A Great Loss; RIP Ken Palmer

Yesterday, Oct 30th, 2013, I received the terrible news that my old friend Ken Palmer had passed following complications in his recovery from a recent heart transplant. I was devastated to say the least.

I have many memories that will keep Ken alive and with me for all my years but I dug out a cassette and found an interview I did with Ken in 1998 when I was host of CHRW's "For The Folk".

It's all very raw and unedited and is quite long, but despite the length and my stammering, it is classic Ken Palmer.

I hope that you will all take the time to listen as it gives some biographical background to Ken and to the Home County Folk Festival which at the time had just turned 25.

Ken was very influential in my life and was a good friend and mentor. I sometimes tried to say jokingly that I was his "sidekick" when we co-emceed the Home County Folk Festival. He would always correct me and say "Ah, ah, ah! You're NOT my sidekick... you're my partner!"

Click here for the full interview. It's 102MB and about an Hour and 28 minutes. Recorded late July 1998 at CHRW studios, UWO. Photo above by Derrick Hind 2007.

RIP "Big Kenny". Thanks for all of the great things you've done for all of us over the years. London and area is greatly indebted to you.

You can’t tame a Crazy Horse!

Behind the scenes at Budweiser Gardens with @LeGiff

Ian Gifford – Oct. 9, 2012

Unlike your average concert goer these days, I believe I have a somewhat unique perspective to share for various reasons. I am a performer, an audio engineer, a stage manager, a music writer and former radio host. I've been closely tied to music for a good part of my life.

I haven’t been to a whole heck of a lot of large scale concerts as a spectator to be honest. I can name about 10 shows I’ve been to that were larger than 6000 in the audience. Most of my shows have been in clubs and halls or outdoor festivals and tiny little taverns and the like. I’ve always said that I prefer to go to shows where I can tip a “bevvie” back with the bands afterwards or maybe buy them a round. I’m a musician after all. Musicians often do that for one another. 

I didn’t get, or expect a chance to buy Neil Young and Crazy Horse a round this Saturday but that’s different. First, I read somewhere that Neil is off booze and other stuff altogether. Second, with the energy that the band churns out song after song, despite the large hall and throngs of howling  & whistling fans, they gave off an energy akin to the hardest rocking bands any given night at Call The Office, just down the road from Budweiser Gardens, where Saturday night’s festivities took place. Their aural honey was a rock fan’s nectar of the gods! 

Not being quite as familiar with shows like this (every show is very different in every venue and I have worked behind the scenes as a stage manager or sound tech for literally thousands of shows!), I find it interesting to see how facility management has to deal with it. Let me veer off for a second here: 

I was glad to have met up with my friend James Reaney of the London Free Press before the show. He wrote a review of the evening that I could never hope to top! If I put in anything about what songs were played and such, I’m pretty sure I’d just be ripping James off, so let me instead try to lend a musician/audio geek perspective to the event. 

Saturday evening I met up with my brother in law Brad, who has seen Neil Young before, but as part of his own thing without Crazy Horse. We bused downtown and were both pretty excited.  We had planned to grab a beer and meet up with some people then go in and see the opening band.

When we arrived we immediately got our drinks only to find that when we got to our gate, we weren’t allowed to enter with our full to the brim beer; house policy for the night. Well, I wasn’t about to chug it, as I just don’t like to do that and I’d rather enjoy it, so we stood outside in the corridor and took our time. We heard a band take the stage and knew it had to be “Infantree” and were a little bummed to miss them.

While we stood there, we met a lot of interesting people, some that were already pretty intoxicated it seemed, as evidenced by the amount of times I was spit on while being regaled with past Neil young show experiences. 

Some of the folks were quite fun to talk to and had wondered aloud what the policy was about. Some people grumbled of course and other people simply went “Oh well!” and either knocked back their drinks or threw them out. The “drunken spitter” was a recipient of a couple of giveaways. Lucky him! 

Now don’t think I am about to trash the facility or anything, but more, I hope to give some perspective  to the non-technical folk, on why shows like the Crazy Horse gig happen to go like this. The Budweiser Gardens marketing and PR people already explained to me that it’s really about managing the alcohol consumption and general risk factor. When you have people of all ages on the floor, with the house lights off, you can’t see who’s got something they should not have etc. 

You also cannot see who may have been served past their limit and may become a liability for the facility. I truly get it, having worked more than 10 years in the bar scene every staff member has to be able to monitor the situations appropriately. But really it’s the same for any music facility with a liquor license and especially those with kids under 19 in attendance. Insurance costs are also a factor I am certain. 

When we did get into the hall, the direct support act “Los Lobos” was on. I immediately noticed the sound was muffled or muddy, as James mentioned in his article. I did walk around the entire floor to give my ears time to adjust to the volume but even after a while it still was fairly muddy. 

Most of these big touring bands have their own “Front of House” (FOH) technician that writes what are called a “production rider” and “stage plots” and runs the checks and the sound for the headliner. 

In a house like Budweiser Gardens they will either ask the venue to rent from a reputable local sound company or possibly the acts are touring with many rigs in an entourage of crew in many buses and trucks. I’ve been the third guy mixing the opener in a situation like that and gotten to do a sound check with my band of just 5 minutes! Sometimes it just turns out like that and you make the most of it. 

The FOH tech for the headliner calls the shots. They get all the time to work out all sound issues that they need, then the support takes their time and then the third band gets whatever’s left until the doors open. Like I said one day I got a 5 minute sound check with my band and it was pretty hairy! Overall though I thought it sounded ok in the end. Things can be much different these days in the digital realm though. 

 I do want to dispel the myth that opening acts aren’t “allowed” to sound better, or that the top guys sabotage the opener’s sound, things just do not work that way. It all comes down to the time each of the technicians gets to work out “bugs” individually and after all; the headliner is such for a reason and deserves more of the attention. 

Things sometimes can get better for the openers further in on a tour, especially when and if the company is touring with the newer digital boards where they can save their mix information to a thumb drive or SD card. 

Some techs maybe just don’t “get” some venues because they’re a new experience for them and that could have been the case with Los Lobos, because frankly I’ve heard a few bands now at that venue that sounded impeccable. It was a shame really. I loved their energy and I liked all their songs, even the ones I hadn’t heard before. I mean those dudes ROCKED and I would love to see them in London again as James suggested in his article. Hint hint there BG. ;-) 

However, it sounded like the Crazy Horse tech got his time in, because the Crazy Horse set was phenomenal! The lows of the bass guitar were rich and full, the electric guitars were in your face without cutting your head off and the drums were super big without making your head pound along with each hit.

I got a neat perspective late in the show when I was invited up to a suite with Chris of Budweiser Gardens. We were at the side of the stage and not only could see the full band from an eagle’s eye view, we got a direct blast from the line array speakers which sounded crystal clear. The other bonus of that was watching the hustle and bustle of crew and technicians between songs, which is something I always get great joy from. Stage work fascinates me; I could sit and watch it all day. ;-) 

I mean, sitting there and seeing the prep that had to go into setting up and tearing down those giant mock amps; which I am sure were hiding much smaller combo or short stack amps behind them; was as much of a thrill for me as being in the same room with Neil Young and Crazy Horse themselves. 

The big microphone in the middle was funny, if not kitschy and a tad distracting. 

Overall the show made me realize just how much thought and prep has to go into every little detail of presenting a show like that, from how much food and drink you can expect to be consumed to how much space you can fill with bodies in the stands and on the floor, to how to make sure the experience is a safe and enjoyable one for all. 

I think the only thing missing from a show like this was a communication from the facility’s standpoint. As I mentioned to the marketing people at BG, if it was communicated that alcohol was not allowed on the floor in advance, it could be something that people prepare for. I would have liked the opportunity to get there before and make sure I saw the openers. As a reviewer that’s important to me. It’s not that having a beer is a make or break to the show but it is part of the overall experience for some, especially on a holiday weekend when you are out celebrating with friends and family.

Of course it can lead to problems as well when people go out for drinks first to a nearby pub or pre-drink at home. This is something that has been brought up as a bone of contention for other bar/venue owners as of late in the local media. 

So from the Neil Young fan and Crazy Horse fan perspective, I had a great time. They did not disappoint at all and the show was everything I would have expected from them and more. The standout track for me was the new single from “Psychedelic Pill” (to be released on October 29^th, 2012) “I was born in Ontario”. I had heard it on a local station a couple weeks before and immediately thought “I’ve found my new anthem!” 

“Born in Ontario” has got a great chunky groove to it and makes you just want to raise your arms and shout right along. Older hits like “Cinnamon Girl”, “Powderfinger” and “Roll Another Number” brought back memories of many times sitting around a kitchen table with friends and an acoustic guitar and a harmonica in a rack. If I had an actual “bucket list” of concerts to see, this one would have been on it and satisfyingly scratched off on Saturday. 

It’s an honour to be a part of such a great event and I am ever grateful to the folks at Budweiser Gardens for this opportunity and hope that they all appreciate my unique slant on the events at their facility. 

I am not a professional writer; I just try to write as if I was telling you of my experiences over a beverage or two. It’s a unique experience to be at a venue of this calibre any time, with about 9000 or more of my neighbours. I love that London has a venue that can attract such a high calibre of musicians to grace its stages and attracting the audiences that keep them wanting to come back. 

Good work Budweiser Gardens, nee John Labatt Center. It’s been a great 10 years and I wish you 100+ more! 

London Ontario Bike Bylaw Restructure Proposal

By Ian Gifford – 08/20/2012 edited 09/11/2012

Note: This is something I came up with in August. Now that the discussions in council (regarding 14 year olds and younger on side walks) have surfaced I wanted to see what other Londoners think of some of these ideas. Can we make any of them work and can we do it to make our roads safer now? Feel free to comment but constructively please. Negative comments do nothing to advance the solutions required to make cyclists feel safer in our city right now. We need "solutions to the problems, not problems to the solutions" - Gil Penalosa

Gil Penalosa gives a great talk on car vs pedestrian vs cycle traffic in the world's cities HERE in this video

New York City made cycling infrastructure changes happen virtually overnight. See what they have done in this video here

The Florida Bicycle association made this education site here as provided by a commenter below. 

Overview: The following is a list of suggestions for changes in Bicycling related traffic bylaws for London Ontario while future changes in road infrastructure pertaining to cyclists are yet to be realized. The hope is that with minor changes to the way cyclists use the roads and pathways within the city, that public and police perception of cyclists will alter and a balance between all three of drivers, pedestrians and Cyclists can be met.

Reasoning: Cyclists face a wide variety of obstacles in London, Ontario every day from unkempt streets, to littered pathways/shoulders (glass, dirt, trash etc.) and aggressive drivers, many which suffer from a disdain and disrespect for cyclists. Driver perceptions of the average cyclist can cause many to be aggressive towards the cyclist ultimately advancing “road rage” between the two parties and on some occasions resulting in accidents with the cyclists largely becoming the injured party.

In London’s current state, there are many multi use pathways that prove to be very good for recreational use and in some instances good for daily commutes to various parts of the city. However, arterial streets in London (ie: Highbury, Adelaide, Oxford, Dundas, Wharncliffe, Commissioners) are largely without painted bike lanes or Boulevard style lanes up and away from the flow of traffic. Bikers like me often feel unsafe and thereby take to the sidewalk while that can lead to fines from Police and/or aggression from drivers and pedestrians.

The hope of amending/altering some city bylaws and how they pertain to cyclists is to change the public perception and to allow within the legal system for riders to take to the sidewalks in a safe manner, without worry of repercussions. There would be obvious need for exceptions to these amendments and will be listed accordingly. Such exceptions would include where a bike lane on the road exists and/or sharrows are painted into the streets and signs indicating all to “share the road” or that “this is a designated bike route” exist.

The biggest need in cycling culture change is the acceptance of cyclists as co-owners of the roads and pathways. Alternately there are cyclists that are in need of changing their own methods of using the streets and pathways. It’s a situation where respect will likely need to be given in order to be gained back
.

Another thing that needs to be acknowledged on the path to equalisation on the roads is that current road laws are not ultimately created with the cyclist in mind and are largely outdated and not inclusive to the cyclist. With minor change in many of these laws we can have equalisation for all users of roads and pathways and make our traffic system safe and enjoyable for all.

Bylaws: Current London, Ontario bylaws restrict cyclists from riding on sidewalks anywhere within the city. Cyclists often will ride these sidewalks at the risk of being stopped by police and fined. These laws are restrictive to cyclists who want to or need to ride on major arteries where the lane size and volume of traffic makes it unsafe to navigate freely for the slower moving cyclist.

Proposed amendment 1: Eliminate bylaw altogether (with restrictions for cyclist use) and change nomenclature from “sidewalk” to “roadside pathways”. The idea of changing nomenclature is to change public perception of how these walks may be used. The idea of eliminating fines for sidewalk use with exceptions will allow for the safe passage throughout the city without threat of being overtaken by high volume traffic.

Restrictions:

·        Cyclists using the sidewalk must pro-actively and voluntarily demonstrate knowledge of bicycle safety. Helmets, bells, lights, reflectors and well kept braking systems should be present at all times. The exceptions would be subject to evaluation by bylaw enforcement and/or Police officers.

·         Children under the age of ___ are exempt at all times from sidewalk/roadside pathway bylaws. Children must always be wearing CSA approved helmets as per current laws.

·        Streets where there are lines/sharrows/lanes for cyclists must always be used instead of sidewalks by cyclists above the age of ___. Any cyclists found in breach of this will be subject to current fines under the established bylaws.

·         Downtown core sidewalks are exempt except where major bike parking areas exist (ie Citi Plaza on Wellington Rd, between King and York streets) where bikes should be cruising at no more than 10km/hr for 30 feet on either side of the bike park.

Proposed Amendment 2: the “CSEP” or the “Cyclist Special Exceptions Permit”. This would be a voluntary permit with an annual fee. Once a year London cyclists would be encouraged to go to an authorized city bicycle dealer/repair shop for the purpose of a bike inspection and “License” issuing.

The License can be had in one of two forms depending on cost or preference by bylaw enforcers. The first form could be a bike mounted numbered license while the second could be a photo identification card. This license/card would be null and void if certain requirements are not met at the time of use.

Requirements:

·        Cyclists must demonstrate knowledge of the rules of the road and basic bicycle use.

·        Cyclists must have a bicycle equipped with standard safety equipment including well maintained brake systems, reflectors, lights (exemptions during daylight hours), and potentially helmets.

·        Cyclists will only be required to have this card/license past the age of ___

      Allowances:

·        The CSEP allows for cyclists to ride on designated sidewalks at all times (amendments to this can be for peak traffic flows only on certain roads) without fear of repercussion/fines by bylaw/traffic enforcement agents. In the instance that a cyclist is stopped by said enforcement officers the card/license may be presented and the officer at their discretion can exempt the rider from fines providing safety measures are being practiced and displayed by the cyclist.

·       

           The CSEP is voluntary and invalid in cases where the card or license is not with the cyclist during their ride thereby subjecting the cyclists to all fines/repercussions under current bylaws.

·        The CSEP is dependant on reasonable use of these pathways by ALL cyclists. If cyclists are found in neglect of basic and standard safe cycling practises, all benefits of the CSEP are voided.

·         The CSEP may entitle the holder to special discounts from participating bike shops/repair shops at the discretion of said shops. A page on the city of London website could direct cyclists that hold the CSEP to the shops that participate in the CSEP program.

·       

           The CSEP will allow users to attend city run cycling events (assuming any are made in the future) like bike rodeos, cyclist town hall style meetings and membership in online CSEP forums.

Exceptions:

·         The CSEP is not a “Get out of jail free” card. It does not abide by reckless and dangerous cycling. Any user Found in violation of standard laws pertaining to cyclists may be subject to a revocation of the CSEP by London enforcement officers and be refused future CSE Permits at the discretion of the CSEP administrators.

·         The CSEP is subject to specially mapped areas of London at all times. The main purpose of the CSEP is to allow for safe passage on sidewalks/roadside pathways of mainly Arterial routes until such time as cycling infrastructure is introduced whereby exemptions will change and the exemptions map will reflect the new lanes (or other types of cycling infrastructure).

Fees: The CSEP, while being voluntary, will come with an administrative fee that can (at the city managers discretions) be used towards cycling infrastructure and maintenance with potential for city run cycling awareness programs and bike rodeos etc. These fees would be determined based on projections of use, infrastructure and maintenance costs and overall program participation. 

LeGiff's own Vegetarian Chili

LeGiff’s own Vegetarian Chili – hot!

1 onion chopped

2 Jalapeno’s chopped - to reduce heat, clean and seed one of them.

1 sweet red or yellow pepper diced

4 cloves garlic – chopped

2/3 pkg of sliced white or crimini mushrooms

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 19oz can black beans drained & rinsed

1 19oz can red kidney beans drained & rinsed

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes

1 23oz can (680ml) tomato sauce

1 pkg Yves Veggie Ground round

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin seed ground

2 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Salt to taste. Add this very late so you can taste how much salt comes out from the canned vegetables first.

Sautee Garlic, onions, mushroom and peppers in olive oil till onions are translucent add spices and lime juice and stir to blend. Add beans tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a boil, reduce heat and add Yves veggie ground round (no pre-heating required) and simmer for a long time stirring occasionally until chili has reached your desired consistency. 

This is a hearty chili high in protein and fibre. The nice thing about cooking with fresh jalapenos to add the heat as opposed to a lot of powdered spices is that it’s a cleaner burn on the palate. For people who find it too hot, stir in a tbsp of sour cream to mute the heat.

Chana Masala recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Instead of cayenne I chop a dried chili and sautee it with the onions, garlic and ginger. 

Chana Masala - (channa = chickpeas, masala = spice blend)

2 tbsp butter (or vegetable oil to make recipe vegan)

1 medium Spanish onion chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

1” piece ginger peeled and grated

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 28oz can tomatoes chopped roughly in can

1 19oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

2 tsp whole cumin

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander seed

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt (or as needed in late stages of recipe)

1 tsp garam masala

Over medium heat melt butter/heat oil and sautee ginger, garlic and onions till onions are soft. Add spices, except salt and garam masala, and add lemon juice stirring as to not allow spices to burn. When well blended add chickpeas and tomatoes with juice, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately an hour stirring occasionally. In last 5 minutes of cooking add salt (if needed) and the garam masala.

Serve on basmati rice or mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped red chili or a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream (to mute the heat)

Taco Wars - Here we go again

 The following is a letter written to Taco Bell. Last time I posted something about them it was that they were charging 60 cents extra to substitute their beef with beans. I wrote them and it got reversed. This time they are frying french fries in chicken contaminated fats and not providing a warning to people. That's disgusting and it needs to stop. This is not a new battle for me. I once took on a local diner when I found bacon in my fries and they eventually closed up. (not as a result of me I am sure but bad business practices will bite you in the ass every time.)

___________________________________________________________________________

To Taco Bell:

This is not the first time I have contacted you about concerns about how you treat your vegetarian customers and I find it disheartening that I have to do it again.

I have been eating at a mall based Taco Bell for some time now fairly regularly. About a year ago they took on a "KFC Express" and just recently told me that chicken is being prepared in both vats that are available for frying. This means of course that fried potato products are being cross contaminated with animal proteins. This is not acceptable.

Do you not realize how many vegetarians eat at taco bell for the bean burritos and tacos substituted with beans? Now a simple vegetable like potato fries is no longer available to us because of your inability to see the need for separate fryers.

And do you have signage up to tell people that your fries may be contaminated with chicken fats? No you don't and that is shameful and appalling. How many times do we vegetarians have to threaten to boycott your restaurants and start national campaigns against you till you start taking us into consideration before you make dumb moves like this?

I would like you to fix this or a national campaign is exactly what I'll start and the first place I will turn to will be PETA. They already don't like what KFC's practices are but to find out that Taco Bell is contaminating their vegetables and not telling people will likely start some fresh protests and action.

Come on Taco Bell. Your food is good. Your customer service is Ok, but your foresight on decision making is lacking. You need to change your approach to food and start including EVERYBODY.

Please fix this so I can enjoy my fries supreme again. It's tough enough as it is to find quick palatable options that fit my diet. Fries may not be the most healthy thing as it is but even vegetarians are allowed a guilty pleasure now and then, no?


Ian

A letter to Jian Ghomeshi about Atheists & religion

this letter was in response to this show...


Hi Jian,

I have to say that I found today's discussion with Alain de Botton somewhat charming and quaint, with the ideas that atheists could borrow from religion. Myself, before renouncing religion overall (I call myself a non-theist as I am devoid of any theistic needs and abhor the christian bred stigmas that surround being an "Atheist") I was deeply involved in the church with youth groups and a youth choir which I toured around Ontario and into Michigan with. It was in those days of singing about Christ and God that I started to question the things I was being taught and was singing about, yet even after I had made my personal decisions on what I really believed, I still found much joy in singing in the choirs.

When the arguments come up with believers about how I live with my particular points of view, which is essentially that at the end of it all I am merely worm fodder with a limited legacy to follow me, I generally tell people I just don't have the time for it. I don't have the time in a day to wonder if there could be a omnipotent being trying to direct my actions. I don't have the time to wonder if my actions will get me into the nice post death world or nasty post death world, I am too busy living a full life where the days are short enough as it is. I really just don't buy the idea of a post death world and don't see merit in convincing people that they should live for that. See ya, bye bye, It was nice to meet you and have you play all that nice music for me and break bread and all that but I am done.

As to needing some sort of moral compass to live by, my parents did a pretty good job of teaching me to see right from wrong without having to make me believe it was "God's will". Sure they started off with the whole Santa Claus scene whereby if I am on good behaviour I will get presents at the end of the year. My turning point was seeing God as a Santa for grown ups and just like Santa Claus there's a point in time where we have to recognize the teachings as merely a tool or guideline and that eventually we have to move away from it and essentially "grow up".

When I was with the choir we saw religion from all sides. Even though the choir "Kids for Christ" was largely drawn from members of the United Church, we had members with Catholic and Anglican and Presbyterian backgrounds as well so we played for a variety of congregations including Baptist which was a rather interesting congregation to be alongside. 

It was in the baptist church where for the first time I saw people weeping in the church, saying "thank you Jesus" with every second breath and clutching their bibles very close to their hearts, behaviours which I found to be extreme and nearly fanatical. A friend turned and looked at me and I dramatically punched my choir book twice to indicate "bible thumpers" and my buddy nearly lost it during the sermon. He being the son of a United minister was also questioning the teachings of his family/church and I can imagine it was tougher for him than me to work through. 

I am certain that this kind of behaviour is not what Alain is suggesting that Atheists or Non-theists need to adopt. Sure I miss the singing I got to do every Sunday but I don't miss the stuffy, sterile and boring old hymns. Sure I miss the sense of community within the church with the nice finger sandwich and orange drink luncheons in the church basements or halls after the service but I don't miss the "who's dressed best for god this week?" air of judgement that surrounds it. I've done pretty well in my life thus far in examining cause & effect in relation to my actions and interactions. I really don't need the pastoral patronisations of what's essentially counselling for the masses, telling me weekly in an uber P.C. manner how to handle situations that come up in my day to day. 

I just don't need any of that to feel happy with myself and my life and that I am doing the right things and that I will go to my grave at peace with all I have accomplished or may have left unfinished. If somebody invented a church of atheism or maybe even a weekly atheist group would I attend? Probably not. I mean I can discuss every day life with people at will and don't need to join a group to be able to do it. I don't try to convert people to my way of thinking but I'll definitely explain it to anyone that asks. I merely exist. I breathe. I break bread with good people and the people who need it most. I pour my neighbour's wine glass more full than my own. I am the first to help in the kitchen when the meal someone else made for me is finished.

Maybe those ideals were bred into me through my Christian teachings or maybe it's just a well established sense of right and wrong. "Do unto others as you will have them do unto you" is universal, it's not Christian or Muslim or Buddhist yet while it does exist in those religions the notion belongs to all of us. 

So essentially I see atheism as being devoid of any religious trappings. A-theism (atheism) relates to theism as A-sexuality (asexuality) relates to gender with the "A" part indicating an absense. A-theism does not translate to A-morality either. I consider myself to be very moralistic while in some ways anarchistic. I believe in a global brotherhood and sisterhood that can exist without a subscription to any one set of beliefs and that we all deserve to be judged on our treatment of others and not on the frequency of our "worship of God's laws" whoever/whatever that god may be. 

So thank you both for having that discussion. It was intriguing and fun but now I will go back to being the heathen that believers in a particular deity might see me as. I am truly not bothered by it unless it diminishes how someone hears my voice and my thoughts and then I have to wonder what their belief is costing them and society overall?

Purple and Gold - A JLC review by @LeGiff

One of the benefits of growing up in Point Edward, an hour away from “the Motor City”, was the wealth of radio stations we’d get. College radio from Port Huron, nearly a dozen stations from Detroit and Windsor, 2 or 3 from Sarnia and fm96 from London, provided us with all of the variety our music hungry minds could handle.

One station I remember stumbling upon was a short lived funk station in the high hundreds in fm. I can’t remember its name (“the Jam” perhaps?) but I remember discovering a lot of great funk, soul and R&B music on there.

This was the station that introduced me to “Grand Master Flash and the Furious 5”, “The Time”, Rick James and of course Prince.  This was just prior to the music video craze so I got all of my music from radio or raiding my Brother Rob’s music collection. Shortly after I had discovered Prince tunes on this station from Controversy and Dirty Mind, Rob brought me 1999 to borrow. He never got it back.

For my sister Jo-Anne and me, it was like nothing we had heard. It was sultry, funky, danceable, “sing-alongable” and just naughty enough to make our mom cringe whenever we dug the album out. It was super sexy before we had any notion of individual sexuality.  But when Purple Rain came out almost 2 years later with the movie release, I was at the store buying the LP on release day.

“Joee” and I begged our mom to let us see the movie which was surprisingly PG and at 14 I could take my then 11 year old sister to.  Every word of every song became ingrained in our young minds. It was a musical bond between highly rivalrous siblings that saw us become and to this day remain best friends.

Naturally when we heard that Prince was coming to John Labatt Center in London, Joee immediately texted me to make sure I knew about it. Sadly with Jo-Anne just having been laid off and myself not having a lot of freelance work coming in, we didn’t think that either could afford to go. Jo-Anne had a surprise of 2 tickets greet her in her mailbox from a secret benefactor. Then she suggested to me that I try for the twitter “JLC Reviewer” program so I thought I’d give it a shot.

Without going to great details on what I did or if or why I deserved to be a JLC reviewer, we all know that I got the “job” & this is why you’re reading this now. So I have to thank Jo-Anne who introduced me to it and to all at JLC for allowing me the opportunity and especially Chris Campbell for all he’s done with the JLC Reviewer campaigns.  Prince was one of those concerts on my “bucket list” along with The Police & RUSH and I am proud to have been a part of music history in London.

So when I found out I was going to be a JLC Reviewer I had to figure out who would be my guest for the show. Of course a mere mention of the show on Facebook and Twitter garnered dozens of queries from friends from all over, one as far away as Winnipeg! I was trying to think of who was as big a fan of his purple holiness as me and looked at the 1999 cover. Brother Rob’s 1999 LP cover! I sent a text for him to call me.

“Rob, I know it’s a busy time for you, but can you be in London for Dec. 5^th? It’s a Monday”

“I doubt it very much” he says “Why, what’s going on?”

So I told him about the extra seat for Prince and he responded with an emphatic “YES! Why the hell not? I can make it work. How much do you want for the ticket?” I told him I didn’t want a dime. It was as much a gift to him as it was me.  And so for 2 weeks the excitement built and then there we were at the John Labatt Center.

I got a call on show day from Chris who was part of selecting the JLC reviewers.  He explained what he liked to try and do for the reviewers normally but that things were different for the Prince show. He had some high up seats and he had some seats right beside the stage in a cabaret style with tables. While I might have been thrilled to sit at the stage side with my brother, I couldn’t help thinking that’s a spot for you and your sig. other. I knew that the other reviewer was taking his fiancée so instead of a coin toss and potential disappointment; I said “Give them to Brian and say ‘Happy Engagement from Ian’”.

You can read Brian’s reaction here.

Our seats ended up being in the 300s. I was actually quite happy with them as on a couple of the 3 other occasions there were limitations to the view I got of the stage.  RUSH was pretty good as we were center of the rink & midway up, but for Merle Haggard we were right at the side of the stage with obstructions and not very good sound and then for Alexis On Fire we were on the floor at the back with not a very  good view at all. 

These seats were fine as we got a full view of all of Prince’s custom “symbol” stage and everyone on it, great sight lines to all the stage screens and prime location for sound quality which overall was much better than almost any show I’ve seen at the JLC previously.

The show format was pretty intriguing. It started off with Prince’s band introducing themselves with a very soulful, gospel like Bob Dylan cover ("To make you feel my love") sung by Prince’s 3 backing vocalists. The 2^nd song in, Prince came out and immediately got the crowd into a sing along.  Next up was “When Doves Cry” and Prince got the crowd to sing a lot of the words for him.  The energy was instantly electric and the audience was totally captivated.

From the first note the band didn’t skip a beat for what I counted to be nearly 45 minutes. When they did stop the silence between tunes was brief and Prince and “the New Power Generation” were back into full swing. 

Somewhere in that opening set he played the opening licks of “Darling Nikki” to screams and Prince chuckles “Just testing the house y’all”.

The overall show format reminded me of a Vegas style review. Everything was well timed and seamless. People would bring Prince his signature Fender telecaster guitars (I don’t remember seeing the famous “Cloud Guitar” once!) and when it was his time to solo he proved why he is so popular among music fans and musicians alike. His solo for Purple Rain was incredible and skillful and was put up on the screens as a close up on his hands.

Everything about the show was sexy and scintillating. He would often ask the light guys to illuminate the house and when we could see the floor below it was littered with bodies gyrating and writhing with arms flailing about. Every once in a while I would glance around me and the people surrounding me were doing much the same despite the limited room.

Prince was playful and interactive with the crowd as were the crew and band as evidenced by lights going on and off prior to the show & encores, or band members tossing T-shirts and tambourines into the crowd. He was always changing up what instrument he’d play if any at all. At one point he took the bass from “Niva” and did a kick ass solo. 

For Nothing Compares 2 U he took to the piano. At one point as he announces “Mr. Hayes” his keyboardist for many years and says “We bring you real musicians playing real music!”

The set had many hits; Pop Life, When Doves Cry, Dance Music Sex Romance, Raspberry Beret etc. and then a few unexpected covers like Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”, Sarah McLachlans's "Angel" plus the opening Garth Brooks hit written by Bob Dylan.

For me as a musician and an audio professional, I see shows in a different light. I criticize shows on overall production and performance values. I can’t say when I last saw such a polished 2 ½ hours straight of performance. It highlighted a band that is highly skilled and experienced and that love what they do night in and night out. His technical crew were obviously also highly skilled at what they do and it made for a pleasing experience right from the start.

So thanks ever so much once again to the John Labatt Center for allowing me to be a part of what was really a dream come true for me and providing the forum to express myself about it.  I was honoured and privileged to be there to see one of my true heroes and to share my love for him with over 8000 others.

Occupying Myself - Thoughts on the New Revolution

Occupying Myself – Oct 28^th 2011

“I don't read no papers, and I don't listen to radios either. I know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber, and I don't have to read it.” – The Colonel – Meet John Doe - 1941

To date I have been sitting on the outside of the “occupy” movement just watching what unfolded.

I find it interesting that so many millions of people have come together under this umbrella concept, one that is not defined by any one mandate other than it is “us” talking peacefully to and about “them”. They are what are being referred to as “the 1%”, being those that hold the bulk of the wealth worldwide while many of the 99% live in impoverished states or largely as a varying middle class. The class distinctions are becoming steadily blurred to be simply “rich and poor”, “haves and have nots”.

I have had no real voice in this movement yet as I have merely sat and watched those around me take part through either social media or by attending the encampments and marches taking place in cities like London or Toronto or any other place that social media has conspired to create such an event.

I have been watching with sheer glee at the utter befuddlement of politicians and the media at the lack of leadership and a clear cut mandate by the people involved in the Occupy movements. I have “gotten” why we need this protest and when asked to define it I could only give marginal responses based on things I have read from folks involved “It’s about the 99% vs the 1%” or “it’s about banks cheating people out of their money” or whatever I had in my head from it all that day.

I listened to a call in radio show that my sister Jo-Anne and a friend named Eric were on after they had attended a Toronto “occupy” event. They described a peaceful atmosphere where people shared stories and ideas. The radio host decried the lack of a leader and my sister said that if a leader is needed, through discussion and continuance of the movement, a leader may just emerge!

The radio host also asked my sister why we cannot just rely on our elected officials to do the right thing when we have just had elections in all offices over the past year. This question made my eye twitch and I wasn’t sure why. Today it hit me.

I saw a picture of an older woman holding a placard that read “I don’t mind you being rich. I mind you buying my government!” and that was the trigger of the epiphany. This is what the movement is about. It’s about the poor not having a say because they cannot afford it. Sure we can go out and vote and elect the framework of the government but we don’t influence the actual work that gets done by the government because the votes in parliament are being influenced by lobbyists who are in the house, put there by corporations and wealthy individuals. There’s a saying “money talks” but it could also be said that “Money walks all over anyone that does not possess it.”

We the 99% don’t need a single voice, we all just need to speak as one.

We the 99% don’t need a tonne of money we just need government to respond to the real people in their homes and hospitals and schools and not just those with the money.

We the 99% need a government that recognizes and respects the rights of it’s people to protest corporations, government etc. through whatever peaceful means necessary including legal strikes without the government legislating non-essential industry back to work.

We the 99% don’t need any one leader, we need the governments that we select to act on what WE the people need to help us survive and not the CEOs of giant banks and corporations whispering to the governments that THEY know what WE need and what is in OUR best interest.

We the 99% need the banks and corporations that control mortgage rates, gas prices, laws, food production to back off and work towards a healthy sustainable economy for all.

We the 99% shouldn’t be forced to eat crap food because that’s all we can afford. Major corporations make it so that crap food is all that people can afford and when it affects their health, it’s the corporations who work in the privatized health sectors that are still reaping all the profits.

We the 99% are seeking to end the cycle of rich wielding the carrots in front of the people that those rich persons/non-persons (i.e. corporations and banks) use for their blood and sweat to make their almighty dollar while the rest of us try to scrape two nickels together.

While this movement has no real true figure head that serves as a scape goat for all of the media and the rich’s counter arguments and shady politics, there are many in the public spotlight that are lending their voices. Celebrities and activists like Harry Shearer (actor), Tom Morello (musician), Michael Moore (film maker/writer), Al Gore (former US VP) and thousands of others are speaking in favour of the “Occupy” movements popping up around the world.

Folks in Tahrir square in Egypt were showing support for their American cousins and friends involved in the different cities that have embraced this movement just last week.

This is more than just a protest. This is unrest. This is people genuinely unhappy with the state of things as a whole but being nice about it to start. This is what can certainly turn into a full out revolt if the politicians and corporations don’t start listening to what the people are saying. When that happens, a leader will emerge and likely not with a megaphone but rather with a large stick or a gun or whatever else they can find. Then governments will learn the true meaning of “We, the people!”

This is why we cannot have one clear leader for the media and corporations who control them to perform a character assassination upon. This is what makes the CEO’s and media moguls most angry about this whole thing. Because how can you smear millions and millions of ideas and voices that all say something unique but are directed towards the same problem? That is, that the poor can’t afford to pay to have their voice heard and needs/demands met when banks, media and corporations have the money to make their voices seem the loudest.

Veggie Hell - an Addendum

I saw the manager of my local Taco Bell today who gave me good news. It appears that the surcharge on Tacos for substituting the Beef with Beans was a "mis-communication" and all stores have been alerted to change this back. So no more 60 cent fee for us Vegetarians! Wooo Hooo! The squeaky wheel gets the grease as my Mum always used to say!

Thanks to Jimmy and the Taco Bell management for responding so swiftly. I will go eat a celebratory Taco tomorrow!

Veggie Hell – Eating right in a meat-centric world

I am a busy person and like many of you, I often find myself dashing out of the house hungry in hopes that I’ll find time to grab a fast bite to eat. This is way easier said than done as is to be expected as a vegetarian living in a meat-centric world.

There seems to be a misconception that Vegans and Vegetarians don’t eat fast foods. As a meat eater, you can go into any corner convenience store and find yourself a pre-made meal like hot dogs/sausages, a sandwich/sub, soups and the like. It’s not too often that you’ll find anything vegetarian.

Check the cans of soup. I’ll bet pretty well all of them contain chicken or beef broths, various kinds of meat, or that the pea soup is made with Lard (i.e. Habitant Pea Soup). The cans of beans will likely have pork in them, though Heinz also makes them in just a tomato sauce. If there’s a Stagg chilli on the shelf it will be of the meat variety, though there is a vegetarian one available!

Next, check the frozen foods. You’ll find the freezers contain pizzas (with meat), “Michelina’s” entrees (all meat with the exception of frozen macaroni and cheese, which is a rare find), Burritos (most often meat and sometimes bean and cheese), and Swanson TV dinners (you got it… all meat!)

I used to work at a 7-11 and I knew the routine. They’d start selling something meat free and it wouldn’t sell well right away so they’d stop carrying it within a few short weeks, while they’d keep the meat products. I used to tell my manager that the reason was they weren’t giving the vegetarians time to discover the product. Nothing was ever done in the way of advertising to draw the vegetarians to it, so why would they suddenly believe they would find something suited to them in that store now?

Over the duration of my 'special diet', I have watched the cycles of grocery stores getting a new product that I would get into, and one day I would show up and it would be gone. Ask the management why it’s gone and they blame poor sales. I always ask the same questions:

·         How long did you carry it?

·         How much did you advertise it to vegetarians?

·         How much did you advertise it to non-vegetarians?

·         Do you still carry the meat version of that particular brand/product group?

The stock answers would most likely be “not that long”, “not much”, “not much” & “Probably”.

Another concern of mine is that cooks in restaurants don’t put too much care into the thought that they are preparing something for a vegetarian. Though they have a pretty good selection for vegetarians, my last 3 visits to Jack Astor’s Restaurant have resulted in my returning the food to be remade for me.

I don’t have time to wait these days for another 10 minutes while they get right what should have been prepared as ordered the first time. The first two times was because they had put bacon on a baked potato that I had asked for without it. The 3^rd time was also bacon on a Caesar salad that I had asked for without it, then when the bartender goes to fix the order they send back a salad with basically just lettuce and some Parmesan and no croutons so again I have to wait another 3 minutes for this to be corrected.

This kind of thing is common in my life. I will often ask for a vegetarian item, say a Mexican flauta or an egg or spring roll, and will be mistakenly given the chicken version. And I know it at first bite. It’s gross!

There was a restaurant in London called “The Five and Diner” where I ordered a veggie burger and fries and found bacon in the fries when I got back to work. Again, I found myself going back to the restaurant to find out what the hell was going on. I showed the girl at the counter my takeout tray with the bacon in it and she didn’t seem at all surprised.

“Sometimes people want extra crispy bacon with their breakfast so we put it into the deep fryer” she told me.

“So you’re cooking your fries in pig fat?” I asked

“No, it’s vegetable oil”

“Not anymore!” I said

“Maybe you should get the salad next time.” She said, and of course I was instantly angry.

“Maybe you should get your manager right now.” I said through clenched teeth.

When the manager appeared I told him that they needed to stop the practise of cooking meat in with vegetables. I let him know that there are many vegetarians or meat eaters that wouldn’t be too happy knowing that pig fats were being cooked into their fries, and that because they advertised the fries being cooked in vegetable oil, it was ultimately false advertising. I also told him that he needs to train his staff to be a little more sensitive to the needs of vegetarians and not be so quick to stick us with a salad. He was patronizing and semi apologetic and offered me a free lunch, which I never used. Not long after that the restaurant closed down. I don’t ever wonder why.

I’ve always liked that there are options for me at a place like Taco Bell but I just found out the other day that there is now a surcharge to get beans instead of beef on a taco. This doesn’t make any sense at all. It’s not like it’s a huge inconvenience to anyone, as all of their food is prepared on the spot. I talked to the manager at my usual Taco Bell and he even told me that the cost centre on the beans is much lower than the beef mixture so it’s not that either. Like I say it makes no sense and is just further proof of the fast food industry’s lack of respect for non-meat eaters. I have told the manager that as long as that surcharge is there, Taco Bell has lost my business.

At least these days more and more grocery stores are carrying a wide variety of veggie options that are quick and easy to prepare, but you don’t want to always have to go into a grocery store to pick up a quick bite, right? I have found the various Loblaws stores to be very good at having a good selection of vegan and organic vegetarian fast foods, as is Metro.

There you’ll find the Gardein products, Veggie Patch, Yves and Tofurkey brands as well as some of the Schneiders vegetarian products. The PC Blue Menu brand has a few items of interest like a “Vegetarian Bolognese Spaghetti sauce” and a simulated “ground round”. Once again, going to a grocery store and standing in line for a couple of small items can be a real hassle. It’d be great if the variety stores like Macs or 7-eleven would stock such things, even if only a small selection.

Now that such items are out there, what is it that’s taking so long for stores to get on the ball with it and keep a regular and varied supply of them at all times? Most of these items have longer shelf lives than meats and fish as they are fully cooked. Perhaps it’s apathy on the part of vegetarians who are just so used to having to prepare a lunch or dinner to take with them for the day? Perhaps it’s a lack of knowledge about the vegetarian lifestyle on the part of the food distributors? Perhaps it’s a misconception that there is no money to be made by catering to the vegetarians out there?

That’s a pretty dangerous misconception to have, for any business.

Places to look for a quick meat free bite to eat:

·         Smokes Poutinerie – They make a vegetarian mushroom based gravy. Delicious!

·         Harvey’s – Their veggie burger is one of the premier burgers out there and not priced way over their regular meat burgers

·         Jack Astor’s – Veggie fajitas, Spring Rolls, Greek hand tossed pizza and one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had!

·         Los Comales (London, Ont) – Bean and Cheese Pupusas and a fabulous Jalapeno and Cheddar soup

·         Subway

·         Mr Sub

·         Sammy’s Souvlaki (London, Ont)

·         Shawarma Palace (London, Ont)

·         Prince Albert Diner (London, Ont) – Veggie burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, Veggie dog and the best fries in town

·         London Burgers (London, Ont) – A good veggie burger and great people!

·         Jambalaya (London, Ont) – Maybe not so quick but their Veggie Roti is a must try for anyone!

·         Pho Ben Than (London, Ont) – They can have almost anything ready for take out in about 10 minutes (except peak periods) and have a great selection of Thai and Vietnamese vegetarian dishes. They made me a tofu eater where as I used to avoid it. Not any more!

If there’s any I have missed, please feel free to let me know in the comments. 

Becoming and existing as a Vegetarian

For those that don't already know, I am a vegetarian. 

At least that's what I tell anyone asking. Technically, I would be known as a lacto-ovo-pescetarian because I eat eggs, some dairy and fish. All of those have come into my diet over the last few years, and I have very select tastes for each of them. I was fairly close to veganism at one point as I had troubles processing milk products. That has since passed and now I enjoy my cheeses more than anything else in my diet, though I still don't drink milk aside from in tea. For all intents and purposes I just say that I am a vegetarian. 

I might as well jump right to the how, what, where, when and why of it. From 1987 to about 1990 I worked for McDonald's Restaurant as a maintenance crew member. I got to clean the manifolds above the grills, the fry vats, the floors and pretty much every article in the store from 11pm-7am, 5 nights a week. I made pretty good cash for a kid right out of high school, and I worked pretty hard at it.

It was there and then that I had an epiphany. This goopy yellow-ish stuff I was scraping away from the sides of the manifolds, beyond the silver mesh screens, was rising off the steam from the meats we grilled every day. It smelled just like the burgers it came off of.  

One day while cleaning I thought "Good thing I am not eating this stuff". Then it hit me. If this is able to rise through several layers of screen mesh filters and still make it 8 feet from floor level, what stays IN the burgers? It was a disconcerting thought to say the least. 

Not long after that, I woke in the early evening (after sleeping post shift) to my dad making steaks for dinner. He had run out of propane on the bbq and had to broil them in the oven to finish them. The smell of the beef cooking wafted through the house and the visions of the McDonald's browny-yellow goop popped to mind. I instantly felt nauseous. I had no appetite whatsoever and knew I wasn't going to eat that steak. In fact, I had a notion that I would likely never eat a steak again.  

I went downstairs and told my dad and mom that I couldn't eat the dinner they had prepared, and while my mom understood my dad took offence.  

"What am I supposed to do with this extra steak" 

"Eat it, save it for your lunch or feed it to Pip" (our dog at the time) 

"What are you going to eat?" 

"I'll find something. I'll have to figure it out because I am thinking of going vegetarian." 

My dad scoffed at the notion. He threw a million or more reasons at me why I would fail, even making up some ludicrous statements like "The vegetarians I know all suffer from malnutrition and bad body odour". I had known vegetarians to that point and never recognized body odour as a side effect. He told me I'd never find a way to make it work, so I called him on it. 

"Haven't you always told me that I can succeed at anything that I put my mind to?" I asked him, and again he scoffed. That was it; I was now a budding vegetarian. But time would prove I was a bad one. 

I threw myself into a lifestyle that I didn't understand. I could barely cook pasta or potatoes at that point in my life, so I didn't eat very well. Kraft dinner and cereal and Campbell's soups were my staples and they left a lot to be desired in my weekly menu. I did sneak some chicken once in a while there but felt guilty for it. It got to the point where I wouldn't eat simply so I could avoid eating meat and I eventually dropped my weight to about 108 lbs. At 5'11" that made me not only look sickly but I was seriously on the verge of malnutrition. I had failed. My dad was right. 

Needless to say, I was talked into eating meat. I had moved back to Sarnia needing to get my physical and emotional self back in shape, and my parents took me in for a few months till I got my feet under me again. I remember the sense of pride and gloating air about my dad as he would plop a fat steak on a plate in front of me. I remember the sinking sense of failure and resignation as I laboriously chewed and choked back every bite.  I wasn't any more a meat eater then than I had been when I first made my decision to quit it. I just didn't know what else to do. 

A few years later after moving back to London to go to school, I knew I couldn't continue to eat meat. It made me gassy, smelly, often lacking in energy after a big meal and just gross overall. It wasn't till after meeting and falling in love with a long time vegetarian that I learned how to be a better one. One day she took a stack of vegetarian cook books and tossed them down in front of me and said "start cooking!" and so I did. 

Fast forward to today. Not only do I eat well and have a good body weight, but I cook very well. I love cooking for chefs and other foodies. Not only is their critique valuable, it's also nice to get tips and ideas from them. My cupboard is filled with every known herb and spice that has ever crossed my palate (there are very few I am yet to stock) and my fridge is often stocked with a wide compliment of vegetables. There is never a time when I can't whip up something pretty tasty and nutritious should family or friends come by. One of my goals with each meal I cook for a meat eater is to make sure that they don't miss the meat. I've fooled many people with the Yves products or TVP. 

One of the first things I had to learn was to find a comfort food I thought I'd never have again and make it better than ever. I had eaten veggie wieners and veggie burgers but what about a meaty style Lasagna? Stuffed peppers are another I've tried, as well as "Meat loaf", Tacos, Enchiladas and Shepherd's Pie; all foods that I loved as a kid. Suddenly I have a wide repertoire of hearty meals that aren't terribly difficult to make. The challenge now is to change them up, improvise, find my own recipe and find out what others like. 

If any among you are seeking ideas for replacing meat dishes in your diet with something with better overall nutritional value, by all means write me. While I call myself Vegetarian I eat eggs and cheeses and soured creams as I mentioned, I just find it easier to say Vegetarian so people know what NOT to try and cook for me or have me order. In my next blog I'll give some thoughts on fast food as a vegetarian, and signs of a good place to grab a fulfilling snack or meal in a hurry.

Meditation in Motion – Cycling out of your comfort zone

For about the past 3 years now, I have been spending the bulk of my 4 weeks worth of vacation days in Port Burwell, Ontario at the home of my close friend Dave. As former roomies it's a great chance for us to catch up and talk and make good food with some other friends by the lake.

Sometimes Dave will pick me up in his truck or I'll find a ride out there with someone else or as was the case on four occasions, I bike out there.

I've done so on a variety of bikes, all of which were assembled for me by my brother in law Brad who is a bit of a natural at it. We call them the "Franken-bikes" as they are usually built out a few bikes worth of parts. Brad was part of the first trip I had made out there as well as the second while my third and fourth treks were both solo.

When I tell people in town that I biked from London they generally comment with "Surely, you mean motor bike?" and the look of surprise changes to astonishment and then curiosity as they follow up with "How long did THAT take you?" when they realize that I did actually mean by leg power.

My best time was 5 ¼ hrs with my nephew Jensen and Brad. My Longest 6hrs 5mins and this last trip was 5 ¾ hrs. For some that I talk to they immediately say "I could never do that length of a trip. I wouldn't make it." I told myself that until the day I called Brad up and said I thought I was ready. He had already done the trip and had a good idea of which roads should be avoided and which were good.

Now let me say that I am not a "cyclist" and I do not train for this as an athletic endeavour. For me the bike is my mode of travel by choice around the city and with a full set of bags for transporting groceries or clothes or whatever, I am pretty self sufficient without a car. Riding the various multi-use pathways every couple of weeks in the summer I believe has given me the impetus to try something bigger and I am not done there. Brad and I are talking about a few days at a time with more gear like tents and cook tools.

So I guess you could say that my main inspiration was the knowledge that Brad had done it and fairly safely at that. My biggest concern was finding suitable roads where I didn't have to fight with traffic and I have done that now. My trip is pretty well mapped out but I know where I can make detours and stops for various reasons, like lunch or the odd fruit and vegetable stand or even for a beer.

The trip overall is more about enlightening your senses now and experiencing a variety of interactions with nature, man, the wind and rain. Our first trek was started in a hard rain fall.

On all of the previous trips we/I stopped at The Hill Berry Farm, and rested up, cooled down, had a bite to eat and grabbed some fresh foods for after the trip. Brad and I remember "Wicket", a type of Jack Russell pup who knew he could mooch a piece of sandwich or other snack off of us. The other two dogs would lumber over as if they were only half interested in the activity but would still stick their nose in your lunch pack when you weren't looking. Unfortunately, the stand wasn't open due to the rainy spring. Still I had hopes that maybe I'd find some asparagus but to no avail.

Keep in mind this ride isn't near what some of those die hard cycling enthusiasts work for and do year in and out. A colleague I have met through work, Ted, is in his 50's and trains in rain and snow to keep his self race ready year round. His treks astound me and at this point I couldn't fathom doing any of them.

Yet.

The trek is a lot of work at times as you can never fully avoid some steep hills or long inclines, but that being said there are many great hills to get a good momentum built from as to propel you up the other side with a minimum of effort. Wind can be a factor also in regards to the level of work your legs need to do. Going up a steep incline with a headwind can slow you down a fair bit and tire you out.

What it comes down to is that you have to be bigger than the trip. You have an ultimate destination and various other goals and tasks and distractions. Every stop is a means to an end, a checkpoint or the like. You get yourself to a point where it would be wrong to turn back or give in and call for the ride which of course any distance rider would have setup in advance in case of an emergency etc.

I try to absorb as much from every pedal turn as I can. Conversely I try to absorb something from the stops. The whole trip becomes a communion with your ever changing environment. You are thrust into strange places alone with whatever you can fit in your panniers or rack trunk and the bike itself.

I must admit to having become a bit of a bike geek being fully outfitted with panniers, a rack pack, my trusty helmet, a mirror, a bell and various lights and reflectors. The only area of biking I haven't gotten to at this point is the clothing.

You know what I mean, the lycra "junk in the trunk" shorts and the multi coloured moisture wicking, form fitting shirts complete with a pair of Oakleys and the special toe clip shoes. Ummm yeah… not ready for that yet.

It doesn't matter about the training, it doesn't matter about the clothes or the type of bike as long as you are comfortable first and foremost.

Being out there on the road under your own propulsion heading 70km away from home is daunting for about 5 minutes, and then every meter you ride gets etched into your memory with a variety of sights, sounds, smells etc.

The dead animals along every stretch of road remind you of the frailness of all in comparison to the great road monsters you will meet along the way. We've seen the usual assortment of cat, squirrel, ground hog, birds, rabbit and raccoon. Sadly on this last trip I also saw someone's hound dog at the edge of a ditch and on our first trip we stopped to see a deer. Morbid and horrifying maybe, but it's part of the trip and acknowledging what they gave for the road to be there is greater than all of us and our machines.

Whether you ride like I do with a source of music accompanying you on the trip, or with just the sounds of the environments and terrains, the sound track can very much influence the overall trip.

All in all, I find the trip to be an awakening or maybe an escape from the confines of the city. For nearly 6 hours, it's me, the elements and the inhabitants of the country side. I can't imagine ever getting tired of that.

This being the earliest of my 4 trips here, was quite interesting as I get to witness the various stages of growth in spring. I hope to do another summer trip and then one more in the fall this year so as to enjoy all of the cycles and colours and treasures of the land before the snow hits.

Things I recommend to anyone ever considering taking such a trek:

• Have a good set of plans. Know your roads available to you and map it out if you have to for the initial inspiration. Google Maps has a beta feature currently that gives you a few different cycling directions between two destinations with a travel time estimation.
  
• HYDRATE! Of course this point cannot be stated enough. I have never found that I need more than 2 litres for a trip but sometimes I stop for a sports drink to keep electrolytes up and a chance to cool down.
  
• Light weight high protein snacks like granola or sports or cereal bars are good to have. Bags of trail mix and nuts are good snacks to tuck in a pocket and eat as you ride. I like to pack a few sandwiches with an ice pack in my rack pack for short breaks.
  
• Take a smallish towel. There's a good chance you're going to sweat and you'll thank me later.
  
• Have a "buddy", someone who'll keep in touch with you through your ride by text or cell phone or that you can call in case of an emergency. Always let people know you are going on a long trip before you hit the road, google Maps can also be used to email someone your projected route.
  
• Take your time to enjoy every stretch of road and all that appears along them.
  

 

This is the trip I took on Saturday May 21^st, 2011