting one. But everything worked out for the best in the end. I must admit that even though I only worked at this place for a short time, I did still make some good friends. The extra bonus was rekindling a friendship with an old co-worker.

The first afternoon of the new life... What did I do? Three guesses. Okay, I'll make it easy for you - I rode my bike. I was kind of having one of those "crazy brain" moments by the time I got home. But luckily for me I had a specific work-out to get in. Plugged in the iPod, hopped on the 'cross bike and rolled over to my favorite stomping grounds for some fast bike riding. Within  mere minutes, I felt free as a bird and my mind was 100 per cent focused on getting in a quality work-out. Definitely have to appreciate the calming powers of fresh air, birds, and the rush of endorphins.

Pretty chilled out evening. Ticking more items off my many lists. Just watching a video of a race I'll be doing on Nov. 11. One thing to say about this race in Niel - mud and more mud. Yikes! I love mud! This will be one of my new bedtime and wake-up mantras.

I've got a few jam-packed days coming up. Errands to run. Euros to pick up. Bike stuff to buy. Clothes to pack. Bikes to disassemble and jam into bike boxes. A few dinners planned. A couple of coffee/tea dates. Bike race on Sunday. Then before I know it, I'll be on the plane on Monday.

But first things first for Wednesday - the plan is to sleep in (this will probably be to about 7:30) and then I'll kick things off with a solid yoga work-out and then more fun on bikes. Pretty darn good way to get started on this bike racing gig.

Right now, I'm tired. Sleepy tired. Time to hit the sack. I'm reading a rather hilarious book right now called Confessions of a Shoe Aholic. Not my typical read. But it is doing the trick right now - pure escapism. Lots of time for serious reading. Besides, I'm looking forward to raiding the Jos's bookshelf next week - she has the best books.

Okay, I'm out. Have a good one. Remember to post up in the comments...