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BandIt

Physiotherapy! What kind of therapy were you thinking? After several visits to my MD, with no results for my self-induced weight lifting “Tennis Elbow” injury I called up my physiotherapist Chris and got an appointment. Of course after he heard my story he wanted to know why I waited so long to come and see him and indicated that things were really “messed up” now and the road to recovery might be a long one. But then he proceeded to get on with the treatment.

So, these little BandIt braces will be my buddies for the next who knows how long in addition to various exercises and treatments. So far it’s the braces, anti-inflammatory drugs before bed and first thing in the morning, stretches – palm down on the left and palm up on the right, twist a hammer to the left and right in each hand, and ice as many times as possible for 15 min per elbow, and no lifting or strong gripping for 2 weeks.

I’ll let you know how it goes. So far, the braces are feeling a little weird.

This year I think I’ll take more photographs. One reason is that I’d just like to improve my skills and capture more of life and the other is the sweet new Olympus 790SW that I received for my birthday. Most days, as I leave the house, I’ll slip the camera in my pocket. It’s just so compact that having the camera with you at all times is so convenient. This I believe is Step #1 to working on my photograph – always having a camera at the ready.

Here is a case in point. I was out for a walk yesterday and of course I had the camera in my pocket. I must admit I set out with the idea of taking some pictures on the walk, which I did. But as I returned to the house, down the side of the bay that I normally never travel on, I noticed a huge ramp in a neighbors back yard. The surprising thing was that these folks live across the street from us and I had no idea about this ramp until yesterday.

Back Yard Snowboarder
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Two young guys were working the ramp and this guy was honing his boarding skills. After I took the photo and was walking by I heard him say to the other guy that he was going to try a 360° next. Perhaps I should have hung around to see that!

Anyway, without the camera readily at hand and the mindset to take some new pics, this opportunity would have been lost, and only lived on as a brief memory.

Cutting Curves
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Actually, more like cutting curves with my new toy tool that I received as a Christmas present. With Scott & I taking up cross country skiing I decided we needed a ski waxing bench. With a little searching I located this simple design and the new jig saw made quick work of cutting out the form from a 2×4 that I had hanging around in the shed.

Here is the resulting waxing bench.

I think I’ll put it to work shortly and wax up the skis for an outing this afternoon.

Cooper and Dez
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Last night we were introduced to Cooper, Dez and Eric’s new dog. I think we all fell in love with this cute little girl.

Cross Country Rockets
Originally uploaded
by Big Dadoo

I took my new cross country skis out for their first “spin” this morning. It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been on cross country skis. Needles to say my old equipment is really “old”, so these are the new kids on the track, and they are very nice. They are Solomon Equipe 8 Classic Skis, and on the Solomon site they are classed as racing skis. Whoa there, racing? Perhaps I bought a little over my ability, or perhaps I’ll just grow into them. Needless to say, they are fast.

They will be even faster when their owner gets them under a little better control and technique. Perhaps a few brush-up lessons are in order. Fortunately, the cycling conditioning helped out, but of course my legs are “discovering” some new muscle groups.

I cruised around the easier Green Trail to warm up and get the feel of the skis. I seems I put on the wrong wax as there was a lot of slip sliding going on and not the good kind. After waxing up again I tried out the more challenging Blue trail and got quite a good workout with the trail going up and down the banks of the river bank wanders through the golf course.

Bottom line, it’s still lots of fun and a good outdoor workout. Who knows, perhaps a little racing is in the cards.

Cube Dwelling

Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

This has been my work home for the last year. It’s a cube, just like so many other cubes in the corporate work environment these days. If you think it looks a little sparse for a guy who’s been there are year, it’s because I’ve just moved out.

Moved out might not be quite the correct term, perhaps bugged out would be more representative. I got a call from my manager late of Friday afternoon, while I was at home on Christmas vacations, requesting that I clear out all my personal and corporate property from the client’s site. You see there has been some turmoil on the project and now there are contract issues. So, until they are resolves I’m now a displaced person, one of the corporate homeless in and in between state. Not quite jobless, but without a project. It’s a weird feeling of just suddenly leaving an assignment without completing, without transitioning off to a successor, without saying goodbye, just vanishing in the night.

I’ve had this happen one other time in my career. The contracts were successful resolved and I went back to the assignment, actually for several more years. I hope things get resolved favorably and I can complete the assignment and finish on good terms with the client. We’ll see what happens, but for now I’m on vacation and enjoying the Christmas Season.

TSO Light Show
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Last night we were at the Alerus Center in Fargo for the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. What an incredible show, and of course the pictures just can’t do it justice. The lights, lasers, fireworks, flames and kicking sound system were incredible.

We misses a bit of the start because we cut the time too close in getting over to the Alerus. We were only 3.5km away at 7:30 and at 8pm, when the show was starting, we were within sight of the doors but stuck behind hundreds of other cars in a major traffic jam. Our estimate was that it could take an hour at the rate cars were moveing. The center was charging for parking and that slowed cars entering down to a snails pace. After a couple of phone calls to check things out, Shirley and I let the kids drive the van in and we hiked back up the road and cut across a snow filled ditch. We found out later that they stopped collecting the parking fee and the traffic moved much more quickly and the kids were only a few minutes behind us getting into our seats.

Wow, what a show! The sound was intense and so was the lighting. Each bass note resonated in your chest. The immense and movable lighting system was an entertainment piece in it’s own right as lighting frames moved up and down and angled throughout the performance creating some very unique effects. I was cautioned by site staff not to take any pictures after I had a few, but manages to sneak another couple closer to the end of the show, but it was impossible to frame up a good shot while shooting from the hip and keeping the camera under your coat.

After almost a solid 2 hour performance, it was all over and the roadies were quickly breaking down the set and loading the multiple semi-trailers to head off to Minneapolis to get set up for a 3pm show the next afternoon. We heard there were 75 on the crew that move the huge amount of gear from site to site.

We left for Winnipeg after the show and got back home at about 2am. What a great trip. A fun birthday with the family and a great show to top off the day.

I think birthday road trips could become a tradition!

Eric & Scott

Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Oooooh, I’ve got a new camera and it can do a lot of tricks.

I’ll post some more pictures on Flickr later in the day, especially some of the illicit Trans Siberian Orchestras photos. The concert last night really ROCKED!

Wave Crashes
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

I thought I’d post this picture just to show that I’m actually using the camera. Just as I was arriving at the lake last night, Eric called by cell to ask if I had the camera. Then this morning Scott calls the cottage to ask if I have the camera. Both guys had some plans for using the camera this weekend. Normally, it just sits around the house, but this weekend it was a high demand item, perhaps we need a booking system.

As you can see, it’s a little windy, so I don’t think I’ll do any kayaking this morning. I slept in a bit because it was a little cloudy, cool and windy and then it was a little surfing and some reading on GTD. I think I’ll get the book and give it a try.

So, here it is almost noon and I’m cooking breakfast. Afterwards I think I’ll do some clean-up work around the cottage and then do some geocaching later this afternoon. For sure I’ll take some more pictures.

Garry & Shirley at Rushing River
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

It was actually a hot weekend for this time of year with temperatures in the mid to upper 20s. Both Saturday and Sunday were totally clear blue skies. On Saturday, I was up late and after fixings a technical problem with the blog it was off for a cycle. The FOG guy were off for a BBQ at one of the guys cottages which didn’t quite fit my schedule so I rode solo. Wow, it’s a lot more work when you’re riding alone. I took the “short” route back up Henderson, instead of the lap around Birdshill Park, for a 76km ride. Plenty given the warm strong south wind which was pretty much head on for the second half of the ride.

Saturday night we drove out to the lake and joined Eric & Dez for Sunday. I was up early to catch the sunrise. After making a cup of coffee to go, I was off in the kayak for a 2 1/2 hr. paddle around the bay and out to Copper Island. The wind was picking up on the paddle to Copper making it a nice workout. Later, after brunch, Eric & I did a little bush whacking in the area that my hold a future construction site. It seemed to get warmer through the day and stayed warm and very breezy through the night.

Monday was cloudy but still warm. A coffee on the dock and a little reading started the day. Then Shirley and I went off to Rushing River to look around. We hiked the lower river trail and got caught in the rain. Back at the cottage it was a late breakfast and a nap. The nap was the result of reading this book about all the wonderful benefits of napping, so of course I had to try it out. Later it was still cloudy and raining so we packed up and headed into town. Another great weekend.