Legs & Wings

Time

2011-11-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

Time has a way of sneaking past me even when I have my eye on it. I'm getting old. Sign of the times.

Running is coming along, albeit, slowly. I will go out again in the morning ahead of the sunrise for a light 5K. Nothing too hard - but like old times. Good times, to be sure. Out early and back early so my wife can get her run in before we wake the children. It's the only time we have.

I have so many good memories and so many daily blessings. My life is full and overflowing with laughter, challenges, music, friends and kids...and a whole lot of work. Not much time for running.

I started this running blog several years ago to document my progress towards a marathon. It seems like forever ago and it seems like just yesterday. I do not have a formal plan in place but I would like to run another marathon in the spring of 2012.

It's taken me a while to get back and I've learned so much about myself in the time away from the road. Mainly, how I need to get out every morning and run. Glad to be back.

Back On My Feet

2011-10-15T21:38:00.000-03:00

I have started running again. I'm slow but determined to carry on through the fall and winter months. So much to say. Here's a few photos to reveal part of the story.

Summer Photos

2010-10-03T05:39:00.011-03:00

Break

2010-07-20T04:14:00.003-03:00

Stepped out for a bit. Working a new job has changed everything on every level...and it's all very good. Cheers.

Quietly Busy

2009-12-20T07:31:00.002-04:00

Still busy as a beaver. Thought I'd add this link for you - the kids did a concert the other night in Lunenburg - at the old Lunenburg Academy (National Historic Site).

Slow Cooking Cover features two of my boys - Jon on Bass (left) and Chris plays Lead Guitar (right).

Merry Christmas all!

Back Again

2009-11-03T16:17:00.002-04:00

Wow, I've been away a long time and didn't even know it. Time has a way of slipping through the fingers. You can't hold it. You can't claim it. You can't even manufacture it. I've always struggled with that. I don't think that I over-commit. I just agree to take on a lot of stuff. No regrets.

Fall has really settled in now that it is November. Not my favourite month - but one of those transitional months here in the Maritimes - part fall, part winter....mostly just uncomfortable. November is like a wasteland...grey/brown. The land lays bare waiting for snow. Waiting to sleep.

Running is on hold. I've got issues with my left hip that bothers me right down to the ankle. I need to get crunched at the chiropractor but have been waiting for it to clear. Feels like a pinched nerve or something. I think it happened during some touch football back in September. It's naggy.

I'm walking to and from work...about 4-5K each way. Not too difficult at all - in fact, I love the time alone and appreciate the buffer between home/work and work/home. It gives me a chance to breathe.

Bottom line is that I'm still a busy beaver. I've got lots of irons in the fire which I won't discuss here and now. Life is good, the kids and V are great. No flu. No problems. All the best you guys.

Take care. I'll be back soon.

CBC Radio 2 Song Quest Update

2009-10-06T21:08:00.003-03:00

I've been flirting with Word Press trying to build a case for Carter's Beach, Nova Scotia. Ah, it's a long story. I got wrapped up in the Great Canadian Song Quest with CBC Radio 2. You can read the whole story if you go back a couple posts.

Anyhow, my photo of Sam on the Carter's Beach (he's carrying the green pail) has drawn a lot of interest from across Canada...North America, even. Last week, Lily in Toronto phoned to interview Sam and I about our favourite beach and the CBC Podcast is available here. We're in Episode II...you may want to listen to Episode I to add a bit of perspective.

Anyhow - I'm having lots of fun. It's been very cool for Sam (age 9) to be involved too, seems how he's in the picture and all.

Chris' guitar is complete. It's home, sleeping in the case right now. I've got a few photos to show you with my next entry...maybe even a video clip. Hold tight.

Take care.

Chris' Acoustic Guitar

2009-10-03T22:12:00.011-03:00

Chris started building this guitar back in March. It's nearly finished now and it sure is pretty. Sides and back are cherry, spruce top, mahogany neck, etc. As unique and beautiful as he is.

Here are a few pics of it for you. Just about 4 hours left to go...apparently. Strings need to be strung, etc.

Thank God for men like Paul Casey and Grep Pelkey for inviting a 14 year old into something grand. Truly, an amazing gift.

Slow Cooking Cover Gem

2009-10-01T20:12:00.000-03:00

Well, I'm just throwing stuff out there in fits and spurts these days. Here's a little video of the kids at the Mug & Anchor Pub in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Full house and a little sample of some home cooked goodness from Chris, Jon, Daniel, Claire and Matt. Slow Cooking Cover.

Moby Dick in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

2009-10-01T16:37:00.006-03:00

I dropped a couple kids off at the skateboard park in Lunenburg the other night. Come to discover...the new moive, Moby Dick is being filmed right now in Lunenburg and Shelburne here in Nova Scotia. Snapped a couple pics the other night. Stars Ethan Hawke among others.

Dig that cool green screen? Must have been a break in the action 'cause one of the deck hands was grappling a plastic water bottle. They probably didn't have them in the old days right?

I wandered down to the Bluenose II berth. Here she is:

What's Goin' On Eh?

2009-09-30T09:27:00.004-03:00

First, I think I'm injured. I've got this tightness all up and down my left leg from the hip to my ankle. I haven't run for a week or so. I've been walking to work instead of running hoping to stretch things out. I'm fine. It doesn't bug me that much. I've had this same type of 'injury' (if that's what it is) before and it fades in time.

Wow, where do I begin? There is so much happening right now. Chris and Jonathan have been invited back to Cape Breton to play during Celtic Colours. They'll showcase twice in one day...at 3pm and later at 11:30pm on the Festival Stage - sort of an after-hours thing that turns into a major jam. Three cool things about this festival: (1) It's the largest Celtic gathering in North America. (2) Cape Breton was been selected the #1 island destination in North America by Conde Naste. (3) I get to go.

The boys have been brewing up some new favourites with Slow Cooking Cover. They've booked a Christmas Show for December 15th at the historic Lunenburg Academy - 3rd Floor Theatre. This performance is part of the "Lunenburg Sessions". More details to come. Chris and Jon have played this as a duo in the past. The place will be rocking with the full band.

Chris starting building an acoustic guitar back in March and it's nearly complete - in the spray shop now. It's incredible. Completely personalized according to his (14 year old) exacting standards...fast neck, wild headstock, decal/signature...the works. I"ll post pics when he's got it home.

We've had frost a couple of times. Nothing major. I've had a woodfire a couple nights just to keep the coolness at bay. No jackets yet. The Running Wife has worn a hat, gloves, etc while out running. Not this cat. That's right, I've not been running lately.

This CBC Radio 2 Great Canadian Song Quest has been heating up. Sam (pictured in my photo submission to them) and I were interviewed last night for a CBC podcast. It will be available for download next Monday. I'll post the link. It's funny, Sam and I were on two phones in different parts of the house. We kicked the rest of the family outdoors so it would be somewhat quiet during the interview. Oh man, too funny. Sam (age 9) was pretty shy and quiet on the phone. Who knows how this will turn out. Good times.

So, regarding this contest, I've started a blog about it over here. You can go there when you finish here okay? It's mainly a case for Carter's Beach to be selected as the Nova Scotia location...that should be immortalized in song. There are lots of cool photos that I've been slowly adding. Here's one that was emailed to me. This lady is a real pro...Linda Ross.
She has graciously allowed me to use her images to make the pitch. It all helps.

And you can help too if you like. Go here. Click the big red square to begin. Right dead centre, click on the little map of Nova Scotia...a new screen will appear - top right there is a grey text box. Type in Carter's Beach. That's it. You can do that once a day if you like. It would sure help put Carter's Beach on the map.

So, thanks for coming by. I'll keep you posted.

Great Canadian Song Quest - Need Your Help!

2009-09-24T09:17:00.003-03:00

I love music, play a bit...but I'm no songwriter. Too fussy for me. I do love to take pictures and submitted a couple this week for the CBC Radio 2 Great Canadian Song Quest. It's a pretty cool contest.

So far, I've had great feedback on the two pictures I added. I would appreciate your comments and your recommendation. Follow this link to the 'GALLERY' page at CBC Radio 2. Just click on the photo...recommend and/or comment. Much appreciated! It's a national contest. One winner will be chosen from each Province and Territory in Canada. A Canadian songwriter will be selected and commissioned to write about the winning photo/location.

My two pictures are dated September 22nd. Both are sunset shots and have appeared here on this blog. One is of my son Sam on the beach with the green pail...the other shows the dingy on shore with the 3 sailboats anchored in the distance.

And, I've built a support blog here - to provide a bit of background on Carter's Beach with a few additional photos.

Thanks for your support and help with this project.

Explanation II

2009-09-18T10:49:00.006-03:00

Anne, you nailed it. Context is everything eh? So, allow me to add some perspective to the photo I loaded on 'Wordless Wednesday'. It's a photo of Slow Cooking Cover with band coach / music teacher. The kids had just won the South Shore Battle of the Bands competition...and Paul had come over to admire the trophy. Can you feel how proud they are? Paul has just been handed this huge trophy and the kids are all waiting for his response. "It's pretty shiny", he says.

This guy has elevated these kids more than he knows. L-R, Paul, Claire, Daniel, Matt, and my two...Chris and Jon.

Here's a little video clip from our local newspaper - a video montage created for the paper by a couple of other talented kids.

Here are a few more pics from the day, last Saturday.

Blessed in Nova Scotia.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T11:05:00.002-03:00

Explanation

2009-09-10T15:04:00.003-03:00

I owe you this I think...by way of explanation. The photo I added yesterday is funny on it's own. Jonathan is holding a potato cannon. Have you ever fired a potato cannon? No? Well, we've shot off everything from kiwis to tomatoes to, of course, potatoes.

It's made of different sizes of ABS pipe. You can get instructions all over the internet. Basically, it works like a real gun. You stuff a potato in the barrel end. You screw off the cap at the large end...and spray in a bunch of hairspray and quickly screw the cap back on so none of that explosive goodness escapes. Then, you set the thing in place...and push the BBQ lighter...and the rest is history. It makes a huge bang! And the inserted item flies a very long way. The boys love it.

So, by way of explanation...Jonathan had inhaled a little too much hairspray and was in the middle of launching an explosive sneeze...the look is priceless.

Wow. Wasn't that enlightening?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T13:22:00.002-03:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T14:12:00.001-03:00

Two Post Day

2009-08-26T10:25:00.010-03:00

Yeah, because I can't just add photos once a week and be done with it. In my opinion, a blog is not a blog without some words mixed in. After all, I've got something to say too.

So, two posts in one day...with more photos just because I can. I'm even going to add a video for you:

If, for some reason, you cannot view the video...here's the url: Slow Cooking Cover at The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival Chris is on the right playing lead guitar...Jon is 2nd from the left on the big black bass.

Alright, so I'm still busy. Running to and from work is getting easier. I hope to soon take the long way home depending on what time I can afford. School starts next week. Nobody really wants to go. I don't blame them.

Chris is still building his guitar. It's a thing of beauty...working on the neck right now and should have it together and complete by Christmas. He started working on it in March. That's a lot of hours. He's working with some gifted, precise guys on this...I say take as long as it takes.

Chris and Jon have been jamming hard and long on guitars lately. Jon, as far as I can tell, can play anything at all. I'm his father...but I can tell these things. They've taken to the blues these days. I really should catch some of it on video. Mind boggling solos, slides, etc.

Hurricane Bill came and washed the humidity away. Lots of wind and rain...major mess along the coast. Devastating really. Lots of erosion and mess. I could not believe the hundreds of giant lobster claws washed up on shore. Bill raked the ocean floor...ravaged it. No exaggeration, these lobster claws were as big as oven mitts. I didn't have my camera with me to take pics. Here are a few other recent photos from a trip to Carter's Beach in Port Mouton, Nova Scotia...part of the same set as the previous photos...the Wordless Wednesday pics.

Thanks for coming by.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-26T10:22:00.002-03:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T12:12:00.001-03:00

Reunions, Weddings and Festivals

2009-08-14T15:00:00.020-03:00

I’m still running to and from work everyday, rain and shine. I have to tell you that I prefer the rainy days because the temp is right. I hate running in the heat. Blah. So, 30 more miles this week and it’s getting easier and more enjoyable. I’m a good runner if I’m distracted. I go nuts if there’s nothing to think about. I guess that’s why the iPod came in handy back in the old days. Maybe I’ll dig out the 1st Edition Shuffle and take it for a spin again. My boys jeer me as ‘old school’ – my 11 year old, Jonathan, just bought an iPhone with his gig money. I am old school.

Oh yes, there have been gigs. Many, many summer gigs for Chris and Jon…and the larger band, Slow Cooking Cover. The kids are hot and there’s lots of buzz around. Here are a few pics from the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. They played, under perfect conditions, last Sunday afternoon at the Lunenburg Bandstand. It was great, really great stuff. Here are some random pics from the day:

The drummer’s dad has posted some great little videos on Facebook. Sign up as my "Facebook Friend" and you can link through to see if you like. Next gig is September 12th at the Mug and Anchor Pub in Mahone Bay.

As a duo, Chris and Jon have been doing very well…playing out 3 or 4 times a week. They got home one night at 4:30am…with their mother of course. They’d been out at an after-hours party (post Folk Harbour Festival) playing their little butts off. The real music shows up at the after-hour parties dudes. I’m just saying. Some of the pics above show C & J playing for MacKinnon Dance - a group of talented Highland Dancers.

Yeah, and Victoria and I attended a cool wedding at Hubbard’s Barn. There’s a weekly Farmer’s Market held here and the odd special event. The grounds are beautiful. At any rate, it was a Scottish wedding ad Eilidh (the bride and pronounced A-lee) is as Scottish as they come. She’s Jon’s fiddle teacher and a real doll. The groom is Chris’ teacher – Paul Buchanan. He’s also their band coach and truly one of the nicest guys around. Together, they make beautiful music with Flat Fifth and as a duo. We’ve all become good friends. Eilidh’s brother is Ruaridh Campbell…(pronounced rury or rory) (his website) He’s over the top incredible. When he and his sister…and the rest of the Scots jumped in it was free-wheeling, crazed joy for me. So, here are a few wedding pics and random pics of men in kilts and musicians going for it. What amazing fun - even the Scottish country dancing was nuts. Loved it all.

Lastly, an update on V’s family reunion. Big fun as always. Here are a few pics. Yes, there was more music. It’s non-stop guys.
Take care.

Slow Cooking Cover

2009-08-04T11:07:00.004-03:00

Chris & John play as a duo all the time. Lately, they've been playing with a bunch of other kids in a band called "Slow Cooking Cover". They are ages 11 - 14. The drummer's dad posted a video on Facebook - I'm adding the link here. Hope it connects you. You may need to copy and paste to your browser.

These kids are smooth. Jon (11) plays bass, Claire (11) sings, Matt (11) on drums, Daniel on the Gretch Bigsby is 13 and Chris on lead is 14.

This comes from their set at The Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival:

SLOW COOKING COVER

Have a great week.

Progress

2009-07-30T21:10:00.003-03:00

I'm going to finish out another week of running to and from work. I can definitely feel a difference over last week - an improvement. I'm stronger, more fluid and more confident. Some cool stuff is happening - one of the guys at work shakes my hand every morning when I arrive. He tells me that I'm inspiring him to run again. There's nothing much better than being a positive inspiration. So, I feel great for all kinds of reasons.

It has been tougher this week in some respects. It's been hot and humid on the south shore of Nova Scotia. By hot, I mean 30 C or 86 F. It doesn't often get much hotter than that in these parts. It also poured buckets the other morning...it caused me to laugh a few times - not that there's anything particularly funny about running in a downpour.

I've got a busy weekend - the kids play The Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival twice tomorrow (Friday) with "Slow Cooking Cover" and as the Cusack Boys. Saturday, we're off to V's annual family reunion in New Brunswick. Wow. Lots of driving and fun. I'll sprinkle in a few photos when we're back.

Take care.

Say Say Say

2009-07-28T14:57:00.001-03:00

Local gals nail it.

Life is good here.

Turn Of Events

2009-07-24T16:12:00.002-03:00

Running Miles This Week: 30.

Huh? Robb is running? Yeah...it's true.

There has been a shift to be sure. I've quit whining and started running to and from work. It's about 5K each way so that gives me 50K for the week or 30 miles.

My legs feel the worst. I thought my breathing would suffer but it's my legs that trouble me most - primarily the quads that area stiff. They mainly bother me on the stairs.

This is part of a personal challenge - a deal I've made with myself to run to work 30days in a row and it's worked out pretty well. There's a shower at the office and I keep some clothes there. What more does a guy need?

Frankly, I've been pretty low about not running and it feels good to commit to this and get back out there. Cool and wet this week. It's raining right now and 62 F or 16 C. Perfect running weather.

I'm back baby. I'm back.

Joy

2009-07-17T09:38:00.012-03:00

Running miles this week: 0. I have put in a few miles on the beach this week - draggy, introspective miles on the beach. There's no easy way to tell you this. Truth is, Nova Scotia has more coastline than California and the really cool thing is, nobody lives here. Well, they live here but you don't trip over them and you never ever pay. It's all free. Drive right on the beach in some places.

Life is real good. Hey, come visit sometime.

Life In Pictures

2009-07-10T10:17:00.013-03:00

Running miles this week: 0 miles. Zip...I got nothing going. Maybe next week.

Words are great but today I'll post photos as they sum up a lot of things.

Just a few random shots...there's the picnic table at the LaHave River Yacht Club...the Goldfinch with the red eyeball, Chris and Jon with "Slow Cooking Cover" at the Yacht Club...and Chris and Jon on the Halifax waterfront - later joined by a blues harp player (a walk on...haha). Oh, and there's one of Chris holding the body of his guitar. He's at the sanding stage. Solid cherry - it will sound amazingly rich. He's working on the neck now (mahogany). This is life in Nova Scotia.

Blessed

2009-06-26T13:07:00.003-03:00

Running this week: 0 Miles.

I’ve been too busy to talk about it but I am incredibly blessed. School is finally out and things will hopefully settle down for the summer. The last few weeks have been a blur and a rush all at once.

Chris was exempt from writing all of his Grade 8 exams again this year. Hallelujah! He made the Honour Role again too. Jonathan will enter Jr. High. He graduated from Grade 6 with a couple of nice awards including a Music Participation honour and a plaque from the Hone & School Association. Probably for being a nice kid – which he is. So, I’m proud of my boys for finishing well. It’s been long school year and we’re all pretty happy to have a break.

Did I say ‘break’. Life ramps up in summer around here. A couple months of warm weather means we maximize every waking moment. Chris and Jon have several music gigs lined up. Some sweet gigs that pay exceptionally well. This weekend, they play 3 or 4 times. I forget. We have a master calendar on the fridge at home and I really should keep up with it. I have a tough time keeping up with most everything it seems. I’m not complaining. That’s just my confession.

RunningWife and the other two kids, Sam and Ben are super. They’re growing up.

Hey, here’s a photo of the RunningWife that blows me away every time I glance at it. We were out for a drive the other night and happened upon an old quiet hillside – a field so full of daisies that I couldn’t help but think of heaven. Here she is. A flower among flowers.

Sam's Appendix

2009-05-30T11:17:00.002-03:00

I feel much better now. 9 year old Sam was rushed by ambulance to the IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax overnight Monday. He had his appendix out at lunchtime on Tuesday. It came on suddenly and was pretty stressful for all of us.

Truth is, there are lots worse things that can happen any day of the week. I am grateful that we have it so good. Thank God. Throughout the turmoil and stress we had real peace because we knew people were praying for Sam and the rest of us. Thank you.

They sure don’t keep you in the hospital for long these days. His surgery took place on Tuesday afternoon and we were checking out on Wednesday at suppertime. He’s getting stronger everyday but still hobbles around like a little old man. His back hurts. His body is still pretty tense from the operation.

The rest of us did well during the ordeal. Chris and Jon continued at school. I stayed home from work on Tuesday to be with Ben and to wait for word from Victoria.

I took Ben into work with me on Wednesday. I have a private office so he and I just goofed around. Being a 6 year old boy and hanging out with dad at a big RV dealership…well, that is being a kid in a candy store. No question. I even had him out in cruising around in the tractor.

It’s times like this when I miss running most. Troubles seem to evaporate over the course of a few k. I’m shifting into a new era these days and may have a few minutes per day to lace up again, just like old times.

There is always hope. Hope always.

Slow Cooking Cover

2009-05-23T09:45:00.003-03:00

There's a great story behind the name of the band. I'll elaborate one of these days. They made their public debut the other night at a high school variety concert - 16 acts... These kids, (11-13) nailed CCR's "Suzy Q". They won! L-R - Jonathan, Claire, Daniel, Matthew, Chris.

More to come.

Crazy Busy

2009-05-20T15:59:00.007-03:00

I haven’t abandoned this blog. I am just too busy to keep up on a regular basis. And, so, I will add bits and pieces when I can.
When I’m not writing at work, I’m writing bits for my radio show which I am fortunate to be able to do from home. Tech these days makes it simple. And, due to some circumstances that are not entirely clear…I’ve graduated to the morning show (7-9am) for the time being. It’s more of a natural fit for me and I’m happy to do it.

My wife Victoria celebrates a birthday today. She’s a beautiful 41. After her morning run she headed out for some groceries. While she was out I woke the kids up (6:45am) and got them started on the decorations and breakfast. It was fun. She cherishes their handmade cards and hugs more than anything from any store.

So, everybody is good at my house. Chris and Jon have a couple of gigs this week. Tomorrow night, they play with a larger 6 piece band called “Slow Cookin Cover”. They play 70’s rock tunes like Hotel California, Suzy Q, Don’t Look Back, you know… Chris plays lead guitar. Jonny hammers the 5-string electric bass. Very cool…with a girl singer named Claire! Their music teacher is the band coach and hand-picked the kids for this group. They are 11 – 13…and tight for a bunch of kids. Got their own sound gear…and good instruments. Chris has been playing a vintage Fender Strat – US model. Sweet. They’ll play a full set at The Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival in July. I’ll take some band pics and post them late this week. Chris and Jon will play as a duo at a Highland Dance Recital this week too. There are lots of opportunities for them. Last weekend, they played at a little community hall in the Annapolis Valley and received a huge standing ovation. I shed a tear. It was amazing.

I had to add the pie pic. So maritime. This event was a fund-raiser for the little baptist church in Burlington, NS - raising money for a piece of sound equipment. There are only 15 members in the church...pretty amazing that they pulled off this larger community event. People came from all over!

So, I’ll keep you in the loop when I can. Thanks for stopping by.

Radio Gig

2009-04-24T16:53:00.003-03:00

My family is away for the weekend so I have an unusual and welcome bit time on my hands. V and the boys are in New Brunswick for a couple of big birthday celebrations. Her mom turns 87 and her aunt turns 100. Amazing.

I’m not sure what I’ll do apart from raking up the backyard and maybe bagging some dead leaves that have collected over the winter. One thing’s for certain, I will record some more radio bits. I’ve been hosting a little daily one hour show that runs on 3 stations in 3 provinces here in the maritimes. Format is Christian – which is not so strange for me, though I’ve been out of radio for 10 years. It all feels a little strange and disconnected because I don’t actually commute to the station. I produce the show from home and upload it. It’s coming along fine.

It’s easier than you might think and more difficult than you could imagine. Let’s leave it at that for now. I still have my day job. You can listen online if you care to at www.cjlufm.com My bit is music driven and airs 4:30-5:30 Atlantic Time.

Have a great weekend.

Progress

2009-04-18T11:25:00.011-03:00

Until I completely stop I deem my actions to be progress of some sort. I've got to. No complaints. Real quick - sorry for disappearing into thin air. I've taken on more projects and my time is all but used up. I'm probably too busy for my own good and my family may, in fact, be suffering due to my various commitments. That's a whole other can of worms.

Everyone is still good and healthy at my house. I've slowed my running to a crawl (still have a bit of forward momentum). V runs every day still - the kids are active on their bikes and the music continues on all fronts. The summer is filling up with gigs. Chris and Jon have been doing some different projects with some other players. They've been playing with Contra Bands for dances and have formed a new band with a bunch of other young prodigies playing 70's rock covers. A cool change for them.

I've gone and got involved in radio again- writing, voicing and producing a 1 hour syndicated show that airs on 3 stations. More details on that to come. Hmmm. Fun and time consuming.

I'll try and show up here on a more regular basis. Meantime, here are a few recent photos. It's good to live by the ocean.

Where I Am

2009-02-26T16:25:00.006-04:00

Right in the thick of it - that's where I am! The days seem to be stretching at both ends so I am real happy that spring is coming along. I can hardly wait for the warmer weather to break things up.

I'm working through one of the busiest winters on record and that sure helps to pass the time. The boys have been playing a lot of music with lots more ahead. Last night, a family friend dropped over to share an amazing gift with Chris. Paul C. has been setting aside cherry, sitka spruce, walnut and mahogany for the past couple of years hoping that Chris would want to build a guitar. At 13, he will craft his own acoustic guitar alongside a wonderfully kind man. Paul has built several beautiful instruments and I couldn't be happier today. Such a gift. Here's the two of them with one of Paul's latest guitars.

I mentioned winter didn't I? Here are a few shots from this morning before school. That crazy lady? Victoria.

It's Good

2009-02-10T16:35:00.009-04:00

Sometimes, when I fall particularly far behind. I find it hard to get moving again. That's what has happened. I've fallen and rolled in the pile for a bit but I've taken a bath and am now ready for a fresh start. That's life, and it's good.

Time seems to evaporate right under my nose. I can't explain it only to say that I've come up against this a few times. For goodness sake, my blog url is "making the time". Indeed, time is precious and there is precious little of it. That's life, and it's good.

I must confess to feeling a bit of extra energy on this day. Just concluded an invigorating and memorable meeting with ad agency types at the local pub. Great spot for a meeting - over beer-battered Digby scallops and fries. That's life, and it's good.

At any rate, since I last spent a bit of time here - Sam, my 3rd of 4 sons turned 9 years old. Tomorrow (Saturday), my wife and I celebrate 22 years of marriage. It's a short time and a long time all at once. That's life, and it's good.

Interestingly, TheRunningWife and I have been invited to take part in a roundtable youth event this evening about marriage and
family and relationships. It's one of those things that a person cannot specifically prepare for. In a sense, I suppose I've been preparing for it for 22 + years. That's life, and it's good.

Have a great weekend.

What Not To Do

2009-01-19T04:32:00.007-04:00

Parenting is such a sweet challenge. I have my share of blessing being the father of 4 sons. I shall never complain...because...it's good. There are plenty of rules and regulations in place to keep some semblance of order in the house.

The boys earn 'time' that they can spend on the computer mainly by practicing their music or doing some sort of chore. We give them "Mum Bucks" that they collect and redeem here at home. It's their idea - and it seems to work fine.

Chris, my oldest boy at 13, is usually bankrupt. He's always out of "Mum Bucks"...so imagine my surprise to find him parked in front of the computer the other morning.

Me: "What are you doing on the computer?"

Chris: "You forgot to tell me what not to do."

That's rich eh? I forgot to tell him what not to do. I love how he shakes off the responsibility and throws it back on me as if it's my fault he's out of line. He's a smart cookie.

I laughed loud and hard.

Thoughts on Winter

2009-01-07T11:23:00.013-04:00

Thankfully there is a bit of snow, otherwise, the immediate landscape would appear dreadfully dull in Nova Scotia. Looking out to the ocean is another thing.

I see my way through this time of year but many do not. It’s rough. No question, January is a hard month but it is also a great month for new beginnings. I am not making any specific resolutions for 2009 but am simply looking for a little sharper discipline in my life. There’s a lot to work on. Running will pick up again soon - maybe tomorrow.

Some people love winter. For the record, I am not one of those people. Winter is, however, a favourite time of year for my boys. They love digging and floundering in the snow, seemingly oblivious to the wet and cold.

The older I get the more I believe that winter is really a gift for kids. I've got proof as you'll soon see. We had the great pleasure of visiting with friends over the weekend just outside of Lunenburg. They work a beautiful piece of land right on the ocean. It's unbelievable!

We warmed up afterwards with some sausage soup, a wood fire, guitars and fiddles!

Christmas Joy

2008-12-30T00:14:00.018-04:00

My 4 boys travel well. The hardest part of this 6 hour road trip was the strategic packing of stuff like guitars, amps, fiddle, winter wear, Christmas presents, cooking and dog. We did it. We live to tell the tale.

The old farmhouse in rural central New Brunswick is charmed, I'm sure. Florence and Warren McPhee raised 9 children there. Victoria is the youngest. Her sisters Susan and Sheila popped around, JR and Kenny made the trip too - so the house was half full. It was non-stop action; food, fun and music.

Expect Great Things

2008-12-23T06:17:00.006-04:00

I've changed my tune. I've warmed to the season and I'm ready to celebrate. We leave today for chilly New Brunswick where we'll spend Christmas with various bits of our family. We'll be with my Dad this evening and with Victoria's Mom for Christmas.

It will be challenging and hilarious. There is much to do so this will be quick. Sorry, I haven't posted the rest of the "12 Jigs of Christmas". You get the idea. Life here is one big jam session. Chris doesn't know it but we've bought him a ultra-cool electric ukulele complete with cutaway and pick-up. I'll catch some video and paste it up...as time permits.

Let me leave you with a couple of pics. The skating pics were taken at our friends' house on Sunday afternoon. The last one is of my boys. Chris-13, Ben-6, Sam-8, Jon-11.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! Expect Great Things!

Christmas Infection

2008-12-17T02:47:00.007-04:00

The Christmas "infection" has not set in. I've been to a dozen Christmas concerts, dinners and parties. I've sampled shortbreads, fudge and all manner of sugar cookies. Despite playing through those Christmas ditties with the boys...I confess to being a fraud. I am not officially in the mood for Christmas.

I don't mean to sound all scroog-ie. I do enjoy celebrating the birth of Christ, the music and fun of it all. Honest.

I'll be on vacation later today. Three delightful weeks at home with the RunningWife may coax me out of the Christmas coma. Actually, we'll be traveling home to New Brunswick to be with Victoria's mom, who I believe is 86 now. She's still at home on the farm. A few bits of her family will be gathering and I am looking forward to visiting with them. The kids are excited too! Even Ella will go with us. Here's a pic of V with Florence. She stayed with us last Christmas.

I've been playing with my new work camera; Canon Rebel XSI/450D. It's on steroids at 12.2 mega pixels. For my application, I'll be using the standard kit lens 18-55 mm zoom 1:3.5 - 5.6 Image Stabilizing lens most of the time. I've also got a 75-300 mm 1:4-5.6 zoom which is what I used for these non-flash pics. First, here is our family friend Zech (L) and Jonny (R). They were swirling flags around during a Christmas Concert at the church.

Here's another pic. That's Jonathan at the top of the shot.

Crazy cool camera. I'm looking forward to getting outside with it.

Running is okay. I'll be glad to focus a bit more in January when the buzz of Christmas has wrapped up. Yeah, I'm supposed to be in week 3 but I've taken a few shortcuts and snoozes and missed a bunch of runs. The weather has been wacky too. I'm all about grace.

See you next time!

12 Jigs of Christmas #3

2008-12-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

Chris and Jon are home from school today due to some nasty weather. It poured buckets yesterday and then froze pretty hard overnight. Too much ice for the school busses to safely make the rounds. It's just as well. The boys are pretty beat after the weekend.

And, due to the nastiness outside, I opted to forego my scheduled 8K. I may get it in later today depending on roads. I've learned not to sweat the weather. No sense in that.

Allow me to serve up the 3rd installment in the 12 Jigs of Christmas. I've had this one in the can for a few days. The airy jazz-infused "Autumn Leaves" into "Let it Snow" medley. Again, the hats are a mere statement of fashion...nothing more!

Hope you like.

12 Jigs of Christmas #2

2008-12-05T11:03:00.011-04:00

Week 1 of marathon training is in the bank and I feel great. At this point I'm looking to keep it fluid and steady. I always find that 'speed' has a way of coming along on its own so I tend not to focus on it. It'll come. I'm wearing my old faithful Timex Ironman watch and running the chrono but not keeping track of time.

To the business of the "12 Jigs of Christmas". I've embedded Number 2 in the series. This plays out in our home right after breakfast. The kids push the envelope today and end up 10 minutes late for school! They didn't want to wrap it. Aren't we a charming and fun bunch.

And, here's a bit of insight for you. In larger group sessions like kitchen parties when a dozen or so musicians are involved and underway, someone will often holler out a tune they want to hear. The group will slide right into it as if the set list was laid out weeks in advance. It is amazing to watch them transition from one melody to another - smooth as silk. This kind of thing often brings Victoria to yelping and stomping. I love her just the same.

I managed to upload the whole clip to Facebook, but YouTube balked at the length of the original clip so I've hacked it in half. I need to hone my editing skills. So, that's why there is Part A and Part B. Anyhow, what you don't see before Part A begins is Chris peeling off his hoodie and Ella (dog) immediately plopping down on it. We're all roasting beside woodstove in the den. And the the hats? Purely a fashion statement.

Get a coffee, this will carry on for about 14 minutes. I told Chris (guitar) and Jon (fiddle) that we need to save enough material to cover all 12 vid's. Their combined response: "Dad, we know a thousand songs". Ah, the confidence of youth.

Again, welcome and enjoy. The other boys, Sam and Ben will join us soon for something special. Come again. Take care.

12 Jigs of Christmas

2008-12-03T10:45:00.003-04:00

I'm off and running. Marathon training is nicely underway. Everything feels good so far and I'll soon have more to say about that.

You may know that my home is full of music. It is non-stop music from morning to night - whether it's Sammy hammering the piano, Chris and Jon dawdling on any number of instruments or the CD player rattling the kitchen walls, there is always something playing in the background or foreground. I love it.

Chris and Jon played a set of Christmas tunes last weekend at the Waldorf School Christmas Fair. To prepare for the 1 hour set, the guys selected a few favourites and put them together as medleys. I love that they work out their own arrangements - really make the tunes their own. Yes friend, music is not necessarily a bunch of black dots on a page. It's an interpretive dance of sorts.

What' cool is that Chris & Jonny asked me to upload and share a few of these handmade medleys with you. So, I am pleased to offer "The 12 Jigs of Christmas". That's right, there will be 11 more of these gems leading up to Christmas Day.

This is like having you in for coffee. We're set up in the den around the woodstove. Ben and Sam are noodling around with toys, the dog is barking at the guinea pig, there's stuff everywhere. This is real life. Welcome to it.

Advent Conspiracy - (Canadian Version)

2008-11-30T22:19:00.001-04:00

What if?

Winter Stuff

2008-11-26T15:54:00.010-04:00

It’s warmer this week. In fact, it’s raining right now so most of the snow that landed over the weekend is disintegrating. I’m pretty happy about that. The guys at work are talking about building an outdoor rink for the kids. It’ll have to get quite a bit colder for that to work – likely after Christmas.

As a kid, I spent hours on the ice. I learned to skate and play hockey on an outdoor rink. Every community had one and I was lucky enough to have one in our backyard. Nothing beats shinny on the pond, a bonfire, and hot drinks to share. These pics are from a couple of years ago: A few of you have suggested that shoveling is a good bit of cross-training. I guess, maybe, it is. I’ve never thought of it as such (more of a necessary evil) but it does offer a thorough full body blast. I said to my wife on Sunday, “I feel a little stiff today. Not sure why”. She reminded me that I’d shoveled the driveway.

RunnerMom questioned how any person could train for a marathon in the snow and cold. It’s not a big deal really. I don’t think any half-sensible Canadian will run in a blinding snowstorm or in the extreme bitter cold (I’ve done both but have yet to declare myself half-sensible). I actually like running in the winter.

What do I wear? Probably the same stuff you do. I hate being too hot and I dread weight of any kind. I may drag my iPod Shuffle but no water, phone, keys, Kleenex – nothing. How do I stay warm? It’s always cold at first but I quickly warm up. Say the outside temp is 25 F – I’ll dress for 45 F. I add 20 F degrees to the current temp so that I don’t overheat. Often, during winter runs, I’ll not bother with a jacket at all. I will don a breathable toque and thin gloves if the air temp is at the freezing point or if there is any kind of NW wind. There is plenty of good cold weather gear on the market. I think I like UA Cold Gear the best. Some runners wear YakTrax. I’ve never tried them but they are a cheap and safe accessory. I tend to throw on a reflective vest too because all of my running is in the dark. No sense getting run over by the snowplow or salt shaker.

I hear it’s Thanksgiving in the USA. Be thankful and happy. Take care of each other.

Reasons...not Excuses

2008-11-24T13:17:00.004-04:00

No excuses – only good reasons for not getting out on the road this morning. You see, a warm woodstove casts a certain warm and lovely hypnosis. Add a delightful cup of coffee and a footstool and soon all thoughts of running a few snowy kilometres at -10 seem futile. I did, at least, wear my running gear.

We got dumped on over the weekend. About 40 centimetres of snow (about 16”) fell Friday night and into Saturday morning. It was quite a surprise. At home, we had a tough time to dry the kids’ snow pants and mitts fast enough! There is rain and warmer weather in the forecast this week so hopefully we’ll see the bare ground yet again this month. And, maybe I’ll get out running tomorrow morning. Maybe.

And the goofy poll about washing your running gear. Yeah, that was an experiment of sorts but interestingly, there is a tie between the 'once-a-day-washers' group and the 'when I can't stand the smell' camp. Personally, I have to throw in with the 'when I can't stand the smell' people'. Thanks for your consideration.

And, I bought a new strap for the Timex Ironman. That's the third strap to match a third fresh battery. Guess I'll keep it for awhile.

Fiddles & Dancing Girls

2008-11-21T15:14:00.003-04:00

Caught these guys last night in Halifax. So, completely maritime cool. Have a great weekend. Ashley MacIssac, Marc Boudreau, JP Cormier, Allan Dewar and the dancing girls.

Fundamentals

2008-11-17T15:40:00.005-04:00

Thanks for your input on the last post - I want a Garmin 405 but might not be able to justify the "investment" right now. I'll probably get a new strap for the old Timex. I appreciate all of your comments and email!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marathon training begins on November 30th. I plan to run the The Blue Nose Marathon again in May of '09. I ran it in 2007. It was my first and only marathon. 18 months ago, I was hoping for a 3:30 finish until the wheels fell off in the late going. Certainly, there is no shame in a 3:53 finish, especially for a rookie. I have no regrets whatsoever.

I learned some things:

Miles are just miles without friends. Next May, I will be less about business and more about fun. I know a few more people now that I hope to connect with before, during and after the race.
I cannot will my body to do more than it can do. Mind over matter does not always matter. There's not much a person can do when a foot cramps up - except walk or stop or both. Who cares. Whatever happens...happens.
Smile more. I appeared way too serious in the '07 race photos. I believe there is no harm in a goofy grin. I will high-five more kids.

So you see, there's a bit of unfinished business. Despite the fact that I have not run much during the last 5 months every new step feels like new territory - again. As much as I struggle with form, stride, suffer heavy legs and burning lungs I realize that I've never been this mentally prepared to run the distance.

More Than Just Time

2008-11-14T14:02:00.007-04:00

My old Timex Ironman Chrono is about done. I’ve changed the battery 3 times. I’m ready to buy another new strap. The ‘Indiglo’ feature died a couple of years ago. It’s just old and tired. I would love to collect a bit more info about my runs. I see the value.

So, I’m considering a couple of options. I thought the Nike+ Sport Band might be fun. I'm not so interested in the iPod Nano+ thing but could live with the shoe pod. I've read the odd review of how inaccurate they can be. The deeper I dig the more I fix on a Garmin Forerunner. The 405 is so sweet and versatile. It’s looking pretty sexy here in green – heck, the darn thing even tells time! For a dude who likes tech it may be too complicated. I'm not so sure. I would like to hear from you if you use the Nike+ system, Garmin, Polar or whatever. Post a comment or email robbcusack (at) hotmail.com

Have a good weekend.

Real Guitar Heroes

2008-11-13T11:11:00.008-04:00

Kids are full of surprises aren't they? If you haven't heard, my two oldest boys play a lot of music together. They continue to perform as an acoustic folk duo (fiddle, guitar, whistles, mandolin, drums, etc) but have recently been stretching their wings a bit. Chris is 13. He plays in the high school jazz band. Jon, at age 11, is a fiddle prodigy but he will play any instrument you set before him. I mean...anything. The boys pooled their loot and bought a burly black electric bass. It's a new Ibanez 5 String BTB305FM with Bartolini pickups. Big fat sound. Yup, you guessed right. They both play it well.

In this smudgy little clip, their buddy Jake takes the new bass for a spin. Jake is a decent player - he has his own bass. Jon fills out the rhythm on drums while chewing a halloween sucker. Chris is playing lead. Remember the Scorpions?

Spontaneity

2008-11-12T14:44:00.002-04:00

My iPod Shuffle was on the fritz this morning so I was forced to listen to my own gasps. It wasn't so bad. I chose to leave the watch home so I have no idea how fast I ran. Honestly, the distance doesn't matter much either right now. I'm learning to run all over again and want to simply love it for what it is. The real journey has yet to begin. For now, the trip and destination are immaterial.

I will start a formal marathon training plan in a week or so. For the moment, I'm having spontaneity for breakfast and washing it all down with a glass of enjoyment.

See that full moon this morning?

Lest We Forget

2008-11-10T11:35:00.002-04:00

Terry Kelly is a local visually impaired singer-songwriter. "Pittance of Time" is another way for us to honour all Canadian veterans. Thank you. Lest we forget.

Smells Along The Way

2008-11-08T12:14:00.005-04:00

Lunenburg County, where I live, is considered the Christmas Tree Capital of the World. There’s a big sign on the highway to prove it. Honest. Apparently, the cool and moist climate here in Nova Scotia is ideal for growing balsam fir trees. Take a drive anywhere in the region and you’ll run into a Christmas Tree Farm. Annual exports exceed 3.5 million trees. That’s a pretty big industry.

Nova Scotia Balsam Fir trees have become the Christmas tree of choice throughout North America for a few good reasons: They are lush, fragrant and hold their needles for a long time – even in warmer climates. Nova Scotia Balsam Fir has become the smell of Christmas. I smelled it today.

While out for an easy 5K this morning, I was nearly overcome with the smell of Christmas. There is a huge Christmas Tree Transfer Station just across the river from my house. Growers truck their crop to this huge area. Trees are piled onto 18 wheelers or into shipping containers. It’s a pretty cool operation. It sort of caught me by surprise.

Smell triggers so many things for me and a million memories of Christmas flashed before me on this day. I was suddenly an adventurous 10 year old boy building a winter woods fort - burrowing into snow beneath the skirt of a huge Balsam Fir. Wow. Where did that come from?

Christmas in Nova Scotia is really quite beautiful. Since 1971, a special tree is chosen each winter to send to the people of Boston to express appreciation for their help during the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion. The explosion on December 9, 1917, was caused by the collision of two ships in Halifax Harbour. Nearly 2,000 died. Thousands more were injured. Boston was the first to send relief, offering the services of doctors and nurses, and sending supplies. So, with great pride we send a huge Christmas tree each year to our friends in Boston, whose outpouring of kindness in 1917 will never be forgotten.

Keep running. Keep smelling.

Wish my running shoes smelled better.

Webbed Toe Photos (a real ratings booster)

2008-11-07T15:01:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple pictures of my left foot. I didn't shave my toes for you. I won't bother to link to the specific post but a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had partially webbed feet. Well, you begged and emailed and insisted that I supply a couple of photos.

This first one shows you the cool web part - see? It's the same for both feet - the 2nd & 3rd toes are partially webbed. As a kid I was pretty self-conscious about it. I distinctly remember my grandmother teasing me about 'cutting' them apart - that caused me a whole lot of stress. Little kids hear and feel your words. Watch what you say.

This next picture reveals my entire left foot. It is a glorious site to behold. See the nasty black spot on my big toenail? Nope, that's not from running hard miles. A couple of weeks ago my boss dropped a hard drive on my foot. His first words were, "I hope you're not training for anything right now".

Little Light

2008-11-06T06:17:00.006-04:00

Ben was born November 6, 2002. My little light is 6 years old today. My wife is not a big woman but she's the most determined woman I know. Ben weighed in at 11 lbs 4 oz. I can hear you gasping from here. V agrees that running marathons is easier than delivering XL babies.
He's booked for a hair cut tomorrow. Happy Birthday Benjo!

Measuring Up

2008-11-04T15:29:00.006-04:00

I don’t sleep much. I know, I know. That explains why I comment on your blog in the middle of the night.

Seriously, I don’t think I ever recovered from early morning radio. To make my 5:30 am gig I’d be up at 3…and at the office no later than 4:00 am. I’ve been off-air for nearly 10 years and I still wake up early. Who do I sue?

Unless it’s a really long run, I normally do not venture out until sometime after 4:30 am. Hey, head out too early and somebody is sure to think you’re a quack. I don’t want that label. I live in a small town.

“Oakhill” is a challenging route that I used to run a fair bit. It is a measuring stick for me and today I measured up. A tough climb in about 1 hour.

Oakhill
Find more Runs in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

Former Glory

2008-11-03T11:44:00.003-04:00

I know better than to want to be the runner that I used to be. I can’t go back there as the road lies ahead and not behind. The old miles offer fresh hope and so I begin again.

I remember the easy miles. And, vivid pre-dawn encounters with skunks, racoons, rabbits, deer, porcupines, coyotes, snowplows and log trucks. I can smell the rain coming. I feel the unrelenting sting of a nor’easter. I recognize the collective weight of wet March flakes, slush, and blisters and chaffing and cramps and squirts.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Cash & Trips

2008-10-30T15:21:00.006-03:00

I never carry cash. I hate the weight of jingly coins in my pocket or carrying a wallet around with me. The only good thing about carrying a wallet is that you know you haven’t lost it. I either carry it in my hand or wear in a front pants pocket. Furthermore, I don’t know how guys can sit in a car and drive with a lumpy wallet stuck in their rear. Most of my friends simply carry a debit card or a credit card in their back pocket and easily whip it out when needed.

Cash is still king though especially in the USA. I’m always reminded of the ‘value’ of cash when I travel in the states. Debit cards are not as widely accepted there as they are in Canada. If you’ve got cash in your pants you can always buy your way out of most any jam…or buy jam, if you need it.

I won’t be taking the yearly pilgrimage to Louisville, KY this fall. The only part of that makes me half sad is that I won’t be able to a little bit of shopping. Clearly, I am no shopper. It’s just that there is so much stuff and it’s always on sale or so it seems.

The drive to Louisville and back from Nova Scotia is never great. Never. It always snows. Here are a couple shots from last year’s miserable adventure:I mentioned to V that I would love to travel to Florida again. I doubt we would have the luxury of an RV this time around but we could take a couple of tents. We could live pretty cheap I bet. V didn’t like the idea of a tent…or two tents for that matter. This looks better eh?

I'm ready now.

Autumn Blush

2008-10-27T01:48:00.006-03:00

My neighbour and I always tie for dead last when it comes to collecting the autumn leaves. We both wait for the bitter howls of November. What's the rush eh?

I have to say that the trees have produced exceptioinaly beautiful colour this year.

Reluctant Comeback

2008-10-25T06:52:00.007-03:00

After 6 months of non-running I am pleased to be a runner reborn. I am back at it. It was not as hard as I had feared it would be. Right now I have more hope than speed but I'm not worried about PR's at this point. I am delighted, albeit surprised, that it doesn't hurt like I feared it would.

Honestly, the thoughts of sore muscles and long breathless walk breaks (not that there's anything wrong or abnormal about that) had me scared to death. Thus the title of this post. The fear of failure or falling short paralyzed my mind. I really had a hard time getting underway.

I'm back. And it's good.

Fear is the poison that causes me to hesitate and delay. That's a pattern for me. Those of you that know me might think I've fallen down and bumped my head but it's true. I have no regrets but in thinking back over the years I wonder how much more effective I could have been if only I'd not procrastinated. I'm likely the best excuse maker-upper too. Ask V sometime. It's funny really. She is forever calling me out and I get it. It's laughable.

I glanced at my medal from the 2007 Blue Nose Marathon this morning. "I want another one of those", I sighed. So, I'm having some fun and making a not so reluctant comeback. No more whining either. Promise. Ha.

Tag!

2008-10-17T05:34:00.006-03:00

I've been tagged by Sarah and I've been putting it off wondering what the heck to confess for a few days. Brace yourself for six random things about me:

(1) I love to bake. I don't bake near as often as I used to but I do have a secret chocolate chip recipe that I've developed and refined over the years. The kids love my cookies and beg me to bake them. The key to baking perfect cookies is knowing precisely when to pull the pan from the oven. I used to work early morning radio and had the afternoons off to play in the kitchen. While V was at work - and long before we even dreamed of a family, I would ply my craft in the kitchen. I once baked a 10 egg carrot cake. Once.

(2) I've met and hung with Garth Brooks on several occasions. Through various radio gigs I had the fortune or misfortune to meet hundreds of bands, singers, songwriters. One of the strangest gigs was introducing The Blind Boys of Alabama. The promoter for the event escorted me to the 'green room' to meet the boys before the show. He promptly left me there alone with the band. Picture this: 5 blind guys scattered around the room quietly mumbling to themselves. KFC bones and scraps littered the floor. These guys are really blind. I awkwardly introduced myself to the boys and tried to force a little conversation but it didn't go far. Finally, one of the boys, who must have been 70-75 years old piped up..."let's get this mess on"! Translation: Show me to the stage so I can hurry up and go home.

(3) I once rode an elephant into the circus ring. You have to grab them by the ears and step on their knee and hoist yourself up. There's really nothing to hang on to. I didn't really enjoy that but pretended to just the same.

(4) I spent 24 hours on a raft in December - live on the radio raising money for the YMCA. The raft featured a porti-potti and a nice view of the river. I also spend 12 hours on a cold windy November day 80 feet up in cherry picker broadcasting live with just a bucket to pee in. I did lots of dumb things.

(5) Back in university a buddy challenged me to date a different girl every night for a whole month (I remember it was March 1982...31 dates in 31 days). This guy is now a pastor. I still take his advice.

(6) My 2nd and 3rd toes on both feet are partially webbed. I know, that sounds freaky. I won't bother to insert a photo today. Someday though if there's enough interest. I never grow tired of hearing how fast I must be able to swim and why didn't your parents fix that when you were a baby. People, really. They're just toes.

I'm not going to tag anyone. The party ends here - unless you want to share something about yourself as a comment. Feel free.

Maritime Island Hopping

2008-10-14T15:47:00.012-03:00

Cape Breton Island is a wild and magical place this time of year. Autumn’s blush is amazing…as far as the eye can see. We celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday with a quick trip to Celtic Colours. Chris & Jon were invited to play in the Great Hall of the Clans at the Gaelic College in St Anns located at the head of the world famous Cabot Trail. I’ve got a bucket load of great memories to process. Meantime, a few photos for you:

My niece Meredith married a very nice young man on Saturday in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Here are a few shots from around the city:

Blue House

2008-10-04T10:21:00.008-03:00

We live in an area that was settled 400 years ago. Our house is over 125 years old. It features a gorgeous dirt basement with raw cut granite stone foundation (that's true...and supposed to be funny), wonky wooden floors (some floor boards measure over 18" wide - which is pretty cool) and 9 foot ceilings - even on the 2nd floor). Just the same, our old house is lovely and functional for our needs. I think, if we ever decide to renovate, I would install a urinal making things easier for the 5 of us males in residence.

For months I have whined about painting the house. I am just about done with it now and am posting a few photos. I have to install the window boxes above the porch...and paint a couple of little things. So, really...I'm not done. Not officially.

This old house was white with blue trim when we bought it in 1996. We painted it "Daisy Chain" yellow in 1998. Hard to believe it's been 10 years and 2 babies since the last coat of paint. Now, it's a blue house with cream and green trim. It's all subtle and groovy.

I know. I hear you...what does this post have to do with running? It's my start and finish line...and where I launder my running shorts, re-charge my iPod and carbo-load.

Have a good weekend.

Sailing

2008-09-29T16:42:00.013-03:00

Sailing wrapped up last Thursday at the Lunenburg Yacht Club. This was my third season as crew with John. I don't qualify as a true sailor - I still don't know how these guys read the wind on the water - but they do. It's really an amazing skill.

It was a fun season even though we didn’t win any fancy trophies this year. Lots of great memories aboard Bad Blue J and here are a few shots of our last night out. Props to crewmates Colin, Graham and Rob, the girls who tagged along (thanks to Colin) and the boys who were a great help – Jonny, Chris and Zech. Lots of love to slap-happy skipper John. Beware the backhand. It's deadly.

Before you look at these random photos, consider some of these fun nautical terms:
“beating to windward”, “bear off”, “close reach”, “tell-tales”, “traveler”, “luff up”, “lee”, “leeward”, “downhaul”, “spreaders”, “big ease”, “getting headed”.

Celtic Colours

2008-09-23T13:39:00.002-03:00

It was good that Chris took the call because I got to watch his face light up with delight. It was Yvette calling to invite the guys to play at Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton.

Chris and Jonathan have been selected along with 19 other young Celtic musicians, dancers, vocalists and groups to appear on The Archie Neil Stage in the Gaelic College’s Great Hall in St. Ann’s. The gig is Monday, October 13th at 4pm. This is North America’s largest celebration of all things Celtic and it happens right here in Nova Scotia.

Celtic Colours was named the “Top Event in Canada” last year by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, as well as East Coast Music Association “Event of the Year” for the fourth straight year. The festival had visitors from 25 countries and generated over $5 million in economic impact into Cape Breton Island.

Cape Breton Island is a world-class vacation destination. Travel + Leisure magazine named Cape Breton “The best island to visit in the continental United States and Canada” in the 2008 World’s Best Awards readers’ survey. The turning leaves, the music and culture will make for a great family trip.

Over 9 days, this year's Festival will see a focus on the relationships between the various Celtic Cultures of the world. Celtic Colours will host artists from all over Canada, the U.S., Ireland, Wales, Denmark, France, Spain, Cuba and Scotland. Scotland’s Angus Lyon & Ruaridh Campbell will be there. Ruaridh (pronounced Rory) is the brother to Jonathan’s fiddle teacher Eilidh (pronounced Eh-Lee). Eilidh immigrated to Canada a couple of years ago after playing all over the world.

I don’t know if you’ll recognize any of these names: Rita MacNeil, J.P. Cormier, Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland, Beolach, Men of the Deeps, Ashley MacIsaac. Then, there’s Gordie Samson who wrote, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood. Gordie is an amazing artist in his own right.

Even though my family name is of Irish descent and V’s family name is/was Scottish, we don’t much consider ourselves “Celtic” in any formal sense. Living in Nova Scotia though, it’s tough to deny the connection. It’s a proud heritage. I’m proud of Chris and Jonathan for working so hard and landing this opportunity. The kids play a mix of material and most of it just happens to be Celtic oriented. I think they’ll fit in just fine! Cusack Boys

Heard of the Cape Breton “5 Senses”? Sing, Play, Laugh, Party, Dance! I’m looking forward to experiencing all of that.

Celtic Colours

Out Of The Fog

2008-09-22T06:52:00.005-03:00

Ever feel like you’ve just awakened from a long dream? I spent Sunday afternoon with my family romping on Rissers Beach. Goofing around with the football, tossing Ella (dog) a stick into the surf, and generally lazing about with kids brought me out of long fog. I realize that my focus has been narrowed for some time. Experiencing the wider world roused me from, what feels like, a long restless sleep. That’s why vacations bring about a sense of renewal I guess. Even, 3 or 4 hour super-mini-vacations that take you 15 minutes from home…into LaHave Bakery for a coffee so as to drink on the beach.It felt right to spend the last day of summer at the oceans edge. Although some might think we live quiet and simple lives, V and I have learned that there are too many spoilers out there that rob us of quality time with the kids. We are a busy family that seems to run short of time to relax as a family. Thankfully, I’m smart enough to see it and brave enough to want to do something about it.

I’m no control freak. Honestly, I am pleased that my kids are gaining some independence and that they are willing to take off on their bikes with friends for a few hours. I’m glad they have friends. And, I’m no super-parent that is constantly there for the boys at every turn as servant and playmate. Sometimes, I really dislike them and their whining about this and that. You know what it’s like if you have kids.

I just want to do a good job and most days it is real hard work. It’s painful and thankless. And, I don’t do much at all. Victoria handles 99% of everything for everyone in the house. No wonder she’s 99% burned out. It’s clear to me.

I’m half thinking of another family road trip over Christmas. Some place warm.

Fresh Paint

2008-09-13T11:39:00.002-03:00

It's not completely finished but I thought I'd post one photo for you. V and I started painting the house back in May and we're just wrapping it up. What a bunch of work. The stories I could tell...of hornets and wasps, ants, rot and repair.

Too bad it'll soon be too cold to sit out and enjoy the view of the river.

Have a super weekend.

Steam Roller

2008-09-11T15:18:00.003-03:00

It made me feel all-powerful but…driving a steam roller is more challenging than you’d guess. The steering is a bit tricky and those two big wheels don’t move as easily as you’d expect them to. Fun? You bet! Who hasn’t wanted to drive a steam roller?

My company has just moved into new digs. It’s an awesome new location right on the highway. The paving crew left their steam roller in the way so I volunteered to move it around. I guessed at how to get the thing running…turn the key, pull a lever and presto. Only one tiny mishap – I ran into a parking curb – just nicked it. No real damage done. I got a wet butt because the seat had soaked up a bunch of rain...I only wish I had video proof for you. For now, these photos will have to do.

PS…I ran a few K the other day. First time in months. No pain…no ill effects. I’m loading my iPod and hope to get out again tomorrow.

Take care.

Summer & Christmas

2008-09-02T12:30:00.007-03:00

Summer is just like Christmas - slow coming, and over in a hurry. I’m sad to say good-bye to summer for all of the obvious reasons. Mostly, I feel like there is so much left undone when it comes to the kids; 8 year old Sam needs some bike rides, 5 year old Ben is near ready to learn to ride a ‘two-wheel’ bike, 11 year old Jon and 13 year old Chris need me to go ‘dirt jumping’ with them – head to the shale pit and build jumps and ramps. Most of all they need me around to affirm them. Kids, especially boys, need affirmation from their father as much as they need love and hugs from their mom. I’ve been on the edge of too busy all summer.

So, I’m sad to say good-bye to my favourite season but there is some good time left. September is probably my favourite month of the year – fresh breeze, turning leaves, cooler temps and a routine that comes with school. And, friends return from wherever they’ve been – cottage, holidays and so there’s a reunion of sorts.

Frankly, I haven’t really been to the beach since Mother’s Day. That’s not quite accurate – I did show ShoreTurtle and RedHead Fangirl how foggy and dark it can be at Hirtles Beach.

Carter’s Beach is one of the most amazing stretches of sand anywhere in Nova Scotia - this is about 40 minutes from my back door. Take a look at these pictures taken by my friend Janice. Wish I could plunk down and sleep on the sand for a week. Next summer, I will.

Now That I Have A Minute

2008-08-22T16:48:00.002-03:00

I’ve been making the time for all sorts of things, , I’ve been so busy. I’m not sure where to begin this update so I’ll start with what’s up, right now. V is away with the boys for a few days so I am left to my own devices. Sometimes, I’m prone to doddle when the ‘supervisor’ is away. Ha. I’ve got a big push on though to finish up the painting project. The house is nearly complete and I will post a few photos upon when I’m done. I’m fussing with the front now; cutting in the trim and working on the storm windows.

Perhaps that’s a new one on you; storm windows. My house is old and still has the original windows with the ‘storms’. I’ve removed the storm windows to paint them and now forget which windows they came off of – dummy me. Last time I painted the house I labelled all the storms so I’d know where they belonged. I’m not getting any smarter. The best part about the old windows in my house? The old leaded glass is so distorted that I don’t need drapes or blinds! Okay, okay. I’m joking…a bit.

Got the wood stove in a few weeks ago. 6 cord of maple to churn through this winter…3 cord piled…another 3 waiting. I hope to not burn much oil at all. It’s just too expensive with the old house – I’m talking ‘thousands…and thousands’.

I’ve loaded a few tunes on the boys’ at www.myspace.com/cusackboys Note, I'm too lazy to add a proper link so you'll have to copy and paste to your browser. They recorded a week ago – straight off the floor – some of it in one take. It’s nothing fancy at all. Call it a springboard to help launch other things – gigs, etc. There’s seed money in form of grants, etc available that they can tap into to put a ‘real’ recording together. They’re working on it.

Jon will turn 11 next Saturday, the 30th. He will go to public school this year – Grade 6. Chris will be in Grade 8. It’s amazing how they grow up. Ben will be 6 in November. Sam’s 9th birthday is in February. Sam and Ben will homeschool again. I’m getting a little misty without them around. Can you tell? (Sort of...but not so bad).

Anyhow, I’m still busy as ever with my job. Our company is moving to a new location in a week or so - actually closer to home by about 1 K. There will be a shower in the new place so I hope to run to and from work.

I’ve been biking to work lately and my legs feel like crap. It’s punishing – all uphill to the office – oh, the pain. Of course, it’s downhill all the way home. I was running a little late this morning so I took off with my bagel in hand…pedalling up the road. It’s not easy to eat a bagel and ride a bike at the same time…uphill.

Enough for the moment. I’ll be back. Just so you know, I have a plan to start running again in a few weeks. I will make a comeback.

Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival

2008-08-07T16:55:00.006-03:00

Here's a link to hear the young fiddlers at the Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival. This was posted on our local newspaper's website. You catch a quick glimpse of Chris on mandolin right off the start. He's wearing the fedora.

Jonathan is playing with the fiddlers. Their teachers are leading - Paul on keys and Eilidh on fiddle. This is a cool little summary of the festival. Lots of fog. Here's the vid link: Wooden Boat Festival

Chris and Jon played their own set later in the day...it went very well with lots of fun.

Tonight through Sunday, the kids are warming the crowd as they enter the Main Tent at the Annual Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg! It's a last minute gig. Best part is they get passes to all the events and shows...even Victoria gets to go! They are excited.

Meantime, I'm home painting and stacking wood. Some fun eh?

Reunion

2008-08-05T11:22:00.003-03:00

It was good to get away. Victoria is the youngest of 9 kids and her mom is 86 I think. We travelled to the Moncton area for a quick overnight visit with her family. They are great people, really. With a last name like McPhee, you know there are some characters. Not just one. Some.

Victoria is the first to tell you that the family grew up with few material things. Times were tough and challenging but they pulled through. They love each other.

One of the cool things they did for Florence was a little song called "Coat of Many Colours". It's a Dolly Parton tune as I'm sure you know. At any rate, Florence made dozens of quilts over the years out of scraps of material and the song pretty much fits with their lifestyle in growing up rural south-central New Brunswick, Canada.

In this clip: Susan on the left, Eliz on keys, Vic on mandolin. I love Florence's reaction...especially when she says "Oh my soul"!

Theme was 'Wearing of the Plaids" so that's why everybody is wearing something plaid...otherwise you'd probably think they were koooky (well, you might anyway...and that's fine too). The oldest brother is Ken and he is wearing the kilt. The fabric is 'Nova Scotia tartan'.

Cheers!

Primer

2008-07-29T21:53:00.002-03:00

One of the guys from work told me the new paint color on my house looked like primer. Not familiar with ‘primer’? It’s the flat base coat that is typically applied to metal before the top coat is added. Here in Atlantic Canada there are many vehicles painted with primer. It’s due to the salty winter roads and the ill effect on exposed metal.

While on the topic of vehicles I must confess my great surprise upon moving to Nova Scotia 12 years ago. There are half ton trucks galore sporting hand-crafted wooden boxes or decks. Rusted out truck boxes give way to pressure-treated lumber. Wears like iron...without the rust.

Meantime, back on the extension ladder, I’m doing okay. I’ve been hard at the house for a couple of months now – mainly evenings , early mornings before work and weekends. I’m happy with the progress but am tiring of the process. It’s painful.

Our house is at least 125 years old. There’s a bit of clapboard on the front but it’s mainly old cedar shingles. There’s been a lot of scraping, priming, painting and re-painting. I’ve had to do some repair work too…tear old some old rotten wood and add new. I’m handier than I guessed possible.

It’s a workout you know. Up and down the ladder, moving the darn thing, balancing on it, reaching, poking and the like. A lot of me aches when I finish at night. And, I’ve never taken so many showers to clean off.

Victoria is a great help. She really is. This is clearly not my project. She’s got her share of paint stains – all over – including her hair. She’s a bit young for blue hair but it strangely suits her.

The last time I painted the house it took me 3 years to get all round the house. We had babies all over the place and I didn’t seem to have the time I do now. I’m certainly no more efficient.

One of the cool things about painting is that there is time to think on the ladder. I consider all sorts of stuff. One thing I realized tonight is that the main house color looks like primer without the trim color to set it off. “Blue Boy” without “Mango Mask” looks just like old grey primer. Would you believe the third color is called “Self Help”? I didn’t pick the colors based on name alone. Just so you know.

Pictures will be posted at the end of the project. Sometime this summer.

First Place!

2008-07-18T10:38:00.005-03:00

This is first and foremost a ‘running blog’. I haven’t blogged much about running lately because I haven’t been running lately. I vow to get back at it. What’s funny is I still consider myself a runner. That’s sort of a lie I suppose, at least for now.

Running has been pushed aside for other important summer things like playing in a couple of bands, following my kids around with their music, meetings, work, painting the house and sailing.

This is my second year crewing on the Bad Blue J out of the Lunenburg Yacht Club on Herman’s Island, NS. John S. is the skipper - known for being more than direct and prone to whacking me when I screw up. Last night we won the race and the series!

Here’s some of the email chatter:

“What a finish. First for the night and first for the series. We rumbled by the fish (boat name), stuck it to the Pooh (another boat name), and left the Scotch (yet, another boat name) in the mist. As for Topaz (one more boat name), they were no match for the blue blo..... oops the Bad Blue J with the fearless skipper and very talented crew. We could be compared with Ahab and his crew, wait a minute they went mad, the boat sunk and they all died. This is a whale of a tale.”

Rob W

*****

"Good job…those swats and swear words were worth it…but not the swamping ride back to the dock. I’m holding a grudge on that front. I say we douse the skipper with 50 gallons of Gatorade."

Robb C (me)

*****

"Good team guys.

I push you all so we win. I promise to give credit when it is due and last night we won due to the teams' credit.

Keep your head into what's happening on the boat, learn from your mistakes, think 5 moves ahead, don't piss off the skipper and don't sit in the front of the tender if you don't like getting wet (4 in the front and 1 in the back makes for a wet ride; another lesson learned I hope).

Words to live (sail) by.

Thanks again guys for the good effort. Let's try and wrap up the series win next Thurs.

Men will do anything for a shinny cup (trophy). Most likely dates back to the search for the Holy Grail."

John S

What a bunch. You know we have fun. Good work Colin, Graham, Rob, John!

Maritime Fiddle Festival

2008-07-10T11:19:00.006-03:00

I don’t take much vacation or get away with V and the boys very often. My line of work keeps me tied up all summer long. So, my heart rate bumped up there a bit in booking the Ramada Park Plaza Hotel with the fancy pool and 105’ waterslide. I knew the boys would love that!

We spent most of the weekend in Halifax at the 59th Maritime Fiddle Festival, Canada’s longest running fiddle contest. My little Jonny competed in the 10 – 12 age group category and both he and Chris were entered in the Novelty Class. I have some video but it’s terribly out of focus and the sound is pathetic so I won’t trouble to upload it.

Nope, the boys didn’t win any trophies or cash. Let me just tell you, there were some good fiddlers there. You know me well enough by now that I am not prone to serving up too much negative mush. My only complaint, being new to the event, is that there was little or no orientation for newbs.

Plenty of volunteers – clearly visible wearing crisp matching t-shirts…but were busy among themselves being…busy. I’m not a shy person and so I asked for help. My issue is that somebody should have initiated contact with us (or at least handed us a package with a FAQ Sheet) - taken a minute to smile, say hello, welcome and ask us if there was anything we needed. I was shocked, quite honestly, at how stuffy and self-serving it all appeared to be - quite opposite from what I expected from a ‘fiddle contest’. There’s a touch of irony there my friend.

I emailed the organizers this morning and suggested that I would prefer to be part of the solution. I got a nice note back, so there is some good dialogue. I don’t think we’ll go back though. Meantime, Jon and Chris’ music teachers emailed to say they were pleased to hear that the boys didn’t fit in! I’m pleased too. And, therein lies the lesson and value for me.

Other than the waterslide at the hotel, the highlight was the $250. the kids made in less than 2 hours…busking on the Halifax waterfront. Here are some sunny pics for you!

Birthdays & Stuff

2008-07-03T10:29:00.009-03:00

Chris turned 13 on June 29th. We hosted a bunch of young yahoos for an over-nighter – which was fun and challenging. Everyone survived. All the boys at my house are good.

I’ve been trying to paint our old yellow house blue. Scraping and priming old worn cedar shingles is no picnic in the park. There are several other battle fronts – the weather, time, selecting the right shade of blue, re-selecting and re-selecting the right shade of blue. Ugh. I’ve got one side almost done. I'll add a few photos sometime.

The boys were just little the last time we painted. Now, Victoria is available to help. She’s a great painter. We hope to be finished by the end of August.

The kids are in Halifax today. Chris and Jonathan are involved in the 59th Annual Maritime Fiddle Festival. There are workshops, competitions and concerts through Sunday. We don’t know what to expect from this – never been to one of these functions. The boys will have fun.

Tuesday, July 1st was Canada Day. Here are a few photos for you. Hope you're having a great summer!

Chance Meeting

2008-06-24T12:27:00.005-03:00

ShoreTurtle emailed to say he was heading to Nova Scotia. I tried to persuade him to stay home. I explained that it would be foggy, rainy and that we were still buried hip-deep in snow. He didn’t bite.

Last evening, Victoria and I were so pleased to entertain the ‘Americans’ from New Jersey - ShoreTurtle
and Redhead Fangirl! I probably don’t have to tell you this but you should know: They are super people; fun, thoughtful and altogether loveable. It was a meeting akin to a reunion of old friends.

What’d we do? Well, we met at 6pm at Mahone Bay’s Mug & Anchor Pub with a round of Keiths followed closely by mussels, salad, pan-fried haddock, scallops and the like. It was a lovely warm summer evening for dinner on the 2nd floor patio. The famous “Three Churches”, yachts bobbing in the bay, osprey and black-winged gulls swirling – a Nova Scotia postcard perfect evening with friends.

I knew the fog would be in. Regardless, we piled into the RobbRunner mobile and skirted through Mader’s Cove, Sunnybrook, Prince’s Inlet over to Lunenburg and later Blue Rocks. You couldn’t see your hand for the fog. Oh well.

We wound along through First South, Rose Bay and Kingsburg to Hirtle’s Beach. We actually got out to touch and feel the sand. Too damp and foggy. No fun at all (I warned them…but oh, now, they had to see it for themselves). Reloaded and headed through Riverport, Upper LaHave, Dayspring and into Bridgewater – over to the house for a visit. In came the boys and we fired up the music. Sam on piano, Chris on guitar and Jon on Fiddle (Ben pounding drums).

ShoreTurtle and Redhead Fangirl are my kind of people - typical of the larger running community. I am so glad they could visit with us.

Speed & Endurance

2008-06-12T09:48:00.004-03:00

The days go ripping by. I did get one run in this week. I've put my efforts on the back burner and have been letting my kids lead. They are the busy ones.

It will be good to be through with the school year. Chris and Jon have been playing at least 2 gigs a week. It's awesome to see them come alive. Here's something from last night for you. It was the final school variety show and the boys closed out the night with a wicked medley. The second set (encore) is a set they refer to as the 'old jigs'.

It's a dark video, the sound is not as clear as it could be but it serves to provide a peek at something pretty cool.

After the show I confessed to Jonathan that I feared the wheels were going to come flying off...that they worked through that so fast that I thought they might blow up! He said, "dad, I had another gear left". You can keep up with the kids at www.myspace.com/cusackboys Have a great weekend.

Widgets

2008-06-06T10:33:00.003-03:00

It was the Clock Widget. I added that icon when I started this new blog a couple of months ago. The header was “Now Is The Time”…remember that thing? Anyhow, it’s gone now.

As habit, I use Internet Explorer. When I typed in the URL via Safari I could see that my blog did truly exist. Crazy! The Clock Widget, however, was missing so that let me to believe that it could be the source of trouble. I logged into Blogger through Safari, went to “My Layout”, and under “Edit”, deleted the Clock Widget. Deleting it was the fix!

So, all the excitement is over folks. You can go home now, the fire’s out. Thanks for all the email. Special thanks to Jeff. His comment prompted me to look outside the box.

So what else is new? Last weekend, Victoria was a Bridesmaid in Neighbour Sarah’s wedding. It was one of the most beautiful and grand ceremonies that I have ever witnessed, held at Manning Memorial Chapel at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The ceremony was about an hour which felt especially long to my Neil Young-esque sons.The reception was held in The Garden Room (also known as an Orangerie) in the K C Irving Environmental Science Centre. What a beautiful room! Congratulations to Sarah & John.

Test

2008-06-05T07:10:00.004-03:00

This blog, for some reason, seems to have disappeared. This is a test post. I wonder what is going on. Other blogs seem to be available. Maybe I did something to it. Okay, I'm posting this as a test.

Later,

Robb

**********

6:51pm

Spent the day (not entirely of course. I do have a job.) thinking about this and poking around for an answer. I'm not sure why I can't see my blog. Every computer I check throws up at me suggesting "Address Not Valid" with this link: http:///?up_color=blue&mid=1

I'm sent an email to blogger, read and re-read the forum stuff on such things. Maybe someone flagged my innocent little blog as dangerous and offensive? I am confused.

Anyhow, this has been a weird day. Maybe it will magically re-appear in the morning.

I hope so.

Robb

I Think It's Funny

2008-05-30T15:23:00.003-03:00

Chris’ school jazz band held it’s Spring Concert this week. The lady beside me won one of the door prizes - two live lobsters in a shoe box.

And, the band was tight!

Victoria

2008-05-23T16:08:00.004-03:00

Victoria turned 40 this week. We had a fairly small and quiet celebration which is just the way she wanted it. Ironically, when V’s friends turned 40 she was right in the thick of planning massive and fun surprise parties. She didn’t want the same treatment at all. She’s not much of a blog reader so I doubt she’ll see this – but I wonder if she wasn’t half-disappointed that people didn’t create a big fuss about it. I probably would have been.

She says it’s a non-issue so I believe her. That’s one of her amazing qualities – she will do everything possible for someone else and cares little if she ever receives acknowledgement or favour returned.

I bought her a fine butterfly necklace. She is truly a beautiful creature – delicate, light and fragile like a butterfly but with the vision, fortitude and stamina of an eagle. Go figure.

photo: tatyveli

Happy Birthday Victoria.

Mother's Day at Rissers Beach

2008-05-12T15:05:00.003-03:00

Behold Our Leader

2008-05-06T09:18:00.002-03:00

Premier Rodney MacDonald wants David Lettermen to bring the “Late Night” to Nova Scotia. This clip is a few months old now but still fun to watch. I bet Sarah will dig this! Dave will not bring the show to NS but he may visit himself someday.

The Premier is an accomplished player. Here he is sans the tie.

Fiddle and piano or fiddle, guitar, piano and pipes – there are dozens of variations on the theme but the music is heard every weekend in small town community halls. Some refer to it as the ‘music of Cape Breton’. It’s not only music but dance…step dancing and highland dance. It is not everywhere but it is an important piece of the history of Nova Scotia something that has been nurtured for at least 200 years.

Who are some of the more popular Nova Scotia musicians you may know? I won’t list off the names because it would take too long. How about 2 or 3? Anne Murray, Hank Snow, Sarah McLachlan, The Cusack Boys. Ha!

Don'ts & Buts

2008-05-05T16:46:00.000-03:00

I don’t…

write enough.

keep up with my friends the way I should.

know what to get my wife for her 40th birthday.

run enough.

read to the boys near as often as I should.

play with the kids when they ask.

stand tall when I should.

But I am…

aware of my shortcomings.

willing to change.

prepared to do more, more often.

hopeful and happy just the same.

Katie's Kitchen Party

2008-04-22T11:56:00.003-03:00

A “Kitchen Party” is a traditional Atlantic Canadian social gathering. There is always food and music shared with neighbours and friends. Our family got to share in Katie’s Kitchen Party the other night. Here’s a little slice for you.

Chris and Jon are in the mix. There must have been a dozen kid fiddlers, 3 guitarists, pipers and drummers galore. Such an excellent time.

6 Word Memoir

2008-04-15T15:58:00.002-03:00

Sarah tagged me with the 6 word memoir virus. I believe that all of my friends have done this and therefore I won’t spread it any further. The buck stops here. Feel the power? And, being the party pooper that I am I will not bother with articles 3, 4 and 5. I figure that my last post sort of covers item number 2. Just the same, here is the challenge:

1) Write a six word memoir
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links
5) Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

My Memoir: Live With All of My Heart

I have been working this out for a couple of weeks. I can’t tell you how many times a phrase would come to mind and I would be seen counting my fingers. Anyhow, for those of you who have tried this you know what I’m getting at. It is tough. It was fun.

36,000 Words

2008-04-12T15:59:00.002-03:00

Less "i"

2008-04-10T16:21:00.006-03:00

Back in late 70’s there were just 3 guys in Miss Laventure’s high school typing class. I cut my teeth on an old Underwood Touch-Master 5. I don’t think any amount of time will erase the clack-clacking of keys, the ding of the bell and the throwing of the carriage. I could punch out 60 words-per-minute. Back in the day, in order to fix typos, one had to use a type-eraser or white-out. There was no backspace key and no spell check. Times were tough.

I can no longer see the letters “e”, “a” and “s” on my computer keyboard at work. Not only is the text or “letters” missing, the plastic keys appear to be washed smooth like pebbles refined by a constant wash of ocean waves. It’s weird. I must drag my left hand across those keys in peculiar fashion. Over-pronating?

I am going to start pawing a little harder on the “i” key. Scratching out more “i” and focusing more on “u”. I am very grateful these days for my wife and family and my growing circle of friends.

The Richest Blessing Of All

2008-04-08T16:34:00.000-03:00

Tonight I will visit my friend David. I can’t wait for him to unpack the details of the trip to NYC. Despite the fact that I could not go along I really feel a warm part of the group of guys I call ‘my brothers’. There have been several exciting group emails that have circulated today. My friends are on fire.

These are normal guys and these are extraordinary guys who chose to sacrifice their own personal time, comfort level and safety to help the hopeless and homeless – regular patrons at the Bowery Mission. Sounds risky eh? And, that’s precisely what is missing today for so many of us – guys especially. We dismiss the element of risk and live a life of ‘risk management’ and self-preservation.

Ultimately, for me, every time I step forward to help I end up receiving the richest blessing of all. Next year...I'm going!

Bumps In The Road

2008-04-03T13:24:00.003-03:00

I do not dare reveal too much detail. I should be leaving for New York City this afternoon but I am not. Truth is, I’m just too important at work to be afforded the time. I may sound bitter but I’m not so much anymore. I am through the initial stage of anger and disappointment – my pot having quietly boiled over. I have some peace.

The worst part is that I feel I have let my buddies down. I’m sure I have. Thankfully, David can step in and cover for me. I’ll miss you boys. You know I’d rather be with you. Every thing happens for a reason. I'll work it out during a long run.

Diamonds

2008-03-19T13:12:00.005-03:00

It was another one of those ridiculous early mornings. It all began with Ben at 2:20am. He pulled along side my bed and ordered; “go in my bed with me”. Ben, at 5, is irresistible even in the middle of the night. He was back to sleep within 10 minutes and I wasn’t.

I rolled out and hauled into my running gear. Ella got up with me and we wandered downtown to the bank machine. There’s a certain stillness that is only available in the dead centre of night. It was cold at -11 C / 12 F. The moon was high - nearly complete over the river. I envisioned a spawn of a zillion migrating herring. I couldn’t help but croak out Bruce Cockburn's “All The Diamonds” from 1973.

All the diamonds in this world
That mean anything to me
Are conjured up by wind and sunlight
Sparkling on the sea

I ran aground in a harbour town
Lost the taste for being free
Thank God He sent some gull-chased ship
To carry me to sea

Two thousand years and half a world away
Dying trees still grow greener when you pray

Silver scales flash bright and fade
In reeds along the shore
Like a pearl in sea of liquid jade
His ship comes shining
Like a crystal swan in a sky of suns
His ship comes shining.

Cookville 7
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Back At It

2008-03-17T11:57:00.005-03:00

The north wind was cranky and bitter at 4am. It was not the coldest of mornings, somewhere around -7 C or about 20 F without the wind chill factored in. My hands never did warm up. It was one of those runs where the best part was finishing up. Only one barking dog and a bunch of log trucks headed to the Oakhill sawmill.

Oakhill
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I’m stiff because it’s been a couple of months since I cranked out a decent 10K run. This has been a rough winter and I just could not string together much inspiration. Boy, looking back over the past few years, this has been the worst winter for running yet. I don’t understand how Victoria managed to run 6 days a week. How did she do that?

I am here to say that I’m ready to start again and so I will. Life is one beginning after another so I will recommit and go at it…again. Curses! I was in decent shape last year at this time!

I heard a great quote today: “Hope is to the soul as breath is to the body…too many of us have been holding our breath far too long!” John Eldredge

Life is a Highway

2008-03-15T11:40:00.006-03:00

I relate well to the imagery of the open road. One of my new favourite expressions is “For every mile of road there’s a mile of ditch”. Plain, simple, yet sprinkled with a breath of caution. One day I know I'll use this one when my kids tell me they’re heading out on some crazy adventure. Every highway is like an open invitation. Every stretch is different: rough, wide, narrow, hilly, snow-packed, fog- shrouded, dark, lonesome, winding, forgotten, treacherous or all of the aforementioned. Faith will get you through. Step forward. What will you discover?

The Seahorse

2008-03-12T07:15:00.005-03:00

Halifax is one of the most vibrant cities in North America. It’s a salty old place founded in 1749 by the British. The rich history of the place nips at your heels in old Halifax. It’s just a plain cool place to be.

“Why’s it so dark in here?” quizzed Jonny. “People over 19”, I replied, “like listening to music in the dark”. The kids were relaxed as usual and cranked out a quick 10 minute medley. Jon pulled off the under-the-leg fiddle trick again and drew a roar of approval. Sadly, we couldn’t stay long due to provincial regs regarding under-age performers in Nova Scotia. Obviously, the rules are there for good reason. There will be other times down the line. Music Nova Scotia people were excellent. I am glad we are part.
A highlight for me was connecting with fellow bloggers and Blue Nose Marathoners MamaScarlet and Riceman. Guys, I know you understand that we had to bail but I wish we could have sat and hung a little longer. Mama is a busy homeschooling mom who was there with a girlfriend sharing a huge plate of nachos…I stole one off the plate and can now claim to have had dinner with MamaScarlet. Thanks for showing up and for your support. Great to finally meet you!

Rice, same thing buddy. I know I’ll see you again soon.

Nothing Is Mundane

2008-03-10T15:20:00.000-03:00

There is always something going on so my life is never dull. Honestly, I never have time to think about whether I’m bored or not. There is too much to see and do. Some may argue with me.

Tuesday night, Chris & Jon will play the The Seahorse Tavern in Halifax. It’s a Music Nova Scotia event – an open mic meet/greet that is sure to be anything but mundane. Normally, I do not drag my young children off to a tavern or pub but this is sort of an exceptional opportunity. I’ve had to sign a waiver as they are underage.

They’ll play a couple of medleys and that will be that. A little taste of stage and lights tends to buoy them up for weeks. It’s “March Break” so the timing couldn’t be better as Chris is off school this week. I’ll take my camera along and see if I can snap a couple pics to post here.

So It Goes

2008-03-07T10:54:00.000-04:00

I felt cornered like a mouse in a drawer so I tore it all down. Yup. Down came the blog that I hosted for 3 years and with it bits and pieces of my training log, photos of my children and anecdotes of life and of lessons learned on the fly. Life can slip away just as quickly you know. I didn’t save any of those old posts (mind you, I have photos on my computer and on www.flickr.com). I’m okay with that. Best part is that, through the old blog, I made dozens of terrific friends. Thanks guys…for all the encouraging email.

So, I’m back. I’m different and I am excited because I feel that the breaking down of the old will give rise to something fun and new. And, so it goes.

And, it’s like deciding on a baby name. It is. I picked Legs & Wings because I’m a runner and I can’t help but write about my 4 growing boys as they test their wings in the world.

Welcome. I hope you like it here.