Thursday, May 25, 2006
Big Plans boys boys
I got my trip to Waterloo all set up. I'm leaving on Sunday from Charlottetown at 6:45pm and arriving in Toronto at 8:10 (their time, one hour behind us don't you know) at which time I have a shuttle reserved to go to the Waterloo Inn where I have two nights booked (sunday and monday). On tuesday morning I'll move into St. Paul's College dorm on Waterloo's campus for two more nights before I shuttle back to the airport and fly back to Charlottetown. I'm really impressed by the shuttle service. They take down your flight number and if you get delayed they wait for you or arrange another shuttle for you so you're not stuck. They also drop you off at your personal destination, not just some bus station. It costs 70 bucks each way which I think is pretty good for not having to worry about the hastle of finding my way around in a place I've never been before. I think the ride might take about one hour. The airplane rides are direct flights that take about two hours each if you count real hours on a stop watch ignoring the time zones.
I'm really pumped. Dr. Sullivan who used to work at UNB my first year there is now working at Waterloo and she's taken the initiative to book oppointments for me to speak to proffessors who do research in the field of Energy and the Environment. Most people on a tour wouldn't have this inside advantage.
I'm being met on Monday by two other UNB ME grads I already know who are also checking the place out - Mark Bettle and Darren Clarke. Their both two smart and athletic guys who would make great potential room mates if waterloo really impresses us all enough to go there. Mark even has the same general research interests as me. They're flying to Toronto at six thirty in the morning on Monday for some stupid reason (my ass is going up Sunday night to soak in the Hot Tub. Waterloo Inn boasts of being Waterloo's premier hotel. My room is on sale for 130 a night but usually goes for 200). They'll stay with me monday night and they're going home on Tuesday, I think Darren has a job that he can't get much time off from.
I even got ahold of a Powerlifter from the area via the powerlifting forum and he said we'll try to get together and train one night at a place called Popeye's.
I should have some good pictures for ya all when I get back.
I'm really pumped. Dr. Sullivan who used to work at UNB my first year there is now working at Waterloo and she's taken the initiative to book oppointments for me to speak to proffessors who do research in the field of Energy and the Environment. Most people on a tour wouldn't have this inside advantage.
I'm being met on Monday by two other UNB ME grads I already know who are also checking the place out - Mark Bettle and Darren Clarke. Their both two smart and athletic guys who would make great potential room mates if waterloo really impresses us all enough to go there. Mark even has the same general research interests as me. They're flying to Toronto at six thirty in the morning on Monday for some stupid reason (my ass is going up Sunday night to soak in the Hot Tub. Waterloo Inn boasts of being Waterloo's premier hotel. My room is on sale for 130 a night but usually goes for 200). They'll stay with me monday night and they're going home on Tuesday, I think Darren has a job that he can't get much time off from.
I even got ahold of a Powerlifter from the area via the powerlifting forum and he said we'll try to get together and train one night at a place called Popeye's.
I should have some good pictures for ya all when I get back.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
A good trip to Hali - Alternate title - Doug has the Juiciest Meat Around
As my good friend Neil Moore resides in Halifax as he studies at Dal I thought it would be a great opportunity to catch up with this old boy boy and save myself a hotel fee by staying at his pad while in town for my powerlifting meet. I arrived at Dal Friday around supper to get him and verified I was in fact the real Sam by the following quote in reaction to an add on one of the Dunn building's many bulliten boards "Volunteer Abroad... Why the fuck would you want to do that?"
Neil took me for a delicious Peanut Butter Burger at Daryll's after some bullshit you can read on his blog. The night reminded me how good it is to be around someone who finally gets my inside jokes like "I saw the director's cut and it was a fuckin' wicked movie".
Saturday night after the meet I was in a mood to relax and not worry about stupid stuff like I usually do so we went to Wolfville to see the king of relaxation Mr. Douglas Keefe himself. Upon arrival I was informed Doug has a delicious BBQ steak for each Neil and I. Much appreciated. As I was eating it in the living room of Paulette's place one of the girls, I think it was Amy, said she didn't have any supper yet and was feeling really hungry. I offered her a bit of my steak and she would take that but not a big piece as I offered to her. A series of random jokes was tossed around about the girls wanting Doug's meat and his meat being too big and really juicey. At least I think they were talking about my dinner....
We even went to the Axe. It never fails that if I leave home I will run into some member of the Baglole family and that night was no exception. Susan was there for her graduation. The Bagloles were my next door neighbors on Spring street and were my first real friends in summerside, leading eventually to my friendship with Daniel and his kicking my ass on the last day of school in grade 8 or 9. It seems I never run into the Bagloles in summerside anymore but I always see them in Fredericton where Julie went to school at UNB and now in Wolfville.
Overall it was great. Now later that week after returning home I went to Fredericton to my graduation. This was a satisfying event filled with a lot of junk food and farting, bringing a sense of closure to my time in the F dot and at UNB. I now feel ready to select a grad school and give it my 100.
Being around Neil for the weekend gave me a snapshot of what it's like to go away for school. I realize his going to Hali and my going to Fredericton are nearly the same thing, but it struck me as different to see it from another point of view. I'm now wondering, and even feeling warm to the idea, of what it would be like to go away away for school, say Waterloo or something. Maybe there's a great student life waiting for me away that I can't get here. Maybe I need to be more on my own to let myself become my own major influence or something. But they'll be no talk of going to Europe to find myself - selves aren't ever found - they can only be made.
Neil took me for a delicious Peanut Butter Burger at Daryll's after some bullshit you can read on his blog. The night reminded me how good it is to be around someone who finally gets my inside jokes like "I saw the director's cut and it was a fuckin' wicked movie".
Saturday night after the meet I was in a mood to relax and not worry about stupid stuff like I usually do so we went to Wolfville to see the king of relaxation Mr. Douglas Keefe himself. Upon arrival I was informed Doug has a delicious BBQ steak for each Neil and I. Much appreciated. As I was eating it in the living room of Paulette's place one of the girls, I think it was Amy, said she didn't have any supper yet and was feeling really hungry. I offered her a bit of my steak and she would take that but not a big piece as I offered to her. A series of random jokes was tossed around about the girls wanting Doug's meat and his meat being too big and really juicey. At least I think they were talking about my dinner....
We even went to the Axe. It never fails that if I leave home I will run into some member of the Baglole family and that night was no exception. Susan was there for her graduation. The Bagloles were my next door neighbors on Spring street and were my first real friends in summerside, leading eventually to my friendship with Daniel and his kicking my ass on the last day of school in grade 8 or 9. It seems I never run into the Bagloles in summerside anymore but I always see them in Fredericton where Julie went to school at UNB and now in Wolfville.
Overall it was great. Now later that week after returning home I went to Fredericton to my graduation. This was a satisfying event filled with a lot of junk food and farting, bringing a sense of closure to my time in the F dot and at UNB. I now feel ready to select a grad school and give it my 100.
Being around Neil for the weekend gave me a snapshot of what it's like to go away for school. I realize his going to Hali and my going to Fredericton are nearly the same thing, but it struck me as different to see it from another point of view. I'm now wondering, and even feeling warm to the idea, of what it would be like to go away away for school, say Waterloo or something. Maybe there's a great student life waiting for me away that I can't get here. Maybe I need to be more on my own to let myself become my own major influence or something. But they'll be no talk of going to Europe to find myself - selves aren't ever found - they can only be made.
Powerlifting One Year Later
Last weekend on May 13 I was in my third Powerlifting meet. This was one year plus one week after I did my first one ever. It was in Lower Sackville, which for all intense purposes can be considered a suburb of Halifax.
Starting on Thursday I started overeating like mad for Saturday's meet. Overeating has almost a drug like effect on your body as far as building up strength, especially if your body is used to normally taking in the same amount of energy from food that you are using up every day. One thursday and friday I almost polished off a box of Quaker Harvest Crunch cereal, on top of my regular meals. I ended up weighing in at my heaviest ever, as a soggy 210. No doubt about five pounds of that was extra food and water that have since departed me.
The powerlifting meet consists of three events in the following order - The Squat in which a barbell is held across the back of the shoulders and you bend your legs until the upper thigh is beyond parallel to the floor, the Bench Press in which you lie on a bench facing up to the ceiling and lower a weight to touch your chest and the Deadlift in which you simply pull a barbell from the floor to waist height. I was all fired up and having the time of my life in the warm up room where all the lifters practice the lifts with increasingly heavy weights. For contest purposes we get three tries at each event in front of the three judges who verify that you are doing the lift properly according to the rules. You pick your own weights. I picked something for my first attempts that I was really confidant I could do, then my second attempts would be the most I had lifted in the gym in this past few months of training and then my third would be a few pounds (10 or 15) more than my second if all went well.
I never missed a lift all day getting myself a 465 squat, 15 more than I had ever done in my life and a whole 40 more than I did three months ago at the meet in Cape Breton. I benched 395 which was 10 more than i had done in the gym and 30 more than cape breton. Deadlifts went to 450, ten more than the gym and 25 more than cape breton. In the afternoon after the powerlifting a bench press competition was held where we focused on only that event which tests upper body strength and I was able to best my morning efforts by a bit pushing the big 182.5 kilo up (402.23 lbs). I was incredibly pleased since I had made so much progress in the three short months since cape breton.
Powerlifting is split up into many age and weight categories so many people go home with medals or trophies that they got simply for showing up and not bombing out (this is what we call it when a person uses up all of their attempts without getting any lifts in that satisfy the judges that the proper technique was used). I fell into this boat getting a silver medal both in powerlifting (where they create your score by summing your best squat bench and deadlift) and also another silver in bench press. Yep yep uh hu. For my effort in bench press I also qualified to do that event at next year's Canadian Nationals to be held in Halifax for 2007. This is my first time qualifying for Nat's and I hope it works out for me to attend. Qualifying happens by meeting certain numbers laid out in a qualifying chart - it has nothing to do with your final placing in the contest. I agree with this and think many sports benefit from this sort of 'you're in you're out' type of sorting. You must reach a firm set goal to win the right to go to nationals, not just show up and win at some little contest where no one else was even in your weight class.
Overall the meet was awsome and I'm really glad I got to do it. The whole day was like one long addrenalin rush. And the other lifters there were great. I think we all realize how hard everyone works training for this sport so there's an instant respect as soon as you meet someone.
Starting on Thursday I started overeating like mad for Saturday's meet. Overeating has almost a drug like effect on your body as far as building up strength, especially if your body is used to normally taking in the same amount of energy from food that you are using up every day. One thursday and friday I almost polished off a box of Quaker Harvest Crunch cereal, on top of my regular meals. I ended up weighing in at my heaviest ever, as a soggy 210. No doubt about five pounds of that was extra food and water that have since departed me.
The powerlifting meet consists of three events in the following order - The Squat in which a barbell is held across the back of the shoulders and you bend your legs until the upper thigh is beyond parallel to the floor, the Bench Press in which you lie on a bench facing up to the ceiling and lower a weight to touch your chest and the Deadlift in which you simply pull a barbell from the floor to waist height. I was all fired up and having the time of my life in the warm up room where all the lifters practice the lifts with increasingly heavy weights. For contest purposes we get three tries at each event in front of the three judges who verify that you are doing the lift properly according to the rules. You pick your own weights. I picked something for my first attempts that I was really confidant I could do, then my second attempts would be the most I had lifted in the gym in this past few months of training and then my third would be a few pounds (10 or 15) more than my second if all went well.
I never missed a lift all day getting myself a 465 squat, 15 more than I had ever done in my life and a whole 40 more than I did three months ago at the meet in Cape Breton. I benched 395 which was 10 more than i had done in the gym and 30 more than cape breton. Deadlifts went to 450, ten more than the gym and 25 more than cape breton. In the afternoon after the powerlifting a bench press competition was held where we focused on only that event which tests upper body strength and I was able to best my morning efforts by a bit pushing the big 182.5 kilo up (402.23 lbs). I was incredibly pleased since I had made so much progress in the three short months since cape breton.
Powerlifting is split up into many age and weight categories so many people go home with medals or trophies that they got simply for showing up and not bombing out (this is what we call it when a person uses up all of their attempts without getting any lifts in that satisfy the judges that the proper technique was used). I fell into this boat getting a silver medal both in powerlifting (where they create your score by summing your best squat bench and deadlift) and also another silver in bench press. Yep yep uh hu. For my effort in bench press I also qualified to do that event at next year's Canadian Nationals to be held in Halifax for 2007. This is my first time qualifying for Nat's and I hope it works out for me to attend. Qualifying happens by meeting certain numbers laid out in a qualifying chart - it has nothing to do with your final placing in the contest. I agree with this and think many sports benefit from this sort of 'you're in you're out' type of sorting. You must reach a firm set goal to win the right to go to nationals, not just show up and win at some little contest where no one else was even in your weight class.
Overall the meet was awsome and I'm really glad I got to do it. The whole day was like one long addrenalin rush. And the other lifters there were great. I think we all realize how hard everyone works training for this sport so there's an instant respect as soon as you meet someone.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Alright. The reason my posts have been non existant since I got home is that my computer is not connected to the internet yet. I am today using my brother Danny's computer to make this post. Things with me are good. I got all my marks, and I got an A- for my senior project which was my only concern regarding graduation requirements. I've been over to pick up my furniture with my brother Joey last week. He got the idea a little wrong and thought we were on some sort of hardcore workout trip. He hit the gym twice and went jogging once while we were there, from Monday afternoon to Tuesday evening. FYI for all those still in Fredericton on mondays at pizza delight a 12 inch pepperoni pizza is only 5 bucks. Great deal.People have been prodding for a boys boys boys post (Neil, cudos on the artwork. Your readers appreciate the extra effort. Why am I wearing a tank top (I get that part) with a heart on it?
Neils Mo. If you know anything about him you'ld know he's the smartest guy in our group hands down. We're all a very bright bunch but Neil stands out even amongst our ranks and that's saying something. What we had all forgotten until he hit Dalhousie was what a competative athlete Neil can be if he has the time. At UPEI he was always too busy for sports but at Dal he's won more than one person's share of games in such things at volleyball, bagmington, tennis, and table tennis. He's good at other sports too. Maybe it's because he's ten foot high so he has a really long stride and his opponents have trouble keeping up with him. Who knows.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: Neil let me be the first to say I would be delighted to welcome you as an inlaw to my family. I predict Neil will end up with someone very similar to himself - wildly successful. My mother suggested we knock off my cousin's boyfriend and try to set her and Neil up (seriously, it happened.). Think it over Neil. Aunt Peggy's still impressed with how tall and smart you are.
Douglas Keefe.
Now here's a guy who's more than willing to drive around and pick us all up for a night at dooly's even after he drives a few hours from Nova Scotia on a Friday night. Doug is definately king pin in the group when it comes to social activity. If we all had to list our friends Doug's list would be the longest presumably including people he met on his two European vacations. The truth is he's probably also the lady's man of the group which goes hand in hand with his social skill. Doug currently drives a fairly new Toyota Corolla but we're all expecting him to pop up with a rediculously expensive car unannounced within the next few years. When we inquire about the payments he'll assure us it's "all taken car of boys boys" (Sidenote: to the best of my knowledge he coined the term boys boys although Daniel and Neil influenced it's rise to popularity)
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: It really depends - how phony is your hypothetical sister? Seriously though, Doug is fully capable of wining and dining with the best of them and unless your sister has the same interest in men as say Elen Degenerous this is probably the guy in our group she would notice first. Hey wait a minute. If we get Doug married off quick does that mean girls would start paying more attention to those of us who would be, how you say, "leftover?"
John Gallant
I insist I gave him the name John Crud while we were playing some sort of Mario cart game at his house in St. Elenors. John was responsible for the best of our cruising in high school days once taking me to charlottetown with him the day before our math exam in Ms. Campbell's class. I have never been a car going faster with anyone else. Some people get the idea John and I don't like each other which isn't necessarily true - we're just two guys who insist on sticking to our own guns and more often than not those guns are pointing right at each other. I must admit I do admire John's prowess at understanding the complex and anyone can agree that when he devotes himself to a new interest he pulls all the stops out.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: John's actually engaged to his fiance Pam so perhaps this question doesn't apply to him. But theoretically I would say they'ld get along fine as long as said sister doesn't go someplace with him but not lock the door to his place on her way out.
Derrick Desroche.
I basically met Derrick after Neil and I determined we should share an appartment in brown's court for the upcoming first year at university. We both knew that brown's had 3 bedroom townhouses which worked out to being cheaper than the 2 bedroom appartments and Neil said he knew the perfect guy. There's a million names for derrick including but not limited to: D Double Dippy, The Dipster, and my personal favorite and newest name Derrick Donuts (with no logical rationelle behind it other than he ordered a donut the last time we ate great late). Derrick is on his way to Newfoundland this week to start his master's in chemistry and I hope I make it over to visit him someday. We had a great halloween costume planned for the next time we're together in late october. He will wear a yellow hat and suit and I will dress up like a monkey and we'll be curious george and the man in the big yellow hat.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: Well that requires a bit of a prologue. We all know genetic plays a role in many of a person's attributes and their physical appearance. I can't say exactly what my hypothetical sister would look like for certain but we can all probably predict she'ld not be a frequent buyer on the petite sizes rack. Therefore I conclude my sister would break it off with Derrick the first time he poked her in the stomach and told her she needed her stomach stapled. P.S. Neil. I'm going to be in halifax May 12 and 13 for the NS provinincial powerlifting meet. "Who's staying on your couch that night?" "Have you got my belly?"
Daniel Shaefer
Daniel was my first friend when I moved to Summerside in the year before kindergarden. I was playing dinky cars on my back porch with Susan and Julie Baglole and Daniel's sister Rebecca. Daniel's mom brought him over and said "This is my boy Daniel. Can he play with you?" Saying yes then was one of the smarter moves I've made in my day. Daniel has been the brunt of many a joke in school, sports, scouts, etc. But just remember Dan if someone's bugging you it usually means they're jealous. Daniel would rival Neil as the athlete of the group and is the only member to have played organized hockey. Since I just wrote a sentence about how Daniel's teasings are somewhat unjust I'll refrain from explaining how hockey ended for him. Dan's recently ventured out into the land of milk and honey and is one of only two boys boys to possess the ring of power.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: There would be absolutely nothing wrong with a girl to be going out with Daniel. However if she were to be injurred in some sort of outdoorsy type activity the couple would be likely to participate in like hiking or skiing don't expect him to crack open that HUGE first aid kit he has and share the stuff. I know first hand.
I'm not doing a write up on myself. Mostly because supper's on the table and I woudn't miss a meal if it was going to bring about world peace.
Neils Mo. If you know anything about him you'ld know he's the smartest guy in our group hands down. We're all a very bright bunch but Neil stands out even amongst our ranks and that's saying something. What we had all forgotten until he hit Dalhousie was what a competative athlete Neil can be if he has the time. At UPEI he was always too busy for sports but at Dal he's won more than one person's share of games in such things at volleyball, bagmington, tennis, and table tennis. He's good at other sports too. Maybe it's because he's ten foot high so he has a really long stride and his opponents have trouble keeping up with him. Who knows.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: Neil let me be the first to say I would be delighted to welcome you as an inlaw to my family. I predict Neil will end up with someone very similar to himself - wildly successful. My mother suggested we knock off my cousin's boyfriend and try to set her and Neil up (seriously, it happened.). Think it over Neil. Aunt Peggy's still impressed with how tall and smart you are.
Douglas Keefe.
Now here's a guy who's more than willing to drive around and pick us all up for a night at dooly's even after he drives a few hours from Nova Scotia on a Friday night. Doug is definately king pin in the group when it comes to social activity. If we all had to list our friends Doug's list would be the longest presumably including people he met on his two European vacations. The truth is he's probably also the lady's man of the group which goes hand in hand with his social skill. Doug currently drives a fairly new Toyota Corolla but we're all expecting him to pop up with a rediculously expensive car unannounced within the next few years. When we inquire about the payments he'll assure us it's "all taken car of boys boys" (Sidenote: to the best of my knowledge he coined the term boys boys although Daniel and Neil influenced it's rise to popularity)
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: It really depends - how phony is your hypothetical sister? Seriously though, Doug is fully capable of wining and dining with the best of them and unless your sister has the same interest in men as say Elen Degenerous this is probably the guy in our group she would notice first. Hey wait a minute. If we get Doug married off quick does that mean girls would start paying more attention to those of us who would be, how you say, "leftover?"
John Gallant
I insist I gave him the name John Crud while we were playing some sort of Mario cart game at his house in St. Elenors. John was responsible for the best of our cruising in high school days once taking me to charlottetown with him the day before our math exam in Ms. Campbell's class. I have never been a car going faster with anyone else. Some people get the idea John and I don't like each other which isn't necessarily true - we're just two guys who insist on sticking to our own guns and more often than not those guns are pointing right at each other. I must admit I do admire John's prowess at understanding the complex and anyone can agree that when he devotes himself to a new interest he pulls all the stops out.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: John's actually engaged to his fiance Pam so perhaps this question doesn't apply to him. But theoretically I would say they'ld get along fine as long as said sister doesn't go someplace with him but not lock the door to his place on her way out.
Derrick Desroche.
I basically met Derrick after Neil and I determined we should share an appartment in brown's court for the upcoming first year at university. We both knew that brown's had 3 bedroom townhouses which worked out to being cheaper than the 2 bedroom appartments and Neil said he knew the perfect guy. There's a million names for derrick including but not limited to: D Double Dippy, The Dipster, and my personal favorite and newest name Derrick Donuts (with no logical rationelle behind it other than he ordered a donut the last time we ate great late). Derrick is on his way to Newfoundland this week to start his master's in chemistry and I hope I make it over to visit him someday. We had a great halloween costume planned for the next time we're together in late october. He will wear a yellow hat and suit and I will dress up like a monkey and we'll be curious george and the man in the big yellow hat.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: Well that requires a bit of a prologue. We all know genetic plays a role in many of a person's attributes and their physical appearance. I can't say exactly what my hypothetical sister would look like for certain but we can all probably predict she'ld not be a frequent buyer on the petite sizes rack. Therefore I conclude my sister would break it off with Derrick the first time he poked her in the stomach and told her she needed her stomach stapled. P.S. Neil. I'm going to be in halifax May 12 and 13 for the NS provinincial powerlifting meet. "Who's staying on your couch that night?" "Have you got my belly?"
Daniel Shaefer
Daniel was my first friend when I moved to Summerside in the year before kindergarden. I was playing dinky cars on my back porch with Susan and Julie Baglole and Daniel's sister Rebecca. Daniel's mom brought him over and said "This is my boy Daniel. Can he play with you?" Saying yes then was one of the smarter moves I've made in my day. Daniel has been the brunt of many a joke in school, sports, scouts, etc. But just remember Dan if someone's bugging you it usually means they're jealous. Daniel would rival Neil as the athlete of the group and is the only member to have played organized hockey. Since I just wrote a sentence about how Daniel's teasings are somewhat unjust I'll refrain from explaining how hockey ended for him. Dan's recently ventured out into the land of milk and honey and is one of only two boys boys to possess the ring of power.
What you'ld think if you had a sister and found out she was dating him: There would be absolutely nothing wrong with a girl to be going out with Daniel. However if she were to be injurred in some sort of outdoorsy type activity the couple would be likely to participate in like hiking or skiing don't expect him to crack open that HUGE first aid kit he has and share the stuff. I know first hand.
I'm not doing a write up on myself. Mostly because supper's on the table and I woudn't miss a meal if it was going to bring about world peace.
