Riding hard on the exercise bike, I smell a column

Good news.

I stretched the truth a bit yesterday when I said I needed to lose ten pounds. It’s only seven.

Motivated nonetheless, I pedalled hard (107 minutes; my T-shirt walked to the washing machine by itself) and jogged a few miles for exercise last night.

[Is vanity the greatest motivator, or what? My favourite jeans are a bit tight - I blame Kutz Deli - and I also don’t want to look or skate like the oldest guy on my hockey team. Sorry, I digress.]

Even my latest purchase, Land Of The Eagle, contributed to the burning of a few hundred calories. It’s a heavy read and takes much strength to lug around while on a bike or treadmill.


["The land of the eagle, for sure"]

But it’s a good read too. It’s serious, full of natural and social history pertaining to North America and promotes a healthy environmental viewpoint.

“Unless some action was taken to prevent it, warned Caitlin (George Catlin, American artist, 1832), North America might one day lose not only the buffalo, but many of the continent’s other wild resources to the ‘insatiable avarice’ of its people.”

I think Caitlin nailed it, and 177 years ago at that.

I’m also thinking, I may have to use ‘insatiable avarice’ in a future column, hopefully without mentioning Saturday’s family breakfast at Kutz.

First, I’ll have to do some research.

(I reach for my Concise Oxford Dictionary.)

insatiable - adj. that cannot be satisfied; inordinately greedy

Stink - more work!

inordinately - adj. excessively

avarice - n. greed for gain, cupidity (Stink!); eager desire to get or keep

cupidity - n. greed for gain

(Q: Why did Mr. Oxford simply repeat himself? That’s not very concise).

Yes, I smell a column coming on. Or is that my t-shirt?

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If interested in the book, I'll mail it to you after I'm done. However, postage will be a fortune!

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