Pretty Morning and Crazy Dog

As many of you are already aware, I have a helmet cam and I take video of most of my commutes. Over time I have developed a system for dealing with lots of mostly boring footage.

 

When processing video files it is easier if they aren't too big, so I stop and start the camera as I ride to avoid massive files. The thing is, I often couldn't remember if there was anything good on the cam when I hooked it up to the computer, and was stuck either deleting files because I couldn't remember or wasting precious time watching the clips from beginning to end.

 

What I do now is this: If I've ridden for a while with nothing interesting happening, I will reach up and block the lens with my hand for a few seconds before stopping the cam. If I have seen something I want to keep, I don't block the lens and sometimes I say something to describe what is on the clip. That way when I'm at home I just skip to the end of the clip to see whether I should delete it (blocked lens) or review it.

 

Believe it or not, all of the preceding stuff is only there to explain my comments at the very end of this unedited clip from this very morning. It was the first "cold" day in a while (-10 C) and I left early enough to stretch out my ride. It was a really great commute about 45 minutes long. The clip I'm posting here will give you a taste of how nice it was...

 

 

 

  

When I compare this kind of thing to driving to work, well, um, there is no comparison at all. If you drive a car every day, you gotta try this if you can. Really. 

Have Great Weekends, All!
 Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Waverley Mansion, Rantwick's Mother's Style?

I have been away without taking my leave. I know it has left all who read this blog depressed and curious whether I have died, or at least I like to think it has. I have every intention of resuming regular posts soon, but I have been busy with something very important: moving my Mother into a retirement place here in London.

A Thunder Bay resident for the last 55 years or so, this is a big deal for my Mom, and she's embracing it as best she can. I am pleased and proud and generally emotional right now, which is another reason not to write things here, since my few readers have become accustomed to my diamond hard, analytical mind of super scientific exactitude. I can say, without tearing up, that I am super happy that my Mom is now in the same city as my family and that of my sister's.

She is moving into a place that is about 4 blocks from my house and has recently gained some youtube notoriety, Waverley Mansion.


There's the Christmas Song:

And what started all the kooky fame, "Call Me Maybe":

Or their latest release, "Gangnam Style":

My Mom is in none of the preceding videos, being a new arrival, but has expressed an interest in being in the next one. I never ever ever ever would have predicted that. Which is awesome.

Rock On, Mom.

R A N T W I C K