Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Training in the basement
We invited our friend Alan over to do some indoor training (since we had an extra trainer), and he took some photos of us and our setup - so now you can see our lovely unfinished basement.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
More films
During the Christmas holidays, my husband and I had a "movie day" when we went to see 2 movies in one day (different theatres) with dinner in between.
We first saw Casino Royale (2006), the latest James Bond film with Daniel Craig new to the Bond role - I thought he did a great job as Bond, and really enjoyed that the film was more reliant on acting and actual drama rather than flashy car-chases/crashes and gimmicky gadgets. (My mother-in-law told us ahead of time that she didn't like the film, now I know it was probably because it was too real and not enough gimmicky/flashy action scenes).
Then, after dinner to the Garneau Theatre for Volver (2006), a Spanish film by director Pedro Almodóvar. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as the reviews I had read were somewhat vague and it almost seemed like just a character study from the reviews - but in seeing the film, I realized that if they had given more details about the plot it would have given away all the surprises (plus, when we thought about it afterwards we realized that the plot was certainly not typical Hollywood fare, so to write about the plot details could come across as really silly and unbelievable - and yet the film was not at all like that). I really enjoyed it, and my husband did too - I had convinced him to go with the mention of Penelope Cruz (and somehow he claims I didn't tell him it was in Spanish with English subtitles, though I'm sure I had).
(Interesting that this year I actually saw 3 films that were nominated by their countries for best foreign-language film Oscar - Volver, Water, and Ten Canoes; Volver and Water have made the shortlist so far and I think the actual nominations are announced in a couple of weeks).
And then there was my Jane Austen guilty pleasure romantic film that I recorded from TV and finally watched a couple of weeks ago, Mansfield Park (1999). I'm not sure whether I enjoyed this or last year's version of Pride and Prejudice the best of the Jane Austen film versions I've seen - needless to say, my husband didn't watch with me (not his kind of film). I didn't realize until just now that the actor playing Sir Thomas Bertram was Harold Pinter, the 2005 Nobel Laureate for Literature who attacked US foreign policy during his acceptance speech.
We first saw Casino Royale (2006), the latest James Bond film with Daniel Craig new to the Bond role - I thought he did a great job as Bond, and really enjoyed that the film was more reliant on acting and actual drama rather than flashy car-chases/crashes and gimmicky gadgets. (My mother-in-law told us ahead of time that she didn't like the film, now I know it was probably because it was too real and not enough gimmicky/flashy action scenes).
Then, after dinner to the Garneau Theatre for Volver (2006), a Spanish film by director Pedro Almodóvar. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as the reviews I had read were somewhat vague and it almost seemed like just a character study from the reviews - but in seeing the film, I realized that if they had given more details about the plot it would have given away all the surprises (plus, when we thought about it afterwards we realized that the plot was certainly not typical Hollywood fare, so to write about the plot details could come across as really silly and unbelievable - and yet the film was not at all like that). I really enjoyed it, and my husband did too - I had convinced him to go with the mention of Penelope Cruz (and somehow he claims I didn't tell him it was in Spanish with English subtitles, though I'm sure I had).
(Interesting that this year I actually saw 3 films that were nominated by their countries for best foreign-language film Oscar - Volver, Water, and Ten Canoes; Volver and Water have made the shortlist so far and I think the actual nominations are announced in a couple of weeks).
And then there was my Jane Austen guilty pleasure romantic film that I recorded from TV and finally watched a couple of weeks ago, Mansfield Park (1999). I'm not sure whether I enjoyed this or last year's version of Pride and Prejudice the best of the Jane Austen film versions I've seen - needless to say, my husband didn't watch with me (not his kind of film). I didn't realize until just now that the actor playing Sir Thomas Bertram was Harold Pinter, the 2005 Nobel Laureate for Literature who attacked US foreign policy during his acceptance speech.
Cyclocross
Via an online friend in Belgium and the Daily Peloton Forums, I've become interested in cyclocross, a discipline of cycling not as well-known (at least in Canada) as road cycling or mountain biking. From Wikipedia:
Seeing as I'm really tired of hearing cycling fans argue over and over again whether or not Landis or guilty (and now whether or not Pereiro is truly asthmatic), and there's not any road racing going on except in Australia, I've been watching video highlights and reading blogs about cyclocross instead - the World Championships are next weekend. Since it is not an Olympic sport, there is no government or cycling association funding for Canadian competitors who have qualified to attend the Worlds - a group started a fund-raising drive here to help them out. And there was a good article in the Edmonton Examiner (community paper) about local U23 'crosser Shaun Adamson and his trip to Belgium for some races including the World Championships. I've also been reading the blogs of Canadian elite mens' champ Greg Reain and Canadian U23 champ Kyle Douglas.
As for my own cycling - well, all indoors on the trainer for now, as we got more snow last week so all the previously cleared roads now have a nice snowpack base again, with lots of icy sections. But at least I think I'm regaining some of my fitness such that I'm not so discouraged about how I'm going to do in France in July anymore, just have to get back at the running and swimming again as well if I plan to do any triathlons this summer. Remind me never again to get so lazy through the fall and early winter as I did this year ... (though I suppose the transition to a new job, recovering from injury, and being sick in November are all explanations as well for my laziness through the fall, but still not an excuse).
Races take place typically in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is September-January), and consists of many laps of a short (2–3 km or 1–2 mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount in one graceful motion...The sight of competitors struggling up a muddy slope with bicycles on their shoulders is the classic image of the sport, although unrideable sections are generally a very small fraction of the race distance.
Seeing as I'm really tired of hearing cycling fans argue over and over again whether or not Landis or guilty (and now whether or not Pereiro is truly asthmatic), and there's not any road racing going on except in Australia, I've been watching video highlights and reading blogs about cyclocross instead - the World Championships are next weekend. Since it is not an Olympic sport, there is no government or cycling association funding for Canadian competitors who have qualified to attend the Worlds - a group started a fund-raising drive here to help them out. And there was a good article in the Edmonton Examiner (community paper) about local U23 'crosser Shaun Adamson and his trip to Belgium for some races including the World Championships. I've also been reading the blogs of Canadian elite mens' champ Greg Reain and Canadian U23 champ Kyle Douglas.
As for my own cycling - well, all indoors on the trainer for now, as we got more snow last week so all the previously cleared roads now have a nice snowpack base again, with lots of icy sections. But at least I think I'm regaining some of my fitness such that I'm not so discouraged about how I'm going to do in France in July anymore, just have to get back at the running and swimming again as well if I plan to do any triathlons this summer. Remind me never again to get so lazy through the fall and early winter as I did this year ... (though I suppose the transition to a new job, recovering from injury, and being sick in November are all explanations as well for my laziness through the fall, but still not an excuse).
2 on the podium in Val D'Isere
First time since 1994 there were 2 Canadian men on the podium at an alpine skiing World Cup race - today at Val d'Isere Eric Guay was 2nd and Manuel Osborne-Paradis was 3rd in the Downhill. Way to go! (Canadian Alpine skiing team generally having a good season, right from the first races at Lake Louise in December - Eric Guay hadn't been having such a good season until now, so hopefully he's back on track).
But, of course right after we subscribe to Country Canada so we could record and watch the Kitzbuehel downhill next weekend right when we wake up (rather than waiting for CBC to show it in the afternoon), it's been cancelled due to poor weather :( .
But, of course right after we subscribe to Country Canada so we could record and watch the Kitzbuehel downhill next weekend right when we wake up (rather than waiting for CBC to show it in the afternoon), it's been cancelled due to poor weather :( .
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Counting Down ...
48 days to go to the start of the Tour of California
180 days to go to the start of the Tour de France
...and we'll be going to both! (2007 = travel year)
180 days to go to the start of the Tour de France
...and we'll be going to both! (2007 = travel year)
Violence in New Orleans
This story moved from page B8 of yesterday's paper to the front page of the Edmonton Journal today (as well as stories on CBC, New York Times, Halifax Chronicle-Herald, and various other American media):
I went to junior high school with Paul Gailiunas (for 6 months, after moving to Edmonton, and before going to different high schools), so it seems just entirely bizarre and incredibly sad that someone I knew, even for such a short time, has had such a tragedy occur in their life. I wouldn't know what to say to someone in such a situation - "I'm so sorry this happened, take care" doesn't really seem like it would mean much. (and to make it even closer to home, apparently my parents' long-time neighbour had actually recently been staying with Paul's mother in Vancouver).
(Of interest's sake, in our Grade 9 class there were 4 of us who went on to become physicians that I know about - 3 of us who actually went to the same high school, the same university for undergrad science, the same medical school and the same family medicine residency program. I think I was too shell-shocked from moving and trying to catch up on all the schoolwork, thanks to the different provincial curriculums, as I don't remember a lot about those 6 months in junior high school in Edmonton - hopefully I didn't come across as stuck-up when in fact I was simply shy and terrified, oh well...)
The shooting of an Edmonton-raised doctor in New Orleans and the murder of his filmmaker wife has sickened even those residents numbed to the violence of the city.
I went to junior high school with Paul Gailiunas (for 6 months, after moving to Edmonton, and before going to different high schools), so it seems just entirely bizarre and incredibly sad that someone I knew, even for such a short time, has had such a tragedy occur in their life. I wouldn't know what to say to someone in such a situation - "I'm so sorry this happened, take care" doesn't really seem like it would mean much. (and to make it even closer to home, apparently my parents' long-time neighbour had actually recently been staying with Paul's mother in Vancouver).
(Of interest's sake, in our Grade 9 class there were 4 of us who went on to become physicians that I know about - 3 of us who actually went to the same high school, the same university for undergrad science, the same medical school and the same family medicine residency program. I think I was too shell-shocked from moving and trying to catch up on all the schoolwork, thanks to the different provincial curriculums, as I don't remember a lot about those 6 months in junior high school in Edmonton - hopefully I didn't come across as stuck-up when in fact I was simply shy and terrified, oh well...)
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Though-provoking quote ...
A quote from the November 20, 2006, issue of Macleans, by Giller winning author Vincent Lam (who is also an emergency physician), when asked "Has your medical training helped you as a writer, beyond providing subject matter?":
Medicine has taught me that it really doesn't matter how well you've performed. Someone will always be dissatisfied or unhappy, either for a reason you couldn't do much about, or for a reason that's simply untrue. And you just have to move on to the next patient. Or the next book.(I just need to always remember that ...)
