Whirlwind of Excitement!

Loads has happened since I last updated. Its been a busy time for me up here in the Knife. Broomball is still going really well and I actually have a few skills so I am hopeful that I will make the final team. All that depends on the schedule of my new undertaking... I signed on to become a volunteer firefighter. I was pretty nervous about it but it seems like its something that will be totally worthwhile. Before I could start the classes though we had to pass the physical test. It was torture!
The first exercise was on the ladders. We had to raise a ladder from the ground and then raise the fly to its full height. That was really easy, I have been painting for a while so I understand the weight distribution of ladders.
Following that we had to run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes. I was well on my way to completing this task when someone walked by and kicked the plug causing the treadmill to turn off. Rather than making me restart I had to run .5 miles in 4 minutes. I was at almost 10 minutes when the machine turned off so I had to run faster for longer which was disappointing.
After a 5 minute rest I was suited up in full gear including SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) and had to complete a left or right hand search of the smoke house. I did this while essentially blindfolded. After finding the dummy I had to wait there for 10 minutes essentially testing for claustrophobia. After the 10 minutes I had to drag the dummy out of the building.
Next up came the true challenge of the test. In full gear including a "high rise kit". The kit weighs about 50 - 75 pound and holds tools that might be required when entering a burning building. The added weight was about 100 - 125 pounds. We were still in full gear with our SCBA. We had to run to the top of the stairs, three flights, and then back down stepping on every stair on the way down, TWICE! When I got to the top the first time I was ready for an extended rest! There were a total of 6 flights of steps and each step was murderous. We had 2 minutes and 20 seconds to complete this.
Following a three minute break we again headed over to the "high rise". We had to run to the second floor and pull up, hand over hand, a hose that weighed about 50 pounds. After pulling it over the railing we had to lower the hose without any slipping. Then we had to run back down the stairs. For this exercise we took of the SCBA. It was helpful but still difficult. We had 1 minute and 40 seconds to complete this.
The next part involved getting equipment from the truck and carrying it around a pylon 50 feet away. First we had to carry two saws. Next were the Jaws of Life. The final item was a dummy. We had to drag it down to the pylon. This dummy must not have been on a diet cause he was a heavy JA-JO! I think we had another minute and 20 or 40 seconds to complete this.
By the time I got to the last drill I was feeling drilled! We had to hammer a 4 foot metal beam down a track about 4 feet. It was supposed to take 22 seconds. I managed to giterdone in 53 seconds of agony! I felt like my arms were going to fall off and I would have to use my feet to kick the beam down the track! I was making so much noise by this point that people across the fire hall came over to make sure I was still moving and alive. But I finished and that's all that matters. I was scoring perfect until the final drill so my final score was 12/14. I was pretty pleased with myself.
The real kicker though was that right before I started there was a guy that was just finishing up his test. He was hammering away on the steel beam when he lifted the hammer and simply face planted almost passed out! That didn't help my confidence much to say the least. People were running over with ice packs trying to cool him down. He might have made his way down to the hospital...
So I passed and the training started Friday night with some administrative things that needed to be taken care of. Saturday morning bright and early at 8 AM the classes started and they aren't as intense as I expected but there is a lot of information to be absorbed! We get to practice on the different equipment though which is nice. I still remember my first ever visit to a fire hall when I was in kindergarten. I was hanging off the back of the truck and swinging around I smashed my head off the end of a ladder and poured blood all over my white turtleneck uniform. I was happy to notice that there are now pads on the backs of the ladders protecting people from being idiots! I also remember that in my kindergarten year book when they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I said a firefighter. I have no idea what possibly possessed me. I guess I thought at the time that any job that lets me swing from trucks and hurt myself must be a lot of fun!
In other news I have found a place to live and will be moving in on October 1st or 2nd. Depending on when I return from the saug. My bro and I are going to share a two bedroom most likely. There is another option but its not for certain at all. The bottom line is that October 1st I will be moving into a place that is permanent! No more crashing with friends... Sadly that means rent prices are raising!
To offset this new expenditure I have started a part time job with a construction company. It is going to turn into a painting job in the not so distant future but for now I am fill nail holes in trim using putty crayons. Its not the most exciting job in the world but it will help pay the bills and hopefully allow me to save much more money. Time will tell how that works out though as I progress. I have a deadline of Sept 26th because they are going to have the final inspection on all 8 units. So I am going to be filling my spare time by filling holes... With the occasional broomball practice thrown in for good measure...
This is a marathon post and I gotta get to bed. Stay happy everyone!

Broomball

Last night I had my second broomball practice and it went much better than the first one. My bro lent me his equipment so I was able to run on the ice much easier than my previous practice. The shoes are pretty cool. Impossible to describe, just imagine a foam jelly on the bottom of your shoes that doesnt exactly stick to the ice but adds traction you wouldn't get from running shoes.
I am doing much better than I thought I would be. I am still not sure I will be representing any thing or any one just yet but its good fun all the same.
Tomorrow night I have my physical test to become a Paid On Call Firefighter. I am a little nervous because I am definitely out of shape and broomball has proven that to me. We played floor hockey as well for practice on Sunday and I was wheezing far to quickly for my liking! I am sure before too long I will regain my lungs.
Work is going well but its not overly exciting. Its just something that I do because I have to make money. Sales are still up but not as much as they were when I first took over the accounts. August was looking like it was going to be a dismal month for me until the last week where coke 12 packs went on sale for $2.85 at the biggest supermarket in town. We blew through 4 extra pallets over the weekend. We were seriously low stocked on Monday morning. All in all its a pretty good job and I seem to be doing well at it. I have no plans to make any changes in the next little while.
I just spent the last 30 minutes on the phone with bell trying to get my cell phone bill all sorted out. I thought that they had over charged me quite a bit but it turns out it was A-ok but I was over paying huge on text messages and other services. I got it all worked out and switched around a few things so that its now all good. Sadly I still have to pay the current bill...
Not much else to report, I havent done much of anything other than paint a house which looks fabulous even if I must say so myself! I am just putting on the finishing touches which is nice cause with that being finished I will have a little bit more free time to take care of a few other things.
I'm gonna go put those touches on now. Stay well and happy everyone!

The Return of the Coke Salesman

It seems fall managed to arrive up in Yellowknife while I was down south in the saug enjoying a mini vacation. It was a shock to get back up here to 15 degree temperatures. I read the star online daily and it makes me miss the summer sunburns I manage to pick up annually.
I arrived back up here with the intention of getting involved in the community and have I ever. On Sunday while many of you were enjoying the various cottage activities and the winding down of the summer season I was strapping on my shoes, knee pads, shin guards and jock for a good ole game of broomball. For those of you unaware this is a sport similar in many respects to hockey however it is played without skates. I sucked balls! Every time I jumped the boards to get on the ice I slipped because the two inches that make up a skate blade were mysteriously absent under my foot. However, I didnt suck badly enough and I think I might have earned a spot on the Territorial team that represents NWT in the Western Canada Broomball Championship to be held in Yellowknife in September. There are 40 spots available and there were about 30 people that came out for the initial practice. It was hilarious and with any luck I will be standing and also running on the ice in time for the tournament. Thats the biggest piece of news these days for me up here in the chill.
In other news I have applied to be a volunteer firefighter. In no time at I am sure I will be running the station just like Fire Marshal Bill of SNL fame. There is an initial meeting tomorrow night so we will have to wait and see what happens with that. That would be an amazing experience. Ironically people are actually paid to VOLUNTEER for the fire department.
Work is going well, I am always amazing at just how much Coke people actually drink. I am starting a new project tomorrow where I will be selling our Old Dutch (potato chips not bleach) products up to the truly northern communities. We will have to wait and see well that treats me.
I still dont have a place lined up to live, its quite difficult to find acceptable roommates. For the time being I am house sitting my brother's girlfriend's place. I am essentially here to ensure he doesn't throw any parties. I failed miserably at that as I went out to the bar Saturday night and came home to a mini bender in progress. I am also painting the house and Sunday was a miserable day to say the least. I slept in, one of Dustin's guests literally walked off in one of my shoes, and I was holding a paint brush all day. The love hate relationship with paint continues. My other responsibility was feeding that cat. I just found the cat food today. Marie left Saturday, today is Tuesday... Good thing its a fat cat otherwise I might have had a real problem on my hand!
The next night we were all just hanging around drinking a couple of beers winding the weekend down in a garage when the bright idea of a fire was brought up. We loaded up the coke van with stolen pallets and headed off into the sand pits. I have never seen so many stars in my life! I thought I was seeing something really special and I pointed it out to my friend who laughed in my face and told me it was a satellite orbiting. I never even knew it was possible to see them from earth. I guess I am just slow. The northern lights were also out which are simply amazing. If you ever have the chance to travel north to check them out I highly recommend it. I will get some photos and send them out soon enough but they will do no justice to the beauty of the northern lights. They aren't even really good yet I am told. I am in for some sweet scenery all winter long! All I have to do is put up with the cold...
Not much entertaining is going on around these parts. Its really easy to get involved though because it is such a small community. Anything that you want to do is available because there is such a limited amount of competition for things.
I am off to bed I hope that this post finds all of you in great health and happiness.

PS - There is no snow yet... I am sure it is just a matter of weeks not months. There is never any doubt there's a white Christmas since most every year people celebrate white Halloween!