Where Were You When?

Years from now you may get asked "Where were you when Canada beat the USA in overtime at the Vancouver Olympics?" It was a watershed moment for Canadian sport as the victory allowed us to break the record for most gold medals won by any nation at a Winter Olympics. The fact that it was an overtime goal by Sidney Crosby made it extra special.

I had spent the day volunteering at the Syncrude WinterPLAY Festival, ironically manning a hockey shot booth. My only pipeline to the game was through Twitter, where my Tweets were kindly providing updates. As news of goals came through, I gestured over to Bill and Heather, doing play-by-play as the operators of the remote control bobsled track sponsored by Kathy Bowers of Exit Realty. Through their sound system they kept the hundreds of guests in MIX Stadium in the know about the action on the ice.

With each Canadian goal, Cam Watson would come running through the facility waving the Canada flag to boisterous cheers. When we found out about the Crosby goal and the gold medal, cheers turned to shouts of joy and spontaneous applause.

We didn't need to see the action, just getting the news made us feel connected to this incredible moment in Canadian Olympic history. It's several hours later and I still haven't seen a single second of game highlights, but it doesn't matter. One goal. One nation. One singular moment of national pride.

February 28, 2010 - 193.0 pounds, 25.6% body fat

Facing the Music

When you step into a play, at some point in the process you have to put it in front of an audience, you have to face the music and the fear. And while Lone Star (2008) and The Zoo Story (2009) were challenging pieces of theatre, A Number (2010) eclipses both in terms of character development, language and dialogue complexity.

During our technical rehearsal on Thursday evening we floundered through the first scene before we found our rhythm in scenes two through five. The fact that we had both completely blanked left us shaken and most definitely stirred. But, we worked through the trouble spot yesterday afternoon before going out for a relaxing dinner at the Wok Box and we were ready to hit the stage.

And while the performance wasn't perfect -- we jumped a page or two in that troublesome first scene -- it was solid and we both made new discoveries and enjoyed our best run of the show to date. Heading into tonight's adjudicated performance, it feels like we're going to peak at the exact right moment. The anticipation of finding our perfect pace, of making the right emotional connections, of taking the characters just a little bit further, is exhilarating.

Angele called last night with an inspiring message of congratulations. "You two rocked it," she shared. "I so enjoyed that. What an unbelievably challenging piece. I was absolutely totally pulled in, enthralled. Kenny changes his character so well. That kid has come so far!"

A Number performs at 7 pm tonight in the Recital Theatre followed by Time Flies and The Ladykillers. Adjudicator Misha Alberta will have the difficult task of selecting the winners of the Theatrical Excellence Awards sponsored by Julio Florez of Royal LePage True North Realty!

February 27, 2010 - 191.0 pounds, 26.4% body fat

Openings and Silver Medals

I had been following Cheryl Bernard's rink throughout the Olympics, often catching their midday matches while running on the treadmill at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre. Running and curling go well together, unlike running and downhill skiing which made me queasy. As the Canadian foursome progressed in the Olympic tournament, I found myself going for extra long runs or walks because they ended up in extra ends more often than not. And as they played for gold tonight, they once again entered the uncertain territory of the 11th end.

Only this time, I wasn't on my trusty treadmill, but in the 5th row at Keyano Theatre waiting for the start of Starfish Circus and Ben's debut on the big stage. Surfing on my Blackberry, none of the traditional websites had any updates so I navigated over to Twitter where my fellow Tweeter, Kyle, was kindly providing real time updates for me and several avid curler fans in the seats in front and behind me.

My heart was beating fast as the game progressed.

"Last shot for Sweden," Kyle tweeted. "They need to knock out Canada's stone then hope Canada misses. This will be close."

It was like I was actually watching at home.

Then, "Yikes. Tough shot for Canada to win."

By this time, I was sweating and Claude was on the stage getting the show underway.

A few moments later Kyle let me know that the silver medal was ours, the Swedes had come out on top. I gave the thumbs down in silence to the fans in front and back and turned my attention to Starfish Circus.

February 26, 2010 - 191.4 pounds, 27.8% body fat

Stage Fog

As a play production gets nearer and nearer to facing an audience, more and more elements get added to the mix--costumes, props, furniture, lights and sound. Tonight was the first time that all those pieces merged, tossing Kenny and I into "stage fog". It was like all the mental connections that we had made practicing in the living room with the dog, cats and daughter underfoot completely dissolved, leaving us stranded in the middle of a dense fog of nothingness.

It happens. The mind goes blank and you can't sort out the appropriate words to bridge to the next thought. The truth is that we both got caught up in our heads and got disconnected from our hearts and the story.

I used a hockey analogy to suggest a way forward for opening night. When that puck drops you have to trust with your entire soul that you'll give it everything you've got and that it'll all work out in the end. We also need to remember to have fun, because it truly is.

So, tomorrow we'll pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and put A Number in front of an audience. We hope you decide to come out and watch.

February 25, 2010 - 192.2 pounds, 26.5% body fat

Canada vs. Russia

They thought it would have been the gold medal game of these Olympics. Instead, it ended up being the tension filled quarter final match up featuring the age-old rivalry of Canada versus Russia.

These two great hockey nations have clashed on many memorable occasions over the past 30 years beginning with the 72 Summit that ended with the now famous winning goal by Paul Henderson, arguably one of the most enduring moments in sport.

With the possibility of being eliminated from the tournament they were meant to win and hot off the heels of a stunning loss to the U.S.A., Team Canada took control of the game from the first whistle and didn't let it go. The final score was 7 - 3 and we are heading into the semi-finals with a chance to own the podium that has eluded us in so many of the other sports.

While I appreciate the incredible amount of effort, time and money that goes into training for these games and the unfathomable disappointment that occurs when athletes under perform, I most appreciate those that keep their chin up and smile in defeat, acknowledging the fact that perfection is fleeting and that just being able to compete at this level is an honour.

February 24, 2010 - 193.2 pounds, 27.7% body fat

Why Do We Play?

There comes a point in every rehearsal process, when all of the lines are learned and the real playing begins. Kenny Jones and I have reached that point in A Number, the play that opens on Friday night as part of the Syncrude WinterPLAY Festival. For the next two evenings of rehearsals we will both make discoveries that will take the play to a whole new level.

"When you're cooking, you're really cooking," shared our Director, Claude Giroux, this evening. And when we are cooking, we absolutely feel it.

This is the third time around in tackling a two-hander for Kenny and I. Each time we have stressed over lines, laughed uncontrollably in rehearsal, and skipped entire sections in performance. But we always land on our feet, practice instant forgiveness, and bask in the experience.

So, why do we spend 50 hours of our lives preparing for 45 to 60 minutes on stage? Why do we play? It's certainly not for the fame, nor the adulation--as we get little of either. It's not about the number of people in the audience or the kind words people say when they pass us in the hall after the show--although that is nice. It's about something way deeper, a sense of adventure, of putting aside ourselves for a brief few hours and inhabiting a new skin, a new sensibility. It's about putting yourself in the light and giving yourself over to the story you are about to tell. That is why we play!

Why should you come and see us play? Because, like Forest Gump says: "You never know what you're going to get!" Unpredictability is very exciting and highly entertaining. Join us Friday or Saturday evening starting at 7:30 pm in the Keyano Recital Theatre. You'll also enjoy two other shows produced by the Katie's Playhouse gang, Time Flies and The Ladykillers. A better night of culture you'd be hard pressed to find!

February 23, 2010 - 193.4 pounds, 27.6% body fat

The Stress Test

Today felt heavy, like the weight of the world was pressing down all around me. It was one of a rare few days when I wished I could shut myself off from the world, to spend time catching up, reflecting, regrouping.

Everyone has their own particular set of stress indicators. For me, an overwhelming fatigue drapes itself over my body and my head starts to spin.

Today, everything from digging myself out from the pile of 400 emails in my inbox to the resignations of several colleagues combined with preparations for the weekend WinterPLAY Festival served to pull all my stress triggers. I was dog tired by the end of the afternoon and practically numb during this evening's rehearsal for A Number.

During periods of high stress I need to find time to slow my heart rate down, to pause, close my eyes, and drift off, if only for a few minutes. Since starting the Middle Age Bulge blog I've learned that going for a run at the gym helps a lot, too. I wonder which method burns more calories?

February 22, 2010 - 194.00 pounds, 28.9% body fat

Silent Monster

His eyes are piercing, black pearls set in a chiseled face, hard, rigid, unforgiving. He is Colonel Russell Williams, former commanding officer of CFB Trenton, Canada's largest and most critical air base. In one moment, a respected and decorated military leader, in the next, an apparently brutal sex predator and an accused double murderer.

My sister and family live in the southern Ontario military town, where the shocking news of the February 7th arrest of Williams has dominated table talk for the past several weeks. The base has quickly provided counseling in the after shocks of what has been a devastating earthquake to Canada's military complex.

If you're not familiar with the story, I would recommend reading the comprehensive report in the February 22nd edition of Macleans -- The Secret Life of Colonel Russell Williams. Essentially, this quiet husband and 23-year officer led an apparent double life going from officer to monster effortlessly. There are several allegations that he broke into the homes of unsuspecting women, tied them up and sexually assaulted them. Two women are dead, allegedly at his hand.

The disturbing thing in all of this is that this man has been through rigorous screenings and background checks to join the upper echelon of the Department of National Defence. If, in fact, he is guilty, how did he manage to navigate the waters between two disparate lives? How did an apparent psychopath climb the military ladder absolutely undetected? These are questions that must be causing sleepless nights for military brass and the politicians who sought the counsel of this silent monster, just weeks ago.

February 21, 2010 - 195.2 pounds, 27.9 body fat

The Apology

Tiger Woods gathered friends, family and associates in a cloistered hotel banquet room today to somewhat publicly apologize for his indiscretions. In the front row was his mother Kultida, Amy Reynolds from Nike and Kathy Battalgia of Tiger Woods Enterprises, all looking sullen, bruised, pained.

The legendary golfer's world imploded after a car accident in his front yard alerted the world's media that something was not quite right. After an attempted silence, reports of his dalliances began streaming in from all strata of society, from low paid waitresses to high class prostitutes. He finally spoke up via tigerwoods.com, admitting that mistakes were made and that he would be putting his golf career on hold to focus on repairing the damage done to his wife and family.

We learned today that he has been in therapy, trying to come to grips with his failings as a human being. We also learned that he has returned to his Buddhist practice, from which he had definitely strayed during his ascendancy to the summit of popular culture.

The money, the fame, the unparalleled access to every conceivable temptation, almost destroyed this golfing phenom. Now he faces the arduous task of atonement and rebuilding a reputation that has been shaken to the core.

As he finished his nearly 15 minutes of contrition, Tiger came out in front of the podium and hugged his mom. I was in tears, incredibly moved by what I viewed as incredible courage.

February 20, 2010 - 194.8 pounds, 25.6% body fat

Starfish Circus

Ben and I went this evening to the information session for the Starfish Circus camp that starts tomorrow at the college. Sixty young people and their requisite parents or grandparents gathered in the Rehearsal Hall to get the lay of the land for the next seven days.

Starfish Circus is something new for Wood Buffalo, a one week camp led by circus artists from across the United States that will culminate in a performance on the Keyano Theatre Main Stage as part of the Syncrude WinterPLAY Festival.

Ben has been buzzing about Starfish Circus since the full colour flyer came home from school a couple of weeks ago. And as we sat there with about one hundred people watching Anthony scale a swath of silk attached to the ceiling, Ben's cheeks were glowing red with anticipation.

"Wow," he said in awe. "I can't wait to try that!"

The students range in age from five to 17 and in the eyes of each there were looks of anticipation, excitement, and wonderment.

The camp, being put on by Events Wood Buffalo with support from ConecoPhillips, will feature the participation of a number of students from the community of Janvier, one of the few small hamlets that dot one of the largest municipalities in North America. Knowing that some of our rural children will get to try this once-in-a-lifetime experience, is particularly satisfying, as our organization wants to truly serve the entire region, not just the urban centre.

Starfish Circus starts bright and early tomorrow morning.

"If you arrive five minutes before the start time, you're late," warned Executive Director Claude Giroux. "If you arrive right on the start time, you're really late. If you arrive 15 minutes before the start time, that's exactly perfect."

The tone is set, the task is at hand and Ben is ready to seize the day, and that swath of silk hanging from the ceiling.

February 19, 2010 - 194.8 pounds, 25.2% body fat

February's Fury

I have a theory that those of us in the north over commit ourselves to the point of peril in the winter months as a survival mechanism. At first blush that may sound like a non sequitur, but having survived almost 15 winters in this community, I believe it to be a reality.

There is a serene pause that descends in December, a time when life slows down to a familial trickle, when business is put aside in favour of holiday traditions and family. January begins as a soft whisper and slowly builds up to a mighty roar as we swing into February. By this time, it is pure madness with burgeoning calendars and demands on our time at work, at home and in the community.

The feeling of overload seems pervasive in my world at the moment, exacerbated by rehearsals for the play that we need to open one week from tomorrow. But as we squeeze the life out of each minute of our short days, suddenly we look up and realize that the eaves trough is dripping and winter's grip has given way to spring's embrace.

So, my theory is that we unconsciously pack more things into our lives in the deep dark days of winter than we probably should, because it facilitates a quicker passing of time, a survivable portage between seasons. When you're in the thick of it, you wish it otherwise, but when you've passed through and look back, you wonder where the time went, and that mean nasty winter you thought would never end.

February 18, 2010 - 195.2 pounds, 26.6% body fat

Pea Soup

The drive into Edmonton was uneventful until we started approaching Grassland and wisps of clouds started appearing. The low swaths of fog meandered just above the highway, appearing and disappearing, one moment revealing a star-filled sky and an endless view of the horizon, the next piercing the windshield and leaving me virtually blind.

Beyond Grassland and Boyle, nearing the big city, the fog went from being horizontal shards of mist to being blankets of cloud. When things are this thick, there is a distinct sensation that you should be able to turn on your wipers and gain your vision back. But all you can do is press on, watching the white line to the right, thankfully easy to see because the roads were clear, and watching off into the mist for headlights in the distance.

Driving into the City of Champions, the pea soup fog was so intense that even the headlights of the passing cars were muted, blurred, soft glows passing by. We were almost at Northgate Mall on 97th street (I'm guessing on the name of the mall) before we could tell we were in the city.

Thankfully we arrived without mishap, if only a little shaken not stirred, and happy to have our feet back on terra firma.

weight and body fat unavailabe today

Botox Injections

In the medical profession they use botox for two reasons, the more popular one is for cosmetic purposes -- smoothing out those wrinkles and facial gouges, the other is for cerebral palsy patients -- to relax tensed up muscles.

Dylan and I travel down to Edmonton today after work to arrive in time for tomorrow's early morning procedure. He's had botox injections probably four or five times over his 11 years. The botulinum toxin will go into a variety of muscles whose tightness causes Dylan to compensate by bending his knees when standing or walking. He also walks on his toes to find his balance.

The doctors hope that the botox will loosen things up enough to allow Dylan to stand straighter and to get his heels to the ground. If it doesn't achieve these goals, then an additional procedure, way too hard to pronounce or spell, will be added to his surgical menu this fall.

In 2008 they operated on his right leg, rotating his femur, lengthening his Achilles and reconstructing his foot. He went into the Stollery in September and came out of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital just before Christmas. He spent 95 days in hospital. He is going to have a similar experience with his left leg this year.

The additional procedure, which may or may not happen depending on the success of the botox, would involve changing the way the bones grow below the knee, essentially forcing him into a straight-up position.

Dylan has always taken these things with a grain of salt and a sense of humour. He completely gets the fact that all of this inconvenience is so that he can maintain and enhance his ability to walk (and run) through his adult life. There is no fear or hesitation on his part knowing the stakes.

February 16, 2010 - 193.8 pounds, 27.2% body fat

Monologuing

A year ago I had reached the height of anxiety, with less than two weeks before we opened The Zoo Story at WinterPLAY 2009, I was staring in the face of an eight page monologue with the clock ticking. We had lost a full week of rehearsals as I had to return to Saskatchewan to bury my grandfather. I had never been so unprepared for a performance this late in the game, and my stress level was through the roof.

Today I tackled the modest mountain of lines in scene four of A Number, a monologue of a mere two pages. After five or six hours of absorbing, emoting, repeating, the speech has settled into my brain, although it won't completely settle till we put it on its feet later this week.

I ran into CJ Phillips at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre today-- he was helping out at the annual Guy Boutilier 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. I'm not sure how we got on the topic but he started expostulating on coaching.

"You know what all the greatest coaches in the history of sport have in common?" he asked. "They all look like this." At this point Curtis leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and assumed an assured air of certainty.

"Great coaches don't have much to say during the height of a game because the work has already been done," he shared. "The fundamentals are so drilled into the players that when push comes to shove, they know exactly what to do, almost by rote."

Learning lines and successfully telling the story of a play is very similar. We go over scenes time and time again until it is automatic, like a symphony of words, intentions, actions and reactions. And much like a successful sports team, the success of an acting ensemble rests in their level of trust, respect and commitment.

No great achievement, in sports, life or the arts, comes without great effort and an undying belief in what you're doing.

February 15, 2010 - 194.8 pounds, 27% body fat

The First 50 Days

This is my 50th post on the Middle Age Bulge blog. Good God almighty, where did the time go and how have I managed to find something to write about for 50 days in a row--just coming up with titles is tough, let alone the content.

The facts of the first 50 days: weight has been lost (depending on the day, about 17 pounds), muscle has been gained (my thighs have gone from being gelatinous to being taut), copious amounts of water has been drunk, beer cans have gone unopened in my basement fridge and my running shoes have been used more in two months than in the past five years.

The side benefits of these changes are many, not the least of which is the money I've saved. I haven't been to the liquor store this year and my eating out has slowed to a trickle. The belt I bought in Italy in 2006 now needs to be cinched up to the first hole. My pants are looser, my stomach flatter and my shirts far easier to button up.

If you've been keeping score at home, my weight has gone up a small amount in recent days, largely related to my inability to complete my workouts due to the knot in my calf. But, I've kept at it, even today running only about 20 minutes but working up a tremendous sweat before being forced to stop.

The fears of the first 50 days? None. In pushing forward with this program and committing to writing about it every day, no matter how tired or busy I am, has created a habit, a new way of living, a health and wellness Renaissance.

My hopes for the next 50 days? I'd love to get down into 180 pound territory before we leave for Mexico in April. I believe that is possible if I keep at it.

February 14, 2010 - 194.4 pounds, 28% body fat

Love as a Verb

I was driving home this afternoon, after several hours of rehearsal, streaming with the traffic down Confederation Boulevard, listening to CBC Radio. The person being interviewed was talking about love as a verb. The word "love" is normally expressed as a state of mind, a feeling, most definitely a noun.

Love as a verb.

What a great thought on Valentine's eve. Love as a verb suggests action, movement, momentum, evolution, growth, expansion. Love as a noun suggests something that is, a thing, an idea, a concept.

As a seasoned veteran of marriage, enjoying what is essentially my third, I can tell you with certainty that love as a verb is the form that works best. When love takes on an existential quality, an ethereal state, when it occupies too much of your thoughts, it inevitably gets called into question, withers and eventually falls of the cliff beyond your grasp.

Love as a verb.

Love adapts, empathizes, anticipates. Love strives, stretches, trusts. Love explores, enhances, compliments.

In Valentine's season we may be inclined to think of romantic love, but love as a verb applies to all relationships. Love is doing. It rallies against inertia, provoking, inspiring change.

What is love in your life? Is it in a state of constant motion like a river, or still like an algae covered pond?

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs." -Norman Maclean (1902-1990)

February 13, 2010 - 194.2 pounds, 26.7% body fat

Olympic Dreams

I had no intention of watching the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. But the build-up in the hours leading up to the start of the program completely sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. I had fully intended to spend my evening learning scene three of A Number, the play we're doing at the end of February. But, learning lines will need to wait till morning.

Prior to the selection of Vancouver as the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Chair of the Bid Committee, John Furlong, was on a goodwill tour of the country stirring up support. He met with a small group of us in Fort McMurray, expressing fully at the time the recognition of the amount of work that would lie ahead if they got the games. Flash ahead eight years and there he was, now CEO of VANOC, speaking in front of a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions, perhaps several billion.

Canada is seen as one of the greatest nations on earth, and as the camera scanned the enchanted faces of the athletes, you could see the appreciation and respect in their eyes. From the opening Aboriginal segment to the stirring "Who has seen the wind" prairie sequence, artistic expression -- music, theatre, dance -- elevated the senses and stirred the soul. We are Canadian, and we are proud.

We were reminded of the humanity behind the games as the team from Georgia entered the stadium, solemn, reflective, pained beyond measure. Earlier today, a member of their luge team left the track and slammed into a steel column and was killed -- a practice run turned tragic. The 60,000 people in BC Place stadium stood in solidarity for one man, one country, one world.

February 12, 2010 - 194 pounds, 26.5% body fat

The Sweat Factor

The effectiveness of my workout is directly proportional to the amount of sweat I produce. As the last thing I do is core exercises on a mat, my measure of success is the size of the puddle I leave behind.

Today my puddle was more like a few beads, as my physio was limited owing to the nagging knot in my calf muscle. It went away for about a week, then returned ever so slowly, screaming at me the longer I ran. So, I spent more time on the weights today.

Closing in on 190 pounds, there is one thing that amazes me: here I am at a weight I haven't seen in years, and I still have significant love handles. Really, I could still lose 10 to 15 pounds to be in slim and trim territory.

Every scale is different. The Body Mass Index suggests I need to descend below 165 pounds to be what it classifies as normal. That would mean losing an additional 25 pounds for me. I think the wind would pick me up and blow me around at that size!

My Shopper's Drug Mart super fancy scale classifies me still as being "over fat". Ouch! My body fat percentage at the beginning of this journey was well over 30% -- now it is consistently hovering between 26 - 27%.

I didn't take Guru's advice and strip down at the beginning to capture the "before" shot, but I feel and see the difference all the same. I see the difference in the photos from just a few months ago. I look back at photos of my younger self and wonder "How the heck did I get to 210 pounds?" But all I have to do is remember my diet for the past 15 years and everything comes clearly into focus. You are what you eat. It's a wonder I didn't turn into a blimp.

February 11, 2010 - 193.2 pounds, 27.1 pounds

Wind In My Face

One of the hidden jewels of Wood Buffalo is Vista Ridge, the all season recreational park in Saprae Creek. I had the opportunity to duck out of a half day of work to accompany my son Dylan to the hill so he could try his hand at the tube run.

The day was perfect, a great temperature, not too sunny or windy. The students from Dr. Clark School were enjoying a day of skiing, snowboarding and all other manner of conveyance that young people have glommed on to in recent years. Dylan, with significant balance issues associated with his cerebral palsy, hung out in the chalet with Katie, a wonderful wheelchair-bound classmate, waiting their turn to tackle the tube run.

Being the sole visitors to that portion of the ski hill this afternoon, we were transported by snowmobile to the top of the five-lane tube run--normally that trip happens in a big sleigh for about 20 people. Grabbing hold of the straps on Dylan's tube, we set off screaming down the hill. The wind in my face was exhilarating as we rotated in flight, almost a full 360-degrees before slowing down near the hay bales, positioned to absorb those tubers who build up a little too much momentum.

"Does anyone ever get hurt on these," I asked, slightly nervous about attacking the larger runs.

"You know, we've never had first-aid calls out here," replied the young Aussie ski patroller. "But, way back when they used to have trouble with people going into the trees way down at the bottom of the run -- that's why the hay bales are there now."

Vista Ridge is an incredible facility, reborn from its time as Spruce Valley just days after my arrival in Fort McMurray in 1996. John Wilson, Jim Carter, Bob Reynolds and many others inspired a shared vision that has turned it a winter playground extraordinaire. They, and all the others who were part of the dream, should be very proud of where this project has gone, and excited about where it will go in the years to come.

February 10, 2010 - 192.6 pounds, 26.5% body fat

Craving Water

Surrounded by the friends of the Keyano College Foundation at their annual Investors Reception, I was craving water in the worst way. This is a new thing for me, because for the past many years my craving would be for other forms of beverages.

It was great to meet DG from P & H MinePro. The early part of his career was spent in the coal mines near Gillette, Wyoming, operating big equipment. Now, he sells some of the biggest equipment on the planet in an area known for its punishing effect on machinery.

"The oil sands have helped us develop better and stronger equipment," he said. "Fort McMurray is great. It's just like Gillette...on speed!"

DG loves almost everything about Fort McMurray except for the cold, the traffic and the ravens.

Simone is a communications colleague from Shell. She's fresh off the boat, having arrived in Fort McMurray but a few months ago. An avid outdoors person, she was drawn to the community right away when she saw the diverse population of birds that are here.

It was great to see our good friend Matty Flores, formerly of Shaw Cable, back in the community working in communications with Michael and Cheryl out at FT Services. Matty did an incredible job telling Fort McMurray's story on Channel 10 for a number of years, and I'm sure he'll do an equally great job with FT.

There was a palpable energy in the room as about 100 guests mixed and mingled in celebration of their support of the College. Mickey Demers and Demers Contracting Ltd. was honoured as Partner of the Year. Mickey and the Demers family have been a part of Fort McMurray for generations. I live on the block named for his parents. How cool is that?

Home, sitting in my study with my family asleep, I've had my two cups of water and with cravings satisfied, I'm ready to call it a day.

February 9, 2010 - 193.2 pounds, 27.3% body fat

Prune Juice and Parenting

You know you're getting old when...you add prune juice to your grocery list for strategic reasons. As my weight had been creeping in the wrong direction over the past few days I could feel the ballast building up inside. Heather suggested "a glass of water with two tablespoons of pulverized flax just before bed, followed by a glass of prune juice in the morning."

So, here I am on the second morning sipping this digestive tincture and my weight is the lowest it has been since I started the battle of the bulge. Great advice Honey!

I was laughing last night recalling my high school years when my father would constantly be yapping on about fibre, from adding bran to your morning cereal to double dosing on flax seed before bed. His Bible, and that of my grandfather, was Prevention magazine, a Readers Digest-like mag with all kinds of tips and tricks for a long and healthy life. As an indestructible teenager I thought they were both obsessive compulsive -- flash forward 25 years and I have become them.

It goes so much deeper than food-with-fibre choices, this becoming my parents thing. It reveals itself in my gestures, habits - good, bad and nocturnal, fiscal matters, and so much more. It punctuates the importance of being a good parent and the impact you have on a life, many lives, for generations to come. Thankfully, I come from pretty good stock, and this journey I'm on has a lot to do with them, and likely those that came before them.

February 7, 2010 - 193.4 pounds, 27.7% body fat

Partings and Remembrance

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," wrote William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet. The circumstance of death being both sweet and sad has landed on the same weekend two years in a row.

My grandfather passed away at the age of 99 exactly one year ago. It was a passing both sorrow and sweet. I had visited with him just a month earlier, on New Year's Day 2009. Looking into his eyes, seeing his withered body, I sensed his longing to die. When you get that old, that infirm, death can hover just beyond your reach, beyond your control. As a tear fell slowly down his translucent cheek, I knew with certainty that I would not see him alive again. And when I got the call that he had finally gone, I was at once grateful and grieved.

"The earth gave up a remarkable soul," wrote Michael Woollard just a few short minutes ago on Facebook. Fr. John Moriarty left us yesterday afternoon. He had suffered from late onset diabetes and eventually lost much of his sight and one of his legs. In the end, it was the news of cancer about a week ago that knocked the life out of him.

My mom visited him in the hospital before he passed and read to him my blog post from February 3rd. I'm not sure if he was lucid enough to soak in the sentiment, but I hope so. He was a teacher, among the best, and now lies in eternal rest.

February 7, 2010 - 195.4 pounds, 26.0% body fat

Coalition Building

I like to slip into a hot bathtub and descend into a cloud of bubbles with the latest edition of Maclean's magazine. Tonight one quote from Alberta's Minister of Culture and Community Spirit, Lindsay Blackett, leapt out at me from the dialogue captured during a round table discussion about the rise of Western Canada hosted in Calgary in January. Mr. Blackett was trying to articulate the spirit of collaboration we've developed with our neighbors in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. He suggested that "when we band together--not just economically but politically, and with commonality on issues--we have a lot more success."

In our community we are seeing a resurgence of coalition building--groups forming partnerships, discovering synergies, finding common purpose. The notion that we can do so much more when we do it together, as opposed to operating as cloistered entities, is finding wind in these times of economic challenge.

One particular coalition has been on my mind today. There have been a few bumps in the road in recent days and the parties involved are re-evaluating their positions in the face of rising tensions.

As I reflect on a variety of partnerships, there are a number of common themes that emerge that create successful unions. First is the absolute necessity of delineating who is doing what, when, where, why and how. Then it is learning and embracing each other's strengths, weaknesses and working styles. Finally, it is establishing communication channels that work.

Review the history of the governments who came together during WWII and you'll find these themes. Think of any great sports team and these themes are easy to find. Or, how about a successful marriage and what makes it last?

In all cases, disparate groups or individuals coming together in common purpose always include some conflict, consensus building, compromise. Nothing great worth achieving is ever achieved without great effort.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote that "the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy." Those words, penned in 1963, ring as true today as they did during the time of the civil rights movement.

I believe that at the end of the day coalitions stand or they fall based on the ability of the participants to put aside their differences and focus on their shared vision. Recognizing that sometimes reconciling differences is impossible, I like to lean on the side of optimism and hope that this particular coalition holds.

February 6, 2010 - 196.2 pounds, 24.4 % body fat

Backstage with Loverboy

In the early 80's they were one of the biggest rock bands in the world--Loverboy. While B-Level groups like Toronto, Helix and Streetheart were slammin' through medium-sized markets and receiving good radio airplay thanks to the CanCon regulations, Loverboy was sweeping through the lucrative American market with songs like "Working for the Weekend" and "Hot Girls in Love" filling the big arenas from coast to coast.

They formed in Calgary in 1980, fronted by a slim and trim Joseph Rynoski, or as he is better known, Mike Reno. Their1981 album Get Lucky, complete with a rear end view of Mike's tight red leather pants with his fingers crossed, was a staple of every record collection for anyone at or near puberty at that time.

I was grateful to be able to take our dinner guests, Rob and Rita, backstage tonight to meet the band. As a group of about ten of us were led into the hospitality room, the beers were on ice and the air was ripe with the smell of the catered food under the stainless steel heated serving trays. Rita was almost humming with anticipation as she was about to meet one of her heroes.

"I'm so excited," she said. "I just hope I don't pee myself!"

Keyboardist and sax player Doug Johnson came in first, followed by the rest of the band and finally Mike Reno.

At age 55, Reno is no longer able to fit into those tight pants. He is undoubtedly older and not the smallest of men--he moves a little slower than in his glory years -- but his voice is as strong and pitch perfect as it was when they were hitting the Top 10 almost three decades ago.

I was never a heavy rock and roller, so meeting these guys didn't mean much to me, but seeing the joy in the faces of the true fans was wonderful. As they said their hellos I sat against the back wall of the small dressing room letting them do their thing. All of a sudden Mike Reno was to my left while the rest of the band was to my right. Snap! Snap! Pictures were being taken of Loverboy and there I was, the non-fan, scrunched in amongst them. Awkward! I just went with the flow, laughing and smiling, living the rock 'n' roll dream. Too funny!

Six degrees of separation: playing bass tonight for Loverboy was Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, formerly of Red Rider and the co-founder of Streetheart. Streetheart's lead singer was Kenny Shields. I used to babysit for Kenny's sister in Kamsack, Saskatchewan. As he was living out of hotel rooms in those years, touring constantly, his Juno Awards gathered dust on her mantle. That was my best close-to-brush-with-greatness story for many years, till I walked into Dennis Quaid's hotel room to find him naked -- but that's a story for another time.

February 5, 2010 - 195.4 pounds, 25.5% body fat

Small Differences, Big Results

40+ days into the battle of the bulge and the tide has definitely turned. Not only have the numbers steadily and slowly declined, I've noticed small differences that when added together over time mean big results.

I am so much more aware of what goes into and out of my body. I curb my appetite for the bad things by grabbing for yet another bottle of water. In less than two months I've gone from drinking a half litre to probably five or six litres. I've forsaken heaping portions of food followed by seconds, for one reasonable serving. And as the size of my stomach has shrunk so too has my incessant thoughts of eating.

For the past two years I ate out almost every lunch hour, either at a restaurant or at the college cafeteria. Now, I bring healthy leftovers from home and spent the bulk of my lunch hour in the gym. I have saved hundreds of dollars while taking far better care of myself.

When I strip down each morning and look in the full length mirror in my study I marvel at the fact that I still have that stubborn bulge, albeit significantly less rotund than six short weeks ago. I can comfortably say that I probably need to lose 15 to 20 more pounds to arrive at my ideal weight.

Before beginning this journey, the thought of being 175 or 180 pounds again was laughable, it was a notion that was so far beyond the realm of possibility that it never even came into my head. Now those numbers are in my sights and I know beyond a certainty that they are achievable and sustainable. Writing the Middle Age Bulge blog has kept me on my game, giving me focus and inspiration in a way that I can't properly articulate.

February 4, 2010 - 194.6 pounds, 27.2 % body fat

Mr. Moriarty

I got the news early this morning from my mom that Fr. Moriarty had taken a turn for the worse and was not expected to make it through the night. Fr. Moriarty, then Mr. Moriarty, was my high school English teacher who instilled in me the love of words and language.

He was different, quirky, at times outlandish. The desks didn't live in rows in his class, rather they formed a circle along the walls, creating a space for vigorous discussion and exhortations.

I had been prepped by my brother, two years my senior, to expect something peculiar on the first day of studying Hamlet. Sure enough, Mr. Moriarty came barreling into the room, rolled up the legs of his trousers, pulled his dress shirt out of his pants, mussed up his hair and began playing out the madness of the Prince of Denmark. We laughed and got the full sense of what those who had gone before us had loved about this extraordinary teacher.

The most dreaded assignments in grade twelve were Mr. Moriarty's "mode essays". They were deeply feared for two reasons: he was universally known to be stingy with A's and you had to plan the essays in advance and write them from memory.

The day we settled in our rotunda of desks for the first of the essays, Mr. Moriarty, as we were told he would do, left the class while we did our writing. Almost every single student pulled up their sleeves and pant legs to reveal all manner of cheat notes, frenetically scribbling to beat the band -- I was of the small minority who did not.

I did an incredible amount of reading and writing in grade twelve, studying till late at night, loving it. I was a good student, consistently third in academic achievement behind Susan and Lillian. The day we got the results of that first mode essay stands on high as one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Mr. Moriarty had a tradition about passing out test scores and essay results. Sitting in one of the student desks as part of the circle, he would call out the student's name and you would have to get up and retrieve your results. For those less luminescent students, picking up your paper would include a painful facial expression or snide comment from Mr. M. One by one on that incredible day the students were called up to get what turned out to be a whole lot of bad news until there was only one essay left.

"I'm going to do something that I've never done before," he started. "It was an absolute pleasure to read this essay and it is my honour to get up and deliver it." He got up, came right over to me and placed the paper gently on my desk.

During my twenties and much of my thirties I lost my thirst for words and writing. Now 42, reading and writing have become two of my daily passions. Thinking of Mr. Moriarty this morning, I realized that my love of language and appreciation for the power of words is rooted in that circle of learning he created. He was a teacher, among the best, and if he should pass this night I wish him an eternity of blissful rest.

February 3, 2010 - 194.6 pounds, 26.6% body fat

Social Media Chills

I woke up this morning and watched the announcement of the Oscar nominations thanks to streaming video provided by cnn.com. It was a complete accident that I stumbled upon it at about 6:20 am and thought I'd catch the news before it made the news.

With one window open to the broadcast and the other ready to tweet on Twitter, I decided to beat all the major news vendors in sharing the potential Oscar winners.

6:20 am Academy Awards being announced right now.

They started listing the nominees while I grabbed the closest piece of paper within arm's reach, the back of an envelope that had arrived in the mail the other day. Scribbling furiously, I tried to capture the names and the movies, many of which were only mildly familiar, running out of room as the last nominee was read.

6:23 am 10 nominees up for Best Picture including Inglorious Basterds, Up, Up in the Air, and Avatar.

Took a deep breath.

6:24 am Canadian Christoper Plummer nominated for an #Oscar for Best Supporting Actor

I had no idea what movie he did as my writing couldn't keep up with the announcements. (I found out later today he was nominated for the movie The Last Station -- he plays Leo Tolstoy -- his first Oscar nomination, unbelievably)

Some time shortly after this, CNN had their first tweet about the Oscars, I had beaten them be at least 7 or 8 minutes.

The fact that you become your own news channel with a well established social network gives me chills. It fascinates me to see what kind of posts (or tweets) elicit responses (or retweets), the connections that are made, and the conversations that occur between strangers. I sing the praises and the possibilities of social media every chance I get.

February 2, 2010 - 196.2 pounds, 26.6% body fat

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

When I was a kid the question "best two out of three?" would follow a narrow loss in any competitive activity. That was me again this morning playing with my weight scale. I stepped on and it said I was a pound heavier than the day before. I stepped off, kicked it soundly, then stepped on again. This time I was a pound lighter. I stepped off, and to get the final verdict, I stepped on one last time -- still a pound lighter. Two out of three ain't bad.

It's embarrassing to note the psychological impact of having thought I'd gained a pound. I felt heavier and looked heavier. Then, after realizing a pound had been dropped, I instantly felt lighter and looked slimmer. I'm a freak.

The Middle Age Bulge blog has sparked a lot of comments from friends and colleagues and has attracted a bizarre set of readers. I am honoured that anyone would take the time to read these musings, let alone return from time to time for the latest missive. And while I've been tracking and celebrating my progress, nearing the 15-pound loss milestone, my lovely wife has been quietly doing the same in the background.

Honestly, Heather had been enormously forgiving of my unhealthy ways for years. She gently suggested, patiently offered alternatives, and watched silently as I was an eating and drinking machine, oblivious to the effects of over-indulgence. And much like many other occasions in our 8 years of marriage, this is another example of when I should have taken her advice without question.

February 1, 2010 - 195.8 pounds, 26.6% body fat