tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63176973640956449472024-02-18T17:54:46.805-08:00Get Well TrevSunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.comBlogger326125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-1407669223148835742016-05-04T21:20:00.000-07:002016-05-04T21:21:42.635-07:00An Update!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukxIVwOOWxC84r6Vlj6iN2bAccxtj7dAO4l8LFz7t2vLtGtX1P4owu8-IFYPdgAImM6pn5ZlZkKyeN3v2QQLXzkQSJIhgof9ZnA56rXQLiTKaM2DxSkMH8ljJ8eHggcPGohO9P2etMm8p/s1600/IMG_3869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukxIVwOOWxC84r6Vlj6iN2bAccxtj7dAO4l8LFz7t2vLtGtX1P4owu8-IFYPdgAImM6pn5ZlZkKyeN3v2QQLXzkQSJIhgof9ZnA56rXQLiTKaM2DxSkMH8ljJ8eHggcPGohO9P2etMm8p/s400/IMG_3869.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Our new home is on the Nicomekl River in Surrey. There are paths along the river and two parks next door, with lots of opportunity for exercise.</em></td></tr>
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It has been almost exactly one year since I have updated the Get Well Trev blog, and there is a lot of catching up to do. I really don't have an excuse for not posting more often, other than not a lot has been going on as far as my injury and recovery. Everything is going well, and medically I have been stable with no problems over the year. That said, there have been some changes and improvements in a few ways.
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Last summer, Deborah and I moved from our condominium in Richmond to a townhouse in Surrey. We were having some problems with our unit at the old place, and had trouble with the building management trying to get it addressed. Once we got everything sorted (we actually had to go to court over it, several times) we thought it best to leave as we were just not happy with the whole situation. Our new home is in South Surrey, about a half hour's drive south of our old place and almost at the Canada/U.S. border.
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We are much happier here, our unit is very nice and the entire complex is great. We have a two-story townhome, called a "quad" as it's one of four corner units in the building. There are three other quads in our little area, and in the whole complex there is another set of quads, four apartment-style buildings and a number of three-story townhouse units. The entire property is 75 acres, and includes a golf course, an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and a clubhouse. It's all beautifully maintained and our neighbours are very nice.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are paths along the river that have great views of the mountains. The paths are all hard-packed gravel and not too difficult for wheeling, although there are a few hilly spots. I try to do a loop of five kilometres at least once a week.</td></tr>
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As for our own unit, yes it's two stories. When we were looking for a new place, we originally limited ourselves to single-story homes, although we did look at a three-story condo with an elevator. At some point we realized that there was a decent selection of "master-on-main" townhomes in the area, including several units in the complex we now live in. As the name says, these units have the master bedroom and bathroom on the main floor, with additional rooms upstairs. There were not many single-story townhouses in the area that had what we were looking for, but once we started including the master-on-main two-story units, there was a lot more to choose from. In our unit, the ground floor has a huge master bedroom (that doubles as my office) with the en suite bathroom, and upstairs are two bedrooms (one is Deborah's office and the other we have set up as a guest room) and a bathroom. <br />
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So far, I have not even been upstairs, but at some point we may look into a lift; there is really no need for me to go up, the ground floor has everything I need and is actually bigger in size than our entire unit in Richmond was.<br />
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We have started to use the pool once a week, it's indoor and the water temperature is kept quite warm, which is great for me. I have steadily increased how far I swim, and currently I do 36 lengths with a mix of front crawl, back crawl and elementary backstroke (also called reverse breast stroke). Several people have asked me about how I get in and out of the pool, and how I manage the various strokes. To get in the pool, I transfer out of my chair to the deck (by dropping down from the front of the chair in a dip) and then shuffle down the steps into the pool. When I swim my legs just float along behind as I go; as I've mentioned before, for some reason I float very easily now and my legs are usually right at the surface behind me. To get out of the pool I shuffle up the steps to the deck, and up into my chair with a dip onto the front.
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If you remember from my rehab the floor transfers were the hardest part, and I struggled with them for a long time. I have been continuing with yoga once a week, and as part of the class there is always a floor transfer as we everything on the floor. Now there is an additional floor transfer every week when we go to the pool, so I am getting lots of practice and can do them on my own fairly easily now. When we are at the pool I still have Deborah spot me as the consequences of falling on the hard pool deck would be pretty severe.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>I have been taking lots of pictures and my photography is getting better; this is a spotted towhee. Deborah bought me a nice Sigma lens, which makes a big difference for bird pictures.</em></td></tr>
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Our complex is right on a river, and - like our previous place - there are paths along the river in both directions. In one direction I can do a five-kilometre (three-mile) loop through two parks, following the river. It's about the same distance I did before, but more challenging as there is more gravel surface as opposed to paved, and there are some hilly areas. I try to do this wheel once a week, it takes me about an hour and 15 minutes depending on the exact route I take. There are several options, and I am working up to one that takes me up a very steep hill to return to our unit.
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In the other direction, the path follows the river for a short way and then turns south toward the border. This section is interesting, it's call the Semiahmoo Trail and dates back to 1873; it was the original wagon trail between New Westminster (just north of us) and the U.S. border. I have not been this way yet for a couple of reasons: The trail crosses a very busy road, and they only recently installed a crosswalk; and once across the road the trail is very steep for a long way. It would be a big challenge, but now that the crosswalk is installed I hope to attempt it soon.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYhasFQffBWVsbspr3lwT-EAVRGcp7Fb-eycrL3HRKUN4dGrTXZPFt6WA-y3CdFMrVzKcervkznvzaF_0omnVXjoPCp_XZXPbWb5QPOsmegLDMIwUsWC1-lu2TTij55eFOTgMXwZ8flbx/s1600/calabogie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYhasFQffBWVsbspr3lwT-EAVRGcp7Fb-eycrL3HRKUN4dGrTXZPFt6WA-y3CdFMrVzKcervkznvzaF_0omnVXjoPCp_XZXPbWb5QPOsmegLDMIwUsWC1-lu2TTij55eFOTgMXwZ8flbx/s400/calabogie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At work at the racetrack last summer. I looked after data acquisition and electronics for Canadian Superbike rider Jodi Christie and the Accelerated Technologies team.</td></tr>
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Last summer I helped out one of the race teams in the Canadian Superbike series, doing data acquisition and looking after all the electronics on the bikes. For the races in Ontario and Quebec I flew to London and stayed with my brother Peter and his family, and Peter and I drove to the races from there. There was a round in Edmonton and another in Halifax, and Peter met me there for those. I managed pretty much everything on my own, all the flying was no problem and the overnight hotel stays are routine now. I think I'm at the point that I could travel somewhere on my own if I had to now, but it's still nice to have someone there to help if I need it.
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There are a couple of sticking points with travelling on my own that I can see. The first is that, because of all the "stuff" I have to take, I end up with quite a bit of luggage. Carting it around by myself is difficult, but not impossible. The second and more difficult is transportation when I am away from home. Car rental companies do offer hand controls in most cities, but the controls are portable/temporary and Velcro around the steering column. It sounds dodgy, and when I went through rehab the therapists did recommend against it. I definitely don't want to risk something like that., and if I was to go somewhere that is not accessible with public transportation I would need someone to drive me around.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwp37sMD4sV5Ugy0FqDz19yLS15F4CuPRGwnke0PmodgRp0tan4Su4zBYfhL9Sp5ufQUpR6Qia6-t9eLOBIyrbI1Muv_KVnBVwcZa52nTstqiwl-ZwQAv41kVsCCZRvdz3tolGNLlrD3c/s1600/IMG_3468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwp37sMD4sV5Ugy0FqDz19yLS15F4CuPRGwnke0PmodgRp0tan4Su4zBYfhL9Sp5ufQUpR6Qia6-t9eLOBIyrbI1Muv_KVnBVwcZa52nTstqiwl-ZwQAv41kVsCCZRvdz3tolGNLlrD3c/s400/IMG_3468.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is an eagle's nest on the property, so I am getting lots of eagle pictures. The last couple of weeks it has looked like there are babies in the nest.</td></tr>
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That covers all the major happenings over the past year, I will try and post more frequently with regular updates in the future!
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Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-75630697777649696242015-05-09T12:38:00.003-07:002015-05-09T12:38:37.691-07:00Photography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1KoCPPZrs1sTgMF7BQ1XSvID4aLIO2cDBYasZdMNruUxZRn4m9wqFZDvDBLuOuBHTru0dLIQ7idgagsVH2BbvElMExINXu6Cn18pgOeEUbNaoLCVHv-x3_tAey-REr3eykBBqO4QcdVS/s1600/IMG_0079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1KoCPPZrs1sTgMF7BQ1XSvID4aLIO2cDBYasZdMNruUxZRn4m9wqFZDvDBLuOuBHTru0dLIQ7idgagsVH2BbvElMExINXu6Cn18pgOeEUbNaoLCVHv-x3_tAey-REr3eykBBqO4QcdVS/s400/IMG_0079.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><I>A mallard on the pond behind our condo</I></center>
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For Christmas last year Deborah gave me a lens for my camera. It's a super-telephoto zoom lens from Sigma (150-500 F:5-6.3, if you're a photography buff) and lets me get some great shots even from far away. I have been out a bunch of times experimenting with it and learning more about photography. The lens is so big and heavy that I have to be careful not to tip out of my chair when holding it up, although I am figuring out how to use a tripod from my chair as well. The picture here, a duck in the back yard, I think is one of my better shots so far. You can see some pictures that we took at Boundary Bay on my Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155187126425165.1073741842.849030164&type=1&l=91972d2330">here</a> (you don't need a Facebook account to see the pictures). Now that the weather is getting nicer, I'm planning to get out a lot more often to use the big lens, and to learn more about photography as I go.Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-10716664818676354012015-04-12T11:20:00.002-07:002015-04-12T11:22:10.968-07:00Nerve Transfer Surgery Restores Movement to Man's Fingers<iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gKwUeiUW7I4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<i><center>This video from the Ottawa Hospital gives details of the operation to restore some movement to Timothy Raglin's fingers. There is some graphic surgical content that you may want to skip through.</center></i>
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Last month in Ottawa, surgeons performed a nerve transfer operation on Timothy Raglin, a quadriplegic, to give him some movement in his fingers. My understanding of the procedure is that there are duplicate nerves in your arms, and the surgery involved rewiring two of these duplicate nerves in Timothy Raglin's arm to nerves in his fingers that are not connected to the brain after a spinal cord injury. Some regrowth of the nerve is necessary, and the doctors figure it could be up to a year before any results can be seen.
According to a story on the <a href="https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/wps/portal/Base/TheHospital/PatientsAndVisitors/YouAreInMyCare/Archive?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a/tohenglishlibrary/public/patientsvisitors/youreinmycare/blogarchive/yimc_nervetransfer">Ottawa Hospital's website</a>, this type of procedure has been performed only a few times before, but research is ongoing.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-11008066687437591662015-01-18T11:37:00.000-08:002015-01-18T11:37:23.225-08:00Paralyzed Rats Walk Again - Update<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dfDatjPZjJU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<center><I>A flexible implant helps restore walking in paralyzed rats</I></center>
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A couple of years ago there was news about a study in Switzerland involving paralyzed rats that were able to walk again after intense rehab with chemical and electrical stimulation. <a href="http://getwelltrev.blogspot.ca/2012_06_01_archive.html">I wrote about it in June of 2012</a>. Now comes news from the same group in Switzerland that they have developed a flexible implant for the chemical and electrical stimulation part, with good results on rats. Because the implant is flexible, it can stay in the body for longer without inflaming the spinal cord where it is placed. More details are in this <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/flexible-implant-will-allow-paralysed-humans-to-walk/">article from CNET magazine</a>.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-85103063641912479092014-11-23T11:52:00.000-08:002014-11-23T11:52:21.071-08:00Physiatry and Occupational Therapy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EKOoD9KS-4YaCMY87JVO8ibalbokR4a6_7oNW-Q3gSuvD1HYJCGOwHpGRojtW-QlSuVJf-yF6tp0NJtKpUnKOSnZy-OGt8K-BWnldgq4GOtCnsgJPflKbn2fCvAIsqCQ7chqUf1lhKpx/s1600/rehab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EKOoD9KS-4YaCMY87JVO8ibalbokR4a6_7oNW-Q3gSuvD1HYJCGOwHpGRojtW-QlSuVJf-yF6tp0NJtKpUnKOSnZy-OGt8K-BWnldgq4GOtCnsgJPflKbn2fCvAIsqCQ7chqUf1lhKpx/s380/rehab.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>Some two-wheel shenanigans earlier in the summer</i></center>
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A couple of weeks ago I had an appointment with my physiatrist - the rehab doctor that oversees everything and looks at the big picture as far as how I am doing. I hadn't been for two years and even this visit was more of a checkup, but it was a good opportunity to ask some questions that I've been saving up. The physiatrist seemed quite happy with everything and we talked about making a couple of changes to my supplements and routine to make some things a bit easier. It was all pretty much good news, and she said there's no need to see her again, even in two more years, unless something specific comes up.
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One thing we did talk about was travel and how I could be a bit more independent away from home. Right now I am okay when Deborah and I go away somewhere, as she can help me if I run into trouble with anything. Hotel rooms are sometimes not as "accessible" as they could be, and it doesn't take much to make doing something a lot more difficult for me. A couple of examples: Some hotel beds are really high, so the transfer into bed can be a bit tricky. Or, sometimes there is a really nice bench in the bathtub, but it's fixed to the wall at the opposite end to the shower controls and I can't reach them.
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I am good with most of the other aspects of traveling. Last summer I helped one of the teams in the Canadian Superbike Championship, going to three of the races. For those trips, I flew on my own to my brother Peter's place near London, Ontario, and he came with me to the track and could help me if I had trouble in the hotel room. For next year, I would like to be able to do this on my own if Peter can't make it, which means staying on my own in a hotel room.
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The physiatrist made an appointment with an occupational therapist for me to see if it's something I need to work on myself or if it's some kind of equipment that I need to make things easier. It was an interesting appointment, the therapist showed me some benches and sliding boards that are small enough to go in a suitcase or even as carry-on luggage on a plane, and we came up with a few good ideas. Now I have a few options to look at as far as different equipment and what I could use on my own, and it looks like I may be able to come up with an answer.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-6753853076160189282014-11-02T13:52:00.000-08:002014-11-02T13:52:10.747-08:00Mute Swans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OBX7qSFwjqdKKGsIblpQ8eZZgGLxVs3Ta7xtSsCAXwUJgSG71RDrDku09Gm6QWoXvJKWWW2XzOL3AMIP-Du1cjXhXeZr-jufZ65EK6ihxB5RNC9AmV2mBa2fV8-sE-RCVGF2FRffr9XI/s1600/pitt-lake-204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OBX7qSFwjqdKKGsIblpQ8eZZgGLxVs3Ta7xtSsCAXwUJgSG71RDrDku09Gm6QWoXvJKWWW2XzOL3AMIP-Du1cjXhXeZr-jufZ65EK6ihxB5RNC9AmV2mBa2fV8-sE-RCVGF2FRffr9XI/s380/pitt-lake-204.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>The mute swans busy preening in the historic fishing village</i></center>
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Our little village is home to a pair of mute swans that we occasionally see when we take a stroll on the boardwalk. The first two springs that we were here, the swans had a nest near a building in the historic fishing village but unfortunately the eggs never hatched. Both years the nest was quite close to the water, and it's likely that at high tide in the spring the nest and eggs got wet. This year, though, the swans built their nest on a higher nearby bank (according to <a href="http://www.richmond-news.com/news/our-steveston-family-has-grown-1.1125160">this news article</a>, a local fisherman actually towed the nest from its usual spot to the new location). We couldn't see the nest from the boardwalk, but we were told that it was there and safe, and eventually the chicks hatched. There is a <a href="http://www.bobbaziukphotography.ca/p110546378/h322c02e2#h322c02e2">great picture here</a> by a local photographer of the family in the nest. Two of the babies survived, and we saw them several times over the summer in the village. Evidently the cygnets, as they are called, fledge at 60 days old, but can stay with the parents until the next breeding season.Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-17049400640786323942014-09-11T20:01:00.003-07:002014-09-11T20:01:24.944-07:00Cannon BeachDeborah and I recently went on a holiday to Cannon Beach in Oregon. We took two days to get there, taking the scenic route along the coast. On day 1 we drove down Whidbey Island and took the ferry across to Port Townsend, and stayed the first night in Sequim, Washington. On day 2 we followed the 101 through Aberdeen, Astoria and through to Cannon Beach. We spent three days in Cannon Beach and then returned home on the less scenic round, Interstate 5.
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<i>Most of the buildings in Port Townsend date from the late 1800s, and have large signs painted on the side. We stopped in the downtown area for an hour or so before driving through to Sequim to stay the night. We will go back again sometime and stay longer for sure.</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLWCp0hrj04sya96aPMAdVNr66yytUW9_cAtJqjZxEuTkRvqeZf8L9WWYqZpfuUhUUDko4RnK887Bs9C8wpcfG-dqBHg3UTnuAsqX9Ylt6Lov9iD_s6Ip_yND-dqd1uxPgYieT_AFBBZb/s1600/Cannon-Beach-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLWCp0hrj04sya96aPMAdVNr66yytUW9_cAtJqjZxEuTkRvqeZf8L9WWYqZpfuUhUUDko4RnK887Bs9C8wpcfG-dqBHg3UTnuAsqX9Ylt6Lov9iD_s6Ip_yND-dqd1uxPgYieT_AFBBZb/s320/Cannon-Beach-029.jpg" /></a></center>
<i>A tall ship was sailing through the harbour when we were in Port Townsend, I am not sure what the occasion was. The cannon shot it made sure gave us a jolt though!</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXvQIQwnQvEN9XNkPLlB8iXzSr5k5NzimxnVh0TxLvH0kiuugN3brtlRgRaP_4uCryulgXttB2S8nXHZ4QxnvUoZqqp7z_vDNoXe5YtyO9Oc_MoGE17wonLH-sJislpkf2adFDuE-ty1_/s1600/Cannon-Beach-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXvQIQwnQvEN9XNkPLlB8iXzSr5k5NzimxnVh0TxLvH0kiuugN3brtlRgRaP_4uCryulgXttB2S8nXHZ4QxnvUoZqqp7z_vDNoXe5YtyO9Oc_MoGE17wonLH-sJislpkf2adFDuE-ty1_/s320/Cannon-Beach-036.jpg" /></a></center>
<i>The salt air near the beach is not so good for anything made of steel...</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlB-CMrouNEvYOfEf554PQ1HvWZOuwjLCTS3nHMi9a9sl_56cZGPZw9c13eU1fXu6P2-Txwi_FvA3NMVCe6BdyxHkgwUK9c19hcZv8Nhk0XJv3P53kYT9RW6YluY4hIBDzV6oT5FvBgEr/s1600/Cannon-Beach-044.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlB-CMrouNEvYOfEf554PQ1HvWZOuwjLCTS3nHMi9a9sl_56cZGPZw9c13eU1fXu6P2-Txwi_FvA3NMVCe6BdyxHkgwUK9c19hcZv8Nhk0XJv3P53kYT9RW6YluY4hIBDzV6oT5FvBgEr/s320/Cannon-Beach-044.jpg" /></a></center>
<i>Deborah on Cannon Beach. The huge rock in the background is haystack rock, the centerpiece of the town - although the town itself is named Cannon Beach because of a cannon that washed ashore long ago.</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6yo0S603p2P3GHd6NI2_ezIOG_wb8V6zE0bwKh-YroJxQJwv39F6yC_uDzBtF3FkVjeRO443h9MdxqVm10Zg1cMYhPnVU-E_LQkVVWDyDa8hWctDPpA0S5xHZtaZeIC-Il1LhETRyA9y/s1600/Cannon-Beach-071.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6yo0S603p2P3GHd6NI2_ezIOG_wb8V6zE0bwKh-YroJxQJwv39F6yC_uDzBtF3FkVjeRO443h9MdxqVm10Zg1cMYhPnVU-E_LQkVVWDyDa8hWctDPpA0S5xHZtaZeIC-Il1LhETRyA9y/s320/Cannon-Beach-071.jpg" /></a></center>
<i><a href="http://www.cannon-beach.net/cbhaystack.html">Haystack Rock</a> is 235 feet high, when the tide is low you can get out right to the rock and look around in the tide pools.</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqswWEjXw7SQdrVVjb33RhF7g2N6GuKZx88ue08Y31WmT5p4R5AieFz6fw0VZSbye5tN4oh6IBnRLOtDc_2jkMiEuGaVlHT6YpVgM59sbzrSLgb5MSJiUjWxksnVT1euhHbYcaBzjE8Kp/s1600/Cannon-Beach-083.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqswWEjXw7SQdrVVjb33RhF7g2N6GuKZx88ue08Y31WmT5p4R5AieFz6fw0VZSbye5tN4oh6IBnRLOtDc_2jkMiEuGaVlHT6YpVgM59sbzrSLgb5MSJiUjWxksnVT1euhHbYcaBzjE8Kp/s320/Cannon-Beach-083.jpg" /></a></center>
<i>This is the view of Cannon Beach (and Haystack Rock) from a lookout in nearby <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm">Ecola State Park</a>.</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnV68eSwFQM3YpjVOLLIK1JiB686KOL-YHEOFMI2yokztcszwQhzsZ3qty9MryC9qZAlubt7pCpw0Gq05S7DDY9x_GeKSJ2zgc5yjyNUuHZ8WBO_9_TkVn0aMQ8VqEwTHeThfYueb2Njv/s1600/Cannon-Beach-096.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnV68eSwFQM3YpjVOLLIK1JiB686KOL-YHEOFMI2yokztcszwQhzsZ3qty9MryC9qZAlubt7pCpw0Gq05S7DDY9x_GeKSJ2zgc5yjyNUuHZ8WBO_9_TkVn0aMQ8VqEwTHeThfYueb2Njv/s320/Cannon-Beach-096.jpg" /></a></center>
<i>The lighthouse on <a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=135">Tillamook Rock</a>, as seen from the same lookout in Ecola State Park.</i>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJ1S844T9UwLXxgdBTnMkQXhsRuj9JaO7hndN1QBDfrntN_I6hhjsCr2q9Vb_AIHTnkaiNlnjy6WI_g7KmyuXqyCNaX4daxnF6tImjVBwGsaVdEl3l8wLTxeOR3EOlDVNJ5AAhetRmORl/s1600/cannon-beach-at.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJ1S844T9UwLXxgdBTnMkQXhsRuj9JaO7hndN1QBDfrntN_I6hhjsCr2q9Vb_AIHTnkaiNlnjy6WI_g7KmyuXqyCNaX4daxnF6tImjVBwGsaVdEl3l8wLTxeOR3EOlDVNJ5AAhetRmORl/s320/cannon-beach-at.jpg" /></a></center>
<i>One of the highlights for me was actually getting out on the beach, the first time I have done that in my chair.</i>
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbXvRQl_pAG3F0JqxQlYlRKPdFayD8jsthtledvvgoKlvauIhEtaaQwXPQlD5LToS-E6ILcESb_Uv3udbncV3lTOPxnTFfYLnW0oAx-o9UxZDeVB7DMrzSbLrYE3G0evUYW_sMj4jwHDL/s1600/cannon-beach-at-ac.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbXvRQl_pAG3F0JqxQlYlRKPdFayD8jsthtledvvgoKlvauIhEtaaQwXPQlD5LToS-E6ILcESb_Uv3udbncV3lTOPxnTFfYLnW0oAx-o9UxZDeVB7DMrzSbLrYE3G0evUYW_sMj4jwHDL/s320/cannon-beach-at-ac.jpg" /></a></center>
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<i>My friend Andy Cherney, who I used to work with in Los Angeles, now lives in Portland and came to visit us at the beach. Even though the weather was not quite as nice, we went out on the beach again at low tide and wheeled out to the rock for a look around.</i>Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-61234335339559176932014-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:002014-08-09T13:32:30.290-07:00More Exploring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEtj1hI5Xcy7dgq91Hk2L_HnsocZSmVILLF0rQPj-eCrMxPSGhMFhufiR3GctA5ukPaplD-EAe4agld8m60W_Pww19lDUee7asQAQm5u-8g7fZRmy3YPRvUsLN6YzyDHGEPXgh98-_EOc/s1600/10360914_10152663098984343_7715054476660115575_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEtj1hI5Xcy7dgq91Hk2L_HnsocZSmVILLF0rQPj-eCrMxPSGhMFhufiR3GctA5ukPaplD-EAe4agld8m60W_Pww19lDUee7asQAQm5u-8g7fZRmy3YPRvUsLN6YzyDHGEPXgh98-_EOc/s320/10360914_10152663098984343_7715054476660115575_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>On one of the trails in Redwood Park in Surrey</i></center>
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Deborah and I have been busy exploring around Vancouver, it seems like we have been going to a different park every weekend. In the last couple of months we have been to <a href="http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/2135.aspx">Tynehead Regional Park</a>, <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/eco_reserve/pitpolder_er.html">Pitt Polder Ecological Reserve</a>, and <a href="http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/2187.aspx">Redwood Park</a>. Tynehead Park and Redwood Park have nice gravel trails that are fairly easy to get around on, although both are a bit hilly. The highlight of Pitt Lake was seeing ospreys for the first time in BC. Considering how mountainous British Columbia is and how hilly it can be in and around Vancouver, almost every place we've been to has been very accessible with trails that are nicely looked after and relatively smooth and flat. We will continue to check out new places, there are still plenty of parks that we haven't been to and it will keep us busy for quite a few weekends.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrayH8mBFI8LsCo9eh5KunXrde5EYhuOdZC8H0EGRSC_zJGGo1zNN4texhn9BhO-VbUZ8ur5F-UfahNzQ6pHZJ8eNrvTHbxeC0Zpdqj8vIg6d7a2tniWj7IJtfF37oi7A3bSsSJjOuXzfq/s1600/ospreys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrayH8mBFI8LsCo9eh5KunXrde5EYhuOdZC8H0EGRSC_zJGGo1zNN4texhn9BhO-VbUZ8ur5F-UfahNzQ6pHZJ8eNrvTHbxeC0Zpdqj8vIg6d7a2tniWj7IJtfF37oi7A3bSsSJjOuXzfq/s320/ospreys.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>Ospreys at Pitt Lake</center></i>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0cAxrAidSoDBrjM_yD7eOxUrgmBmalJZ2MoTCTqqVwYob_kk51wKcaplHZ5uvv4JLoT70-_p0fZShGyX2K1mxRxgJjqBBxkg6sg8JiVqqDX0x9IMfG3OYUEOYpArOQSTpTi2IJWDN0wp/s1600/tynehead-park-086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0cAxrAidSoDBrjM_yD7eOxUrgmBmalJZ2MoTCTqqVwYob_kk51wKcaplHZ5uvv4JLoT70-_p0fZShGyX2K1mxRxgJjqBBxkg6sg8JiVqqDX0x9IMfG3OYUEOYpArOQSTpTi2IJWDN0wp/s320/tynehead-park-086.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>Tynehead Regional Park</i></center>
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Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-8061425018406589172014-07-12T17:16:00.001-07:002014-07-12T17:16:16.907-07:00New Books!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFekI_olU_lEk7nhRM7K9ck_wYJNr5IweVdblTBPYPemnaTnDWVoh4ndBP1lI15R802GJnYA39vGuYZKhFsKM4_FOfSrN9_Ci8W2TFfwfSGEOAioVn_VTNyZrJpgBVTczBEzsQt-6cXa-/s1600/A_Faster_Way_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFekI_olU_lEk7nhRM7K9ck_wYJNr5IweVdblTBPYPemnaTnDWVoh4ndBP1lI15R802GJnYA39vGuYZKhFsKM4_FOfSrN9_Ci8W2TFfwfSGEOAioVn_VTNyZrJpgBVTczBEzsQt-6cXa-/s320/A_Faster_Way_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>Troy Bayliss: A Faster Way</i></center>
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It has been a long time in the making but the riding book I have been working on is finally done. I did this with Troy Bayliss, who is a three-time World Superbike Champion from Australia, and through David Bull Publishing, the same publisher as my suspension book. Troy and I did everything over Skype, it was a bit of a challenge with the time change but it all worked out great. I got tons of great information from Troy, he is super nice and it was a pleasure to work with him. You can get more information about the book from the link in the right sidebar here, and you can order it directly from the publisher there or through Amazon.
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Just below the riding book picture you'll see another cover image, this is an e-book that Deborah and I have put together. It's a cocktail book with 12 recipes, all our own creations, and Deborah did a fun illustration of our parakeet George for each recipe. This is available through iBooks, and viewable on an iPad or Mac.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-26425645598027040152014-04-19T11:30:00.000-07:002014-04-19T11:30:09.500-07:00RTI Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MN4ZCGLln-RRDHJZuoM7l-JwCC4F2-f9hyLmZBzsKqYqeMHhul7XE5V7siipHt1tUDB-obvfAA3MPSi5gK_qv2WxJRmIuJwZuWUkD1CgdmncGu8XkKzswyDxOPoZ7Fdvy819UmDvTlTE/s1600/rti-data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MN4ZCGLln-RRDHJZuoM7l-JwCC4F2-f9hyLmZBzsKqYqeMHhul7XE5V7siipHt1tUDB-obvfAA3MPSi5gK_qv2WxJRmIuJwZuWUkD1CgdmncGu8XkKzswyDxOPoZ7Fdvy819UmDvTlTE/s320/rti-data.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>Energy expended for 500 sessions on the bicycle</i></center>
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Shortly after I got home from rehab, <a href="http://getwelltrev.blogspot.ca/2010/09/rti-biking.html">I got my own FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) bike</a> so I could do my own therapy at home. <a href="http://www.restorative-therapies.com/rt300_series">The FES bike</a>, made by Restorative Therapies, is essentially a stationary bicycle that uses electricity to stimulate the muscles in my legs directly to work the pedals on the bike. The benefits from using active therapy, rather than something that only moves my legs passively, is that the muscles are actually doing the work. This is better exercise, increases circulation, and reduces atrophy and spasms.
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I have been trying to use the bicycle three times a week, and definitely notice a difference when I miss a few days; when that happens my legs can get quite stiff, with more spasms. Recently I passed 500 sessions total since I got the bike. RTI stores data from each session on its server so I can track progress, the graph here shows total energy expended during each session from the very beginning. You can see that a while ago there was an increase when I upped the time of each session a bit, from 40 to 45 minutes. And, more recently, the bigger jump shows where I increased the resistance that the bike provides, making the muscles work harder. This change has had an interesting effect: When I do have a spasm now, it seems that my legs are a bit stronger and I have to be careful not to accidentally kick something.
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I have never really noticed the exercise aspect of riding the RTI bike, and my pulse doesn't increase much when I'm on it, but over time I will continue to ramp up the resistance to see what happens.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-15518413514141812802014-04-06T11:28:00.001-07:002014-04-06T11:28:17.700-07:00Nitobe Memorial Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuxeXGhy2anlzDo1hRUlhyphenhyphen4EI3qwtCEM3EQ6Ov4FLWrwEaZz4ZRIqL7OucEBPiO8vNb7B4gbhAybvwvbiuN_T2hRTRXR8TpDn8W8luwmEiVvSAJZHKVK-qaYUGbHeTiQNdqwvvY-R-538/s1600/Japanese-gardens-039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuxeXGhy2anlzDo1hRUlhyphenhyphen4EI3qwtCEM3EQ6Ov4FLWrwEaZz4ZRIqL7OucEBPiO8vNb7B4gbhAybvwvbiuN_T2hRTRXR8TpDn8W8luwmEiVvSAJZHKVK-qaYUGbHeTiQNdqwvvY-R-538/s400/Japanese-gardens-039.jpg" /></a></div>
<center><i>There was one cherry tree blooming in the garden, but we were too early for most of them</i></center>
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Last week Deborah and I went out looking for cherry blossoms, and one of the stops we made was at the <a href="http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/nitobe">Nitobe Memorial Garden</a>, a traditional Japanese stroll garden at the University of British Columbia. I have been to UBC a couple of times for research studies, but I had no idea the garden was there. According to the information on the flyer, the garden "is considered to be one of the best traditional Japanese gardens in North America and among the top five outside Japan." Unfortunately we were a bit early for the cherry blossoms at this particular spot, but it was an interesting visit nonetheless and well worth checking out. You can see more pictures <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/sets/72157643533347434/">on my Flickr page</a>.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-69920585143264921962014-02-09T14:15:00.000-08:002014-04-06T11:19:18.334-07:00Stanley Park<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/12419586184" title="Vancouver-20140208-00849 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/12419586184_a7325783b9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Vancouver-20140208-00849"></a>
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<center><i>Beaver Lake in Stanley Park</i></center>
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Yesterday Deborah and I went to <a href="http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx" target="_blank">Stanley Park</a>, the huge park near downtown Vancouver. We have been quite a few times before, but mostly just driven or wheeled around the perimeter - there is a nice paved path all the way around, right on the water's edge. This time, though, we went to Beaver Lake right in the middle of the park and checked out some of the trails in that area. On the park's guide map, there is a trail around the lake that is even marked for wheelchair use. We did that loop, about one kilometer, and it was very flat and smooth for wheeling. It looked like some of the trails going off from that loop would be nice also, we will definitely be going back another time to explore more.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-22943767897282322682014-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:002014-02-02T12:20:33.165-08:00Great Blue Heron<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/12275085746/player/af42c9cee6" height="333" width="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
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<center><i>Our resident great blue heron</i></center>
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A regular visitor in our back yard is this heron, which for the past couple of months we have seen almost every time we go out. It seems to be getting more and more familiar with people, and recently has been standing right next to the pathways even when there are quite a few people going by. Herons are very common in the area and we see quite a few regularly, but this one has fairly distinctive plumage on its belly where others that we have seen have none. At first I though that was a male/female difference, but evidently it's not and telling them apart can be difficult. In any event, because it's been so close to the path and standing so still I am able to get some good pictures.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-90510289448823650802014-01-12T11:36:00.001-08:002014-01-12T11:36:20.332-08:00Steveston Snow<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/11912709604/player/4850a87926" height="267" width="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
<br><center><i>Yes, we get snow in Steveston</i></center>
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Just before Christmas we had some snow in the village. Since we moved here we have not had a lot of snow, and it has never stayed on the ground more than a couple of days before melting away. Although we have hardly any snow compared with the rest of the country, I was pretty surprised when I looked at the average numbers for the area: In the past 30 years, Vancouver has had on average nine days of snow with 45 centimeters (17.5 inches) falling each year.
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I did try to go out when it snowed, but I didn't make it past the end of our building's front walkway. Because there is so little, the city is not equipped for when it does snow. Our street is not plowed, the sidewalks are not cleared at all, and it is all left to melt on its own. Any little bit on the ground makes wheeling next to impossible, meaning I was pretty much stuck indoors for those days. Deborah took these pictures showing how picturesque the area looked.
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Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-16718342503846854092013-12-16T15:16:00.001-08:002013-12-16T15:16:42.461-08:00Our Own Nature Show<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/11409685576/" title="eagles-027 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/11409685576_16637b49f0_o.jpg" width="400" height="291" alt="eagles-027"></a>
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<center><i>These two bald eagles are often in the tree right across the road</i></center>
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Deborah and I live on the third floor of our building and right across from a farmer's field. From our living room window we have a great view of whatever is going on, and this fall it's been very busy over there. In October it was <a href="http://getwelltrev.blogspot.ca/2013/10/snow-geese.html">full of snow geese</a> on their yearly migration. A couple of weeks ago the two eagles in the picture returned from their summer in the northern parts of the province, and now we see them almost every day. A couple of times we've watched them hunting in the field, and occasionally the crows will gang up on the eagles trying to get them to leave. We've also seen hawks hunting (and getting picked on by the crows), and a couple of days ago there were two trumpeter swans, which we've never seen there before. Right beside the field is an <a href="http://redcolt.ca/" target="_blank">equestrian farm co-op</a> where they offer riding and horsemanship lessons, so we even have horses going by a couple of times a week.
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It all makes for an interesting show and while I do sit at the window with the camera and binoculars fairly regularly, I often wonder what I am missing when I am not there!
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/11410006166/" title="Trumpeter-swans-028 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/11410006166_49e5a4af39_o.jpg" width="400" height="258" alt="Trumpeter-swans-028"></a>
<center><i>Trumpeter swans</i></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/11410140223/" title="riefel-009 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5537/11410140223_1e3db5b39e_o.jpg" width="400" height="333" alt="riefel-009"></a>
<center><i>Red-tailed hawk</i></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/11410050596/" title="006 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3690/11410050596_c829330abb_o.jpg" width="400" height="244" alt="006"></a>
<center><i>The view on a frosty morning</i></center>
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-52209641958811583302013-11-18T20:14:00.000-08:002013-11-18T20:14:48.480-08:00Five Years<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/10937576955/" title="november_wheel by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/10937576955_56bd805e32_o.jpg" width="400" height="228" alt="november_wheel"></a>
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<center><i>Adidas miCoach map of my latest wheel into the village</i></center>
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Last week marked the five-year anniversary of my accident. What surprises me most this far on is how much improvement I am seeing in a lot of ways. I am still finding myself able to do things in the wheelchair that I couldn't do previously, like pick something up off the floor without it being in the exact right spot beside the chair, or go up a ramp without stopping partway for a break; I am still getting stronger all the time, which helps with wheeling around as well as making transfers to and from the chair a lot easier; and, I am actually getting a little bit more feeling and muscle control lower in my abdomen over time.
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A lot of the improvement I think is from what I have been doing in yoga over the past couple of years. My instructor and I have been working pretty hard on balance and exercising what few muscles I do have in my core, and even small changes there seem to help. It all comes together like this: Without any abdomen muscles, as soon as I lean forward in my chair I fall over. But with even a little bit of control there, I can lean forward a bit without having to hold on to something. This means I have two hands now to do a lot of things instead of one, and when I wheel around I can put some weight behind the push without worrying as much about falling over.
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The map shows a wheel into the village I did last week. When we first moved here two years ago it was a big deal for me just to get to the historic shipping village, which is about one kilometer away for a total trip of two kilometers (about 1.25 miles). Now I can go past the historic village, past Steveston and to the entrance of Garry Point Park (and back) for a total trip of 5.5 kilometers (about 3.5 miles); last week I did it in just over an hour. I am still working hard at it all, and hopefully I will keep seeing that kind of gain over the next five years.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-22443774225906423672013-10-22T19:38:00.001-07:002013-10-22T19:38:47.338-07:00Snow Geese<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/10432382813/" title="snow-geese-1 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2824/10432382813_882e0a9a50_o.jpg" width="400" height="260" alt="snow-geese-1"></a>
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<i><center>Just one of several thousand snow geese in our field</center></i>
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Last week we had a few thousand visitors drop by for a while. Every year around this time, snow geese migrate from their summer homes in Siberia, Greenland and Alaska, south to the mainland USA and Mexico. Richmond is one of their main stopovers. According to the local paper, they used to stay close to the ocean here but over the past few years have been moving more and more inland, into farmers' fields. For several days, they have flocked in during the morning to fill the field across the road from us, stay until dusk, then take off in droves somewhere for the evening.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/10432232156/" title="snow-geese-2 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3787/10432232156_f6601495e0_o.jpg" width="400" height="261" alt="snow-geese-2"></a>
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<i><center>Time to move, fellas!</center></i>
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Every once in a while, a huge number of the geese will fly up and move to another part of the field. It's quite a sight to see, and the noise is just incredible. We still hear a few of them fly overhead now, but for the most part they have headed south for the winter and won't be back until spring.
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You can see more of my pictures on Facebook here (no need for a Facebook account): <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153356481615165.1073741831.849030164&type=1&l=0d8b3080e5">snow geese pictures</a>, or check out the video I took below.
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<iframe width="400" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EJ3X51jromk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-21040981474018082882013-10-14T16:24:00.000-07:002013-10-14T16:24:00.517-07:00Vancouver Hiking<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/10254787604/" title="bog by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/10254787604_6fc2dfe17a_o.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="bog"></a>
<i><center>One of the paths in Burns Bog Nature Reserve</center></i>
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Deborah and I did a lot of exploring over the past couple of months, and found many good hiking spots in the area. Just south of us across the river are two interesting areas. One is <a href="http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/parks_lscr/regionalparks/Pages/BoundaryBay.aspx">Boundary Bay</a>, where we have been before and <a href="http://getwelltrev.blogspot.ca/2012/04/boundary-bay-regional-park.html">I have posted about</a> a couple of times - this is where we spotted the snowy owls last winter. There are miles of trails around the bay with a number of spots to start from.
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The other interesting area that we only recently discovered is <a href="http://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/burns-bog-delta-nature-reserve/">Burns Bog Nature Reserve</a>. It is an enormous peat bog - about 40 square kilometers in area - and extends from Boundary Bay north to the eastern tip of Richmond. While much of the bog is undeveloped and still wild (the guide I have even says to look out for bears!), one edge is full of trails, including one with a wooden boardwalk that is great for wheeling on.
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Over the summer we were busy checking out new places and I didn't have much of a chance to do my usual wheel to the village and back. But when I did get back into that routine, it was nice to find that it was another step easier and took less time than before. When we first came to Richmond, now two years ago, I couldn't even make it down to the village the first time I tried - I had to turn back halfway. Now the same trip seems like almost not enough effort for a good workout. It's a good indicator for how I am doing, and I am happy to see that I am still getting stronger as time goes on.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-25130352607849324262013-06-15T11:21:00.002-07:002013-06-15T11:21:54.082-07:00Out to Pasture<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/9052199308/" title="mowing by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3731/9052199308_00344b02d4.jpg" width="400" height="397" alt="mowing"></a>
<center><i>Put to work cutting grass in preparation for my niece's wedding</i></center>
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Last weekend was my niece Laura's wedding. It was held at my brother Peter's house, with the ceremony on the front steps and the reception in a huge tent in the yard. Deborah and I flew to Dorchester for it, and went a couple of days early to help out with the preparations. For the 120 guests, we put our cocktail-making experience to good use and made a mojito punch that we served right after the ceremony was finished. It took two 60-ounce bottles of rum, 72 limes, a case of Perrier, almost all of a one-kilogram bag of sugar and a basketful of mint from my mom's garden. The punch turned out really well, and I think everyone enjoyed it.
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Peter also put me to work in the yard. With 120 guests there were a lot of cars expected, and I used his zero-turn lawnmower to cut the grass where people would be walking after parking. Peter and my brother-in-law Marty lifted me in, and the mower uses all hand controls so it was no problem to drive - although it did take some getting used to for sure. The ride was pretty bumpy, and you can see here we strapped my legs together so they wouldn't go too far on their own.
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Deborah and I were both pretty worn out after the trip, but the wedding was a huge success and we had a great time. And we get to do it all again next year when my nephew Adam gets married!
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-36258977041630194462013-05-27T10:34:00.001-07:002013-05-27T10:34:42.142-07:00Vancouver Island<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/8856151037/" title="marina_panorama by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5451/8856151037_2242713eb1.jpg" width="500" height="144" alt="marina_panorama"></a>
<center><i>Genoa Bay Marina on Vancouver Island</i></center>
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Deborah and I recently went for a short holiday to Vancouver Island, it was the first time for both of us to visit the Island. We had signed Deborah up for a two-day course at <a href="http://www.pnwraptors.com/" target="_blank">The Raptors</a> to learn more about birds of prey - including flying falcons and hawks! - and stayed on for a couple of days in Victoria. While Deborah was at her course, I was determined to be adventurous on my own and go exploring. On the first day I started by going to the <a href="http://www.bcforestdiscoverycentre.com/" target="_blank">BC Forest Discovery Centre</a>, which details some of the logging history of BC and has some interesting old equipment and trains. Then I drove out to the coast at Genoa Bay and along to the <a href="http://www.genoabaymarina.com/" target="_blank">Genoa Bay Marina</a> - that is where I took the picture - and had lunch at the Marina Cafe.
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The morning was a lot of transfers in and out of the car and a lot of wheeling around, so I spent the rest of the day relaxing at another marina and reading. I was a bit worn out for the second day, but spent most of it exploring around Lake Cowichan, which is more in the interior. We had a great day after that in Victoria looking around, and will definitely be heading back to see more of the Island. You can see some of our pictures from the trip on my Facebook page here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152817483265165.1073741825.849030164&type=1&l=c5a2dafbcd">Vancouver Island 2013</a>. (You don't need a Facebook account to see the pictures)
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-54019971043242735432013-04-21T11:39:00.000-07:002013-04-21T11:39:41.592-07:00Adidas MiCoach<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/8668372077/" title="micoach by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8668372077_2e16b6516f.jpg" width="400" height="252" alt="micoach"></a>
<center><i>MiCoach GPS route overlaid on Google Maps</i></center>
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Recently I started using the <a href="http://www.micoach.com" target="_blank">Adidas MiCoach</a> application on my Blackberry. The app is actually intended for runners to keep track of their progress over time by tracking each workout using the Blackberry's GPS. The data can be uploaded to the MiCoach website, and you see all the details - speed, distance, elevation, and even steps and heart rate can be monitored and tracked. All this data can be overlaid on a route map, as I've shown above for one of my trips into the village.
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There are other similar apps for the Blackberry, iPhone and Android phones, and I will be trying some of them in the future. I am pretty happy with the MiCoach application though, it is easy to use and shows all the information I need. What's ironic in me using it, though, is that the premise of the application is to keep track of the mileage and wear on your shoes. That hasn't been much of a problem for me lately though, no matter how much I wheel...Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-72684684265723718702013-04-13T15:02:00.003-07:002013-04-13T15:02:56.060-07:00Margaret Trevitt<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/8646831854/" title="mom_erin_visit-062 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8646831854_c4f656105b.jpg" width="400" height="277" alt="mom_erin_visit-062"></a>
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<i><center>Our visit to the bird sanctuary with my mother last year</center></i>
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I am very sad to say that my mom passed away last month, on March 22nd. She had been in the hospital for several months with complications after a scheduled heart surgery; after a long, hard battle she made it home for a few days but couldn't overcome a Clostridium Difficile (C. diff) infection. Deborah and I were not able to make it to London in time to be with her, but the rest of the family was there and they said it was very peaceful. We did make the visitation and funeral services, which were well attended and very nice; my mom was very well known in the community and had many friends.
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The full obituary is online here: <a href="http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oid=692491" target="_blank">www.yourlifemoments.ca</a>. Included is a very appropriate poem:
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<blockquote><i>God looked around his garden and found an empty place<br>
He looked down upon the earth and saw your tired face<br>
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest<br>
God's garden must be beautiful, he always takes the best</i></blockquote>
Also very appropriate, my mom had asked that the song "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" be sung at the funeral. If you knew my mother at all you will get a good chuckle out of hearing the song - which I think is exactly what she wanted.
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Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-83242116424551402782013-02-19T19:47:00.000-08:002013-02-19T19:47:12.486-08:00New Wheelchair Tires<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/8491363910/" title="wheels by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8491363910_bfb514093c.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="wheels"></a>
<center><i>Wheels and new tires ready to go</i></center>
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Yesterday my friend Kirby and I changed the tires on my wheelchair. The original tires had finally worn out, with bits of the inside carcass peeking out from what little bit of tread was left. When I took part in the wheeling study last year (<a href="http://getwelltrev.blogspot.ca/2012/04/wheeling-energy-study.html">part 1</a>, <a href="http://getwelltrev.blogspot.ca/2012/04/ready-for-final-session-on-treadmill.html">part 2</a>), the researchers said I would notice a difference if I switched from the solid-insert tires to tube-type, as the lighter weight would make it easier to roll. With that in mind, I decided to use <a href="http://www.schwalbetires.com/wheelchair/tires/marathon_plus_gr">Schwalbe Marathon Plus</a> tires. My friend Eric set me up with the tires, tubes, some tire irons and rim tape - everything necessary to make the swap.
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It was much easier than we were expecting to change the tires. Kirby and I cut the old tires off, removed the inserts and had the new tires on in less than an hour. Luckily I have a second set of wheels for my chair so I could help at least a little bit, rather than being stuck on a couch or on the floor somewhere! Fixing a flat should be fairly easy, and I have put a spare tube, the irons and a small pump in my backpack. The Marathon Plus tires are thick to reduce the chance of a puncture, and we used heavy-duty tubes, so hopefully I won't have to fix a flat anytime soon.
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The new tires have made a big change to how my wheelchair rolls. It's about the same on carpet, but on wood or concrete it is way easier to push. As well, the pneumatic tires are quite a bit smoother over bumps and cracks in the pavement. The heavy-duty tires and tubes didn't seem to be that much lighter than the original tires and inserts, but evidently it doesn't take much to make a difference. I have some regular tubes, which are quite a bit lighter than the heavy-duty tubes, and plan to try them at some point.Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-4293649855460541982013-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:002013-02-10T12:31:07.399-08:00The FDA and Stem Cell TherapyLast week on NPR's All Things Considered, the topic was stem cells and how the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) is forcing some labs and clinics to close. Some companies are conducting their research in the United States but moving their clinics out of the country to keep them open. It was a very interesting segment, and gives some insight into why people are willing to pay a lot of money and go to these clinics for therapies that aren't fully tested or approved in the United States. You can listen to the segment, or read the transcript, on the NPR website: <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/02/02/170942324/fda-challenges-stem-cell-companies-as-patients-run-out-of-time" target="_blank">FDA Challenges Stem Cell Companies As Patients Run Out Of Time</a>.Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317697364095644947.post-72263132503624199582013-02-03T13:08:00.000-08:002013-02-03T13:08:01.132-08:00Even More Wheeling<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtt/8442666798/" title="deas_island_400 by Andrew_TT, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8442666798_948775f9c7.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="deas_island_400"></a>
<center><i>The dyke trail at Deas Island Park</i></center>
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Deborah and I continue to find some great hiking and strolling spots. The latest one is right across the river at <a href="http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/parks_lscr/regionalparks/Pages/DeasIsland.aspx" target="_blank">Deas Island Park</a>. Deas Island is just east of us on the river, and has 10 kilometers (6 miles) of trails. There is also an old Victorian house, a one-room schoolhouse and the Delta Agricultural Hall; otherwise, there is not much there and it was pretty quiet even on a Saturday afternoon. As I've mentioned before, there are tons of eagles just south of the river, and there were two right in the parking lot as we pulled in. The hard-packed gravel trails were fairly easy to wheel on but there were some sandy patches that Deborah had to give me some help through - pretty typical of most other dyke trails in the area. We have been in Vancouver for more than a year now and I had never heard of the park, but a couple of weeks ago we were out looking for some eagles and happened to drive by the entrance. We will definitely be back again as there is plenty more to see there.
Sunday Afternoonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16255042433911587761noreply@blogger.com0