Category: life

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life

Christmas Eve

It’s almost Christmas. I’ve been having a great time down in Utah with Anna and her family. Apparently due to the fact that Holmans are so excited to open presents, we are going to do that tonight instead of waiting for Christmas morning. It will probably make for more photogenic subjects so I won’t complain. On the one hand I wish I was at home with the family, but on the other hand I’m EXTREMELY happy I won’t have to go through that stupid Christmas program at my Aunt and Uncle’s. Every year they make us all sit around reading the Nativity Story and singing Christmas songs. I’m seriously glad to get away from it.

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life travel

I’m in Disneyland

So here is the quick recap of what I’ve been up to in the last week or two. I left Lethbridge on Monday morning at around 6:00am. I was happy about how the American border seemed to be in quite a good mood. He even smiled when I said I was going to Disneyland and wished me a nice trip. I arrived in Sandy, Utah at about 5:00 pm so I made good time. Traveling with the dog was no trouble at all and we were both happy when we finally saw Anna! I stayed with the Holman’s for a week and then Anna and I took off for sunny California. Sunday was our first day in Disneyland — but it turned out to be more rainy than sunny. Monday and Tuesday were both nice weather wise, but I have been getting sick with a mild cold. That of course hasn’t stopped me from going to Disneyland. Today we are going to take in the parks as usual but at 2:45 this afternoon we are going to watch The Lord of the Rings — The Return of the King. I must say we are both pretty excited. Tomorrow will be our last day in the magic kingdom… at least for awhile.

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life travel

It’s Official — I’m done the semester!

I just finished writing up my last paper of the semester. Now the only thing in my way to the greatest Christmas vacation ever is the 12 to 14 hour drive to Utah. It’s 3:30AM and I am considering just leaving right now. Anna sure would be surprised if I got there a few hours in advance, and it would be nice to not just have to go straight to bed when I get there. That’s it, I’m packing right now and I’m on my way. Utah and California — here I come!

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life

Two Pizzas for Two Not Two for One Pizza

I finished my 3D animation project and boy am I happy. Anna-Maria and I are eating pizza tonight even though it’s not two for one night but pretty much everything else is going my way — except of course for this freak snowstorm. That’s life though and I for one can’t wait for the pizza — err.. I mean I for one am happy. ;)

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life

Uncle Vanya, The Swimmeet, and Jack Skellington

Friday night Anna and I went to Uncle Vanya. It is a play at the University; required watching for Drama 1000 students like myself. I would like to say it was great, however, to be honest I struggled to even stay awake. I was supposed to attend a pot-luck swim party that evening so I really missed out.

The swim meet was good. I swam my 100 free in just under a minute. Nicola, a girl from my Drama class, told me she was going to come and watch me swim. I didn’t think she would really come so I didn’t think much of it. To my surprise, come Saturday morning, there she was. It started to dawn on me that this girl had a crush on me. It also started to dawn on me that I hadn’t really explained that I had a girlfriend sitting just down the stands also there to watch me swim.

I had to go stretch. I shared out the times that I would be swimming and they said they would come back later. I wasn’t sure they really would return.

I swam the 50 free in 25.35. I didn’t beat my personal best time (pb25.13) but nevertheless it does qualify me for Canada West and the rest of the swimmers were quite surprised. I guess they never realized I have a pretty fast 50. Anyway in my disappointed state I talked to Anna for a moment and then cut her off when I started talking to Andy. I felt pretty disappointed and just hit the showers. Apparently Nicola was up on the stands again. I never even realized she was there. She saw me talking with Anna and approached her. I assume she began to realize who Anna was. Nicola asked her how she knew me.

I had told Anna about Nicola, how I suspected she might have a bit of a crush on me. Anna is the type of girl that is so worried about others that she momentarily contemplated not telling her.

“I’m his girlfriend,” she replied.

And that settled it. Anna and Nicola made small talk or whatever afterwards. Nicola was curious about how I did so Anna explained that my time was good but that I was disappointed with it. That is pretty much how it went and now I can’t help but feel a bit guilty. I don’t know though – what else could have I done? Telling her up front that I had a girlfriend would have been somewhat presumptuous of me. I guess things just sorted themselves out as they usually do.

This morning I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas. I’ve wanted to see it for quite awhile and I really enjoyed it. Mostly I appreciated the tremendous amount of time and effort that went into such a creation. It is truly a masterpiece.

Categories
life Music

Go Deaf for Def Leppard Update

At the crack of dawn this morning Anna-Maria and I headed off to Rock 106 to try and win some concert tickets. When I got there, there was only one other contestant. Things were looking up, but then they got on the radio and asked more people to come down and be in on the contest. Well a few more people started to show up and after a slight mishap with dead batteries in the decibel reader they got things underway.

First off, I should explain the basis behind this contest. The idea was that whoever sang the loudest Def Leppard line would win tickets to the Def Leppard concert on Monday. They talked Anna into also participating and she sang at an amazing 101.2 decibels (or was it 102.1?) She sang Pour a Little Sugar on Me — which she said she didn’t even know and nobody else sang louder than Anna-Maria, in fact nobody else even broke 100 decibels, except for me. I yelled a spectacular 106.6 decibels of Let’s Get Rocked and then after the contest was over did an encore performance and sang at 108.1!

We won the tickets and now all that’s between me and a sweet free Def Leppard concert is getting out of my evening class on Monday night. We are pumped.

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life

2003/2004 Swim Season: How to Deal with Muscle Cramps

I just finished the first swim practice of this season. I am exhausted. I could feel my legs ready to cramp up at any second; my right leg did cramp up just as I was getting out of the pool at the end of practice. If you have never had a leg cramp let me tell you, it is a very painful experience.

The other swimmers tell me that the best thing to do to prevent leg cramps is to eat foods with lots of potassium, like bananas. The best thing to do when you already have a cramp is to fully extend your leg – although at the time that may seem like the last thing you want to do.

The cramp I had this morning was such a painful big cramp that I could actually see the muscles bulging out where the cramp was. Tonight I will consume a whole tree’s worth of bananas.

My coach says the whole banana as a cure for muscle cramps is a placebo.

Categories
life Music

Go Deaf for Def Leppard – Rock 106 Radio Contest

I forgot to mention that this morning on the radio I heard them talking about free tickets for Def Leppard for the next 10 callers. Well I whipped out the cell phone and then Fraser and Rosie (the breakfast boys) explained to me that I didn’t win yet but that I had to come down to the studio on Friday morning and sing a short clip from Def Leppard. Whoever sings the loudest will win the tickets. Somewhat hesitantly I told them I would be there.

Update: Apparently I have quite the ability to raise my voice — see how the contest turned out.

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life

Anna’s Back and We’re Both in the Hat

Anna-Maria arrived back in Western Canada on Friday afternoon. We spent the day shopping at Chinook Centre and decided to go back to Lethbridge rather than spend the night in Calgary. We saw Finding Nemo here in the Hat yesterday and I still give it two fins up. Although with fish movies two fins up does imply belly-up which is bad, I mean “two fins up” in the “it’s really good even the second time” way.

Categories
life work

Jeff Milner the Hero

I saved a child today at the pool. She was swimming in the deep end and when I looked over at her she was going under coming up for air and then going under again. The other guard didn’t see her and I tried to reach her from the edge but she was too far to swim over at all; she just kept going under. I even tried to reach the towel that I happened to be holding out to her but it was just out of her grasp. Next thing I know I decided to just jump in and grab her. I pulled her to the side, got out, and then suddenly the other guard noticed us. He came over quickly and I let him take her along with one of the councilors while I went and got changed. She was okay, just a little shaken up.

It’s weird jumping in for someone in distress. At first it doesn’t seem like much, I mean just some wet clothes, and really when you think about it, it’s not much. However, at least this is what I found, afterwards my adrenaline was just flying. I felt like my heart was beating so fast and at the same time felt a little bit of the shock setting in myself. Then I let myself wonder if she really did need someone to jump in for her. I’m glad the other guard there assured me I did the right thing and the more I think about it the more I agree that there was really nothing I should have done differently. I felt the best about it when I was leaving from work this evening one of the councilors that was there (it was a day camp girl that was going under) said to me nonchalantly, “Thanks for saving that little girl today.” Saving someone is pretty cool, even if it is so minor as just jumping in the pool and pulling them to the side.