Sports for Nerds

OK, so get this: today, I was in Calgary airport, in a bar, watching the sports channel. And what was on????? The US NATIONAL SPELLING BEE!!!! I kid you not - spelling on TSN. I loved it. The coverage was hysterical. Instead of showing Sidney Crosby and what he does off ice, they showed a Grade Fiver from Nova Scotia at home with all her trophies, and she put a giant dictionary under her pillow when she slept. I laughed my butt off!
But I will say this: I like to think I'm fairly clever, but it is miraculous that I was able to slither from the primordial ooze, in comparison to these kids. Sometimes the organisers gave the definition of the word, and I could not even understand the definition! I recognised 2 words out of about 50.
Reined in. Dumber than a post. HATE when people are way smarter than I :(

Mom Story

When my mom was working in Fort Simpson, NWT in the 60s, the kids had helmets for hockey, but she knew they were too cool to wear them. So, one day a kid came into her clinic, needing stitches. She asked if he'd worn his helmet, and of course he said no. So she figured if he was tough enough not to wear a helmet, he was tough enough not to get anaesthetic for his stitches. From then on, the kids were smart enough to lie.

Cuz I'm Crazy

My training plan does not allow me to have a Lie On The Couch Day after my long run :( Rather, on Recovery Day some light stretching or a walk is suggested.

So Carol and I found a goat track up Mt. Paul, here in Kamloops. We were pretty slow, although I will admit it really moved the lactic acid out of my legs. Huh.

Thompson River

it wouldn't be a hike if I didn't take pics of flowers

North Thompson river and view toward Kamloops Lake

Crazy Carol

Me, Showing Obvious Signs of Insanity

Rocky Mountain Sheep sees our common sense abandoned at the bottom of the slope

A Major Milestone

WOWOWOWOW, I finally did it. I finally did a run that burned over 2000 calories!!!

Sue, Carol and I went directly to one of the local Mexican restaurants, and I showed our waitress my run computer. She was awesome! She ran into the kitchen and shouted, "The marathoners need a 7 Layer Dip NOW!"

ed note: Just for reference, a normal-sized woman, of normal activity level, probably consumes about 1600-2000 calories in a whole day.

Public Safety

Here's a funny story for you:
I went to the hospital for a chest x-ray today, and while I was waiting, a kid (I'd guess 15?) and his mom came in. I noticed he had a graze on his elbow and it was really swollen.
him to his Mom: I bet the x-ray will show 2 hairline cracks
me: were you skateboarding?
his mom: ha! See???
him: no, I was riding my bmx. At the skateboard park.
me: were you wearing a helmet?
his mom: HA! see? (and to me): thank you!
him: well, no
me: come over here so I can kick your ass
He got up, came over to me, and presented his ass. I KICKED IT!
his mom: HA! See? Thank you!

I then proceeded to tell him a bunch of stories about ski patrolling and nasty head injuries and wearing helmets. He was really polite and attentive, but I don`t know if I swayed him.

Trip Home

Last Friday, I went to the Opera Rocks concert in Whitehorse with my mom. I'm not into opera, but they said they'd include modern rock operas, operettas, ballads, etc. so figured it would be fun. In the choir were 2 of my school friends' moms, my High School English teacher's wife, and a gal that I was in high school band with....
The concert was really fun! The first half was just opera, but the second half they did Phantom of the Opera, Pinball Wizard from Tommy, AND Bohemian Rhapsody. They were accompanied by a high school kid on electric guitar, and a bunch of gals on strings. For the Queen song, they got another high school kid, obviously TOO COOL for words this kid, wearing drainpipe jeans with a big music note belt buckle, tight shirt, little choker necklace and swoopy hair. He sang Freddy Mercury's part, and absolutely rocked it! But when they got to the heavy choir part toward the end of the song (remember it from Wayne's World?), the choir started banging their heads, just like Wayne's pals in the Gremlin!!! I was laughing my head off, partly because it was funny in itself, but mainly because it was hilarious to see my friend's moms, at their choir recital that they were taking so seriously, banging their silvery heads!! I had to explain TWICE to my mom why it was funny at all. :)




And here's a related picture of my friend Karen. We were best friends from when she moved in next door, when she was 2 and I was 1. You may recognise her from the back seat of Wayne's Gremlin!
I think this pic may have been taken on her honeymoon.

American Beauty

Here's a few pics from the trip I did to Alaska this week.

Windy Arm, Tagish Lake, BC
Only in the north do people sunbathe with sleeping bags!

Mom's coffee companion

Super handy in Haines. (Liquor store and acupuncture, all in 1 stop!)

Beach in Haines, AK

And you can view the rest of the photo highlights here:

http://picasaweb.google.ca/lh/sredir?uname=teleduc101&target=ALBUM&id=5330984309691950161&authkey=Gv1sRgCOeDse_Zj7HSWQ&authkey=Gv1sRgCOeDse_Zj7HSWQ&feat=email

Suddenly Sarah!

This week I am staying with my parents in Whitehorse, Yukon. Mom and I decided to do a road trip to Alaska, first to Haines and then ferry to Skagway. And would you look at who we met on the ferry!

Why yes, that IS Russia in the background!

Turns out, Sarah lived in Skagway for her first 5 years, and back then, they often accessed Whitehorse for medical care. Mom was practising in Whitehorse then, so she said to Governor Palin, "Wow, maybe I delivered you! HA!"

Ms. Palin was really nice, very friendly, but definitely as dumb as she appeared on TV. I certainly didn't throw any Couric Curveballs at her, and yet, she still had a ridiculous response to chatter about the weather. Thank you, America, for not allowing her to be second in charge of the Free World!

[A couple weeks ago, George Strombolopolis interviewed her on The Hour, and he went on and on about how distracted he was by her shiny, black patent, stiletto-heeled boots. I was beyond disappointed that she was wearing really dull shoes with sensible heel for walking ferry gangplanks and Skagway boardwalks...]