Victoria's Island

The Three R's

I had the three R's on the go today. Reading. wRiting. Riding.  Sorry no aRithmetic in my future! It has been a full couple of days spent on the good stuff.

In the reading department, well as you likely know, I finished read Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. Wow - what a book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I must admit I went into it expecting not to enjoy it. I've always maintained that I don't like novels set in the "past". Well, it turns out I was wrong. Yes, I just admitted that I was wrong - amazing what a good book can do for me! Suffice it to say, I strongly urge you to read this book. It is good and will keep you reading and gripping the pages a bit tighter as you follow Xavier and Elijah.

I started a new novel the other night. I'm now reading Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. You may know Genova as the author of Still Alice. This was (in my opinion) a groundbreaking novel. I learned a lot about Alzheimer's Disease and how absolutely scary this disease for all those impacted by it. Luckily I was not alone in recognizing Genova's brilliance and now she has published her second novel. It is early days with this one but so far it is okayish. I guess my lack of passion for this book lies with the fact that I really don't feel any empathy or compassion for the main character. I'm sure this will change and I'm giving Genova the benefit of the doubt. (Something we should all be lucky to have.)

The writing business is rolling along. I have a few big clients and a few smaller clients. Problem is the smaller clients seem to be where the work is these days. I've started bidding for work on oDesk. Now all you writing purists out there, uncurl your toes and hold back on your comments... I know oDesk has its pros and cons but what it does provide is the opportunity to build a portfolio and to make money. Yes, it pays way below market rates, but sometimes beggars can't be choosers. Believe I'd rather have more of the bigger clients, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do... Today I wrote about patio furniture and GMAT prep courses....

The riding? Well the riding is going really well. I'm starting to find my legs again. I don't have the top-end fitness that takes time to fine tune and develop but my engine is coming along very nicely. I'm really looking forward to this next block of training - its got lots of interesting stuff from sprint work-outs to tempo efforts to long rides. I'm still running but only once every week or so - just enough to keep my body used to the impact and effort required to run around in mud and grass.

So really things R going really well. (Sorry I couldn't help myself!)

Oh, speaking of riding, I am in the midst of the business-end of bike racing. Yes, the sponsorship process. I'm very happy to report that a number of fine companies are coming back on board with me for what holds to be a very successful year of racing on the professional cyclo-cross circuit. This being said, I am looking for a couple more sponsors for the season. So if you know someone who has a brand or product that they'd like to raise publicity for and can benefit from my representation - please pass on my contact information. There is not product, service or company too big or too small for me - my Ottawa.cx clothing has room for some new company names and logos!

Alright, enough of a sales pitch.... I'm off to buy Mr. Murphy a new harness. It seems he has outgrow his old one. I think we are in the market for a harness designed for a medium-sized dog. Ah well, a fat cat is much happier than a cat on a diet. Actually, I think we're all much happier without the diet!

Recapping

I really did plan to post on this site on Sunday. But the day got away from me. In a good way. It was one of those Sundays that at first appears to be a bit "empty" but as the day took over, it became jam-packed and very pleasant. Just the way I like my Sundays to be.

Actually the entire weekend was just really spot on. Some new recipes, lots of reading, movie watching, hanging out with friends, bike riding and a good dose of lounging. Can't really ask for more.

In the new recipe department, I made sunflower seed pate/loaf... I discovered this tasty gem on Monday at Bridgehead when I munched a sunflower seed pate sandwich. So good. With thatnks to Bridgehead, I quickly had a list of ingredients and then with the power of the WWW, I quickly had a recipe. On Saturday I whipped up the sunflower seed pate/loaf. It truly came out in a loaf-like texture that can be sliced and used in sandwiches, added to salads or even spread on crackers. If you like sunflower seeds and you're looking for an easy way to add them into your diet - try out sunflower seed pate/loaf. Very good with veggies and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

I finally finished reading Three Day Road. Actually I read this book in only one week. This is a record for me - I'm a pretty slow reader. This book grabbed me and it was hard to put down. It really has been a while since a novel has done this. Now for the next book? I really don't know. I've got a long list of books on my "to read" list that I want to get through but I am open to suggestions.

On Saturday we connected with some friends who are also from Saskatchewan. We were treated to the most amazing tea I've had in a while: Saskatoon Berry tea. Wow - so good. I'm not typically a fan of fruit teas but this tea really hit the spot. Even Marc enjoyed it! Anyway a great night of talking about cycling, Belgium, cooking, recipes, and pretty much everything else.

We're slowly getting caught up with the big movie hits of the year. This weekend we watched The Fighter. What a movie! I've wanted to watch this movie ever since listening to a frank and honest interview with Mark Whalberg on NPR's Fresh Air. This movie is a must-watch.

The week ahead is looking good. I've got a few rest days with my training. I've been battling some fatigue lately, and it has taken me a while to admit that I am tired, rather than trying to cram lots into my day. I'm hoping the weather does turn out as predicted so I can ride outside again. I've got some small writing jobs on the go this week and other than that, life continues on as normal. Normal is good. For some normal might be boring but for me, normal is anything but normal. Kind of makes you question what "normal" really is. I still haven't figured out what a "normal" person is...

Ten Things

I just read this post by Meghan Telpner and I think it is worth a read: Ten Things I Learned From Healing an Incurable Disease.

While I've taken a slightly different approach to dealing with ulcerative colitis than Meghan has with dealing with Crohn's disease - the principles of both approaches and lessons are still the same.

Anyway, just a quick post for this Friday morning. I think that some of the points Meghan makes can be transferred to any life situation you find yourself in.

You might also want to visit this site: http://tenthingsivelearned.com/

Alright, since one thing I've learned is that I don't like to be rushed, I best be off and get my ride in so I can get to yoga without any panic or rushing about.

Happy Friday!

Untitled

Sorry,  no snappy title for you today. I guess my creative juices aren't flowing yet - or maybe it is because I'm not sure where this post will go...

How about a quick and dirty recap of where things are these days? Sounds good to me. Alright, here goes nothing - hold on tight:

- stopped reading the Happiness Project - just got really bored with it.

- started reading Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. I am loving it. I avoided this book for a long time, believing that I don't like to ready books that aren't written in the current time - but thanks to Mr. Boyden and my neighbour Ross, I'm a convert.

- have picked up another freelance writing contract. Again another small one. So now I have three small ones and some others that happen less frequently. I consider this progress. (By the way do you need a talented writer?)

- excellent weekend was had in these parts. Highlight being the group ride out to Merrickville and back. Hoping to do the same this Sunday assuming the weather is friendly.

- I start back on the iron infusions this week. Sigh. This iron and anemia is the last puzzle to solve and then I'll be feeling normal again.

- Murphy is still fat. Considering a diet for the old guy. But he is an old guy so why torture  him with less kitty cat kibble?

- no new recipes to tell you about yet. Tonight is one of our favorites - taco night. No shells for me (I'm not a fan of the gluten-free versions). I do have a pumpkin/banana bread recipe that I'm hoping to get to tonight.

- I discovered that I can watch television via the Internet... Yes, I'm very slow to get on this bandwagon. On Sunday night I watched Grey's for the first time since I was in the hospital in Belgium. I feel an addiction coming back.

- looking forward to spending some time in Lakefield with my parents in May. Long bike rides, meandering walks with Pixie the wonder dog, a visit to the big city, a stop in at H & M in Peterborough (why don't we have an H &M in Ottawa?), and lots of other highlights are sure to happen (I think Bobcaygen is on the list). Good times.

Alright, that is it for now. I best be off and get some writing work done. Hope you're having a good one. Oh, I'm looking for a next novel to read, so I'm taking suggestions. I'm leaning towards The Bone Cage - but it is not available in electronic format...

Saturday Morning Quiet

It is dark and early here in these parts. Yes, thanks to DST, it is dark out. This has put a wrench in my early morning running plans. Typically on Saturday morning I head to the local trails for an early morning romp through the snow and trees and then it is off to yoga for an 8 a.m. class. But not so today. There is just something about running in the dark and the woods that doesn't appeal to me... Ah well, this gives me a chance to relax with my tea and listen to CBC Radio before heading off to yoga.

I really find there is something extra special about these early mornings. Time does seem to slow down giving me a chance to ease into the day. I'll take this whenever I can get it.

It seems that I've become a bit addcited to tea. I've got four flavors in rotation right now: Earl Grey (mandatory for the start of the day) with a touch of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, chocolatey mint with a touch of unsweetened chocolate almond milk - guilt-free hot chocolate, chocolate chai very smooth and perfect with some unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and finally my biggest tea treat: vanilla tea by Might Leaf Teas - this is the cadillac of teas and very smooth, yes I put some unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my mug. Yes, so this is my latest addiction. Could be worse I guess.

As of Thursday, I swore off Sbucks. I object to paying more than $4 for a small decaf latte (with soy) - ridiculous. So you have read it here and I have promised Marc that if I slip up and find myself clutching a white paper cup with a green logo on it, I'll give Marc the equivalent cost of said cup. And if you know me, you know I'm kind of frugal (or cheap) so this deal will keep me from slipping up.

In cooking news, I cooked my first spaghetti squash on Friday. Haven't eaten it yet. We'll be having it tonight with a tasty spaghetti sauce that I'm going to whip up. I'm pretty confident this will work out - pretty hard to mess up sauce and vegetables.

These warmish spring days have really done a lot for the neighbourhood. The massive snow banks have nearly disappeared and the snow is melting at a rapid rate in our backyard. This recent snow melt has revealed that we do have a large population of rabbits living under our backstep... As much as I welcome spring, I do find things are kind of in "ugly mode" right now - the snow is dirty, hidden garbage is revealed, and it does kind of smell out there. Short term pain for long term gain.

The weekend is looking pretty good. Off to watch the UFC events tonight at our friend's place. Sunday is a big day with the first ride to Merrickville of the year. I really enjoy this ride, it takes about four hours with the highlight being stopping in Merrickville at the cafe for a delectable peanut butter bar and can of Coke.

Well, as much as I would like time to standstill on this Saturday morning, I better get my "act in gear" or I'm going to have to start rushing around and I prefer to stay in this calm and peaceful mode for as long as possible.

New favorite song in the rotation:

My Body

by Young The Giant. Love this song.

Rolling in the Deep

The title of Adele's latest hit: Rolling in the Deep came to mind as I sat down to write this post. It should be known that I'm a big Adele fan - I can't really explain what it is about her music that I like - I just like it.

Today is garbage/recycling day in these parts. Well, if you live on my street you will see quite a heap at the end of our driveway.... Yes, the basement clean-out of 2011 has started! After 90 minutes of digging, organizing and head-scratching I put together quite a pile of stuff for today. Slowly but surely I'll get through that basement and have it lean and mean. Amazing the stuff I've found down there. A complete set of dishes all carefully wrapped in newspaper - looks like they were our old dishes (I think I've got a home for them). I also found my old aquarium.... It will be going out soon. Anyway, there is a lot of stuff down there. I'm planning on making a Value Village run this week as well - anything that can be donated will be. So sorry residents of my trusty little street - there will be big heaps at the end of our driveway for a while...

I got out for an excellent ride yesterday. This was my first spring ride of 2011. I rode one of my 90 minute training routes and I'm pretty pleased to report that I did it in just a little over 90 minutes. This is reassuring. Today I was back on the trainer for an early ride since it is raining outside. Yes, I do ride in the rain but not when it is only 1 celsius and I have the choice of being dry and warm. Besides I had a Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and many episodes of Spooks to entertain me.

I'm listening to the Current on CBC Radio right now. I really don't know what to say about what is happening in Japan right now. It is simply horrific. Marc and I visited Japan in 2003 for a taekwon-do tournament and I found the entire experience to be amazing. I don't really know what there is that we can do from here - donate money to the Red Cross and other organizations raising money.

In a way it feels trite to write about the goings on in my life with all the craziness that is happening in the world. But not to be harsh but life does go on and if the roles were reversed, I would only want others to keep on keeping on.

I've picked up a few little writing jobs in the last couple of days. I've decided to apply for jobs through oDesk and it has been a slow start but now I've landed a couple of small jobs. The range of writing work available is limitless - hopefully I can get some consistent work through this web site. I've also picked up another writing client for whom I'll be writing bi-weekly blog posts. Nothing big here but sometimes you have to start small.

Nothing really new in the cooking/food world. I haven't tried out any new recipes this week. We've had some of our favorites - fresh summer rolls (with chicken), chickpea curry pizza (for me) and pasta/broccoli/hot Italian sausage (for Marc). Last week I failed on the pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, on Monday I neglected to make a pie for PI Day, and as for St. Patrick's day - not sure if I will honor this day. I suppose I could put together some green food - spinach, green lentils, celery, and peas immediately come to mind - wonder what Marc thinks?

If you need a little pick-me-up today, go download Adele's latest big hit: Rolling in the Deep and while you're there download My Body by Young The Giant. This song My Body has some key lyrics in it that really speak to me.

Weekend Life

It is nearing on Sunday afternoon and I have to say this has been a pretty darn good weekend. Nothing really spectacular to tell you about, rather just a good couple of days spent enjoying the good stuff in life.

I did get out for a quad-busting and lung-burning run yesterday that really left me feeling so happy to be getting closer to healthy and farther away from sick. I went to my usual stomping grounds just off Woodroffe for a 40 minute run through the woods. Well with the warmish weather and recent days of rain, the snow has gotten very soft. This turned my run into a challenging work-out and left me enjoying the "runner's high". Problem I'm having right now with the running are the nasty blood blisters on the bottom of my feet - they look ugly and feel worse. Suppose a bit of duct tape will prevent the friction.

Rest of Saturday was very Saturday-like - errands, napping, newspaper reading and reading magazines for free. We ended the day with a very enjoyable supper at the Dolsot Cafe with friends. The Dolsot Cafe is a Korean restaurant at Bank and Catherine St. The food is very good with tasty sidedishs such as kimchi, fish pancake and seaweed. I think everyone was very happy with their meals and the service was very good. Definitely a place that we will return to.

Today is shaping up to be another good day. I did a hard two hours on the rollers this morning. Again no complaints here - all signs that I'm getting better and back to my usual self. Marc is just heading out to Kemptville to hook up with some like-minded folks for his first outdoor ride of the Ottawa summer racing season. I'm jealous of course - but it is probably a bit ambitious for me to be riding with others right now.

I realize that I forgot to tell you the good news about my health. It looks like the Imuran is doing its job since my CRP levels (measurement of inflammation in the body) are below 1 right now - two weeks ago, these levels were above 6. Only issue I'm still dealing with is the ferritin and associated anemia. But hopefully with continued iron infusions we can get this sorted out. I can't speak highly enough about the nurses at the Ambulatory Clinic at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital.

Alright, this is all I've got for today. One thing I'm trying to figure out is how to get Shelagh Rogers to ready my book so I can be on the Next Chapter. Any thoughts on this?

Almost Made It!

Honestly, I completely forgot to post yesterday. I had one of those productive days and I just didn't think of my blog... But I'm here now. Not that today isn't productive - but I added "blog posts" to my "to do" list - and you know me, I like to strike items off this list!

A word about the snow: please stop snowing. I'm tired of the snow. I don't ski. I really don't like being cold. So I'd really the snow to stop and for the sun to come out to melt this stuff away.

Well, on Tuesday I attempted to cook Okonomiyaki - the Japanese pancake... Lets just say it has been long time since I've had a failure in the kitchen... I think the problem was that the pancakes were too thick - the were cooked on the outside but still pretty much not cooked. I started to get really frustrated with the entire endeavour since I was really looking forward to something different and new for supper. Also I really didn't want to subject Marc to another night of leftovers... I ended up throwing out the entire pancake mess and eating salad for supper - Marc ate the curry chicken Jamaican Patties that I bought for him at the Piggy Market. But, I won't give up on the Japanese pancake - word on the street is that a couple of young cyclists in town are huge Okonomiyaki fans, so I think I'll get them to come over and show me how to cook the perfect pancake.

I really don't have much for you. The plans for the May NYC trip with my mom are coming together. We're thinking of staying at the Hotel Pennyslvania - good location, decent price (for NYC) and it comes recommended. Now I just have to book the tickets - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Porter Airlines has another 30% sale - I kind of screwed up and neglected to book the tickets in time...

As for The Happiness Project? Well it is growing on me. So Julie Kirkpatrick the author of The Camino Letters is following me on Twitter (@vickitopcrosser) and has also read what I wrote about her book on this very web site... Sigh, when I started reading her book I suggested that her writing was "self-indulgent and long-winded"... Yes - and she read this. Yikes. I realized that it was actually "self-indulgent and long-winded" of me to write such things about another author. After all, I would hate it if someone wrote this about my book (An Unlikely Elite). So from now on I'll try to think twice before being so critical. For the record, I did stick with The Camino Letters and really did enjoy reading it...

Checking out a new-to-us restaurant this Saturday night: Dolsot Cafe. This is a Korean restaurant that has received excellent reviews on urbanspoon.com. Yes, I'll let you know what I think....

Two Days In A Row

It seems like it has been a long time since I've posted here two days in a row. But I did promise to tell you about The  Happiness Project and my latest cooking experienced. Besides I have to live up to the example set my neighbour who blogs daily over at The Brownfoot Journal.

So, The Happiness Project. Well, admittedly I'm only 14 pages or so into the book but so far so good. I'm really enjoying the tone and message from the author. It almost seems as though it will be a lighter approach to that taken in The Camino Letters. I could be off on this but so far this is the feeling I'm getting. The Happiness Project is highly readable and is not preachy in anyway. Interestingly, I'd never heard of or read of a "happiness project" before - apparently such projects are quite common and the concept is not new. I thought it was merely a convenient and interesting sounding title for a book about seeking happiness in one's life.... Learn something new everyday.

As for the cooking? Well on Sunday I made beef and green pepper soup thanks to a recipe from Clean Eating Magazine and I made a batch of gluten-free cornbread thanks to a mix from Bob's Red Mill. Both score top marks from me. The soup is very tasty and easy to make - it also makes quite a bit - so far we've had it for supper two nights and there is enough for another night. The cornbread is very good - though the instructions call for a 20 centimeter pan - I didn't have one... So I used a square pan - this meant I had to bake it for an extra 15 minutes. I didn't realize it wasn't fully cooked until Marc and I started eating it. Strange that it was still a bit mushy since I used the "clean knife" test and the knife came out clean. No biggie - I simply popped it back in the oven. This package also makes quite a bit of cornbread - it has dried out a bit but nothing a zap in the microwave and I presume some butter won't fix.

Since it is Shrove Tuesday I was thinking of making pancakes for supper. But honestly as much as I love the concept of eating pancakes - I simply can't do it. I know that there are recipes for healthy pancakes but still really a pancake is just a big lump of dough... So instead I'm going to make a Japanese pancake called Okonomiyaki. Many thanks to Ryan for the suggestion. I'm going to use this recipe. This way we get our vegetables and pancake all in one!

I stopped in at the Piggy Market in Westboro today and picked up a treat for Marc - some delicious smelling curry chicken Jamaican Patties. If you live in Ottawa and enjoy fresh and tasty meats, cheese and the best ice cream there is - go to the Piggy Market. You can buy Pascale's ice cream at this small little butcher shop and it is truly the best ice cream out there. (Just ask my parents!)

Hmm, I'm feeling a bit peckish now after writing about all this food....

In other news, I've picked up a small but steady writing contract - so this is good. And that really is about it. I've been on a bit of Spring cleaning binge in the house. So far I've cleaned out our walk-in closet, the kitchen cupboards (got rid of mugs and glasses we've had since our university days), and the front hall closet. Not sure what to attack next. Thinking of the basement...

The snow is still here. For our friends in Belgium, please stop telling us about the sun and the warm temperatures! (I'm only kidding.) Doesn't look like we'll be riding outside anytime soon. Ah well, we have to remember that last March was unseasonably warm and not a normal "March". So long as the roads are clear by my birthday - I have to be able to get my bike out by then...

And since I haven't done so in a while, here is a plug for my book. If you haven't read it yet - what are you waiting for? Download the PDF or EPUB. Give it a read and tell me what you think. And be sure to tell all your friends about it.

Chasing Legends

Last night Marc and I watched the movie Chasing Legends. This is a cycling movie about the Colombia HTC cycling team. Since I have a cycling-focused web site and blog, I feel a bit strange telling you about this movie here. But as I was pondering what to write about today, I kept on coming back to this movie.

This is not just a cycling movie. I think it really shows people at their most raw and honest. This does not happen often, particularly when a camera is always around. The movie focuses on the Tour de France and the key members of the Colombia HTC team - including behind-the-scenes footage and frank words.

For me, the central theme to this movie is pretty simple: if you don't try, you won't know. This is emphasized by one of my favorite cyclists - Jens Voigt. He just goes for it at all costs - sometimes his attacks work and sometimes they don't. But as he says in the film, if he doesn't go for it, well he'll never know.

So this is why I'm writing about Chasing Legends here. If you don't try, you won't know. Today is the start of Lent and it seems fitting to have this "motto" in mind. Now, I'm not a deeply religious person but I do believe that everything happens for a reason and that there is someone/some thing bigger than us present - so Lent doesn't have a central place in my life. But I am aware of Lent and what it stands for.

But instead of giving up something I value or appreciate during Lent, I'm going to embrace the wisdom from Chasing Legends. I will try. I'll keep on trying new things and different ideas. In the end I will make some discoveries - good and bad. There will be success and failures. At the very least - I will have tried and I will know.

Pretty heavy for a Monday afternoon, but I'm sure that tomorrow we'll be back to our regular "lighter" fare. (Besides I've got a few new food discoveries to tell you about and hopefully I'll have started reading The Happiness Project by then. Oh - download Adele's latest album - you won't regret it.)