Good bye ol' Red & White. And other stories.

In the mail came my new OHIP card. Ugh. New photo identification. My old red & white card was no more. Actually, it is still with me - awaiting it's destiny (the shredder). He was already tainted when the OHIP woman punched a hole in the corner. That was the end of my OHIP coverage as a Red & White card holder.

I remember years ago, when I went to a hospital for a catscan (my second catscan in life - first was for my eye when I was really young, grade 2ish - this second one for my vertigo) the woman who I signed in with at the front entrance told me that my OHIP card had expired. "Excuse me?" "You're card, it is expired! You need to get a new one. The photo OHIP cards" "Um, this card doesn't expire!? So, I'm going to have to use this one today" She almost didn't let me in. The thing is - the old red & white cards don't expire. But Ontario is phasing them out. And now that I have the new photo ID one, I'm not impressed. Just another photo to take that you will dread every 5 years - and that looks like a gold star mug shot.

When we extended our OHIP - or applied for an extension due to being out of the country for a year - you had to forfeit your old card and suck it up and get the new one. Despite my card being in pretty darn good shape - I let it go. Brent seriously needed the upgrade. His health card wasn't looking so hot.

On that note - we're all clear for acquiring our travel insurance. Maybe we'll get it this week. :)


Yesterday, we were 50 days away. Today, we sit 7 weeks to the day. Actually, as I type this one sentence, we are 49 days, 4 hours and 18 mins away from our scheduled take off. Man, I feel like I'm going to forget something. Everyone I meet up with as the time approaches exclaims their excitement for our great adventure - and that truly helps rekindle the flame for the adventure. We're so busy planning parts of it that we don't necessarily take the time to breathe and enjoy what is about to happen...we just want to make sure everything is ready in time...then we can breathe. And there is so much to do...


Training hikes.

They started again a few weeks ago. I guess we're up to our fourth 'serious' hike. I mean, literally, we walk everywhere we can. I walk to my friend's houses for fun...18kms away. Next weekend, we might walk up to our friend's home who lives 27.8kms away - with our full packs. We're only able to dedicate a good deal of walking time on the weekends - and so far we're only training when the weather cooperates. I am fully aware that we will be walking in the rain in NZ, I don't need to live it every weekend while I'm still here. :) That's what we're thinking. If it rains while we're hiking here, totally fine. If it's thunder & lightening before I step outside my door - I might bow out until a later time.

HIKE 1 - we did a leisure hike. Walked a busy trail in the city of Toronto. I walked without any pack, Brent had his daypack on with I believe a bottle of water and sweater inside. Nothing too exciting to report about that hike. We didn't go for that long either. I can't remember why. We roughly did a 10km hike in a leisurely 2 hours. We also spent some time strolling through Mt. Pleasant cemetary. Quiet and away from the bustle of the traffic.

HIKE 2 - Marked the return of weighted training. We both set out in running shoes with our backpacks loaded in with only our sleeping bags. We didn't weigh our backpacks yet at this point. We walked the first 8.5kms in 1 hour 31mins and 21secs. From my house to Brent's house. Mostly street walking. I remember, it was cold on this day. We took a slightly different route back to my house at 8.2kms in 1 hour 35mins 20secs. The reason there was a delay in our return walk was that we stopped a few times to observe fire works being set off in the parks on the way home and on the streets. It was Victoria day in Canada. I have never seen so many displays of fireworks in this city in one neighbourhood. And not aiming that at each other like weapons (which I have witnessed in the Jane & Finch area and near my old work place near Jane & Sheppard). So we set a more leisurely pace coming home.

HIKE 3 - Was a 17.16kms loop. Street walking. An early Sunday morning. Nice day. Some wind bursts at certain points, but overall pleasant. We walked with the same weight as the previous hike (Brent - 11.4lbs / Alison - 9.4lbs). This walk saw adjustments to the shoulder straps from both our bags. Brent lowered his by one rung, and I rose mine by one rung. We wanted to see what kind of a difference this would make to our walking. Both of us felt in the previous hike that the contents were not sitting right on our bodies. We did the hike in 3hours and 16mins. At the end of the hike, my hips were soar.

HIKE 4 - This hike took place yesterday. We started at 7.30am. Although, I meant for us to start around 4am. The reason for the desired early start is the extreme heat alert the city was sitting in. With the weather in the mid-thirties PLUS humidex soaring into the 40s, there was no reason to try to hike mid-morning or later. NZ does not see this kind of extreme heat, so there is no point to train in it. It was a good hike. We had to start on the streets but ended up crossing through two interconnected parks and then following the road back home. It was a shorter walk at only 11.83kms. We accomplished this in about 2hours 35ish mins. This included a momentary break in one of the parks to try to figure out what to do with a duck that had lost its eye and was being chased by three other ducks, as well as some breaks while enduring the street walking portions. The road was so hot, we were losing fluids very quickly...even at 7.30 in the morning. On our backs - Brent was carrying: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, sleeping bag liner, wallet, cell phone, 850mL stainless steel bottle of water, 10lbs of weights and 4 x pair of shorts (covering the weights); I was carrying: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rain cover, 10lbs of weights, 2 sweaters (covering the weights), digital camera, long sleeve shirt, house/car keys, compression sack, 591mL aquafina vitamin water, lipbalm. Detailed, non? Basically, we increased our pack weight by a great amount. Brent was carrying a load of 25.6 lbs plus the water. I was carrying 26.8 lbs at the beginning, down to 25.6 lbs at the end (after drinking my liquids).

So we didn't want to overdo the distance yesterday, due to the great increase in our weight. I readjusted my straps to its original position and this worked better for me. I feel soar in my hips a bit today, almost like I have invisible bruises. I believe my body has to get used to lugging around the weight. My upper body feels great however, so I know that the bag is doing its thing. Brent removed his bag upon our return and had very red shoulders and mid waist strap lines. He is also feeling the pain in the hips a bit. I'm worried about how red his shoulders were, but he never expressed feeling any discomfort on the hike.

My weight: I fluctuate between 101lbs (highest) and 97 lbs (lowest in the last 2 weeks). At 99.6 lbs (average found over observing the scale) I can safely carry 33.2lbs on our trip. So our training hike yesterday was ALMOST the entire weight that my body should be permitted to carry. Brent fluctuates between 161 lbs (highest) and 157 lbs (lowest in the last 2 weeks). This allows Brent to carry approximately 53lbs on our trip. Technically, he could double the load we were carrying yesterday.

Overall, it was a great walk. It was unfortunate about the weather - but no other complaints. We should have brought more liquids, but we willnext time.

It's great to be back out training again.


Today, we will be going to MEC to talk to them about my boots that came in the mail. I have a concern about the seam at the base of one of the shoes. If I get the all clear, I can go get my orthotics fitted to my boots and start wearing them on our hikes. :) (update - it's about 9 hours later since originally posting this, and I got the all clear from the MEC people about my boots - so orthotics fitting is to be scheduled this week!)


A big thank you to Valerie - who let us borrow her electronic scale until we leave. This is helping us plan/pack according to recommendations. I think it was a bit of a shock yesterday morning when we were packing our bags, trying to figure out how everything is going to fit into what is starting for feel like little bags (well I have a 60L, Brent has a 70L, but once your sleeping bag is in that backpack, 60L/70L can start looking pretty small!!!).


Two big thank yous to post about.

Johnna Dawdy.

A lovely example of human kindness. She works for DaySpring in the USA (http://www.dayspring.com/). This is a simple story about a 28 month planner that found its way into my backpack. We have to be minimalists on our trip. Avoid any unecessary weight and items. So when I was shopping at the Canadian Bible Society store (right around the corner from Brent's house) and found this 28 month planner - I thought it was fantastic. I could have a date book to write down everyone's birthdays that I can bring with us, it's cute, it's compact, it's perfect. Better yet - it was the only planner I had found so far that was so compact while still stretching over a long enough period of time to cover our entire trip. You know how it is when you have been looking for something for a long time and finally see it and it's everything you wanted. So, of course, being brilliant, I didn't buy it then. I was shopping for someone else, and didn't want to make a personal purchase while I was on this mission. Anyway - when I finally had a chance to return to this store to find one to purchase, they were sold out. I tried 3 more stores in the city as well as called the Canadian DaySpring distribution company. Nothing. It was just sold out and they wouldn't be getting any more until next August. Ugh. I tried to find a substitution. Nothing struck me at all. Someone finally suggested I check out the website of the company who makes the calendars (information I received from the Bible Society store). I went online and there they were. Simple little calendars. On sale. $1.50. :) They were originally like $4.50 in Canada - so they were inexpensive. I went through the whole online ordering process and then came the shipping page. To ship to Canada, the only option I had was a $17.00 shipping fee, I believe through UPS. Hmmmm. I decided instead to write to the company and ask to see if it was possible to find an alternate shipping option. I knew how small this calendar was (pocket sized) and was not opposed to paying for shipping - but felt the entire transaction could be done with a mid-sized enveloppe and a 1 maybe 2 stamps. To my surprise, I heard back from Johnna at DaySpring, who just so happened to have the exact calendar I was looking for on her desk. And after months of trying to find this simple little planner, was offered the planner as a gift from the company.

This may seem like such a small thing to anyone else, but it meant so much to me. I just wasn't expecting that. I remember the day I got the email, I was SOOOO happy. It was one more thing I didn't have to worry about - and it was exactly what I was looking for. The calendar is wonderful - the cover lists "Twelve things God wants you to remember". And every day I go through this calendar, I will remember how kind Johnna was to me. We're embarking on a tireless journey, and reading the cover will help bring us strength every morning.

We shared a few emails back and forth, and she might even be reading this post as we speak.

Hi Johnna. :) Again, thank you!


Eric Martinot.

Another person who went above and beyond what was necessary or expected. Whose kindness will not soon be forgotten. In 2003, Eric set out to treck the length of NZ. An incredible journey that took him from October 15th, 2003 through to April 8th, 2004. (You can read about his journey here: http://www.martinot-nz.info/nztrek/main.htm#table). A few years ago, I found his journal entries online, while I was researching walking trips in NZ. I was so excited to read them. His trip entailed walking from the northern most point of NZ's North Island: Cape Regina to the southern tip of the south island in Bluff. There was so much information that I was pulling from his journey. Ideas about how to better plan some areas of this trip and reading about his experiences on certain trails was really helpful. A few months ago, I picked up a printed copy of one section of his trip that I had printed out years earlier. After spending some time researching some of his logs, I decided to simply email him at the address available online to see if: a) he might still be using the posted email address; and b) to see if I would be able to ask him a few questions. I felt that he had a great deal more experience with walking trips and thought he might be the best person to ask for about a few things on my mind. A bit after sending him an email, I received a reply email from Eric telling me he had just tried to call me at my office but I wasn't there. He asked me if there was an early morning time that would work for me to call me on another phone line. So for almost two weeks, I woke up extra early every morning, because I didn't know when he was going to call me. One morning, a call from "private number" rang through. We spoke for about an hour and a half. It was really great to speak with someone who had experienced something similar to what Brent and I are going to be doing. He had some great advice and interesting stories to share. I will use his advice through our trip.

For you Eric, a big thank you for that phone call and your time. It was greatly appreciated!


Gear...the list grows and grows and grows.

First - a little game.

Which scenario do you believe to be true in the great winter hat quest, conducted by Brent and Alison during the late winter months of 2008?



A -- Alison purchasing a suave yet compact tuque to keep her noggin' toasty, while Brent settles for a more earthly connection with a hooty tuque?





OR

B -- Alison purchases a unique animal tuque from Delux, a company that also makes puppy mittens she sports in the winter, and Brent finds a chique pom tuque that he fashionably accessorizes through the cold months in Canada?

The answer to follow.

We have been busy beavers continuing with our gear research and shopping trips (sometimes we leave stores empty handed - but wiser with more gear information). I think it might almost be best to post a picture to recap where we're at with our collection. At this point in the game, we need to get to NZ - we are total dweebs now. I just sent an email to my parents about an order my dad will be placing at a North Bay sporting store to the company "Sea to Summit" - (my dad's friend works at a store that will gladly order us supplies, which is fantastic!) - and I wrote a ridiculously excited email all about a collapsible bowl called the X-bowl that doubles as a cutting board AND a measuring cup. But it's collapsible!! See - the problem here is that nobody in their right mind would care about these things UNLESS they too were outdoor nerds. So, when we get on the trails in NZ, we'll be better off - telling these seemingly lame stories to other enthusiasts who will be equally as excited.

Sad, just sad. But we've been building a bit of a pile in my apartment of items. SOME clothing - not a lot. I still can't find pants - but one day they will surely come. We both have our boots (phew - that was an expensive one - Brent only has one more big financial hit to come - the jacket, then it's all the little stuff). We had a big shop last weekend for first aid kit gear - all on gift cards that I got by redeeming points via Zellers/the Bay or Petro Points or Air Miles or PC points. Cha-ching! Bought the most expensive items with the cards - more still to come.

A slight recap, I think: we bought extra tent pegs (yes, necessary!), stainless steel water bottles (BILT), airline totes to save our clips and backpacks while they get tossed around on their trip to NZ, winter gear - LOTS of gloves (actually - both of us have fingerless gloves and fingerless mitts (the later made from alpaca wool purchased at the St. Lawrence Market), fleece gloves and wind gloves (they layer) and that's it for gloves - but 4 pairs...each...I'll probably be wearing something every day - my hands are sensitive in an excema kind of way), both have our tuques, my parents bought us a hacky sack - the nice multi-coloured one from MEC, ridiculously priced titanium utensils - cause they were the sexiest ones and saved us 1.8oz each...don't ask...it was a treat for Brent (who became a utensil snob during our gear search), we will be acquiring a sweet Sea to Summit order soon (will post when it arrives), a pot insulator - which will double as a carrying case for our kitchen and is essentially a fuel saver!!, bungy cords, waterproof map case, a ridiculously tiny clothesline, and the list goes on. I actually have to revisit everything we have purchased since I last posted.

Oh - we did get cooling bands from Tilley Endurables - which are small ties you tie around your neck after dunking them in water. There is a gel of some sort inside that expands and keeps your body cool as you walk. I thought it could be useful (and it's tiny).

And of course, while we were at Tilley Endurables, we hooked ourselves up with some gear to train for our Indiana Jones' summer camp:

Sexy, non?

Menacing?

Hard core outdoor enthusiast?

Give me something...


Nothing? Okay, I'll settle with that.

Yeah, so anyway. Without the picture, I'm at a loss of what we have stored in my closet that is trip related yet hasn't been snapped for the blog yet. I'll figure that out this week.


So, a bit of a catch up. Hope you're still reading at this point and not taking a lovely nap. There was a lot to say today.

Thursday - MEC date - big evening shop. Will report soon after.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION: Which scenario do you believe to be true in the great winter hat quest, conducted by Brent and Alison during the late winter months of 2008?

Believe it or not - I was not the one to get the Delux hat. I was the one looking for it - but settled when I feared that I missed the "winter purchase" boat. Rash decision cost me animalia on top of my head. But that's okay. I like my hat - buying my hat helped the environment - I don't remember how, but it's a company that supports the environment that made the hat.

That's a terrible promotion on my behalf.

When Brent bought himself this owl tuque, I also acquired a new found problem - a hooting Brent. I'm not kidding. I have a feeling this tuque may go 'missing' during our trip if hooting Brent makes too many appearances. :)