Please forgive me for my borderline ecstasy, but life in California in April is very good. The air is redolent of diverse floral scents, and the street names reflect the floral and herbal diversity of Southern California (Mimosa, Poinsettia, Ambrosia, Sassafras, etc., etc.).
I am on four weeks' holidays at Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara, and the coastal climate, though cool (about 14 degrees Celsius), is a sunny and welcome relief from the relentless winter of Northern Ontario.I am working out regularly with weights for about 90 minutes every second day, and doing aerobics probably 5 days per week.
Yesterday I bought a $73 "Next Power X" bicycle at Wal-Mart, with front and rear shock absorbers. This year's model outperforms last year's, as all 18 gears actually work.
Today I pedalled to Jimbo's supermarket and back (about 25 minutes each way, with ample hill training included!), with a load of groceries in my backpack on the way home, including a dozen Bruegger's bagels at their 2 for 1 special price! (The clerk seemed astounded that I ordered one dozen of the same kind of bagels - all onion!)
Not bad for $73 in mobility costs (a fraction of the price of a 4-week bike rental). While not a "high tech" bike, the Power X is actually extraordinarily comfortable)!If life can get better than this, I can't imagine how!
(P.S. For those who read my blog for my observations on the investment markets, I promise I will return to that topic again. It is just that the market's behaviour has been so maddening lately, I have decided to focus on other
things. Short version of my present take on gold and the gold miners: the technical (momentum) indicators now seem all to be pointed downwards, but the fundamentals strongly indicate that we should still be headed upwards, and Canadian gold stocks - particularly the juniors, remain radically oversold - unusual behaviour if this is truly a market top! To be honest, I don't even want to talk about it. It is all too tedious when there are less frustrating matters to which to divert one's attention!)1 April 2011: Well, that great little Next Power X bike is still available at Wal-Mart, but it now sells for $96. At $73, I would have bought another one (my third) for 6 weeks of bike-riding this year (about the cost of a 2-day bike rental). At $96? No, I'm not there. That is a 33% price increase over the past 3 years (too much for me!). I'm doing long walks and runs instead. Starting next week, I'm going to park the car in various interesting locations, and then take some very long walks. Today, I did the full Batiquitos Lagoon Trail at one hour - 20 minutes. A good workout and a beautiful view.
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I LOVED this post Laurence. (I'm not bright enough to follow some of your other ones, although I try - LOL)
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of you "summer", it's -7C here right now. Your new bike this year is very cool.
Yes, I keep having bursts of euphoria, and I have to pinch myself. I know this is only a "holiday," but I can certainly imagine a retirement phase where life might be like this much of the time. So little time - so much to do!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the other posts - just think like this: IL6 and IL10 are now both on your side, and the 65-week moving average is your friend!
well laurence i am glad u are having a good time. although i admit i am jealous and wish i could be there too, not only for being in california but having fun with you and mum (when she arrives) ... one day i will be back on vacation with you
ReplyDeleteHey Hilary,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we'll be able to "fit you in" for further travel opportunities. I believe we're now looking at Yukon 2009. Our gold investments haven't been very lively this past year, despite gold's almost doubling in price, so now we'll be prospecting for our own gold in the Yukon! I think you're on our Yukon invitation list in any case!