Wednesday, October 13, 2004

I went running with Ross Andersen again today. We've been running pretty consistently on M/W/F, managing to fit in the Douglas Fir trail every Wednesday for the past six weeks. Today was our fastest out-and-back, it felt pretty good. I should be in good shape for Tunnel Mountain this weekend at Ekiden.

I hope things are shaping up for Ekiden. I've sort of gotten tired of managing the changes. I've never seen so much change in the rosters and overnight accommodations. I hope I'm not going to get screwed over. I have a feeling I might...No one's heard from Mike Hickey in a few weeks, so I won't be surprised if I have to run two legs, since it will be too late to drop a team out. It's even better that the other leg is the 12.8 kmer...

Last of the American presidential debates is tonight. I'm tired of looking at those two mugs and keeping a straight face, knowing that 99.8% of what's spewing out of them is out-and-out lies. I worry that Bush is going to get in for another four years (really worry), but then, I'll be surprised if the world makes it another four years in our current sorry state.
The rest of the season's results. I only missed five provincial races this season - all due to the long weekends when I was on holidays far, far away....United Cycle Crit, Tour de Joffre, FVK Summer Classic, Tour de Bowness, and the Masters Road Race in Millarville. I also regret not being able to attend the Road Nationals in Kamloops and the Track Nationals in Victoria this season.

  1. Devon ITT #3
    July 24
    Devon, AB
    Category 1/2
    1 Bruce Copeland Juventus 2 2 0:55:10
    2 Kevin Rokosh ERTC/redbike 2 ma 0:58:25
    3 Gregg Menard Juventus 2 2 0:59:12
    4 Ted Dahms Pedalhead Road/Sleeman 2 mb 1:00:20
    5 Reid Dalgleish Synergy 2 2 1:01:09
    6 David Ariano ERTC/redbike 2 mb 1:02:09

    Track Provincials
    August 14-15
    Calgary, AB

    place name club sprint pursuit 500/kilo scratch points t-sprint keirin t-purs total
    Open Men
    1 Zach Bell Synergy 10 7 10 10 10 2 49
    2 Graeme Thomson bicisport 10 1 5 7 3 4 5 3 38
    3 Bob Veroba bicisport 7 3 5 7 4 3 29
    4 Chris Rubuliak Juventus 2 2 2 5 3 2 3 19
    5 Mike Patton Synergy 3 4 7 14
    6 Joel Regimbald Synergy 5 2 3 2 12
    7 Travis Smith TrackTeam.ca 10 10
    8 Tom Amberiadis bicisport 7 2 9
    9 Dylan Menard Juventus 1 1 3 1 3 9
    10 Peter Toth ERTC/redbike 3 2 3 8
    11 Ryan McKenzie DeVinci/Sportrack 5 5
    12 Cam McKinnon TrackTeam.ca 3 3
    13 Craig Good Synergy 1 2 3
    14 cp Walsh Synergy 2 1 3
    15 Reid Dalgleish Synergy 1 1 2
    16 Sean Huggins-Chan bicisport 1 1
    17 Phil Abbott bicisport 1 1

    Alberta Provincial Road Race
    August 22
    Breton/Winfield, Alberta

    Open Men/Category 1-2 98 Kilometres
    Place Name Club Time
    1 Zach Bell Synergy 2h36m09s
    2 Ryan McKenzie DeVinci/Sportrack 2h36m11s
    3 Jesse James Collins bicisport 2h37m13s
    4 Cam MacKinnon TheTrackTeam.ca 2h37m20s
    5 Jeff Bolstad TRS Racing st
    6 Taylor Little River Valley Cycle st
    7 Nick Friesen Bianchi/The Bike Shop st
    8 Shawn Goulet Pedalhead Road/Sleeman st
    9 Mark MacDonald Sport Chek st
    10 Jere Hu ERTC/redbike st
    11 Dylan Snowdon Bianchi/The Bike Shop st
    12 Philippe Abbott bicisport st
    13 Per Strom bicisport st
    14 Graham Rudge ERTC/redbike 2h38m18s
    15 Tim Ogryzlo Pedalhead Road/Sleeman st
    16 Pat Dodge Bianchi/The Bike Shop st
    17 Matt Decore Pedalhead Road/Sleeman 2h38m49s
    18 Ted Dahms Pedalhead Road/Sleeman 2h38m50s
    19 Ted Emes ERTC/redbike st
    20 Sean Barr Pedalhead Road/Sleeman 2h39m34s
    21 Mark Fewster TRS Racing 2h39m57s
    22 Bob Veroba bicisport 2h40m59s
    23 Reid Dalgleish Synergy 2h51m12s
    24 Graeme Thomson bicisport st
    25 David Leahy TRS Racing st
    26 Steve German Revoluzione st
    27 Rob Simpson Juventus 2h52m52s
    28 Kirk Loberg Revoluzione 2h53m25s
    29 David Ariano ERTC/redbike 2h58m00s
    30 Sean Huggins-Chan bicisport st
    31 Harley Desprey Velocity st
    dnf Dan Petersen Bow Cycle/CMC
    dnf Nick Jendzjowsky Pedalhead Road/Sleeman
    dnf Andrew Davidson Bow Cycle/CMC
    dnf Kevin Rokosh ERTC/redbike

    Alberta ITT Provincials
    September 5
    Darwell, AB
    Cat 2 - 40km
    1 Zach Bell Synergy Racing 0:52:45
    2 Bruce Copeland Juventus 0:52:48
    3 Geoff Johns Team Bianchi 0:56:52
    4 Scott Manktelow Rundle Mountain Cycling 0:59:05
    5 Reid Dalgleish Synergy Racing 1:01:35

    Alberta Hill Climb Championships
    September 19
    Mt. Norquay/Banff, AB
    Open Men

Scott Manktelow (Rundle Mountain CC) 14:01.5

Ryan McKenzie (DeVinci/Sportrack) 14:17.7

Jesse James Collins (bicisport) 14:25.1

Mark Webster (Bianchi/The Bike Shop) 14:27.8

Per Strom (bicisport) 14:34.7

Geoff Johns (Bianchi/The Bike Shop) 14:42.4

Dan Petersen (Bow Cycle/CMC) 14:57.1

Nick Friesen (Bianchi/The Bike Shop) 15:04.0

Byron Davis (Pedalhead) 15:25.3

Reid Dalgleish (Synergy) 15:35.1

Shawn Taylor (Rundle Mountain CC) 15:38.0

So, Grandma’s obit came out in the local paper this week, and once again, my legitimacy as a member of the family has been snubbed because I’m a big ‘mo. Shame shame shame that the big fag deviant has bestowed upon our honorable family name

The entire weekend I was home, Scott and Jen were the center of attention since they are having a baby soon – no issues there, but then Grant was ‘belle of the ball number two’ since he and Tara have been together for two whole whopping years – oooh, there must be wedding bells on the horizon, no doubt! The entire conversations on these topics blew my mind. I let out a big guffaw that Owen picked up on but I decided not to comment on it to him any further. It had only been a few days previous that I informed Mom that Joe and I were celebrating our fourth year anniversary. What do you think the response was from her and the rest of the family? Complete denial. I was pissed off enough, and then the final snub in the obit. Everyone’s significant other is mentioned, even Tara….and Joe was conveniently omitted. Like, adding a single name to the entire list was going to be something anyone would notice. So much for family bonding. They’ve essentially denied the truth about my life because they’re ashamed. I’m REALLY pissed off.

I’ll never forget what my mom said to me the day I came out to them.

“We don’t want it to end up that something happens so that you don’t want to come home anymore.”

Well mother, keep at it - you’re doing an exemplary job of demonstrating tolerance and giving me less and less reason to visit Grandview. My lifestyle and partner are such an abomination to you, well frickin’ get over it. The rest of civilized society is. How do you think it makes be feel to be excluded from things simply because you don’t agree with something I do? You aren’t the only people in this family, you know.

Next time Grandma Ostrowski asks me when I’m getting married, I’ll give her a freaking date. I’m almost ready to do this out of spite….thanks for all your support, family. It’s been a hard enough journey despite you to get to the point where I am, and then to discover that the traits I found so honorable in my family were all just a big fabrication. Nice.

I won’t forget this. Don’t expect any invitations to a wedding anytime soon.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

What a great treasure trove of concerts over the Thanksgiving long weekend! Didn't do anything Friday night, but met Joe at Swan's at 6pm on Saturday after he was done work, and then went over to Tim and Doug's and onto the Eagle afterwards. Don't remember much, but went for a ride with Reid, Tim, Catherine, Carson, Ryan Murray on Sunday to Bragg Creek.

Doug and I went to KMFDM at the Warehouse on Sunday night. It was a crazy show, very loud and powerful, people packed in like sardines, the entire front of the bar a huge mosh pit.

Got up yesterday morning and spent the entire afternoon cleaning the apartment until Sean and Nancy, Marnie and Leslie, Jerome, Lisa and Ken showed up before the Sting/Annie Lennox concert. Four hours of entertainment including the opening act!!!

Here is the Mike Bell review of the Sting/Annie Lennox concert last night...

Tue, October 12, 2004
What did you think?
Lennox outshines ex-Police frontman
By MIKE BELL, CALGARY SUN

You could have left the Sting/Annie Lennox concert last night halfway through and still very much have gotten your money's worth. And then some. In fact, based on reviews of the iconic '80s stars' double-bill, many of the sold-out Saddledome crowd may already have planned for their sitters to be home a little early.
Everywhere the pair have played the overwhelming consensus has been that Lennox's opening set has blown her co-headliner clear out of the water. Five minutes in, it wasn't difficult to see or hear why.
The sexy, enigmatic former Eurythmic was more than anyone could have possibly expected. True, throughout her career, she has produced some memorable and entertaining hits and yes, her latest album Bare is a stark, honest and beautiful piece of work. But it was hard to imagine before last night that those qualities would translate live as remarkably as they did.
The singer was everything you want from a superstar -- captivating with her presence, owning the room with her confidence and showing no sign that her star is sagging. And did I mention sexy? Not just in how she looked, which was fit and lean and lithe, but in her attitude, her unquestionable aura of cool. But of course none of that would have made any difference, none of that would have mattered in the least if her voice wasn't as powerful, wasn't as soul-reaching, as it was.
If you didn't have goosebumps on your goosebumps when she sat at a piano and launched into Here Comes The Rain Again -- and if you weren't completely and utterly in love with her during the outrageously-buoyant Walking On Broken Glass -- then you weren't in the building.
And if you were, you were most likely Sting, standing backstage, listening to her perform and to the well-earned ovations and wondering what you could possibly do to top her. The only real complaint anyone could possibly have is that Lennox barely verbally acknowledged we existed -- choosing instead to do that by giving us a set as entertaining as we'll likely see -- and, far more disappointing, that she was only given an hour. But no one is going to be talking about those things.
Everyone is rightfully going to be talking about what she did give us.
She still, in that short span, hit all of the highlights -- No More I Love Yous, Sweet Dreams and, especially, back-to-back rock versions of Missionary Man and I Need A Man. Again, by the time Lennox was done with us, we'd had our show.
Pity poor Sting. For many reasons, but most especially having to follow that.
But speaking as someone who thinks pop stars couldn't get more irrelevant or banal than the former Police frontman, his set actually started off as though he were up to the task -- if not musically, at least in pacing and presentation.
He kicked off with the soft-pumping techno track Send Your Love and wisely followed with two hits from his heyday, Synchronicity II and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. While the latter was sorely lacking in passion and intensity, the paying public at least knew the words.
From there, after losing the audience with the lesser-known Dead Man's Rope -- made notable only by the topless figures dancing on the screen behind -- Sting wisely brought back out the evening's true headliner for a duet on We'll Be Together.
HARD ACT TO FOLLOW
To underline the point, until Lennox actually took to the stage, the song was flatlining, and when she left (sexily, I might add) so too did the energy in the room. You could hear the sucking sound as Sting returned to his solo material.
A high-energy show was rendered almost inert -- mainly because there was little or no charisma emanating from the man who rarely moved performing it.
Too often the show relied upon familiarity (see the reaction to an otherwise lifeless and overlong version of Roxanne), his incredibly tight band or the screens behind him (they could have saved thousands of dollars on production by projecting the visuals on Sting's ever-expanding forehead).
Ultimately, the Englishman in Calgary wasn't entirely blown away by the woman he came before.
But neither did he show that he was still as vital or as vibrant an entertainer as she is. And neither did he make me glad I stayed after Annie left the stage.
- - -

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

I just got back from Grandview yesterday with Owen. The funeral was pretty tough, but is was a beautiful farewell to a beautiful woman and I'm glad the entire family got to celebrate her life together.

I'm still exhausted today, however the three hour bike ride this afternoon was fantastic. We're getting a formidable indian summer right now - 24C today.

Auntie Jeanne, Uncle Ken and dad divvied up Grandma's belongings on Sunday, and dad had asked us in the morning whether there was anything in particular we wanted. Since it didn't appear anyone in the family wanted anything big in particular, I came back with Grandma's TV and VCR, entertainment center and the old bedroom suite from the basement. We've set up the bed in the spare room and are using the 2 chest of drawers for our own stuff for the time being. It would be nice to buy new stuff, but add that to the list...

I can't believe how fortunate I am. I never expected to be getting all of this stuff. It's a very nice gesture from everyone. I had a hard time at home on many levels, so this was definitely cool.

Grandma also gave each of the grandkids a $1000 each. I haven't decided what to do with mine yet, but I think it may go towards a trip next year, or buy the aero disc wheel I will need for next year - Zipp or Corima so I can use it both on the road and the track.

Back to work tomorrow...
I wanted to add Grandma's eulogy here that I had the honor of saying at the funeral with Tannis. She wrote it before we got home and I was very satisfied with her work when I finally got home to read it.

A TRIBUTE TO A SPECIAL MOTHER, MOTHER-IN-LAW, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER, SISTER, AUNT, SISTER-IN-LAW AND FRIEND

As we stand here today, we would like to speak for a few moments about the woman whose life we are honouring and celebrating. We must emphasize the word celebrate, because although we are all grieving and mourning the loss of someone who was so very important to us, we would like to think of this as a very special time in which we share with others our remembrances of Grandma, or Mom, or Ruth. On behalf of her grandchildren, we would like to help everyone else see our Grandma for the vibrant and classy person that she was and in doing so, connect with her one more time.

Grandma was born on November 5, 1915 in the Mountain Gap District in the R.M. of Grandview. She was the third child in a family of six which consisted of two sisters and three brothers. She began her schooling in Mountain Gap, but then moved to McCreary and stayed with her Grandmother Collins to finish Grades 9, 10, and 11. At that point, her formal education was complete, and she moved back to the Grandview area where she earned a living as a domestic for a few years before her marriage.

A favourite outing at the time was the traditional Tamarisk picnic. It was at one of these country picnics that a big, strong, young gentleman named Marshall Dalgleish competed in a sheaf-pitching contest where he became the undisputed champion, and in doing so, captured the heart of one Ruth Fisher. And, I guess, the rest is history. The two were united in marriage on December 8, 1937. Grandma very easily settled into her role as farm wife as she readily pitched in and did her share of the work; she raised chickens, milked cows, planted and cared for a large garden, sewed, knit, mended, cooked up a storm and baked lots of goodies to satisfy Grandpa's sweet tooth.

Grandpa and Grandma became parents in 1941 when their son Ken was born. Three years later their daughter Jeanne arrived and then along came their son Stuart a year and a half after that. Grandma's role as farm wife and household manager had now expanded to include the duties of motherhood. According to her children, she was always the one to smooth things over when tempers flared or when times were tough. And she always did it so sensibly and sensitively, without ever raising her voice.

Of course, our memories of Grandma start in the 1960s and 1970s when we were fortunate enough to be born into the Dalgleish clan. At least, Grandpa always led us to believe that being one of his grandchildren was a stroke of good luck, and to imagine how good looking we wouldn't be if we hadn't been related to him. Grandma's house was always a warm and inviting place where you were fed and watered, questioned about what was going on in your life and made to feel like you were important. We always knew that we were valued, respected, and loved at Grandma's house.

Grandma and Grandpa moved to town in 1977, jsut before their 40th wedding anniversary. It was once she was in town that Grandma was really able to become involved in a number of activities, all of which contributed to keeping her so young. She continued her association with the Dawn of Peace Rebekah Lodge and the GACC Ladies Auxiliary, curled more often, and took up golfing and bowling. One of the highlights of her sporting life was the day she golfed nine holes in the morning, bowled in the afternoon and then curled in the evening. Not too many people can make such a claim, I'm sure. She continued with her knitting and became an avid quilter; each of us was thrilled to receive a pair of mittens, a toque, scarf or sweater, a quilt or one of her afghans. She learned to line dance in her 70s and later taught herself to crochet in her 80s. Grandma loved to read, do her crossword puzzles, go out for coffee with her frends and play a mean game of crib or hand-and-foot canasta. Upon their retirement from the farm, Grandma and Grandpa spent time travelling together, taking tours to the Maritimes, Hawaii, Florida, and California. However, it was still a highlight for them to take a drive out to the farm and visit with Uncle Stuart and Auntie Eunice. Even as young children, we could see that the relationship between Grandma and Grandpa was a special one. They were a very social couple who loved to dance, and we loved to watch them glide around the dance floor at weddings and anniversaries. They enjoyed fifty-five years of marriage together before Grandpa passed away in 1993.

Throughout her life, we knew that the one constant, and the one thing that was of the utmost importance to Grandma was her family. She raised her children to be the best that they could be and was so very proud of all three of them. Later, her eight grandchildren and her seven great-grandchildren were a source of great pride to her. Christmas concerts, music festivals and recitals, volleyball, basketball, hockey and baseball games, graduations, special family occasions - wherever her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were, she did her best to be there too. She was never judgmental, always treating us with respect and interest; her gentle presence was so meaningful to all of us. We loved to tease Grandma, which she either accepted good-naturedly or came right back at you with a witty remark. Often, the teasing had to do with her being left-handed. She was quite proud of a plaque in her living room which read "Everyone is born right-handed; only the gifted overcome it."

Although Grandma's life had its hardships such as losing a son in infancy in 1954 and losing both her husband and grandson Warren in 1993, she was never one to back away from adversity. Through the good times and the bad, she held her head high and was a source of inspiration to us all. We all knew that her door was open and that she would be there for us when we needed her. Grandma was diagnosed with her illness in the late 1990s but who would have ever known? She did not waste time feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she went right on with the business of living. To her, this medical condition was just a minor obstacle that she could easily overcome. She viewed each trip to the hospital as a short stay for the purpose of getting rejuvenated, then she would be able to get right back home and into her regular routine once again.

Throughout so many conversations that we have had with family and friends in the last little while, there has been a recurring theme. How many times have I heard the phrase, "Your Grandma - she is one classy lady." Although it is nice to hear it, nobody needed to tell us. We knew. We were all so very proud of her and loved to brag about her. Not too many people can say that their Grandma is or was a line-dancing, bingo-palying, bowling, curling, and golfing machine! She was an impeccable dresser who carried herself with dignity and grace. This was evident right up until the end. The day she was leaving in the ambulance for Winnipeg, she had not yet put on any makeup or fixed up her hair that day, and was quite dismayed about her appearance, if you can imagine. No one could convince her that it didn't matter. By the time the ambulance was ready though, so was she.

Each one of us has been a part of Grandma's life in some way. And, as a result, each one of us is a little richer for having known her. It is hard to imagine her house without her in it; however, nothing can take away a lifetime of memories. How fortunate we all are to have had Grandma in our lives. She will always be here in our hearts, guiding us with her gentle strength as we make choices and decisions, encouraging us to remember the importance of family ties, inspiring us to live lives that will make a difference. She was, quite simply, one of a kind.

We love you Grandma and we will miss you, but thank you for the memories. May God bless you as we have been blessed.