Rolf Devinci

To often we tend to fixate on the things we lack, be it riches,property, possessions or toys. Often we under appreciate the simple things in life, one of the most important being our health. In terms of athletics we always push ourselves to be better; to be stronger, faster and tougher. Expectations can be damning. Sometimes it`s good to step back and just appreciate the fact WE CAN participate and compete, regardless of where we place or how good we do. The lad in the picture(sitting)is a disabled adolescent, with a lack of motor function on one side of his body. Regardless of his disability he decided to learn how to downhill ski this past winter. Courageous when you realize skiing is all about core strength,flexibility and body positioning. Thanks to my fellow bike club member, ski instructor and spin class buddy Adrien I was privy to this inspirational story. Faced with a huge obstacle he accepted the challenge smiling and, with patience beyond his years,remained positive and up...

In tonight`s induldgence I have a 2005 Black Tower Riesling. "A deliciously crisp Riesling....cool fermented to obtain elegant,floral aromas....". A nice light fare to enjoy on a Friday night. The club skinsuits are a go......Louis Garneau has started production of the 2007 club kit order. The pic is what we ordered,albeit,in team colors. Only 8 of us opted to invest in the suits but with the Cyclesmith ITT series(8 events), the BPCC Toonie Time Trial(3 events) and at least 2 ITT`s on the BNS racing schedule thus far they should be put to good use. My fear is a clydesdale like me might more resemble an overstuffed Octoberfest sausage rather than a time trialist but time will tell. If anything it is a vivid reminder that a glass of wine is OK but not the whole bottle....(wink). Beautiful day today but the weather may turn cold tonight. I`ve got a free morning and I`m itching to get in a club ride but the cold temps accentuated by gusty winds might mean spin class is the best o...

Managed to get my first road ride of 2007 in last week, just a jaunt around Clayton Park. Went to the gym this morning and got in some core/ab work but decided to opt out of the spin class. Went home, geared up and decided to go for a bike ride. The sun was shining but the temps were cool....-7 with windchill. Cudos to the guys who cycled all winter cause it was a cold, abbreviated ride this morning. Stayed out till I couldn`t feel my toes or fingers in a brief round 2 of the TdeCP.Hard to belive it went from so warm on Friday back to the deep freeze today.At least while on the bike. Ball hockey this afternoon....only a couple weeks left then I will switch over to the Sunday bike training.I played well today even though I got shelled 10 -1 in the first game but bounced back and won the second 10 -6. With 20 minutes left I began to get abdominal cramping....between the heat of the gym and dehydration I was feeling the "love". Two hours of fast tempo ballhockey in a hot gym w...

The weather today is absolutely wonderful....sunny and warm. I`m talking "get home from work and put on shorts and soak up the March sun nice" weather. I got the bistro patio set out and settled in with a bottle of Frontera Sauvignon Blanc, a Chilean with...."citrus and peachy aromas...fresh and well balanced..." Nice! After a glass of wine I got the bike out and did some basic maintenance and rode around the block with the local kids and placed last in the Harlington Crescent crit.....some of the youngsters are fast!(wink). Looking forward to Saturday morn.......the lads are assembling for a fast training ride at 8:30 followed by a leisurely paced early season club ride. The weather should be cool but prime.A few of the lads will be debuting new rides for 2007 so I`m planning on getting some pics...fair warning...it might be their backsides as they drop my sorry arse. Hey....wanna know what it`s all about....here`s the link to the bike shop. Not a bike club bu...

Hola! Tonight I have a 2005 McWilliams. I know.......I`m stuck on the Aussie wines. I actually purchased a bottle of Masi(see previous post)and a McWilliam`s Shiraz but then tried a sample tasting of the Riesling.Unlike the German varieties this was not as sweet......"Crisp, steely and lively...offers a delicious complexity that pairs well with shellfish and Asian cuisine." It turns out I was planning on making a shrimp stirfry for supper so I just had to purchase a bottle.(wink) Delicious! Good call Geo(cudos to the lady at the wine kiosk too). So......while the family was away in New Hampshire on March break I got lots of gym time,did my first road ride of 2007, had a fabulous Thai meal,my first martini and saw the movie "300" at the Imax. Wow...it was awesome. Nothing like Spartan abs of steel to make a middle aged Canuck wannabe bike racer work harder at the gym...lol. Great movie....violent(it is a war flick) but done in a tasteful style....is that an oxymo...

Yup....you got it. Friday night means Geo`s wine selection of the week. A nice 2004 Aussie Chardonnay. The McWilliams has a "golden hue with melon and tropical fruit aromas....the use of oak has added complexity and subtle vanilla overtones ending with a long crisp finish." MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM So........my spouse and children are heading to New Hampshire on a March Break trip with a good friend and her kids. Looks like I will have a "domestic" vacation till Thursday of next week. Just me and the cat! Oh...the glorious solitude. Bring it on! Aside from the hours spent in the gym with no pressure to be home I intend to check out a show. The "300" opens tonight about the Spartan resistance at Thermopylae in 480BC in response to Xerxes` Persian invasion of the Greek mainland. Other than the main actors the rest of the film was done by graphic artists. I hear the visuals are "stunning". For a history buff and comic affectionado it just doesn`t ge...

A March snow storm notwithstanding I indudged in a bottle of 2006 Yellowtail Shiraz from South Eastern Australia. Several months ago I was in the NSLC when a girl noticed I had a bottle in my basket and exclaimed...."Where did you find the Yellowtail. It is an awesome wine..." I didn`t end up getting that bottle so decided tonight I would give it a go. It`s OK but far from my favorite. That said I do have a bit of a sore throat tonight so maybe it`s unfair to make any judgement. The Ghanian students next door in the adjacent townhouse were cooking up a scoff tonight. I`m not sure what the dish was but it was very spicy and pungent.I noticed they were loading up several vans with trays of foods so maybe there is a wedding or an African holiday this weekend? Regardless my house smells like an exotic restaurant. Geesh....to bad they didn`t send me over a sample. Perhaps the pungent spices might have helped my scratchy throat.(sigh) Oh well......to close to Spring to get sic...