Yes, I certainly have considered the benefits of a bit of extra insulation, and have actually put in some effort toward that goal in past winters.  Unfortunately I have discovered that putting on fat is something that I am bad at (and should probably revise FAQ #2 to reflect this).

Added benefits would include extra flotation and insulation while swimming, which is another thing that I am bad at and would greatly like to improve.

This year, unfortunately, I am far too busy with other things to put in any time toward gaining weight.  Between the kayaking on Monday nights, occasional climbing at the gym, ice climbing in St. Boniface, and training for the Ice Bike race, I simply don`t have time.  So I suppose gaining weight will have to wait until next year...

But first, how a didgeridoo qualifies as a musical instrument.  A didgeridoo, although simple, and weird looking, and weird sounding, is capable of making a variety of noises. And although the noises may not always sound very pleasant, and certainly don't fit into the regular western Diatonic scale, we cannot dismiss the sounds as non-musical and dismiss it as a musical instrument.

Two other reasons to consider it a musical instrument are that dictionary.com said that it is one: "a musical instrument of Australian Aborigines...", and, more importantly, I think it is one.

It also makes some really cool noises: http://www.didgeridoostore.com/soundsrhythms.html 

So, as for the long awaited stage name for Rease Larson, when it finally came to me, it was very obvious and I wondered how it could have taken me so long to see it, when it was obviously meant to be his. It would be Leigh Rubenstein. That's it.

Rease, if you ever get into acting and decide to start using that, give me a call. 

And, in no way related to that, my closest brush with death on the streets of Winnipeg was probably a year and a half ago (summer). I was biking home from work, coming up Osborne at a good clip, just about at Jubilee Ave., when a minivan approached from a side street to merge onto the road.  It stopped politely at the stop sign and I glanced up to see if the driver would check left and see me.  He didn't.  And right about the time I started thinking "this guy is going to merge right into me" - he did, and I was going much too fast to stop for him.  So I swerved, and narrowly avoided (about 30cm of space) ploughing into his left fender.

I glared back, and he was apologetic enough to pull over, aware of his mistake, but the incident made me mad, which has the side-effect of making me bike faster, so I didn't stop, and ultimately just got home sooner that day. 

However, if you're focusing on the spectacular beauty surrounding any of those areas, the pristine beaches that you belay from (Ha Long Bay, and Krabi), the magnificent karst formations (Vang Vieng), the ideal December temperatures (30-35 C), or the fact that you can watch monkeys in the trees while you climb (Krabi), then the ratings go up considerably.  In the end, I'd have to give Ha Long Bay and Vang Vieng both 8.5, and Krabi 9.5 (for having more climbs available).

If you're looking for a good place to climb, I'd definitely recommend them.

Absolute best northern lights #1:

July 2000 

I saw them from a sandy beach on the shores of Wiliston Lake, B.C. (the lake formed behind the WAC Bennett Dam), somewhere along the southern arm of the lake, about an hour (on logging roads) north of Mackenzie.  It was the last day of treeplanting for the season, everyone was overjoyed at being done for another year, and ready to party :).  The evening started off with skits from various groups within the camp poking fun by mimicking other people in the camp (mostly the foremen) in hilarious caricatures of their daily activities.  As darkness encroached, we were privileged to watch a fire dancing show by one of the multi-talented planters.  Soon the 15-foot-high stack of firewood was lit, and a roaring bonfire illuminated the remainder of the night.  After the wood fired sauna died down we sat in the sand, following the sparks with our eyes as they flew up, where they joined the most fantastic aerial light display ever.  Green spirals of light, swirling and twisting around each other, then streaking out across the sky, occasionally erupting onto red and yellow bursts.  A fireworks display from God, contributing a spectacular finale to an almost perfect day.

Absolute best northern lights #2:

September 2005

These lights I saw from Ontario, camping on the shore of Blue Lake.  The weather was perfect, the night was clear, and the mosquitoes (unusually) were non-existent.  At least 10 people, out of the 20 or so in our riotously fun camping group, spent the night on a tarp under the stars to enjoy the night sky.  The stars were crisp and fantastic, but just before they lulled us to sleep, they were joined by the absolute best (#2) northern lights I've ever seen.  It wasn't the bright, colourful and distinct lights described above.  Rather, it was a thinly spread layer of light, covering the entire visible sky (and when I say the entire sky, I mean the entire sky).  Brighter (but still not too bright) waves would ripple swiftly across the sky, back and forth, causing the entire sky to pulsate with shifting degrees of light (did I mention that it covered the entire sky?), and so close that you wouldn't dare reach out a finger, for fear of disturbing the delicate waves.

Anyway, it was a magical way to fall asleep, mingling seamlessly with the ensuing dreams, and nearly as difficult to believe the next morning after they had passed, if not for the 9 concurrent witnesses to their existence.

Anyway, I'm going to assume the latter,  and choose Kathmandu, Nepal as the location for my stranding (is that the correct present continuous tense for "stranded"?), just because I've always wanted to go there.

And the item I would chose to have with me would be my credit card, as it would allow me to purchase the necessary ingredients to do some climbing or trekking in the area, maybe climb to Everest base camp, and eventually, of course, unstrand myself.

Oh wait, I've just described my trip to Nepal next fall.  Oh well... 

I think my next favorite colour will be blue, or maybe white...

When I'm outside, the snow is flying,
it's minus 40 and I'd be dying,
the warmth of down is really great,
those feathers I appreciate.

My fingers would be stiff, I fear,
dexterity would disappear,
except for warmth found in the form
of mittens, down filled, soft and warm.

And when the sun has gone to bed
and stars shine brightly, overhead,
I would not sleep (or worse, not wake)
if my down bag I could not take.

My feet, how happy they can feel
when after hiking I can peel
my socks and boots off, and replace
them with down booties (they're just ace!)

Now when it drops a few degrees,
tomato plants begin to freeze,
I can't help but anticipate
my down jacket, I can't wait!

They can't drive up beside the next person at the lights and inquire how their day is going, the way cyclists can.  They can't hear the birds singing, feel a cool breeze, or in any way experience the beauty of the day around them.

The only thing they can do is honk their horns, or make rude gestures, both of which simply spread their frustration to others.  It's like a newborn baby that can only cry to make its needs known.

And when they are frustrated, they can't even release it by physically pushing themselves extra hard. It simply builds up until they have a heart attack, or, in anger, do something stupid behind the wheel.

When you look at it, it's fairly clear why driving  a car makes a person unhappy. 

Avoid it all, bike to work :)

Millions of ocean creatures, large and small, swim to their feeding grounds each day, where they consume food. Their bodies expand as they eat, displacing large quantities of water, and causing the ocean levels to rise in that area.

At the end of their feeding period they leave, allowing the water levels to return to normal. And  they return to their nocturnal dwellings, where they defecate, displacing water in that area and causing water levels to rise in that location instead.

Some myths claim that gravity from the moon causes tides, but at 384,403 km from earth, that is clearly an unreasonable theory.

So right now I would have to say its my Wilderness Systems Tempest 165. At 57 lbs. its a bit heavy, but it sure cruises nicely once its in the water.

By the way, I ride aluminum and I love it, but I still still think I'd like steel better.