GanWong - General
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I just wanted to paddle
I'm off to the US of A next week for some meetings. A day of travel each way and 2 days of meetings. I will miss one day of curling, 1 day of dragonboat, and 2 days of outrigger. I might be back early enough on Thursday to go paddling... we'll see.
0 comments Friday 07 Mar 2008 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
Out out damn spot, out!
I had my first swim lesson at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre today. We learn to kick our feet. Oh, and breathe also. It's actually a lot harder than it looks. I've been told I should try to get my chin higher into the air before trying to breathe... I'm swallowing a lot of water. I think I should get ear plugs, nose plugs, and goggles. Basically prevent any ingress of water.
I also smell like chlorine. Everytime I sniff myself, I smell chlorine. I've already taken 2 showers. Maybe it's all the chlorine I've swallowed... the fumes are still getting into my nose or something. I definitely can't scrub anymore. The last shower and scrub left me feeling peeled.
I also smell like chlorine. Everytime I sniff myself, I smell chlorine. I've already taken 2 showers. Maybe it's all the chlorine I've swallowed... the fumes are still getting into my nose or something. I definitely can't scrub anymore. The last shower and scrub left me feeling peeled.
0 comments Wednesday 09 Jan 2008 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
I’m a good worm owner
The temperature in Vancouver has been in the 0'ish range lately, and it's supposed to snow tomorrow. Since I'm a responsible pet owner, I've moved my worms into my apartment until the temperature reaches 5 degree lows once again.
When I was lugging the box inside, I was amazed at how heavy it was. Even though I don't always have a lot to feed them, 7 months of banana peels do add up. At this rate, I'll have to start thinking what I'm going to do with the compost soon.
0 comments Monday 26 Nov 2007 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
Done
Done done done.
After years of paddling, I have registered myself for swimming lessons at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.
Adult 1: Basic introduction to the water. Introduction to front and back floats and basic propulsion.
Adult 2: Introduction to front and back glides with basic propulsion. Introduction to front crawl, 1-2-3 breathe. Introduction to deep water activities.
Adult 2: Introduction to front and back glides with basic propulsion. Introduction to front crawl, 1-2-3 breathe. Introduction to deep water activities.
I figured since I already know the basics of the front crawl, I would just skip the Adult 1 and go straight into Adult 2. The very notion of deep water activities is scaring me a bit though. Visions of me slowly sinking keep running through my mind. Let me revise that. It's not scaring me a bit, it's scaring the bejeebies out of me. I no longer have any bejeebies left to scare out. It's not good.
0 comments Thursday 22 Nov 2007 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
Thieves of petty things
To the thief who stole my bike lights tonight:
I hope you sell my lights for enough to purchase some tainted drugs that leaves you bent backwards in pain for the last miserable minutes of your life.
You managed to take off the front light which was detachable (I suppose its my fault for tempting you with such an easy target), but you also stole the cover from my backlight along with the batteries. Either way, you rendered them completely useless to myself and you. Well, I suppose you have 2 half dead AA batteries from the backlight. I throughly enjoyed biking home in the dark with no lights.
I hope by now you're still in the last 30 seconds or so of pain. Have a wonderful night, and burn in hell you boil on the ass of mankind. There aren't any excuses for you or your life.
You managed to take off the front light which was detachable (I suppose its my fault for tempting you with such an easy target), but you also stole the cover from my backlight along with the batteries. Either way, you rendered them completely useless to myself and you. Well, I suppose you have 2 half dead AA batteries from the backlight. I throughly enjoyed biking home in the dark with no lights.
I hope by now you're still in the last 30 seconds or so of pain. Have a wonderful night, and burn in hell you boil on the ass of mankind. There aren't any excuses for you or your life.
0 comments Wednesday 22 Aug 2007 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
It’s a very tippy boat
Well, the Gorge race was rather flat this year, but it was a pretty fun trip.
I've always enjoyed camping out, and not showering for days on end.
We went hiking up Mt. St. Helens while we were down there, and it was a decent hike. Gorgeous views once you get to the top. Well worth it. Took my paddle and life jacket up to the top - this is what happens when you start the evening betting somebody 5 US dollars and a pitcher of Coors Light. It just goes downhill from there.
The biggest news is my progression in flatwater kayaks! I've gone up several levels of tippiness, and I'm paddling in a fairly tippy kayak now - a Kirton something something. I've gone from the Tieken to the Laser, to the Delphine, and now to whatever Kirton one we have at the club. Ah, fun times. It does remind me that I really should learn to tread water.
0 comments Friday 03 Aug 2007 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
It’s racing season
Just a quick little update before I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into racing season.
I did the Howe Sound (Gibsons) Iron last weekend, finishing it in 2 hours 39 minutes. Being the big geeks that we are, here's the GPS data, and some pictures. I'm in the Mixed RD crew, seat 4. The pictures were taken at the finish line, so we're a little bit tired.
For me, this race was powered mostly by HydroBoom, a fancy sports drink. It's a bit more 'nutritious' than Gatorade - the primary reason being that Gatorade's primary ingredient is sugar/sucrose/fructose, which tend to break down too quickly. The fancy stuff has maltodextrin which is easier to digest, etc. I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say that you're not going to go into a sugar crash 10 minutes after drinking HydroBoom. A kind of a good thing too, since my lunch plans got screwed up at Molly's Reach. I wanted to go there because it was prominently featured in my childhood memories of watching the Beachcombers, but let me give you a bit of warning - the service is slow, really really slow. We waited an hour for our food, and ended up leaving because it still wasn't ready.
This Saturday, the FCRCC crew is headed down to the Gorge race - It's supposed to be quite windy and bumpy, so I'm taking my life jacket with me. I'm making a commitment to learn to tread water and get more comfortable in the water after this race. A fear of the water and paddling don't go too well together... it always seems to surprise people when I tell them I'm not comfortable in the water.
I did the Howe Sound (Gibsons) Iron last weekend, finishing it in 2 hours 39 minutes. Being the big geeks that we are, here's the GPS data, and some pictures. I'm in the Mixed RD crew, seat 4. The pictures were taken at the finish line, so we're a little bit tired.
For me, this race was powered mostly by HydroBoom, a fancy sports drink. It's a bit more 'nutritious' than Gatorade - the primary reason being that Gatorade's primary ingredient is sugar/sucrose/fructose, which tend to break down too quickly. The fancy stuff has maltodextrin which is easier to digest, etc. I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say that you're not going to go into a sugar crash 10 minutes after drinking HydroBoom. A kind of a good thing too, since my lunch plans got screwed up at Molly's Reach. I wanted to go there because it was prominently featured in my childhood memories of watching the Beachcombers, but let me give you a bit of warning - the service is slow, really really slow. We waited an hour for our food, and ended up leaving because it still wasn't ready.
This Saturday, the FCRCC crew is headed down to the Gorge race - It's supposed to be quite windy and bumpy, so I'm taking my life jacket with me. I'm making a commitment to learn to tread water and get more comfortable in the water after this race. A fear of the water and paddling don't go too well together... it always seems to surprise people when I tell them I'm not comfortable in the water.
0 comments Thursday 12 Jul 2007 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General
This probably isn’t a good idea
I'm off to Vancouver Island to do a 17K outrigger race. A bit nervous since it's open water, and it's longer distance than any other race we've ever done.
The scary part is the weather forecast - words like gale and storm are never good when you're on a tiny boat:
Environment Canada Weather Forecast
Marine Forecast issued for Haro strait.
Issued: 10:30 AM PDT Friday 8 June 2007 for the period ending 10:30 AM Saturday with an outlook for the following 24 hours.
Synopsis:
A ridge of high pressure along the coast will weaken and move inland tonight. A low will deepen to 985 millibars and move northeastward to lie just southwest of cape St James Sunday Morning. The associated front will approach from the southwest tonight crossing the bc coast late Saturday.
Over north coast waters winds will rise to strong easterlies tonight and to gale force Saturday morning as the front nears.
Over central coast waters light winds today will rise to strong to gale force southeast tonight with the approach of the front.
Winds will rise to storm force Saturday morning near the front Then veer to strong to gale southerly in its wake.
Over south coast waters light to moderate variable winds will prevail with locally strong westerlies forecast in Juan de Fuca strait in the late afternoon and evening hours. Moderate southeasterlies will develop overnight and rise to strong to gale force Saturday morning as the front nears.
Marine Forecast issued for Haro strait.
Issued: 10:30 AM PDT Friday 8 June 2007 for the period ending 10:30 AM Saturday with an outlook for the following 24 hours.
Synopsis:
A ridge of high pressure along the coast will weaken and move inland tonight. A low will deepen to 985 millibars and move northeastward to lie just southwest of cape St James Sunday Morning. The associated front will approach from the southwest tonight crossing the bc coast late Saturday.
Over north coast waters winds will rise to strong easterlies tonight and to gale force Saturday morning as the front nears.
Over central coast waters light winds today will rise to strong to gale force southeast tonight with the approach of the front.
Winds will rise to storm force Saturday morning near the front Then veer to strong to gale southerly in its wake.
Over south coast waters light to moderate variable winds will prevail with locally strong westerlies forecast in Juan de Fuca strait in the late afternoon and evening hours. Moderate southeasterlies will develop overnight and rise to strong to gale force Saturday morning as the front nears.
0 comments Friday 08 Jun 2007 | Gan | GanWong - General, SlantyNet - General