Animus

Rainy Day Tuesday

2010-01-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

I have been in all day working on Java Programming with no one to talk to except the Cat! It doesn't pay to head off for a week of skiing and then have to catch up on a lot of course work... Yikes! I need a break!

Memories of the week at Whistler are quickly fading...

Back from Whistler

2010-01-11T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well it was a busy week. Visited my son's son Liam in Vancouver then joined a friend to ski Whistler for a week. The skiing was excellent until the last day when it started to warm up and rain. They have lots of snow there. It is funny... the skiing wasn't too bad even with the rain. I never thought I would hear myself say that. Nothing like the powder skiing at Whitewater but the number of runs and chair with a vast terrain to chose from make up for the snow quality. You can really burn your legs if you chose to do so.

The Men's and Women's downhill and GS are incredible. I skied both and was surprised at a huge turn dropping into slanted pitches on very steep slopes. The speeds will be incredible. For what it will take them to do in 2 minutes took me 10. There are lots of huge catch nets all along the course. At the bottom of both courses the run falls away abruptly at the finish. There isn't much room to stop either...

The Bobsled runs are very fast as well. I met a groomer on the hill and skied with him for a few runs. He said he and a buddy took a ride with a professional Bobsled driver down the course and broke the existing World record... so the run is very fast.

My friend and I did the ZipTrek zipline... What a hoot that was. Zipping along on a cable down through the trees and across the valley over Fitzsimmons creek. A real rush without heart murmurs. I think they call that SWEET!

Very few people at Whistler after the holidays. The word is there won't be many people coming to ski during the Olympics even though 90% of the hill is available for skiing. They believe it will be quiet as skiers will avoid the hill and head into the interior. Big White and Silver Star are both expecting higher numbers at their hill during the Oympics. Hard to believe with all the hype.

As much fun as it was it is always better to do it with someone you love and who loves you... friends aren't exactly the same. When you get home all you have are pictures... and no one to talk about the shared experience. Someday...

Well back to my courses... clean up the house and get skiing again... Glad to see Whitewater is high enough to escape most of the rain... Will be happy to see the big powder days return.

Next adventure....??? (Maybe a month in South America on a Motorcycle with that special someone... if she agrees).

Winter 2009

2009-12-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Winter 2009

Well I spent November down in Zihuatanejuo Mexico. It was good to get where it was hot and humid. Again solo but for how much longer?

We travelled up to a place called Patzcauro at 7500 feet where it was cool and comfortable.

I finished two more courses in my quest to complete the Selkirk College Web Design course. Just one more and I can add Web Design to my portfolio... "so what?"

I am heading out to ski Whister just after New Years. It will be great to hit the slopes and look at all the Olympic venues. Skiing with an old friend that suddenly appeared. It is good to have something to look forward to.

House is decorated for Christmas but I am not sure what I will be doing... as it appears everyone has gone or family events on. Likely a good thing to sit here and work on my last few courses.

Merry Christams and a Happy New Year to all...

Fall 2009

2009-10-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well it is that in between time. Summer is over and Fall is here. Not much going on so I am off to Mexico and a couple of week of hot weather.

Relationships are tough. Just going through a peroid of depression over a recent relationship that has fallen apart... I invested a great deal of my time and resources on her but to no avail. Can't understand it... but who can. Of course I can't understand why I am so in love with her either.

Back from Alaska

2009-07-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

The Alaska journey was interesting. Six thousand km of riding. Three bears, a moose and her calf, the odd squirrel was all the wildlife observed.

The first half of the trip was done in rain, hail and snow. The temperature dropped to 6 degrees for the trip into the Yukon. Needless to say, camping was wet and riding cold. Changed the route to travel up the Cassiar highway because of the spectacular scenery. Didn't see a thing. the clouds were down to the valley bottom with rain, the odd hail storm and at the summit snow.

The road from Kitwanga to Dease Lake was excellent, Black, flat and well lined. There were no grooves in the road to fill with rain water so I didn't have to watch carefully so as not to hydro plane. My brand new rain gear ripped in the crouch on the third day so a vital part of me was soaking wet not to mention what the wind did as it passed over my wet jeans. :-)

The road from Dease Lake to Watson Lake was rougher and I spent sometime in gravel so the going was a little tougher. I had put a new tire on the front before leaving but didn't change out the back tire. It had about 25,000 km on it that I know of and lots of advise from others told me you shouldn't expect anymore than 10,000 km out of them. So, there was always that fear that the rear tire would catch a rock and puncture but it didn't. Good old bike of mine.

At Whitehorse the weather began to break with a mostly cloudy sky and a few rain showers. There was hope. Dropped into a Clinc to have a test done and found I had a urinary infection. Joy, joy... was on meds for the next 10 days with little relief.

The trip from Whitehorse to Beaver Creek (just before the Alaskan/Yukon border was really rough with several sections of gravel... freshly laid and still not compacted and wet as well. So the slogging was slow. Stayed at a motel in Beaver Creek. It was good to be inside with a warm shower to myself. Not many travellers were on the road and staying at these hotels so the service was very good.

Headed down into Valdez Alaska along the Wangell mountains which were mostly covered in cloud but I could make out the odd ridge lines. My route was through vast expansive valleys with lush vegetation. I expected to see hords of wild animals but as mention before... virtually nothing. Other riders reported being charged by Black bear when they got off their bikes to take pictures. I did not experience that to my disappointment. I did see a large male Black Bear on a gravel road ahead of me. I slowly approach him tapping my horn and he reluctantly moved off the road and let me by. Another time I saw a moose well ahead of me just moving off the road to the right. There was a truck coming the other way who could not see the moose so I flashed my headlights several times. The driver saw the warning and slowed down. As he approached, the Moose turned around and headed back across the road and into the bush. Later as I reviewed my pictures I could see a calf waiting in the bushes for mother.

The approach into Valdez was spectacular. The mountains, waterfalls, glaciers and vegetation were gloreous. The roads were good since crossing into Alaska. It was July 4th when I arrived in Valdez and they were holding a huge fish fry/pot luck. So, it was good to have something to eat and visit with others. On the drive to Valdez I came upon a carivan of huge RV's. They were in an Alaskan tour group. 33 RV's on the road slowly moving along the highway. I passed 30 of them before the last three started to turn off the highway for a stopped. Each of them stopped on the highway, waited then turned. Nice to be rich... I just have to find a job someday.

Lots of bikers on the road and lots of opportunities to hear about road conditions and experiences in other places in Alaska.

In Valdez I took a tour boat. It lasted 9 or 10 hours. We visited glaciers dropping icebergs into the sea. We watched whales, sea otters (huge rafts of them) and sea lions. It was the highlight of the trip.

I now was retracing my trip back home except for taking the Alaska Marine Highway from Haines to Prince Rupert. When I arrived in Haines Junction I noticed I had no license plate. Somewhere along the Alaska highway the road took my plate. So, I spent sometime at the junction trying to get a temporary plate but with no luck. Seems to be an impossible task for our governments. I then headed down to Haines Alaska. While I was at Haines I treated myself to an "All You Can Eat" crab feast. It was good but not excellent. Cruise ships drop in here almost everyday but by the look of the community not much is spent here patrons. I caught the Alaskan Marine Highways ferry to Prince Ruppert. This is an excellent experience. I took a stateroom for comfort... thought I deserved it. Again, along the way, I saw lots of sea life. We stopped in a few ports along the way. It took three days and two nights. The morning of the second day I was up early 4 AM.... it never gets dark up there. We were pulling in to Petersberg... which I am told is the richest community in Alaska. There are more millionaires there than anywhere else in Alaska. It was all fishing. I laughed at the number of vehicles in the community. Trucks, cars, SUV etc. and no roads. You can only get here by ferry or fly. So, I am thinking if you wanted to pick up a low mileage vehicle this is the place to come.

We (the ferry and I) dropped into Juneau, Wrangell and Ketchachan and arrived in Prince Rupert at 5 AM.

And, that's about it. Plenty of pictures but this blog editor is brutal...

Now I must find work....

Motorcycling to Alaska

2009-06-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it is time. I am heading out on a trip to Alaska on my Honda Shadow 750 ACE. Spent the day planning the trip. What to take, what route to follow, and what needs to be done to the bike before I leave.

I plan to head up through the interior of BC, along the Southern edge of the Yukon and then into Whitehorse. From there down to Skagway, on the Alaska Ferry System to Prince Rupert then home.

Spring Green

2009-05-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Spring is in full force now. The new leaves are out on the trees... the perfume of new life is in the air. With this new start on the year, I turn my thoughts to where am I going. What purpose do I serve?

I remain convinced that one needs the ying and yang in life. We need contrast to our lives. To enjoy free time we need to be driven by work or obligation for survival to another. In my career I always had that feeling that if I wasn't the best I would lose my income and would not survive. Although, this was a very uncomfortable feeling and was the seed of my dislike in my job and the wish to be free. The positive element was that it made the weekends, holiday weekends, and vacations much more enjoyable.

Similarly, when married the need to please was dominant in my life and drove me to do things. Maintaining the house and yard, participating in cooking, painting, cycling, hiking and all that was consuming. So in live, work and partnership provided an overwhelming focus on living that the question of "What purpose do I serve?" never becomes a question. There is always a heading in your journey. Either you are on track or getting back on track.

Now that I have neither and lots of time on my hands that question has become the only question. There is no one to be held accountable to other than myself and I am far to forgiving or dis-interested to be a motivator. I marvel at those who live alone and are drive to do projects alone. I see it as fear of what others think that drives them to take care of everything. I have not that fear.

I feel myself slipping downward. What I used to do out of habit has now slowly fallen away.

Well... isn't that a deep subject for an early morning rant...

Spring

2009-04-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well the end of ski season is quickly approaching. Time to break out the Touring Equipment and head for the backcountry.

Spring is close at hand. The yard and house need the attention now that the skis are being put away.

Cycling, hiking, sailing, swimming and a few trips on the motorcycle this summer.

Moving Forward - Maybe

2009-01-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well,
I have now registered in the last two courses to acquire a Diploma in Web Design. I am hoping this will open some doors for me, give me some direction and hopefully earn an income.

I will complete a couple of Web sites and publish them. Hopefully they will attract some customers.

Background - History

2009-01-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Jack-Of-All:
Aeronautics - Worked at Bristol Aerospace in the Design and Program departments.

Designed modifications to rockets, launcher and shipping containers,
project managed launch programs, and
Flew rockets (Mission Controller).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Brant_(rocket)

Management: my management skills developed from direct supervision to senior manager at a Director Level. I managed upward of 350 employees in telecommunicaitons in various desciplines. Some of the skills involved:

Project Management of major projects,
Integration of business processes, systems and organizational structures,
Management of Outside plant, Engineering and Specialized communication service operations,
Process improvements,
Team Building,
Management of Customer Services - Large Business Accounts,
Computer System development (Design, testing and implementation), and
Management and development of contracts for computer systems and major projects in telecommunications.

Other Skill sets:

Pilot aircraft,
Skipper 43 foot sailboats both in cruising and racing along with bare boat charter in foreign countries,
Navigator land, sea and air with or without GPS,
Can program in six different copmuter programming languages,
Handy around the house. Can renovate (infloor heating, drywall, wiring, plumbing, framing, finishing),
Computer literate in all of the MicroSoft Office applicaitons, and most of the Adobe Web Site Design applications, and
photography

Physical Activities include:

Skiing (water, touring, alpine and X-country);
Rock Climbing;
Tennis, squash, racket ball, badminton and table tennis;
Hike, run (10 K), and swim;
Golf, fishing

Community involvement:

Chair of Church Council
Director and Treasurer of Hospital Foundation
President of a international service club

And, many more things...
Master of None:
Other than my employment I didn't focus on specializing in one topic. Good in a lot but not an expert.
I am feeling rudderless... aimless... without direction or motivation and could use some extra cash. I would like to get back to work to grain purpose and an income but in what... to do what.... who out there needs me?

My First Blog Posting

2009-01-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

This opens yet another chapter in this old book of mine. I am now into Blogging. The purpose of this blog is to explore how life unfolds for many of us. In my case, I seem to be a Jack-Of-All, Master of None. Which in some circumstances is great but it lacks passion and drive. I admire many of my friends who have developed a keen knowledge and skill set surrounding some particular topic yet I find they a missing out on many other things.

I find myself very interested in a lot of subjects and activities. Yet, I can not bring myself to devote a lot of my time and energy pursuing any one of them. I would like to. It seems if I do it is at the expense of missing out on other things. I will certainly explore them but will stop short of becoming well versed or accomplished in them. A sense of lost opportunities is the underlying dread.

This leads onto the next posting. If not driven... where does one get the focus to move forward in life?

So, there, my first posting... what do you think? Feel the same? Have a different philosophy? Let's hear out it.