Rise and Shine

6:40 am - a record unmatched in the three months and change since I rolled off a plane from Tokyo directly into the flesh-piercing depths of the infamous Ottawa winter, only to greet the then-prolonged night at the sprightly hour of 4 am. This is not really impressive by any means - back in high school (a suitably Germanic name for it) I would routinely hoist myself from betwixt my covers ragdoll-physics style around 6:30 am to make the train for band practice.

Also a first for this term: pre-work training. I've started adding weight to my squats and situps, and am adding one-legged calf raises and pistols to my routine - as far as bodyweight exercises go, the unbalanced motions are spectacular for both strength and stability.

And now for something completely different: I made a trip over to Value Village this weekend to pick up some garb such as might befit one with a taste for the piratical. I'll explain later - say, about a week from now - in lurid detail both visual and prosaic. I will remark, however, that it has proven nigh impossible to source a tricorn in Ottawa, whereas a quick perusal of the Kensington-Chinatown stretch back in Toronto would effortlessly net me my sought-after accoutrements. Oh well.