Category: Personal

This morning, Brooke left for a long weekend trip to Newport, Rhode Island. It’s her first time travelling on her own, so I’m very proud of her. On the other hand, I’m at loose ends for the weekend. I’ve rented a bunch of movies (all documentaries, am I a nerd or what?), and I’m having the guys over tonight to watch Bruce McDonald’s mock-rock-doc Hard Core Logo (1996), which I bought a few weeks back. Tonight will probably be the closest I get to bachelor debauchery, though.

The “Bachelor Documentary Film Festival” will continue this weekend with:

• Fast, Cheap, And Out Of Control (1997)
• Salesman (1969)
• Dark Days (2000)

I’m sure I’ll squeeze in some NBA playoff games, too. More as it happens…

I realize I haven’t updated any of you on the running lately. We’ve completed five weeks of our ten week “Learn to Run” clinic at The Running Room. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it. In fact, I’m kind of hooked on running now. Our goal race is the Nissan Challenge 5k on June 8, but Brooke and I have also registered for the Pride and Remembrance 5k on June 28. In fact, you can sponsor me for that race online. I’ve created a little button over on the right side to make it easier to sponsor me. (American friends can rejoice that donating in Canadian funds means you can participate for as little as US$7.17).

Of course, being a gadget geek has helped keep me motivated. I’ve recently ordered a cool heart-rate monitor, the ECG5 from Sports Instruments. And I’m using a neat little OS X app called iRun to log my runs. I’ve always been a bit of a stats junkie. And it’s nice to see how much progress I’ve been making. In a little over a month, I’ve gone from a wheezing, shuffling old man to a, well, to a slightly more fit wheezing, shuffling old man.

On Friday, I went downtown to get my hair cut at the usual place, but noticed that my barber, Vince, wasn’t there. As I sat down to wait, I must have looked confused, and the other barber (it’s a two-chair shop) called me over. “I have something to tell you,” he said. “Your friend has passed away.” I was shocked. Almost two weeks ago, Vince had a stroke. I think he was about 65, and I was expecting him to retire in a year or two. His original partner had died about three years ago, and I remember feeling that loss at the time, but this is quite a bit harder. Vince had been cutting hair for almost 50 years, and mine for 15. We didn’t talk a lot, but I enjoyed my monthly visits. I was so upset that I just came home, telling the younger barber I’d be back in a few days. As a man, I think finding a good barber is something we take for granted. It sounds terribly selfish of me, but I’ll miss Vince the barber, whom I depended on, more than Vince the man, whom I barely knew.

Remember our neighbours? The ones who used to slam their door mercilessly? Well, not even a few months after that problem has been fixed, they have acquired a tiny yappy dog. He barks day and night. The only respite is when they’re yelling at him to “STOP BARKING!!!!”. I swear it must be a plot by Brooke to drive me to buy a condo somewhere.

Pre-dinner: 3.7km run (about 2.3 miles) (2 minutes running, 1 minute walking, 8 sets)

Dinner: Apple and Caraway Stuffed Chicken Breasts: I adapt the recipe slightly by leaving out currants and parsley, and substituting white wine for apple cider. Delicious! Accompanied by my first ever New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the 2001 Sacred Hill, from the Marlborough region, very lively and a great match with the food.

Post-dinner: Simone (2002), a clunker.