Contradance, April 19

This was the spring contradance weekend in Toronto, with sessions from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. We couldn’t attend it all but we did go to the Saturday night dance. The band was Wild Asparagus.

Contradancers lining up before a dance

I think about 180 people attended, which gave us 5 sets in the gymnasium at Eastminster United Church. It’s normally a basketball court, so it was pretty crowded with five double rows of dancers.

The music was good and it was a lot of fun. The room turns in to a mass of swirling dancers.

Swimming

The local swimming pool at an uncrowded moment

On Saturday we went for a swim at the local pool with Andie. It was fun time rather than lane-swimming time, which she’s not allowed into at her age; but we did get in some swimming, racing, tumble turns, diving, towing, throwing, sculling, surface dives, and retrieving things off the bottom of the pool.

Books read in 2008

Books read in 2008:

1. ReVisions, edited by Julie E. Czerneda & Isaac Szpindel (science fiction)
2. Year’s Best SF 11, edited by David G. Hartman & Kathryn Cramer (science fiction)
3. Year’s Best SF 12, edited by David G. Hartman & Kathryn Cramer (science fiction)
4. The Best of Gregory Clark by Greg Clark (re-read) (humor)
5. Lost Children, by Edith Pargeter (mystery)
6. The Deep Blue Good-by (Travis McGee 1) by John D. MacDonald (mystery)
7. A Purple Place for Dying (Travis McGee 3) by John D. MacDonald (mystery)
8. Wild Horses by Dick Francis (mystery)
9. Nightmare in Pink (Travis McGee 2) by John D. MacDonald (mystery)
10. Decider, by Dick Francis (mystery)
11. The Quick Red Fox (Travis McGee 4) by John D. MacDonald (mystery)
12. The Best American Science Writing 2007, edited by Gina Kolata (science)
13. Man and Animal (paperback edition) by Heinz Freidrich (science)
14. Marsbound by Joe Haldeman (science fiction)
15. New Writings in SF-24 edited by Kenneth Bulmer (science fiction)
16. The Seventh Omni Book of SF edited by Ellen Datlow (science fiction)
17. Best SF Stories from New Worlds 8 edited by Michael Moorcock (science fiction)
18. The New Tomorrows edited by Norman Spinrad (science fiction)
19. Millennium 3001 edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Russell Davis (science fiction)
20. Asimov’s: Voice in the Dark, by Jack McDevitt, and other stories (science fiction)
21. Ice Lake by John Farrow (mystery)
22. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon by Bob Ward (nonfiction)
23. One Fearful Yellow Eye (Travis McGee 8 ) by John D. MacDonald (re-read) (mystery)
24. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany (science fiction)
25. The Sky So Big and Black by John Barnes (science fiction)
26. Universe 15 edited by Terry Carr (science fiction)
27. Dress Her in Indigo (Travis McGee 11) by John D. MacDonald (mystery)
28. Finity by John Barnes (science fiction)
29. Evolution’s Captain: the Dark Fate of the Man Who Sailed Charles Darwin Around the World by Peter Nichols (history)
30. Come to Grief by Dick Francis (re-read) (mystery)
31. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (science fiction)
32. Pale Gray for Guilt (Travis McGee 9) by John D. MacDonald (mystery)
33. Cat Encounters edited by Sean Manley and Gogo Lewis (fiction)
34. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (mystery)
35. The Identity of Man by Jacob Bronowski (philosophy of science)
36. Finity by John Barnes (re-read) (science fiction)
37. The High Window by Raymond Chandler (mystery)
38. Bugs in the System: Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs by May R. Berenbaum (popular science)
39. Comeback by Dick Francis (mystery)
40. Mistral’s Kiss by Laurell K. Hamilton (fantasy)
41. Berserker Blue Death by Fred Saberhagen (science fiction)
42. Daring Missions of World War II by William B. Breuer (history)
43. Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris (religion)
44. The Art of Detection by Laurie R. King (mystery)
45. Why Darwin Matters by Michael Shermer (science)
46. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (fiction)
47. Incredible Rogers Pass by Art Downs, Ed Cesar, & Frank W. Anderson (nonfiction, travel, history, outdoors & nature)
48. Spring Moon by Bette Bao Lord (fiction)
49. 1990 Annual World’s Best SF edited by Donald A. Wollheim (re-read) (science fiction)
50. Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert (mystery)
51. Amleth, Prince of Denmark by Saxo Grammaticus (drama)
52. Analog: Tenbrook of Mars, by Dean McLaughlin, and other stories (science fiction)
53. The Whole Hog by Lyall Watson (animals, science, nonfiction)
54. The Best Short Stories of J. G. Ballard [on LibraryThing | on BookCrossing] (science fiction)
55. May Your First Love be Your Last by Gregory Clark
56. Dead Heat by Dick Francis & Felix Francis (mystery)
57. Hellburner by C. J. Cherryh (science fiction)
58. Idoru by William Gibson (science fiction)
59. Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton (fantasy)
60. It Came from the Far Side by Gary Larson (cartoons, humor)
61. Asimov’s: Voice in the Dark, by Jack McDevitt, and other stories (science fiction)
62. The House of Green Turf by Ellis Peters (mystery) [re-read]
63. Telzey Amberdon (Federation of the Hub 1) by James H. Schmitz (science fiction, story collection) [re-read]
64. The Far-seer, by Robert J. Sawyer (science fiction)
65. The Awful Secret by Bernard Knight (mystery) [re-read]
66. Agent of Vega by James H. Schmitz (science fiction) [re-read]
67. The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Nineteenth Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois (science fiction)
68. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (religion)
69. Asimov’s: Dancing it All Away at Nadoka, by Lucius Shepard; Robot Dreams, by Isaac Asimov; and other stories (science fiction)
70. Asimov’s: Flowers of Edo, by Bruce Sterling; Perpetuity Blues, by Neal Barrett, Jr.; Cannibals, by Nancy Kress; and other stories (science fiction)
71. The Noble Outlaw (Crowner John 11) by Bernard Knight (mystery)
72. Victory of Eagles (Temeraire 5) by Naomi Novik (science fiction)
73. Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life by Carl Zimmer (science)
74. Darwin’s Century: Evolution and the Men Who Discovered It by Loren Eiseley (science)
75. The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain (fantasy)
76. Asimov’s: Horse Racing, by Mary Rosenblum; In the Age of the Quiet Sun, by William Barton; The Ice War, by Stephen Baxter; and other stories (science fiction)
77. F&SF: Pump Six, by Paolo Bacigalupi; Arkfall, by Carolyn Ives Gilman; and other stories (science fiction)
78. Trial Run by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
79. Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume IIB, edited by Ben Bova (science fiction)
80. Uther (A Dream of Eagles 7) by Jack Whyte (fiction)
81. Man-Kzin Wars VI by Donald Kingsbury, Gregory Benford; concept by Larry Niven (science fiction) [re-read]
82. Asimov’s: Gypsy Trade, by R. Garcia y Robertson; Outnumbering the Dead, by Frederik Pohl; All Vows, by Esther M. Friesner; and other stories (science fiction)
83. Dead Cert by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
84. Blood Sport by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
85. I think I’m Outta Here by Carroll O’Connor
86. For Kicks by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
87. Risk by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
88. The Flowers of Nicosia by David Ira Cleary, & other stories
89. Nerve by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
90. High Stakes by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
91. Flying Finish by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
92. In the Frame by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
93. Forfeit by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
94. The Danger by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
95. Reflex by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
96. Break In (a Kit Fielding mystery) (mystery) [re-read]
97. Shattered (mystery) [re-read]
98. Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin (science)
99. Destroyer (First Contact 7) by C. J. Cherryh (science fiction) [re-read] (next up, Pretender)
100. Evolution for Everyone by David Sloan Wilson (science)
101. Twice Shy by Dick Francis (mystery)
102. Cheaper by the Dozen by Gilbreths (biography) [re-read]
103. Enquiry by Dick Francis (mystery)
104. Driving Force by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
105. Alex and Me by Irene M. Pepperberg (science)
106. Proof by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
107. Under Orders (a Sid Halley mystery) by Dick Francis (mystery)
108. 10-lb Penalty by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
109. Comeback by Dick Francis (mystery) [re-read]
110. An Ape Came Out of My Hatbox by Lyn Hancock (outdoors & nature)
111. The Sport of Queens by Dick Francis (autobiography)
112. F&SF: A Different Country/As the Day Runs Down (science fiction)
113. The Far-Out Worlds of A. E. Van Vogt by A. E. Van Vogt (science fiction)

Lists of books read in 2007 and books read in 2006 are also on my ‘blog.

Contra dancing, December 27

I took Andie to contra dancing at St. Barnabas, where we met Ian and Erin. The band was from Michigan and it was quite good. Andie danced the last dance, among others, with her father. As usual, she was the best dancer among us. I stuck to the male position as it’s confusing to keep switching and there’s always a shortage of men at the dances.

Erin was quite shy about dancing, but we eventually got her up and going. I think she enjoyed it.

I took some fairly good pictures and even a couple of videos. Unfortunately I lost them while transferring them to the computer.

Oh, yes—the Toronto Country Dancers have a new sound-mixing control panel. It looks something like the one below (minus cat).

more funny cats

Exercising for health

It’s increasingly clear that to feel good and be healthy, a person has to get some exercise.

I’m trying to add some more activities to my modest mix of swimming a couple of times a week and doing Pilates once most weeks. For one thing, I can practice Pilates exercises at home. And I can switch the swimming from 1-hour skills sessions to 1.5-hour, coached lane swims.

I would like to add regular walking and regular bike rides, at least until the snow is on the ground. By that time my walking should be jogging or running. And I can switch to an indoor bike trainer.

There’s also contra dancing about three times a month, for the price of a movie and a snack. Indeed, there are other regular opportunities for folk or country dancing.

That’s one of the things I like about Toronto: whatever you like, you can find people to do it with.

I probably won’t be keeping detailed notes here the way I do with swimming. But in the background, I hope to be working out more. I’ve made a modest start with a very slow bike ride of about 14 km (9 miles) this weekend, in the Don Valley.

Orillia Kids of Steel triathlon

We’re back from Andie’s first triathlon, a Kids of Steel tri in Orillia, Ontario. The swim was in Lake Couchiching, but in a very controlled area: a shallow beach with the course marked by buoys. No leg of the swim was more than 50 metres long, so for the 300 metre swim the older kids did 25 out, 50 across, and 25 in, with a 50-metre run to the start of the next round, for three rounds. Andie started at the back and was kicked a little by slower swimmers as she tried to poke by, so she hung back. She takes weekly lessons at the Bronze Star level and has a strong front crawl with a tendency to lift her head up to breathe.

Then it was off to the bike ride, a 5-km out-and-back that the older kids did twice.

And then there was a 3-km run, also made up of loops and partly on city bike trails. Here she is with a respectable sprint finish.

The day was much longer than we expected. We arrived about 2.5 hours early for the scheduled start, which gave plenty of time to line up for race kits, get numbered, and put Andie’s things into the transition zone. Then we found out that the only people starting then were those aged four or five years. The kids went off in waves and Andie’s group was more than two hours later than we expected. Then they sent out three age groups together so there was a big age range, 12 – 17, and a big difference in sizes.

A suggestion for next year was to let the later kids register and set up later–but I’m not sure how that would work, logistically. Still, Andie had a respectable swim, bike, run and I think she enjoyed the accomplishment.

Swimming with Andie

Swimming is one of Andie’s favourite sports. She had a weekly lesson and she likes to swim with us whenever she gets the chance.

This week we had a chance to do 45 minutes of swimming at the local community centre. We swam lengths as much as possible, which suited both of us.

Then we went back to the house and made supper. Andie’s father came over and brought a movie of The Last Unicorn, which was originally a book by Peter S. Beagle. It wasn’t bad. Then we watched Second-hand Lions on TV. So it turned out to be a real movie night.

Contra dance tonight!

The previous dance was the very successful 25th anniversary dance. It was fun but very crowded, as you can see below. There were five lines of dancers instead of the usual two or three.

We should be getting back to normal with tonight’s dance.

January 26th

Caller: Mike Jones

Mike is a member of Toronto Country Dancers. He has been calling contra dances since 1998 in southern Ontario and northern New York. He has a clear voice and good command of language. He enjoys calling a variety of dance figures and looks for good flow in the dances that he calls.

Band: The Puffins: Jamie Snider, Shelley Coopersmith, & Rose Bolton

The Puffins were formed in 2000 to perform Newfoundland fiddle music and songs, and to take advantage of their knack at spontaneously creating beautiful three part fiddle harmonies.

Their reportoire now crosses Canada; from Ukrainian dance music to Métis, Ontario Don Messer style and Québec dance

See Toronto Country Dancers for location and times.

I’ve been busy

Too busy to blog, in fact.

Tuesday night I was too tired and depressed after visiting my friend to go to the STC meeting; which is just as well because it didn’t happen.

On Wednesday, my friend called me before 8:00 a.m. to tell me about another tote or suitcase she didn’t want lost in her mess. I made a note of it. I ran errands. I waited to hear the interview results. I moved the laundry along. (It’s infinite.) I made a long list of ileo-safe foods. My friend’s “helper team:” of friends had a conference call to plan. She has a one-page list of all the things that she wants us to do to get her apartment ready for her to come home. We agreed to meet there on Thursday. I picked up her keys to make copies and measured the furniture that needs to be replaced.

Wednesday night was a Pilates lesson.

Thursday I had a second interview with my prospective client. Then I walked up to visit my friend in hospital as she was anxious that she might be moved and wanted to measure the heights of various objects in her room right now. I rushed home, had a snack, and got the keys copied and labelled them. Then I met the others at her apartment. We sorted out her clothes to find the dirty ones (ALL of them, it seems). I checked her voice mail and saved the messages. We worked for about three hours to clear away some of the mess (putting clothes into closets, recycling expired flyers). Each of us took two large bags home for washing. I also identified some clothes that she’ll never get into again, which are candidates for the thrift stores. Life was complicated by my losing the car key somewhere between the car and the apartment; the other helpers gave me a lift home. Finally, I helped another friend to study for an important test–she picked me up and I was able to unlock the car with spare keys. We had a good time studying and I met her two cats.

Friday it was swimming practice at 7:00 a.m., driving LotStreetWiz to work, and visiting my friend at hospital. I figure if the clothes are smaller than a certain size, we can get rid of them. However, she wants to make the decisions. Then I went home to do more laundry and check the STC job bank e-mail & listings. I combined trips, driving to Welland and checking my dad’s house, and meeting his friends to give them an update, then driving back to Hamilton to pick up Andie and take her back to Toronto.

Saturday it was more clothes-sorting, trying to rescue my friend’s cats, checking the STC job bank e-mail & listings, and doing laundry. I sorted all our sheets to find single sheets for my friend’s prospective new bed. I took the sheets to her apartment. On the home front, one of our kittens, I presume, brought in a very flat, dried-out squirrel carcase. In the evening I took Andie contra dancing and we had about three hours of that. ( See Toronto Country Dancers for location and times.)

This morning (Sunday), one or both of the kittens brought in a pigeon; we don’t know if they killed it or found it.

We all went to a swimming lesson. We came home for lunch and to keep moving the laundry along, including my friend’s dirty clothes. LotStreetWiz is helping Andie to shop and driving her back to Hamilton. I’m *ahem* doing dishes and more laundry.

Contra dancing, Christmas party

It’s the last contra dance of the year and everyone who remembered brought in treats. Some volunteers came early and decorated the hall with strings of lights and quantities of silver tinsel.

My son and grand-daughter came to dance and I met them there.

We all arrived in good time and the dance ran an extra half-hour, so I got as much dancing as my toes could stand. I must get more comfortable shoes–real dancing shoes, perhaps.

The band was TuneScape, I think… They were very good and came all the way from Pennsylvania to play for us.

And the caller was Judy Greenhill. She called many contra dances and a square dance; we also had a couple of waltzes.

The percussionist brought an unusual musical instrument from Sweden. It’s a kind of keyed violin.

Next dance: January 12.