After years of pretending to want to try it, I finally did.
George took me out for a couple of hours on the bunny hill at gorgeous Schweitzer ski resort, Sandpoint, Idaho. (It was named after an old Swiss hermit.)
I had always suspected I would be lousy at boarding. And quickly injured.
But my first day went well. It was fun and I made steady progress.
I am looking for another half day … SOON.
Click PLAY or watch the short video on YouTube.
My preference for getting in shape is to schedule a long hike.
But the military boot camp fitness model is gaining momentum:
Despite the images on the covers of fitness magazines, real workouts are not pretty. Now, some men who understand that are signing up for men-only boot camps, the new manly man’s way to lose some fat and build some muscle, and perhaps ego. The New York Times reports on the trend, telling us that the camps, usually run by former military people or personal trainers, involve high-intensity moves like sprinting, jumping jacks and calisthenics that rely on one’s own body weight to perform push-ups and pull-ups.
Roughly three dozen all-male camps have cropped up in the last 18 months and at least five are in the works. Oh, and one more thing, the Times reminds us, for all of those womanly women, there are women-only boot camps.
A Boot Camp for Men With a Shy Side – New York Times
(via Two-Heel Drive)
Returning from sunny Australia to mucky Canadian winter has been a drag. Everyone here has a cold or the sniffles.
For the first time in my life I’ve started to think about living in a warm climate, and commuting to the cold for a brisk, refreshing change.
But what warm, bright climate suits me best?
I like dry rather than humid.
…
The leading contender in the retirement property sweepstakes is still Bolivia or southern Peru. Lake Titicaca is like the Mediterranean without chain-smoking Italians. Or many people at all, for that matter. This is the most crowded town on the coast.
Copacabana, Boliva
More than anything else, Warren was the inspiration for my becoming a bicycle commuter.
He rides to and from work in frozen Saskatoon. And has done so for maybe 10 years. That’s “75 minutes on a bad day in winter as compared to 25 minutes on a good day in summer.”
If Warren can do it, obviously anyone can.
He’s posted 547 photos from his work commutes over the years.
Right.
Trick question.
Smokers are both weak and stupid.
If I had to choose just one cause to crusade, it would not be global warming or AIDS. It would be anti-smoking. There is no upside to smoking.
It’s expensive, dirty and — most importantly — offensive to ME.
Tasmania is great. But young people on that island below an island still think smoking is cool. Backward, or what?
A high rate of smoking, to me, is a sign of an uncultured society.
Congratulations.
His diet / exercise regime is working well. He hopes to lose even more to get to a goal weight.
I happened to see an excellent TV documentary on the history of research on the Atkins diet. Current thinking is that the high protein content “sates” the appetite. That Atkins dieters who are “allowed” to eat all the fat and protein they wish … actually choose to eat fewer calories.
Interesting.
This is the truth about the world’s most famous, most glamorous and most controversial diet. The Atkins diet says that eating fat can make you thin. It says you don’t need to bother watching the calories.
… But many scientists think it is scientific nonsense. Some even believe it is dangerous. Horizon cuts through the confusion and provide the answers.
When Dr Atkins first launched his diet, he was accused of breaking one of the most fundamental laws of nature. Scientists said that if you eat more, you’ll get fatter. They also said it could kill. Fat
increases your cholesterol levels. You’d get a heart attack.The only problem was that people who followed the Atkins diet got thinner. Much of the rest of us got fatter. Then came studies showing that cholesterol levels can actually improve on the Atkins diet.
So what was going on? Horizon’s investigation seems to show that the diet may really work – but for a reason and in a way that no scientists or even Atkins himself had seriously considered.
The Atkins Diet – BBC
To coincide with the 2007 Macworld Expo keynote by Steve Jobs, Greenpeace has created this fake presentation in which Apple premieres a “green” iPod with new recycling and take back policies.
Video: Fake Apple Steve Jobs Keynote by Greenpeace (TreeHugger)
Click PLAY or watch the spoof video on YouTube.
Banff & Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada – The Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine Tri-area Lift Ticket includes unlimited use of all lifts at Ski Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise; one free Friday Night Skiing at Ski Norquay (January through April 2007); direct to lift access at some areas; and free shuttles from area hotels. Prices start at $198 for three out of four days (Canadian dollars, plus tax).
Get Outdoors – New Top 10 Lift Ticket Deals – Getoutdoors.com Outdoor Blog
Update: Warren posted a flickr set with MORE photos like these: New Years Eve 2006.
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Warren takes great photos.
Saskatoon had record snow this Fall. Aaron Reynolds decided to flood the lake in front of their Emma Lake cabin to make a smooth hockey rink. Warren captured this image:
See 69 of Warren’s photos from the fun fest that was the New Year’s weekend 2006 at Emma Lake, Saskatchewan.
Or check out Warren’s photos from LAST New Year’s weekend (2005).
I had a great time, as always. It was good to catch-up with many of my Saskatchewan friends.
Happy 2007!
Get more exercise.
Rick McCharles 