Can't believe August is almost finished. Though I am a little bit happy because it has been sooooo hot!!!  As usual, we have been so busy and I have computer problems at the moment. Computers, sometimes you love them and sometimes you want to throw them out the window!!!

      It was my holiday week last week but somehow  I managed to squeeze in a beginners camp with 6 great participants.  Thanks Sakiko for getting that organized. It took place in Aokiko Ski hill and we used our course again.  We had a hot day ending with a great refreshing swim in the lake.  I was very proud because all of them rode the teeter totter, and for first time riders that is quite a feat!!!  Great job guys!! (Pictures here)

     The rest of my holiday was spent riding, building the course, swimming in the lake, eating and drinking great food.  Did get a skinny dip in under the moon light as well.  I felt bad because Kouji had to work so hard while I was holidaying.  It was super busy in Hakuba and the boys worked from dawn to dusk everyday.  Can't complain business wise though.  It is good to see Hakuba is attracting families and sport enthusiasts over the summer vacation. 

     Our last weekend was spent at Nozawa Onsen racing in the Downhill Marathon.  this was Kouji and my first time to enter this kind of race.  Boy were we in for a surprise.  Over 500 participants all mass starting at the same time to race down the hill which took me 16 minutes.  It was a crazy experience especially when some guy hit me from behind, locked my handle bars and then crashed big on the side lines.  My life flashed before my eyes.  I am very happy to have survived this race in one piece.  The course was too dangerous in my opinion, but a pro rider made it here in Japan and said it was fun????  MMMM, no comment about the politics of making a decent course over here in Japan.   

     Besides winning the women's event, my biggest highlight was meeting Rene Wildhaber.  He is the world's top ranked DH avalanche racer.  He does these crazy races all over the world and usually wins.  It was great to meet him and hear about his race experiences.   I must mention the real winner of the weekend, as well.  Kouji actually came from behind and beat my time by 10 seconds.  My start was 56 and he was 108, great going Koji!!   I better watch out because there may be a new downhiller born in our family, hee, hee!!!! Until next update, enjoy!!!! (More pictures here)

  Where to begin??  I guess I will start from the 6th of August.  On the 6th and 7th Sweet Riders coached the Japanese Mountain Bike Association Junior Riders for half a day respectively.  We had twenty kids on the 6th and thirty-five on the 7th.  The kids were great and so full of surprises.  Their balance skills were so amazing, every single one of them rode the see-saw!!!  Both days were scorching hot, so we had to keep well hydrated and took plenty of breaks in the shade.

Check out the pictures here!!

     The very next day we were up at the crack of dawn to head down to Shibata Farm, near Osaka.  We had another Sweet Riders/Cannondale Cup Event there on Sunday.  I thought it was hot in Hakuba but holy frying cows, it was worse in Osaka.  I think part of my brain melted down there.  It was our first clinic in the Kansai area and we had a solo participant.  Jun was a great sport and fast learner.  There were lots of people at the event and hopefully they will be signing up for our next Kansai clinic in October!!

Kansai pictures here!

      After the eight hour drive back home Sunday evening, I took Monday off and ended up working on our Aokiko trail.  Kouji had to work, and was pretty beat.  Tuesday, I rounded up my good buddy Matt and we spent another full day of building a super log ride stunt.  It took me a while to build up the courage to ride it but in the end, I did just that and it was a great way to end the hard working day!!!   Aokiko playground is getting better and better.  For those who want some North Shore style riding, you better get out there !!! (www.aokiko.net)  Fun, fun, FUNNNNN!! (Picture link is above) Gotta get back to my regular work schedule, more soon. K.

Have some good news to report!  Kouji came in 6th in last weekend's JCF XC in San Osaka.  His best result yet.  Way to go hon!  His racing partner of last week's race also did well.  Mark Parker came in 2nd in his class.  Another job well done.  Unfortunately, I caught an ear infection and couldn't race.  Boy was I bummed!!!

     I went to Tokyo last Wednesday for some sponsor meetings and it was like a sauna outside and a freezer inside.  Hot and cold, I really hate air conditioners, I think they are to blame for my illness.  (Would like to think so anyway).  Grrrr, so I had to sit out over the weekend and rest.  Got to watch a few movies and read a book.  I tried to tell myself to look forward to the next race.  So that is what I am doing.

     In a couple of days, Sweet Riders will teach some Japanese junior riders a clinic and then on the weekend we head down to Osaka for our first Kansai clinic.  We still have space available, so book soon!!!  I look forward to getting back at it and also want to celebrate the fact that Monday was my last day of teaching at the University.  We are officially on summer break, yippeeeee!!!  However, my grading is not done yet.  Once that is over I can really relax.  Better get to it!!! Then let the summer begin!!!!K.

  WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS......Yeah!!  We scored real big this past weekend.  After much debate about whether to actually attend this race or not, we were sure happy that we finally decided to go!  Two days before the race, there was a local disaster in the area due to heavy rains and floods.  There were deaths (our deepest condolences to those families that lost loved ones), road closures, train cancellations, etc, and we weren't sure we wanted any part of it.  Race morning at 6AM we heard from a friend that the expressways had opened again, so we decided to test our luck.

     As it turned out, the roads were fine and it was kind of spooky.  It was like there was nobody on the roads, and those who were, stopped at the roadside rest stop to look over at the areas where massive landslides and floods had just occurred.  We had lots of time to spare since we had left early in case of trouble and we too joined the onlookers.  After taking it all in, we had to get on with our day and head to the race site.

     When we arrived at the site there were people everywhere and that's when we realized mountain bikers are truly diehards!!   The course was muddy and wet, but really fun.  Ya-Chan and I , Kouji and Mark were two man teams in the 4 hour enduro category.  It was really a tough race, but in the end both of our teams won GOLD!!!  Can't tell you how ecstatic we were when they announced the winners!   The four of us celebrated with a victory beer and were on cloud 9 for the rest of the day.  This race is the biggest publicity race in Japan, so it will be fantastic for all of us regarding exposure.  Happy, happy......

     Hopefully we can do it all over again next weekend at the JCF race in San Osaka. Signing off as one of the gold medallists, cheers, K.

  Rain, rain go away, come again in another century!!!!!!  Yes, it is finally rainy season here and I can't wait to see the sun again.  It is quite late this year and is usually summer by now.  As we all know the weather patterns have been changing all over the world, so I guess we have to grin and bear it.

     Which is exactly what we did for our Sweet Riders Two Day Hakuba Clinic over this past long weekend here in Japan.  It rained solid for those three days and is still raining now.  However, our determined participants wouldn't let the rain get them down.  They were out there giving it their best and even more.  Even practicing at lunch time!  We all decided it was much better than having to work in the very hot and humid heat we had been having in the previous weeks. Cheers to all of you for another great Sweet Riders Clinic!!!!

     Kouji was absent this clinic racing in Ishikawa where he too, had solid rain.  Despite a flat tire and the mud, he came in 31st.  Great job Kouji!!  Although I missed him during the camp, my assistant Michael really did a great job helping me out.  Hakuba Alps Backpackers Inn deserve a great round of applause as well, great food and great times were had by all.

     Now it is time to get back to work and plan some more events for the summer and fall.  Doesn't look like we will be making it back to Canada this year so we will have our first full summer in Japan.  Hopefully the sun will be out soon, and summer will officially begin soon.   Both Kouji and I are racing the next two weekends in enduro and cross country races.   Wish us luck!! K.

Just got back this Monday morning from Hakuba.  Spent the weekend out there trail building and fine tuning our new MTB playground.  We got lots of work done (thanks again to the volunteers that came out this weekend), but have tons more to do.  If you are interested in helping out, please drop us a mail.  We plan to open July 15th and the cost will be ¥500 per day and ¥200 per lift up.  It will be open weekends only.  Keep in mind it is still under construction and any advice or help you can give us will be truly appreciated!!

      Busy today, so I will have to keep this update short.  Kouji is enjoying his new location in Hakuba, especially because he wakes up early and goes training every morning.  Next weekend he will race in the Japanese National Championship race.  Wish him luck.  I will miss him at the camp on the same weekend but have already recruited a mighty fine assistant.  Hope you all had a great weekend.

     Congrats to Italy, condolences to France!!!!!!

P.S. we are still looking for people to join our two day clinic in Hakuba July 15th and 16th, so if you are interested let us know asap.

  Yes, I am still breathing, so sorry about the late update!  Just been busy as ever.  After the Oilers lost,  I was a bit taken aback.  Had to mourn for a bit, but was pretty proud of how far they had gone and how hard they had played to get there.  In Japan we would say おつかれさまでした！ Can't really translate it but it means something like great effort guys!!

     Kouji is now working in Hakuba so I am a lonely wife during the week and an excited one during the weekends!  He is working for Dave of Evergreen-Outdoors doing all sorts of things and they are planning to open a bike shop in Hakuba in the near future.  Stay tuned for those developments.

     For those two weeks that Kouji has been out in Hakuba, my good friend Debbie helped me out on those lonely nights keeping me company, watching video's, eating dinner,  a few drinks.... but....now she's gone too.  I wanted to spend as much hang time with her as possible, before she left.  We had her sayonara party last Friday evening and we were really sad to see her go, but look forward to when she hopefully returns to Japan next year.  Cheers Deb and have a great trip!!

     Now that it is summer, every weekend seems to be jammed pack and my Mondays crazy with so many classes at the Uni.  This past weekend saw us go to two parties as well as carry off a two day Sweet Riders Clinic!!  It was tough but well worth it.  The first party was mentioned above and the second a private wedding celebration in honor of Mark and Noriko's getting hitched!!  What a great dinner party it was, too bad the pictures didn't turn out!  Nevertheless, we have a great new couple happily married, all the best for the future you two!! 

     I will sign off on that note. 

  How about those OILERS!!!!  Way to go, hats off to a fantastic game six!!  Here we come for game seven. Run Hurricanes, run!!!  If we play with the enthusiasm and edge that we did in game six, game seven is sure to be ours!!  I can see the sparkle of the Stanley Cup.........

     Besides catching the games at my friends place who has satellite tv, I have been super busy  as you may have noticed and missed an update last week.  Apologies for that.   I have been working on a new project which has occupied most of my already, limited free time.

     We have been given the go ahead to build our own mountain bike park at a local ski hill here in Hakuba.  I have been gathering friends, fellow bikers and any one else who is willing to pitch in to help us cut some new trails.  We had a great group out this weekend and thanks again everyone for coming out.  However, this trail building process doesn't happen over night, so we will be at it for quite a while yet.  If you are interested in helping us out, drop me a mail at kw@kareyw.com.  It is very exciting and the final product will be totally worth our effort.

     It is officially rainy season here in Japan, but so far it has been a great rainy season, it seems as if the rain hit us earlier on in spring, or maybe I am speaking too soon.  Kouji has started a new job helping out Evergreen-Outdoors in Hakuba.  He is going to help set up a bike shop and help out with office & guiding work as well.  If you are headed to Hakuba, be sure to check them out.  www.evergreen-outdoors.com

     Until next Monday, GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!! K.

Yet another action packed weekend.  This time Kouji and I were at the same place and doing the same race.  It was the JCF #2 DH and #4 XC.  Kouji raced in the XC and I in both the DH and XC.  Kouji had another awesome result; he was 15th!!  He is racing in sports class which usually has anywhere from 100-250 riders depending on the location of the race.  His goal is to win sports class and then move up into expert class. Go Kouji Go!!

     As for my races, they didn't go as well as I would have liked them too.  I was still pretty tired from last weeks race and don't think I really had recovered.  I managed to pull off a 3rd in the DH.  Fujimi's DH course is one of the longest courses on the circuit which takes elite woman about 7 minutes to finish.  An average DH course nowadays is usually around 4-5 mins long.  That extra 3 minutes is a killer.  Having about 65% of my usual power, I knew I couldn't win, so I did my best and 3rd place it was!!!

     The next morning I raced in sports class in the XC.  Both Kouji and I raced at the same time at 9am Sunday morning.  It was already very hot and sunny.  I had only two laps but after the first climb in the first lap I was already thinking of quitting.  My legs were toast!  I decided that I would be a real wimp if I didn't finish my measly two laps so I continued on.  I ended up getting 4th out of 12 girls which isn't bad considering the leg factor.  Once again I was remained of how hard mentally and physically cross country racing really is.  It left me hungry with trying to get the #1 spot in sports class.  I think there may be a few more XC races to enter this season! 

     We finished the weekend off by dropping in at MeiMei and Kimmie's house to take part in the World Cup Soccer Pool.  I drew Ecuador and Kouji drew Sweden.  It was a great party and now everyone must cheer for Ecuador and Sweden!!!! K.

YIIIIPPPEEEEEEE!  Came back after the race to find out we have won the semi-finals and are off to the finals!!!!  Way to go boys!!!!  But hey, how about those "Hockey Hooligans" in Edmonton, what's up with that??  Can't you find any better way to celebrate rather than destroying public and private property????   Geez, the things that happen when you leave the country for a while. 

     I am also happy to report that both Kouji and I had great races this weekend.  Despite the rain , we were able to have fun.  Kouji came in 14th, which is a big step up from 30th at the last race.   It was a pretty muddy race up there in Sendai.

     In Shizuoka, where Randall and I were, it was also muddy.  I won the DH but lost out in the 4X.  Randall came in 2nd in the DH and was really stoked since it was his first DH race ever.   Had to celebrate with a couple of beers and a local dish at the bar that was conveniently located on site. 

     We camped in the rain and didn't get much sleep both nights. 

     I was cold and cars kept rumbling in throughout the night.  Me being the light sleeper that I am, didn't get a wink that night.  The next night was a bit better until the thunder storm hit at 3 am.  We woke up Sunday morning debating whether to do the enduro because we knew it would be a wet and muddy one, plus we were both wiped from the muddy DH race the previous day.   We decided to bite the bullet, kick off the tiredness and dive into the muddy course.  Both Randall and I gave it 110% effort and it really paid off.  It helped also that we are both good mud riders because we ended up getting 3rd place!!  Don't mind if I do say to myself and Randall, "WAY TO GO!!!".  Ultimately it was a great weekend.  What better way to experience nature and all its grandeur!! Until next week, GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!! K.

     DON'T FOR GET TO CHECK OUT OUR NEW SITE  www.sweetriders.com !!!! It is still under construction, so please be patient, it will get better. 

     ARRRRRRRRG!  Game four gone, we lost, crap!!!!  6-3, good job Ducks, but watch out for game 5!!  We are gonna get ya!!!

     I am soon off to the Louis Garneau Cup today, looking forward to that .  Until next week, GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!!  GO OILERS GO!! K.

 Whew, it was a hot one!  We had a 30 degree weekend.  Summer is definitely here.  Actually, it is just the beginning of rainy season in Japan, so with our 30 degrees we have humidity as well.  Can't complain though, it was nice to wear some shorts and a tank top again.

      We had our #2 day clinic in Sagamiko this past weekend.  We had Nigel and Noriko come out, a couple in fact, so we had a couple instructing and a couple learning!  Lucky for us they were a fast learning couple.  Nigel already had a great foundation of skills and was able to fine tune them a bit more.  Noriko learned some new tricks and improved vastly throughout the day.  Great job guys.  Was great to have you come out! 

      The sun did take it's toll though, we were wiped after instructing in the hot sun all day, and we headed to the nearest 7-11 to get some ice-cream to remedy that!! Got home to check out the latest Oiler news and was happy to learn we won our first game and today found out we won the second game as well!!  Only two more to go! Go boys go!  Other than that, it is back to work this week and next weekend sees both Kouji and I going to separate races.  Kouji will race in the #2 JCF race in Sendai, and I will race in my first 4X/DH and 4 hour enduro event at the Louis Garneau Cup.  Will let you know how we both do! (This week's pictures here)

 How about those Oilers!!! Go boys go!! Triple overtime and they pull it off, wish I could have watched the game!!  Well the second week has flown by since coming back to Nihon.  Life is back to usual.  All is good back home with dad!!

     Have been trying to continue with the riding pattern I started in Edmonton, but it is tough, now that I am back to work full-time.  Managed to squeeze in two great rides this week, and also a sports massage direly needed after last weeks race.  Got me all set to enjoy the upcoming weekend with the in-laws.

     Kouji's parents arrived on Saturday afternoon, and we haven't seen them in ages.  We went for a nice walk, despite the rain and then headed to a local hot spring and soaked away the rainy weather.   Then, we went out for our local specialty, soba.  We had some delicious soba at a friends restaurant and came home.  It was great to hang out and catch up with the in-laws.

     The next morning bright and early we headed to Alps Park for a morning stroll, and this time the weather agreed with us.  After that, we dropped the in-laws off at a special walk rally they had seen advertised in the paper the previous week.  It was called the "Water Walk" and there were hundreds of people participating in all three 5km, 10km, and 20km categories!!  After finishing their 5 km stroll, we relaxed and had a nice lunch and then they were on their way back home.  Kouji and I still had the afternoon to ourselves, so we walked downtown and enjoyed a nice dinner, thanks to some birthday money received from Kouji's parents!! (Enjoy some pictures here) Thanks guys, the steak was delicious!!

  What a crazy week, one day in Canada the next in Japan.  It seemed surreal, but it has now kicked in that I am back to my life in Japan.  I have been in touch with mom and dad back home and happy to report dad is doing well but having to make some adjustments due to the surgery.  He returned home a couple of days ago and breathed his first breath of fresh air since having been in the hospital for a months time.  It is now recovery time which will take about six weeks.  Won't be long till he'll be up on the motorcycle, or swinging his golf clubs!!!  Hang in there dad!

      Back in Japan, I was lucky to return to a holiday week.  Had to work only two days and then headed into the famous "Golden Week Holiday".  As usual, it wasn't a real holiday because we went to a race.  It was the first race of the Japanese National Series and I raced in downhill and Kouji in cross country.  I am happy to report that I WON THE RACE!!!!!  Didn't think I could pull it off because it has been a hectic past 3 weeks and I was really tired.  I did want to win though, because Mio Suemasa, our Japanese star, was away at a World Cup race in Spain.  So with her not around, I had the chance to win.  When she is here, it is always her first and me second.  That is just a given considering she holds World Jr. Trials Champion and World Jr. Mountain Bike Champion Titles as well as coming in 2nd in the World Mountain Bike Championship Race. 

     I rehearsed my winners speech in my head race day morning, thinking it would be really great if I could actually win and say it out loud.  I wanted to dedicate my win to dad after all he has been through with his heart surgery.  I have to rehearse it because I have to say it in Japanese, and it must have been his power that helped me pull it off because I seriously felt so weak before my run.  However, I DID IT and said my speech out loud from the 1st place podium with pride!!!  Almost spouted tears but managed to hold them back, so if you see me smiling this week, you will know why.  Kouji also did well in his race so it was a great way to end our holiday week.  Back to work tomorrow morning, hope you all had a great weekend!! K. Stay tuned for more updates!!

Hi everyone!!  Great news!!  Dad is a new man; he is doing so well after the surgery.  He was completely coherent this morning, remembered everything from the night before and even got up walking this evening.  Modern medicine is amazing and dad is a trooper.  He is recovering quickly, and seems to be quite comfortable thanks to the great drugs he is on.  He ate his first sandwich today, and was his usual self.

     I am on my way back to Japan tomorrow morning and really hate to leave at this time, but I feel the worst is over.  He is in good hands at the hospital and will have mom as his private nurse when he gets home.  (Hubba Hubba!)  If I know my dad, he will be up and around before you know it. 

     He will be in the hospital until Monday or Tuesday next week.  He is pretty tired at the moment and if you want to visit him, please call mom first.   He really has to take it easy for the first couple of weeks.  Thanks again for all of the support!!!  Stay tuned for more updates!! K.

     GO OILERS GO!!  K.

      NEWS FLASH!! Dad's surgery took 5 hours and a bit, but he is OK and doing well.  It was a quadruple by-pass, and all went really well according to the surgeon.  We saw dad in the ICU and he is out cold and won't wake up for several hours.  We will go to see him tomorrow morning and I will keep you posted!!!  Thanks for your prayers!!!!

     GO OILERS GO!!  Signing out until tomorrow, K.

     Hi everyone!  Back in Canada now.  As you know I am with my family awaiting my dad's open heart surgery.  Been here almost a week and wouldn't you know it because my dad is such a healthy guy, despite his 80% artery blockage, he is not on the high priority list for the surgery. We are still waiting for the doctors to give him the date.  It is getting a bit tough, the waiting is taking it's toll. 

     Even though dad is in great hands, and has a great room to himself, he still feels a bit like he is in jail.  He can't leave the floor that he is on because of his wireless heart monitoring unit that he must wear at all times.  They have to keep his heart rate down along with his blood pressure just incase part of the blockage breaks off and causes a real heart attack.  So he must be under constant surveillance.

     We visit everyday, and try to bring some things to help him pass the time away.  It is pretty boring up there.  He does have a tv with a vcr but no dvd player.  If you are going up to visit him, and you want to bring a gift, please bring him a book, magazine or a good movie!!  That would be much appreciated. 

     The word is he will see the doctor this Friday and hopefully the doctor will have some good news and a give us a date for his surgery.  Until then, take care and I will keep you posted!!

  (Click here for a recent short video of the nieces and nephews, and here for some  recent family pictures)  

     Unfortunately, we got some shocking news this weekend.  My dad is in the hospital and will soon undergo open heart surgery.  I am told they will do a quadruple by-pass.  It sounds scarier than it is.  I have talked too so many friends whose relatives or friends have undergone this surgery and are fine and feel a lot better post surgery.  I am sure my dad will be fine, but there is always that worry......

     I am on my way to Canada on the 13th, and will be there for three weeks.  I will return to Japan on the 30th of April.  If you want to contact me, just email me through this site.  Wish me luck and for those of you who know my dad, please send him some of your strength and love.  All the more better for his recovery!!!! 

     Will keep you updated post surgery.  Remember, live for the moment, go out and do what you do!! Don't be a procrastinator, you may never get another chance........ on that note I will sign off.  Bye for now, K.

     Have a good week??   Unfortunately, I passed my cold on to Kouji and now we're both coughing and blowing our noses.  Ooops!!  It didn't stop us from enjoying our weekend though.  It was my last weekend to really relax before I start at the University next week.

     We started it off with a nice dinner and a few beers at Suise with my Monday night private class.  Then we headed over to the Old Rock ( English/Irish Pub in town) to meet some other friends.  Had a great night and even made it to bed before 1am.  the next day was a coffee and chat day.  We met the girls for lunch at one of our favorite cafe's and sat for a few hours trying to solve a few of the world's problems.  It was a great afternoon.

     On Sunday we went riding in Ikeda town.  It is about 45 minutes from here on the way to Hakuba. Our friend Randall has been clearing some new trails so we had to go and check them out.  It was great fun and this time we helped him get all of the big, heavy, pesky trail blocking logs out of the way.  You would be amazed at how much horse power 10 arms can have!!!  So some new trails have been born, yee haw!!  Now I must get off to work; it will be a big week.  Got lots of new students to meet and classes to organize.  Hope you all have a great week!!

P. S. spring was supposed to be here but Happo got over 40 cm of snow on Sunday!!!

Back again after another long absence.  However, the Sweet Riders Site is coming along nicely.  Make sure to check it out here www.sweetriders.com !!!! It is still under construction, so please be patient, it will get better. 

     Have been super busy with PR for Sweet Riders, everything from being a shooter girl at a local reggae festival to doing demo clinics in Sagamiko Picnic Land.  You can check out all the action under sweet riders diary on the new site. 

     Unfortunately, I have some bad news regarding the CMIC course in Japan. Due to several reasons, we have decided to cancel the planned CMIC/JMIC course this April 24-28th. We have worked very hard to organize this course in Japan, and are hopeful it will happen in the future. The CMIC has no Canadian insurance to issue licenses at this time, and to organize a new license in cooperation with the JMA, will take more time and organization at this point. In order to do a proper job, we will continue to work on this and hope to offer the course in Japan, sometime in the near future.

     Thank you all for your interest in the CMIC.  I highly recommend this course!

   Since my return from the short Canadian trip, I was attacked by yet another virus, this time called tonsillitis.  ARRRG, those pesky viruses seem to like me.  Once again, I am back from the virus land,  full of energy to tackle all of the back logged work sitting on my desk.

     Here are some pictures from the remaining Canada trip and also from the last couple of weeks in Japan. (Pictures here)   I am back into training and working hard on the new site as well as trying to get the CMIC/JMIC organized.  We still have openings so please contact me if you are interested!!  The course will be held from  April 24th-28th in Hakuba and cost around ¥60000 ($600 CAD).  For more info about the course contents click on their red logo below and look under Level 1 Guide/Instructor.  This course would certify you to be a level 1 guide/coach/instructor.  I recommend it to everyone, it is a great opportunity to have them come to Japan!! Any other inquiries please email me at kw@kareyw.com.  Happy spring riding!! K.

Back again after a two week delay!!  Sorry, I couldn't tell you what I was going to do last week because it was a surprise.  Now that it is all over, here are the juicy details.

      Our house in Canada had a bad water leak which caused a lot of damage.  After being very worried about that and then finding out that my dad was going in for knee replacement surgery the idea of going home popped into my head.  I hymned and hawed about going but when I talked to mom and found out they were going to be in the Crowsnest Pass (where our house is) Feb. 3-5 that was it.  I figured it was a great way to kill two birds with one stone. 

     So the plan began to formulate in my head; all  I needed to do was make a couple of calls to see if my plan would work out or not.  Just to let you know this was exactly a week before so I needed a little luck as well for this plan to go through.  The first thing I had to do was call the airline, did and a very cheap flight was available.  Next, I had to call and confirm my pick-up and delivery driver and did that and she was free to do the job.  Next, I had to make sure I could charge my ticket on my visa, because this month we are a bit low on funds since our house is costing a few bucks up and above what the insurance will cover.  Check, they accepted Visa, whoopee! I was on my way home in a week and going to surprise the pants off of my parents.

     That is exactly what I did, they were so surprised and we had a great time together, and the bonus part was my aunt and uncle happened to be there too, so I got to see them as well!!!  So here are a few pictures of the trip, Enjoy!!

     Those of you I didn't call or didn't get to see, my apologies, but it was only a weeks visit and I was swamped with things to do!!! K.

I have pretty much recovered now!!  Thank goodness, because we had our first Sweet Riders Clinic of the season this past weekend.  We really lucked out with the weather, even though there was snow on the ground, we had a nice sunny day.  However, I think a lot of people are still in ski/board season mode.  We had only one participant and the Cannondale Cup participants were also very few.   That didn't stop us from having a great clinic or a great event. (Enjoy a few pictures here!)

     Our participant was very skilled and a very quick learner.  He mastered all of the skills we taught him, after he watched his 5 year old son take part in the kids race in the early morning.  Thanks for coming out and it is so great to see families coming out and enjoying the benefits of mountain biking together!!

     As for me, it is back to work today and back to trying to get in shape after suffering from the cold last week.  It really winded me.  I hope to get out on the bike as much as possible this week.  It will depend on the weather which has been playing tricks on us.  I don't know about your area, but here, one minute we are in the dead of winter, and the next it feels like spring????  I  won't complain and face it as a challenge of the weather gods.  Enjoy this week, and hopefully your weather gods will be good to you!! K.