Sunset

A Note to Cyclists

The biggest obstacle a cyclists faces out on the road is themselves.

We live in Canada where almost half of the year there is snow and ice on the ground, so it makes sense that there will always be more cars on the road at any given time then cyclists.

And as far as I'm concerned, bike lanes on major roads in Toronto are not the answer.

What is then?

Simple.

Common sense.

Cyclists and cars have to learn to share the road and it all starts with the cyclist. They have to obey the rules of the road. That means not blowing through stop signs, riding the wrong way on one way streets, weaving through traffic, ignoring cars making left hand turns or any other such stupidity that happens countless times each day. Do that and I guarantee you, people in cars will be much more receptive to sharing the road with you.

I know drivers aren't much better, but here's the thing, they are driving cars which have four wheels, is made of steel, and weighs almost a ton. When it collides with a cyclist guess who wins? The car. EVERY TIME.

The problem as I see it, is how we interact together on the road.

Cyclists have to be extra careful out on the roads, that unfortunately is just the reality of the situation. Just by sheer volume alone, the odds are already stacked against you when you cycle on city streets. By disobeying the rules of the road, you put yourself at a higher risk of being injured while out there.

If you are out on the road, take the lane, you have every right to be there, but its up to you, the cyclist, to be wary of the hazards that surround you. If you act like a car, by making yourself visible, making eye contact with other drivers on the road, and following the rules of the road, you stand a better chance of making it to your destination in one piece.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be bike lanes out there, just not on major roadways in this city. There are better alternatives, such as lanes on side roads with lighter traffic or in green spaces (like hydro field corridors or like they have through the Don Valley).

And I'm not saying there aren't drivers out there that are complete idiots, because there are tons of those as well.

What I am saying is this, its up to you as a cyclist to set the tone out there.

Show a little respect, and most drivers will return the favour in kind. Ride like and idiot and drivers will react like idiots and its usually the cyclist who will suffer the consequences. In the end, it won't matter who was right or wrong, the results will always be the same, the car will win.

So as a driver who also happens to be an avid cyclist, I simply ask you to please, take your time out there, obey the rules of the road, and it will go a long way to ensuring you arrive at your destination safely.

December Already?!

A beautiful sunrise for the first day of December.

Bring Out The Laser!

It only took 10 minutes to change my life forever.

That's how long the procedure at LASIK MD took to correct my vision permanently with a laser so that I would never have to wear eye glasses ever again.

For those of you who don't wear glasses, this may not seem like such a big deal, but for those of you who do, believe me when I say this, this procedure will change your life!

After years of thinking about it and another couple of years of researching it, I finally decided that laser eye surgery had gotten to the point where it was worth the risk. I decided to take the plunge and got it done this past Friday.

The actual procedure lasted no more then 10 minutes and it was no more difficult than going to the dentist to have a cavity filled. The hardest part for me was having my eye taped open and the suction cup inserted so that the laser could do its work. There was never any pain, I never felt a thing, it was more the discomfort of having your eye forced open for the laser. The actual laser part lasted less then 2 minutes per eye and when I got up off the table I could see pretty good already, it was just very foggy.

Right after that they give you these Terminator type of wrap around sunglasses that you have to wear for the next two days 24/7, to prevent you from rubbing your eyes in your sleep or from wind and dust while outside. Try walking around at night with dark sunglasses on, see how many people look at you funny.

And the only other problem that I had was about 2 hours after the procedure, when I was home in the comfort of my own bed, the anesthetic wore off and my eyes began to burn. The pain was equivalent to the burning sensation you get when you cut onions, not too bad but very uncomfortable. That lasted for about 2 hours or so until I was able to fall asleep and when I woke up the burning was gone.

For the first 24 hours you cant watch TV or work on the computer or read or really do much of anything. So you try to sleep and follow the crazy eye drop routine that they give you, which requires you to take a series of eye drops numerous times a day for the next 7 days in order to help your eyes heal. I thought I would have a tough time with this, but I actually was able to nap and hang out on the couch with the wife and the day went by pretty quick.

The next day you have to go back to the clinic for your 24 hour check up and after that you are pretty much ready to resume your normal life again. You can drive, watch TV, go back to work and work on the computer again.

After 3 days you can start light exercising (treadmill, StairMaster, stationary bike), and outdoor activities (jogging, roller blading and light cycling).

After 7 days you can pretty much do whatever you like, just with eye protection.

After 1 month swimming, water slides, scuba diving and sports like basketball, soccer and baseball can lose the eye protection.

After 3 months add water skiing, wind surfing kayaking and surfing to the list of things you can do without eye protection.

I'm not sure about a lot of that stuff, but for me its the freedom to wake up in the morning and not have to reach over to the night stand to put on my glasses so I can see what time it is for the first time since I was maybe 10 years old. The freedom to not have to wear glasses for everything I do. And to finally be able to buy a pair of really cool sunglasses for the first time in my life.

I can't believe I waited this long.

10 minutes, that's it. That's all the time you will need to change your life forever. Check it out for yourself, I guarantee you won't regret it.

In Remembrance

After travelling to the shores of Dieppe to pay my respect,and walking on the sand at Juno Beach in Normandy,I am even more humbled by the sacrifices of those brave men and women so many years ago.

And to those who came after and those who continue to serve today, protecting our freedom, I say thank you.

Lest we forget.

Falling Leaves, Falling Leaves

Fall, a time of change.

The days grow shorter and the nights become longer.

The weather begins to get colder and the the leaves begin to change into brilliant colours and then die and all fall directly onto my property.

Round one, 12 bags.

Round two, another 12 bags.

Four hours spent raking and bagging, only to wake up the the next morning to this.

Like I never even raked.

This is the only time of year that I wish for an early snow.

The Rick Hansen Relay

The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay rolled through my part of town today and I went to check it out. And wouldn't you know it, local boy and crowd favorite, Paul Tracy, just happened to be running that leg of the relay. What a coincidence! OK, maybe not, he may of been the reason I was there in the first place.

The relay hand off was supposed to take place at a local McDonalds near where I live. So as I'm standing there with various news crews, waiting for them to arrive, the relay motorcade blows by us and we all realize that we are at the wrong McDonalds. Everyone piles into their cars and take off after the motorcade. Since they had a police escort and we didn't, they were able to get ahead of us at the red light and just as they had passed through the intersection, the longest funeral procession I have ever seen, comes along going the opposite direction.

So unfortunately I was unable to get Paul's arrival, but I did get him blowing by me in the motorcade.

And I did manage to get a shot or two of the Relay Medal hand-off.