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martin
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Homepage: http://martin.eclecticblogs.ca
Posts by martin
Weather Conspiracy
Jan 5th
How many of you pay attention to the weekly weather forecasts in your area? In the Arctic, we look at the upcoming weather regularly as it dictates what we can plan for the week. At least in the winter this is important. I mean, who wants to go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in -40° weather when they can wait a couple of days until it warms up to -35° C?
On Sunday when MasterMaq and Sharon Y. were preparing to leave Yellowknife I checked the weather forecast both for Edmonton, where they live and were headed back to, and Yellowknife (#yzf for you Twitter people), where they had been visiting us for a week. Their trip to Yellowknife started off with some modest -20° C temperatures the first 2 days which allowed them to go dog sledding but it quickly turned colder and they were forced to endure -30° C or colder weather for the better part of their visit.
So, Environment Canada’s weatheroffice website showed that Edmonton was supposed to get warmer with highs reaching 0° C by Saturday the 9th. The site also showed that Yellowknife was also supposed to get to 0° C by Saturday. For the north, that would be a big bonus considering we are just starting our coldest part of the year. In fact they list the warming trend that is supposed to start tomorrow as an “abnormal temperature trend”. Checking the website again last night I noticed that the forecast had changed and was now showing -10° C as the high for Saturday. This morning I checked the weather forecast again and now it is showing -14° C as the high. I am starting to feel that by Saturday we will just get our normal temperatures.
I have noticed this type of forecasting in the winter before. It’s almost like they are trying to pull a cruel joke on us northerners. Or maybe, just maybe, the GNWT is conspiring with EC to inflate longer term weather forecasts. The reason you ask? Simple!
There are 2 reasons. The first is they want it to look warmer to entice visitors to the north. Yellowknife especially has a large visitor boom in the winter as people flock from every imaginable place to see the northern lights (Aurora Borealis). Yellowknife is known around the world as a great place to view this phenomenon (although MasterMaq and Sharon Y. would disagree as they had clear weather every night here and didn’t see them once). The second reason is to play mind games with those of us who live in the north. Many look at the temperatures and start to think of leaving, either for warm vacations or moving to warmer climes but when we see that it is warming up those thoughts are put on the back burner until the next time those forecasts drop.
The funny thing is how this always seems to happen around the same time every year which is why it seems like a conspiracy.
UPDATE: As of Thursday, January 7th, 2010 the forecast for Yellowknife this Saturday is -19° C. I guess I was right after all.
Technorati Tags: weather – weather forecast – temperatures – Yellowknife – winter – Environment Canada
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Pedometer + Walking = Less Chance of Diabetes
Jan 4th
I found this article today when I was reading and I must say that I totally agree.
When I found out that I had diabetes 18 months ago there were 2 things I purchased to help me out. One was a scale. No not a weight scale as you might think but a kitchen scale so I could keep track of everything that I put in my mouth. The second was a pedometer.
The pedometer was a valuable piece of my equipment in losing weight and controlling my sugar levels. Putting a pedometer in my pocket made me more cognizant of the amount of activity I was doing every day. While I didn’t (or still don’t) actually hit the 10,000 suggested steps every day I am aware of when I need to do some additional walking because I have had a long day sitting in the office. One thing we are told by the doctor and nutritionist when you are diagnosed with diabetes is that exercise will help to reduce the sugar level and any level of exercise is better than none. Just know how much walking you are doing in a day has helped me and the pedometer is one of the tools you can use.
The pedometer I purchased was Omron HJ-720ITC USB Pocket Pedometer and is one that can be but doesn’t need to be clipped to your waist. This one will work fine in your pocket so no one even knows you are using one. This is one simple tool that works and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a simple way to make sure you are getting some exercise, looking to help with fighting diabetes or other health issues that can be helped with exercise or even if you are just interested in how much you walk every day.
When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no "I’ll start tomorrow." Tomorrow is disease. ~V.L. Allineare
Technorati Tags: pedometer – omron – weight loss – health issues – diabetes – exercise
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Health Update
Jan 3rd
Those of you who have followed me in the past know that 18 months ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and a cholesterol problem. For those of you who that don’t know the story you can read my archives.
I went for my 18 month check-up last month and continued to have solved the issues. My A1C started at a reading of 17.6mmol/l in May 2008 and for the third consecutive test my A1C was down to a normal reading, this time 5.6mmol/l. This is especially good because it is also first test without having taken any diabetes medicines since the last test. Hopefully I have changed my diet and solved the problem.
My blood pressure was also a concern with my initial reading being 152/113 and again for the third straight appointment my numbers were normal, this time it was 120/80.
I will find out in May if my cholesterol is still in a good range as it was last May after only 1 year of changing my diet.
The other benefit to changing my diet is my overall health. I have lost 80 pounds and have kept this off for almost a year now. I had to purchase 2 or 3 sets of clothes on the way down as I lost between 10 and 12 inches around my waist. I will admit that now I have lost the weight I feel I have more energy and I am able to move around a lot better. I also wonder why it took a health issue to make me smarten up. Better late than never I guess.
So, over the last 18 months I have done a lot of work to figure out what works and what doesn’t for me and if anyone is ever interested, I am always around to give my thoughts or share ideas on what worked for me. Some of my future posts will most definitely be on some of my ideas.
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Return from Hiatus
Jan 2nd
Well, after 7 months off from writing on my blog, I decided it was time to get back to posting. I have had several things to say in the last few months but didn’t really have the gumption to write. I don’t know why but it was one of those things I think all those who enjoy writing go through (except for MasterMaq of course). The beginning of a new year seemed like the right time to start it back up.
Having said that, if you want to take a look at my prior years posts you can go to my archives (listed in the right hand column) or you can start fresh with me this year.
So I would like to start this year off wishing everyone a happy, safe and prosperous 2010. I would like to share a couple of my favorite new years quotes with you to get you going:
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan
So are you an optimist or a pessimist? I am always an optimist.
New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~Mark Twain
What resolutions did you make and is this the first year you have made them? If you have made them before then why did you fail the last time? I am curious as to why people fail at their resolutions.
