Tanzania Update from a Winter Wonderland

      As we countdown the days to Tanzania we thought we would check in with all our followers. We've booked the flights, been each jabbed 4 times with the shots...not fun and now our thoughts turn to how we can make the days fly by faster.

The view from our kitchen window

      While we've been focused on getting things sorted for our January mission, we seem to have missed the memo that the world has shifted off it's axis...Vancouver is now Ontario as evident from the strange, cold, white stuff that has covered the entire city. It is actually a gorgeous winter wonderland and I (Jill) am squealing with Christmas excitement! However, as we mentioned in a previous blog, some Vancouver drivers are, well..below par to put it nicely, and horrible to put it accurately, and imagine what they are like when you add slippery white snow to the streets...you get DISASTROUS!!!!  I learned this on my morning commute this morning. Before I describe the series of events, I must pass some of the blame off on the city of Vancouver for owning only 2 snowploughs...and not purchasing salt or sand (the salt they do buy is like this weird bally stuff that they leave in large piles sporadically along the sidewalks...not effective either).

       I began my drive, dropping Duncan off and heading out 4th avenue. I turned up Oak street as always, then quickly realized that this hill was NOT a good idea given it had not been cleared yet this morning. So I just tucked into a little parking garage entrance to turn around when.... Down comes the little silver Yaris spinning and sliding straight into a large parked truck. She smashes into the back of it, breaking her window and squishing her driverside door in and her dashboard gets warped, luckily she is alright. A french bicyclist (that's how hardcore the Vancouver bikers are, they have the same motto as the postman, "neither rain nor snow..") and I come over and help her. All these people are standing on the road...taking photos, watching other cars as they slip..no one seemed to think that they might be the next target. We called up the tow truck, which on a side note, I think this is the business to invest in since when they aren't towing parked cars, they are towing from accidents and snow induced crashes, and we get her all sorted out. The best part though was what happened while I was with her:
- 2 SUVs turn and begin to rev all the way up the hill, spinning their tires, but they make it.
- 3 cars turn realize like me that this isn't a good idea, control slip turn their cars around and slide into the busy street below, luckily everyone slips in without any more crashes. Probably thanks to the well broken in horns.
- the icing on the cake was the massive SUV that turned up Oak street, starts to rev and spin the wheels, gets a 1/4 of the way up before slide/turning into the lane way and then...oops right into the telephone pole he goes!

Some call it a disaster, I call it Vancouver on a snowy day.

The Final Grinds!! #24 and #25 - Wrapping it UP!

Hey Everyone!! Apologies for the delay for our Final Post as we've had family visiting and been getting things ready for Tanzania! This is our last Grind post although check it every once in a while as we plan on keeping you updated on Tanzania. We'll also be sure to fill you all in upon our return and let you know how the mission you made possible came together! Thanks for following and being some of 1700 visits to our blog page so far!!

Sponsorship Shoutout!

               The final sponsorship shoutout goes to out to Duncan’s family. Firstly, my parents: Connie Corbett and Monty Bourke. Many of you who know them know that they’re great people with big hearts and a love for traveling, helping people and working/volunteering in their community (and soon abroad). They’ve always been incredibly supportive of everything that we’ve done and I don’t know what we’d do without them. Now, I’ve hinted at my rascalness as a kid but to really give you an idea of what they put up with I have to tell you that for the first five years of my life I thought my name was “DUNCAN!!”. That’s just what people called me. At daycare: “DUNCAN! Stop licking the metal railing, it’s January!”. At home: “DUNCAN! Don’t wake your brother up by jumping on his head!”. At school: “DUNCAN! How did you get on the roof?” At the cottage: “DUNCAN!!! Go unlock your grandmother from the barn, there’re wasps in there!!”  (All true). I was sitting in my grade 2 class on the first day and my name was called by my teacher Ms. Henry: “Duncan?” (no response)… “Duncan Bourke?!” (nothing)… “DUNCAN!!”, “HEEEEEEEEEEERE!” I’d reply.

Robin, Monty, Connie and Duncan in front of one of Duncan's projects

          My mother Connie had a long career as a social worker in Kingston and encouraged me to volunteer at St Mary’s of the Lake Hospital when I was in high school. I was an exercise instructor for people in wheelchairs which I wholeheartedly enjoyed as much as anyone in the group. This was my first real volunteering experience and watching the patients smile and laugh gave me a feeling of accomplishment I remember to this today and look forward to again in Tanzania. Her selflessness throughout her life has inspired me, and for that I thank you Mom. This almost rivals her unreal ability to bake incredibly perfect cookies and muffins as well as addictive lemonade that some people love so much they even drink the syrup straight (ahem… Hamish).

                My father Monty had a long and at times very challenging career in Corrections and has always had a strong sense of community and civil service. A public servant of over 35 years he built a successful career based on ethics and encountered endless high-stress situations which he navigated astonishingly well. Perhaps though, his true calling has come in retirement where his fondness for fireworks has created the nickname “Rocketman” around the cottage.

Duncan and Robin in YK

                A massive thanks to my brother Robin, who’s always been good to us and supported us all the way. Growing up he was the best older brother you could ask for and a great role model although he still managed to help pave the way (a little) for “DUNCAN!!”. Many of his friends have become good friends of mine over the years and they’ve been incredibly supportive to us and for that we thank you all! His latest pet project is a HD video that he shot while on a 1700km canoe trip down the Mackenzie River from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean with his our good friend Adam Woogh this past summer. Get ready for a screening in Ktown over the holidays the footage we’ve seen so far is unreal! 

                My cousins Hamish, Nikki, Casey, Emma and Cleo thanks for all of your support you’ve been awesome! As of the past few weeks we’ve officially tipped the balance scales of cousins to the West Coast. Jamie, Vaughan, Cathi, Tom, Linda, Beth, Phileen and Dan you guys all rock, we’re thinking about you and we’re so fortunate to call you all family.

                 Bill and Nancy, Jane and Don, you’ve been great to us since we moved out here and it makes a huge difference to have people like you here so thanks for everything you’ve done. Bill and Nancy, please try and invite someone else to the Christmas caroling party that was born in July… I always end up being the lone “seven swans a swimming”, which we all agree isn’t good for anyone. This is coming from the (short-lived) choirboy who at age 8 his parents were asked by the choirmaster “to have a doctor check out his throat”. Apparently you can’t technically be asked to leave the voluntary choir. Anne and ‘Richard’ we truly appreciate the donation as well as the feasts you lay out for us when invited over! Are either of you born in July? Shelagh and Michael, thank you so much and it was fantastic seeing you at the wedding and we hope to see David, Tim and Sarah before too long.

                Thank you to David and Laura Tripp, who traveled to Sudan in 2008 to volunteer there and have experienced firsthand the ability to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

                My family has been very supportive throughout this and we’re lucky to have you all… Thank you.

Grind #24 - Friday October 29th - The calm before the storm

Grind time: 48:48

 

         Friday night we had Monty and Connie in town so the goal was get there quickly, get up quickly and get home for a yummy late night dinner (quickly). So that’s exactly what we did. Up in 48:48 we held a brisk pace knowing we’d be doing it the next morning again. We spent maybe a minute on the top before coming down, running to the car and racing home! It was a good grind, fairly uneventful as there seems to be fewer and fewer people with each assent. Likely due to the risk of snow on the top these days... Great news for us skiers and boarders! After a delicious meal with the folks, we all crashed in preparation for tomorrow’s final push...

Grind #25 - Saturday October 30th - WRAPPING IT UP!!

Celebrity Guests: Monty, Connie, Jane and Don

7 Grinds!! Wait, no... 25 Grinds!!!

The day of our last Grind was perfect weatherwise. It was a cool, crisp, sunny day and we were pumped to wrap it up. Duncan’s folks were out and Dad decided to join us for the final ascent while Mom was going to save herself for their trip to Peru and take the Tram up. Dad, a previous Grinder, knew what he was getting himself into and, according to Mom, declared as he woke up that “he’d agreed to do the Granville Island Blue Parrot Coffee House Grind then Grouse Grind”. Though he attempted to claim senility we reminded him of his commitment and by the time he and Mom reached our place he was "enthusiastic". In fact, we were all enthusiastic (everyone being Dad, Jill and I). Well everyone except for Jill. If you’re one of the millions of consistent followers of our blog you would know that Jill missed a Grind this week and needed to make it up. So, naturally, we figured Jill would just do 2 on the last day (no big deal). This was the obvious source of Jill’s lack of enthusiasm. Mom’s cousin Jane Jardine and her husband Don (an experienced Grinder and North Shore Search and Rescue Volunteer) were glad to come along though the Grind to them is similar to a walk from the couch to the refrigerator. I always thought that was a funny stat that health units would release to the public about how the average Canadian walks about ten miles between their couch and refrigerator every year. I feel as though the only thing that ended up doing was cause people to move their refrigerator to next to their couch. 

We arrived and went our separate ways as we sent Mom up the Tram, Jill ran ahead for her double espresso grind and Dad, Jane and Don and I began my final ascent. Here’s a riddle for you: who made it up the mountain first? If you answered “c”, you’d be wrong, that’s not even an option. The correct answer is Jill! As we ascended we started noticing more and more people coming down the Grind, which was not only rare but prohibited as the technical nature of the descent often results in injuries. Finally someone informed us that the Tram was broken and there was a two-and-a-half-hour wait! We wondered if Mom had made it on to the Tram and how far she'd gotten.

Duncan and Monty at the top

               Between the ½ and ¾ mark we saw a recognizable pink blur running down the mountain that, in Jill’s cute voice, told us that she had decided to run down as there was no way she was going to get on the tram. So, on her final Grind the only way we could reach our goal would be if she ran up, down and back up again! For me, it was great hanging out with Dad, an avid trekker and traveler and we reached the peak in impressive time! Don and Jane headed back down knowing full well they didn’t want to wait for the Tram and we said goodbye and thanked them for their support and company. We found Mom who informed us that she had been stuck in the Gondola for 45 minutes a painful 10 metres from the top! With Jill still Grinding we thought “Well what do we do now? I guess we’ll have to go have a beer and lunch at the restaurant…shucks”  I did the math and as I spent time with Mom and Dad catching up and talking about our trails (yes, trails) and tribulations over the last six weeks I attempted to do the math as to when Jill would be done.  I thought about when we last saw her, figured out when I thought she’d summit and then subtracted 15 minutes knowing full well that I would, understandably, be resting my sore muscles on the couch tonight if I wasn’t there to meet her when she finished her second Grind of the Day. Third if you count the fact that she descended too, which I do as it’s way more painful (though for you supporters it’s on the house! Buy 25 ascents get one descent free!). As I made my way down to the finish point she had, luckily for me and my non-couch friendly physique, just arrived! She did two Grinds (not including her descent) in one hour and twenty four minutes!

To put that in perspective that’s what many people of average fitness do it in once. I gave her a huge hug and she almost collapsed as we walked up to the restaurant to meet my folks. We had a great meal overlooking Vancouver, English Bay and Vancouver Island and couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up such an incredible adventure. By the time we were finished they had fired up the post-second world war constructed Tram and the line had died down considerably. We headed down and decided it was time to celebrate.

Now that the easy part is done... we'll keep you posted as the mission comes together and our time in Tanzania with Prevention Through Empowerment. We're incredibly excited and hope to make a difference providing those in need with the resources to become self-reliant and sustainable.

Grinds 22 and 23 - Murphy's Law and Shattered Records!!

Sponsorship Shoutout!

        Though technically we've completed our Grinding we've got a bunch more to write about and lots of people to thank! Soooo we're going to post 22 and 23 and then wrap up the blog in the next few days with a look back at what we've done as well as a preview to what's in store in January. We really want to make sure everyone who's supported us gets recognized so here go some more shoutouts!!
 
        Brendan and Karin, thanks again for your support you guys are amazing. Also, have you guys thought about having another wedding? What a party! Just go for it, Karin you can wear your poofy dress and we'll generously feed both your and Brendan's Dad Scotch (from their own open bar). Karin, hope you don't mind but I'm going to share an excerpt from your Dad's father of the bride speech (picture this in a Mike Myers like Scottish accent, apologies if it's a little different I pieced it together): "When Karin was a lass and she started bringing boys around as a father I was pretty judgmental as no one was ever good enough for our girl. Then she brought this lad around who was smart, funny, well-mannered, good-looking and great all around.... then they split-up! And then we met Brendan...". Amazing. Looking forward to seeing you guys next month!

Jill, Dunc, Will, Brendan and Karin!

        Cat Fuller! Fellow KICer, KCVIer, DALer and amazing girl in general. We always love to see you and it's not enough seeing you a couple of times a year though we always make the most of it. Can't wait for another one at Christmas.

           Pam Armstrong, the pretty face of StructureCraft Builders! Thanks for your support and positive attitude all around it's nice to see someone smiling around the SCB Office! It's been great getting to know you, see you Wednesday!

          Carly Yealland! It was great to hear from you and you were one of the one's who got on to our blog through facebook and generously offered to sponsor us. We're lucky to have you as a friend and can't wait to see you again soon!

         Mike and Megan, aka Paper Bag Princess and Roberto Alomar. It's been a blast getting to know you guys over the last little while and we look forward to many more adventures ahead! 

     Golder Yellowknife office!! A few of my brother's coworkers were generous enough to donate which was a wonderful surprise. We were really impressed and overjoyed with your support. Thanks to Dawn, Joel, Hilary, Craig, Jamison, and of course Megan and Kevin. Thanks to Robin for being our Yellowknife promoter! Look forward to hanging out with you all when we're up next Easter!

        Jane, another fellow celebrator on that Golden day at the end of the Olympics and another Brad Johner diehard fan! Thanks a ton for thinking of us and helping us out!

        Mike Tranmer, thanks for the vancam.ca shoutout and the support brother, we're looking forward to some riding this winter so we hope to see you out!

       Waywell, I hope you're enjoying yourself in South America my friend, if you see my folks in Peru have a beer with them, on me. Did you say 88,242 Colombian Pesos or Mexican Pesos? I can't remember, I'll just assume it's Mexican Pesos, which is about $7200 CDN. Don't worry, you'll get a tax receipt! Safe and Happy travels brother from both of us!

Kingston Boys Treeplanting '05 - Waywell, Bryn, Noah, Dunc

         Bryn and Ryah, thanks again for the thanksgiving hospitality. We hope you framed that giant prehistoric drumstick from that "Turkey" we ate. We'll be back to visit soon, your place is far too nice to avoid. Oh, and Bryn, stop practicing that behind the tree left handed wrap around shot on your basketball net, I made that up so you can't use that one in HORSE next time I'm there. Come see us in the big city anytime.

        It was great to hear from Daryl Tremain and Stephen Bonnycastle, parents of my good buddy Will Bonncastle who I've known forever. They also coached our soccer team on the Winston Wildcats when I was quite young and it's been good getting back in touch with them. This experience has been wonderful for rekindling old friendships like this.

             Ali "SuperNintendo" Chalmers! Thanks for supporting us you've been great to us including allowing both of us to crash on your floor while trying to find a place (or just living out here!). We'll see you soon I'm sure, probably the next time the Leafs annihilate the Habs!

CANADA WINS! Clockwise from Dunc: Robin, Brad, Andrew, Nat, Anthony, Danica, Jane, Morgan, Ash, Jill and Ali!

          Danica and Steph, it was awesome hanging out with you at Arcade Fire! Thanks for helping us reach our goal and Steph, don't be afraid to bring John along, we miss him. Okay, I miss him. So let us know the next time you're in town!
       
         Will and Heather, thanks for your help! Will, thanks a ton for joining us for one of our Grinds and for your very unmolasses-like pace!

         Mark! Another Edward St. boy and the man with the hardest Foosball shot I've ever seen, or should I say heard? It's great to hear from you man and hope you'll be able to join us in Kingston at some point over the holidays. We love you man.

Rememberton Pemberton?

         Dave, our great friend on the East Coast. From Pemberton to Whistler, good times and tough, we've all been through a ton. We love you brother and must see you soon, one way or another! Also, thanks for all the award-winning Hallowe'en costume ideas I've stolen from you over the years, I'll send you a funnel cake the next chance I get.

        Scott Tyldesley, thank you for being a great mentor and teacher. Thank you to you, Karen, Katie and Will for the support with our climbing!

       Miss Ashley, thank you for your support from the North as well! Best of luck with the singing and dancing, we're sure you're the star of the show!



Grind #22 - Wednesday October 27th - Murphy's Law
Grind time: 42:40 (Duncan only)

Look at the hikers, it's uncanny! No Duncan/Jill's permitted

          We arrived at the base of Grouse on Monday in a torrential downpour and it was bittersweet. We saw at the gate that there was a closure sign warning hikers of mudslides, loose footing, falling limbs and weather-induced squirrel psychosis (the tipping point). Even around the side where we typically have to sneak (as the grind closes early these days) had the sign up meaning they meant business. A roller coaster of emotions ran over us. The first emotion was relief as it was raining insanely hard and at such times the Grind path becomes a natural waterslide in some places and Duncan didn't bring his waterwings. The second emotion was concern for being unable to reach our goal of 25 Grinds in time which would put us within reaching distance of covering the money we wanted to raise for Tanzania. The third emotion was awesomeness as we knew that with these temperatures and this amount of precipitation you know what they say in Vancouver (all the time): "If it's raining in the city, it's snowing in the mountains!". We headed back to our place hoping that it would subside in time for us to make our final push by the end of the week!

The Lions back to their Snowy form

         Sure enough, Wednesday morning the sky was blue and the peaks were white and the lovely La Nina had made her first appearance of the season, hopefully with many more to follow. We arrived at the base and we quickly realized that in a mad dash out the door Jill had forgotten her shoes. Hey 24 out of 25 ain't bad! To be honest given the hours that we work Jill has been amazing through this, she often gets all our stuff together, picks me up from work with all the gear, full water bottles and two sets of clothes. With my record, I predict I would be batting about .500 right now and would have done the hike in my flipflops at least 5 times (wouldn't be the first time... ahem, Bear Mountain hike on Harrison Lake). We debated the options and despite insistence by Jill that her flipflops had "great ankle support" and "perfect traction", Jill ended up taking the Tram up. She tip-toed around the snowy peak as Duncan enjoyed a cool Grind up, for the first time not feeling like his head was stuck in a sauna wrapped in hot towels. He set a personal record that Jill was sure to shatter. We took some photos of Duncan enjoying the delicious freshly fallen snow... and then proceeding to get a wicked brainfreeze. It didn't go perfectly, but it went and it looked as though Murphy's Law was starting to kick in just as we were trying to make our final push.

Grind #21- Sunday October 21st -
Grind times: Jill (40:02 - Daaaaaaaaamn!) Duncan 43:47

         Today was another pretty miserable day though we remembered all of our stuff so we had that going for us! Duncan felt pretty wiped from his record setting day yesterday (no big deal), but Jill was itching to go (and let's be Frank, wanted to pulverize Duncan's record from the day before). So off we went at a record setting pace, though Duncan quickly realized that to keep up with the determined Jill would likely result in a pulled muscle. So, like a cheesy Hollywood movie, Duncan yelled up to Jill in a dramatic fashion as the rain poured down his face, covering his tears of pain: "Jill, I can't do it, I think I pulled something... Here... take my phone (for timing). Beat my record! I believe in you! If you never see me again know that it wasn't... your... fault, and I'll always Love you." with what he thought might be his last breath. "Okay!!" Jill replied cheerily as she took the phone and ran up the mountain.

           Okay, it wasn't quite that dramatic... Jill did go ahead as we were both curious what kind of time she could post without hot-towel sauna-head slowing her down! She killed our previous time with a tragic 40:02, though Jill rightfully blames that extra two seconds on my "poor phone handover". Hey, just another record to beat for next time.

Twilight in Vancouver from Grouse Mountain