Vince's view on things

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T07:52:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T06:41:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T07:19:00.003-05:00

Cross Country Skiing

2010-01-11T07:15:00.001-05:00

I'm back to Cross Country skiing !!

When I was very young my father took me quite often cross country skiing and I hated it ! When I got a bit older, around 10 I started downhill skiing.... I also hated it. Then a little bit later, around 13 I started snowboarding; that was cool, I snowboarded quite intensively for about 15 years. Then I got tired of having to drive at least 45 minutes to the mountain, paying loads of $$$ to go down icy hills and drive back. So I started snowshoeing. Every time it snowed I would go out the backyard to the cycle path and walked in the snow for an hour or so. That was cool, it's a good workout, I did not have to drive anywhere and it was free.

And then last year, one snowy January morning, just after breakfast, I didn't feel like putting on my snowshoes.... So I drove to the store and came back with backcountry nordic skis ! I still don't know what crossed my mind that morning but it's been a good thing so far. I still don't have to dirve anywhere, I just walk 5 minutes to the trails and off I go for anything between 5 to 20 km of on and off trail skiing. It's by far the best workout I have ever done. It is peacefully quiet in the woods, it's free and everonce in a while I get to see some deers.

And after spending the winter cross country skiing, I'm ready to start road biking in great shape !

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-06T13:44:00.003-05:00

Chilly Dog

2010-01-03T14:44:00.001-05:00

Oh yes, greyhounds are very sensitive to cold. And since the Montréal (Québec, Canada) area is submitted to some of the wildest temperature in the world, ranging from the hot and humid +30 degrees Celsius of August to the blistering cold -25 degrees Celsius of February, we must have very well filled wardrobe. Where else do you hang the lightest of linen short sleeve shirt next to a -35C approved down jacket, or have flip-flops and insulated Gore-tex winter boots in the same closet?

So back to my chilly dog. Most people, when the see a small dog wearing a shirt or coat, they go OH! it's so cute! But when they see a 80+ pounds, 32 inches high dog wearing a fleece coat, the comments sound more like this : Do you really need to dress him up ? And of course, after explaining that greyhounds have very little body fat and very thin fur to keep them warm, most people understand. And then, they ask the next obvious question : Were do you get a coat for such a big dog ? Well, living in an area where the most popular large breeds have think undercoat (Labs, Goldens, Bernese mountain dogs and Huskys), you won't find anything at you local pet store. So the answer is : go online and order a custom made doggy winter coat of course!

But you don't need just one, because the one coat you will use when it's -20 C in January will be way to warm for the mild 2 C of March. And let's not forget the cold rain in November. So my dog ended up just like it's humans, it has it's own very well filled wardrobe !

This shirt was order from DogGoneChic, it's perfect for mild temperature or to wear as a first layer underneath a warmer coat when it's really cold.

DogGoneChic also custom made this rain gear, breathable and waterproof fabric perfect for year round rain protection and it can also be use has a spring/automn jacket !

This is the all-around coat, medium thick fleece, hot enough to wear in mild sub-zero wheater when it's not windy and not raining. This one was bought "off the shelf" at a greyhound expo. Made by ClassyCouchPotatoes

And finally this is the full winter coat, water and wind proof outerlayer, insulated with a very thick fleece it cover the dog's behind, wraps around the furless belly and the neck piece comes up over the ears if needed. Custom made by LeDandy

Just another "fun" side of caring for a retired greyhound in a cold weather place !!

Enjoy those winter months !

Wordless Happy Holidays Wednesday

2009-12-23T07:25:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-16T07:39:00.001-05:00

L'hiver est arrivé

2009-12-12T18:36:00.004-05:00

Tout d'un coup, après un beau mois d'octobre et un mois de novembre exceptionnellement doux, voici l'hiver !! Qui est arrivé sans vraiment crier gard, on a bien eu une petite trace blanche comme avertissement, mais la température était plutôt douce. Et depuis mercredi matin dernier, tout a basculé vers un vrai hiver québécois. Une bonne vingtaine de centimètres de neige, le mercure c'est bien installé sous zéro et le fameux facteur vent c'est vraiment fais sentir pour une première fois cette saison.

Ceux qui aime l'hiver s'exclame "ENFIN!" et pour ceux qui n'apprécient guère la saison froide, dites-vous que les fêtes vont vite passer et qu'il ne restera que janvier et février de neige et de froid. Après viendra Mars, avec sa température douce et les heures d'ensoleillement s'allongeront.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T10:44:00.006-05:00

Bag Balm

2009-12-05T06:35:00.000-05:00

Anybody who worked on a dairy farm, most dog lover and some of Shayna Twaine fans knows this product. The soul purpose of this cream is to heal and protect cows udders. But if your dog has crack or damage pads, apply a bit of Bag Balm on your four legged friend paws before going to bed and in a matter of days you will see a huge improvement.

I have found another use for the wonderful product, for those of us that live where the winter season rhymes with flu and cold, you know how much your nose takes a beating when you sneeze, cough and blow your nose every 10 minutes for a week !! Well, the red and skin peeling nose days are over ! Apply a little Bag Balm on your nostril a couple times a days when you start a flu or a cold and your nose will thank you !!

I know what some of you are thinking, "that stuff is made for cow, no way I'm putting that on my face". For those, I suggest they keep in mind that sometimes a simple product are just what your body needs whether you are a cow, a dog, rock star or just human !

Find other use for Bag Balm here : http://www.ehow.com/about_5035275_uses-bag-balm.html

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T09:02:00.002-05:00

Alcool au Volant... Bientot 0.05....

2009-11-30T20:34:00.011-05:00

Bon, un nouveau projet de loi concernant le taux d'alcoolémie permis au volant. Maintenant, si on dépasse 0.05, notre permis sera saisie pour 24 heures. Au secours!

C'était déjà difficile de gérer 0.08, maintenant à 0.05 c'est encore plus compliqué. Comprenez-moi bien, je suis absolument contre la conduite avec les facultés affaiblies. Le problème d'une personne normal qui prend un verre ou deux avec modération, c'est de savoir notre "pointage" au "jeux de l'alcotest" en sortant du pub ou du resto. Bien sûre, il y a les fameuses formules de calcul de notre poids versus le nombre de consomations et le temps passé entre la première consomation et la prise du volant. Mais cette belle formule n'a aucune valeur légale, essayez de convaincre un policier ou un juge que votre formule est plus fiable qu'un alcotest !

Le réel problème, toujours pour les gens qui consomme de l'alcool de façon responsable, est qu'il n'y a aucune façon efficace et juste de connaître notre taux d'alcoolémie avant de prendre le volant. Les bars, restos, pubs ainsi que tous mes amis, qui ont de bonnes bouteilles à déguster, ne possèdent pas d'alcotest fiable. Et, avec mes 66 kilos, laissé moi vous dire que la ligne est mince entre 0.03 et 0.05. Est-ce que le réel problème de l'alcool au volant vient des gens qui conduisent avec un taux de 0.06 ou des récidivistes qui prennent le volant à deux poils du comas éthilique ?

Je me dois de respecter une loi sans avoir aucun outil pour le faire. Dans ma voiture j'ai un indicateur de vitesse pour m'aidé à respecté la vitesse permisse. Il est plutot simple de respecter les feux rouges et les arrêts oubligatoire. Mais pour mon taux d'alcool dans le sang, qui implique les sanctions les plus graves prévu par le code de la route, je suis laissé à moi même .... Encore une belle démonstration de l'incompétence de nos politiciens à faire face au vrai problème.

Donc a partir de maintenant, je dois m'en tenir à boire seulement une consommation point finale. J'espère sincèrement que cette loi vas vraiment sauver des vies, mais j'ai un doute...

Coffee

2009-11-27T06:30:00.002-05:00

What is it with coffee..... I mean, it's not the best tasting beverage of all time, you can't drink too much of it and it sure leaves you with a not so good breath. But still, I need coffee, I love coffee and I want coffee, especially in the morning. There is something universal about coffee. First, you can make it in so many different ways: standard filter, espresso, latté, Turkish, etc. And then, you can add "stuff" in it like sugar, honey, cream, alcohol liquor, etc. And don't even get me started on the type of bean and grinding !! So almost everybody can have it "their way". Maybe this is why coffee brings people together so much. How many times have you heard "want a coffee" ? Personally, I've been invited at least a thousand time to go "grab a coffee" or to "stop by, we'll have a coffee", whether to discuss business or just to chat about the weather. I have accepted most of those invitations, sometimes we drank very good coffee, sometime very bad one but every time was worth it. Over coffee I have shared information to co-workers about projects, discussed career path with the boss, have listened to friends and co-workers who needed to blow off a little steam, I have made vacation plans with my girlfriend, plan the Christmas diner menu with my mom, watched early morning F1 races with friends and the list could go on for pages.

Perhaps the strength of coffee rely on it's social acceptancy, unlike alcohol and tobacco you can have a coffee almost anywhere and nobody will judge you if you are drinking one. Try drinking a pint of beer during your next break at the office !!

Coffee.... sweet liquor of good !!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

How do you like your IPhone ?

2009-11-20T21:20:00.001-05:00

I've had a IPhone 3g for almost a year and a half now and I've been asked if I like it almost every week. The answer is : I love it! I don't love it because it's the best phone I have ever tried, nor because it's the best mobile email device either. I love it because it's my ipod. I love it because, with its games and apps, it entertains me in any wainting room I might be stuck in. With its Internet browsing, it quickly solves almost any pub arguments. With its maps, it makes me find places quickers. With its email fonctions, I can keep my inbox under control. With its camera, I take funny pictures all the time. With its notes, I keep a list of good wines and good beers.

So yeah I love my IPhone for all those reasons and more....

PS: Did I mention it also rings when people call me ?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T07:56:00.001-05:00

Hockey

2009-11-14T06:46:00.000-05:00

Le Hockey est de retour !!

Enfin, après notre été pluvieux, notre sport nationnal est de retour au numéro 1 de l'actualité sportive. J'ai même eu la chance d'aller au Centre Bell pour voir une partie de présaison contre les Penguin et la partie du 31 octobre contre nos enemies jurés les Mapple Leafs !

J'adore aller voir les canadiens, j'achète toujours des billet « dans le pit ». Cette année, j'ai mis la main sur 3 pairs dans la Zone Molson EX. Ce n'est vraiment pas les meilleurs billets, mais l'ambiance est survoltée et à 35$ le billet c'est une bonne affaire.

Je ne veux pas parler des performances, des échanges, des nouveaux joueurs ou même du coach. Je veux plutot vous parler du plaisir à aller assister sur place à un match du Canadien. Oui les billets sont rare est cher, il faut trouver un stationnement, aller manger avant, etc. Mais on oublie tout ces petits irritants quand viens le temps de crier GO HABS GO, de ce lever debout quand on compte ou encore de huer Chara, Komisarek ou Avery à chaque fois qu'il touche a la rondelle. C'est un peu comme un défoulement collectif. Pendant 3 fois 20 minutes on oublie la grippe AH1N1, les menaces d'élection et les accomodements raisonnables pour devenir tous ensemble raciste !!! Raciste envers l'équipe qui affronte les canadiens ce soir la.

Dans notre socièté aseptisée ca fais du bien de pouvoir crier, aimer, haïr et juger sans avoir de consécences autres qu'être traité de partisants ou de vendu .

Longue vie à la Ste-Flanelle

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Mon projet hivernal

2009-11-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

Mon projet hivernal

Je vous présente mon projet pour me désennuyer cet hiver. Transformer cette « magnifique » Honda CM200 Twinstar en un petit café racer.

Ça fait quelques années que je voulais commencer un projet de restauration. J'ai cherché longtemps une vieille voiture (Mini, Datsun 510, Fiat, MG) mais en trouver une qui est dans un état raisonnable et qui ne fait pas sauter la banque s’est avéré plus ardu que prévu. Je me suis donc tourné vers mon rêve de « petit gars », une moto!

Travailler sur une moto comporte certains avantages par rapport à une voiture.

L'espace requis : c'est assez évident que deux roues occupent moins d'espace que quatre.
Le prix : autant à l'achat que pour les pièces, c’est beaucoup moins cher qu’une voiture.
La mécanique : les motos des années 80 ont généralement des mécaniques très, très simples.

J'ai trouvé la moto sur un site de petites annonces pour vraiment pas cher. Mécaniquement,tout fonctionne. Il ne reste qu'à la descendre au sous-sol et à commencer la restauration et la transformation...

À suivre

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T08:25:00.000-05:00

Beer

2009-10-03T12:10:00.000-04:00

I like beer, in fact I like good beer ! I like it so much I brew my own.

Along with my two best buddies we started brewing our own beer, just to try it out. At our surprise the first batch was pretty decent. Not excellent but a lot better then any beer you can buy in boxes of 24. So we decide to get more equipement, more bottles and to try brewing different types of beers. Over time, we optimized our process and made surprisingly good beers.

When ever I give one of "my beer" to someone for the first time, those three questions always come up : Did you really made it ? is it complicated to make ? Is it cheaper ? So yes, of course I really made it. No its not that complicated but you have to be really carefull when washing the equipment and it's quite time consuming. Cheaper, I don't really know, maybe in the long run, once you have spread the cost of the equipment and bottles overs ten or twenty batches of beers. I wouldn't really know, I'm the one keeping track of fermentation time and the type of beer we are brewing, not the one in charge of the finances !

But the real reasons why we are still doing it after several years. Is because it gives us the opportunity to spend time together. Three friends gathering on a Tuesday night or Saturday morning every once in a while to make beer and joke around... That's priceless. And also, when ever you give somebody a beer and he likes it, you get to brag about the fact that you made it :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-26T08:07:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T15:56:00.000-04:00

wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T15:58:00.001-04:00

My Greyhound part #3 Dog food and poop expert

2009-08-05T00:43:00.000-04:00

The basic principal is simple what comes in must come out at some point !!

When we first got Bentley we thought food was going to be quite easy. Buy a big bag of descent quality kibbles, feed it to dog, dogs is happy, then dog poops. In our head, that was pretty much the whole story. Pretty simple, no big deal. Shirley, from Greyhound rescue Quebec even gave us a bag of food that most greyhounds like and do well on. So we were good right? But She did tell us that greyhounds are known for their sensitive stomach, we just didn't know how much.

The first few days were pretty straight forward, 2 cups of kibbles twice a day and don't let the dog run before and after his meal, no worries. But the picking-up after your dog thing didn't go all that good. Not that we didn't carry bags or that we didn't want to pick it up... The stools were just way too soft to be picked up. But we were told that it might take a week or two to stabilize the dog to it's new retirement diet. After a week, he was indeed making progress on the firmness side, so it was looking good. It was also time to put Bentley on the scale to see how he was doing. We knew his racing weight was 80 pounds, so we had figure that 2 pounds over or under should be a pretty nice weight for him. But, big surprise, he weighted in at 73.9 pounds, he needed to put some pounds on. So we thought," No problem, we will just feed him more kibbles..." WRONG !!! We then learned that there is such a thing as feeding to much kibbles. We quickly realize that the extra kibbles were going almost right through :(

That's when we determined, after some phone calls and research on the web, that we needed to give our greyhound something else then his usual food for him to put on the extra pounds. So I needed to cook for the dog ! Don't get me wrong, I love to be in the kitchen but I did not imagine one minute that I would be cooking (it's really more overcooking then cooking) rice, pasta and mash potatoes for my dog ! And since they have sensitive stomach, I tried one thing at a time. We started with some well overcooked mushy rice, although Bentley did put some weight on, it did not have a very good effect on his digestive system. Then, after a week or two, came the pasta still very overcooked thank you very much !! We tried several kinds, but they did not help to put some weight nor firmed up the mushy poop. Then we gave the mash potatoes a try and we finally started to see some positive effects. We then added some boiled ground beef and voilà, he started to put on some pounds and kept it ! So finally after almost two months, he is now up to 78 pounds and we can pick-up after him without leaving a trace !!

Although it takes a bit more time and caring then a normal dog for a retired greyhound to become fully comfortable in a house,it is well worth it. They make really "greyt" loving, quiet, gentle house pet and once settled they will be greytfull to you for saving their live.

On a final note. I have been ask so many times what happens to racing greyhound when they are done running. If you watch this video, you will have a general idea of the industry. Beware that some of the footage can be tough to watch, especially if you have a retired greyhound sleeping on the coach next to you....

Cheers :-)

My Greyhound part #2: The first week

2009-07-31T07:17:00.000-04:00

The first week you bring a retired greyhound into a house is when you realise you will have to teach, a fully grown dog, stuff you would not even think a "normal" puppy would need to be teached !! When we first got home with the dog, we went for a little walk around the block, Bentley was walking very nice on leash, so far all is good... Then we got back home....

First : The four steps from the driveway to the front door. It seems that during his 4 years of racing (70+ races and about 30 wins) our retired Greyhound (Bentley) never had to go up (or down) any stairs. But after a few minutes, and a bit of cheering, Bentley did manage to go up those steps in a very unelegant fashion !! We then knew that it will be a big challenge for him if he wants to get to the house second story through those 14 hard wood steps !!

Second : It also appears that at the kennels where he spend all his live up to now, they don't have any windows or mirrors. So the first thing Bentley does once inside is to try to get right back out through the full size window beside the door... Bang !! Yep my boy that's glass, hard and transparent ! It didn't take long for him to get use to windows, but the mirrors ... You just can tell what he's thinking, Oh cool! another greyhound, he looks just like me and he wants to play too !! Still to this day we are not certain he understand what he's seeing in the mirrors ...

Third : Food, you have to teach this dog that not all food in the house is for him. And that is pretty easy with a small or medium size dog. But with a very tall dog that's another story. See the back of Bentley is about 31 inches from the ground, taking into consideration that your standard dining table is around 30 inches tall. This dog has to look down on what's on the table and he does not have to stretch very high to see what's on the kitchen counter !! So the first few days you really have to re-think where you put anything containing food.

Four : Sleeping at night. Let me put you in context. Our bedroom is upstairs, the dog's crate is downstairs, he can't go up or down the stairway yet and this is a dog that never spent any time, especially at night, alone. So guess what.... The first few nights either my girlfriend or I slept on the coach !! But it didn't take long for Bentley to settle in and master the stairs and before we knew it he was sleeping on the floor, on a pile of pillows in our bedroom !

But on the other hand, within a couple days he was settled in. He was eating good, releaving himself outside, was getting pet by children on walks, we took him to friends houses to meet people and other dogs. He was so easy going that it felt like almost like he had been living with us for years ! He was really enjoying the begining of his retirement and we were very happy to have such a good calm dog that gets along with everybody !

Stay tune for part #3, when we become dog food and poop experts !!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T07:16:00.000-04:00

My Greyhound part 1 : Why a Greyhound ?

2009-07-26T12:39:00.000-04:00

Ever since we adopted a retired greyhound in april, I have been asked all sorts of questions. So here's the story on why we chose to get a tall, skinny, funny dog and how we got him.

My gilfriend and I always wanted a dog but since we were not spending enough time at home because of work and other social outings we were always postponing the "dog project". We thought that maybe someday the day would come that we would be free enough to care for a 4 legged furry thing. Well that someday came around last winter.

With a new job that enables me to work from home a couple days a week and a lot less social commitements, we started looking at what kind of dog would fit us best. We agreed that the top criterias needed to be : Quiet, easy going, gentle with children and grown-up and finally medium to large size. We also agreed that we were going to get a rescued dog. Yes puppies are nice but there are so many dogs that need a second chance in kennels everywhere.

So we slowy started looking at what was available at our local recue web sites without really ''falling in love'' with any available dogs. A bit later, in march we were attending the St-Patrick's parade in Montréal and then, between two floats, was the crew from greyhound recue Québec and we tought : yeah how about a retired greyhound ?

After the parade we got back to the house and started reading books and articles on the web about those gracefull dogs. After several hours of reading and watching videos like this one on youtube we were sold to the breed. Then a quick phone call to Shirley from greyhound recue Québec and a long and interesting visit to her house to meet her, her husband Ernie and most of all their 2 greyhounds, Dara and Sergio, got us hooked. They took the time to explaine how the dogs lived and how they are treated during their racing carreer, to gave us an idea of what to expect. They told us the dos and don'ts to start the dog's retirement on the good "paw".

You can quickly see that these guys love greyhounds, they go through so much trouble to save a handfull of racing greyhounds every month and yet they don't make any money off of this. They just do it for the dogs.

So of course we signed the papers and the waiting began. A week later, a phone call from Shirley saying that a "big fawn boy" fitting our profile was available. We were to come pick him up next week-end !! So we spent all week going from pet stores to pet stores gathering the things we needed : food, bed, nail clipper, id tag, treats, doggy tooth brush, etc.

Then saturday came and we finally saw our "big fawn boy" coming out of the van ! He came along with 4 or 5 other "ex-racers" and we immediatly understood why he was called BIG !! He was at least 2 inches taller then all the others !! Still suprised by how big he was, we brought all the dogs to a fenced area where they could finally stretch their legs after the long drive. One by one the volunteers inspected every inch of the dogs, cleaned the ears, gave them a bath, a flea and worm medication. And then finally it's time for a little walk before the car ride home, where we were to discover how bizarre and fun it is to care for a retired racer ...

Stay tuned for part #2 : The first week !!!

Le tour de france : partie #2

2009-07-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Et bien nous voilà presqu'à la fin du Tour et j'ai pensé vous partager mes coups de coeur et mes coups de pied !

Coup de coeur

Francaise des jeux pour leurs maillots.

Pinarello, les plus beaux vélos du Tour.

Plus belle victoire d'étape : Heinrich Haussler étape 13.

Étape 15 Pontarlier - Verbier, les plus beaux paysages du Tour. À couper le souffle en Haute-définition.

Coup de pied

Les commentaires de Richard Garneau au Canal évasion....

L'attitude "grosse tête" de Mark Cavendish, ses grosses jambes suffisent amplement, il n'a pas besoin d'en ajouter.

Les maillots de Lampre, sérieux rose et bleu pâle.

L'omniprésence du jaune dans le peloton. On devrait réserver le jaune uniquement au porteur du maillot.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T06:59:00.000-04:00

The small things

2009-07-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

You know what ? It's all about the small things in life. When ever you feel tired and a bit down, focus on the small things you like, the things in life that brings a smile to your face.

Forget the big picture for a while, forget about your career path, your mortgage, your retirement plan, the leaking faucet, that noisy neighbor....

Have a beer with a friend, watch a early morning F1 Grand Prix with a nice latté, have a piece of pie while watching a late night TV show. Do something small that will bring a small to your face and enjoy the moment.

Cheers....

Le blog français du jeudi

2009-07-16T10:04:00.000-04:00

Donner un coup de pouce à la planète

Recyclage, gaz à effet de serre, produits bios, matériaux recyclables, énergie vèrte on si perd facilement... Bien que je ne suis pas un citoyen vert modèle, j'aime penser que je fais ma part. Mais je dois avouer que c'est difficile de penser à tout. J'irais même jusqu'à dire que pour le commun des mortels c'est impossible de suivre les règles du parfait petit citoyen écolo. Il y a trop de choses à penser trop de choix à faire auxquels on n'a pas les réponses.

Par exemple, si jamais vous oubliez ou vous n'avez pas assez de sacs réutilisables au super marché, vous allez être confronté à cette question : Plastique ou papier ? Pour moi le choix n'est pas facile. Le sac de papier est un produit recyclable et bio dégradable. Mais il faut couper des arbres pour en fabriquer. Le sac de plastique est maintenant recyclable et peut également être fait à partir de vieux sac recyclés mais il est produit à partir de produits pétroliers. Donc dans la fabrication des deux sacs, lequels a demandé le moins d'énergie et lequel a rejeté le moins de déchets. Et faut-il calculer la quantité ou la toxicité de ces rejets? Et le lieu de production ? Et le transport du produit final ? Ça compte aussi... Vous voyez que, si on pousse la question un peu plus loin, la réponse n'est pas toujours facile.

Après plusieurs maux de tête et des recherches infructueuses, je me demandais si ca valait vraiment la peine que je m'attarde à tous ces détails, en tenant compte de mes connaisances limitées et de mon contrôl encore plus limité des impacts des mes actions et choix écologiques quotidiens.

J'ai donc décidé de concentrer mes efforts sur ce que je pouvais facilement contrôler : #1 : Réduire ma consomation d'essence. Je me suis mis à planifier mes déplacement en voiture de façon à réduire autant que possible mon kilometrage en optimisant les arrêts pour éviter de faire du va-et-vient. Également, j'utilise autant que possible du carburant bio-diesel fabriqué localement à partir d'huiles végétales usées, question de réduire au maximun mes rejets de gaz à effet de serre. #2 : Acheter le plus possible de produits fabriqués localement. En plus de favoriser entreprises, emplois et artisants locaux on minimise les effets négatif du transport de marchandise sur grande distance. #3 : Réduire la quantité de déchets domestiques en disposant des matières recyclables dans le "bac de recyclage" et en compostant les matières organiques. Sur ce point je dois lever mon chapeau à ma blonde qui est plus assidue que moi sur le recyclage et le compostage.

En fin de compte, comme on ne peux tout controler en matière d'écologie et d'environement, pourquoi ne pas se concentrer et maîtriser un aspect du mieux qu'on peut. Une fois que c'est devenu un automotisme, il suffit d'en choisir un autre, de s'informer et de le mettre en pratique... Pour ma part, travaille à optimiser l'utilisation de mon bac de recyclage et sur les détersifs "vert".

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

Why I'm not a golfer

2009-07-10T14:57:00.000-04:00

GOLF, I still don't get it !!

I'm not a golfer. My dad plays, my neighbor plays, some of my friends play, I don't. I just don't understand the fun in that game. I have been trying every year since 1995. Yeah, I play once a year at the office annual tournament. I know what you golfers are already saying : "Stick with it, you will get better. The game (sport for them) will get more interesting and more fun if you can hit the ball better." Well that's exactly where they are so wrong !!

I agree, in my first five games I sucked really bad at hitting that small white ball. But, in the following years, I have spent some time at the driving range and went through a good number of those buckets of white balls. So the hitting the ball part is now solved. I'm still not really good, but I can hit the ball pretty straight.... And guess what, I still don't like the game.

So many people have bragged about the "being outside, walking in nature, beautiful scenery, fresh air". Well if that's what you are after, why don't you find a mountain and go on a hike ?You don't need to carry a big bag full of clubs and submit yourself to a dress code to enjoy nature at is best !

Actually, what I hate the most about golf is not really the game, it's the protocol around it. Got to wear a polo shirt, tuck in those pants, those shorts are too short or to long, those shoes are not allowed on the course, No you cannot talk if that guy is even thinking of maybe taking a swing. And the looks from the "members" if you don't have the latest titanium-graphite-carbon clubs. Oh Yeah, there'd the how much did YOU play question from the guy who knows so bad that he's better then you !! I could go on for hours, but you get the point.

But for all you golfers out there keep swinging and don't worry, I will still be giving the game a try next year and the year after. Maybe, just maybe, someday I'll understand !!!

Le blog français du jeudi

2009-07-08T10:07:00.000-04:00

Un peu de répit du trafic.

Bien que l'été tarde à s'installer dans la grande région de Montréal, on peu commencer à voir un autre phénomène estival s'installer : la réduction du trafic automobile pour entré sur l'île le matin !! Et oui l'école est terminé, professeurs et étudiants abandonnent la Métropole. Ajoutez à cela le début des vacances pour certains et on obtient une réduction considérable des bouchons de circulation. Encore deux semaines et le banlieusard que je suis sera au nirvana ... Enfin, les vacances de la construction :) Pendant ces deux semaines, c'est la joie pour venir au centre-ville. Les autobus sont à moitié vides et en voiture on ne ralentit même à l'approche des ponts.

Les bureaux seront traquilles, on peut enfin travailler sans être dérangé, le temps de transport diminue de moitié. On pourra partir plus tard de la maison et quand même arriver au bureau à la même heure. C'est un peu comme des vacances au bureau !

C'est pour ces raisons que depuis plusieurs années je prend toujours mes vacances après les fameuses ''vancances de la construction''. C'est un peu comme 2 semaines de prélude à mes propres vancaces.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T07:04:00.000-04:00

You Can't make everybody happy

2009-07-05T08:13:00.000-04:00

It is just so true, no matter how hard you try, you just can't make everybody happy. Somehow somebody won't be please with something !!

I often find myself organizing stuff (diner, out-of town week-ends, get togethers, etc..) for friends, family, co-workers. I don't really know why, it just happens to be this way. Over the years, I have tried so hard to think of every details that would make everybody smiling happy ! Well guess what ?... I have failed. People won't tell you right away, but over time you will find out that you buddy's girlfriend did not really like going to that pub or that guy at work really don't like eating sushi. It might take a couple days or a couple months but you'll found out.... Even if you thought you took care of everything, and they seemed happy, even if they thank you... Trust me, somebody was not pleased !!

But don't worry, you just cannot make everybody happy. So what to do ? Well, I found out that a person is more likely to appreciate an event if they have a role, a task, something to do with it. It could be something simple like calling a few people to confirm their presences or to bring a dish to a party. It just brings out that feeling of fulfillment in people. When you are involve in something you just appreciat it better and you are less likely to focus on the bad things then if you are just in for the ride.

So just do your best, be honest and if somebody ask if they can help, say yes and find them something to do !

Tour de France

2009-07-02T14:50:00.000-04:00

Vive le TOUR ! http://www.letour.fr/

Before I go any further... I am wondering if this blog should be written in english or en français ?? Je vais faire un peu des deux...

J'adore regarder le Tour de France à la télé. Depuis 4 ans je crois avoir manqué moins de 10 étapes. Merci à mon enregistreur numérique !! Cette année j'en en grand dilemme, je dois choisir entre les 2 chaîne de télévision qui présente le tour quotidiennement au Québec. OLN et Canal Évasion.

On OLN I get top of the line commentaries from people on site following the Tour day in and day out on "normal" TV !! On Évasion, I get OK commentaries with High Definition 720p picture. So I have to choose between the audio or the video content. It's not easy, I've been thinking about it for weeks and I just can't make up my mind. I'll flip channels for the first stages and let you know !

Lance... Les gens qui connaissent mon intérêt pour le vélo, me pose tous la même question : Est-ce que Lance Armstrong vas gagner le tour ? Ma réponse est un peu simple... Je me fou un peu de la performance de Lance. En fin de compte je me fou même du vainqueur, je ne me souviens même pas qui a gagné l'année dernière.... un gars sur un cervélo, de CSC je crois ?

I watch the tour 'cause it's relaxing, beautifully relaxing, I love to watch the bikes, the scenary, the crowd and the tactics of the different teams. I will not make prediction on stage wins nor on the overall winner. But I can tell you that somebody from Française des Jeux will be in almost every breakaway and that if you have only one stage to watch, it should be stage 18 on July 23rd, the time trail in the very beautifull town of Annecy.

C'est assez pour l'instant, je vous reviens durant le tour avec mes décision sur quelle chaîne de télé je vais choisir et si je vais utiliser le français ou l'anglais pour écrire sur le Tour.

Le blog français du jeudi

2009-07-02T12:52:00.000-04:00

HOCKEY !!

Ben oui il faut parler hockey, plus précisément du Canadien de Montréal. Je suis loin d'être un fin connaisseur de hockey.... Mais je suis un FAN... Un fan du Canadien !!

On ne peu pas dire que Bobby G. est allé avec le dos de la cuillère !! Beaucoup de changement, on dirait une nouvelle équipe, mais LA bonne nouvelle.... Koivu ne reviens pas :) Merci, enfin, il était temp. Je ne veux pas dire que Koivu est un mauvais joueur, mais son temp à montréal étais fini depuis longtemp. J'espere qu'il pourra aller finir sa carrière avec son frére. J'ai bien hate de voir tout ces changement sur la glace et si nos ptit vieux, heee non je veux dire nos vétérans vont tenir toute la saison !

C'est assez, pas d'autre commentaire sur le hockey avant que le mercure tombe sous la barre des 10 degés Celcius.

The first one.

2009-06-30T16:04:00.000-04:00

Yes, yet another blog... No real raison why... just because I can...

will write about all and nothing including cars, rescue greyhounds, road bike, news, good beer & wine and life in general.

Stay tuned.