My mom came over recently and she had found a mess of pictures which included me as the mummy.
Showing posts with label Edmonton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edmonton. Show all posts
Oct 24, 2011
Halloween Flashback
One of my favorite costumes as a kid was when I dressed up like a mummy. I remember that we took pictures of me in my costume but they were not in the large orange crate that my mom has that has all of our photos in.
My mom came over recently and she had found a mess of pictures which included me as the mummy.
My mom came over recently and she had found a mess of pictures which included me as the mummy.
Jan 20, 2011
List-Mania: Childhood Toys
The last time I did one of these type of columns was back in October! After reading some of my cousin's blogs, I thought this would be a fun subject to cover. I could have just listed all the fun video games but I decided to go with actual toys. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Childhood Toys.
5) Cobra Rattler
After Star Wars I needed something else to play with and GI Joe fit the bill. They had cool action figures and vehicles and they also had some of the best villains. One of my favorite vehicles was the Cobra Rattler. It had a cool large Gatling gun and a ton of missiles and bombs. It also came with Wild Weasel (the pilot). I think the biggest reason why I loved this toy was because the first GI Joe comic (#34) featured this cool jet.4) Space Legos
I loved Legos as a kid and I never thought anything could top that. Then Space Legos came around. Luckily I was a spoiled kid and I got a ton of these. I used to love to build my own ships. I still have them at my mom's house and one day I will get them and let Logan have them. The best part about Space Legos is that I was only limited by what I could think of. I would spend hours making ships.3) Star Wars Blasters
I had two cool Star Wars guns. I had a Stormtrooper rifle and Han Solo's pistol. When we would get a ton of snow in Edmonton my friend Alvin and I would play outside with these guns all the time. I still have the rifle and I know I have the pistol somewhere. I was lucky to live in a day and age when toy guns could be all black.2) AT-AT
This toy made all my friends jealous. This thing was so huge! You could place your hand inside of the AT-AT and manipulate its head to swivel around. I had a small die-cast snowspeeder that was a perfect size so I could re-enact the Hoth battle. And I did hundreds, perhaps thousands of times! 1) Secret Wars Wolverine
I remember the day I found this cool action figure. It was at this large toy store in Edmonton and I was browsing down the aisles. Marvel never had any action figures out and I was shocked to Wolverine (this was before he became big). He had a pair of silver claws that you could snap on the wrists. I had to have it. But right next to him was Spider-Man in his black costume. My parents would only allow me to get one (see? I am not that spoiled) so I grabbed Wolverine. I do not regret it even though I have never seen that black Spider-Man again. I still have this guy and his claws. Honorable Mention:
Vic Hockey Stick
No matter what, if you were a kid growing up in Edmonton, you had a hockey stick. It didn't matter if you played on ice or on the road. You had a stick. Me and my friends used to play almost every Saturday during the winter. The roads were so icy that we could skate on them in just our shoes. We used a tennis ball as a puck and we would be out for hours. In our old house, I used to go downstairs and play hockey down there too. I would use the bottom of the stairs as the goal and I would take shots from all over the unfinished basement. If you were the right socks, you could skate around too.
Sep 24, 2010
Pic of the Week: My Buddy Jared
Day 328
When I was younger I had many friends but one of my friends was this much younger boy named Jared Burrows. He was the cutest little kid and my mom used to babysit him all the time.
He loved all my Star Wars and GI Joe toys and cars and we would play for hours after I got home from school.
I used to hate it when it was time for Jared to leave because he would chase after me looking for a hug. Ugh, I hated to be hugged back when I was at that age.
One time when he was a few days older he invited me to a sleepover at his house. I went over and had dinner with Jared and his family and then played with his GI Joe toys. He had almost every single GI Joe toy so of course I liked going over and playing. When we went to bed he slept with this insane night light that felt like a flood light. And the heat! Holy cow they must have liked to keep it around 90 degrees at night. I barely slept and I remember going into the bathroom not knowing what to do. I must have cried because his parents heard and they came in to see if I was okay. I told them that I was too hot but they thought I just missed home so they called my parents and my dad came and picked me up.
Jared was a neat kid and I often wonder how he is doing 25 years later.
When I was younger I had many friends but one of my friends was this much younger boy named Jared Burrows. He was the cutest little kid and my mom used to babysit him all the time.
He loved all my Star Wars and GI Joe toys and cars and we would play for hours after I got home from school.
I used to hate it when it was time for Jared to leave because he would chase after me looking for a hug. Ugh, I hated to be hugged back when I was at that age.
One time when he was a few days older he invited me to a sleepover at his house. I went over and had dinner with Jared and his family and then played with his GI Joe toys. He had almost every single GI Joe toy so of course I liked going over and playing. When we went to bed he slept with this insane night light that felt like a flood light. And the heat! Holy cow they must have liked to keep it around 90 degrees at night. I barely slept and I remember going into the bathroom not knowing what to do. I must have cried because his parents heard and they came in to see if I was okay. I told them that I was too hot but they thought I just missed home so they called my parents and my dad came and picked me up.
Jared was a neat kid and I often wonder how he is doing 25 years later.
May 5, 2010
Jack Fishing
Day 186
Every time I tell someone that I am from Canada I usually am asked these two questions.
My dad and I used to go to a lake called Lake Wabamun about 40 miles outside of Edmonton. We would pack a lunch (usually consisting of Greek Kalamata Olives, Greek Cheese and some sort of beef stick) and head out in a canoe into the lake to catch Jack fish.
Now these fish were something else. Jack fish are more commonly known as Northern Pike and they are fighters! You know when you catch one since they are so strong and jerk your pole out of your hand! They not only have a 1st class temper but they also have a set of razor sharp teeth capable of easily shearing off the bone. My dad used to beat the heck out of them when we would catch one before he would stick his fingers in its mouth to get the lure out. Visitors to the lake were warned not to wear nail polish on finger or toe nails since the Jack fish might take a digit or two.
These fishing trips were a lot of fun. Sometimes we would go out with a couple of my dad's friends and sometimes it would be just us. A few occasions were certainly memorable. One time it was so windy that we could barely get out into the lake, we would just be drive to the shore. One time it was so windy that we almost capsized. This gust hit and I looked down at the canoe and we turned and the side of the canoe became level with the water. I don't know how we survived that. Right after that happened I looked at my dad and he said we should head back. Which was funny since he was the one telling me that it was not that bad out. I know now that he was just protecting me from realizing how bad it was!
Another time I tossed my line out and it went into the thick weeds. I quickly tried to reel it in so it would not get so stuck in the weeds. When I pulled out my lure it was hooked with a ton of weeds and thrashing around in the weeds was a Jack fish! He was barely an inch or two from my lure. So my dad tossed the whole thing and put a golf putter to it.
Catching these fish was worth the fight. They had the best flavor. My dad would cook them up with a little lemon and butter and these things were amazing. Unfortunately they were not easy to de-bone and you had to be careful while eating them but they would be so worth it.
There are some places here in Utah that have Northern Pike but I have yet to try them out. Unfortunately I have not been fishing for years but it is something that I would like to get back into.
Every time I tell someone that I am from Canada I usually am asked these two questions.
1) Why did you move?
and
2) Do you miss it?
I will try to address the 2nd question with this post. I do miss Canada, there are many things that I miss about Canada. I miss their chocolate, I miss the cool culture in Edmonton, I miss watching the Oilers play a couple times of the week, but what one of the things I miss a lot is the fishing.My dad and I used to go to a lake called Lake Wabamun about 40 miles outside of Edmonton. We would pack a lunch (usually consisting of Greek Kalamata Olives, Greek Cheese and some sort of beef stick) and head out in a canoe into the lake to catch Jack fish.
These fishing trips were a lot of fun. Sometimes we would go out with a couple of my dad's friends and sometimes it would be just us. A few occasions were certainly memorable. One time it was so windy that we could barely get out into the lake, we would just be drive to the shore. One time it was so windy that we almost capsized. This gust hit and I looked down at the canoe and we turned and the side of the canoe became level with the water. I don't know how we survived that. Right after that happened I looked at my dad and he said we should head back. Which was funny since he was the one telling me that it was not that bad out. I know now that he was just protecting me from realizing how bad it was!
Another time I tossed my line out and it went into the thick weeds. I quickly tried to reel it in so it would not get so stuck in the weeds. When I pulled out my lure it was hooked with a ton of weeds and thrashing around in the weeds was a Jack fish! He was barely an inch or two from my lure. So my dad tossed the whole thing and put a golf putter to it.
Notice that my dad and I are wearing the same hat? I would also like to note that I have always liked wearing sport jerseys. And sweatbands. And to be really cool I wore my watch on top of my sweatbands.
Catching these fish was worth the fight. They had the best flavor. My dad would cook them up with a little lemon and butter and these things were amazing. Unfortunately they were not easy to de-bone and you had to be careful while eating them but they would be so worth it.
There are some places here in Utah that have Northern Pike but I have yet to try them out. Unfortunately I have not been fishing for years but it is something that I would like to get back into.
May 3, 2010
Hey Bro!
Day 184
My parents divorced back in 1987 and I moved with my mom to the United States from Canada leaving my dad and my sister behind. Now this was way before e-mail and internet and the only way we could contact each other was on the phone and through snail mail. And one time I got an interesting package in the mail from my sister Jennifer. In it was a copy of "Hey Bro." (the only copy in existence), a book written for me by my sister.
My sister has always been creative. Back in the day we used to have a lot of fun playing together. Even though there was an age difference and she was a girl, that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun. I would draw the line when we played with my Star Wars figures and toys and she would make Han Solo and Princess Leia make out. But we always played games (Pay Day, Full House) and had a hoot together. I also remember drawing funny pictures (like Battlestar Galac-ducka) in Church and always wanting to sit by that old man that had a horrible voice so we could laugh at him. So it was hard leaving my dad and sister behind.
Her book was just as funny. She related experiences of working and being bored to death. She worked at the time at Sears Optical. Her biggest pet peeve was people who entered the shop a few minutes to closing time and were browsing for glasses.
Luckily we were only separated for just a few years before she moved down with her family. Sadly though, she never wrote a follow-up to her book. But I would rather have her here instead of up in Canada. More than a fair trade I think.
Did you know that my sister Jennifer is also a writer?
Many years ago she wrote a book affectionately called "Hey Bro."
My parents divorced back in 1987 and I moved with my mom to the United States from Canada leaving my dad and my sister behind. Now this was way before e-mail and internet and the only way we could contact each other was on the phone and through snail mail. And one time I got an interesting package in the mail from my sister Jennifer. In it was a copy of "Hey Bro." (the only copy in existence), a book written for me by my sister.
My sister has always been creative. Back in the day we used to have a lot of fun playing together. Even though there was an age difference and she was a girl, that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun. I would draw the line when we played with my Star Wars figures and toys and she would make Han Solo and Princess Leia make out. But we always played games (Pay Day, Full House) and had a hoot together. I also remember drawing funny pictures (like Battlestar Galac-ducka) in Church and always wanting to sit by that old man that had a horrible voice so we could laugh at him. So it was hard leaving my dad and sister behind.
Her book was just as funny. She related experiences of working and being bored to death. She worked at the time at Sears Optical. Her biggest pet peeve was people who entered the shop a few minutes to closing time and were browsing for glasses.
Luckily we were only separated for just a few years before she moved down with her family. Sadly though, she never wrote a follow-up to her book. But I would rather have her here instead of up in Canada. More than a fair trade I think.
This blog has been brought to you by the letter "A" (for awesome) and the letter "S" (for sister).
Apr 29, 2010
Tornado!
Day 180
It is well documented that I have a love/hate relationship with tornadoes. On one hand I am absolutely enthralled by them. How can something so destructive be so hypnotic and almost beautiful? To me they are one of the most fascinating things of nature and I would love to see one live on a tornado tour. I would love to study them.
But on the other hand I am deathly afraid of them. Seriously. I cannot see pictures or videos of them when I am alone. I dream of them often (at least I know how to deal with them) and even talking about them by myself at the computer is freaking me out a little. I really think I have a deep-seeded primal fear of them.
I don't think I would have such a fear/fascination with them if I didn't experience them firsthand. When I lived in Edmonton years ago, Edmonton was struck by killer tornadoes and not that far off from my home. And I remember that day like it happened only a few years ago. On July 31, 1987 (known as Black Friday) Edmonton was hit by a series of tornadoes which claimed 27 lives and injured more than 300. It happened right in the middle of the afternoon around 3:30.
For the last couple of nights we were treated to these amazing and large lightning storms. I remember I would sit in my sister's room and look out the window and watch the lightning travel all throughout the clouds lighting the sky in the night. We didn't suspect a thing.
The next day my mom and I went out shopping. We went and got my haircut and we stopped at the local comic store to pick up some new books. In fact, I remember exactly what I got.
During my haircut a huge rainstorm hit and dumped a ton of water and it became intensely stormy. We headed home and it was really coming down. My sister was at work and my dad was out at work too. So my mom asked me if I wanted to come with her to her job or stay home. I didn't want to go out in the weather but I didn't want to be home alone and just then my dad came home. I was so glad to see him. So my mom went off to work and I stayed home with my dad. I went downstairs to play some hockey and read my new comics and we saw that our basement had water coming into it. So my dad mopped it up and we decided to go upstairs and turn on the TV to see what the weather was doing.
We turned on the TV and we saw this large tornado on the screen. My dad and I looked at each other in awe and my dad wondered aloud "I wonder where that is?" Then the newscaster said it was a tornado in Leduc. I turned to my dad with my eyes probably bugging out of my head. Leduc was a city just south of Edmonton. Then the newscaster told everyone that Edmonton was under a tornado warning.
I jumped from my chair and I grabbed my hamster and my sister's rabbit and headed downstairs in a flash. I ran back upstairs and grabbed my comics. If I was going to be stuck downstairs I might as well have something to do. My dad stayed upstairs and eventually came downstairs to finish cleaning up the rain water. Luckily the rain had stopped but the wind had really picked up. Dad then told me that he was going to go outside to check things out. I didn't want him too but I ventured upstairs with him. I watched my dad look around at the sky from my sister's bedroom window. I didn't like watching so I went into my bedroom and got my stereo boom box so I could take that downstairs with me. As I was fidgeting with the power cord (it was stuck between the wall and my desk) my dad came rushing into the house yelling.
I yanked my stereo cord away from the wall (dumping my whole art desk down) and pushed past my dad and leaped down the stairs and hid under the stairs FREAKING out! Dad did not follow me down. I didn't even hear him coming down the stairs and I started to panic. I yelled for my dad and he didn't come down the stairs. So I grasped my knees and waited for "it" to come.
Finally my dad came down the stairs nonchalantly, like he was out on a stroll. I yelled for my dad telling him to take cover. And my dad calmly says to me: "Do you hear it? It is raining again." I was confused; I thought the tornado was coming. But my dad meant that the rain was coming again. If I wasn't so paralyzed in fear I would have killed him.
The storm began to weaken and we ventured upstairs again to watch the news. I called my mom at work and told her about the tornado and she thought I was only kidding until some guy came in and told her the same thing. She closed down the office and came home. My mom recounted her harrowing trip to her job. She said it got pitch black and she saw things twirl around in the air around her car and the car ahead of her. She felt the car rock with the wind and suddenly it left as quickly as it came. We think she drove through the tornado or the remnants of the tornado. We traced her path and it put her right in the path of the tornado. I am so glad that I didn't go with her. I would have died!
That night we watched the news and we went out to the movies. Jennifer and mom saw Dragnet and my dad and I saw the new Bond movie, The Living Daylights.
I will never forget that day. The next day we went and toured the areas of damage and it was so amazing that the wind could be so powerful and we were lucky that the tornado didn't strike closer to our home.
It is well documented that I have a love/hate relationship with tornadoes. On one hand I am absolutely enthralled by them. How can something so destructive be so hypnotic and almost beautiful? To me they are one of the most fascinating things of nature and I would love to see one live on a tornado tour. I would love to study them.
But on the other hand I am deathly afraid of them. Seriously. I cannot see pictures or videos of them when I am alone. I dream of them often (at least I know how to deal with them) and even talking about them by myself at the computer is freaking me out a little. I really think I have a deep-seeded primal fear of them.
But yet they are so neat.
I don't think I would have such a fear/fascination with them if I didn't experience them firsthand. When I lived in Edmonton years ago, Edmonton was struck by killer tornadoes and not that far off from my home. And I remember that day like it happened only a few years ago. On July 31, 1987 (known as Black Friday) Edmonton was hit by a series of tornadoes which claimed 27 lives and injured more than 300. It happened right in the middle of the afternoon around 3:30.
For the last couple of nights we were treated to these amazing and large lightning storms. I remember I would sit in my sister's room and look out the window and watch the lightning travel all throughout the clouds lighting the sky in the night. We didn't suspect a thing.
The next day my mom and I went out shopping. We went and got my haircut and we stopped at the local comic store to pick up some new books. In fact, I remember exactly what I got.
It all comes down to comic books for me right? But this was one of the issues I picked up before the tornado hit.
We turned on the TV and we saw this large tornado on the screen. My dad and I looked at each other in awe and my dad wondered aloud "I wonder where that is?" Then the newscaster said it was a tornado in Leduc. I turned to my dad with my eyes probably bugging out of my head. Leduc was a city just south of Edmonton. Then the newscaster told everyone that Edmonton was under a tornado warning.
I jumped from my chair and I grabbed my hamster and my sister's rabbit and headed downstairs in a flash. I ran back upstairs and grabbed my comics. If I was going to be stuck downstairs I might as well have something to do. My dad stayed upstairs and eventually came downstairs to finish cleaning up the rain water. Luckily the rain had stopped but the wind had really picked up. Dad then told me that he was going to go outside to check things out. I didn't want him too but I ventured upstairs with him. I watched my dad look around at the sky from my sister's bedroom window. I didn't like watching so I went into my bedroom and got my stereo boom box so I could take that downstairs with me. As I was fidgeting with the power cord (it was stuck between the wall and my desk) my dad came rushing into the house yelling.
"IT'S COMING! IT'S COMING!"
This book contains all the information and a ton of picture of the Edmonton tornado. I rarely crack open that book to look at the pictures.
I yanked my stereo cord away from the wall (dumping my whole art desk down) and pushed past my dad and leaped down the stairs and hid under the stairs FREAKING out! Dad did not follow me down. I didn't even hear him coming down the stairs and I started to panic. I yelled for my dad and he didn't come down the stairs. So I grasped my knees and waited for "it" to come.
Finally my dad came down the stairs nonchalantly, like he was out on a stroll. I yelled for my dad telling him to take cover. And my dad calmly says to me: "Do you hear it? It is raining again." I was confused; I thought the tornado was coming. But my dad meant that the rain was coming again. If I wasn't so paralyzed in fear I would have killed him.
The storm began to weaken and we ventured upstairs again to watch the news. I called my mom at work and told her about the tornado and she thought I was only kidding until some guy came in and told her the same thing. She closed down the office and came home. My mom recounted her harrowing trip to her job. She said it got pitch black and she saw things twirl around in the air around her car and the car ahead of her. She felt the car rock with the wind and suddenly it left as quickly as it came. We think she drove through the tornado or the remnants of the tornado. We traced her path and it put her right in the path of the tornado. I am so glad that I didn't go with her. I would have died!
That night we watched the news and we went out to the movies. Jennifer and mom saw Dragnet and my dad and I saw the new Bond movie, The Living Daylights.
I will never forget that day. The next day we went and toured the areas of damage and it was so amazing that the wind could be so powerful and we were lucky that the tornado didn't strike closer to our home.
Feb 6, 2010
Pic of the Week: The Pysanka (Easter Egg)
Day 98
When I was younger, we as a family took a trip east about 60-65 miles of Edmonton and visited the city of Vegreville. We visited the city's most famous monument, a giant Easter Egg. And it is something that I will not forget.
First, a little history (thanks to the Vegreville and District Chamber of Commerce for this information. You can see more at www.vegrevillechamber.com) of the egg.
(You can see my dad, sister and I all under that egg. It was raining slightly.)
The city of Vegreville wanted to honor the Royal Mounted Canadian Police (RCMP) for its service and protection of the early Ukraine settlers. They decided on a large Pysanka (Easter Egg) to symbolize the peace and security the Mounties had offered them.
Interestingly enough the design of the project was done by a computer scientist, Professor Ronald Resch from the University of Utah. They had to develop new computer programs to develop the egg. The Pysanka is really an immense jigsaw puzzle containing 524 star patterns, 1,108 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts. It measures 25.7 feet long, 18 feet wide, and stands 31 feet high.
The dedication message is written in four languages: English, Ukrainian, French and German. It reads: “This Pysanka (Easter Egg) symbolizes the harmony, vitality and culture of the community and is dedicated as a tribute to the One-Hundredth Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who brought peace and security to the largest multi-cultural settlement in all of Canada.”
It was such a cool place to visit. I would love to take Kristy and Logan up there to see it. And eat Ukrainian food like progies. MMMMMMM.
When I was younger, we as a family took a trip east about 60-65 miles of Edmonton and visited the city of Vegreville. We visited the city's most famous monument, a giant Easter Egg. And it is something that I will not forget.
First, a little history (thanks to the Vegreville and District Chamber of Commerce for this information. You can see more at www.vegrevillechamber.com) of the egg.
(You can see my dad, sister and I all under that egg. It was raining slightly.)
The city of Vegreville wanted to honor the Royal Mounted Canadian Police (RCMP) for its service and protection of the early Ukraine settlers. They decided on a large Pysanka (Easter Egg) to symbolize the peace and security the Mounties had offered them.
Interestingly enough the design of the project was done by a computer scientist, Professor Ronald Resch from the University of Utah. They had to develop new computer programs to develop the egg. The Pysanka is really an immense jigsaw puzzle containing 524 star patterns, 1,108 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts. It measures 25.7 feet long, 18 feet wide, and stands 31 feet high.
The dedication message is written in four languages: English, Ukrainian, French and German. It reads: “This Pysanka (Easter Egg) symbolizes the harmony, vitality and culture of the community and is dedicated as a tribute to the One-Hundredth Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who brought peace and security to the largest multi-cultural settlement in all of Canada.”
It was such a cool place to visit. I would love to take Kristy and Logan up there to see it. And eat Ukrainian food like progies. MMMMMMM.
Jan 6, 2010
Am I Regretting This?
Day 67
One of my fellow bloggers mentioned that we are now down in the 200's of our year-long blogging quest. That sounds like we have accomplished a lot, 67 days in a row sounds impressive. But then I calculated the percent.
18%
We are only 18% of the way through! Oh nelly, I have a lot of work ahead of me. Honestly though, writing 67 blogs is a lot of hard work but well worth it. It has been a lot of fun trying to remember the past but sometimes there are things that I don't want to remember too.
Most of the people that know I am doing this challenge has asked me if I regret doing it. While it has at times the blog has been annoying, I don't regret it at all. I seldom regret about things. There are those regrets in life that I think everyone gets. Should I have tried harder in school, should I have kept my job after high school, those type of regrets. Ultimately there is nothing I can do about it now and hindsight is 20/20 right? Should I dwell on those regrets? Nah, if I did I might as well regret that I never bought stock in Google too.
But there are some things that I do regret. Action I should have taken but didn't. The one regret that seems the most damning to me and sticks out the most happened while I was attending Sifton Elementary School.
It was my fifth grade (my favorite grade) and I really liked my class and teacher. I also had a *huge* crush on this girl. I don't want to name her since there is a slight chance she could be reading this and I don't want to embarrass her any further. But then anyone that knew me back then, knew that I had a crush on her. It was pretty obvious. She was in the same class as me but was a year older. She was such a cute little blonde girl that used to wear this "Men at Work" shirt that I thought she looked best in. I did my best to get her to like me but I think I was a little over eager.
One day I came out of class and she was walking home too. I wanted to walk home with her (and I probably timed this out too) but unfortunately these other sixth graders came out and was bugging her. I hated these guys, absolutely hated them, they were a bunch of idiots and bullies. They surrounded her and were messing with her and I walked right on by. The she called my name out for help. I turned but was afraid of getting beaten up so I kept walking.
I am such a coward. I'll never forget this, I don't think I could forget this if I tried. I don't think anything major happened but that is not the point. She asked for my help and I tucked my tail firmly between my legs and walked away. Even though it has been so many years later, when I see a picture of this girl, I remember failing her when she needed me. I should have stood tall and did something. I'm sure I would have got my rear end kicked but it would have been worth it.
She went on to junior high the next year and I rarely saw her again. Sometimes I would see her on the same public bus riding home from school but I never had the guts to speak to her again. Not because I was shy, but because I was ashamed. Sadly, that is really my last memory of her.
I am so sorry for not standing up for you.
One of my fellow bloggers mentioned that we are now down in the 200's of our year-long blogging quest. That sounds like we have accomplished a lot, 67 days in a row sounds impressive. But then I calculated the percent.
18%
We are only 18% of the way through! Oh nelly, I have a lot of work ahead of me. Honestly though, writing 67 blogs is a lot of hard work but well worth it. It has been a lot of fun trying to remember the past but sometimes there are things that I don't want to remember too.
Most of the people that know I am doing this challenge has asked me if I regret doing it. While it has at times the blog has been annoying, I don't regret it at all. I seldom regret about things. There are those regrets in life that I think everyone gets. Should I have tried harder in school, should I have kept my job after high school, those type of regrets. Ultimately there is nothing I can do about it now and hindsight is 20/20 right? Should I dwell on those regrets? Nah, if I did I might as well regret that I never bought stock in Google too.
But there are some things that I do regret. Action I should have taken but didn't. The one regret that seems the most damning to me and sticks out the most happened while I was attending Sifton Elementary School.
It was my fifth grade (my favorite grade) and I really liked my class and teacher. I also had a *huge* crush on this girl. I don't want to name her since there is a slight chance she could be reading this and I don't want to embarrass her any further. But then anyone that knew me back then, knew that I had a crush on her. It was pretty obvious. She was in the same class as me but was a year older. She was such a cute little blonde girl that used to wear this "Men at Work" shirt that I thought she looked best in. I did my best to get her to like me but I think I was a little over eager.
One day I came out of class and she was walking home too. I wanted to walk home with her (and I probably timed this out too) but unfortunately these other sixth graders came out and was bugging her. I hated these guys, absolutely hated them, they were a bunch of idiots and bullies. They surrounded her and were messing with her and I walked right on by. The she called my name out for help. I turned but was afraid of getting beaten up so I kept walking.
I am such a coward. I'll never forget this, I don't think I could forget this if I tried. I don't think anything major happened but that is not the point. She asked for my help and I tucked my tail firmly between my legs and walked away. Even though it has been so many years later, when I see a picture of this girl, I remember failing her when she needed me. I should have stood tall and did something. I'm sure I would have got my rear end kicked but it would have been worth it.
She went on to junior high the next year and I rarely saw her again. Sometimes I would see her on the same public bus riding home from school but I never had the guts to speak to her again. Not because I was shy, but because I was ashamed. Sadly, that is really my last memory of her.
I am so sorry for not standing up for you.
Nov 28, 2009
Pic of the Week: Baddest Living Biker
Day 28
My wrists are hurting and my fingers have been worn down to a nub. Today has been the first day of my challenge that I have not felt like writing/typing. I still have loads to say but as the saying goes "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak".
My wife Kristy is soon to be joining the madness of the 365 Challenge starting December 1st. Her idea for the blog is to post a picture a day and write something about it. Whether it is a current picture that she took that day or something from the past. I like this idea so like a good blogger, I am totally stealing it. So today I am unveiling a new Saturday column called "Pic of the Week". Basically it is the same column as hers only I am going to do it once a week.
So I had to find the perfect picture to blog about and I think I have a winner. This picture (or cover I should say) was taken way back in 1987. My mom and I were moving to the States, leaving my dad and sister behind. So I spent the weekend before we moved with my sister Jennifer. I crashed at her apartment and we hit the sights of Edmonton. We ate at the Progi House (YUM!) and hit the world's largest mall (at the time), West Edmonton Mall. Jennifer spent a ton of money on me and wanted to send me off in fashion.
Aren't we bad? It was such a perfect gift, I couldn't forget my sister after making the cover of Biker Lifestyle. We took another couple of pictures while at West Ed too. I know, I said I would post ONE pic a week but these were just too good not to pass up.
FUN FACT: Can you spot the glaring typo? Drives me nuts to see that this would be misspelled.
I had a lot of fun and I didn't think I would miss my sister all that much but I did. It was a long time before I got to see her again. Now, she lives just blocks away and I am glad I have her in my life. Thanks sis!
My wrists are hurting and my fingers have been worn down to a nub. Today has been the first day of my challenge that I have not felt like writing/typing. I still have loads to say but as the saying goes "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak".
My wife Kristy is soon to be joining the madness of the 365 Challenge starting December 1st. Her idea for the blog is to post a picture a day and write something about it. Whether it is a current picture that she took that day or something from the past. I like this idea so like a good blogger, I am totally stealing it. So today I am unveiling a new Saturday column called "Pic of the Week". Basically it is the same column as hers only I am going to do it once a week.
So I had to find the perfect picture to blog about and I think I have a winner. This picture (or cover I should say) was taken way back in 1987. My mom and I were moving to the States, leaving my dad and sister behind. So I spent the weekend before we moved with my sister Jennifer. I crashed at her apartment and we hit the sights of Edmonton. We ate at the Progi House (YUM!) and hit the world's largest mall (at the time), West Edmonton Mall. Jennifer spent a ton of money on me and wanted to send me off in fashion.
Aren't we bad? It was such a perfect gift, I couldn't forget my sister after making the cover of Biker Lifestyle. We took another couple of pictures while at West Ed too. I know, I said I would post ONE pic a week but these were just too good not to pass up.
FUN FACT: Can you spot the glaring typo? Drives me nuts to see that this would be misspelled.
I had a lot of fun and I didn't think I would miss my sister all that much but I did. It was a long time before I got to see her again. Now, she lives just blocks away and I am glad I have her in my life. Thanks sis!
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