99to1

These are from the photos I shot after Christmas dinner 109 5th ave. Verdun.

Todays sit felt really long.
Really...
Long...
Really really long...

Legs went numb again, mind was wandering especially towards the end. I became convinced that Loren must have set the timer wrong...and I was trying to determine how and when I would break our silence to get my day under way.

After I had determinded that I would wait until Loren made a move to check the alarm, I got into a great quite place and mind quieted down substantially. Within a few minutes, of course the timer sounded. Loren did agree that she increased the time... by 4 minutes.

I was again in the very capable hands of Christine last night. An excellent treatment transpired upstairs at the Sattva shala. It was set to the backgound soundscape of Kate leading a class. Kate this time instead of Darby, as it was a Tuesday night instead of Monday.

This is the first professional therapy I've had since my back went out. Both Christine and Karen have been out of town...Hilary could not fit me in before her vacation...and as it goes, I have an appointment with Karen this Friday. I have been out of sorts physically (neck, rib, sacrum) since June 8th. That's a long time...

Christine and I had a nice post-therapy visit over some Thai food. We watched from the restaurant as the winds blew and the rain came down. After the deluge and after we had left the restaurant Christine said that she'd ride her bike home...it was still raining a bit.

An email just in from her now indicates that she had a nice ride home and that the wind had blown a tree down on Jeanne-Mance.

If you count the one train which I got stopped by at 2 different crossings, twice, I was held up by four trains this morning...very odd. Still was on time for Karen...though the delays did rob us of our coffee. It was a very good visit.

Here is the fabulous Lynda...her father passed away last month, she's having a hard time.

Sun sals (3x3), standing postures, and finishing. Again full on sweat... we devoted our practice to all the teachers mentors coaches and guides we were gratefull to have (had) in our life...and to all others like them...

Then had some nice food afterwards...
Here's what we didn't eat...

Here's me with a post yoga/snack glow

Birthday Flowers
These flowers are now about 3 months old they've dried quite nicely... they're still in the posture room at 295, we face them when we practice...

Loren's dad called last night. It would have been late for him as he and Doreen are in Bathurst, he spoke with Loren and was asking her what she could hear in the background... turns out he was holding the phone out to the Baie de Chaleure... there was 6 foot waves crashing down on the beach.

From Last Saturday...

Silly fall

Missed Turn

Steeper Than it Looks

For over ten years I have ridden some of the rougemont trails...

Have been very thankful that land owners are tolerant of mountainbikers
Have ridden with care and respect for the trails
Have respectfully stayed away from the trails when land owners were reporting trouble concering unwelcome apple harvests by moutain bikers
Have been careful to not ride when conditions are too wet (not to do damage)
Have regularly carried out other peoples trash
Have stayed off the trails marked private/no tresspassing
Have sought out land owners to ask their permission to ride where it passage rights are unclear
Have been very cautious, sensitive and respectful to equestrians
Have coached dozens of other riders to be similliarly sensitive to trail use there
Have made good relations with all the locals seemingly related to the mountain and it's trails/land
Have behaved conservatively in the parking lot to not alienate other cultures Hikers dog-walkers, birdwatchers etc
Have behaved in a way which promotes the notion that not all mountainbikers are wild dumb-asses...

Yesterday I missed clearing a small technical climb, lost my line and steered slightly off the trail. As I was turning myself around a couple of women rounded the corner and upon observing me, for probably less then ten seconds, with my bike off the trail, proceed to address me like a dumb-ass who [likely] did damage to trails on an ongoing basis.

They appeared confident this group of riders needed education on trail ettiquette...[franchement!!] ...I assured the older woman, that they were mistaken, that this group of riders was very sensitive to the trails and to proper behavior. The turn-to-shit look she offered me was classic...like yeah...dumb-ass excuses...you can't fool me.

Proves my fathers advice of long ago...one awe-shit is worth ten that-a-boys (atta-boy). Later Drew says to me [of the chiding I had received]..."off all the people to preach to..."

Funny thing is that not even 30 seconds earlier we made a very polite and engaging exchange with some people doing trail maintenance. It was a feel-good social exchange...I engaged them respectfully (I was leading the pack), asked permission, to pass where they were working and set the tone for the other four people in our group to share a positive echange with the trail workers and thank them for their work...

I suspect that the 2 women were on their way to rendez-vous with these workers...
And that the women would share thier negative story about the dumb-asses they had just encountered...and that the trail workers would share their positive story, and that they would conclude that there's wild variety of mountain bike types using the trials there, and they'd have no idea they had encountered the same group of people.

A dinner party that is...
Drew and Coleen were over for dinner last night... we had a really nice time....
I don't think that many people get to see them together. Not at least people who know them. It's a treat...they go very well together. Coleen is such a sweetheart with a charming nervous giggle.

They brought 2 bottles of wine. A very nice French Cahors...I don't recall if I've ever tried Cahors... Drew says at the instant they mentioned that Lamb would be served, the saq clerk had this bottle in thier hands...no other input was needed. The clerk was convinced this was the wine. The clerk was correct. I like that they brought 2 of the same bottle...it made for a *session*.

Cheeses and beer on outdoors...a visit to 295...a nice dinner...lamb chops, new potatoes, asparagus, greek salad. And a bluberries and mango fruit salad with a light topping of vanilla yoghurt. Served with mini cafe-lattes (for Coleen and I) and black tea for Drew.

And Loren and I did our sit at 06:00, and I was at work by 08:ish

Relations with my supervisor. After a few weeks of mild general strange-ness...I asked him if we could be open...he said sure. I asked him if he was intentionally riding my ass. His answer??

No in fact he is not, he's mentoring, and coaching me.
Since when did being rude, patronizing, dismissive, and uncooperative become mentoring techniques?? I may be behind the times again.

Tough love I guess.

Loren will be leaving to cottage with her partents in a few hours. She'll be gone for about a week. I already miss her. And of course Santosh too...

Silly trail nic-names

Roti
Sausage
Haggis

We had an absolute blast this weekend. I took Friday and Monday off.
Weather was cooperative and the trails...well...what can I say about the Coaticook trails?
They are my favorite trails ever.

Gio was on fire...he rode everything and with speed and confidance.
He was calling it the the Seinfield/Bizzaro weeknend...
Rick was warm I lost my way on the trail and Gio was the Maestro...
Only he didn't care to try the drop off the stage...

I had given him a nice demo...how could he not go for it?!
Wish I had that video.

Fun highlights:
The three loops on the trails the whole kit-and-kabootle
The drop (front wheel should not touch down first!)
The slow race down the grass slope...last one to the post wins.

A couple of pix...
My camera actually does make it to the trail though I rarely take it out.
Perhaps Roderick will have some action shots from his film shots...

Gio is intent to get back there this year...
Perhaps in the shelters instead of camping this time.

Loren's back from the cottage...

The flowers

The Poem

there is a poem in my heart
warm, confident
cool, subdued

there is a poem in my heart
I observe it in the world
I live it in your beauty

Nice practice session last night.
Colin, Gilles and me. Charles is still on vacation.
3 As, 3 Bs, standing, and seated until Janu B, back bends and finishing.
The guys lost their steam early in finishing. So I guess this is a good length for our practice for the time being.

I experienced another tweak in my neck (C5-6??) during matsyasana and uttanna padasana. Reminded me of a sore spot experienced last weekend at Coaticook. Quite stiff this morning.

I opted for sirsasana last night instead of a total breakdown. A fair trade I think.
Stayed up until I was shaking...
At work right now trying to rise to the challenge.

Last minute appointment with Karen...
Good thing Lynda is a generous sweetheart and offered me her 07:00.

Karen broke that funk before it could break me.

There is nothing more real than You.

Saturday past; 3 As and 3 Bs
Sunday; same with a few standing postures, until utthta parsvakonasana
Done slowly with some repitition...and lots of sweat.
Last night; 3 and 3 again.

A few days left of preparation. This coming Monday start 2 weeks of training with my favorite client. Jari will not attend for the first two weeks...that's too bad I like his participation in class. I think he'll be attending during the 2 set of 2 weeks when I go in the field. I hope he can find the time.

After a long time of living with a rather high level of (dis) stress has developed Purpura. She's doing more blood tests. It sounds as if the doctor is suspecting Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura ITP. We're hoping for the best for her. This episode may force her to rest and slow down a bit. She's been going non-stop for quite a while now.

Well I recall that Ringo Starr was one of the wittier Beatles. He was sharp...the line which comes easiest to mind is his answer to one of those 60s Beatles group interviews...the press is surrounding them and one reporter asks "are you guys Mods or Rockers"...and without missing a beat (drumming pun intended) Ringo offers up..."we're mockers". Brilliant.

Last night I was reading an old Modern Drummer from 2005, where pro drummers were doing the question asking. "What are 3 of your favorite Beatles songs? ...How involved were you in those amazing drum sounds? ... What influenced you to come up with the beat on xyz song?" That sort of thing...

A guy named Dino Daneli (of The Rascals) asks;
"What were your 3 most memorable experiences as a Beatle?"

Ringo: "John, George and Paul".

I am not a Beatles fan in particular, and I don't really know much about Ringo per se, but I'll bet wit had nothing to do with his answer...he blew me away.