In reference to my recent post, where I claimed all of my pictures were ruined because of some kind of wormy-ish thing in the corner, I have to admit that I ‘saved’ a picture or two.

Here they are:

Click for bigs.

Click for bigs 2, I dare you

So Mr/s. Photoshop, this Iced Tea is for you.
And to you, world, I can still take pictures.

Word. Life.
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Technical note: These pictures are HDRs…. aka 5-9 photos taken at different light levels, seperated by an f-stop or so, and then combined to make one photo.

Remember when I took a whole bunch of (potentially) sweet pictures yesterday? Remember how I was really stupid and didn’t check my lens to make sure it was clean? Remember how it has that weird, potentially wormy thing, all up in there?

Good one Dylan. Nothing like adding more work for yourself.

ugh.

Life.

Squirrels can't touch this.

So I got back last night from Lake Muskoka (We were right here) – which rocked. We kicked it freestyle and wigged out in such a fashion that it made the few squirrels on the island giggle. The Lights (Family of my roommate Alex), were the bomb and super super hospitable.

What else needs to be said? haha aRush7 at it again. Half man, half kangaroo.
Thanks, I’ll take 6.

So, as I’m now home, sleeping in my own bed, it isn’t going to last long. I’m off on another trip, somewhat impromptu with mon petit cheval (Leona) to check out the offerings of Maine. It oughta be sick, for at least this time, I’m not biking there.

This is going to be an absolute awesome-show of pictures. We’re meeting up with a man named Jordan, who rocks a D300, Leona herself rocks a D300 and yours truly, rocks a D300. I think Nikon owes us some love.

When I arrive home (Fridayish, Saturdayish?) be prepared for an onslaught of pictures.

Word. Life.
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A quick post to show readers that blogger db is still alive. It can provide short insight into what is to come.
Woah! I can’t go to bed until I post a quickles.

________

So with that, I am indeed alive. I’ve got a lot to cover. I feel as though I should wrap up my trip, even though it’s been as long as it has. I feel as though I should post some pictures, because it’s been as long as it has.

First things first (click on picture for more from shoot):

Tomorrow (today, in actuality) I will post again with a little hooblaw about the trip, and indulge further into recent livings.

Tomorrow I’m starting my previously outlined GTD (Getting Things Done). So as soon as I rise, I’ll be hammering away at my notebook.. maybe even in my precious Moleskine that I haven’t used yet.

As previously promised, I’ll let you know how it goes, but for now enjoy Ms. Tessier and the awesome product of Studio-28.ca

Word. Life.
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Quickles is now copyrighted. because it’s awesome. yes.

Joel Plasket – All the Way Down the Line
JP is the man – he deserves some listening. Check him out on iTunes – Joel Plasket Emergency

So, Life, what is new?
I’ve received my TOMS… bought the new iPhone 3GS (story doesn’t end there) and had 4 photo-shoots with the studio over last weekend.
Oh, and I biked over 100 km’s on Monday. 75+ on Wednesday and if all goes well… 75+ today. Owned.

TOMS are the bomb. One for One.

So… TOMS you ask?
Sleek. Sexy…. and they give you a warm tingly feeling all over because they do a “One for One”… with every pair of TOMS purchased, they donate a pair of TOMS to those without shoes.

iPhone 3GS you ask?
Ohhh 2G… how you needed a break. It was just time. Plus, I needed/wanted/desired GPS functionality on the trip home to limit the potential for getting lost. So now I’m rocking.
Was it an easy task getting one?
Of course not. We all know what Rogers is like. I spent the better part of Friday (launch day) in store waiting for their system to go online so that they could make account changes. It didn’t happen.
Satuday… Same thing. I spent the majority of it in there waiting for their systems to stop lagging so much that it forced a page to timeout every time they tried put something through.
Alas! I finally did get my iPhone which I promptly named it George (to replace Sully – S-oo-leee). However… George (iPhone 3GS) had different plans and decided that it should be DOA… and with that the proximity sensor (shuts off the screen when you raise it to your face) and the ear speaker does not work. Sweet.
So I’ve had a phone that I’ve either had to put on speaker-phone or rock the headphones for calls. Gets old. But! Beyond that, the phone is actually sick. The speed holds up and you can notice that it’s considerably faster… the camera is much improved, the video is a cool feature and all is well in the world!

4 Photo-shoots!? Yes… yes.. Many many many pictures to edit.

I’ve also made a few changes in and around the site. I decided to start to make preparations to put it into “Trip Mode”.. that is, make it a place where one can come and get updates from my trek across Canada. So with that, I’ve added the Twitter feed as a widget (on the right hand side). Also, when the time comes, I’m going to add a larger, full-sized twitter widget to the post that I’ll write on the day that I leave… so that it’s easily accessible to check in and receive updates!
I’m also going to be adding a “facebook connect” option which will allow users to sign on with their facebook accounts (eliminates worrying about another username/password combo). So things are on the move! Pretty excited for everything, actually. I’ll do a follow up post and let you know how the facebook connect thing goes.

Well… until the next time. I promise it won’t be as long of a wait.

23 days.

Word. Life.
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Unfortunately, as everyone learns at one point or another, time doesn’t seize. It moves with continued progress as the most well maintained machine known to man. Time will not slow down. Time will not wait. A person has to be productive – use his/her time efficiently. Unfortunately again, as everyone learns at one point or another, an individual’s time on Earth is indefinite, or limited to his or her lifetime. You don’t get a second chance. You’re here to do what you will, for as long as it is “willled.”
Now, with my present situation in Life, I think I probably should have an advantage over a “normal person” (normal = 30hr + workweek, among other ‘normal’ duties). With this aforementioned advantage, I should be more productive than ever. But, then again, being efficiently productive isn’t easy.

I think I’ve got  a new approach to it this whole ordeal… check it out.
I have always said that I love to have paper sitting around, but just never have anything to write on it… so here we go.
It’s time to start getting things done.

Before I went to Toronto last weekend… I had a shoot with a wonderful lass from back home.
It rained.. it rained.. and it rained so more.
We found cover under a porch… that coincidentally had gorgeous light.. and led to pictures like this one.

Light Light Light

I’ll post a couple more in the days to follow.

I’ve been biking well.
Put on over 200k last week.
A 60k day, an 82k day and a few fast 30s.
I feel good. I’ll get home.

Big ride tomorrow.
41 days.
Ohhh dear.

Word. Life.
db

Anger! Do Not Enter

So.. I put on my longest trek thus far… upped my previous by 50% and considerably faster!
I was planning on putting on somewhere between 70 and 80 kms yesterday, but in two different sets (a morning bike and an afternoon bike), but once I got out there I felt great and didn’t want to stop… so I didn’t (well, I mean.. I did.. but not for a while).

60km in 2h37.. up from my 40k in 1:54 last week.
owned.

Other than that – just got back from Toronto with the boys.
Took in a couple of Toronto vs Boston games!
Pretty friggin sick. (Click through for bigger versions..)

It was my first time watching a professional baseball game and I’d have to say that I was pretty impressed… Especially when the dome is open. I found that the dynamics of the game changed a tonne when they closed it in the 6th. I guess I just found it weird to play baseball indoors… definitely something that I have never experienced ever before. On a separate note – I find the whole idea of professional sports funny. I mean these guys are the best of the best of the best… but they also have the most perfect conditions ever. The way that the ball comes off the turf at the Skydome is like non-other. Perfect, smooth, high bounces each and every time. Couldn’t be more predictable! And even more so, the infield can sit back and wait for the ball to come to them because it scoots so fast… no need to charge it like on the slow dirt or gravel fields that I have always played on. The same goes for any sport too, not just baseball… but it’s interesting to think about it! I wish I could play a game there.. just to get a feel for it all. It’d be soo different.

Oh what a life one leads.
46 days.

Word. Life.
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Sweet chin music

It’s not really that funny.
I just don’t really like to take pictures of these… or pictures of them.
But here I am.. posting it in the real deal world of it all.

Maybe that’s why it’s funny.
Hm.

I think I’m bitter. It rained today. No bike ride. And, of course, my busted tire from 2 days ago – meaning I haven’t been on the bike for two whole days, plus tomorrow is supposed to bring more fun-filled rain.

I routed my route through g-map pedometer.. It’s sweet in the sense that pedometer will go through your route and show you elevation changes (thanks to wonderful Ms Liu for that point out).. quite detailed. That route goes from Ottawa to almost Sherbrooke Qc, near the border of Maine… which should bring the most ugly hills to conquer. I’ll route through there tomorow. It’ll be interesting to see it laid out in pure g-map fashion.

Photo shoot tomorrow!
Rain, rain… poop off.

Word. Life.
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A real deal sammich comes from The Market

Check the counter on the right… 60 days left.
Time to get serious, eh?

Long weekend proved to be awesome.
Hit up the market yesterday and had the best sandwich of my life to date (not counting my daily routine of PB&J – can’t beat them at all).
But these meat sandwiches at Narcissito’s? (edit: Nicastro’s – Thanks Ness!) haha (I’ll find out for sure)… but ya.. these meat sandwiches.. were the real deal.
Full out meat with sick deals all over them (read sick deals as mayo & moutarde, hot peppers, lettuce and tomatoes) for a mean deal price of a 5 sheet (taxes in).
Let’s be serious here… it’s a steal. I’m sold.

The market is sick.

60 days.
40km today.

Once I get up to about 50kms on my long trips, I think I’ll start doing two-a-days.
It’s time to start pounding out the kms.
I’ll see how this 40 goes, 35 wasn’t that bad last week.. so I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m aiming for under 2 hours – a pace somewhere between 20-25km.. as of now I think I’m averaging a pace of 21km/hr – which isn’t too bad. 8 more weeks of constant biking should bring that up too!

ohh the good times.
Softball tomorrow night. Double-header.

Update:
40.12 kms
1:54:20

It takes a lot of effort to put on 40kms.
I saw a lot of the city…. and parts of the city more than once.

Felt good though – I’m quite pumped.

Word. Life.
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Cutting pavement for 6-8 hours a day.
Tracing 150 kms of road lines….
7 days

Yeah, 6-8 hours is a long time per day, but not when you train for it.
And train I shall.

What to pack? Not much.
A back tire rack, with a blanket, tarp, pair of splash pants, sweater/jacket, towel, extra tire tubes and a pump. Basics.
Water, Water, Water…. energy bars, energy bars, energy bars…. Boost? Boost? Boost?
Necessities.

I think that I’ll put twitter to good use. As of right now, I’m thoroughly opposed (maybe not opposed), but I see no good in using it. It does not replace any feature that facebook can not already do for me.
Anyway, at this one point in time, I will use Twitter to send text updates to the ‘masses’, about my situation, location and hows-abouts.
I think it’ll be the easiest way to do it. “Your phone will die”… OK…I’ll buy a portable charger for my iPhone… charge it on the road with AA batteries.

2 and a half months.
72 days.

I added a countdown timer to the right side of the web page, it’ll remind me how many days I have left of training.

72 days.

I want to hit my peak shape by the 5th of July, leaving me that week to really put on some serious kilometers.
I’ll let the week of the 12th be a recoup week, shorter and more relaxed rides.

Let the journey begin on the 19th.

72 days!

Let the training commence.
Monday, Tuesday… 30kms each day.
Wednesday – cardio
Thursday – rain. Eek. First dilemma.
While I’m not opposed to riding in the rain, by any means, I do not want to sacrifice a new chain and new cogs and have the risk of rust. They’re so smooth that it’d be a shame.

Edit: I did my 30km loop through Gatineau and Hull! The sun came out after lunch and dried up the streets! Yay!

Word. Life.
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