Fleetwood Mac

One week to go and it seems like it will be hard to tie all the loose ends on some of my projects. I may need a way of responding to clients' needs while I'm on the road. Since my work files are all on Mac computers, my dinky little HP netbook just won't do. So although it's a big expense, I splurged on an 11" MacBook Air — OK, I've always wanted one, and it would make blogging so much easier. This big dent on my credit card is an elegant little machine, as powerful as my regular laptop but lighter than the plastic netbook. Anyway, I'll find a way for it to pay for itself somehow.

And oh, but just look at how well it goes with my cycling gear! :)

This is going to be the most technology I've packed on a bike trip. Aside from this computer. I'm taking portable hard drive, a Garmin Montana GPS, a good digital camera and a cellphone. It will be an interesting experiment on how much work I'm able to do while travelling, which could open up possibilities if I want to take off in the winter :)

Yesterday I packed up all my gear into the saddlebags and went for a good ride just to get feel for the loaded bike again. It always takes a bit of getting used to, and taking the cargo out for a spin brings back a bit of confidence on the road. I don't want a repeat of last year when I stepped out of San Diego Airport without having done any test runs, and got on the loaded rig for the first time in months coming out of winter. It was shaky getting out of the city and heading into the mountains on the first day.

I had to survey some trails in the outskirts of town for work so I extended my test run out to the gravel paths in the Greenbelt. The bike handles the weight really well with the new handlebars. Sweet!

"I'm gonna win (I'm gonna win),
I'm gonna beg, steal, or borrow...."

Get into the Groove

Last weekend I attended a wedding where I drank and danced more than I probably should have. It was the one big social commitment I had before leaving on my trip and it was good to let loose and let whatever hair I have left down for the night. Felt like the 80's for a moment :)

On to preparations and packing! Retrieving my gear from the various hidey holes I stashed them in brings some surprises ("Oh, that's where I put that") but all in all I have most of the stuff that I need. I'm trying to avoid going to the Money Extraction Centre across the street from my house where equipment envy will just tempt me to unnecessarily replace some perfectly functioning but aging gear.

I made a few adjustments to my bicycle. Memories of barreling downhill on the Rogers Pass or the Coquihalla with my hands cramping while gripping brakes on drop bars have taught me a lesson. I don't know why I haven't done it sooner, but it was only after last year's end of summer ride through the Adirondacks when I experimented with chopping my drop bars and flipping them downside up that convinced me to get proper bullhorn handlebars. It has definitely improved the comfort and handling of the bike, and the superior grip on the brake lever relies more on my larger fingers for stopping power. Bring on the mountains!

I've developed a standard packing list that I tweak depending on where I'm riding. On my last long ride through the desert I packed light on clothing — everything dried so quickly after washing each night that I could live with three outfits. This time I'm starting out in the rainforest and I'm expecting it to be cold and damp until (hopefully) I'm into the Rockies, so I'll go with five, plus some extra rain gear. I'm even bringing neoprene socks I use for kayaking which I'll wear with cycling sandals on the wettest days.

Things seem to be going well, but the excitement and anxiety of going away are still wearing me out!

Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

Last night I took the plunge, went online and bought a plane ticket to what could be considered the edge of the world — Sandspit, British Columbia. It was one of those moments when my cursor hovered over the purchase button for a long time before I finally said, "What the heck" and clicked. Now I gotta shape up, I have less than a month to prepare for this ride!

I had spent the past few days doing my business accounting to file my tax return by the 15th of June (I get extra time because I'm self-employed), and it was sobering. Last year revenues were down 30% plus I'm also faced with the reality that a major client is being restructured at the moment. Full effect of this won't be evident until a few months from now, after which I will probably have to market myself to new people. Ottawa, being the government town that it is, completely slows down for summer and no real decisions are made until the leaves start to turn colour in September. A perfectly bad storm. I could stick around and stress about it, or dip into some equity to get inspired and recharged for when it's time to jump into action.

With work at half load and the weather being erratic on the miserable side, last month I distracted myself by fixing up my long neglected front yard. I had lost a century-old elm tree to dutch elm disease several years ago, and I never got enough motivation to do any improvements after the garden was depressingly decapitated of its centrepiece. I let it lie fallow as wild violets and dandelions took over. So I unleashed my restless creativity on it and built a waterfall.

"Maybe the street's alight, maybe the trees are gone...

...From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song"

As I was building it, this song from a couple years ago came back to my head:

Despite being a big Coldplay fan, I remember not really liking that song when it came out, I thought it was a bit silly and childish. But after re-examining the lyrics it brings to mind how in the past decade — ever since since 9/11 and the financial crises — the western world has been living in constant paranoia and pessimism. It is about time we focused on the positive, to channel our energy towards creating happy things like waterfalls (and going on awesome bicycle adventures) instead of crying and constantly living in fear and doubt :)

"Maybe I'm in the black, maybe I'm on my knees

Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes

But my heart is beating and my pulses start

Cathedrals in my heart

As we saw, oh, this light

I swear, you emerge blinking into

To tell me it's alright

As we soar walls

Every siren is a symphony

And every tear's a waterfall"