Crunch time

27 days to go...

We're getting down to the end here. We're almost ready too. We still need to borrow a crib, sign up for diaper service and pick up a bunch of creams and lotions and cotton swabs but we're otherwise ready. We've also got some help on the way. Ying's mom got her visa and will arrive a week on Monday. Obviously, Ying's very excited because she hasn't seen her parents since coming to Canada and it will be fantastic to have the help for the first few months. I'm imaging that her mom might be a bit nervous since she's never been on a plane or outside of China in her life. It's amazing how Ying and I have affected others since most of our occidental wedding party probably never thought they'd find themselves in China and would never see a sight like Ying's hometown. I think it was a great experience for them and I hope Ying's mom has a great experience with us in Canada. I feel bad that we didn't get back to China earlier and then couldn't go because we wanted to be on the safe side with the pregnancy. I'm very happy that Ying's mom will see exactly how life is for Ying in Canada and she'll be able to see her second grandchild. In fact, she might be able to see the very beginning since we'll give her the option of being in the delivery room. In that stressful moment, Ying might be comforted having her mom and a Chinese speaker in the room. Of course, I'll be practising the Chinese translations of, "breathe, relax and push."

Be vewy, vewy quiet...

Spring has sprung again in Calgary but we'll have to see exactly how long this one lasts. With the office weigh-in, another season for basketball and softball season pending, it'd be nice to be able to get out and about without needing my down jacket. In the hopes that tomorrow will be nice enough to ride to work again, I did a very quick shake-down of my 'cross bike. I was just a few metres off my driveway and a big hare appeared in front of me on the road. After getting back home, Ying and I went for a walk in hopes of seeing the hare again. We did a little circle of the neighbourhood with no success. As we're heading home, the hare appeared at the head of the bike path and made its way right towards us. It passed pretty close and I was able to get a number of good shots.

Here's hoping the weather starts to improve. Another session of basketball starts on Wednesday and softball in just over a week. I'm hoping most of the guys added to our team are no shows 'cause we've got double the number I'd like: eight! We only have two girls which means they'll be on the floor the whole game and, if everything was equal, the guys would get 37.5% of the playing time. I might get more exercise in softball this year. The team I play for likes to take things easy. There are usually a lot of volunteers to be the extra player and no one was interested in a league with no outfield fence. I'm quite the oddball on the team 'cause I'm looking forward to the bigger field this year. My favourite position is still first base but I'll probably be seeing most of my playing time in the outfield. I hated the small outfields I've previously played at since lazy fly balls turned into home runs. I'm not a power hitter in softball so I'd rather have the opportunity to track down some balls in the outfield. Thanks to Dr. Jordin, I'm feeling quite good this Spring so I'm eager to do some cycling, some running up and down the roundball court and to stretch my legs in the outfield. If only I could find a decent outdoor basketball court. I checked out one near by today. One hoop was set at about 11' and the other was 9'. No happy medium.

necessary photographic equipment

We're up in Edmonton this weekend picking up the new family car. So far, we love it! It's got a sunroof, an aux jack for my iPod so I'm no longer using the cassette converter and a ton of oomph. (Remember cassettes? Two wheels and a ton of magnetic ribbon which made skipping ahead a song very difficult. After I turned 16, I spent more time in Stuart's car listening to a tape winding than actual music.) Uncle Bob and Aunt Joan are also in town this weekend and have bought us a crib so we almost have everything we need for the new member of the family. With six weeks to go, we've got some new baby clothes, blankets, a rocking chair, stroller, crib, car, house and visa documents for Ying's mom. With all this new stuff, I'll be hard at work over the next long while to make sure there's enough money to pay for it all. We still have two grandmothers who are doing a good job spoiling the baby before it arrives so we're well taken care of.

I brought my camera to Edmonton and found a little time to do some photography. I'm still hoping to get a picture of a bird washing itself in the bath in the backyard but I got some photos of the next best thing. Some chickadees kept landing on trunk of this old tree in the backyard. They were continually landing just out of my view so I was wondering what they were up to. I was able to circle around and it seems they've built a nest inside the trunk. I've got a few photos of them flying in and out. I'll try for some more later when the Sun is in a more favourable position; assuming they're still at it later. As I'm taking my pictures, I'm realizing some equipment I should have handy next time: a baseball cap and a stool. While using my 300 mm reflex lens, I was also using my tripod since the focusing is so tricky. The Sun was above and behind the nest which is very close to the ground. So, I'm squatting in the backyard, squinting through my viewfinder and trying to get some good shots. I haven't squatted that much since playing catcher in baseball when I was 16 or 17. I'm also trying to shield my eyes with my hand so I can see something out of the viewfinder because the backlighting is quite bad. A little shade for my eyes and something low to sit on would have been very helpful. I'll post the results once I'm home and can get the photos off my camera.

=> We're home now and I've posted a photo of the chickadee. It was using my 300 mm reflex lens and did I mention the focusing is tricky? I botched most of the shots on the focusing and should have taken control of the ISO so that my exposure was shorter. You can see that I was shooting into the Sun and you can notice a bright spot in the upper right.

bikes versus buses

It's official, riding the bus sucks. I took a slightly different route today to cut the climbs off my ride and it worked pretty well. I actually got home faster that I got to work even though home is 100 m higher in elevation. I only saved 14 m in total climbing but the route was a little shorter and the wind was behind me on the way home. Still, as I was leaving work, my normal bus was just leaving my stop. As I was turning in for home, possibly the same bus was just ahead of me again. If it was on schedule, it was the same bus. This is the "express" bus.

Due to traffic, the bus to work takes longer than the one home. Normally, I have a five or ten minute wait for my bus to come. On Monday, I left work just after my last express bus was scheduled. I waited five minutes for the 301 which has limited stops and is supposed to be fast. I transferred buses and had to wait 15 minutes for the 46. Then, I had to sit in the 46 for 15 minutes waiting for it to start since it must have been ahead of schedule. A minute after I sat down, the 146 came and went; it's another option to get home if I take the 301. I would have taken it had I known the 46 was first in but not going to leave for so long. On Tuesday, I waited 20 minutes for a bus which comes every six to ten minutes.

I hope the weather stays nice so I can ride more. Cycling is faster, healthier, more convenient and more fun. I need the exercise 'cause losing weight hasn't been going well. Halfway through our work challenge and I've only dropped eight pounds. I'll be much happier when I drop 20 more and my goal for cycling means dropping 30 more. I now weigh myself everyday when I arrive at work. If I'm down a bit, I'm encouraged to keep it up. Up a little and I know I need to do better.

Fighting traffic, literally

Here's the summary of my commute home from MotionBased.com. If you're using that service, let me know and I'll deprivatize a few of my commutes so you can view them. I'm getting 30 km a day going to work and back and I hope that'll help if I decide to race this summer. I'm thinking about doing time trials and then cyclocross in the Autumn. Maybe I'll do a few criteriums too. Three posts ago I have a picture of my elevation profile for the ride home. The one day I rode my mountain bike, I posted a time of 40 minutes getting to work and 50 minutes getting home. Obviously, a road bike with slicks is much better on the road. I'm actually using my cyclocross bike at the moment but I've shaved 5 minutes going to work and 12 minutes coming home. I was a bit surprised that the difference in time to work and back on my 'cross bike was only three minutes because the difference in elevation is 100 m between work and home. It appears to be because on 4th St. there are some long, gradual climbs on my ride to work. They're barely climbs but while I'm going to work, there are long sections that I'm averaging 20-25 km/h but I come back home at about 40-45 km/h. I'm obviously not a climber so the two big climbs near my home really slow me down. I'm still carrying over 10 kg more that I would like. It seems odd that, for racing, I spent quite a bit of money for a nice, light, stiff bike yet I'm carrying a pile of extra weight on my body. For you skiers out there, it's like the difference between the Birkie and the Birkie Lite but I've got two packs on. Oh well, compared to two months ago, at least I've almost gotten rid of the third pack I was carrying.

Let them eat cake

Just a photo for this post. Sonja invited Ying and me to her daughter's first birthday. Sonja's nephew, Logan, took a cue from Sidney and tried to grab a little cake before he was cut his own piece. He was quickly stopped from helping himself and had to wait like the rest of us. I rather like this picture I got of Logan wondering if the next piece of cake will be his.

Welcome to this world

I'm happy to report that Alex and Bobbi welcomed Felix Robert Julian on Tuesday. This one gets special mention because I happened to call Alex on Wednesday and caught him at home during a brief break from the hospital and I got a demonstration of how much the birth of your first child can really take out of you. Here's a snippet of our conversation, to the best of my memory.

Alex: Felix was born last night at 11:37.
Darcy: let me get this all officially entered into my calendar. So, 27 Feb at 11:37.
Alex: No, 28 Feb.
Darcy: today is 28 Feb and you said last night.
Alex: it was last night. Isn't today Wednesday, 29 Feb.
Darcy: it is Wednesday but it's the 28. Plus, this year isn't a leap year so tomorrow is 1 March.
Alex: are you sure?

Alex was never the best at keeping track of dates and times and I can understand that childbirth is a stressful event so his disorientation can be forgiven. It was also kind of amusing for me; especially the 29 Feb part.