Obstacles on the Canal Trail

There were a lot of these on the trail. The first week of March here was windy - we were supposed to get significant rain but that seemed to head south and east of here (sorry NJ and MA). The wind took out a lot of trees - This one was interesting as I had to push my bike under it. Thank goodness for my helmet as it stopped me from bashing my brains out, I didn't duck enough.

I didn't know how far I would go today - and at the 7 mile mark in Oriskany I figured I'd turn around and just make it a 14 miler. Well I met Mike and Dale there and we started talking. And after about 15 minutes or so they asked if I wanted to go towards Stanwix with them - what the heck right? So I rode with them about another 3 miles and parted ways - I hope that I'll hear from them - Mike's wife rides as well so the three of them could come with me on the eastern portion of the trail.

There had to be about 5 obstacles on the trail - 2 you could ride around and another 3 that you had to climb over or go under...but it made for a fun ride anyway. I need to get in shape because the 100 Miles of Nowhere ride is coming up in May. I'll let you know more about that as it gets closer.

Ice on the Erie Canal

This is the earliest I've ever been on a ride outside. It's March! And usually we have snow, rain, snain, or it's just cold - not the case this year. It has been gorgeous, warm (50's and 60's) and most of the snow is gone. So I decided earlier this week that if Saturday was as nice as it's been I was going to ride. And so I did!

I started out late - about 12:45pm. I gave blood this morning so wanted to get enough fluids and food in me so I didn't pass out while riding. The first mile saw me laughing to myself - what a difference between riding inside and outside. The wind, the birds, the water, the people - boy did I miss that!

Whenever I come up on a person I usually warn them by calling out "Behind you" - well for some reason I didn't call out to this one lady - there was another bicyclist coming towards me, she had earbuds in and so I just went by her - but she turned to look at the same time and I think that she jumped a foot. I stopped to apologize and we talked for a few minutes. She moved here from Maui! - yep that's what I said - Maui! She was born and raised here and left for quite a few years and came back. There are a lot of us like that - Upstate NY is wonderful!

Please Read on....

St. Patrick's Day

I didn't celebrate like a lot of people I know... The St. Patrick's Day parade was last Saturday and I am not really fond of going - simply because it seems to be for adults that want to get completely soused or for kids who want the free candy (that I understand). The getting soused part bothers me...and that reason was brought home even more profoundly when I learned that an acquaintance from SUNYIT Alumni board and a club that we both belong to was involved in an accident on Saturday. This acquaintance was at a parade (not in Utica) and apparently was drinking - how much - who's to say. But he/she was driving home from the day's festivities and hit a pedestrian. I believe that this person stopped, checked on the pedestrian and left, but did call 911. The person has been arrested for DWI and originally for Vehicular Assault. That changed on Monday. The pedestrian died. And this person that I know was arrested for Vehicular Manslaughter. It's sad - one person lost their life and another's life is 'lost' as well but in a very tragic sense.
Is it really worth it? Is it really necessary to drink and drive? I'll be glad to pick up any of my friends if they have been drinking and think that they need a ride home - and if I can't I'll call a cab for them. This acquaintance of mine is a good person, having fun, enjoying life - now the only thing this person needs is prayers and love and forgiveness - and the family of the victim need solace and prayers and love.
Please say some prayers for those who drink and drive and for those who are irreparably harmed by this.

I know this post isn't my normal kind - but this tragedy has been on my mind all week. Choice - it all comes down to that...

The Walk I Made Today

I couldn't talk myself into driving my car to a parking area and then taking a bus when I live just over a mile from the Heart Walk start point. So I walked a little over 8 miles by the time I was done with the 5 mile route.

The residents of the Mohawk Valley should be proud - around 9000+/- walkers and runners went out again and proved that we have HUGE hearts and great contributors.

Bottom of Heartbreak Hill

It was an awesome day for the Heart Walk. I'm glad that I did it and thank you to everyone who sponsored me, I really appreciate it. I signed up for the 5 mile walk - which I did, but I have a wicked stubborn streak and couldn't see driving my car somewhere to have a bus pick me up and drop me off at the walk, not when I live about 1 mile from the College. It turns out it was a little farther because of the walking through the campus and all that - about 8 miles walked - but I feel good other than the bottom of my feet burning. I think I like to wear my shoes too loose so the friction gets me.

I think the walk was a huge success - lots of people turned out for it and it was a lot of fun!

Wow!

Start line of Americas Greatest Heart Walk

Go Mohawk Valley!

"It's Just Not Faire"

Woo Hoo! It's that time of year again - the Stanley Volunteers present "It's Just Not Faire" on April 23 & 24, 2010 at the Stanley Theatre. It's $30.00 per person, but you will be fed well, laugh a lot and use your brain to solve the mystery!



Save the Date and have fun with us!

Listen...

I woke up this morning to birds singing and chirping. What a wonderful sound! It means that spring is on it's way. Usually in the winter you only hear the crows - so when you start to hear the sparrows and whatever other little birds are out there, you are sure to see more and more signs of spring.

Another sign of spring - at least in my house - is that Einstein - my crazy cat begged to go out at 3:30 this morning and didn't come back in till 6:30 and then went back out for another 40 minutes after that. I think that he sits on the porch railing and watches the birds that I love to listen to.

So with 4 foot piles of heavy snow outside, I now feel that it is safe to dream about spring!

Be careful what you wish for!

Yes - I wanted one big snow storm.
Yes - we got one! About 20 inches here, I would guess.
Yes - my snow blower worked and worked and worked, but nothing could prepare me for the pile of snow at the end of my driveway yesterday. It was about 3 feet high, 3 feet deep and worse at the edges. And heavy, very, very heavy.
Yes - I ache from head to toe. There was enough snow that on Thursday I shoveled in the morning quick - just a couple of inches. At 5 on Thursday night (about 8 inches) I got the snow blower out and ran that until it was out of gas, thank goodness I didn't have much more left so I just finished up with shoveling. Then at about 8pm Thursday night I went back out to find about 5 inches of snow and just figured I would shovel as I didn't feel like putting gas in the snow blower. At 9:30 I was out cold.
Yes - I was late to work on Friday. At 5:50am I went outside to find another 6-7 inches of snow - I started shoveling but it was such a heavy, dense, wet snow that I couldn't do it. I went back inside and waited till 7:00am when the sun would be up and my neighbors wouldn't hate me to get my snow blower going. I was out for 70 minutes! I ran the snow blower from my house down past three of my neighbors and back again. Then I cleared my driveway (with my car in it and scratched my car with the snow blower ) - I would have put my car in the road, but it hadn't been plowed yet and I was afraid I'd never get it out if I did that. When I was done with all that I got ready for work, hopped in my car, made it up the street and got stuck. But thankfully I know all about rocking a car - reverse/drive/reverse/drive and just gunned it into the street praying I wouldn't hit anyone. I couldn't see because of the height of the snowbanks! I was lucky and made it to work after a bone jarring ride. The main roads were plowed but it was like the plow had stuttered as it tried to clear them so it was like riding over tons of railroad tracks.
Yes - I could have gotten a sunburn yesterday! It made it to 43 degrees and the sun was incredibly strong and bright! And then on the way home it started to snow again and I found the pile in my driveway that was insane!
Yes - I promise not to wish for anymore snow! :)~~~~~