Restart

As Summer vacation has been closing down, I've been feeling less and less profound.

Not as bad as usual. This will be my last school-year startup.

I'm also looking forward to the new season of Jiu-Jitsu. It is moving to a larger, shiny new location and an expanded schedule. I can go five days a week if I want to, and I just might.

Karate starts as well but in a far less ambitious manner. Saturday and Monday will have adult classes, with Monday and Wednesday the time for Kids. I will teach the Adult classes and the Monday Kids one. Sara is responsible for the other Kids session. She's a  Green Belt now. I started teaching at Green.

Cody is another one of my Karate friends, and wants to try Jiu-Jitsu.

That should be fun.

Fatty

I've been away for most of the summer. As a result I haven't been doing any regular training.

Karate has been shut down. Jiu-Jitsu was running for most of the summer but has also been down for the last two weeks.

The former resumes on September 1st, and the later on the 4th.

All I've been doing regularly has been running and biking....and eating.

When in Victoria there are a million great restaurants, and not a few Dairy Queens. Out time in Vernon was even more food intensive. The cruise? A whole other level of indulgence.

My weight is best at 175. After Vernon and Victoria it sat at a pudgy 182. Immediately after the cruise I weighed in at a prize-winning 189 pounds.

If you're counting, that's 14 pounds to get rid of. A little daunting, but not as bad as it sounds.

It takes a little time after a cruise binge to find out one's true weight. A day later I was down to 186. The real goal is only 11 pounds away.

Getting back into training will help a lot, as will a return to normal eating. Sadly, I have to go back to work, so my running will drop from 6 times a week down to only twice. The bike riding continues.

Less yummy stuff is half of the answer, along with portion control.

Neither is fun.

Second cruise

Seward was better than expected. It is relatively untouched by the cruise port effect.

My back hurts a bit.

Fun to watch people figuring out the ship.

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Almost time for the glacier again. Bernie got the time lapse app for his iPad, too. Gonna have lots of icey videos.

We are sitting in the coffee area eating pastries. There is a charge for coffee but not for the snackies. Life is good.

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Glacier day was yesterday and jolly. Today was Juneau and even better.

Our friends went shopping while Helen and I went biking along a quiet seaside road. The hauling out and reloading of the bikes keeps getting smoother.

My back has been cranky since Seward, so Helen was worried I'd wreck myself but I didn't.

We had a complimentary lunch at the crepe place onboard. Might just have to do that again.

Later we shopped and I almost bought a ring. Instead I bought nothing.

In the evening we went all sorts of separate ways. My back felt so good I went for a treadmill run for 2 miles. Haven't run for a few days. I'm still not wrecked after hauling bikes, riding, and later running.

Treadmills are evil, however. Running on scenic roads is dull enough. Running on a machine is a hundred times worse.

......

Skagway was another bike day, with tons of ring shopping added on.

Had on a beauty that was over three grand, as well as lots in the $200-300 range. Finally found one for 16 bucks.

It's ten minutes before happy hour in Phyliss's room. We have a bottle of rum to work on.

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The others have cooled a lot on the shows, but I still go. The dancing and singing is really good.

It is now early morning of Hoonah day. I've made a couple of time-lapse deck tours and am waiting eagerly for our planned crepe breakfast at the specialty dining cafe. They are soooo good.

Helen has given me the "day off". This means I don't have to haul the bikes ashore on the tenders, or even accompany her ashore. I will, of course, but only because I want to.

......

Was ashore for a half hour or so. Went down on the beach and put my feet into the sea. Bone chilling, which was no surprise.

Ran 3.49 miles on a treadmill and headed to lunch, which is where I am now.

My radio has died, which makes communication difficult. Left a note on the bed saying where I am.

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Waiting for the 9:00pm show. It was another perfect day.

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6:21am of our final port day. Helen wants to bike Ketchikan. I'd be just as happy not to, but am happy enough.

I just want to visit one store, where they have quality clothing and are not aimed at the cruise ship customers.

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We went north 5km and then came back. We go majorly rain soaked. Luckily, not too cold. Put the bikes away and went back out shopping. Of course the rain stopped.

Helen got a mammoth-tooth ring, and I got a piece of quartz with copper.

Mine is just the stone, weighs about a pound or two, and cost $27.50. There's enough there for about a hundred rings.

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Waiting for the show. I saw it last week, but I really enjoy the dancing and singing. Helen and Lola are shopping, and Bernie and Phyliss are wandering about.

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At bedtime Lola and Bernie discovered two bottles of wine chilling in their room. We polished off the first.

It's now 6am of the last day. The clocks went ahead an hour overnight, and I'm the only passenger up and about. The coffee was on, of course, and I'm seated at a big dark window.

This trip? A fair amount of wildlife. Lots of eagles and ravens. Sea otters, seals, sea lions and humpback whales.

Bought a cruise-line tshirt and sweatshirt. Bought a $2 ring, and another for $16. I think that's all.

Biked in Hoonah, Skagway, Juneau, Skagway again, and Ketchikan in the rain.

Got champaign in the room for the 90th birthday party, and a bottle of rum delivered at the end of the first cruise. Two more bottles of wine last night.

I watched every production show twice. We dance all over, including on the big marble floor when there was a party in the centrum.

Made lots of time lapses movies.

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Sitting in the coffee shop area with a latte. Earlier ran 3.35 miles on a machine, then another kilometer on deck. It didn't work too well as the walkers were about and would cluelessly block the way.

Things are winding down.

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We are home now. I've never been finished with a cruise after one week, but doubling it made me content to leave.

I only gained seven pounds.

Cruise

I am sitting in a lovely lounge on board the cruise ship named Millennium. Helen and I are travelling with our very good friends Lola, Bernie, and Phyliss.

We came aboard yesterday in Vancouver. Today is a day with no port stop scheduled, so it is a relaxing day at sea. We're pretty much all wandering about.

Helen and I hit the gym at 6am when it opened. She went on an eliptical trainer,  and I ran 3 and a half miles on a treadmill.

We all met up for breakfast, and then scattered. Some went to a watercolour class, and a kitchen tour. I've been goal-less, but have kept quite content and busy just exploring.

If we don't see each other, we all meet up at the lunch table. It's a good system.

I'm looking forward to lunch.

Last night I had two appetizers, two of the soups, two deserts, and my entree was a massive slab of prime rib. I also helped Pyliss finish off her pork chop, which was really a roast with a bone sticking out. It was her 90th birthday, and she just can't pack it away like I can.

Lunch might be big, too.

......

It was, and supper was, too.

We got to dance a bit, and I'm getting real used to going to a show every night.

In the morning we are in Ketchikan. It is a hilly place.

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Ketchikan was nice.

At Hoonah we hauled out the folding bikes and racked up 13.5 km. They were awkward on the tender boats, but were a success.

It is almost breakfast and we are docked in Juneau.

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It's now Skagway day. After breakfast Helen and I are off biking. It is a very flat town nestled at the mouth of a river. If we decide to go farther, there is a road along the sea.

I ran it once, and it's seriously lovely. Never made it to the park at the far end, turning back after logging 10 k, meaning 10 k back. I think there were about 5 more to go, but it was too far to run. We'll see if bikes are more suitable. It does turn into gravel, so we'll see.

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We are loading the last of the day trippers before leaving Skagway. This town is my favourite stop.

Put 18.24 km on the bikes. We went to the old cemetary above the town, and to the stunning spot on the Dyea road above the cruise ships and town. On the way back to the ship Helen shopped a little.

The bikes went back aboard painlessly. Helen went aboard to get the cases while I did my magical bike folding trick. Several people today commented what a good idea folding bikes are for cruise travel. They don't need to convince me.

Later, while lounging by the pool I got recruited for a free sampler massage. Things are rough.

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The ship is heading in towards Hubbard glacier right now. The bay is clouded over and as cold as a glacier should be. I'm wedged comfortably into a big lounge window watching ice chunks go by.

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There was a special brunch buffet, which made the ususal buffet look like hobo food.

The glacier had been calving more than we've seen in any of our previous six Alaska cruises. My iPad caught some of it in timelapse.

Most of the passengers seem a little wistful as they leave the ship tomorrow. We don't, and feel quite smug.

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Got our information how we do things on the day most folks leave and are replaced by newbies. The cruise line is nice enough to let us have some dry cleaning or laundry done without a charge, and a fancy lunch.

I've been super relaxed today. The only two activities I've done have been the extra-fancy brunch and a Tango lesson. It was put on by two of the dancers, and they made it make sense.

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The ship is docked at Seward, and it's too early to get out of bed. It is changeover day. Two thousand people leave and are replaced with two thousand new ones. A few of us carry on for a second week.

We do have to pack and unpack again. Somehow our two weeks in one room magically turned into one week in one cabin and a second week in a different one. A bother.

I'm leaning towards staying onboard, but the clan wants to toddle into the village. There is a shuttle from the dock to the Safeway. I think this pretty much says it all. A ride to Safeway.

......

Support

Olympic combative sports are largely ignored by the Canadian public. They are also grossly underfunded by government programs as well.

This is really dumb, especially when the medal count does seem to be important to both the government and to the public at large.

Soccer absorbes more than its share of resources and support, and usually lands Canada nowhere near a medal. This year it is different, with the women's team scoring a Bronze. The only other Soccer medal Canada ever earned was in 1904.

Already in the 2012 Games Canada has a Bronze in Judo, and a Bronze and Silver in Wrestling. Since the Olympics started Canada has 16 Wrestling medals. Since Judo became an Olympic sport in 1964, Canada has picked up 5 medals.

I think that if medals matter then significant support should be given to the sports most like to earn them. Last year sport Canada award grants of $1.8 million to Wrestling and $1.1 million to Judo. Soccer got $3.5 million.

Put a little money more money where the medals are.

We might just win more.

Home

In the Summer it's impossible for me to get in any steady training in martial arts. Conversely, it is a good time for me to pick up little snippets.

I made it to two Judo classes in Victoria, and to a Karate seminar in Kelowna.

Last night was first night since we started our travels that I was able to make  it to my local Jiu-Jitsu club.

Summer training there is a little different. The instructor leaves the regular curriculum behind and opens things up a bit.

For the warmup we just grabbed partners and did whatever we wanted. I ended up rolling full tilt with a very competitive guy. Talk about being warmed up. It ended up being twenty minutes long.

The work was reflex developement, which consist of five or six techniques linked together.

There were only four of us there forthe advanced class afterwards. About half of that time was rolling. Madeline and Koko make a good pair, and I was with the instuctor.

Pretty tired for the drive home, and picked up a soda to get my fluids back up.

I'll get to attend again Thursday, and then nothing again for a few weeks.

In September Jiu-Jitsu will be at its new location and on its new schedule. It will be back to following the curriculum.

Back at it then.

Art

Ever wonder just what makes an activity a martial art.

Karate is, but boxing isn't. Judo is,but wrestling isn't.

Put boxers in white uniforms with colored belts and it still isn't a martial art.

The difference is more fundamental than that. It has to do with the intention.

Go to a boxing gym and you'll find that the vast majority of people training are there preparing for competition. The old timers act as trainers and do not actually participate.

Go to a Karate class and it is all very different. Only a minority have any interest in the sport aspects of the activity. There are old timers there, too, but they are just like everybody else. They train.

The goal is to be a better person through training, not a more successful competitor.

This is true of Judo which is the most sport-oriented of the martial arts.

Outwardly it is much like wrestling, but that is an illusion.

Most of the people diligently practicing Judo are not competitors. Some have no interest, and some are too old, but all work equally hard.

I've been involved in wrestling and it's all about competition.

Both types are fine, but are quite different.

Watch

This is the first Olympics where you can watch whatever you want, when ever you want. I love the Internet.

I've been watching on my iPad. I've seen more Olympic judo in the last week then I've seen in all the previous games.

Sadly, the judo ends tomorrow. I also plan on watching a little bit of tae kwon do, and tons of wrestling.

No color commentary, no annoying American announcers, and none of the wonderful back stories that I hate so much. Just the actual drama of the competition.

If you aren't using the Internet to watch the games the way you want to something is seriously wrong.

Go online. Watch things your way. It's very likely it will all vanish soon.