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Too much on the calendar this weekend. A high-quality, first-world problem.

There’s a junior A game in Milton tonight that I would like to see, because it’s Milton vs. Cobourg and there will be several kids in the game I know, not the least of whom is Will the Thrill.

But.

The Dal Tigers are on the road this weekend, playing at UPEI and that game will be webcast. Through the miracle of Apple TV I can stream the webcast from my iphone to the Apple TV box and onto the big screen in the family room. While it’s not HNIC, it is to us, and it’s free.

UPEI also has the best and most entertaining play-by-play and colour commentators in the Atlantic university conference, and that coupled with my personal interest in the game makes it must-see TV. Sorry Will.

Then, there’s also a baseball game of note tonight – the Blue Jays open the ALCS in Kansas City tonight and that is also must-see TV. And the Leafs host Columbus in what will be perhaps the least-viewed Toronto hockey game of the season. Both teams stink and the Jays are in the ALCS? Good luck.

So, tonight I will be grateful for the invention of time zones. The 7p start for Dalhousie in Charlottetown is 6p here and the hockey game will be almost over when the Jays take to the field for a scheduled 8:07p start.

Hey, don’t laugh, time zones matter. When our kid played in the British Columbia Hockey League it almost killed us having to wait until 10p eastern time for games to just start. It made for some long evenings.

Saturday is almost as busy. Our peewee team has an afternoon game, Dalhousie is in Fredericton to play the nationally second-ranked UNB squad, the Leafs are on TV, and the Jays-Royals play game 2 at 4p. The Leafs play the Pens – more people will tune in to this one after the Jays game is over – but I may not be one of them.

Add to all of this the fall weather taking a turn toward winter in the next 24 hours. There’s snow – actual snow! – in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow and some place just west and north of us that routinely are subjected to lake snow off Georgian Bay (expect to brush snow off your car in Kitchener in July) could see 15 cm.

Happy October.

At this point I’m intending to start my Saturday at the gym – I bet there won’t be the same turnout as last weekend, but I’ll be there. Eighty per cent of success is just showing up, right?

–

Speaking of winter . . .

I like to ride my bike but it’s getting cold and I’m not ready for that, given that I’m a bit of newbie to more serious cycling. And for transparency, I don’t think I’d call me a serious cyclist. I put in about 650 kms on my bike this summer, mostly mid- July through September. So, call me moderate. I don’t have much in the way of appropriate “kit” for enduring – let alone surviving – fall and winter cycling.

Southern Ontario’s climate – this weekend’s forecast notwithstanding – can be such that you could actually cycle much of the year. But I think you would need to know more about appropriate clothing than I do to make it work.

As Chris says, that’s why God invented Google.

I don’t honestly see myself saddling up much in winter. I think the good folks at ATC can give me enough of a workout five or six times a week to keep my modest fitness goals on track. And winter cycling feels more like “hey, look at me I’m winter cycling” than anything else. I’m not interested in skidding under a car on a patch of ice, as colourful as that might be for onlookers.

But, I do like being outdoors and the shoulder seasons of fall and spring are still great for sunny, if brisk days and getting out for some air, maybe taking some pictures along the lakeshore and doing something other than sitting home, being in a rink, or crawling a mall.

The interwebs tell me I need better, cycle-specific clothes that fit right for the ride, keep the moisture/sweat off you, and keep you warm. I’m old. I prefer warm.

Gloves. Yes, I need these. Even in late September I had a couple weekend 7a rides that turned my knuckles blue. I like the early mornings on the road because traffic is light. I’m a notorious coward when it comes to traffic because in a me-vs.-a-truck showdown, I know who wins.

Under-helmet cap? Thermal bib tights? Windproof jersey? Overshoes? Clear glasses?

Maybe I can’t afford to ride in the shoulder season now that I look at it.

But if I’m going to try to keep peddling outside, I will need to be warmer.

If you cycle in shorts in cold weather your body will pull blood away from your extremities (arms and legs!) and keep it near your core to protect and warm the vital organs. And that means less oxygen getting to the muscles that fuel your ride, which means you will get tired a lot faster.

So, what I learned today is that I can add cycling in cool/cold weather to the list of things I don’t know much about.

Maybe I’ll just light a fire and watch The Simpsons reruns.

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