Interesting Comment...

I almost forgot to add what the senior firefighter said to me when I got to the firehall...
I am just a rookie and don't know much about what to do and such but he looks at me after going over a few ground rules and says:

"If we get a call, get your funny sh*t on quick, stick with Dean. Where he goes, you go"

Perhaps if we get a call while on shift I will see a live fire sooner rather than later. Once I have completed the second round of training, Offensive Firefighting 1 and 2 then I get upgraded to a black helmit and I can respond to much more interesting calls. Right now when a call comes in everyone piles out in the ambulance and I am left at the hall by myself... Its kinda scary that a call might come in while I am there solo.

Marathon update.

I haven’t updated in a while not because nothing interesting has happened but because I have been pretty busy doing loads of different things.

Firstly I have been busy down at the firehall. I had to complete my first ride-a-long two weeks ago. Each month POC’s (Paid on Calls) are required to complete a 10 hour ride-a-long. Basically we go into the firehall and work with our platoons. The boys on my shift are all pretty cool. They ripped on me pretty hard because I didn’t have time to get out to Mark’s Work Warehouse to pick up my black boots. I was referred to as retard for about an hour. We drove down to the store and bought a pair. That was my first ride in the Fire Ambulance. I could stop looking in the mirror because it felt pretty surreal to be in a firefighter’s uniform. I am sure that those feelings will pass before too long. All shift I pretty much reviewed what is on each engine. I need to memorize what is in each compartment. We also set up a pump and I learned how to connect everything to draw water from a source to a fire.

The following Wednesday we were back at the abandoned housing. It was snowing pretty hard and the truck had a pretty difficult time getting up the hill but we managed to get it up there on the third or fourth try. Our training consisted of cutting a hole in the kitchen floor with the chainsaw. We also worked on our search and rescue skills. We were supposed to get up on the roof and make some ventilation holes but because the snow had made everything slippery we we’re allowed by the deputy chief. Fire training is a great break in the week. Afterwards we all go out for wings and a few pops. Its fun hanging out with all the guys and being a part of something that is bigger than myself.

Last weekend I had a sit down with both of my bosses. We had a little bit of a brainstorm session about some new marketing directions for the company. I am definitely going to be running a major contest for all of the northern stores of a particular chain. Its going to be a huge task for myself and a great opportunity to build up my resume. I am also going to be working on a few other initiatives that will keep me pretty interested in my job. One thing we discussed was bringing the AASBD, All American Soap Box Derby, up to Yellowknife and creating the Canadian Championships. There is also an air show that our company is title sponsor for. I am going to be running that show… There are lots of new responsibilities that I am pretty excited about. Work is going pretty well.

In other work news I am working pretty hard with a contractor in town that has taken my under his wing and teaching me loads about renovating and contracting work. It’s pretty interesting because each new skill will be useful for me in the future when I purchase my first house and such. It keeps me pretty busy because he is quite busy and so every night I feel like putting some hours in they are there for me. Most weekends I head out and put some time in also. Its not always nice, this morning I was hanging around in a crawl space digging trenches so that we can pump water out of this flooded area. It wasn’t very pretty!

Broomball is starting to get really interesting because I made the “All-Star” team that is representing Yellowknife in the Western Canada Broomball Championships. The event is coming up November 8^th to 11^th. It should be an awesome experience. I managed to impress the guys I have been playing with so they influenced the coach’s decision quite a bit. I am really pumped just to be on the team. I still have a long way to improve but each game I seem to be picking up a few more skills and get just a little bit more comfortable with the stick. It was funny because when the coach called to tell me that I had made the team my cell phone was about to die… I was trying to hurry up the conversation so that my phone didn’t cut him off mid-sentence or anything like that. I also didn’t want to rush the conversation too much because I was really pumped about the opportunity and wanted to be sure to convey that. I am not sure I will be getting loads of ice time but the chance is there if I play well. So next month my name might very well be in the newspaper yet again. The beauty of a small town is it doesn’t take much to get in the paper. Twice already I have made it in. The first time was just my name in the list of fire fighting volunteers. Last week someone came out to the broomball practice so all the guys were in there. I didn’t even realize it until someone at one of my accounts pointed it out.

The housing situation is awesome. I really enjoy living with my brother. I find that we are getting along really well and Tyler just adds to our entertainment. We sit around and play Madden as often as we can. We all get along really well. The landlords upstairs are pretty decent as well. They leave us to our business and we don’t really see them much.

The snow has likely arrived to stay! It has been consistently below 0 the past week. Some are saying that the snow is not likely not going to last because a warm front will be coming through soon. I am not so confident. Its feeling pretty chilly every morning and I am not a huge fan but I am sure I will adjust soon enough. I have broken out the long johns for about a week now. I am thinking that I will most certainly be investing in a few more pairs. Gotta bundle up to stay warm! I am looking forward to the winter a little bit just because there are a lot of things happening around town. I am looking to make an escape at some point or another though for a vacation. I want to head over to Europe for a snowboarding adventure. If anyone has any ideas of a country to go to shoot them over my way!!!

I am off to clean up my room. Its been messy since we moved in and its getting a little tiresome climbing over clothes to jump into bed every night.

Have a great day!

I'm not in Hibernation... Just hiding!

To all of my adoring fans... I have been pretty busy and without the internet for the past little while so thats why I have neglected my blog. The nets getting installed at the pad on Tuesday so hopefully it wont be long before it is operational!
In the meantime I have been busy both working and enjoying life! Last weekend there was a broomball tournament. Ironman, my team managed to win the whole thing in a thrilling fashion. The last game came down to a shootout after we managed to hold off the other team in overtime while down a man. We played the entire first game with only 4 guys and a goalie because some of the players thought we were joking when we said the first game is at 7:30 AM. We managed to hold on for the tie after leading for almost the entire game on a beautiful goal by yours truely! It held up until the 2 minutes when the other team tied it up. We played about 6 games on Saturday and by the end of it I was simply beat. A worn out guy with the title of Champion!!!
FYI - There were three teams in the tourney...
Last Wednesday I went out to the firehall for our weekly training session and we saddled up and jumped on the trucks. It was awesome, I was grinning from ear to ear all night after that. The last time I remember being on a fire truck was when I was a kid and ended up with the split open head. The was much more fun and memorable. We went to an abandoned appartment block. It used to be staff housing for one of the mines in town and is getting torn down at the end of the month. Until then we have free run of the place for our training purposes. Firefighting is turning out to be really rewarding and entertaining.
I am doing quite a bit of extra work these days with a contractor in town which is keeping me busy evenings and weekends. If all goes according to plan then I am hoping that I can live off of that money and keep my paychecks in the bank. Time will tell how that ends up working out.
I gotta head outta here and get some things done. I hope the world is treating you well!
Later Skaters!

Weekend Party!

What a whirlwind of activity this past weekend. I was working hard all week so that I could cut out work real early on Friday to start the trek home. Karma was paying me back for something and I ended up misplacing my file folder that contained some important papers including orders for some of my accounts. So I was unable to make a move to the airport in the morning as planned so I booked myself on the afternoon flight.

I was unable to get on the flight out at 3 so I actually went ahead and bought my first airplane ticket in Canada. Luckily First Air was holding a seat sale so I was able to get a ticket for a “reasonable” price. Sadly even buying a ticket was enough because it started snowing!!! We boarded the plane and were de-iced quite a few times. We taxied up and down the runway a few times as well. I lost count of how many times the pilot came over the PA to tell us that we would be departing in 5 minutes. Those five minutes turned into 5 hours easily… After being deplaned at 6:30 we were then told to re-board for a 7:00 departure. We remained on the plane until 10:45 when we were put back into the terminal in a secure location so that we could avoid a third pass through security. Our final attempt at a Friday night departure was supposed to be 12:15. While we were walking out to the plane we were met by several staff that were unloading the plane. Our flight was cancelled! By the time I finally left the airport it was passed 1:30. The airline didn’t do much for any of its customers and at that point in time there wasn’t much of a point in getting a hotel room for many of them. It was poor customer service to say the least! I was sure to let them know how I felt about that, politely, of course.

So my chances of arriving home in time for the party were looking pretty slim to say the least. Marie, was shocked to see my friendly face back at her house. At least 15 cm ended up falling that night. In the morning I was feeling horrible, unable to eat and seriously exhausted. Somehow I managed to get to the airport on time and get on the first flight out. When I arrived in Edmonton I looked at the departure board and noticed that there was a WestJet flight leaving in 10 minutes. I sprinted down the terminal not really expecting to get on the flight at all. Karma was starting to shift for me and I was able to secure a seat after giving up the trusty VISA card. I managed to get to the party just a little bit after 4. I had an awesome time at the party, it was fantastic to see familiar faces in attendance. I even managed to finish my speech without completely losing my composure. That’s not to say I wasn’t chocked up, I definitely was but I can simply say that all those pauses were for dramatic effect!

After the party the crew and I took off for downtown to check out the Nuit Blanche or Blanche Nuit. We had no idea where anything was, but we did find beer and that’s what was important!

Sunday after cleaning up the last little remains of the party we took off up to Guelph for a little trip down memory lane. It was one of the most entertaining evenings in recent memory. I was really pleased to hang out with a bunch of buddies and see some of the changes that have taken place over at the university. Sadly we didn’t get much time there because we had to take off first thing in the morning to make my way home for a dentist appointment.

During my appointment I realized that I am actually seriously leaving the city that I was raised in. I have grown up going to Dr. V. The staff great me like an old friend every time I come in for my check ups. It is a really great office over there and I was really sad to realize that someone else is now going to be administering oral pain for me. Dr V. is a legend and has made the smile worth about half a mill…

Its really strange to be coming and leaving so frequently. I think its been easy to leave in the past because prior to my departure I always had a plan for my return. This time is different; there is no plan to return. Sure I will always be passing through the saug and Birch Cres between adventures but I don’t think I will be calling old 2592 home again. It’s a strange realization. Its left me feeling like there is a void where home should be. I need to search out a place where I can settle down and put down some roots. Whether that ends up being the knife or not remains to be seen. Its nice living up there these days because my bro is there. I am pretty sure if he leaves so will I. Where I go from here remains unclear. I know that wherever it is it will be filled with adventure and another challenge that I will overcome! The uncertainty of life is what makes it so beautiful. At the end of the day if you believe in your own success and plan and prepare yourself for it then you are ready to accept the rewards when they arrive.

So here I am, yet again planning on sleeping in an airport somewhere in Canada tonight. Flights are packed and there simply aren’t enough of them to get me outta here. Its looking like I am going to be buying yet another ticket from First Air. I am not looking forward to that, but it can’t be helped.

Mama, Happy Birthday! I can say without hesitation and only a little bit of bias; You are my FAVORITE mom!

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!