Speak Into the Mike

My whereabouts

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:01:00 +0000

Mike is currently hanging out at his Tumblr -- http://themikestand.tumblr.com/

And the House is Still Standing!

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:32:00 +0000

The sun is out! The wind is blowing at a paltry 40km/h! Birds are singing frigidly in the bare March trees! It must be Spring. Well, maybe not, but here I am to say that I made it through the winter as a stay-at-home-dad. Since the Baby Girl was born, I had planned to take some SAHD time (though between you and me, I prefer "DILF"); it worked well for The Lovely Wife's plan to start a new job before the end of 2010, and I was finally in a job that offered some salary top-up, if only for a couple of months.

Time-warp to now... some three months later...

I knew that stay-at-homes did a lot of work, and that it would be challenging to have the Baby Girl every day of the week, and Five (middle child, younger son... damn, these nicknames are so confusing) for most of the week, while Seven (SEVEN! HOW DID HE GET TO BE SEVEN?) was in Grade 1. [update video montage not available]

So it was no surprise that I learned just how much work it takes to keep a house (which I did only moderately well) while keeping kids happy and, more importantly, alive all day.

Other things I learned:

1. I am a Ninja
Wait. Let me clarify. I'm not a ninja Ninja. But I have so finely tuned my senses that I can now step on a Cheerio and retract my foot before it disintegrates into a dusty pile of aaaannnnd-now-I-have-to-clean-that-up. The first week of being at home, I swept the kitchen floor more times than I think I did all last year. The floor was so clean you could eat off it (and if Baby Girl had her way, she would.).

2. Some Naps are Sacred
You'd better have a good reason to not high-tail it home from dropping off kids at school, or to decide to only let the Girl nap for a short time in the morning. This is Golden Time, both for you and her. It lets you get things done, like cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast, putting in your first (sometimes second) load of laundry, or teaching your kid to read (aka "waterboarding").

3. The Clean House is a Myth
How is it that I can be in this house all day long, constantly picking things up, and at the end of the day, it looks like a rave happened here? (Less all the glow sticks and ecstasy. There may be some children's vitamins laying around, but I swear those are legal.)

4. The Laundry. It is Never Ending.
Seriously, people. I know I wear one of three pairs of jeans and the same hoodie for two or three days (I usually change it before it looks tie-dyed with barf) so I'm not contributing to the Pile as I used to, but is going through every bit of clothing in your drawers your new job? Because it seems that the answer to the question of "what should I do next" could always be, "Well, you could do some laundry!".

5. Don't Tell Me "At Least You Get To Rest On The Weekends" Or I Will Slap You
All week long it's a chore to remain on top of what activity is happening after school: soccer? basketball? Other soccer? Skating? Sure, the weekends are slightly lower on the insanity scale, but they were a far cry from "relaxing". But hey, at least the shopping is done! I would have done that two or three times through the week. Which is probably why we have no money to do anything on the weekends? I figure maybe once I got caught up on all the laundry and got the house into a state that didn't look like a laundromat or a dorm room, with underwear strewn about haphazardly.

6. 8:30 is A Completely Respectable Time To Start Your Day
Suffice it to say that getting out of bed at the same time as everyone else (not 30 minutes early to get coffee and breakfast ready, get in a hot shower, etc) is an extremely relaxing way to ease into your day. I have never gone so many days without having a shower AND NOT EVEN CARING. The three-day beard is almost expected of the stay at home dad, if other stay at homes dropping off kids at school are any indication. As long as I don't look like the Unabomber or look like I should be driving a van with no back windows, I figure I'm doing alright.

7. The Grocery Store Is My New Home
I swear, going into this gig I thought we would save so much money on groceries. Sure, we buy mostly organic and natural stuff, but I was sure TLW was being imprudent with her purchasing habits. I can now safely say that there is no way to shop for "a few things" without breaking the $150 mark. Also, I have no control when it comes to sale items. I don't mean to suggest that I come home with 14 kilos of basmati rice or a Bar Mitzva pack of Fruity Pebbles every time I shop, but I admit I may go off the list from time to time. I also kind of got used to parking in the spot for "pregnant women and moms with small children". And to all of you who are using that spot and NOT pulling kids out of your car? Eff. You.

8. These Blogging Stay-At-Homes Must Be On Drugs
Where, oh where do all these women (and a few men) find the time and energy to blog while getting all their shit done (My guess? Pharmaceuticals) Or maybe it doesn't get done? I suppose with more time at this gig, I could find the time to throw at least a picture up now and then as proof of life. Alas, in the spare moments of quiet solitude, I did not rush for the computer, except maybe to check the weather, download some music, or pay a bill. Blogging was an unfortunate casualty.

By the time all was said and done and I was ready to go back to work, I had decided that the stay-at-home gig was pretty sweet, and if TLW could just make a quarter million dollars a year, we could do this forever. Alas, she claims "we" need my pension more than we need me to stay at home and play house. So I guess it's back to the grind.

*Note: The title of this entry is based on this Bill Murray quote.

Anatomy of a Night from Hell

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:34:00 +0000

Last night started out just fine... after a day of skating and a nice dinner with the cousins, we hit the sack at a reasonable hour (10:00!) and drifted off into merry slumber. Sometime after that it all went off the rails.

Midnight - Baby Girl stirs. The Lovely Wife gets up to replace soother and/or see what's up. One or both of the boys are moaning in their sleep.

0100: Five and Six take turns moaning in their sleep. Bad dreams?

0224: I wake to the sound of the gate banging closed over and over, just outside our corner of the house. TLW informs me it's been doing that for half an hour and that she's had almost no sleep so far. I put on my boots, grab a flashlight, and hope I don't encounter any snacking raccoons as I pass by the compost on my way to close the jammed latch on the gate.

0250: Six exhibits signs of influenza (read: runs to the bathroom and barfs.) Aside: I'm glad that I have at least one of my children trained to run for the toilet when feeling queasy.

0300: Six is once again purging. By now we're at the mostly-dry heave stage. Yay.

0330: Snowplows driving up and down the neighbourhood streets. Evidently the inch dusting of snow we've received overnight (is it still overnight at this point?) requires an army of trucks scraping and salting the streets. Ah, taxes. They are seemingly endless.

0400: Six is still going at it. We give him some childrens' gravol and decide to move Five out of the shared bedroom and into our bed. Baby Girl has stirred again, and we hope she doesn't have any ideas about getting up for the day.

0415: TLW moves out of our bed and onto the couch. I attempt sleep beside a snoring, but thankfully not barfing, Five.

Somewhere after that I drift off, until...

0530: Six is again sprinting for the bathroom. Baby Girl is chirping happily in her crib. Five is snoring still. At this point, the day has begun. TLW hits the shower in hopes of getting to work, I grind some beans for coffee (really, what damage could I do with a loud coffee grinder at this point?) and offer myself up to a day of challenges, including the possibility that someone else in the house could be flu-ridden by the end of the day.

Now it's 0755. Cartoons are on. One child is ready for a nap, an hour and a half ahead of schedule. This can't end well.

Post Script: After taking Five and Baby Girl out for a brief sleigh ride and driveway-clearing party, most everyone is in better spirits. Even the dry heaver hasn't done the 10 metre sprint for over an hour now.

Fingers crossed. (But feel free to send saltines and gatorade.)

7 Days Winter 2010

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Here's the wrapup from the 7Days project from Winter 2010... apparently I missed Day 5? Ugh, how did that happen?

7days: Day 1 - late to the party

So, with a gentle reminder from @Citystreams, I'm back to celebrate the season (of 7Days) with you all. Yesterday was a 5th birthday party and an overnight visit to a close-by hotel with a pool and a great water slide.

Here's me (with the rest of the adults not captured) relaxing as the kids were all amusing themselves in one of the rooms and the baby was asleep. Hopefully this bodes well for future overnight trips!

7Days: Day 2 - Bright and cheery

A little bathroom photoshoot last night with Stella, who was her usual bright and cheery self. Getting her to look at me-in-the-mirror and not me-sitting-beside her is the real trick, of course. Lots of outtakes to this one (like this, and this) which are actually better framed, but I couldn't pass up the face. At 7 months, she's fairly used to the camera by now, and I'm happy to show her off to the 7 days crew when she's not asleep!

7 Days: Day 3 - Merry Birthdaymas!

Since Oliver's birthday is on the 24h (long story here), every year we do the birthday thing well before we do the Christmas thing, and I always make sure to keep the birthday paraphernalia up right up until the actual birthday. I have been recycling this banner for years now (and I don't think anyone has noticed). The worst thing would be for him to think he's getting the short end of the stick due to his ill-timed birthday. Frankly, his older brother got stiffed on his third Christmas, as that year it fell on the 26th ;)

7 Days: Day 4 - The Fridge Door

This is the Fridge Door. In some ways, it's the family bible. If it's not on the calendar, it DOES. NOT. HAPPEN. *

Also included are various pictures with The Lovely Wife has posted. See the notes, of course.

*There's also another calendar. This will be my undoing.

7 Days: Day 6 - In da haus

I finally gave in to the Gingerbread House Project, and the boys and I took on the task or raising the literal roof on this bad boy. A word to the wise: The purple icing? Don't. Special appearance by Stella, who I don't believe was in attendance for the construction project. Possibly napping? Who knows.

7 Days: Day7 - Not even a mouse

It's Christmas eve! How many of us have The Night Before Christmas as a bedtime ritual? (Last year we had to print it off because we couldn't find the book). Well, we found, or possiibly borrowed the book this year and continued the tradition. Clearly the youngest could not stay up long enough to endure the tradition.

a quickr pickr post

Movember 2010

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:47:00 +0000

Folks, it's been a while since I've checked in with you all. And one of the reasons for my absence has been this thing called "Movember" (click here to learn more, or here to see all my previous Movember adventures!). I've been asked to chair the Halifax Committee for this year's campaign to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer research. Along with a fantastic team of volunteers, this year's efforts in Halifax (indeed, in the world) is going to break all previous records. So far we've had TV time, two radio stations are involved, and we've surpassed our expectations in terms of registrations for the city.

I have the same high hopes for my own moustache, only I think that it's going to be tough to make major follicular improvements with the genes I've been given!

My own fundraising goals are very ambitious this year: $2,000 in personally collected donations. So far I'm off to a good start with over $100, but if you have the ability to donate to this very worthy cause, I would much appreciate it.

To make a donation (you can use a credit card! and get a tax receipt!), go here: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/3289/ and click the "Donate to me" link. If you'd like to go another route, you can paypal me and I'll make sure you get your receipt. Email or leave a comment and we'll work it out.

For those of you who've supported me in the past, I thank you. For those who've meant to donate but haven't done so, now is your chance :)

Oh, and I promise to post pictures again...who doesn't like to see my attempts at growing the Mo!

So far it all looks like the "before" shot:

(All my daily pics can be seen here: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/3289/ ) Don't forget to donate when you visit ;)

-Mike

Tri hard, have fun.

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Here's a bit of a late update: Last month, I competed in my first Triathlon. As part of the Wolfville Triathlon Festival, they held a Just for Fun triathlon (the fun was un-missable -- it was printed on everything!). I had done some training for the swim portion with K-Bez, a friend, elite cyclist, and eager competitor in everything from running to cycling to swimming (seemed like a no-brainer to go for the Tri, you'd think). Otherwise, I've been pretty un-trained this year, instead taking to being a "recreational" runner and cyclist, going out on lunch hours and getting in the odd weekend run or ride here and there with Ian L (click to read his race report) and Bicycle Boy.

Owing to the fact that Bicycle Nova Scotia was having a Time Trial event that day and Triathlon Nova Scotia was holding a "real" triathlon in Guysborough that day, the Wolfville Just For Fun Triathlon seemed the perfect event: not too long, not too crowded, and above all, very inexpensive. There were several categories; I entered into the Adult Long course (which wasn't long, but they needed to distinguish it from the reallyreallyreallyshort course): 400m in the pool, 10km ride, 4km run. Of the three, only the swim was of concern to me. I hadn't swum 400m without stopping before, so knew that adrenaline would have to carry me through the panic when it undoubtedly would hit.

I drove up with Bicycle Boy, who was volunteering at the event and would be stationed at the dismount line. We arrived with not much time to spare, so I quickly got changed into my gear and set up the bike and running shoes at Transition. Then on to the pre-race meeting, and down to the pool deck for the 0815 start time. I was in the first of what would turn out to be three heats (we thought there would be two, so some people doubled up in pool lanes, something I'm pretty used to). Ian L and K-Bez weren't in my heat, and it would turn out that they were in separate heats themselves. We received our pool instructions and jumped in, waiting for the start. I found it particularly strange how low-key the event was. When the race director said "ready.... go!", I was oddly calm, possibly too calm to be taking this seriously, Just For Fun moniker notwithstanding.

The swim progressed without major issue. I was able to push through the 400m in mostly OK form, head out of the water a little here and there to stave off the panic and pushing well off the end walls (probably not legal in real triathlons?). I was swimming with David W, a long time friend and avid cyclist, and I had no idea where we were in relation to each other. I thought I was about half a length ahead of him, while he maintains I finished a lap and a half ahead. Seems unlikely, but whatever.

For your benefit, no pictures of me post-swim. You're welcome.

Into transition, I had a devil of a time getting my cycling jersey on, tearing two of the four pins out of my race number. I would endure the bike course with an annoying, flapping number before tearing it off completely on the run and stuffing it in my jersey pocket. I have no idea how long I was in Transition -- my stopwatch wasn't running in the swim, and therefore any splits I attempted to monitor weren't being logged. Silly me.

The bike course was a 2.5km stretch of road through the Town of Wolfville, and the out-and-back was repeated for 10km total. I felt alright on the bike, though my legs were pretty sluggish. I hadn't warmed up at all prior to the swim, a mistake I wouldn't make if I were to compete in a longer, more competitive event. In the end, I would average about 27km/hr, which isn't too bad considering the hairpin turnarounds and one pesky little hill in the middle. I heard Bicycle Boy's cheering each time I came to the turnaround/dismount line, which was very helpful!

Back into Transition again 20 minutes later, the guy I had passed just 100 metres from the dismount line ("Oh, come on!", I would hear him cry out at the time.) streaked past me onto the run course (a 1km out and back, repeated twice for a total of 4km) and I followed about 100m behind him for most of the run. I figure I ran about 6:00 kms for the first couple of kilometres while my legs adjusted to that 'brick' feeling and I pushed through it and found my cardio zone. The second two kilometres I gained a little on my competitor in front, and found enough energy for a little kick at the end. What I didn't know is that the guy ahead of me was in FIRST PLACE in our heat, and would end up finishing two seconds ahead of me. So I finished second in the heat, but middle of the pack overall (9/22). I did definitely have fun, and can see some specific areas for improvement in my next Tri.

We would have to wait for our results until the following day or the day after, and with all the hubbub associated with three heats on the same course, it was really tough to tell how well you did. None of us had timed our splits, so about the best we could do is guess on our run time and read the bike computer for our ride time/pace. Finally, the results came out:

That's me around the middle there: #504. K-Bez would finish first in the event (right up top there, #522), Ian L would finish second (#502), and David W (#508) would finish 14th. We joked about getting our One-Tenth Ironman tattoos.

I was sure I could have done all the events better and done better in transition. I guess it's good to have goals, eh? At the very least, I should have kicked earlier on the last run and beat out my new nemesis, "Eric". Eric, if you're reading this (you're not), I'm coming for you next year. For more of THE FUN.

Since then, K-Bez and I have been hitting the pool with more regularity and have worked up to 1,500m in the pool in one workout (not continuous, but in under an hour). Next year we'll definitely sign up for the Sprint distance (750m swim), with hopes of someday completing an Olympic Distance Tri (1,500m in the pool, 40km ride, 10km run).

For more pictures from the event, check the Facebook album.

When I put the boys in their first Tri this summer, I briefly considered that I wouldn't get to do one this year, so I'm extremely happy that I got to compete in a Tri and complete it. And I gotta hand it to the organizers: it was fun.

First Day of School

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:22:00 +0000

First Day of School
Originally uploaded by themikestand

How the hell did these kids get so big?

Three months, and what do I have to show for it?

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:06:00 +0000

So, the Little Girl is now a quarter of a year old, and I've been delinquent in my posting. Not because this is going horribly wrong, but perhaps because it's going so well. Sure, the zone defence is taking some getting used to, but we managed to take a two week vacation to a cottage and everybody came back well rested, one of us learned how to ride a two-wheeler, and another became a master body-boarder. Pictures to follow, naturally.

But to the Girl. Because really, when a Daddyblogger creates another progeny, let's face it: people want to see the train wreck. They want to hear about the sleepless nights, the up-to-your-elbows-in-poop (okay, maybe they don't want to see that as much as just hear about it), the zombie-esque trip to work every day, and all the other things that make them feel like Wonderful Parents Who Are Doing Just Fine.

Folks, I'm here to tell you: It's not that bad.

I had a hard time imagining myself (or even recognizing myself) as a Dad of Three. Since I met The Lovely Wife, I was pretty sure we only wanted two. Then two came along, and after a brief four-year recovery from He Who Shall Not Sleep*, we started into negotiations again about it. She promised to do her part overnight and let me sleep a little more, providing the kid slept a reasonable amount, and was extremely keen (not like that, you sickos) on the idea of the big family. Hey, three is big. I come from a family of two kids, and so does she. So do each of our parents. You can see why I implicitly was expecting to be done after two.

But she sleeps.

Thank your preferred deity: SHE SLEEPS!

Most mornings, she wakes up and coos and babbles to herself quietly and happily until I come in and retrieve her from her crib. And all we have to do is stay up a little later at night and get in the late-night (okay, 11PM) Sneaky Feed and she's good to go for the next 7 or 8 hours.

And so the biggest challenges in our life these days (besides our diminished family income) is getting the troops rounded up in time to make it to tennis/soccer/swimming, and the added guilt of me not being there to take the load off The Lovely Wife enough, or get home fast enough from work. To be clear, the guilt is completely self imposed, and not at all being dished out from TLW.

This, of course, will change two times in the next four months as the school year starts up and the eldest becomes a grade-One-er, his little brother goes back to daycare three days a week, and TLW gets some quality time with her girl. And it'll change when, in the new year, I become the Stay At Home Dad. You read that right, I'm taking the plunge. Going over the foxhole wall and facing both winter and family head-on. God help us all.

But before any of that happens, there's a fantastic summer and fall to enjoy. And the ever-changing family adventure goes on...

A shot from the inside of the cottage, with all family members smiling. I know, a rarity.

Beach floaties make excellent pillows.

The two ladies in my life:

I grew a beard. Blame it on the vacation. It lasted one day past vacation, just so that the people at work could mock me a little. There were not so silent cheers at home when I shaved again.

a quickr pickr post

*We read Harry Potter with the eldest while on vacation. I hope this is another tradition we keep into the future, unless of course he reads the next four books before next summer.

On Music and Cop Shows

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:13:00 +0000

I received another email today from my friends at YouCast telling me about Turner Global Domination's (Kidding, It's TNT, but honestly, aren't they heading that way?) new show, Memphis Beat, starring Jason Lee. Now, I have to say that even though I've not been a fan of My Name Is Earl and continually wondered how it dodged the programming axe year after year, I haven't turned my back on him completely since his Mallrats days.

Anyway, now he's no longer a country bumpkin (or maybe he still is, but that kinda ruins my segue) getting himself into trouble ... he's a cop.

TNT says:

Memphis Beat centers on Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee), a quirky Memphis police detective with an intimate connection to the city, a passion for blues music and a close relationship with his mother. He is "the keeper of Memphis," a Southern gentleman who is protective of his fellow citizens, reverential of the city's history and deeply rooted in its blues music scene.

Coming off the heels of watching all of Treme, where in my opinion the music was just as good as the story, and the actors fantastic, I am actually looking forward to what Memphis Beat could deliver. With Keb Mo' at the musical helm, if the storyline and characters hold up.... this could be very, very good. Apparently it debuted a couple of weeks ago, so you can go catch up on back episodes.

If this sounds like something you might like, you can see more of Memphis Beat here.

Edited to add: Since the show is three weeks old, I previewed Episode 1 last night and I have to admit, it didn't disappoint. The music was quite good, the story solid, and the characters compelling (though in my opinion it suffered from the same necessary hook issues that all pilots have).

*PS Despite the tag "mike sells out", I'm actually not getting paid for this. The folks at YouCast did say they'd send me some Memphis Hot Sauce in exchange for this post. But really, I just like to talk about TV and music whenever anyone will listen.

Kids of Steel

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Saturday was the local Kids of Steel Triathlon and the boys participated. The event was not timed, and the race course was as follows (if I recall correctly!):

Born 2003/04
Swim: 50m
Bike: 1 km
Run: 500m

Born 2005/06
Swim: 25m
Bike: 250m
Run: 100m

The bike/run distances might have been even shorter, but the boys had a lot of fun in the short time we were there! If you don't believe me, have a look at this face:

So, the boys beat me in the race to who can do the first Triathlon, but I'm still holding out to complete one by the end of the year (even though you'd never know it from my lack of training). There are still two events that I could squeeze into the family schedule that is otherwise jam packed with other weekend activities right through to the end of September.

Cabot Trail Relay 2010 race report

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:27:00 +0000

The long overdue race report from my weekend in Cape Breton is now, well... due.

I notice that the last entry was about the Bluenose weekend, which makes me remember that last year I did the half marathon and then took my chances in Cape Breton with a long run the following weekend, which, clearly was a silly thing to do, risking injury and all that. So this year I had planned only the 10k at the Bluenose and a slightly harder leg at the Cabot Trail Relay Race (last year's report is here).

I picked up the three guys I would be travelling with - one was a good friend, Ian, and the other two were people I'd not yet met but who turned out to be great runners and travel companions (Craig and Kevin). On the way up, we listened to the "new" Cabot Trail CD containing each runner's song contribution, as well as last year's mix. Both were excellent, of course. And if you care to ask, my pick was Smoke and Wine by Hank Williams III (click here for the video -- not really safe for small ears). Our team name was Everything is Coming Up Orange, presumably related to the orange-in-colour nature of the online running forum which brought together many of these runners. Last year's team name was the Fundulators. Frankly, I think that's a slightly less "tough" name, not that it matters. We had a lot of the same names on the roster this year, as the Fundulators did not get in due to the lottery at registration time.

We arrived in Baddeck, Cape Breton on Friday evening for the team meeting and to have a beer or two (I think I only had one), have supper, and then head to the ceilidh in town. We stayed at the Hunter Mountain Chalets, which were well appointed, though not very close to town. The dinner was served at the fire hall, and consisted of a plate of spaghetti and meat (or non-meat, if you choose) sauce about the size of one's head, a roll, and some salad. I polished off my plate, knowing that I would probably need the extra energy for the morning's 0830 run.

We hit the ceilidh for a little while, and knowing I had an early morning,I bailed out early and headed back to the chalet for a good night's sleep. Three of us (Ian, Kevin and myself) climbed into the car and headed into town to pick up our boxed lunches. Kevin had Leg 1 and was welcomed by bagpipes, something I didn't get to hear last year but really got the day started right. We supported him with blaring music (Alabama 3- Power in the Blood) and then headed to the start line for my leg. While walking to the start line for warm-up, I hooked up with Bill from Herd of Cats, who introduced me to Sarah, who would be running Leg 2 with me. I don't often have anyone to talk to during runs, so maybe this would work out.

The weather was sunny and cool, but the day's heat was starting to be felt, and I had a hard time figuring out if I would run with the long sleeved technical shirt and a sleeveless over top, or just lose the sleeveless. In the end, I opted for just the sleeveless, and I'm glad I did.

Uphill starts are less than motivating, if you ask me, and though I was expecting this one, I still wasn't happy about it. I think I got away reasonably quickly, not playing my usual leap-frog catch-up game that I seem to have perfected in previous runs. I really had no idea where I was in the pack, but I watched the leader (who ran shirtless and with no hydration, if that gives you any indication of how long he was planning to be on the course) disappear into the distance, and kept pace with a shortish girl in front of me. I don't run with a garmin, so I really don't know what my usual race pace is. Usually I can sustain a 5:00/km pace pretty well, and I can duck under the 5:00 pace if I have someone to run with to keep me focussed (that is to say, to keep talking with me!). Eventually I passed her on a downhill and sidled up behind a guy in a Toronto Triathlon Shirt for a few kilometres, listening to his race watch beep now and then, and trying to figure out if it was beeping for his pace, his time, or his distance. I still have no idea, but I enjoyed having something to think about while I was tailing him.

Kevin supported me, again with blaring music and supportive shouts, while Ian headed to the start line of the next leg to pick up Karen's car and take it to the end of her leg / the beginning of his (Leg 4 - Cape Smokey). With Kevin's support also came some support for Horst, my Toronto Tri guy, in the form of "he's gonna catch you!" taunts from his team, and eventually a little smack talk about my "drafting" behind him. Frankly, there was no wind, so I wasn't drafting as much as borrowing his pace a little. Finally I acquiesced and passed Horst, introducing myself as I offered to "pull" for a ways. I think I probably lost him on the first hill, but in my defense, I confessed that I didn't know what pace he was keeping but I didn't mind running in front for a while.

I kept watching the Timex, trying to figure out how much further the race would be, but not knowing your pace makes it difficult to figure out how far you've gone. With nobody to talk to and no idea how much more race was left, it was hard to gauge whether I should try to attack the guy ahead of me. But I'm kind of dumb, so I did. I caught him on a hill that was probably in the final 3km or so as he stopped for some water (I was carrying water, gatorade, and gel, so I didn't have to stop at all) and maintained my position until the end of the race.

Seeing the "1km to go" sign was amazing. I hit my lap counter to see what my final 1km split would be and picked up the pace for a while. At one point in that last km, I looked down to see how much longer I would have to run, assuming I was running a 5:00/km or less -- and was shocked to see what I interpreted as 1:24 on the watch. At that point, my heart fell, as I was sure I was closer to the finish than only a minute and a half into my last kilometre, but I pushed on. Evidently I can't read my watch, as it was telling me I'd been running for an hour and 24 minutes, and that wasn't part of my final split time. My final split was definitely under 5:00, though I don't recall what it was now.

Distance: 17.92km
Time: 1:26:10
Pace: 4:49
Placing: 18 / 69

Last year, as it turned out, I think I had the best placing of my team, though not the best pace that year. This year, my placement record would hold for only a few legs, and then I would take a backseat to a few speedy runners. I grumped in jest for a while, but of course congratulated them on some fantastic paces and placing. I guess the competition is actually part of it, or I wouldn't even bother to mention placement.

Oh, and I never did see Sarah from Herd of Cats on the course. From the results, it looks like she was a couple of minutes behind me, still beating a 5:00/km pace. Horst would come in a minute and a half behind me. I found him and congratulated him on a good run and for being a good pace bunny. Hopefully he didn't have any hard feelings about the alleged "drafting".

To wrap up the following 25 hours or so in a paragraph: we helped support Ian on his conquering of Cape Smokey (24th place at a 4:41/km pace!!), and a few other friends in the following legs (Karen, Jeffrey, and the very-speedy-yet-totally-untrained Colin), before heading through the rest of the trail and meeting up with those same people in Cheticamp for a great fish and chips dinner, and then a twisty and dark drive back to Baddeck, before getting up and cheering on the final three runners of the event.

In the end, the team finished 48th, with a total time of 25hrs, 9 minutes, 56 seconds, and an average time of 1:28:50 per leg. We were extremely happy with our placement, and I think most runners were happy with their performance and the weekend in general.

Next year, I have the uncomfortable task of choosing between running with this team and my previous team. I suppose that will only be a problem if they both get in again, but I know the Fundulators will be granted a spot in 2011, likely because they didn't make it in for 2010. Both were very fun teams (probably because of so many team members shared between the two!), so I have no idea how I'll choose.

Bluenose 2010 Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:54:00 +0000

I figure I might as well title these with "Race" in them so that anyone not interested can skip along to whatever is next in their feed reader. But for those of you keeping track of what happens in my life, cardiovascularly speaking...

The Bluenose Marathon was this past weekend, marking my third (?) venture into that Bluenose race category: The Bluenose Marathon has 5km, 10km, half, and full marathon categories, as well as the 4.2km youth run, which I am happy to report my eldest took part in on the Saturday morning. Here's the proud boy with what would turn out to be the 'zacksame' medal his father received for completing the 10k race the day after.

Previously, I have competed (I use that word loosely... maybe "challenged" is better, even though I'm only challenging myself) in the 10k (2005) and the half marathon (2009). Here are my stats this year:

Gun Time: 51:35.3
Chip Time: 49:46.1
Place: 255/2320
Gender Category: 198/857
Age Category (men 30-39): 60/220

And here's where I complain about Gun Time vs. Chip Time. Gun time exists so that races can have clear "winners" denoted by those who first cross the finish line. Basically, this means that your ten or so fastest runners are standing on the start line, electronic chips zip tied to their shoes, ready to all start at the sound of the gun, much like a track meet. It makes sense for these people that they all be at the start line, and not, say, 150 people back of the start line when the gun goes off.

But here's my beef: it really screws up the post-race statistics gawking.

For instance, and not that it matters, because I'm really only running for me (so they all say!), but if you look at the chip time alone, my placing moves from 255 to 222. In my Category (Men 30-39), my placement goes from 60th to 54th. And so on, and so on. Of course, if a bunch of fast old guys were to start off behind me and finish with me, my gun time would be more favourable. So it's all about perspective, except that the stats only give one perspective, and gun time kind of shortchanges the stat-hound in me. In marathon qualifying times, gun time is all that matters, so I guess if you're super serious about qualifying for something, you push your way to the start line before the gun goes off. I guess I'm not there yet.

For the past year or two since I started actually training and timing myself, I've brought my average pace time down from just under 6 minutes per kilometre or 9:39/mile, to about 5 minutes per kilometre (better if I'm actually training!) or 8:03/mile. As a comparison, my 2005 Bluenose 10k chip time was 54:52.7, or a chip pace of 5:29/km or 8:50/mile.*

This year I am definitely not trained as well as I was last year, and I ran with my friend Ian (another Ian friend of mine was pace-bunny for the 55 minute 10km run, which is a whole lot slower than his usual pace, but he was doing a good deed for some folks who wanted to achieve a goal.) Ian (the former) and I ran together for most of the 10k, until about the last 2km where he split and pushed the limit to the end -- I waited about another kilometre before pushing it myself and passed a few people at the last water stop (why they have a water stop 1km from the finish I have no idea).

All in all, I'm happy with my performance on the weekend, and very happy with my son's performance. He walked and ran and still managed to get 4.2km done in 36 minutes and change. It's hard to keep a kid on track and continuing to jog/run when their brains are telling them that this is silly (and maybe it is), but I think he'll run more and walk less if he wants to enter into other races. I don't need to make a runner out of him, but it would be nice if he had the base cardio ability to pick up and run a 5k if he wanted to.

Coming up is the Cabot Trail Relay Race (I usually omit the "race" part of the title, because I'm noncompetitive and stuff) -- I'm running Leg 2, which is 17.92km, starting at 8:40 AM on Saturday. Thereafter, I will be doing support for the following few legs and then just having fun cheering on the rest of our 17-person team and awaiting the excellent steak and lobster dinner at the end of it all.

Until next time ... happy running.

*This little tool is fantastic if you like to mess around with your run times and calculate pace. And really, who doesn't?

Kids Photoshoot: May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:57:00 +0000

I got the kids together for a photo session on Sunday, indicating that:

a) this was going to happenwhether they liked it or not, and

b) if they didn't resist, it would happen quickly.

And I must say the whole event went very smoothly, and I'm very happy with the results!

a quickr pickr post

Click for the set

The inevitable return to daddyblogging

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:56:00 +0000

When I started this blog some five years ago, I was a new parent, eager and (let's face it) terrified of the journey that The Lovely Wife and I had started on. I would post about the everyday mundane activities that go with child rearing, usually trying to find some humourous insight into the adventures. Then came Kid Number Two, and it became an adventure in juggling children and dealing with all those things that come with the terrible twos in addition to having a newborn. FUN.

Since then, my blogging (when it happens) has strayed to other ventures -- politics, music, general silliness -- in addition to the random parent-based witticisms.

Now the third has come along, and I'm sure I will have new fodder for blogging and stories to regale you all with, but at the moment, I'm not sure just where these adventures are going to take me. So far, everything has been both predictable and not too hard to handle [looking for something made of wood to knock upon]. She's sleeping reasonably well [knock, knock], the feeding is going very well, and honestly it feels like we always had room for the third kid.

But there's one thing I've perhaps forgotten: She's a girl.

I'm going to have to be a new kind of Daddy. And I don't know how I'm going to handle that. for starters, there are all these PINK THINGS around the house these days. Sure, they're small and frilly and adorable, but they seem so foreign to me. The only experience I have with clean and tidy clothes, or anything remotely girl-ish, is with my niece, and I can't say I've ever had to pick out her clothes. Does this mean the end of T-shirts with dinosaurs, monster trucks, and Hot Wheels decals on them? No more buying of horrible sweat pants? Will I have to learn to braid hair? Throw an impromptu tea party? And what the hell are Polly Pockets?? I guess only time will tell what kind of kid she will grow up to be (her mother will admit to being raised as a big ol' tomboy). But one thing's for sure. She won't be the only one on that journey.

Stay tuned, loyal reader(s).

Stella

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:32:00 +0000

Born May 4, 2010. 8lbs 9oz. 21" long.

Welcome to the world, pretty girl.

Earth Day 2010

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:24:00 +0000

(Note: while most of this was written on Earth Day, I got a little distracted and had to finish it the following week.)

I don't know how many Earth Days I have blogged about/on in the five years and change that this blog has been around, but today I started it out right: on my bike. On the fixie*, actually. Now I can say I've managed to ride each and every one of my (too many) bikes to work, which is a good thing. Wouldn't want all those bikes sitting around getting dusty in the garage now, would we?

I won't get all preachy about commuting by car, or single-passenger vehicles, or anything like that. People obviously have different reasons for driving into an over-crowded, expensive-to-park-in city all by their lonesome: maybe they come from REALLY far away, or maybe they don't usually drive but had to today, or heck, maybe it just doesn't bother them one little bit. But today's commute was a great way to wake up the brain and the body before sitting in cubicle-ville.

At lunch, I participated in an Earth Day ride hosted by the Halifax Cycling Coalition. I wasn't sure how many people I would run into that I actually knew, seeing as how I'm not part of the "urban" cycling community (and the suburban cycling community is mostly 13 year old boys on bikes with ridiculous suspension units). Turns out that I knew very few people, and that I was a little self conscious out there. Not because I don't know how to ride on the city streets, but because I know that people look at cyclists riding together as something of a rogue group of "citizens" (Okay, fine. They see us as dirty hippies). I feel more a part of the global movement of two-wheeled, self-propelled folks than I do part of the local scene. Maybe it's all the suburban living, and the weekend warrior nature of those long road rides with my little group of friends.

That day, after work, I enjoyed my commute back home and, while it was pretty tough on the legs going up the hill to get home, but the sense of accomplishment was as pervasive as the pain my quads. All in all, it was great.

So, having gone through my first public group-ride, I've decided that though I want to be part of the cycling scene, I want it for me, not to be some kind of public spectacle akin to a revolutionary or rabble rouser with a cause. I'd like to be the one that people point to from their cars or from the sidewalks and say, "Look at that guy. He's totally content on two wheels and not causing a fuss. We should all be like that." And to that I say, "Indeed. We should."

Happy Earth Day

*The pictures in that link are not what the fixie currently looks like, as it undergoes constant change, upgrades, toubleshooting, and general messing around with. Tat's just part of the fun.

One down

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:09:00 +0000

So, two nights ago this happened.

It was a long time coming, actually. Over two years ago he took a header over a truck he was pushing along the floor at playgroup when the truck hit a mat and he learned all about momentum and inertia. And his mom, I understand, learned all about screaming kids and blood and teeth going through upper lips. At any rate, we expected this a long time ago, but it finally started wiggling out at its proper time, and so it was with excitement that he stood in the mirror, toilet paper in hand (it improves the grip, you know), and we heard the "thok!" sound that would produce his first lost tooth.

His brother claims to have seen the Tooth Fairy that left the $2 coin, describing her only as "wearing a purple dress, a crown, and carrying a big tin of money". Alas, I could neither locate this person nor her booty. But rest assured, I will sleep with one eye open next time someone loses a tooth around here.

Dear Dad

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Dear Dad:

You wouldn't believe what life is like. Well, you just might. I know you were a very busy father, doing shiftwork, playing Mr. Mom to us while Mom also did shiftwork. You took me to soccer, to birthday parties, and loved your steak and potatotes like no man I have ever met. It seemed that though you were born in Montreal and moved to Winnipeg, you were never truly at home until your feet landed in Alberta. And while I knew Winnipeg and Alberta, I wouldn't land until my feet touched the East Coast. I think you always knew the ocean would call to me and I would feel at home here. Settled. And now playing the Dad role that I could have only got from you.

You took care of your family, protected them, made sure they had all they needed, most of what they wanted, and weren't going to be in financial hardship, even though you had no idea you'd be the victim of Leukemia in your 55th year. It was then, perhaps, that your true strength became evident to me, as you fought through all the treatment so that you could attend the wedding of your first-born. We saw how it broke you down, and we saw you bounce back up again, if only for a few glorious months of being a "survivor".

You'd like your grandkids. What am I saying? You'd love them. They're handsome and goofy and just ill-behaved enough that you could rib me about my own childhood. You'd be embarrassed and honoured all at once that we gave your name to our first-born, since you missed meeting him by only a few months. And now there's another one on the way. You'd probably feel bad that you only have two knees on which to bounce kids, but I know you wouldn't let that stop you. I think Mom tries to make up for it. She's doing okay, you know, though we're feeling the distance a lot lately. We'll get to see her more when the baby arrives. She'll bring with her all those stories about me and my brother, and almost always those stories end with some reference to you.

Today you would have been 63, but you probably already know, you didn't get to see past 56. Since I can't pick up the phone and talk to you, I'll light a candle and find some Canadian Club to recognize you today.

Happy birthday, Dad.

7 Days - Spring 2010

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:55:00 +0000

The Lovely Wife is incredulous whenever I announce to her that the 7 Days (of Self Portraits) is about to start again. Honestly, it's a week every three months, so when the last one was at Christmas, naturally the next one will be in early Spring!

And so it was!

Here's what you missed, if you weren't paying attention. (Click here for my set. Click here for EVERYONE'S awesome pictures)

So glad to be back doing 7 Days!

We've been having some unseasonably nice weather around here, so today started off with a hike through Hemlock Ravine.

iPhone timer set by me with The Lovely Wife as stand-in tripod.

(This is the same ravine where I took these pictures. Oh, and this one too!)

The pace of life in the last six months (along with the winter season) has meant that my attire outside of work is basically pajama pants or workout wear and a hoodie or some other type of comfortable sweatshirt. I'm hard pressed to find any style on the weekends when the first thing required of me on is to jam my head into a hockey helmet and take the ice with my kids.

And so I find myself on Sundays wearing the same thing I put on when I came home from work on Friday night (though I should clarify I wasn't wearing it the entire weekend!), unshaven and with hair that looks like a bad salad.

Don't tell me busy parents have no style.

I'm reminded of a scene in a TV show (name redacted for personal shame reasons) where the father drops off the kid at school still wearing his house slippers. He's dubbed Slipper-Dad by the kid's schoolmates. It's become a common benchmark around here, though I stress I have gone no further than the end of the driveway while still wearing my house slippers. Not that I haven't been tempted.

Incidentally, this is the same sweatshirt that appeared in this picture from 7 Days: Spring 2007. I think it's worn pretty well :-)

My only two mind-numbing pursuits at home these days are researching the building of fixed gear bicycles (pictures are coming, Barry, I swear) and reading this book, Nikolski, which won the Governor General's award, and has just been chosen as the Canada Reads novel of 2010 (which essentially gives it a little more exposure than just sitting on the shelves, waiting to be read "because it's Canadian and we should read Canadian literature, dammit!").

It was a rainy day in Halifax....

No, wait. Well, it was, but that's not entirely why I took this opportunity to engage my captive audience in some 7 Days action. And so here you have a pretty good rendition of the Canadian National Anthem by Jack, age 6, with some mugging in the background by Oliver, 4.

As with other busy households, I'm sure, dinner is a bit of a balancing act. This "taco" dinner turned out with help enlisted from the boys, but once the beef was prepped and the cheese grated, they were pretty much out of things to do that interested them. So as I finished things up (behind me are brown beans, refried beans, and the aforementioned beef, and to my right are the rest of the cold-fixins for the meal), Jack read his daily "readers" to his brother.

This is one time when I can say that the peaceful look was not misleading. They didn't even know I was going to take the picture until they sensed the flash.

Well, it's finally done. Since last summer, and over the winter I've been dealing with bicycle withdrawal, and have been thinking about building a fixed-gear bike. For those unacquainted, a "fixie" has one gear and does not coast. That means you can pedal forwards or backwards and the wheel will move in the direction you pedal.

This was the My First Fixie project.

I wasn't looking to do anything expensive or particularly involved. I just wanted to see what it would be like to build one. The early 1970s Torpado that was supposed to be the target of the MFF project was just too pretty to hack up and toss parts away, so I waited for another option and just cleaned it up.

Eventually an old beat up Nishiki chromoly frame turned up and my friend and I built it from spare parts he had laying around, and a few new bits and pieces to complete it.

While it's probably not in its final form, it's perfectly functional and more important than anything, it's super fun to ride.

(And in case anyone is wondering, I actually am balancing in this shot, though it didn't last long. I'm working on that.)

Another 7 Days has come to an end (excepting all the comment love I have yet to give, which appears to be a lot), so I raise my glass to all of you, my friends, for coming out time and again, and to the new ones I've met this time around.

It doesn't matter what kind of mood I'm in, or if I'm "ready " for 7 Days when it comes around; by the end, I'm always happy I've taken part again.

...So I'll raise the glass. Not the first or last.
Come join me in this toast.

Because the old black rum's got a hold of me.
Like a dog wrapped round my leg.
And the old black rum's got a hold of me.
Well I live for another day, Hey.
Well I'll live for another day.

- Great Big Sea, The Old Black Rum

(Note: the contents of this glass is indeed not black rum, but some particularly nice Macallan 12 Sherry Cask scotch whisky)

Surfacing

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:53:00 +0000

This post is brought to you via a strange series of events. And even as I'm typing this now, I have no idea how long this post will be or how it's going to turn out at the end. Honestly, I don't even know if I'll finish its last sentence.

I didn't, and I don't, come here strictly to complain. Lord knows you don't come here to be regaled with morose drivel about my life. But you do read, so I guess I haven't lost you all yet.

It should come as no surprise that Canadians and other cold-weather dwellers get a little lethargic in the winter months. I won't use the "D" word, but you get the idea. Basically, we get out of our rhythms as we move to a warmer place (indoors). That is, unless you're some sort of gym rat, aerobics isntructor, or biathlete. So, basically, 98% of us. This lasts until the sun emerges again, which depending on where you live, could be June.

I am no exception to this rule. After the final "events" of 2009, my training went from "doing pretty good at keeping this up!" to "starting to trail off just a little", to "wow, better get your ass in gear, pal" to "now you're just being lazy". Folks, I'm slipping. And I don't like it.

But it's not just the exercise. Yesterday I was informed via a good friend, Scott, that my name came up in conversation, and made it to his blog. This friend has recently become someone I have confided in, and someone who gives me very constructive advice (equating often to "you should really deal with that, you know").

Turns out that in his new "interview blog" format, he was interviewing Stacy of Jürgen Nation, another long-time (in Internet Years) friend of mine. She was talking about how blogging for her is like therapy, and if she doesn't get it out? Bad. Things. Happen. I like this about her (not the bad things, the exceptional writing), and remember a time when I had plenty of fodder and plenty of gumption to get it out in black and white. Nowadays, I find that the blog is yet one more sign of things slipping through the cracks.

I know that changes are coming, but the sun has emerged and maybe it's time to find the "new normal" that I'm always preaching about when people complain about change. People freak out about change. Change isn't good or bad. It's just change. If you don't like the way things are changing, then maybe you do see change as bad. But in the end, the adaptation to change is key to moving forward.

I'm in no way stressed out about the way things are going to be in a month(assuming I remember how to be the parent of an infant, with all the waking up at ridiculous hours and the tripling my caffeine intake), but there are a lot of great things and great people that used to be a part of my daily routine that just haven't been there lately. I miss it. And I want those people to know.

Hey, the sky is blue and the sun is coming out. Bring on the New Normal.

I'm 37. I'm not old.

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:35:00 +0000

Just call me Dennis.

Six

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:18:00 +0000

Six years ago I cut the cord, unwrapping a 7lb 9oz baby boy, instantly joining the ranks of sleepy parents the world over. Six years (and fifty five pounds!) later, I'm a proud, yet behaviourally in-check, hockey dad. Who is still sleepy. Because eight o'clock practices are still really early.

Happy birthday, Jack!

Swifter, Higher, Tighter. (or, The seven per cent bonus)

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Hey, so the Winter Olympics are over. Did you notice?

And Canada (who else am I going to talk about here?) set the record for the most gold medals won by a host nation, which is something I think the Canadian Olympic Committee was striving for (after the whole Own the Podium thing was deemed too unattainable, or maybe just too un-Canadian). Speaking of un-Canadian, The Lovely Wife and my offspring (including the one in utero) were in Florida visiting her parents and doomed to watching the American coverage on television and I did my Canadian / husbandly duty by sending emails when Canada medalled, and updating her on the curling scores (shut up). Upon her return, half-way through the olympic fortnight, we compared notes on views of the Olympics from both sides of the border, and she expressed shock that the Americans seem to think that the event is all about the hockey, but gradually started to understand their point of view, and that maybe they were right.

That's not to say that one event, or one game, is the crowning achievement of the entire course of the Olympics, but this gold medal is 1/14th, or 7.1% of our victories. It wasn't the first gold we won on home soil (thank you Alexandre Bilodeau), but it was the last. Maybe that's more historic, or at least as important as beating the Americans at "our game". For a lot of Canadians, hockey really is religion. Despite the professional leagues being increasingly international, we like to think that we grow 'em right up here. For local hockey fans, Sidney Crosby's winning goal in overtime was the cherry on top. But how would we have felt if Team Canada had lost in the gold medal hockey game? Probably still pretty good, but there would once again be that horrible feeling of "if only" niggling at our insides for four more years.

I think more realistically, Canada is pretty happy to be successful at the winter games because it's comparatively difficult for us to compete at Summer Games events, given that most of the planet has snow-free periods in their year, while a far lower percent of the planet has as much snow as we do. Sure, international travel makes it easy for athletes to train all over the world, but it helps if you've been doing whatever your winter-sport-of-choice-is since you were five. So when it comes to skiing and shooting, or bounding down a bumpy mountain at high speed, or streaking around a frozen oval with knives strapped to your boots, we're pretty happy with being pretty good.

Canada (or rather, Vancouver) got off to a shaky start with the games, with torches that wouldn't light (or you can't properly view them through the ~~barbed wire~~ chain link fence), a mountain that wouldn't keep its snow, and ice resurfacing machines that wouldn't do their job. Newspapers from around the globe (ok, mostly British ones) derided Canada for its catastrophic games, though I have come to understand that this is partially because the UK will host the next Olympic Games, but even more that this is just in keeping with British media in general. So, in a word, phooey on youey. It all went forward, and all the medals were awarded.

Looking back, I think that Canada, and a lot of other nations, has a lot to celebrate. Sure there were medal hopefuls that didn't excel enough to wear the gold, and there were unforseen circumstances that derailed plans, but that's why we do this thing: to see who's the best in the world that day. Natural and man-made environments come with their own risks: icy hills, melting snow, rain, leaky roofs, mechanical breakdowns... it can't all go right. Right?

Let's celebrate what happened: The world, or at least the snowy parts of it, came together for two weeks and generally had a good time. And people at home got to ogle hot athletes in form-fitting attire (snowboarders notwithstanding) doing ridiculous things at ridiculous speeds. Swifter, Higher, Tighter.

There goes another hour of my week

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:25:00 +0000

I may regret this, but I have a confession to make: I used to watch The OC. And really, it was for more than the music (though I did like it, as evidenced by my previous mentions of McG and also not just a little for the lovely and talented Rachel Bilson). Admittedly, I didn't stick with it to see how it all ended (it ended, right?) because I thought it got a little out of hand with the manufactured frustration and the comical "never say what you're thinking and I bet things will still work themselves out" strategies employed by the main characters. At some point I had to graduate from teen dramas. (Right?) Besides, I was so over Dawson's Creek by then.

Back in those days, I used to "tape" it on the "VCR" (if you don't know what that means, ask your mom and dad) and watch it when The Lovely Wife wasn't at home. Not because she didn't like the show; she'd never seen it, but I couldn't stand getting mocked for my inability to graduate to a slightly more sophisticated show. At least now I have the iPod Video / iPhone to with which to indulge my secret television habit while riding the bus or during other daytime downtime (Lost, Heroes, 30Rock and Chuck, I'm looking at you.) But I never did download the rest of The OC.

That said, the fine folks at YouCast offered me a sneak peek of the new season of Southland, which stars (among many others) Benjamin MacKenzie ("Ryan" from the OC, for the proud and/or outed). Evidently NBC had dumped the show after a successful first season, and even after the second season was completely in the can, but happily for Southland fans, TNT has picked it up.

In our house, we're hesitant to pick up any new dramas in our nightly (I mean prior to 10:00) TV schedule, but honestly, I think I can see myself getting into this. I managed to also procure the first couple of episodes from the first season and really quite enjoyed the mixture of police procedural drama and, well, the more "drama" aspect of the show. The characters are quite believable and the issues, while shockingly frightening in nature (including but not limited to a LOT of gang violence, it seems). And really, I'm not sure I needed to see the first season to "get" the sneak peek into the second season, but now that I've seen what I've seen, I think I'll rent the first season on DVD and get caught up as soon as I can.

I should also mention that, in the spirit of getting asked to review things, I am not compelled to like the things I review, but y'know, this show looks good. If you miss the police dramas of the past (at the moment all I can come up with is Hill St. Blues, what?) and enjoy shows like Law and Order, Criminal Minds and NCIS, you'll probably get into this show. Heck maybe you're already a fan. If so, how come you haven't told me to watch it already??

And now for the plug: Southland Season 2 premieres March 2nd on TNT. In the immortal words of Chef Perry (no reference available), "There I said it!" Seriously, though. This is good stuff.

Communication Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (themikestand) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:03:00 +0000

So, a lot of things have been going on in the real world that haven't made it to the old blog. Did you know there was an earthquake in Haiti? You wouldn't have learned it from me. How about the Olympics? We Canadians have won a few medals (putting us squarely in the "also ran" category), you know. Did you know that Jake has to choose between Vienna and Tenley? Really, I shouldn't have just admitted that I do know that, because if you're a self respecting television viewer, you either don't have any idea which television program I'm talking about, or you're too cool to admit it.

Yes, this is all old news. And while I may talk about it in my face-to-face, everyday, ordinary, workaday life, I haven't been covering it in black and white lately. And I don't know why. Possibly it's all this microblogging (micro = smaller, better, faster, right?), or maybe I just haven't felt like the internet needed to hear my stance on things. Whatever it is, the message I'm trying to get across is that I need to work on my outside voice, or at least the one that shows up here.

I used to follow all kinds of bloggers: mommybloggers, food bloggers, funny bloggers (think XKCD and Basic Instructions), and general life bloggers. Lately my tastes have turned to quick-hits of the blog world. Photobloggers, bike bloggers, running bloggers... just the kinds of posts that don't take long to read and don't require me to invest a whole bunch of time to keep up with. I do, however, continue to read a certain blogger out there who posts short, yet poignant tales of her life as a teacher on the eastern seaboard and mom of mostly grown children. Her short stories of her own childhood, her childrens' childhood, and thoughts on the world are perfect bite-sized snippets, and when I see that I am fifteen or twenty posts behind, I'm not the slightest bit afraid that I'm too far behind in her history to catch up.

Who do YOU read? What do you like to read about? Do you go out for lengthy, well-spun stories, or does the succinctly told story get your attention? Inquiring bloggers want to know. Leave your favourite reads in the comments.