March 30th

Got home with Jacks from our usual Sunday morning walk out at Bruce Pit to find this wicked basket of prezzies for me! Yep, today was my birthday. Jacks very interested in helping out unwrapping, eating whatever was wrapped up or got confused and thought it was his special day - probably a little of each.

Hat head and prezzies
Chrissie got me a tattoo for my birthday - will be getting it done in the next few weeks (check back - it's going to be bike related) - and everything that goes with getting a tattoo: some Tim Horton coupons to use to buy coffee for Julie (and myself) to keep her alert and buzzed up during the session, some advil for the pain, some skin cream for after the tattoo, a new shirt to put on after the tattoo (it's button up - pulling over a t-shirt is going to hurt - ink is going on my back) and finally a really cool book on the culture & history of tattooing throughout the world, The World of Tattoo.

Chrissie is the bestest!

Had a little snooze after a huge and delicious b-day breakfast, then got out for my first road ride of the year. Finally warm enough (2 dgrees celsius) and dry enough to ride the roads.

Roads are covered in salt and in bad shape. I rode out of the city in the country, trying to escape the traffic and melting snowbanks. Everywhere you look there's lots and lots of snow.

I ended up having a mechanical issue just coming back into town - more on that tomorrow. Just a little over 2 hours of riding, about 60km (didn't have the cycle computer on the old road bike) and averaged 85% of my max HR over the ride.

Late Edit: Funny . . . I just checked my blog from last year, same day, and it was in fact my first road ride of the year then too! Freaky. I was, however, up in the Gats - which, by the way, is still being skied on and has an approximate three foot, solid base.