Cheshire Dragon Grins

Short notice for all of you not on FB. I'm never really on here anymore. I'm not really on FB much either, but I'm making a final push on the fund raising.

I've been training hard for the last few months for this year's main climb. I fell ill, and had to stop training for a couple weeks only 3 weeks before the big day, but I came back last week stronger than ever. I feel I have a chance at getting the #1 spot this year, but I'm still behind on my fundraising. Any support would be greatly appreciate!

Sponsor My Canada Life CN Tower Climb and support WWF-Canada

Climbed the CN Tower. Didn't do do as well as last time, but I wasn't able to train as long or as hard. I didn't expect to get under 11 min. again. I figured I'd be happy with anything under 11 1/2 min., and call it a win. I passed a bunch of folk that got a head start, and was first to the top again in 11 min. 28 sec., so I'm pleased.

Got a ride to and from the climb from the team captain, so I didn't have to deal with the rain this morning.

Got home around 7:30, to find Firechild already awake, and in a good mood.

Eventually everyone gets up, and it's decided we'll go out for breakfast. Takes us an hour to get out the door, and another half hour to walk a block and get seated, but yummy, sweet, pancakes and meats and smoothies were consumed.

As I was leaving, the restaurant (Boom on St. Clair), random fellow-diner (older guy with gray hair to his shoulders) stops me, and says, "Dude, you've got some seriously beautiful kids", and gives me a knuckle bump.

Got outside to find kettunainen beaming because she got to brag about my climb-time to another diner who was wearing the same CN Tower climb shirt. He did it in 41 min. 26 sec.

Got home in time to have Firechild start his visit with misslynx so Kettu and I could go clothes shopping for her (with some trepidation) less hindered.

Had a very successful (if rushed) shopping excursion, finding several new shirts and scarves that Kettu feels good in.

Got home again in perfect time to receive Firechild back, and have some fun playing, while getting laundry ready.

Got laundry going while good food is prepared.

Found out the dryer has died, have Superintendent change a fuse, and try again to have it die again. (No day could be perfect.)

Spent the next hour trying to hang as much of two loads (found the first load still wet in the dryer when second load was done washing) of wet laundry as possible.

Checked the final climb results (http://www.uwgt.org/climbforunited…) to find I got THE FASTEST TIME of the day. I'll take that as an official win. There were four other climbers with faster times, 2 on Thursday, and 2 on Saturday. So I got 5th over-all for this October's climb, but no one was faster than my April time, so I'm still holding 3rd place out of 16,082 climbers for all of 2010!

So, yeah, not a bad day for starting at 3:30 AM. :)
Now to end it by 11:30.

So I've been trying harder to get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Since most mornings I'm awake at 5:30, a healthy night's sleep would require getting TO SLEEP by 9:30 at night.  I managed to do 10:30 a few times, and was feeling somewhat refreshed, but the last few nights have been back to the typical midnight crash.  Last night it was 1:30AM.  Due to many parental delays, laundry got started late, and I can't leave a basket of fresh, warm, dry clothes sit in the basket overnight.  I hate looking like I slept in my clothes.  And this morning I got to sleep in all the way to 6:00 before The Boy (not The Baby) started whining as he tends to do in the morning, still half asleep.  I finally pull him out of bed around 7:00 because we need to get to his Art Class at 9:00.

So I'm walking around like a zombie for the day.  Everything takes concentration. Everything takes longer to do.  I have little patience or interest in doing any of it.  I move in slow motion. 

I finally got to bed tonight around 10:15, and was out immediately.  Then sleep mocks me.  Just as Kettu is coming to bed around 11:15 The Boy wakes up crying about some mysterious tummy pains, and won't be soothed.  We have to relocate to the living room so he doesn't wake The Baby.  I'm thinking it's some bad gas that needs to pass through, Kettu's worried about a fever.  We can't get any useful information out of The Boy.  We take his temperature (he's always hated this) which agitates him further.  He's running a little warm, but not enough to be concerned about yet.  This goes on for an hour until he mostly cries hiself back to sleep, and I perform some reiki to help hom get comfortable.

So now he's resting fitfully on the couch (pulled out into a bed), and I'm sleeping out here with him.  Moving him back into the bedroom would likely disturb him too much and start everything over.  Having him wake up crying again in the bedroom could also wake his brother.  Kettu needs to be in the bedroom for when The Baby needs to be fed through the night.  So I'm out here with The Boy occassionally whining in his sleep, and I just got to "nap" for an hour, so I'm AWAKE. O_O  ...and hungry, but too much (read: any) noise in the kitchen disturbs The Boy.

Why is it when I have the opportunity to go out I'm too tired, and when I can't I'm energized and stir-crazy?  Really not a fan of parenting right now.  :|

Life permitting, I'll be at Dance Cave tonight. it's been a long time. have they changed what's considered "oldies"?

This is me making the most of my time away from the office.

Post from mobile portal m.livejournal.com

Only in Japan...

I Am A: Lawful Good Human Monk (4th Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-15

Dexterity-17

Constitution-16

Intelligence-17

Wisdom-18

Charisma-14


Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.


Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Class:
Monks are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)


*********
Wow, they got me as Human instead of Elf.  What, am I getting boring in my old age?  Especially with the Lawful Good tag.  I noticed a slow progression towards shaking my fist at the kids these days, though the descriptive text does fit me pretty well.  I do wish I were as able as the Monk description to deal out some righteous justice on occasion.  No complaints about the scores though.

Personal Time, Rank: 10:52, 2/1827
Team Time, Rank: 12:42, 2/376

Perhaps I’m being a little too ( Collapse )
So yeah, I’m bummed.
*kicks dirt*

I already know, and eventually it'll sink in, that this is my starting point.  Now I have perspective, and an entire year to train.  I know there were things I could've done better.  this wasn't my best performance.  I can get better.  We'll talk again in a year.

Update: The public climb results from Saturday just came out.  One guy beat me from that climb too.  But he did it in a time of 9:13!  That is hard-core.  That is the class above me that I was expecting to see.  Now I have a target to work for. 

Also, that puts my rank at 3/6217 :)

I want to write up the whole experience, but given my record for posting meaningful entries, you may not see it for a few months. :P 

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO foxesdaughter , misslynx , sarinda , plumjudy , and outcastspice FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP!!!

1776 steps: 10:52

Some results aren't finalized yet. Due to some technical glitches we're still waiting to see how one teammate did, and how we stack up against other teams, so I'm still kinda holding my breathe.  Personally, I did awesome with a side of awesomesauce.  My first time climbing the tower, and I beat last year's best.  It was hard; really hard.  But it went faster than I expected, and a couple minutes after finishing I thought I could do better.  Never having done it before, I got psyched out a bit, and held back too long for the final push.  Also, I got chilled waiting around for the ribbon-cutting, so my hands never warmed up, my quads felt knotted, and I barely broke a sweat.  Though I can still feel it in my lungs. 

Next year will be better.  I'm back in the stairwell come Wednesday.  New regimen, new strategies, and a whole year to experiment.

via foxesdaughter :

Your result for Awakening the Hero Within: Hero Archetype Test...

You are the Sage

54% Innocent, 29% Orphan, 75% Warrior, 67% Caregiver, 83% Seeker, 54% Lover, 29% Destroyer, 75% Creator, 64% Magician, 67% Ruler, 96% Sage and 58% Fool!

Take Awakening the Hero Within: Hero Archetype Test at OkCupid

I meant to do this a couple weeks ago, but haven’t had time for more than the FB status updates.  But it’s really getting down to the wire, so I’m prioritizing…

 

On April 15^th I’ll be racing in the 20^th Annual Canada Life CN Tower Climb for WWF-Canada. Those of you following me on FB know that I’ve been working hard every week.  I’ve surpassed everyone’s expectations, especially my own.  As I said in my original post about this, I didn’t think this would ever be something I COULD do, let alone do REALLY WELL!

 

There are always thoughts of, “Why am I doing this to myself?”  One of my sponsors called me crazy for working so hard.  My response was that every dollar I could raise for WWF made me more sane.  The event isn’t billed as a race.  People will typically take 30 to 40 minutes to get to the top, and just be glad they got all the way.  Some folk take over an hour.  I’m working to do it in under 11 minutes.  Every dollar donated drives me that much harder.

 

I only needed to raise $150 to be allowed to climb.  I’ve got that. Thank you to everyone who’ve already shown their support.  But I’m still only half-way to what I thought I could raise.  I know a lot of folk dug deep for Haiti when they first needed our help.  They still do, and we’re still working on sending more cash that way ourselves.  But if you’ve got any room left, I’m asking for your support here too.  $2 is enough to help.  $20 or more gets you a tax receipt.  A few folk raised their hands on my first post, and I’m still hoping to connect with you.

 

The online donation site only takes credit cards (no Paypal), and I realize not all of my friends are card enabled.  But I can still accept cash, cheques, or Paypal, and because I’m a trusting soul, I’ll cover any verbal pledges, and collect when next our paths cross.

Comments are screened in case you want to keep it anonymous.

Thanks for your support!