A maple movie!

Rob and Chloe's Maple Syrup - Since 2009

This weekend, as I dipped my finger into delicious homemade maple syrup, still warm and subtly smokey from the fire on which it was boiled, I had a sweet revelation:

If you're always waiting for the 'perfect time' or 'perfect situation' to do something, you might just miss out on something sweet.

Let me explain. A few years ago, Rob and I decided that at some point in our lives we would make maple syrup. This idea didn't just come out of thin air. A few generations ago, Rob's great grandparents bought a piece of land on a lake in the Muskokas and started to build. Like his grandparents and parents, he grew up spending large parts of each year at this second home; the cottage. Family ties and cottage friendships that were forged generations ago remain strong and many traditions developed early are still recognized and enjoyed today.
For Rob, maple syrup from the sugar bush just down the road was synonymous with "the cottage". The big orange can with the drawing of the horse and log cabin with smoke billowing from the chimney and the man in the plaid coat that is impossible to pour without spilling...well, there was just nothing better, no taste that better defined what 'cottage' meant - sweet, simple and even better than you remembered it.
Which is why it was so sad when the owner and family friend, passed away....so sad when the sugar bush just sat idle that first year...and so sad when the realization that a piece of history, a piece of tradition had been laid to rest.

I didn't take long however before Rob started pondering the possibility of running that sugar bush himself...and that's when the dreaming began - one day, we would run that sugar bush. We would ask for permission to borrow the land and small cabin. We would live at the cottage and chop wood and collect sap and boil down and sugar off - we would live the perfect life for a few short weeks, maybe a month if we were lucky. One day we would run the sugar bush, one day we would make our own syrup . . .

But then years passed, seasons went by and still, not a drop of sap was harvested. I would still think about it, even talk about it regularly with Rob as we drove by the bush on the way to the cottage.....one day, I thought....we would run that sugar bush....when the time was right.

So when I retrned home from dog sledding and Rob said "I'm making maple syrup". I was totally confused. How? What? When did he ask for the land? We didn't have time to live up there for weeks right now? We didn't even know HOW to make mayple syrup.

But Rob was one step ahead - he had already borrowed, collected and scavenged everything we needed to run our very own backyard sugarin' operation - including the trees! He had already read 'Backyard Sugarin'' and had plans and materials for the construction of an evaporator to boil down the sap. He had even been given all the mason jars a guy could dream of from his mom and grandma to store the maple goodness!

In fact, he was already tapping trees around the place that he was working!

Sap was already flowing!


By the time I got my butt up north, there was already 1 cup of first sweet dark syrup in a mason jar in the fridge and 180L of sap waiting to be boiled down. Although that might not sound like much, it was quite the accomplishment for a solo backyard, first-time sugarer. Rob was on top of things in his make-shift sugar bush. Anything he didn't know, he would refer to the 'Backyard Sugarin'' book for. Just like that - a dream had become reality. I had made it just in time!


As we sat waiting for our last batch of the day to do it's finally rapid bubbly boil (after 12 hours I might add!) and as the sweet aroma of maple syrup began wafting from the pan, I couldn't help but be a little reflective.

It wasn't the way I had pictured it all coming together. Conditions weren't perfect - there was no picturesque cabin in the woods, no professional set up for the boiling off and no fancy means of collecting the sap. It wasn't in 'our' sugar bush - the one we had always pictured ourselves in and we didn't have weeks on end to spend in the forest.

I have to admit, if it was up to me, I would have still been waiting for the perfect time. I had put that future experience into a tidy little box, with such strict guidelines and regulations for success that it really would have been a miracle if we ever got a drop of sap, let alone syrup.

But there we were, the two of us, sitting in the warm sun on a beautiful spring day, the smell of wood smoke heavy in the air and just moments away from having our first real batch of our own maple syrup!

What I realized in that moment, was what a shame it would have been for us to keep waiting for that 'perfect spring' to embark on our maple syruping - the perfect time to bring the tradition back to life. Who knows when and if, it ever would have come. Instead, Rob thought outside of the box....or bush...just went for it....and the results were sweet!

He's started a new tradition, our tradition, and who knows where we'll be sugaring off next year!

mushing in the Yukon

When I was invited to go dog sledding last fall, my answer was a resounding YES! Besides one afternoon of sledding north of Toronto, I was a complete mushing rookie, but that didn’t cross my mind at all as I nodded my head and agreed to a month of dog sledding adventure in Canada’s far North, The Yukon.

It wasn’t until I was explaining the trip to someone else that the thought crossed my mind: I had never been dog sledding before. Details! Details! Besides, how hard could it be standing on the sled and yelling ‘MUSH’ ‘GEE’ ‘HAW’ (that’s ‘go’ ‘right’ and ‘left’ in dog sledding lingo!)?

The same people were concerned for my diabetic well-being at sub-zero temperatures. Would the pump freeze? Would the insulin freeze? Would my glucometer freeze? Would I freeze. My response was . . . “maybe! But I hope not!” Having never been to the far north in winter, I honestly had no idea what to expect. Okay, that’s a lie. I expected it to be dang cold. But didn’t really know what it would feel like, or exactly how all of my diabetes technology would stand up.

Undoubtedly, the upcoming adventure would be a challenge in many respects. But what’s an ‘adventure’ if there is no ‘challenge’? Besides, there was no turning back now, the ticket was booked - I was going dog sledding in the Yukon!

So I quickly got to work preparing myself the best way I know how – I GOOGLED IT! -“dog sledding diabetes”. And to my surprise, found a Type 1 diabetic Iditarod Musher by the name of Bruce Linton. I contacted him and sent a few emails back and forth with regards to what I should be thinking about before heading out on the winter trail. I had been put in touch with another diabetic musher from Golden, BC and got in touch with him too. When it came to cold weather and diabetes, I thought mountaineer Sebastien Sasseville might know a thing or two, so I fired an email off to him for good measure. This, combined with personal experience winter camping in Ontario and simple common sense, brought me to the following conclusions:

• Insulin will freeze at -40 – keep it warm, but not too warm.
  
• Infusion set tubing will freeze at -40. And the pump reservoir too.!
  
• Glucometers won’t work at sub-zero temps when the batteries get too cold. And if they do, don’t trust them.
  
• Keep hydrated. You’re less likely to drink in cold weather. Dehydration results in lower blood volume and therefore a higher concentration of blood sugar.
  
• Cold fingers are hard to milk for blood


• Just being in the cold burns more energy and therefore glucose – watch for lows.

Armed with this knowledge, I headed north! Before I knew it, I had my own team of dogs and was flying through the forest, the subtle ‘swish’ of the sled runners and muffled padding of dog paws on snow the only sounds. Each day brought new sights and adventures, mountains and valleys, forests and lakes. The beauty of the Yukon in winter- dramatic landscapes, big skies and the vastness of it all were breathtaking.

I was exposed to a whole new sport, way of travel, culture and of course the dogs!

Travelling and camping on the trail with 30 plus dogs was an experience in itself. When I am normally on the trail, human needs are first on the agenda – water, food and shelter. But when dog sledding, the dogs are feed, watered and bedded down before human care or consideration comes into play. And boy do they deserve it!

I was constantly amazed at the dog’s energy, drive and stamina as they pulled the sled (and me) over mountain passes, down deep valleys and across icy lakes. The dogs really do just live to run – ears up, tongues flapping, feet flying and glimmers of excitement in their eyes. They LOVE IT. However, contrary to my pre-mushing belief, it is not a free ride for the human team member. You are PART of the team and are often off the sled pushing up hills, holding back the weight of the sled down hills, throwing your weight around tight corners and jumping from runner to runner to maintain balance and keep the sled upright...or at least that’s the goal.

As the musher you are also in charge of keeping all your dogs happy, in their harnesses and attached to the main line. It sounds relatively easy. But I quickly got to know each dog’s personality, character and idiosyncrasies. Gravy always had to run on the right, Springer wore 4 booties and had a tendency to chew his neck line, Hawk got ticked off when Saucy ran too close to his side and Sugar liked to be the last one harnessed and put on the line. If these demands weren’t met ....well, all hell would break loose, harnesses would get chewed and fights would break out amongst furry friends. Best to keep the team happy!

And yep! It was cold alright. The icy bite of the air on some days turned my cheeks more pink with every passing mile, even under two face warmers and ski goggles!

On one particularly long mush across Lake Laberge, my hands became so cold that they turned into clutched claws around the handlebar of my sled. Upon our arrival to the cabins that night, it was all I could do to release them. I was totally unable to tie my dogs or do ANYTHING that required dexterity – luckily, I had people to take my dogs and was able to get to the wood stove inside quickly. There, the real pain began as my hands started the process of thawing. I realized the seriousness of my situation as I writhed in discomfort from the burning, throbbing and tingling. Keeping your hands warm is SO CRITICAL. Without them, you are completely unable to care for yourself or your dog team . . . there was no way I would have been able to test my blood sugars with frozen hands. Luckily, I was wearing a CGMS sensor, but even still....I didn’t have the dexterity to even extract my pump from all my layers, let alone press the buttons. Once in the cabin, I used a burning throbbing finger to press the buttons on my pump....2.6mmol/L!!! Maybe that was part of my problem?

Aside from getting ‘claw hands’, being wacked in the head by a few snowy low hanging branches, dragging on my stomach behind my sled and team through a few snow banks, letting one dog loose (he came back), ripping my pants (but not my leg) on a chainsaw and going up to my knees in slushy water overflow on a lake crossing – I made it through the whole month relatively unscathed and with NO diabetes-related emergencies!

I ended up carrying my glucometers in a pouch around my waist, under all of my layers. They still needed battery re-warming on most days, but functioned nonetheless. At the lodge or homestead, my insulin was kept either in a propane fridge or root cellar. While on the trail I kept it in a cooler with a hot water bottle – a divider between the insulin and the bottle to ensure it didn’t get too hot. At night, I would take it into the trapper’s cabin or wall tent (heated with a wood stove). I kept myself hydrated – the only downfall being, I was up 2-3 times every night baring my bottom to -30 and -40 chills. There was no indoor plumbing, running water or showers of course!

My research and investigative pre-trip prep work paid off. I had not only survived a month of dog sledding and winter camping in Canada’s far north, but had an incredibly good time doing so, as well as relatively good blood sugar control throughout. Now, I am not saying it was easy, but it was completely possible and more than ‘doable’. In fact, I would do it again in a second and plan to!

To me, knowledge is freedom! The more we can learn about any adventure we are about to embark on, the better prepared we are to deal with challenges as they arise. The better prepared we are, the more freedom we have – especially when it comes to adventuring with diabetes.

To me, ‘Freedom’ is feeling confident that I will be able to manage, make changes and devise my OWN solutions to diabetes-related problems no matter where I am or what I am doing.
Of course gaining this confidence takes time. But the more research I do, people I talk to, problem situations I am in, and most importantly, experiences I have, the more empowered I feel to take on bigger and more remote challenges in the future. Personally, I know that I learn best through doing, so when it comes to seeking knowledge for freedom, I know what I have to do – get out there and talk to the people who have done it before and ultimately just go out there and DO IT!

MUSH!

On February 3rd, I am packing up my parka, mukluks, balaclava, ski goggles, wooliest long-johns, warmest mitts, thickest socks, crunchiest toque, cosiest sleeping bag and flying to the Yukon.

I am about to embark on my first dog sledding adventure.

They say there are stange things done in the midnight sun. . . and they might be right.

I have a feeling I am going to have to do a few 'strange things' to keep all of my insulin and diabetes supplies from freezing into a solid block while we're out on the trail.

But there is only one way to find out. MUSH!

Robert Service had this to say of the Arctic cold:

"Talk of your cold! Through the parka’s fold it stabbed like a driven nail. If our eyes we’d close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn’t see; It wasn’t much fun, but the only one to whimper was Sam McGee"

And maybe Chloe....we'll see!

Winter Slipstream 2009

There is one week left until Connected in Motion's very first event - Winter Slipstream 2009!

Around 25 young adults with Type 1 diabetes will be heading north to Haliburton for a weekend of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating, high ropes and more. There will sessions and workshops which will allow people an opportunity to network, tell stories and celebrate accomplishments. Rounding it all out will be good hearty meals, good company and blazing fires!

It's not too late to sign up....
Head to http://www.connectedinmotion.ca/index.php?view=details&id=1%3Awinter-slipstream-2009&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=64

And fill out the registration forms!

See you in the Slipstream!

Celebrating WORLD DIABETES DAY

November 14th was World Diabetes Day!

Over 1000 monuments all over the world were lit in blue for the occasion.
Like the CN Tower! You can see pics of them all here at . . .
http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/activities/wdd-monument-challenge-2008

This was the first year that we, my family, has celebrated the occasion. We zipped to the top of the tower and had a delicious dinner in the rotating restaurant with an incredible view of Toronto.
Hoooray for diabetes and all the great things and people and opportunities it has brought into my life. Cheers!

Rant # 472 - Excuse me for not smoking

Smoking indoors in public places has been banned in many big cities across Canada. I think that's fantastic. I remember the day the bill was passed in the city where I was attending university. My housemates and I went out to the bar to celebrate, but the real celebration came when we returned home that night and didn't have to have a shower or throw all of our clothes directly into the laundry bin. They weren't saturated with smoke smell! We were still revelling the next day as we got in the shower and weren't overcome with the stench of stale smoke seeping out of our hair and pores. Granted, there were now new smells at the bar that were never detectable before the smoking ban...but that's another blog.

I'll get to the point. I think that smoking should be outlawed on city streets.

After being inspired at the marathon, I have been out pounding the pavement. Yeah, yeah, I am that impressionable- I have been running more than usual these past few weeks. And maybe that's the only reason I have noticed this....but there seems to be an awful lot of people hacking darts as they walk down the street.
This is likely a direct correlation of there being no other legal place to partake in such an act outside of the home. Or maybe this has always been the case. But it has come to my attention recently that my rights are being violated on public property.

It is absolutely disgusting to run through someones smoke cloud. In fact, if I can see a smoker up ahead, I will actually try to hold my breath for as long as possible while approaching and passing the offender.
I don't know whether it's the contents of the smoke, the fact that I'm breathing harder that I should be, the fact that it has been exhaled by stranger or the fact that I can visualize the tar getting really deep down in my hard working lungs that disgusts me the most.
What I do know is that it makes me choke. And while it's probably not necessary to cough and gag as loud or for as long as I do. I feel that enhacing the natural reaction provides an opportunity for me to express my feelings to the polluter in a subtle, non-verbal way.

Call it immature, call it whatever you want...I don't think that I should have to suck back other people's disgusting habit when I am out trying to do something good for my body.

And that's that.

DESA Article

The Diabetes Exercise
Sport Association (DESA)
published an article that I
wrote in their Summer 2008
newsletter, The Challenge.

Check out the article (pictured here) at
http://www.diabetes-exercise.org/pdf/DESANewsSum08.pdf

pages 8 and 9.

Speaking for Hope

Last month I was involved with the Diabetes Hope Foundation's annual Walk for Hope as the lead walker. Here is the speech that kicked off the walk. Please excuse the shaky home video footage!

A jog in the park

"Alright! Way to go pink shirt!"
"Good job number 1407"
"Looking strong red hat"
The guy across the road from us at the 16km mark was clearly a seasoned marathon supporter.
Our hands were sore from clapping and we'd only been there 15min. Mr. Marathon however was showing no signs of stopping- he had words of encouragement and cheers of support for everyone.
"It's a great day for a run" he called out.
And he was right. Standing down in the Don Valley along Rosedale Valley Road, the sunlight was streaming through the crimson, orange and yellow coloured trees casting dappled light on the backs of the marathoners as they passed by. The air was cool and crisp and the excitement tangible. It was enough to make me think, for a fleeting second, that I wished that I was running the marathon too.
Months ago, Meg had told me that she was going to run her first marathon...the Toronto Marathon...and that she was going to do it with Team Diabetes. Meaning, that she was going to fundraise money for diabetes research throughout her training.
My pancreas and I were touch and thrilled. Running a marathon is a huge undertaking, and to have someone want to run for my cause, for diabetes, for me....well, talk about bringing a tear to your eye.
Needless to say, when I caught sight of that bright Team Diabetes jersey striding confidently down the valley towards us, my eyes stared to well up and I could barely mask the warble in my voice as I screamed "YEAH MEG....wooooo hooooo......GO MEG....."

And then I really new, that I wished that I was running with her today.
As soon as she had passed, we took off towards the subway and raced down to Union station. We arrived at the corner just in time to see her pass by again - still looking as strong as ever.

"GO MEG! GO TEAM DIABETES! YEAAAAAAAHHHHH MEG!"

I was so proud and so happy for her. She had trained so hard for this and I knew it hadn't been easy. But it looked as though her hard work was paying off, she was rockin' today. She was making it look like a jog in the park.
We started the walk up University to secure our spot at the finish. It would be another few hours before we would see her again. In the meantime, we cheered, hollered and yelled from the sidewalk as runners trickled by. We saw the winner whiz by- on the home stretch as most people were reaching the halfway mark. I think I heard later that he had finished in 2 hours 29 minutes.
The time passed quickly and it wasn't long before we were standing at the finish line waiting with uncertainty. The clock read 3:53. I knew she wanted to finish in under 4 hours, but time was ticking. Was she okay? Was she still feeling strong? Where was she?! Would she make it?
We watched as other marathoners crossed the line - some elated, some obviously hurting, some running as if they had just started out on a Sunday jog, some holding hands, some with their children, some sprinting like their lives depended on it and others being helped by family and friends.
Then there was Meg, just steps from the finish line at 3 hours and 58 minutes. And still running!She had done it!

By the time we caught up with Meg, she was receiving a much deserved massage at the Team Diabetes tent. She was sore, but in great spirits and surrounded by her biggest fans - her mom, aunt, uncle, boyfriend, best friends, my mom and aunt, me and of course, my ever-thankful pancreas.

What's that pancreas? You think you're ready to run....a marathon you say? We'll lets not get ahead of ourselves, but maybe we could start thinking about a half.

Thanks Megs - you're an inspiration and a real Team Diabetes champion.

Winter Slipstream 2009

Connected in Motion's
1st annual Winter Slipstream
is a GO!!!!

I am excited to announce that on the weekend of
January 30th - February 1st 2009
a bunch of young adults with Type 1 diabetes will converge at
YMCA WANAKITA, an outdoor center situated on the shores of beautiful Koshlong Lake in the Haliburton Highlands.
With over 1000 acres of forest, 25km of trails and access to all the
equipment necessary to enjoy it, we'll don our long johns and woollies and head for the hills.

Mother nature permitting, we will cross-country ski, snowshoe, hike, skate on the lake, play broom ball, challenge ourselves on the high ropes course, toboggan down Cardiac Hill and build snow forts until the sun goes down.
Our goal is to spend as much time outside and active as possible.
Why? Because just like broccoli, it's good for you, and because it's so much fun to leave the city behind for a weekend and be a kid at camp again.

Of course there will be inside time too. A chance to sit down with a steaming mug of hot chocolate (it's okay, you'll need some sugar by then!) and warm yourself by the crackling fire.
Or to pull up a chair and share a delicious wholesome home cooked meal with a group of new friends. At the end of the day, there will be a warm cabin and bunk with your name on it where you can snuggle into a sleeping bag.

It won't all just be fun and games...
Okay, well most of it will. But there will also be some serious business that will need to be attended to.
Connected in Motion is committed to changing the face of diabetes programming for young adults across Canada and beyond and we need your help.

This weekend is about YOU.

Who are you? What's your story? What are your passions? What keeps you in motion?
Where have you taken your diabetes?
What motivates you to keep up with daily diabetes tasks?
Come prepared to divulge and discuss.

Remember, this is not a psychological or medical support group, leave the sob stories at the cabin door please. We all got diabetes, it was horrible for a while, in fact, sometimes it's horrible now, but we all live with it everyday. Can we move on now?

What we're looking to do is celebrate our strengths, accomplishments and successes.
By putting ourselves out there, we are hoping that people will be able to connect with others who do or want to be involved in similar things.
We, the people with diabetes, are our greatest resource. Let's put ourselves to use.

There are so many Type 1's out there doing incredible stuff. Now it's time to connect.
We think the best forum to get people talking is not in the confines of a stark hospital room,
but to get them active outside. If you agree, you should join us and help us make that a possibility for not only yourself, but for as many other Type 1's as possible.

Great! So you're coming! We can't wait to meet you!
Alongside your long johns, toque and mitts, don't forget to bring your positive attitude, accomplishments you'd like to celebrate and ideas for the future.

There will be lots of time to mingle, meet and chat with people that you can relate to.
Most importantly, there will be lots of time to GET ACTIVE and GET OUTSIDE.

Oh yeah, you don't need to be a professional snowshoe'er, All-Star cross-country skier, NHL hockey player, or Olympic broom ball player to come. Although it's great if you are!
The goal is to have fun, be active and maybe learn something new.
The only prerequisite is that you can make a darn good snowball.

Registration details are on the way...if you are interested, have any questions or know of anyone who you think would like to join us, we would LOVE to hear from you.
Please send Connected in Motion an email at
connectedinmotion@gmail.com

You can also join the Connected in Motion Facebook Group!!

Diabetic-Proof Seal

2:33am
Crap....I'm low.

2:34am.
Guess I didn't need that extra bolus just before bed to counter the effects of a late dinner - the insulin on board would have worked just fine, what was I thinking?
At least I didn't have to get up to go to the kitchen - I had a liquid shot of Dex 4 glucose right beside my alarm clock.
I reached for the tiny bottle and layed back down in bed.

Then I'm not sure what happened...sucked into that slowmo-low zone I guess.

2:37am
I still didn't have the plastic wrap off the cap yet!
With my full attention back on the bottle, I managed to find the weak part of the seal and peel back the covering. Phew. One step closer to glucose.

2:38am
I unscrew the little cap and put the bottle up to my mouth.

2:39am
I realize there is another safety seal preventing me from getting to that oh-so-needed glucose.
Crap.
At this point, I just start gnawing on the seal.
Then I remember that there is a fancy pull tab on it, but now it's wet and I can't get a good grip.
Now I'm getting frustrated.

2:40am
I press the 'light' button on my pump and the bottle is illuminated in a green glow.
Red would have been more fitting - this bottle was the devil.
By the light of the pump I see the words "Lift and Pull" printed on the safety seal...mocking me.
I AM lifting and pulling. With fingers, with teeth...everything.
The light goes out.

2:42am
Bottle in my mouth, gnawing like a rabid squirrel but not caring because I just want some freakin' glucose already....I decide the little devil is clearly 'Low-Diabetic-Proof'.

Just as I start drafting a letter to Dex 4 in my head about how inconsiderate it is to design packaging that people having lows are unable to access....the seal pops off and my efforts are finally rewarded.

On top of the World

What if this was your classroom?

Would you be more inclined to get up in the morning and go to school?
Would you be more inspired to learn?

Well, for a few days every year, some lucky central Albertan public school kids can say yes, this is their classroom. And I can tell you first hand that they are up before their teachers everyday and ready to take on concepts that would pass way over their heads in the confines of a concrete jungle.

I have been working in Alberta for the past few weeks at a private outdoor center, like I have for the past few springs and falls. Our center sees groups of mostly high schoolers for 3-days at a time. Programs vary, but the standard is a lake paddling day, an outdoor rock climbing day/mountain biking/hiking day and a river/whitewater canoeing day.

Last week however, we were invaded by little people. A big yellow school bus pulled up to the lake shore and twenty-one grade 5's and 6's bounced off.
I exchanged glances with fellow guides...
"Uh...did someone pack XS lifejackets and paddles?". These kidlets were TINY!
How were they ever going to complete our program?

Well, they showed us. Althought the smallest paddles stood taller than most of the kids, they managed to manouver just fine once in the water. Their wee legs dominated the mountain. We had chosen a hike that had great views for the entire duration, thinking, its not likely they'll make it to the top. But 4.5 hours later, there we were on the summit with 21 kidlets bouncing - on top of the world. We talked about how the ground we were standing on used to be ancient sea floor and proved it by showing them fossils. We discussed how heat and pressure created the lines, layers and patterns in the mountain sides and how glacial ice carved the valleys and created the rivers.

They LOVED it. They were interested, attentive, inquisitive and engaged.
Phew, we thought on returning back to the bus after 7 hours of hiking, we've finally worn them out.
WRONG. They still had enough energy to have a dance party on the 2 hour bus ride back to the center AND to play flashlight tag outside in the pitch dark until 11pm. THEN to get up in the morning and paddle down the river in voyageur canoes. Their energy and enthusiasm was limitless.

My preconceived notions of these kids abilities were blown to bits. Which made me realize- we are constantly, conciously and unconciously, putting limitations on others, especially kids.

Why do we do that?

Why not open the door of option and possibility and let kids run with it?
See what challenges they think are too large, which concepts too complex and which mountains too high.
Oh yeah, and guess who was at the front of the pack heading up the mountain - the two kids diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
The mountain was a classroom where they could dominate...and they knew it.
You could see it in their smiles as they stood on top of the world.

Walking for Hope

This sunday is the Diabetes Hope Foundation's 2nd annual Walk for Hope.
Over 500 people are expected to come out to raise money for the foundation's incredible programs.
The money raised will go towards providing scholarships for young adults with Type 1 heading away to post-secondary education as well as to their medical assistance program which helps families struggling under the financial burden of having a child with Type 1.
you can read more about this awesome organization at www.diabeteshopefoundation.com

I am excited to be a part of the event and for the opportunity to hopefully Connect in Motion with some incredible people.

I'll have the Pump on whole wheat...insulin on the side

I learned something the other night, completely by accident.
It all started after I ate this homemade veggie burger topped with homemade salsa, yogurt and sprouts on a whole wheat bun with wild rice salad on the side.
It all started when I flat lined.

Generally speaking in the medical world, 'flat lining' is never a good thing.

But when it comes to diabetes and charting blood sugars, a 'flat line' is the ultimate success.

Now I don't mean to brag, but check this out...

Okay, I did mean to brag. This is my REAL-Time (contant glucose monitor) graph from the 3-hour span over dinner time the other night. Not bad, eh?

Basically what this means is that a gazillion factors came together at just the right moment- prior blood sugar value, my day's activities, stress and hormones levels, timing and dosage of insulin delivery, type of food consumed, etc. A gosh-darn miracle right there in my dining room.

Most of the time, when you eat, there is a rise in blood sugar level. This is normal, predictable and often followed by a downturn, as insulin works to return blood glucose to it's original value in approximately 4 hours...in a perfect world that is. Here is my graph from the past 24-hours - see the spikes?

So the flat line was truely remarkable...which got me to thinking...
What the heck did I do?
I attribute a sizable part of the phenomenon to the meal that I ate. In retrospect, that meal was almost solely composed of medium to low GI foods. GI stands for Glycemic Index. Some smart people have rated foods by the way they impact blood sugar levels. High GI meaning they cause spikes in blood sugar, low GI meaning they produce a more controlled and slower rise and fall. The veggie burger made from quinoa and mushrooms, on the whole wheat bun, with wild rice, black bean and corn salad was a killer low GI combo - helping to keep my blood glucose stable over the three hour period during and after the meal.

With the sensor technology, I can watch my blood glucose change - as it happens. The data that I collect provides me with an opportunity to think critically about things that I do, the decisions that I make and the foods that I eat in terms of their impact on my blood sugar and ultimately my control of my diabetes.

Isn't diabetes education delicious?

Queen's Camp School

For one week of every year, Rob and I go back to Queen's- back into the PEC, the JDUC, the Ghetto- back to our old program and back to being "Physeddies". Since graduating, we have been leading annual 'Camp School' trips for the Phys Ed program. Camp school, or PHED 338 as it is officially known, is arguably the best course at Queen's.

One week of canoe tripping and outdoor experiential learning yeilds a half-credit and some of the most memorable events of most 'physeddies' university experience. Not to mention the aquisition of numerous life skills, promotion of physical activity, development of environmental awareness, introduction of new career paths and opportunity to push physical and emotional barriers. Throughout the course students are encouraged to step outside of their comfort zones, communicate, cooperate and coordinate with new people, work as a team, accomplish tasks necessary to provide food and shelter for the group and in doing so, really, truly learn something about themselves. They develop skills that can be immediately applied to their lives, which is more than can be said for many university courses.
This may sound slightly biased coming from someone who went through the program, took the course and now helps to teach the program...but really, it's true!
Seeing the impact that a week like that has on students just verifies the importance of outdoor education and experiential learning for me.

Northern Summer

Another lengthy blogging hiatus!
Summer is drawing to a close and with it, a string of guiding and paddling adventures.
This August found me paddling the Wind River in the northern Yukon. The beauty of the Peel River watershed was beyond my expectations.

While in Whitehorse prior to the trip, I was looking at a painting done by a local artist of the Ogilvie Mountains. The colours were vivid, too bright to be realistic and I thought it was a bit too surreal. The next day, as we began our drive up to Mayo (where we would fly into the river), I was caught offguard- the colours in the landscape really were there. It was as if the landscape had been painted by a giant watercolour brush - large swaths of yellows, oranges, purples, greens, browns and reds topped with stark grey mountains.
We hadn't even made it to the river...

The Wind River is a crystal clear vein of impossible turquoise blue water that flows through an expansive valley which is home to incredible wildlife and great hiking opportunities.

I suppose I was giving off such a vibe of love and respect for the river that I was given a few extra days to appreciate it's beauty. The float plane that was set to pick us up at the end of our trip couldn't make it in for two and a half days due to snow storms and blizzards in the mountains so we hunkered down on a gravel bar, started inventing new meals from foods in the bottom of the barrels, sat around the fire, ate lots of GORP and waited. Despite the beatuy of the scenery, the sounds of the planes engine was sweet music to our ears and people were happy to be 'rescued'. Luckily, I had heaps of extra insulin, pump supplies and Fruit Source bars to get me through!

Up North

This afternoon I head to Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, on route to Fort Simpson tomorrow, which will be the launch point for my first trip of the season...five days of hiking and paddling from the cabin on this lake.

Next it will be off to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to meet our guests and prep for a two-week canoe trip on the Wind River.


Check out the Wind River at: http://nahanni.com/trips/windriver/?view=gallery

From the sounds of it the weather is good and the bugs are bad this year!
Regardless of weather, it is always an incredible experience visiting the land of the midnight sun.

More Power for PUMPING!

This weekend, I attended the Diabetes Exercise and SportsAssociation (DESA) conference in Toronto.
It took place at the MaRS center. A fitting venue, as the historic University of Toronto building was the site of the first-ever insulin injection administered to 14 year-old Leonard Thompson in 1922 by researchers Banting, Best and colleagues. Banting and Best are pictured here with a diabetic dog receiving insulin shots.

Prior to 1922, a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes meant imminent death for a person, or dog- it was only a matter of time. There were treatments of course, a whole host of herbal hoaxes and tinctures claiming to cure the disease and eliminate symptoms, but these were all money making ploys. The sole method of combating diabetes prior to the discovery of insulin was the 'starvation diet'. The diet was by no means a cure, however it was the most effective way to 'buy time' for the children suffering from a malfunctioning pancreas. Children would be allowed to eat only what their bodies could handle in the absence of insulin - 300-400 calories of thrice-boiled vegetables and other culinary horrors per day. On top of suffering from the symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes, the children faced extreme hunger and malnutrition, dramatic weightloss and unbearable lethargy as their parents and doctors literally starved them to death waiting for a cure.

Today, eighty-five years later, we are still waiting for a cure, but diabetes is no longer a death sentence. Technology has come along way since the days of grinding up hundreds of pork and beef pancreases and injecting the extract with glass syringes and reusable needle tips which needed to be boiled and sharpened with steel wool before each use. We've come a long way...even from the first insulin pump in the 1970's!





Technology is getting better, smaller and more refined as each day goes by, however technology is only as good as the people who are using it. In Canada, access to the latest in diabetes management technology, namely insulin pumps and constant glucose management systems, has been limited, due to high cost and lack of government funding and support.

Which is why yesterday's announcement from our new Minister of Health, David Caplan comes as a HUGE relief, and a timely one for me as it will go down in the books as another historic marker in the continuing history of diabetes.

"Come September, more than 1,300 adult Ontario residents with Type-1 diabetes will be eligible to receive free insulin pumps under the initiative, Caplan told a news conference in Toronto.Ontario is spending $741 million over the next four years on the fight against diabetes in an effort to head off the growing spate of health problems related to the disease."

Now comes the challenging part...how will they choose which 1300 people will receive the pumps? Will they cover the cost of supplies and consumables? Will there be enough diabetes nurse educators to get people set up on these free pumps?

Regardless, this is a massive step in the right direction and a huge success for people living with Type 1 diabetes in this province.

Ontario will soon be powered by pumping! Waaaaaaaa Hooooooooooo!

Welcome!
My blog is currently under construction.
Connected in Motion is hoping to have a real website sometime soon!

Until then, you can find more info on the specifics of Connected in Motion at this link....

www.poweredbypumping.blogspot.com

it's in the stars

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Take a trip, invest in your future or hang out with someone who inspires and motivates you. It's all about what you can do to get your dreams off the ground. Surround yourself with new friends who have similar interests.





I don't make a habit of basing major life decisions on the alignment of the planets and zodiacs as they cross galactic paths with the sun and moon. However, from time to time, events in my life coincide with what the zodiacs have to say or...more realistically, what the lady who writes the horoscope section in the newspaper has to say.
Either way, words are words. I'm not going to lie, I like the serendipity of it all.

My horoscope from yesterday was bang on. Not that it was news to me, but that it defined what I have been doing for the past few weeks. What exactly have I been doing?
Well, sitting at a computer day after day, hour after hour, compiling photos, making videos, writing mission statements, visions, goals and business plans. I've been researching non-profit status, sole proprietorships and how to build websites, among other things. I've been doing the behind the scenes work that needs to be done to, hopefully, get my dreams off the ground.

This weekend, I will be attending the Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association (DESA) conference in Toronto. A mêlée of people with diabetes or working in the field of diabetes and sport will be there. Athletes, doctors, nurses, researchers, organizations, foundations, drug companies, pump companies, people with diabetes and people who work with people with diabetes.
Talk about surrounding myself with people with like interests! And as for hanging out with people who inspire and motivate me, I think I'll have that covered too!

I am looking forward to bringing Connected in Motion along for the ride, to introduce it in its infancy and get peoples' feedback. Funny enough, the whole premis behind CIM is to connect people with like interests so that they can inspire and motivate one another.

Geesh, those horoscope writers are good!

As for 'take a trip'...I leave for the Northwest Territories and Yukon next week to guide a few canoe trips in the north...another investment in my future.

Maybe it's serendipity, maybe the planets really have aligned, regardless, it has got me reflecting on where I am, what I have been doing and where I want to go. Confirmation that putting time and energy into my dreams and keeping focused on my goals is what I need to do right now...it's in the stars.

Connected in Motion presents...

Powered by Pumping...the New Zealand chapter

Paddling sans Glucometer

Yesterday, we went paddling at the Elora Gorge.
I made a rookie mistake...I forgot my glucometer.
'Forgetting my bits' as my mom likes to call it, rarely happens.
When it does however, I find that it is always a change in routine that causes the stuff up.

Normally my glucometer will be in one of four places:
1. Kitchen counter
2. Backpack
3. Purse
4. Night stand

Once those locations are exhausted...it's lost. And if I am not near those locations, well, things become a little more difficult.

When I am paddling, things are simplified substantially...there is only one option...the Waterproof box.

So, when I looked in the waterproof box as we got ready to hit the water and saw no gluc-o-meter it was clearly a function of a change in routine prior to the paddling excursion.
I racked my brains, the last test was that morning and I was....shoot...where was I?

Regardless, I was hours away from my gluc and planning to paddle all afternoon.

When in doubt, I let my sugars run high. Before we hit the water I turned down my basal rate on my pump, had a little snack of carb and figured that would probably buy me a few hours of whitewater paddling.
By the time I got back to my gluc that evening (which was right where I left it in Rob's basement!), my blood sugars were running a solid 17.8mmol/L. ("normal" is 4-7mmol/L)

Better high than low for a short while, but better to just remember the darn glucometer.

In the kitchen with dad

My dad is not the first person I would go to for advice in the kitchen. He is a man who puts cucumbers in pasta sauce and makes strawberry and yogurt omelettes. However, I have to hand it to him...his creations always turn out tasty, I have just learned not to ask what's in them.

I was talking to my dad one morning from Australia. I think he could tell that I was starting to anticipate coming home and the decisions and choices that would have to be made upon my return.
"Just think about it as if you are out collecting ingredients" he suggested.
"Ingredients?"
"Every experience you have down there is another ingredient for you to bring back"
"But what am I cooking?"
"You don't know yet"
"Well how can I go grocery shopping if I don't know what I am cooking?"
"Don't worry about what you're cooking. Once you lay all the ingredients out on the counter, something will come to you. You will see it laying out there in front of you, waiting to be turned into something delicious. Right now you're shopping- the more variety the better. Then come home and get cooking"

Now THAT was an analogy I could relate to- combining my experiences, adventures, education and passions as flavourful ingredients in my own unique recipe, and not being affraid to mix things that at first, may not seem to go together.

4 cups of outdoor adventures
2 cups New Zealand
1 cup Australia
3/4 cup cycling
2 cups canoeing
a pinch of diabetes...

Kind of reminds me of my Dad's famous Kraft Dinner....

2 Frozen Hot Dogs
1 box Kraft Dinner
1 small bag of Plain Chips
chucks of cheddar cheese
ketchup

Place the hot dogs in the bowl. Cover with steaming hot KD (made to the prefect consistancy determined by personal preference...for me, slightly runny). Crunch chips in your hands and sprinkle over the KD. Top with chuncks of cheddar and ketchup. Enjoy!

I believe the key to my dad's culinary success is that he is not affraid to mix unconventional ingredients and is never constrained by a recipe. In fact, that seems to be his approach both in and out of the kitchen.

What now?

It's all a little surreal, sitting in my kitchen, typing on the same keyboard which wrote my first blog, drinking tea from the same mug. Not much has changed. The neighbours built a new deck, we got a big new recycling bin, there is a giant big box store being built down the road and my cat is a little fatter, otherwise...same old.

Did we really truly just spend the past 4 months on the underside of the world? Did we really bike around the whole South Island of New Zealand? Were we really in Australia?
Maybe it's just the jet lag, but it feels like a dream.

Looking back at the photos helps, but I think the real significance of what we've just done has yet to sink in.

"What was the best part of the trip?" people have already asked "Where was your favourite place?" and of course the inevitable "So, what now?".

I am having a really hard time quantifying, picking bests and favourites. New Zealand/Australia, biking/caravanning, surfing/hiking - I don't think these things can really be compared.

The easy answer...I loved it all. Of course there would be things I would do differently, places I wouldn't go back to, things I had wished I had seen, but I think every part of the trip was important.

Regardless of whether I loved or hated it, the thing for me now is to discover the impact of my travels and interactions. How will what I have just done and who I have just met become a part of who I am and what I do and not just fade away between the pages of a photo album?

Our last big adventure here in Aussie was heading out on a tall ship for two days and two nights in the Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef.

We sailed around the islands, stopping only to snorkle and explore the 98% silica sand beaches.

We swam, sunned and snorkled ourselves silly- soaking it all in as our time in Aussie was drawing to an end.

Done with deadly

We cracked.
After over a month of convincing ourselves that we could find our own darn kangaroos, wombats and crocodiles, we finally dug deep and paid to go to an Australian animal sanctuary.
It was actually worth it.
Not only did Kath and I almost get a kangaroo to bite Rob in the butt, but Kath finally got to pet a koala (something we had been hearing about since Day 1).
We also learned a fair bit about the Aussie animals from the rangers in the park. Did you know that a crocodile's sex is determined by the temperature it is exposed to in the egg?

There were koalas, kangaroo, emus, crocs, wombats, and more. There were also snakes....

I watched from as far back as possible (with feet up on the bench) as the ranger pulled snake after snake out of oversized pillowcases.
I listened as she told us all about the different snakes, how to tell which ones were venemous and which ones weren't. Which ones could kill 100 humans with one strike, and which ones could only kill a small child. I noted that most venemous snakes have skinny heads, not boxy heads and that you shouldn't try to play with snakes in the wild like she was playing with them in the park. I also noted that snakes don't like to be surprised, taunted or stepped on...among other things.

After the crocodile feeding session, and a serious hand washing session, we hit the road. satisfied with our Aussie animal encounters.

The next day, we drove into the rainforest outside of Cairns to find a waterfall that cascaded into a fresh water swimming hole. It was H-O-T and muggy and we were all feeling a little groggy. A cool dip was in order.

We got into our bathers and headed down to the rocks. I stopped to read a sign about the Aboriginal history of the area...apparently, this was the place that the Aboriginal people believe their 'creator' brought all of the SNAKES!!! Perfect...my kind of place. At least those snakes have had a few million trillion years to move on and find new homes...or so I thought.
We continued walking down the dirt path. It was then that things started to move in slow motion. I felt Rob's arm swing out in front of me. I looked down and saw a big patterned stick crossing the path...hmmmm....a big patterned stick...snake? stick? snake? SNAKE!!!
My yells made Kath, who was walking in front of us, shorten her gait mid-stride, bringing her foot down less than a foot from the stick/snake.

By this time, I was 3 meters back down the trail in the direction we had come. Kath and Rob were close behind. The snake, all six or seven feet of it, the diameter of a cob or corn, lay unmoving, aside from its little tongue.

Kath ALMOST stepped ON the snake. I thanked the snake gods that the snake was just about as groggy as the three of us or Kath would have been snake food.

One very important thing that I think the ranger could have touched on when talking about snake safety, was where to walk in the bush...from personal experience I have decided that is is safest to walk second in line.

Here I am petting the joey...no snakes or crocs for me thanks!

Sand, sand, and more sand

When we went to Farewell Spit in New Zealand (the massive sand dunes stretching out into the ocean at the very northern tip of the South Island) I was blown away by the sand. I thought I wouldn't see that much sand again until I traveled to the Sahara Desert. However, that was just a warm up for the amount of sand that Australia has on it's East Coast alone.
Last week we went to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.

We joined a group of 6 other backpackers and rented a 4x4 vehicle with all the gear we would need for 3 days on the island. Unfortunately, Howard had to be left on the mainland, 4x4's are the only way to get around the island as there are only sand road and beaches to drive on. As promised, there was A LOT of sand on Fraser Island. There were beautiful beaches and crystal clear dune lakes and streams.

The company we rented our 4x4 from called the self-drive trip an Authentic Aussie Camping Experience. I think that referred to the camping equipment they gave us, as I have never seen anything like it.
The tents were super simple to put up- one pole in the middle, tee pee style. However, they didn't fully close. The doors simply flapped over the entrance leaving and opening at the bottom.
Now, as you well know by now, I like to be organized and prepared. So it should come as no surprise that I have read every section of the guide book on Australia's Dangerous, Poisonous and Deadly Creatures. Australia has more deadly things...spiders, snakes, insects, etc. than any where else...and Aussie are quick to remind you that many of these creepy crawlies pack lethal punches. Not to mention the dingos on Fraser Island...the purest, wildest strand on earth.

So when the same Aussies turned around and sent us into the bush with a tent that doesn't close, I started to question whether they really want the tourists to return from these 'Authentic Aussie Camping Experiences'. However, I ignored my suspicions and went with the old saying...when in Australia, do like the Aussies.
Below is an email I sent home upon returning from Fraser Island....my "Authentic Aussie Camping Experience".


So last night, at about 2am I woke up screaming in our tent...something had just stung me in the neck. I started freaking out.
Rob woke up and instantly turned a light on...I was freaking out trying to feel if my airway was closing...I was sure that I had only 8 minutes to live and we were on a sand island with no help for hours...
"Relax, relax, relax" Rob kept saying...and I kept thinking I have to listen to him...I read that it is super important to keep calm if you get bitten by poisonous things so you don't send the bad stuff pumping through your body.
But then I felt something string my leg inside my sleeping bag.
By now Kath was awake and I was frantically trying to get OUT of my sleeping bag.
"It stung my neck" I kept yelling "It's stinging my leg"...2 minutes left of life now I am sure....
Then I see it...down near the bottom of my sleeping bag...A CRAB!!! A freakin' crab!

So I am still alive, I have a crab bite mark on my jugular vein, but otherwise I survived unscathed... and Kath and Rob think it's the funniest thing ever that i freaked out so much over a crab...but Rob admits that it was a rather large crab to have on ones neck...

Okay, so maybe I was little paranoid from all the reading material. Regardless, I am looking forward to getting back to my own, North American tent, where the doors FULLY CLOSE and the only things we have to worry about are big mammals like bears and cougars.

Family Reunion

I am officially a blogging delinquent. Once again, my apologies for the delay between entries.
My last blogs were written in Brisbane where we stayed with Rob's sister Jessie and her partner Matt for a few days. They are living Down Under for the year so it was great to see them, catch up and spend some time. We hit the beach for a day, checked out downtown Brisbane, made some delicious meals and even caught a rugby league game.




As you can see by the photo, we made ourselves right at home...Rob, Kath, Jessie, Matt and I all sleeping in one room...one big, happy family!


We're already looking forward to seeing them at Christmas.

messages

It is always neat when the book that you are reading has a message that is relevant to events in your own life.
Last week, my pump, like the Toronto transit workers, walked out. It began to protest. After phone calls, emails and international collaboration a replacement pump is on its way. All is well on the diabetes front. However, a situation such as this is always a little stressful, especially when it means changing travel plans and the schedules of two others. The inevitable ‘why me?’ question raised its ugly head. “Why do I have deal with this?”

Last night, I read the last chapter of ‘Mutant Message Down Under’. The book was written by an American woman who went, unknowingly at first, on a walkabout with an Aboriginal tribe in Australia’s outback. There was a paragraph that reached out to me. Marlo Morgan was describing how this particular tribe of Aboriginal bush people interpret disease.

“There should be no suffering by any creature except what they accept for themselves. That was a thought to ponder. The elder explained that each individual soul on the highest level of our being could, and sometimes did, select to be born into an imperfect body; they often came to teach and influence the lives they touched. All diseases and disorders, they believe, have some spiritual connection and serve as stepping-stones if people would only open up and listen to their bodies to learn what is taking place”.

Hum…that would mean that all of us ‘Diabetic Souls’ have something in common, other than just daily routines of blood glucose management. It would mean that we have a greater duty then just ‘dealing’ with our own malfunctioning pancreases, that we have insight into valuable information about the human body that needs to be learned, taught and shared.

Whoa! Kind of heavy for a Monday morning! But it made me look at last week in a new light…there is much to learn from my pumping experience on the under side of the world, as well as much to share.

Now I just have to figure out the message behind loosing my medic alert bracelet in the ocean.

Waves

Speaking of ‘Big Things”…some of the waves crashing here on the East Coast of Australia are

B-I-G.

The first few times we went in the water I was a bit nervous and hesitant…and not just because of the Great White sharks and deadly jellyfish. The waves are huge! And the idea of being crumpled like a rag doll in a washing machine wasn’t the most appealing… for me at least. (Rob seemed to really enjoy the idea).
I spent the first few days in the water fighting the suction of the ocean, bracing against crashing waves and staying close to shore where most of the waves had already broken (and where there was the option of fast retreat).
I think Kath said it best the other day…when we were out in the water we were like two squirrels attempting to cross the road. Each time a big one rolled in we would got through the same process…GO! NO! NOW! YES! NO! Damn it! GO! RETREAT!!!

This tactic expended a lot of energy and more often than not ended in the less-than-favourable outcome that we had been trying so hard to avoid. My favourite piece of evidence that the tactic had not worked, was the pony tail relocation- when you came up from the frothing pile of water and found that your pony tail had moved from the back of your head to above your left ear.

After a few good pummellings, I have learned that indecision is one’s worst enemy in the water…closely followed by hesitation.

Even though every muscle and brain cell may be telling you otherwise, it is in fact much easier to swim directly towards the wall of water and dive straight into the face of it, or cruise right over the top just as it breaks. Either way, with very little effort you emerge unscathed on the other side.
A good life lesson…confronting the things that scare you head on, without hesitation. Not wasting energy on trying to skirt around them or retreat. Easier said than done. But after the first narrow miss in the water, the first time you feel the power of the wave surge over or beneath you as it thunders past, confidence starts to grow, soon those waves aren’t big enough and you start walking down the beach looking for more.

Australia...driving me bananas!

On our long drive up the coast we took the opportunity to stretch our legs at the Big Banana!

As we were heading back to Howard, I stopped to read a small plaque on the path about the history of the Big Banana. In 1964, John Landy wanted to attract more attention to his road-side banana stall, blah blah blah, engineer, blah blah blah, construction, blah blah blah, biggest banana in the world...then came this statement which just drove me bananas!

"BIG THINGS are now a form of artistic expression unique to Australia"

Huh? Excuse me?

The sign was dated 2004. Does Australia really believe that they are the inventors of Big Things? AND...do they really think that as of 2004 Big Things were still (if ever they were) unique to Australia?

Well, you can imagine my disbelief!
Canada has many many many big things dating back to before the 1960's.
My reseach has revealed that Wawa, Ontario's Big Goose was constructed in 1960.
Kenora, Ontario's Big Husky the Muskie was constructed even earlier in 1951!!
And that's just the start of it....for anyone that would like to contest, please refer to www.bigthings.ca there is also an Aussie website www.bigthings.com.au ...how original.

High Quality H2O

We left Sydney and headed north, up the East Coast in search water and waves.
We should have been more specific in what we were asking for…the aftermath of those big swells from the previous day made for lots of water, however the majority of it was coming from the sky (and through the floor of the van) from the waves on the road.

We stopped in at a visitor center for some insight and ideas of what to see along the drive.
“Oh, there is a great back road that takes you to….oh, but it will be washed out right now”
“And there is a great lookout at…yeah, but you won’t be able to see that today”
“On a sunny day this beach right here is…”
“When the weather is nice…”

So we kept driving…for two days…all the way to Byron Bay...where the weather finally started to break and we finally got the water and waves we had been searching for.

This video is from Byron Bay...our first taste of playing in some big waves.

NOTE: Just after posting this entry we realized that the opening image is somewhat 'revealing'...I couldn't figure out how to sensor Rob's behind out of this video...oops...don't look you cheeky bum lookers!!!

Sydney

We left Simon and the Aussie bush, last week and made a beeline for Sydney.
With only 5 weeks and over 3000km to cover in this country, we have had to put in a few ‘big’ driving days. Ten hours after taking our last breath of mountain air, we were navigating the freeways, toll ways, motorways, highways and byways of Sydney, the biggest city in Australia.

With only one wrong turn, we made it to Matt’s place in the heart of the urban jungle (Matt is an Aussie friend of Kathleen’s who she met while working in Banff last winter).

It is always neat to arrive somewhere in the dark and have your true whereabouts revealed in the morning light. From Matt’s front yard we could see the ocean down below through a maze of streets and real estate. Matt was a great tour guide. He took us to North Head, a spot over looking Sydney Harbour with spectacular views before taking us into the city on the Manly ferry. He was patient with us as we went snap-happy with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, even more patient as we explored the weekend markets downtown, and provided us with a wealth of information about the history of Sydney and other cool and interesting facts. It really made me think about Toronto…I don’t think I would be able to do the same if someone came to my city. I could take them around, but it made me realize that I really don’t know much about the history of the city where I grew up.
After a day of ‘big city’, we were ready to get into the surf. We rented a few boards and wetsuits and headed down to Manly Beach. The swell was BIG as there were some weather systems moving (which resulted in almost a week of rain from this day onward) and the waves rolling in were also BIG. But Matt knew the beach well. There was a sand spit under water at one end of the beach where the waves would be smaller and more manageable. We spent the afternoon playing in the whitewash, a perfect place to start to get the hang of the being propelled by the water without the risk of being munched in a giant wave, and working on our leg muscles, resisting the constant vacuum of the outgoing waves. Exhausted, but that good exhausted-after-swim feeling of just having used every muscle in your body, we dried off and tucked into fish and chips from a place that has been serving fish to salty surfers for over 50 years.

A camper van by any other name...

Howard.
We thought long and hard.
It took about 2 weeks before a name that suited our plain camper van came to us.
The name was inspired by the over-population of miniature horses in Victoria…well, over-population according to Rob. I guess Victorians like their mini-ponies.
They were everywhere – in people’s front lawns and pastures, whole fields of them or mixed in with other animals. The amount of miniature horses roaming the state brought on a heated debate over the use of said miniature horses in a place experiencing extreme drought. Anyways….it also reminded me of the miniature goat that was at my summer camp years ago…the poor thing was always bloated as it still had real goat size organs in a mini goat body…his name was Howard.
The moment “Howard” came out of my mouth, Kath and Rob looked at each other.
Howard it was.

Bushfire Fairytales

Simon was the designated tour guide and was in charge of the topographic maps; however, I had taken a quick peek at our planned route as we were packing up. It looked as if the dotted line of the trail passed perpendicularly across numerous contour lines on the map with barely a deviation…hum, I thought, maybe the marked trail was just an approximation. We set out down the trail…or maybe ‘up’ the trail would be more accurate. That map wasn’t kidding. The trail went straight up the mountain. Straight up! In Canada, we have something called ‘switch backs’, where whoever built the trail took the time to reduce the incline by making it loop back on itself, slowly gaining elevation. Not in Australia. I could just picture the trailblazers…rough, tough, sunburnt ex-cons bushwacking straight up the mountain, none of this sissy switchback stuff. Were you going up or not? So up we went, huffing and puffing with our big packs.Because the going was slow, we had plenty of time to take in our surroundings.


The forest was much different from our forests at home. For one, the majority of the trees were eucalyptus. Eucalyptus shed their bark annually. Simon described the process…the outer bark of the tree hardens to protect the inner bark, but the tree continues to grow from the inside until it is too big for its shell. The bark then begins to crack, peel and shed, resulting in strips of bark hanging from nearly every branch and littering the forest floor. Secondly, almost every tree shows evidence of being burnt at one point for another. Charred logs peek through the grass and the dirt is a mixture of red earth and burnt coals, evidence of a fiery past. At one snack break, we stood out on a rocky clearing, overlooking the surrounding mountains. Massive arcs of land overlapping each other in various shades of green as they faded into the distance. A plume of opaque smoke rose from one of the distant mountain tops. Forest fires.

Simon explained that the accumulated bark on forest floors was the perfect tinder for a blaze. That, combined with the multi-year drought Australia had been experiencing meant the entire state of Victoria could go up in one heck of a bonfire.This made me nervous. If a fire was burning just over the hill and the entire state was virtually littered in matchsticks, wouldn’t that mean that flames would soon be licking at our heels?Simon seemed unconcerned as we made camp for the night about an hour below the summit.



As I climbed into my sleeping bag I was more concerned with the inferno in my quad and calf muscles than the one in the far-off bush.The early morning air was heavy with fog and a thick frost covered the grass. We headed off, sorry…up, towards the summit climbing on all fours this time and glad we had left our big packs down where we had camped the night before. The mist seemed to be hanging around, stubborn to being burnt off by the suns warm rays. As we neared the top of the mountain however, we realized that the haze was not entirely due to the moisture in the air. From the summit we could see the real culprit. Dense, dark ochre coloured smoke hung like a blanket over the surrounding valleys as far as we could see to the south. Bushfires were burning. It turned out that the fires were actually controlled burns in surrounding areas and we were in no danger. Forests are burnt regularly, on purpose, to decrease the amount of ‘tinder’ and therefore risk of a real uncontrolled fire starting in the bush. That night, as we nursed different sore muscles from trudging straight down a mountain, we were graced with one of the most spectacular by-products of bushfires- a brilliant sunset. As the sun went down, the sky ignited in hues of mauve, crimson and burnt orange, creating a backdrop for the silhouettes of the mountain ranges covered in eucalyptus trees.

My Backyard

Guest Blogger returns. It has been a while since I have written, and to be honest, I am not even sure where this blog will take me…and you.

It is hard to believe that we have been in Oz for nearly 3 weeks, which means we only have another 3 before we return to New Zealand. However, that being said, we have already been graced with so much of Australia’s brilliance. We have been fortunate to have been able to re-connect with local Aussie’s who have been kind enough to share their time and their knowledge with us as we make our way up the East coast. However, it is amazing how much one takes their own country for granted.

I think this blog now has a focus.

I can remember a few years ago, when we were both still at Queen’s, having this conversion with myself and then Chlo and probably other close friends. “I don’t want to be one of those people who just jumps ship on Canada and heads off to see other countries…I want to see MY own country first.” Why is there a need to out-source ones travelling when there is so much to do in our backyard? Over the last two weeks it has donned on me that this is an international phenomenon. We have come across numerous Aussie’s who have travelled around the world, but have not seen much, or any, of their own country. Why does this happen? Why don’t we see the uniqueness and travel opportunities in our own Countries?

Now that I have started to travel internationally, I want to see even more of Canada. Chlo and I stuck to our goal of exploring Canada (or large portions of Canada) before we flew off to see the world. However, hearing a few Aussie’s talk about their lack of domestic travel makes me want to get to Newfoundland, Nunavut and the Yukon before I go on another international adventure. I want to accurately answer a travelling foreigner’s query “what is Canada like?

Well…do I have an answer for you!
What part of Canada do you want to see? Do you want to go in the summer? Or Winter? Do you want to go to cities? Or remote wilderness? Do you like the hustle bustle of a city like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver or do you want a laid back experience in Yellowknife or Halifax? Do you want to visit rural Alberta? Hike in the Rocky Mountains? Paddle in Alqonquin Park? Or Surf in British Columbia?

I don’t want to sound like a bragging blogger who has been everywhere, but for whatever reason I have placed domestic travel high on my priority list…because after all, Canada is a beautiful place with endless travel/adventure opportunities.

I guess what I am trying to say is that next time you think of flying to Mexico or Cuba…stop for a minute and think about your own country. If it’s Canada…go to Vancouver Island and check out the forests, go to Quebec City and learn about the history or get really crazy and head up to Yellowknife for an amazing outdoor experience (that is still in Canada you know). If you are a Kiwi go to a nearby vineyard, go the West Coast and learn about the history of jade or head up to Mount Cook and learn about local mountaineering and mountaineers or find a gem of a beach like Waikuku and go for a surf. If you are an Aussie...go to the Great Ocean Road and check out the amazing cliffs and rock formations, hike in Grampians National Park on the ancient rocks, or dive at the Great Barrier Reef!

Go see your own country, smell the fresh air, go barefoot to get a true feel of your local surroundings and don’t be afraid to travel locally, because too often we pass up local gems merely because they are so close and they will ‘always’ be there.

Road to Nowhere

You had to yell over the all the noise in the van. The wheels chattered over the red washboard dirt road, shaking every cupboard, pot, pan, dish, and piece of cutlery, easing every screw loose, and after 30-odd kilometers, sheering off the latches on the cabinets.
We were heading out to Alpine National Park where we would be starting our bush walk.
The van had one more challenge- crossing a little creek, which it overcame with ease. As the ignition turned off, it sounded like a huge sigh of relief...not sure if it was from the van itself or the passengers who had been battered around inside for the previous 2 hours.
Regardless, the van would get a rest for the next two days, and our hard work was just about to begin.
We packed the last few loose items into our packs, wrote "Back on the 17th" in the dust on the back of the van and headed off into the bush.

nb: Bushfire Fairytales is the blog about this hike.

Simon Says

For the past week we have been hanging out with Simon.
Robbie and I worked with Simon in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta- a few seasons of outdoor work on the river and in the mountains. Before leaving Canada to return home, he uttered those golden words ...'if you're ever in Australia, come and stay'.

Six months later, our camper van was parked in his driveway and sleeping bags rolled out in his living room...what a treat!



Simon had an itinerary for our week- Aussie Immersion.
By day, we would paddle Aussie rivers and go for an Aussie bushwalk, eat Aussie burgers (with beetroot, bacon, pinapple and egg!) and Aussie meat pies. By night, we would watch Aussie movies like 'The Castle' and 'Kenny', true Australian talent and humour.
And that we did.

Chance Encounter

Meet us at the camper van place at noon, we had told Kathleen.
Our good friend Kath had arrived in Melbourne while we had been riding with Hypoactive.
None of us knew where this camper van place was or how to get there, but that is where we had planned to rendez vous…on the other side of the world…Down Under. It was here that the Great Aussie Road Trip would commence.
According to the directions we had searched, we just had to ride a few trams and trains across to the other side of the city. How long could that take? Seeing as the route maps looked similar on paper, brightly coloured lines crossing this way and that, I had wrongly assumed that Melbourne trains would be similar to the Toronto subway, trains coming every few minutes. Note the word…wrongly.

In reality, trains came 2 or 3 times an hour, resulting in us being about an hour behind schedule to meet Kath. I was stressing. I HATE being late. And this was beyond late. This was grounds for Kath thinking that we had abandoned her in a foreign city, all alone, dingos starting to circle.

Rob and I raced from tram to train, down escalators, up stairs, out onto platforms hoping to catch just one break. To our amazement, the last train we needed to catch was scheduled to depart in 3 minutes. Phew! We ran to the platform and ushered ourselves onto a car. We stood there catching our breath as the train pulled away. Visions of the dingos began to creep into my mind…couldn’t this train go any faster? Poor Kath, all alone….I could practically see her….wait a second...my brain stumbled over itself…I could literally see her.

There was Kath!

Sitting about half a car length away, on the very same car, of the very same train, pulling out of the very same station….was Kath, with not a dingo insight.

Hey! I called out….you’re late!!

Shifting Gears

I don't think this is what the camper van company had in mind when it rented this very nice vehicle to us in Melbourne, but we thought we should send this picture to them to use as a marketing tool!
One camper van fits 3 boats and all the gear needed for 4 people on the river for a day!
The boats and soggy paddling gear have probably been the least of the abuse inflicted thus far on our poor little van.

The main offender has been....me.

I tried and tried to get out of my first driving shift...
"I can't drive standard" I pleaded.
"I've never driven on the 'wrong' side of the road" I cried.
Both arguments were met with the inevitable...if you never try it, how will you ever learn?

Reluctantly, I got in the driver's seat.
Hello Van....I greeted my new counterpart.
Do you have any idea of what you're in for?

I started out on a dirt road, off the main highway along the Great Ocean Road.
In 1st gear, I eased my foot off the clutch and rolled out onto the road like a real pro.
However it didn't take long before my luck and nerves started wearing thin.
I had that poor van bouncing away from stop signs, winsheild whipers going with every other turn (the indicator is on the other side of the steering wheel). Both Kath and Rob talked me through each and every shift....foot off gas, clutch in, shift, clutch out and..... VRRRRROOOOOOM, the van would protest....that's 5th not 3rd...clutch in....

Despite the initial stress, I began to feel okay on the road....my confidence was building, the shifts getting smoother, as all things do with practice. That was just about the time that we pulled into the first little town on my shift.
Lights, people, stop signs, yields, windshield wipers, gears, clutch, traffic, cars behind me, lane changes.....ahhhhhhhhh!

"I'M NOT DRIVING IN THE CITY" I yelled...frantically trying to find the left hand turn indicator so that I could pull over and get out of the van.
"No more! Not today!"

Robbie picked up where I left off, delivering us, and the van, safely to the grocery store.
The ride was quiet, except for Kath's one sentence.
"You did good Chlo"

Hahahahahaha. Laughable really, but it was nice to have the support.

NB: I have driven a few times since the 'city incident' and things are getting better...less bouncing and lurching, more turn signals instead of wipers

Has it been a week already?

Sincerest appologies for the lack of blogging this week. You see, we've been travelling around in this van, driving on the Great Ocean Road, camping in the bush, hiking on million year old mountains, paddling on the little water that Australia has left in it's interior, eating giant Aussie burgers and hanging out with Aussie blokes. A full Aussie immersion!

We have seen more kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras and wombats than we have pay phones and computers.
We have been dis-connected to say the least.
As per usual, we will post when possible...we have so much to update you all on!

Over Riden

This past weekend I was overrun with Type 1 diabetics. Chlo's dream really. It was a great experience for not only Chloe, but myself.

Over the past 2 months we have talked about so many different ideas for Chlo's dream group/company (whatever it ends up being) and being apart of HypoActive has stoked the fire ten fold. Chlo's eyes were lit up the entire weekend. I could see her little engine working all weekend, compiling information, asking questions, proding for answers and learning more about how other Type 1's manage diabetes. I could see her mentally laying down the ground work for ConnectedinMotion.

It was amazing to be completely surrounded by Type 1's and essentially become one myself. For the entire weekend there were many comments made surrounding my working pancreas and I was more than happy to offer insight as to how I keep my levels between the target of 4 and 7. All weekend there was a bit of a contest to see who could register a 5.5 (a perfect blood sugar of sorts) and wouldn't you know it, on my second test (yes, I tested my blood sugar before and after every ride) I posted a 5.5!

Joking aside, this weekend embodied Chlo's journey downunder...to make connections and work on the collecting information as to how to go about setting up a diabetic group back home. The weekend was a complete success. Stayed tuned, Chlo is working on a few blogs with more information on the weekend!

Cruising in the Slipstream

During the Murray to Moine, I had the oppourtunity to ride in a number of 'bunches'. There were over 1000 other riders in the event and natually, our small group of 3 riders would catch up with other groups, which would catch up with other groups...resulting in a large mass of riders cruising down the road at over 35km/h.

In any bunch or group of riders, the cyclists up front take the brunt of the wind and air resistance, creating a slipstream or reduced resistance behind them. The bigger the group, the easier it becomes for the riders in the back.
Bunch ettiquite dicates that as riders in the front tire, they ease to the outside and fresh riders from in behind, move up to take their turn as windbreakers.
In doing this, the endurance and speed of the group as a whole can be sustained for long periods of time, as riders have a chance to rest and slow down their leg cadence while still cruising along at a good clip.

Meeting the Hypoactive crew and spending 48 hours with 13 other Type 1's was like slidding into the slipstream of a 13 rider bunch.
Although I was was working hard to keep my blood sugars in check (testing my blood over 30 times, eating enough to keep fueled, dealing with highs, topping up lows) it was as though suddenly the resistance had eased. Everyone around me was doing the same thing. EVERYONE had diabetes, EVERYONE was managing their disease and EVERYONE was excelling out on the road, pushing their physical limits. Before I knew it, I had been picked up and sucked into the bunch- for 48 hours, I was cruising.

Riding alone with diabetes, like riding alone on a road bike, is a challenge (not imposible by any means) but if the wind picks up or you need to travel long distances, fatigue and exhaustion become a problem.

After riding in a bunch, I realize that I have expended a lot of extra energy riding out on my own all these years. Luckily, I have an incredible support crew of family and friends that are like a constant tail wind, but the experience of riding in a bunch and meeting other active, fit and outgoing Type 1 athletes who deal with the same things that I do every single minute of every single day was like nothing I have ever felt before.

For 48 hours, I shared the load. I had people out in front of me breaking headwind, people beside me encouraging me and people behind me, riding in my slipstream. All of us took turns out in front of the bunch and all of us took cover in behind at somepoint. The result was a group speed averaging 30km/h for 15 hours straight...a feat none of us could have accomplished on our own.

Sunday night as we returned back to Melbourne, it was time for the bunch to disperse and go their seperate ways, time to ride as individuals for a while on the energy saved from riding in the bunch and the anticipation of knowing that soon, somewhere down the road there will be an opportunity to ride in the slipstream again.

Pumped

I am pumped.

This weekend, Rob and I joined Hypoactive on their annual Murray to Moine cycle relay to raise money for Diabetes Camps for Kids here in Victoria. The team was made up of 10 riders and 5 support crew...all of whom have Type 1 diabetes...except Rob.

The ride started in Echuca (north of Melbourne) and ended 520km later in Port Fairy (on the coast). As a team, we rode for 24 hours....had 4 hours of sleep...ate 15kg of Candy...drank 12 cases of Sugar-Free Red Bull, Diet Coke and Powerade...and ate more food than I have ever seen consumed in a 24 hour period.

The event kicked off at 11am when our first team hit the road- we split up into three groups and rotated in one hour shifts. Riding hard, then resting, testing blood sugars and refueling in the van inbetween until 2am when we rolled into a rest stop for a four hour sleep. Up again at 6am for the final 90km leg which we rode all together as a team.

Having never riden a road bike before, I was a wee bit hesitant as everyone met in the parking lot in Melboune and started unloading flashy bikes...this was going to be serious. The Hypoactive crew had pulled together everything Rob and I needed to ride for the weekend...bikes, helmets, clothes, gloves, bike lights...everything. So even though we had no clue what to expect, we at least looked the part!

Luckily, everyone was extremely warm, welcoming, friendly and more than willing to help a few rookie Canadian cyclists learn the ropes. In no time, we were cruising down the road, doing exchanges and drafting in behind other riders.

During the down times in the van between shifts, the Aussies felt it their duty to expose Rob and I to as much 'Aussie Culture' as possible...so not only did we come away from the weekend with new riding skills, but with an arsenal of Aussie vocabulary, phrases, song lyrics and pop culture.

By the end of the weekend we were starting to be able to walk the walk, and I reckon that we could fool a few blokes into thinking we could talk the talk as well, and I'm fair dinkum!

AUSTRALIA by STORM

Robbie and I arrived in Melbourne, Australia yesterday morning.
New Zealand put up a bit of a fuss with our departure.
The biggest storm we had seen in two months crashed, boomed and lit up the sky before we went to bed on our last night. A plane was struck by lightening, causing some delays for the passengers, so it was a full flight the next morning, but an uneventful one. Just the way I like it.

Australia had a grand welcome planned for us. We were greeted by gale force winds blowing street signs down the roads, ripping huge signs off buildings, knocking out power, picking up old ladies (no joke) and sand blasting our faces with fragments of the Outback.

We also received a warm welcome from Ewin, the finacee of a Type 1 diabetic cyclist that runs an organization called Hypoactive here in Melbourne. http://www.hypoactive.org/
I sent an email to Monique months ago when I first found her website. I had been searching 'cycling' 'Australia' 'New Zealand' 'Type 1 diabetes'....and the Hypoactive site popped up. I inquired as to whether there would be any way of getting involved in any events while in Australia and picking her brain as to how she got her organization up and running (something I am keen on doing upon my return to Canada).
Well, she invited us to join the Type 1 group in their annual cycling fundraiser....a 500km, two-day cycle relay called the Murray to Moine (which starts Saturday). Not only that...but she offered up her home as a place for us to head when we landed in Melbourne. And she's not even a member of couch surfing!!
It's the first time I have entered another diabetics house. It's funny, but seeing someone elses insulin in the fridge and a whole cupboard in the kitchen devoted to snacks for lows is really comforting.
Could this be the inaugural stay of "Diabetic Couch Surfers"? Surfing from one diabetic safehaven to the next around the globe?

Who knows, but what I DO know is that I have once again been blown away by the hospitality, generocity and trust shown by complete stangers down under.

Filling my basket

On Wednesday morning, Rob and I fly to Australia.
I have been reflecting on the time that has past since we stepped of a plane, soggy after a brief stint in cyclone plagued Fiji, never having biked before, having no set route or plan and hoping that someone we had met through the internet would be waiting to pick us up.

I didn't realize then, but we were arriving at the world's greatest farmer's market.

Over the past two months, we have been strolling down it's grassy isles lined with booths and stalls offering fresh, organic, homegrown opportunities. We have been surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of New Zealand and have been enveloped by it's bustle of activity.

Luckily, I arrived in New Zealand with a giant wicker basket over my shoulder- an open mind, and the sole purpose of filling it with experiences, adventures and ideas for the future.

Like heading to any market, I had things on my list, things I was craving that I knew would be there, it would just be a matter of finding the right stall and putting it in the basket. This is often the way we travel, mostly because of necessity and lack of time. Focused on getting to our destination, picking up what we came for and heading on to the next.

Thankfully, we had time to wander and time to browse.
Along the way, there were all kinds of stalls that I wasn't expecting, things I had never seen, tasted or tried before- new experiences, adventures, and opportunities to expand my horizons and try something new...FREE SAMPLES!! And not just the edible kind. I filled my basket with these.

And then there were the people at the market- those who were selling their wares, as well as those who were just strolling through, like ourselves. We soon realized that if you took the time to stop and chat with the vendors, meet the people and hear their stories, your own experiences would be enriched tenfold. We built relationships and connections that have allowed us to see behind the facade of some of the stalls, opportunities that we never would have come across just wandering by.

After two months, my basket is growing heavy...

Rob's mom, Jay, sent me an email today...she passed on a message from Rob's Grandma Jessie who had seen photos of our strawberry picking adventures...did we think we were done?!? Our trays were no where close to full. If we were picking berries for her jam, those trays would have to be overflowing.

The temptation is definitely there- to stay until this basket is overflowing, the wicker straining.
The temptation is there to become a regular at this market, with an empty basket each week, strolling from stall to stall, familiar with the layout, chatting with vendors who know what I am there for, bread warm and waiting, bumping into other regulars....maybe even opening a stall of my own.
The temptation is there.

But I can't set up shop yet, there are more adventures to come...we fly to Australia in less than 48 hours, where I will pick up a new, fresh, empty basket....or maybe it will be a boomerang.

It's the little things....

What is this you ask?
Only nature's most incredible invention - the PERFECT TENT FLY DRYING STRUCTURE!!

Rob and I discovered this marvel on a particularly dewy morning in Takaka.
Due to our slightly obsessive tendency to have our gear organized and in its proper place, we will go to great lengths to dry our tent as much as possible before packing it away (if time allows of course). Most mornings this means lots of shaking, holding up in the wind, draping carefully over picnic tables, bushes, tree branches and more.

Enter, the palm...
The frans of the palm stretch the fly, maximizing the surface area for evaporation and allowing for air circulation on both sides. Genius!
This palm was especially perfect as it received early morning sun.

I have never had such a good time watching nylon dry.

Snap Happy

My camera's rechargeable batteries ran out of steam a few days ago.
We hadn't been in a place with a plug for over a week. Okay, well we hadn't stayed overnight in a place with power.
When the batteries finally lost their charge I freaked. NO POWER? NO CAMERA? What the heck am I going to do? The fact that Rob had a fully charged camera was of little comfort. I need my camera.
I sulked and scoffed mentally....'well, I would have taken a picture of that, humph'

But after a couple days of cameralessness I began to feel liberated.
I didn't have the ghost of photography stress hanging over me, sitting on my shoulder, egging me on- you should take a photo of that, you may never remember without one, how was the light in that one? do you think the colours will turn out? does it show the perspective properly? is there a better angle for this shot?
I began to realize what a distraction photography can really be from the experience that you are trying to immortalize.
Instead of rooting through my bag, digging out the camera, changing the settings, playing with the flash, etc, etc, I found myself in stillness, taking in the moment, instead of trying to capture it.
Now if only I could figure out how to post those moments on the blog.....

(this was only an observation...my camera has since been fully charged and I am back to being as snap happy as ever...but it was a nice break!)

Chloe-1, Diabetes-0

The other morning I woke up and rolled over in my sleeping bag. Rob was already awake.

"I don't want diabetes today" I grumbled.

I bet he was expecting something more along the lines of "good morning", but he didn't seemed surprised in the least by my choice of first words for the day. Seeing as we live in a tiny tent, he was awake each of the 5 times during the night when I awoke to test my blood sugar.

Each time it's the same...
Diabetes wakes me up for one reason or another, high or low. I start rummaging around for my glucometer. Rob says "You okay?". I reply "Yep...just high" or "Yep...just low". Deal with it. Then we can both go back to sleep. Till the diabetes alarm goes off again.

I know I am very fortunate to even have an internal diabetes alarm, as many people don't and just sleep through their highs and lows, but sometimes....ahhhhhhhhhhh, I wish it would just leave me alone. That particular night I was plagued by a high that just wouldn't go away, despite extra boluses and finally a shot, I was reduced to the final option...change the pump site.

So the other morning, when it was finally time to get up and start the day, I was just about done with diabetes.

Most of the time, I am totally, 100%, A-okay with the fact that I have diabetes. That's the way things are, I can't change it, so I deal with it. Diabetes is just another part of my day- brush my teeth, test my blood sugar, count carbs, change a bike tire, eat, exercise, pump it up, etc, etc.

Diabetes management becomes routine. But routine in a way that it is a constant fixture on your conscience. I am thinking about diabetes all the time. I am constantly doing 'mental check-ins' with my body. "Body, how do you feel? Low? High? Shaky? Achy? Jittery? Heart racy? Head achy? Hungry? Cranky? Icky? Fine?". Every time I eat, move, walk, exercise, sit still, leave for somewhere, go to do something, wake up, go to bed...I take diabetes into account. Sometimes the result is doing math or dealing with blood tests or insulin administration, other times it is as simple as just checking in and then moving on.

Apparently, diabetes makes demands of my unconscious mind too, which must mean that even though I may think I am taking a break from diabetes during sleep, my brain never really stops checking in, hence the internal alarm.

Woe is me! When I get this frustrated, deflated, I-don't-want-to-play-this-game-anymore, rundown, burnt out feeling, I know that it is time to distract myself, do something active, and prove to myself that this can't hold me back or get me down. I just won't let it.

A little diabetes victory also helps...like a perfect 5.5 on the glucometer...but these are sometimes hard to come by.

So I sometimes find that reminding myself that it could be a lot worse helps....

How I am I SO LUCKY to have a disease that still lets me to do things like climb mountains, paddle rivers and lakes, run, sea kayak, surf, bike, do cartwheels, eat a field of strawberries (well, it did protest a little at that one!)...you get the point.

What can't I do with diabetes?

And when I start to think like that, my competitive streak comes out...diabetes, you're goin' DOWN!
Diabetes has come awfully close, it throws some low blows now and then and has had me up in the corner, down one one knee, but I am still the reigning champion, and I plan on keeping it that way.