Running for Nothing - Starting February 2009!

Running is awesome. And it is awesome to have a reason to run. In fact, running for itself can be reason enough.

But we all need a little motivation now and then.

And while all those competitive events and races that happen throughout the year are great causes that can give you that extra push to put those shoes on and get out the door, especially when the weather sucks, they can cost a lot of money over time.

So I'd like to invite you to join "Running for Nothing"... an informal group of runners, new and experienced, who meet at a set time in a set location to "race" a set distance (<5k>10k).

There are no fees, no prizes, no shirts, no sponsors, and no timing chips. There ARE bragging rights, your stopwatch, and the motivation that a community of runners can offer you.

And ensure you ARE ready to take on that big event you have been training for.

Every few weeks, I will post a new route, and where & when to meet. After the run we'll meet at a coffee shop at the end of it all to warm up or cool down and share our stories.

Want to be Running for Nothing? Keep an eye on this blog and your emails.

AR for ALS!!

Greetings everyone.

Please share this message.

I am participating in a fundraising event, the ALS Adventure Challenge, that seeks to raise funds to help find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive and ultimately fatal neuromuscular disease that affects 3000 Canadians ( http://www.als.ca/).

This adventure race is to be held Sunday, July 16th, and involves a series of physical challenges such as kayaking, mountain biking, and trail running through Belcarra regional park.

In order to participate, I will need to raise $700 for ALS research before Thursday July 13th. 100% of the funds collected will go to support ALS research and local patient services through the Nilsson Foundation (a federally registered charity, # 85650 1176 RR0001).

I am hoping that I can gain support from my friends, my family, my friend's friends, my friends family, my family's friends, and everyone, everywhere else EVER!!. Plus, if you have heard the stories of my last adventure race, you know this could be good comedy (i.e. collapsing at the finish line... on oxygen for 30 minutes)!

You can help me by making a donation. Take the time to visit my pledge page at https://www.sporg.com/registration?form_id=48028&view_type=DEFAULT. And for more information about the race, please visit www.ALSadventure.com.

Donations over $20 are eligible to receive a tax receipt. And the more you give, the more it helps!

I would sincerely appreciate your help.

Thanks, and best wishes.

Ode to my parents

Great forces often align themselves in random and unexpected ways. Hydrogen and oxygen, Sonny and Cher, peanut butter and chocolate.

This weekend, through the quirks of timing and circumstance, it happens to be both MOther's Day and my dad's 60th birthday.

My mom and dad have been the greatest support and influence to me in my life. With their help and love, I have made it to this point, 31 years on, through some pretty tough moments, and lots of great ones. My parents are my friends. So this is just a small tribute to them.



Everyone wants to make their parents proud. I believe nothing will make them more proud of me than this.

Thanks, mom and dad. I love you.

The perils of Slivovice

Of course you have heard of Absinthe, and you may have herd of Becherovka. Both have their well-deserved reputations: Becherovka is made from the spa waters of Karlovy Vary, famed for its marvelous health effects, particularly for Russian grandparents; whereas Absinthe just causes artists to go crazy and cut off their ears (see Van Gogh).

But do you know Slivovice?

Slivovice... plum brandy. Somewhere along the way, though, the 50% alcohol level ran over any remnant of plum flavour and left it writhing on the road side somewhere in Moravia. This is no sipping drink, but something to get wrecked on quicker than Charlotte Church on Holy Wine. Equally suited for de-greasing car parts.

How do I know this? My good friend from Prague, Hanka, and her boyriend Jiri in particular loved to share it with me. And not the wussy store bought stuff either, but the stuff straight from a friends bathtub in Moravia. More than once I had to really work at standing up.

But the man who REALLY knows what it can do is this Andeler, who shall remain nameless. Actually, I suspect he doesn't really know. This picture was taken over a stall door at a Christmas party at a college dorm in Prague, about 30 minutes after Mr. Life-of-the-Party knocked back about half of a 500ml bottle and did a rendition of Black-Eyed Peas "My Humps", with all the moves. It was the snoring that alerted me....



Yes, I have some at my place. Come by for a drink anytime, or make it yourself...

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1673716

Just remember... humans and Slivo don't mix.