testing my limits and doing all the things
Cycling:
Critical mass ride - this is a fairly spontaneous thing that happens in the bicycle community, where large groups of cyclists get together and go for a ride. They take their tim and take the whole lane. It’s a way of demonstrating that we are out there in larger numbers than people realize. I wrote about it here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2023/05/24/critical-mass-ride/.
I have been trying to do more cycling as June is bicycle month, plus as a member of the board on a local cycling organization it seems right. To launch the month, I went for a breakfast meet up downtown before work, then did an Ottawa bike Social ride that conveniently started in my neighbourhood. It was very pleasant weather and I met a few new people.
This weekend I went particularly nuts, with swim practice Saturday followed by a ride for World Bicycle Day (and some time answering questions at our volunteer tent), then to the dressmaker’s for a fitting and home before racing off to my friend Ashlee’s 40th birthday party (I did that part by car). Sunday was another swim practice, then to the grocery store for a case of cat food, to someone’s house for plants, then to my community garden. I needed a rest by the time I got home, but then I got stubborn and decided I had to ride to the other community garden where I have just gotten a plot, and get all those plants into the ground. I am tracking all this as part of a data project for the month of June and so far I am at over 84 km. It’s nothing for younger or serious cyclists, but I am not displeased.
Arts and crafts:
I made two scrolls. This was a week of bone-crushing anxiety (that included another crazy ride I. Which I rode my bicycle after work to pick up 10 lb of pickled turnips, followed by a ride to the mall to buy paints, but I missed the turn-off to the relatively safe pass so ended up on three of the busiest roads in the area). Anyway, the scrolls. They were for two very talented people, so it was terrifying to do art for them. The words for one were based on a 13th C Italian text and the other was 12th C Flemish, so I decided to use images and calligraphy that matched those times and places. The funny part was that Katrina wore the dress I had painted her in.
When that was done, I spent the day cooking a Viking-themed feast. I am also supposed to be doing a recipe for the Cook’s Calendar, but I am struggling with what to offer. I have tried two recipes so far and neither is exactly what I want to offer. I’ll try a couple more this week. There were leftover peas from the feast, so I have been making pea and barley flatbreads a couple of times since. They are nice because I don’t have to heat the oven.
Sadly, there hasn’t been much open water swimming or Fancy time. I did get out for one swim for May 24th weekend but that’s it. I haven’t been riding Fancy because she lost a of weight and I needed her to build back up before putting my weight on her. She is looking much better now, so maybe next week. She has a vet appointment today so I will talk to the vet about what she thinks about the weight loss.
The other data project I have on for this week is several hours of counting people for the annual Velo Canada cycling survey. I was supposed to have a shift yesterday but the air quality is really bad due to forest fires up north (very hazardous ranking, currently worse than big pollution cities like New York, Jakarta and New Delhi). Instead, it has been recommended that we switch to tomorrow or Thursday, in hopes that things will have cleared by then.
Since I had taken the day off for that and the vet appointment, I went to see the movie “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret”. I don’t remember whether I actually read the book as a kid, but I certainly knew about it and at least some of the famous lines. The movie version was as excellent as promised. The acting was excellent, the story was true to the original (Judy Blume was directly involved) and the sets and costumes were a luscious trip down memory lane. Nancy’s bedroom was exactly what I dreamed of owning at that time.
The vet appointment went well, and I was glad I had booked the day off as big animal vets often run into complications on their visits and delays are common (yesterday it was over an hour delay). There is a new horse in Fancy’s field. Belle is bossy, but Karma just loves her. Karma has been the low mare in the field who annoys the others with her enthusiasm, so she is happy to have a friend. Fancy has taken to hiding behind Ash, and Ash protects her from Belle. In this picture, Karma and Belle are on the left while Ash and Fancy are on the right. Note the skies and foggy-looking trees.
I rounded out my day with a lunch of Afghan food, buying a new fridge, and making a huge batch of soup plus some coleslaw to use up veggies.
Today’s air quality on the US AQI index is 471, or hazardous. For reference, New Delhi is at 120, Mexico City is at 76, Beijing is 47, and Jakarta is 147. The Environment Canada ranking out of 10 is currently at 28(!), or very high risk.
Critical mass ride - this is a fairly spontaneous thing that happens in the bicycle community, where large groups of cyclists get together and go for a ride. They take their tim and take the whole lane. It’s a way of demonstrating that we are out there in larger numbers than people realize. I wrote about it here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2023/05/24/critical-mass-ride/.
I have been trying to do more cycling as June is bicycle month, plus as a member of the board on a local cycling organization it seems right. To launch the month, I went for a breakfast meet up downtown before work, then did an Ottawa bike Social ride that conveniently started in my neighbourhood. It was very pleasant weather and I met a few new people.
This weekend I went particularly nuts, with swim practice Saturday followed by a ride for World Bicycle Day (and some time answering questions at our volunteer tent), then to the dressmaker’s for a fitting and home before racing off to my friend Ashlee’s 40th birthday party (I did that part by car). Sunday was another swim practice, then to the grocery store for a case of cat food, to someone’s house for plants, then to my community garden. I needed a rest by the time I got home, but then I got stubborn and decided I had to ride to the other community garden where I have just gotten a plot, and get all those plants into the ground. I am tracking all this as part of a data project for the month of June and so far I am at over 84 km. It’s nothing for younger or serious cyclists, but I am not displeased.
Arts and crafts:
I made two scrolls. This was a week of bone-crushing anxiety (that included another crazy ride I. Which I rode my bicycle after work to pick up 10 lb of pickled turnips, followed by a ride to the mall to buy paints, but I missed the turn-off to the relatively safe pass so ended up on three of the busiest roads in the area). Anyway, the scrolls. They were for two very talented people, so it was terrifying to do art for them. The words for one were based on a 13th C Italian text and the other was 12th C Flemish, so I decided to use images and calligraphy that matched those times and places. The funny part was that Katrina wore the dress I had painted her in.
When that was done, I spent the day cooking a Viking-themed feast. I am also supposed to be doing a recipe for the Cook’s Calendar, but I am struggling with what to offer. I have tried two recipes so far and neither is exactly what I want to offer. I’ll try a couple more this week. There were leftover peas from the feast, so I have been making pea and barley flatbreads a couple of times since. They are nice because I don’t have to heat the oven.
Sadly, there hasn’t been much open water swimming or Fancy time. I did get out for one swim for May 24th weekend but that’s it. I haven’t been riding Fancy because she lost a of weight and I needed her to build back up before putting my weight on her. She is looking much better now, so maybe next week. She has a vet appointment today so I will talk to the vet about what she thinks about the weight loss.
The other data project I have on for this week is several hours of counting people for the annual Velo Canada cycling survey. I was supposed to have a shift yesterday but the air quality is really bad due to forest fires up north (very hazardous ranking, currently worse than big pollution cities like New York, Jakarta and New Delhi). Instead, it has been recommended that we switch to tomorrow or Thursday, in hopes that things will have cleared by then.
Since I had taken the day off for that and the vet appointment, I went to see the movie “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret”. I don’t remember whether I actually read the book as a kid, but I certainly knew about it and at least some of the famous lines. The movie version was as excellent as promised. The acting was excellent, the story was true to the original (Judy Blume was directly involved) and the sets and costumes were a luscious trip down memory lane. Nancy’s bedroom was exactly what I dreamed of owning at that time.
The vet appointment went well, and I was glad I had booked the day off as big animal vets often run into complications on their visits and delays are common (yesterday it was over an hour delay). There is a new horse in Fancy’s field. Belle is bossy, but Karma just loves her. Karma has been the low mare in the field who annoys the others with her enthusiasm, so she is happy to have a friend. Fancy has taken to hiding behind Ash, and Ash protects her from Belle. In this picture, Karma and Belle are on the left while Ash and Fancy are on the right. Note the skies and foggy-looking trees.
I rounded out my day with a lunch of Afghan food, buying a new fridge, and making a huge batch of soup plus some coleslaw to use up veggies.
Today’s air quality on the US AQI index is 471, or hazardous. For reference, New Delhi is at 120, Mexico City is at 76, Beijing is 47, and Jakarta is 147. The Environment Canada ranking out of 10 is currently at 28(!), or very high risk.