Seventeen days - and Babba's birthday

My grandfather just turned seventy last weekend. My mom (as far as I know) has still not gotten him on the phone, probably because he's partying way too much in Mexico. I know he sometimes gets forwarded information from this site, and so wanted to wish him my best wishes, more that the recovery is easier in the morning then the night was good before.

So here's the reality about going away; with the month of January to not go to school and just start hanging out with friends, doing some stuff I've been meaning to do, I'm gonna miss the fact that I won't be able to do that stuff anymore. Like boxing, I go 4 times/week minimum, and then it'll just be gone. This moment, is slipping through our fingers, because its being chased by another moment (care of Marshall - How I Met Your Mother). Ah well, I'm SUPER excited for triathlon training, and as girly as this sounds, wanna lose like 20 pounds to be a faster runner and still keep the strength for the swim and the bike. No idea how to go about doing this though, because I've pretty much weighed the same for at least 5 years, while I'm not complaining its not that cool either. But moving on, what has been going on since last Saturday: My dad is in Jamaica. Pretty obscure but I guess with things being stressful at work I hope he's having an amazing time. I've been pretty busy just running around seeing people, working and boxing that I haven't been able to see others, talk to family back home or really even sit down to think about in almost two weeks (17 days) I'll be on a plane to the world's biggest island (I don't know if that is factual, but I'll let it slide). Its slowly starting to hit me though, I packed up my room (well, cleaned but all the stuff I brought out here was a trial run as to what I'll be bring out to Australia so that's kinda what I mean) and I'm starting to think of what I want to bring, what I want to see down there and what I want to bring back (boomerangs for everyone! and a new ball cap for me?). This is kinda a huge deal although I'm sure no one else would really understand save Corey, but I'm thinking of retiring the Hairy Dog Pub. This is a huge deal, because me and that beautiful cap have gone through so much together. He's stuck around longer then some great people have, he's been all around Canada like I have, and my goodness does he ever look good. He fits just right, and doesn't look typical, he's got character, just like me. A friend suggested that I try something on this blog site, and this is gonna be the first one. In the coming week I'm going to begin writing about the My Top 10. Things that are most important to me, whether they be a characteristic about myself, a relationship with someone, or something along those lines, but this is exactly where I'm going to start - the cap. Never been named, never been outshone. Do anticipate it because it will be wonderful as I will do the cap its justice. And just talking about it like this makes me realize one thing, there's no way I'm retiring this hat.

-I definitely went from one topic to the other, giving a fill in on what's going on; nothing really. Boxing is wicked, I'm legitimately pissed that I won't be able to continue it. I think I found a place to live next year and although all things didn't work out the best they could've, I'm confident they will work out next year. More to come on that when more details are available. Ellen is going to Calgary when I leave, I'm mad jealous, but her trip is for a week and mine is for six months, so I win. I'm appalled that after the travesty that happened in hockey, more leagues haven't adopted the helmet on all the time, especially during fights rule. The Raptors NEED to trade O'neal for Marion, but I wish Marcus Banks wasn't in the deal, but money wise he kinda has to be, and I'm not sure the Raptors could convince Miami to give up any more. DeRosario signed with TFC for a 4-year contract. Sweet. I dominated the world in Risk with help of two treaties, one unfortunately was broken, the other secured a shared global domination. I stayed up until 2am twice this week, I'm way too old to do that. I love exactly 8 hours of sleep, more doesn't work for me. And chicken and veggies are an excellent super, stir fry style. Rice on the side helps, and cayenne pepper adds a wonderful kick. Restaurants serving wings must realize that people want spicy hot, not stupid hot. If I wanted stupid hot, I'd just put tabasco sauce, instead I want something that is pleasantly spice hot.

How the world could help itself out a little bit

Today something great happened, and I wish it would happen more often. Here I was, biking home in the morning, about 1pm, -17degrees, feels like -26. And I'm biking along thinking to myself how much I truly enjoy getting on my bike. Its so much faster then the busy, and although there's times when you just want to get in a car and drive somewhere instead, on a nice crisp day like today when the sun is absolutely blazing out there, you can't help but feel that its just you and the road. So thinking its already a great day, here I am flying down the street in a ski jacket, balaclava and helmet, condensation from my breath freezing the moisture on my eyelashes, and to make things even better I'm stopped at a stop light waiting, and this guy (in a Ford F150, so you know he's quality) stops and rolls down his window. And here are two complete strangers, sitting at the lights talking about the weather. I was particular proud when he said that he was really impressed with my devotion given the conditions. And then we started talking about the wind that Halifax is notorious for making the weather that much colder, as you can even see by today and today wasn't really that windy out.

But I've decided something about the weather after this past week of virtually everyday being -20. Sure, its cold, but when you dress proper, its more just amazing then anything else. Its just so Canadian that I couldn't want anything more. This is what winter is supposed to be like, cold. Snow on the ground. Ice on the sidewalks. Burning ears and numbs fingers. I love it. I'm actually believe it or not, gonna be sad to be leaving in for Australia, but then again, I won't be that sad. And of course its gonna feel bad when you're sitting around thinking about how cold it is, but why not think that its just great out. Crisp air is amazing. Hits the lungs with perfection, numbs the capillaries in the nose. I love that winter bite.

My third day of boxing, on Thursday, was pretty good, again not as sore, and I worked a lot on the speed bag and double-ended, and they're getting a lot better, as well as staying mobile on the feet. Workouts are getting easier as one would imagine, but a sore shoulder has kept me away. I might make the trip down today because they're closed on Sunday's, but we'll have to wait and see.

24 days until the flight leaves.

Not as bad...

Day two of boxing, after one days rest. During the beginning of the workouts I was definitely feeling tired and sore still, but I keep one with it. It wasn't too comfortable at the beginning at all, but after a bit of time when I was either hitting the pads, the speed bag or the double-ended bag and not really throwing a huge amount of bunches, in succession with force, it was a lot easier on the body. I think the way to feel as sore is to go in and just get the blood flowing in the arms tomorrow but not try to throw any big power and it should be okay. I couldn't speak any better about the people at Palooka's Boxing Club, everyone's welcoming, helpful and friendly, and not afraid to give tips either. Had I of known that it would have been this easy to learn (granted with hard effort and discipline) I would've started going a long time ago. But they for sure have a great set up there and the place is great, nice and open with good equipment.

All of the Australian plans are going great, flight booked, visa and enrolment confirmed, now its just settle in, wait and think of what I'll need when I go there, which is really not much. Clothes and thats it. Although its been great being out of school, I'm hoping that the UofAdelaide will also be as good experience of the trip as the travel and the new area and not as dull as last semester ended up being. I recently was accepted to Dalhousie's Engineering program, which was great news to hear over the Christmas break, and so I'll be doing both degrees concurrently for the next while. First I'll do the engineering diploma and after that I'll decide whether or not to go on and get the degree (Environmental Engineering) and see what job paths that could lead me down in the future.

There's so many things and paths I could go down that its hard to really focus on one, take the chance thinking that you'll be happy doing that the rest of your life. I want to find something that inspires me, allows me the chance to make some sort of difference in the world - small or big, and affords me enough of a salary to live on. No lavish or expensive lifestyle, just one that God-willing I can support a family on and have the ability to fly back home whereever I am to visit family and friends, have a place of my own on some land, hopefully forrested with some trails running through, and get out of the city. But I'm sure I'm one of many who always wanted something like this but fewer seem to get what they want in life, but maybe I'll be willing enough to make the sacrifices and put in the hard work. Here's hoping.

Whoa...that kinda hurt

So I'm back in the swing of things in Halifax. Regretfully, a friend made me realize that coming back out here was not financially worth my time at all. I thought to myself originally; Well I have a job or two out in Halifax and can live there until its time to leave and come back. But, what I was shown today is factor in the cost of living plus the cost of the train out here and the flight back (theoretical being as my dad scored me a free flight), then I'm really out here to break even (and that could even be being hopeful, depending on hours I'm able to work). So, jokes on me, ah well. But had I not come back to Halifax, I wouldn't be seeing the people I've gotten to see so far and will see soon, and I wouldn't have been able to spend three hours today working out in a boxing gym.

Oh yes, you read both of those correctly. Boxing gym (say what?) and three hours (come again?). Firstly, I joined a boxing gym for a month (the month where I have nothing else going on other then mindless work at Tim Horton's so I knew that finally for even such a short time in my life, fitness could come first. So when my good friend Sean told me that he was interested in joining the Amateur program at his boxing club (two things you'd need to know - Sean is a guy who doesn't half-ass things (sorry, there's no better term for it) which is why he's such a great guy, and two - to do the program right, it requires commitment.) So to encourage Sean and to get him into more of a routine, I said I'll join for the month, and cross-train there as finding a good bike workout on a budget is a pretty hard thing to do in the winter. So today was the first day of what I'm planning to be 3 workouts this week, 4 next week, and 5 the following one. I have 23 days left in Halifax so I'll work in some rest time in between of course and maybe be able to throw a couple more workouts there in. But on to the first day. Wow. Everyone knows boxers are tough people, but I guess I never realized just how tough. I like hard workouts and like to suffer through them, and so I never really think of how hard a workout looks or is. When I thought about boxers being tough, it was because they could take a punch and roll on. Well, I now prescribe to a completely different mindset. To commit yourself to that self destruction of a workout day in and day out, THAT makes you a tough man. My legs were saved only by the triathlon training I've been able to do to prepare me for that single moment, but my arms have only once in my entire life been as tired as they are. (The other time was a workout with Greg Kowalski in high school at the gym at AMC theatres, where for some particular reason of trying to push a guy who was probably at the time and definitely now stronger then me, I came back to the car with barely the energy or ability to put on my jacket and open the car door. Great day)

So while there's plenty more I could tell you about in my time in Halifax so far, this deserves to be the ending point. The day when I stepped inside a boxing ring for the first time, and had a 5'4" girl make me hurt so bad that even I admitted it was just plain ole' tough.