Did You Hear Something?

For those who have heard me rant before, you probably know that when it comes to people "hearing God", I am very skeptical. In the Christian circles I hear it all the time..."God told me it was time to change churches" or "I took this job because God told me to" or "God told me I should date her." I usually just roll my eyes (internally because the person is often looking right at me) and smile and nod.

All that to lead into this ...I decided to try something new at church (this will eventually tie in to the above statement). I am a person who does not like "Greeters". These are the official people who stand at the entrance to the door and shake your hand as you come in. They are official because this is actually their volunteer job and different people do it every week. I dislike it so much that I usually go in the "exit" door (our church has two services so when I go to the second service I just go in the door that most people who attended the first service are going out of). That way I walk in behind the greeters and don't have to shake their hand. Now I'm not against hand shaking, but I just feel it is so insincere. Do these "greeters" really care about me at all? Are they actually happy to see me or are they just doing their job? I've thought that I should try to stop and talk to them sometime as I walk in. I'm sure they would get completely flustered as I'd be in the doorway trying to talk to them and they would be trying to get around me to shake the hands of the other people coming in. I feel like it's an assembly line and there is no real care involved. And don't tell me they are there to help the new people...not once have they asked if I was new or if I attended regularly. Besides, that's what an Information Desk is for.

I feel that we should not have greeters because everyone who attends the church should be doing that all the time. I feel that the regular attenders of the church should be always looking around to see if there are new people there and go and talk to them. To me, that shows true caring because you are seeking me out and actually want to talk to me. Now our church also has "secret greeters" who do just that...their job is to "secretly" be watching out for people and then go and talk to them. That's a step forward, but to me it's still a job and all regular attenders should have that mindset all the time.

So, back to the "hearing God" bit. In order to put my money where my mouth is so to speak, I decided that I was going to try and get to know someone new each time I attend church. Today was the first day to try it. Due to a golf tee time at 11:45am I ended up going to the early service where I practically know no one and Shiela was also out of town so I was on my own. As I was walking up to the church this one guy glanced my way a few times as he walked into the church. I thought maybe I had cut him off on the road as I drove to church and so he was mad at me, but I didn't think I had done that. Then it happened...I thought I should go talk to this guy. This was the guy that God wanted me to talk to. God was telling me to talk to him.

I entered the church and figured maybe if it worked out I'd talk to him. After hanging up my jacket I had to spit out my gum so I walked into the bathroom. Low and behold, right by the door was this guy again, just standing there. I figured he was waiting for his wife or something from the girls bathroom. I walked right past him and didn't say a word. I pretended to get a drink of water and then figured I should really talk to him. So I headed towards him again and at the last minute chickened out again and went the other way down the hallway. The bad part was that this hallway went no where except to one Sunday school room which I obviously wasn't going into. I then had to turn around and walk by him again. Finally I gave in and walked up to him and introduced myself. He didn't say a word but just looked at me. I asked if he usually attended church and he said sometimes. I was at a complete loss as to what to say when suddenly the women's washroom opened up and his wife came out. They immediately walked off but being the stalker I am I rushed after them and introduced myself to the woman. She then told me her name and informed me that she was hearing impaired and that her brother (not husband as I had thought) was with her and she was teaching him sign language (she was very nice about this all). Then they walked into the sanctuary to the front where the church has someone who does sign language for the hearing impaired.

I stood there in the hallway thinking about what just happened. Did God really tell me to go talk to that guy and his sister or did I just think that? Was that my own mind that just made up those coincidences where I kept running into that guy. I mean, he never even really said much to me at all.

So here I am now still skeptical of how God talks to people. Will he really tell me each week who I should go meet? When people say God told them something, did He really or do they just think he did? Am I just hearing impaired when it comes to God's voice? Has God ever told you something? I'd love to hear about it (and no, I won't make fun of it).

Soccer Season is Approaching

Some people have been asking what I've been doing with all my spare time right now. I think this video pretty much explains it (except pretend it's soccer and not hockey!) as the soccer season starts again in a few days.

Celebrity Coach in Saskatchewan?

Ever since Kent Austin came to coach our Saskatchewan Roughriders something has been bothering me. No, it's not that he's white. No, it's not that he's producing a winning team (I like that a lot!) The problem is that every time I saw him on TV in an interview he reminded me of someone. I could never focus on what he was saying because all I could do was try to figure out who he looked like. I've finally narrowed it down to 2 different people and I need your help in figuring out who he looks like.

Is it this guy...Mark Cuban...owner of the Dallas Mavericks and worth about $5 billion or something like that.









Or this guy...Mel Gibson...famous movie actor who can help you claim your "FREEDOM!!"













Let me know in the comments who you think it is....maybe there is some sort of long lost connection here!

Can't Get Enough

Although it seems I barely have time to update this blog, I've decided to start another blog more focused on something I really enjoy. No, not soccer. No, not golf. No, not Coke. Give up? It's going to be The All Things About Marketing Blog!

I love marketing and everything about it. I like contests, commercials, activations, sponsorships, etc....and what I really like about them is offering my own opinion on them!

So come on and check it out. It doesn't look amazing yet as I just put it together, but you'll definately want to bookmark it to keep on top of all the fun and crazy things going on out there in the marketing world!

Go there...right now....right here!! Why are you still reading? Click the link already!

News Flash

The national Tim Hortons office just phoned me and confirmed my worst fears...Tim Hortons is switching to Pepsi. Now I'm just wondering if Wendys will switch as well since they are owned by the same company.

Let the boycott begin!

Halifax Here I Come

It is actually quite a ways away yet, but I found out on the weekend that our company is putting on next year's Canadian Sponsorship Forum in Halifax. Every year we put on this forum and we partner with a major event which makes the forum very exciting...although with the amazing speakers we have the forum is amazing on its own (little plug there!). So can anyone guess what major event is happening in Halifax next year in May? (hint: look at the picture)

That's right! It's the IIHF World Championship. Our company is partnering with them and I will most likely be in Halifax for this great event. The best part is that we also get to go to one of the games. Any guesses which one? (long pause) It's the Canada vs USA game! Now truthfully I'm not even that big of a hockey fan, but it will still be cool to be able to be there for this game. I'm just hoping that some of the big name hockey players don't make the playoffs so they will be there to play.

So if you want to join me, sign up for the forum here (once the new website is up) and I'll save you a seat at the game!

One Big Party

I made it back from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and it felt good to be back in my own bed again. There were so many celebrities there like Brad Pitt, Angelina, Matt Damon, Kevin Bacon...and I didn't see any of them! Actually I think they all left earlier in the week, except for Kevin Bacon who actually was downstairs in the theatre while we were watching George Clooney's Michael Clayton movie on Friday night. I had an amazing time in Toronto and really the entire trip can be summed up in separate phrases: NO SLEEP; FREE; COLD

NO SLEEP

In case you forgot I was at TIFF because our company was putting on the Canadian Sponsorship Forum and were partnering with TIFF for it. So during the day I spent all my time attending sessions, helping out where needed, meeting delegates, etc. Then in the evening it was just party, party, party! I was out partying every night until somewhere between 2:00am - 3:00am. That wouldn't be so bad except that I had to be back down at the forum and working again by 6:30am -7:00am. This basically meant no sleep, but it was worth it.

The first night we went to a party with just our delegates to Casa Loma. This was an old historic castle and was pretty cool. ET Canada was using the castle to do some filming so there was a lot of ET stuff around. When we left I even saw Cheryl Hickey up on the outdoor stage doing her show.

After that party was over around 9:00pm we went back to the hotel, hopped onto another bus and went to the after party of the movie premiere New York City Serenade. It was sponsored by Audi and Hello Magazine and it was packed in there. It was a great party and after leaving I also got a gift bag, but it mostly had girl things in it like shampoo, a hair straightener, a book, etc. Not too much I wanted. (Yes, the picture below is of a co-ed bathroom with a glass wall with water running down it!)

On Saturday night we watched the closing night movie Emotional Arithmetic and I was so tired I dozed off for a bit. After that it was off to the Official Closing Night Gala party at the Harbourfront. I finally made it back to the hotel around 3:00am and back to my room by 3:45am as we all just hung out in the lobby for a while. Needless to say, there was very little sleep.

FREE

The coolest part about all the parties was that everything was free. Every party we went to had free food and drinks and some people took full advantage of it. Not being much of a drinker I stuck mostly to Coke, Sprite and Red Rain (similar to Red Bull). The problem with the food was that it is mostly appetizer type food and so although you are eating all the time you don't really feel full. There was some larger type food around. At the Cosa Loma party there was curry chicken which was really good. At the closing night gala there was a lot more including mini burgers, spicy chicken, crepes, lamb stew, cornbread, etc. It was really good but the lineups were really long and so Ididn't eat much until much later in the evening.

COLD

Somewhere along the line someone forgot to tell all of us that the closing night gala party was going to be outside...right along the harbourfront! This meant all the cold air from off the lake was blowing right into the party area and it was COLD. Most of the girls were wearing cocktail dresses and were instantly freezing. But after people started drinking they started to forget about it. Also, most of the guys instantly lost their suit jackets and the girls were wearing them to keep warm!

Later on in the night I decided it was time to warm up and wanted to sneak into the VIP lounge which was indoors. Another guy and I went over there and noticed that security wasn't really checking people for wristbands so I walked right on by them and nobody stopped me. There was practically no one in there so I ate some food (no lineups in there!) and then the other guy came in too. I noticed a back entrance leading out of the area and asked one of the server girls what was back there. She told me the kitchen. That's odd I thought as I saw people coming and going from near there. Then she told me that I should go upstairs to the VIP lounge which was much nicer, which was also through that back entrance. I glanced down the hallway towards the staircase that led up to the next floor where the VIP lounge was. There were two big security guards blocking the stairs and checking people for blue bracelets before they were allowed up there. I put my thinking cap on and decided that I had to get by them either with a distraction or by pretending I belonged there.

Then it hit me. We grabbed a drink each and when the server girls went from the kitchen to the upstairs we followed right behind them. We walked right past the security guards and they never stopped us as they figured we were with the girls. It worked like a charm and we were up in the VIP lounge. It was much warmer in there with nice white couches, etc. I went out to the deck and they had a table with marshmallows on skeweres. Then the girls roasts the marshmallow for you over a flame and you can then dip it in either dark or white chocolate with some sort of alcohol in it. It was really good! We didn't see any real famous people up there, but then again I wouldn't recognize them anyway so there could have been.

Finally we left and went back to where everyone else was. The party ended shortly after and we all went back to the hotel. It was great to get back into my bed again!

Overall it was an awesome time there. Too bad I didn't see more celebrities, but maybe next time!

Wanna Go to the Grey Cup?

Anyone out there want to go the Grey Cup? And I don't just mean get tickets to the Grey Cup as that is really just a small part of it. Going to the Grey Cup means going to experience the whole thing!

Chunky Soup is giving away a Grey Cup experience to some CFL fans and I think Saskatchewan fans have the edge. Maybe you'll see when you read the contest details from Marketing Magazine:

The contest was inspired by the tradition of pre-game “tailgate parties,” and focuses on Campbell’s Chunky Soup brand. To enter the contest, consumers must submit a video or photograph, along with a description, of their own tailgating activities to the contest microsite, cbcsports.ca/tailgate.

The submissions will be judged by a panel comprised of representatives from the CFL, the CBC’s football broadcast team and Campbell’s. Some submissions may also be aired on CFL on CBC pre-game shows, which are sponsored by Campbell’s Chunky Soup.

So there you go Saskatchewan Roughrider fans! It's time to show Canada what a real tailgate party looks like! Of course, I've never actually been to a tailgate party, but if you want me to appear in your video let me know and I'd love to make a cameo. All I ask is that if you win...take me with you!

Michael Clayton Trailer

So why am I posting this movie trailer? Well, it just so happens that this is the movie I will be going to see at the Toronto International Film Festival. Our company is hosting the Canadian Sponsorship Forum and we are partnering with TIFF to put it on. It should be a fun time and hopefully I get to go to a few fun parties...maybe George and I will even sit together at this screening! I'll let you know how it all went when I get back.

Something Has To Change

For the last few years I have seen our University of Saskatchewan Huskie soccer program say the exact same thing over and over. "We need to get more fans in the stands," says Bryce Chapman. "We need to tie our team into the community and get the young soccer kids out to the game," he keeps saying. Now that Tom Lapointe has become the new women's head coach it has turned from a solo into a duet with both of them singing the same song. It would be music to your ears...if anyone actually listened.

Which of course they don't. And the reason I know they don't listen is that although the same song is sung over and over I never see any changes made....and by they I mean the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and Huskie Athletics. I totally agree with the lyrics to Bryce and Tom's song, it's the system that has to change. Now I don't know for sure who makes up the schedule for the season, but whoever it is, they are part of the big problem.

The problem is that they schedule the games at a terrible time: Friday at 12:00pm for the women's game and then 2:00pm for the Men's game. Now I don't know about you, but I have to work on Friday afternoon until 5:00pm. I think the majority of the people in Saskatoon, including all the kids that play soccer, are busy Friday afternoon and cannot make a game at 12:00pm.

You don't see this with any other sport. Football always plays their games Saturday afternoon at 1:00pm (with the odd exception of a Friday night game under the lights). Volleyball and Basketball is always played on Friday and Saturday evening starting at 6:00pm. All ideal times to go watch the game with your family.


Now I realize soccer is a little different. Basketball and Volleyball always play double headers against the same teams...one game Friday and one Saturday. Soccer plays one game on Friday and then that team travels to another university nearby and plays them the next day. This travel time may affect the scheduling, but it can still be worked around.

Here's what I suggest the schedule should look like:

Saturday afternoon 12:00pm - Women's game
Saturday afternoon 2:00pm - Men's game (remember, we have lights at Griffiths so this is fine)

Sunday afternoon: 12:00pm Women's game
Sunday afternoon: 2:00pm Men's game
Teams then travel home after the game.

This schedule change would allow local kids and families a chance to actually see the team in action. This would not only inspire the players as the stands would be more full, but it might help the soccer coffers through the small $5.00 admission charge to get in and maybe one day we could actually offer some scholarship money to the players.

I'm tired of all the talk and no change happening. The truth is that until those Friday afternoon games are rid of the soccer program will never truly be able to engage the community and attract the large soccer crowd this city has.

Boston Pizza Going Downhill

Reading in a current Marketing Daily email I receive I found out that Boston Pizza is looking at getting rid of its agency DDB Canada. Now I have nothing against DDB Canada (except for those fat yellow and blue guys), but those ads they have been coming up with are terrible. I didn't like the one with the gigantic hands family because I kept thinking that if I ate there my hands would look like that. Then they pulled out the Louie the Sasquatch ads. Right from the start I thought that was a terrible idea. I mean seriously, do you want to eat in a restaurant with a sasquatch that sneezes everywhere because he smells pepper? They were trying to appeal to families with those ads but clearly missed the mark. The only time I think that ad could have worked was back in the 80's when Harry and the Hendersons came out.

Now I haven't eaten at Boston Pizza in a while and with terrible marketing like that I'm not sure I will any time soon...but I think I'm also a little biased. Boston Pizza used to be good back in the day and I loved it...then they turned to Pepsi and everything went down hill. You do the math...I have!

When the Going Gets Tough...

Last week I was at my younger cousin's wedding down in Swift Current and the pastor talked about how it used to be that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And how now it seems like when the going gets tough, we just walk away. The proof is in the pudding when you read this article on how more couples are getting divorced after 30 years of marriage (linked via this guy's website).

Now this post isn't about marriage or divorce and no, Shiela and I are not having marriage problems. It just got me thinking about this saying and how I hadn't heard it for a long time and yet it is so true. It reminds me of another saying, that nothing worth doing is easy to do (or something like that).

I like it when things are easy. It's great when someone walks up and hands you something for free. I like it when I am good at something and don't have to work to be good at it. I like it when things are done for me and I don't have to do them. Reading this as I type it makes me sound really lazy, but that's not true. I'm sure everyone else would agree that they feel the same way a lot of the time...who wouldn't? I often look around at the people I know and are amazed at how good they are at things...whether it be carpentry, wood working, real estate deals, financial planning, website building, music playing, etc. I look at myself and wonder what I can do. I'd love to start my own business and people tell me to just do it, but it's tough to start a business when you don't have a skill people want or need.

I think that saying also stems further for me. I'd love to lose some weight and get back in shape like I was in high school (or at least close to it). I'd like to be wealthy. I'd also love to have a closer relationship with God than I do. The thing is that none of these things will come true without putting some work into it.

I had a great time listening to an old Delirious album on the way back from Swift Current as I drove home alone and the two songs I played many times were All I Want Is You and Obsession. Spending that time with God was great as I was able to just sing the lyrics to the song Obsession.

So I'm not sure what this all means, but I guess I'm just doing some soul searching and writing as I think. And there is never a better time than the present to get going on all this stuff. So as the lyrics to All I Want Is You say, I think it's time to put on my God shoes/ And do what I'm here for/ Raise the flag again.

C95 Really Big Wedding

If anyone listens to C95 in Saskatoon you have probably heard about their new big thing...the C95 Really Big Wedding. I think this idea is wrong and feel sorry for the couple involved.

I was listening to the radio when it all happened. C95 had a big surprise coming up and it ended up being this guy proposing to his girlfriend on the radio! Ah, that's a neat idea I thought to myself. Then, Shauna said there was another surprise for the couple...C95 was going to pay for the whole wedding, or at least a lot of it. They were going to play little contests each week and if the couple won the contest then C95 would pay for more of the wedding. As it turns out, I think C95 is now paying for all of it.

At this point in listening I was not impressed. The poor couple is on the spot asking if they want C95 to pay for the wedding. Well, of course they did, who wouldn't? And I'm glad C95 is doing it. The problem I'm finding is that C95 is doing it all just for them and according to their plans. For instance, the wedding is taking place at 8:00am on Sept 21! Yes, that is 8:00am in the morning! They want it at 8:00am just so it can be on the morning show. Now I've been married before and I know that it takes a while to get ready in the morning with all the hair do's, etc. and so if the wedding takes place at 8:00am in the morning I doubt any of them are going to sleep the night before. C95 was also a part of everything else involved in the wedding. They planned the wedding dress shopping, the stag, the stagette, etc. What ever happened to having the best man and maid of honour plan those things? They also only had about 1.5 months to plan it all , send out the invites, etc!

In my opinion, I think C95 is butting in the way of this whole thing and this poor couple is having to abide by all of the C95 rules to get it paid for. I think some things are just not worth it.

What do you think?

Great Windup and DVD

When I tell people I coach soccer at the Under 12 age, I usually get the "awe, that's cute" look. I don't think people really understand how good these kids are, especially at the Premier level which I coach. But I'm ok with that...unless you are involved with it you don't truly understand.

Just came back from my soccer windup and it was great. At the end of last season I was telling some of the parents how I wanted to create a DVD of the team on the progress through the season, etc. One of the parents told me he had a friend that does that type of thing and was really good. So he spoke to him and the guy said he would do it. The parents did the video taping and picture taking and this guy put it all together.

Tonight I saw the finished product on a huge projection TV with a great stereo system. I was expecting a really good 5-7 minute DVD with videos and pictures to a song, but this DVD was long (probably about 20 minutes!) and it was awesome. I loved it a lot and the parents gave me a copy as a year end gift.

I tried to post it online here for you to view, but unfortunately I don't know how. So you just have to read me talk about it...if you come over to my house I'll gladly show it to you.

*If anyone can tell me how to do it I would love to show it to you online

So Many Things...So Little Time

I'm a big fan of summer. I could honestly do away with winter completely. The problem is that with such a short summer there is so much to do and not enough time. And the problem I have now is that I like to be good at the things I do. I never expect to be the best, but I want to be good. I'm finding this very hard to do with so little time.

There are so many fun things to do in summer like soccer, tennis, slowpitch, camping, hiking, running events, triathlons and of course golf! And that is just to name the sporting things. I want to do all these things all the time and yet I don't have the time to get good at everything. In order for me to get my soccer skill back I need to be practicing a lot more. I finally got back into tennis this year, but in order for me to get that hard top spin return going I need a lot of practice. I LOVE golfing, but in order for me to consistently shoot below 100 (yeah, I'm not that good) I need to be out there a lot more.

I'm struggling with this because winter is coming upon us and I am trying to decide what to devote my time to this winter. I want to do a mini triathlon and that would mean getting a leisure card and training all winter. I also want to get my soccer skill back as I feel I've lost it, and so I'm planning on playing men's league and co-ed. I also want to get better at tennis and was debating getting a tennis membership for the winter at the tennis dome.

What do you think? Any ideas on how to be good at everything? Is it possible?

Funny Ramblings

This is a hilarious little video so thank you to my sister in law for sending it to me. I was watching it alone and still laughing out loud and almost crying (I think a tear may have even fallen). It's not "football in the groin" type funny. Rather it's more like Jerry Seinfeld type funny...sort of. You'd better just watch it right now!

WARNING: This video is rated PG due to some uses of vulgar/swear words

Going...Going...Gone!

I'm sure most people that read this blog (which is basically me, my wife and some guy from Norway) have all been to an auction. They can be a lot of fun. Bidding on items you really don't want just to increase the price all the while watching the other guy glare at you because he knows exactly what you're doing. Actually, I think I've only been to one auction before and that was a livestock auction as a little kid. I didn't dare move a muscle because I was afraid I'd be bringing home Betsy.

But now there is a whole new type of auction you can go to....a house auction! That's right. Forget Sask Houses or any realtors. All you have to do is hire an auctioneer and hold an auction right in front of your house. With today's market the way it is, this is a great way to get the maximum amount for the house. Here are some great reasons to sell your house via an auction:

1) Don't have to wade through all the offers you receive

2) Get maximum value for your house because people will keep on bidding if they really want it

3) Sell your house in less than an hour

4) It's risk free: If you don't get the price you want, you just don't sell it!

Buying a house via a house auction would also be great. Putting in your bid and finding out later you lost the house by $1000 can be really annoying. At an auction, you would know right away and be able to bid a little bit higher if you knew that was all it would take to get the house.

So if anyone is interested in it I know a great auctioneer in Saskatoon who does exactly this. He's a great guy, very experienced and extremely nice so go check out his website at Bodnarus Auctioneering.

Want a Job with Facebook?

Being on Facebook now has made me be on that website a fair bit keeping up with everyone. And always one to keep my eyes open for opportunities, I happened upon a small word at the bottom of the Facebook login page that said jobs. So of course I clicked it and what came up was amazing...it was like a fairy tale job with so many perks it was unreal.

Here's what they list under their Benefits:

Facebook rewards its employees with great salaries and options packages, plus numerous benefits and perks:

• Medical, dental and vision plans with no premium for employees
• 401(k) plan
• 21 vacation days per year, plus 8 company holidays and 2 floating holidays
• Complimentary catered breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
• Complimentary beverages and snacks
• Dry cleaning and laundry service onsite
• Free downtown parking permit
• Subsidized gym membership
• Catered Friday Happy Hours at the office
• $600/month housing subsidy if you live within one mile of the office
• Standard-issue 24" LCD monitors and your option of 15" Apple MacBook Pro or IBM ThinkPad
• Worldwide notoriety by having your face on sample Facebook Flyers

Wow! Excuse me now while I quickly go email them my resume!

Too Hot to Play Soccer? Never!

On Monday something happened that was absolutely ridiculous. The Saskatoon District Soccer Association decided to cancel all 7:00pm games because they said it was too hot. What's with that! The temperature was about 35 degrees Celsius outside in the afternoon. Of course there is humidity and all that too but according to the weather network, with all that it was still only 39 degrees.

Now I'll admit, that is a hot day compared to what we normally have. But seriously, why would we cancel soccer games just because of that? The only reason to cancel a soccer game is 1) too much rain because the fields get wrecked or 2) a natural disaster. The SDSA cited "players health" as the reason to cancel the games. Give me a break! We are all adults that play in this league. If it is hot outside, then you need to be sure you take care of yourself so you can play soccer. This means drinking lots of water beforehand and also during the game. The league doesn't have the right to cancel games because they think I don't know how to take care of my body and prepare for playing in the heat. There are a lot of places further south that have these temperatures all the time and they don't shut down their leagues all the time because of it.

I'd like to find out which other leagues cancelled their games due to the heat. Did the slowpitch leagues? Did the Ultimate Disc league? I highly doubt it! I'm obviously not the only one to complain about it because they now have a poll on the SDSA site asking if they should cancel games when it is really hot and humid out.

Heat is a part of life and we have to be able to deal with it. Just take care of yourself and you won't have to worry.

What do you think? Should the games have been cancelled? (They let the 9:00pm game be played, just not the 7:00pm game)

Hbc Run for Canada

If you are wondering where I've been for the last few months I'll tell you...in the hospital recovering from that 10K run back in May!! Just kidding (I've been out for at least a week already!) Actually things got so busy for me with the Hbc Run for Canada that I just never felt I had the time to come online and post things. I preferred to spend my time surfing everyone else's blogs and seeing what was up.

The Hbc Run for Canada was great! I was the Event Manager this year which meant it was up to me to make sure everything went well. Although stressful at times the run was an amazing success! Tarra, the person I hired to be our Marketing Coordinator in Saskatoon for the event, did a great job and really worked hard to make sure the event was a success. I don't think she slept at all in June because she seemed to be working day and night. Overall we had more people than we had last year, better medals for everyone this year and even more entertainment than last year. We also had a lot of food and Coca Cola beverages for everyone which was really good. If you haven't participated in an Hbc Run for Canada yet, you should set aside July 1st, 2008 and be a part of it as it is arguably the best running event around.

After the run was over I ended up going to the U20 World Cup soccer games in Edmonton and saw Mexico play New Zealand and then Canada play Congo. There were 22 of us there and I had bought all the tickets almost a year in advance. It was a great experience to be there and we really enjoyed it!

As for the rest of July I have been coaching my U12 soccer boys (which is almost done now) and we lost in extra time in the semi final and didn't advance to the City Finals for the first time since I've coached them. That was too bad as the boys played their hearts out, but that's life. We have one more tournament on Aug long weekend and then it's over and they all move up to the U14 age group and I will no longer be their coach (sniffle, sniffle...I'll miss them a lot). I've also just joined Facebook and am figuring out how it works...I've found a lot of old high school friends on there which is fun!

So I'm going to try to keep this blog going with more regular entries. I may write a few more detailed posts about the things mentioned above but I'm sure more will happen in my life adventures over the next few weeks...there always seems to be something to talk about!

The Run

The alarm clocks sounded and I was awake in an instant. To be sure I woke up on time I had set 3 different alarm clocks 2 minutes apart...I don't think I needed any of them. I was so anxious about my first 10K run I could hardly sleep...well ok I slept awesome but I wasn't going to sleep in!

After a great breakfast of oatmeal (a little hint from Jason Warick who is Canada's 2nd place ranked athlete in the Marathon) I was out the door and ready to roll. I arrived at the Start line early...actually very early. So early that when I got there they hadn't even put up the Start/Finish arch yet! I wandered around thinking there must be something to do, but there wasn't. I just kept walking around because I was feeling pretty stupid just standing in one spot.

As the people started filling into the formation area I noticed people doing something and it seemed to be popular. I finally had to stop one of them and I asked them what they were doing. "Warming up," she said. "Yeah, I hope the sun comes out too" I answered back as she scantered off apparently trying to find the sun to "get warm". Why is she wasting her energy before the run I pondered to myself as I slowly walked around.

Finally what seemed like hours later I was finally among all the people waiting for the gun to go off. I had managed to find a few people to run with during this race...or at least run with them until the last km or so and then it was every man for himself...at least that was what my competitive nature was saying. I actually managed to find a bunny and was going to follow her right through to the end. This "bunny" was going to hop her way along the course and she guaranteed me that if I stuck with her we'd get to the finish line in 58 minutes. That was perfect because I was bound and determined to finish this race in less than 60 minutes. The bunny told me her strategy was to stick hard to the right hand side so that when we hit the curve we'd be running less distance. I couldn't believe this...strategy for a running event!! This was awesome!

'Bang' - the gun went off and....we all just stood there. Apparently it's not possible for 1700 people to all get through a 10ft wide Starting arch at the same time. But it wasn't long and the crowd started to move and off we went. I was whipping along following my bunny down the track...I was running a bit faster than I was used to but I couldn't lose sight of the bunny as she was my ticket to reaching my goal. I slowed down a bit and let my dad catch up to me. With my eyes still closely on the bunny I chatted with him for a bit. His heel had been hurting him and so he wasn't sure how he would do in this race. He then told me not to worry about him and to run my own race. Very well then, and I picked it up to catch up to that bunny...man could she hop fast!

The adrenaline and the crowd made the first 3km go by in a breeze. Coming up to the first water station I was super pumped...I had always wanted to run through one of these! As I ran through the volunteers held out the cups and cries of "Water!" and "Gatorade" filled my ears. I grabbed three of them and I have no idea why. I just wanted to grab as many as I could. I put the first one to my lips and nearly choked to death! Drinking water on the run is hard! I then threw the second on over my head just for fun. The third one I didn't need and just chucked it on the ground as hard as I could...so much fun!

As I kept moving on I realized that I didn't really get much water at that station...I'd have to be a bit more careful at the next one. I was still doing well and I was right on pace for finishing within 60 minutes as I was running about 5:50 per km. But then there it was...the wall.

I knew the wall would be out there on the course somewhere and at about the 5.5km marker I was about to run right smack into it. The other runners I was running with were further ahead now including the bunny. I thought I caught a few glimpses of those pink ears but she was too far gone. My dream of finishing within the hour was dimming but not gone. I finally kicked myself and burst through the wall and into the 6km water station! I know had no one to run with as they were all ahead of me...or were they. Suddenly out of nowhere I passed one of the girls that was originally in the bunny group with me! We teamed up and pushed each other on as we both wanted to finish within the hour.

The run up Victoria was long. We came up to the intersection and the cops had the streets blocked off. Ah, 8th street I thought. As I ran on by I glanced up at the sign...TAYLOR!! Oh no!!! That means 8th street is still like 10 blocks away! Nothing like discouraging yourself when you already can't breathe anymore and yet you continue to torture yourself. I pushed on and finally made it to Victoria bridge...or should I say falls. The road we ran down towards the bridge was practically a 90 degree angle! I thought picking up speed on the downhill would be a good idea but before I knew it I was like a runaway train. I was barreling down the hill and I couldn't stop or I'd wipe out. I flew down the hill and as I tried to make the sharp left hand turn I couldn't quite make the corner. My foot hit the curb and I tripped and fell onto the grassy hill. People started yelling and one lady screamed. I rolled a few times and then just got back up and kept on going! Thank goodness it was grass! After that every time someone passed me they said "How's it going trainwreck!"

It was almost over and I could almost taste the finish line...wait...no that's just grass from that hill before. I was exhausted by this time but still on pace for the finish of 60 minutes. And then heartbreak hill loomed before me. I thought nothing of it at first but my legs weren't fooled...this was not easy. The girl Iwas running with couldn't go on and so I was on my own. My pace slowed down and I started hallucinating. People passing me were riding this escalator up the hill...I tried to jump on but then it would disappear and everyone would start yelling at me. I would step off and it would reappear and everyone was happy again. I was the only one who had to run up this hill!!

As people sailed by on the escalator I thought it was over...and then there he was. My dad was just ahead of me...I had caught up to him!! I surged on and managed to catch him at the top of the hill. That last surge was all I had left for energy and I could now barely move my legs...and then my dad started to pick up the pace. "What are doing?!?!" I yelled. "If you want to finish in 60 minutes we have to pick it up!" he replied. "I can't anymore I said, I can barely move. Why did you slow down at the end here?" I asked him. "I wanted you to catch up so I could run the last bit with you," he said. That really meant a lot to me and I kept pushing on. My dad could have easily finished the race in under 60 minutes but he decided to not worry about his time and just help me reach mine.

My dad kept urging me on and somehow I managed to put one foot in front of the other. I'd get to the point where I just couldn't do it and I would start to speed walk for 2 seconds...but then my dad kept encouraging me and so I started running again.

And then there it was. It was like the entire area was aglow with a bright white light at the end of a tunnel. I shook my head quick and was back to reality...whoa, I really am close to dying! As I looked out again into the distance I finally saw it...the finish line. Up until this point I had never run farther than 6km and I was about to finish 10km. I glanced at my watch and saw I only had 30 seconds to go before I missed my goal of 60 minutes. My mind said yes but my body said no...my body won. I gave it everything I had for that last km and at the very end my dad told me to go ahead and finish first. Then from out of nowhere with the crowds cheering and chanting my name I managed to find the energy to "sprint" (or run a bit faster) across the finish line. As they announced my name over the sound system the dream of finishing had come true and I had clocked a time of 61 minutes and 56 seconds.

The only thing I wanted to do at that point was drink a Coke and lay down and die. I grabbed a Coke, went to the grass and proceeded to pass out from sheer exhaustion. As I lay there nearly dieing, the hallucinations started coming back. I glanced to the side and there was my bunny, sitting on the grass, her big pink ears still on with the words 58 minutes written on them...and she had finished the race in exactly 58 minutes. I rolled onto my back again and fell asleep...next time you silly rabbit!!

Are Girls as Good as Guys in Soccer?

Whoa!!! Don't hate me yet! I'm just posing the question...all because there is a new soccer movie out for girls. I'm sure guys can watch it too, but if you are one of those girls who wouldn't be caught dead as a cheerleader and would rather play soccer I can practically guarantee you will want to buy this DVD and place it right up there next to your Bend it Like Beckham one. The only difference is this one looks like much more of a movie and not near as happy go lucky as Bend it Like Beckham which should make for a better show.

Judging by the trailer which you can check out here...this movie looks really good (and yes, I'm a guy saying that).

Running Adventure

30 hours from now the gun is going to go and I will be running in a pack of 1500 people on my first ever 10K run. I'm a little scared to say the least because I haven't trained enough.

Today I went out for my last run before the event. My goal was to run longer than I have ever ran. I started running just like normal and about 2 minutes into it I hit the wall. Normally it takes people about half way through a race to hit the wall, but there it was, 2 minutes in. Luckily for me I did hurdles in track while in high school and I hurdled over the wall not letting it stop me...at least not completely. As I gasped for breath for the next few minutes after stumbling over the wall (I didn't say I was good at hurdles...I just did them) I finally got into my rhythem and managed to keep going.

About 4.5 km in I was getting quite tired. With my headphones on and my IPOD music going I decided to focus on the music for a bit to take my mind off of running. I turned up the volume and focused on the words. It was Guns N' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" (I love the 80's!) playing as one of my pump up songs while I ran. As I listened to the words they said "Do you know where you are??? You're in the jungle baby.... and you're going to dieeeee!!!!!" Ok, I thought, maybe let's not focus on the words so much as I really didn't need someone to tell me that I was about to die from all this running...I knew that already!

I finally managed to finish the loop and crossed my finish line where I stopped my watch to look at the time...38 minutes. As I walked back home for my cool down I quickly did the math and figured I had run 6KM in 38 minutes which is approximately 6min and 20sec per KM. My goal is to finish the 10K in 60 minutes.

For all you math wizards out there, you can probably see two problems with that:
1) 6min and 20sec per KM multiplied by 10 isn't 60 minutes...it's around 63.5minutes
2) I've only run 6KM and am tired...the length of the run is 10KM. I probably won't be speeding up at the end to compensate for this extra time as I will be extremely tired since 6KM is the longest I have ever run at one time.

So Sunday will be an interesting day. I'm proud of myself for at least doing it instead of just talking about it and we'll see how it goes...maybe I'll surprise myself and end up running faster due to all the adrenaline and stuff. Truthfully, I just hope I can finish the 10K without becoming better friends with my wifes co-workers (she works for MD Ambulance).

If anyone is in Saskatoon on Sunday May 27th and wants to cheer me on, come on down to Diefenbaker Park at around 8:00am (it starts at 7:00am so if I reach my goal, by 8:00am I'll be celebrating) or stand somewhere along the 10K course (click here for a map) as it would be great to have the encouragement. If you really want some fun, stand around the 8KM marker as I'm thinking that is about where I will be collapsing from complete exhaustion!

Anyone want to guess a time for when I'll finish? I have a prize for whoever get's the closest without going over (must enter your guess before it is posted anywhere).

We Won

Yes, my boys won the Gold medal by defeating Aurora 2-1 in double overtime!!! It was an extremely tense game for us coaches and more than once I had shivers and goosebumps as I watched the Aurora team shoot the ball high over an empty net, hit one of the post and see us just barely miss a number of chances too! But with 2 minutes left until penalty shots we got a corner kick and James vollied it into the back of the net with the outside of his foot to give us the go ahead goal. There was a brief writeup in the Star Phoenix about our "upset" they called it...and I guess for us to beat Aurora in the final after the beat us 6-2 in the opening game, it is a bit of an upset...but they'll be singing a different tune come the end of this season (I hope!)

The Awakening

Have you ever worked really hard at something for a long time and it just wasn't coming together....and then suddenly the light went on and everything clicked? This weekend it happened to my boys U12 Premier soccer team.

This is my 3rd season coaching these boys and I love it. For the past 3 seasons we have been working on developing technique, teaching our defensive shape, working on give and go passing and playing the ball out wide. This past weekend we entered the Festival of Soccer which is a Saskatoon soccer tournament. I missed the first game because I was in Calgary for the day, but our boys went out and ended up losing 6-2 in their first game. I flew back into town in time to watch the final 5 minutes of the game and had a chance to talk to the boys afterward. That was the last time I saw that soccer team.

On Saturday an entire new team showed up! We entered the penalty shooting competition and ended up winning the whole thing! Then we had to play our soccer game and the boys were suddenly doing everything we had been teaching them for the last 3 seasons. Our defensive shape was tight and compact...we were give and go passing around their defenders...we were shooting so many shots at their goalie he barely had time to stand up before having to try and save another shot. We ended up winning 7-0! I stood there that game with my mouth wide open wondering what in the world happened to my team...it was awesome!

Hoping it wasn't a fluke we played another game this morning against a team that hadn't lost a game yet in the tournament. We trounced them 4 or 5 to nothing giving us two shutouts in a row! We then played another game this afternoon and if we won we would move on to the final on Monday morning. We once again played amazing and beat the team from Sherwood Park 4 or 5 to 1 (yeah, they got one where it took a bad bounce on the grass and went right past our keeper at about a snails pace...unlucky for our goalie because he was playing outstanding!)

It is so great to see the confidence in these boys eyes...I can't wait for the final on Monday morning at 10:00am at Saskatoon's new soccer centre. The skill these boys have is phenomenal and it is so much fun to coach them!

Olympic Athlete in Saskatoon

The Hbc Run for Canada is only about 6 weeks away! If you haven't signed up already you really should right away.

There is also an Olympic Athlete Appearance happening on Saturday May 12 at the Zellers at Market Mall. Come on down between 11:00am - 5:00pm for a BBQ, a Garage sale and also get an autograph from Erin Cumpstone, a member of Canada's Olympic Softabll team.

See you there!

Almost a Winner

C95 had their brainbuster and I came very close to winning...I had the right answer immediately but didn't call in fast enough!

The question was: What do you own that costs 50% more to make than it's worth?

If you know the answer, put it in the comments section!

***UPDATE****

The answer is: a penny. According to C95 sources (whoever they are) it cost approx. 1.4 times as much to make a penny than it is worth.

Have You Heard of This Guy?

I'm no expert on music, but our Windsor Marketing Coordinator for the Hbc Run for Canada told me about this guy today, Jody Raffoul. He's an up and coming musician that is starting to make a name for himself in Canada.

I took a quick look today and I really like the song he sings "She Says". Go here and check out a couple songs...I think you'll like it!

Let me know what you think of him or if you have heard of him before.

Slower than Slow

It just took me over an hour to put together a new burner for my BBQ...and I even had pieces left over! At least the burgers tasted good once I finally got it fired up!

Best Coverage of U20 World Cup

If you want to keep up to date with all the U20 World Cup that is coming to Canada starting in July, then you will want to check out this site:

www.poweradetv.com

Created by the company I work for, TrojanOne, it has a lot of great interactive items on it as well as highlight videos, etc. Be sure to move your mouse all over the screen and click on the many different items. When I was in Toronto, I actually got to see a number of guys come in and audtion for the part of the guy who is in the video when you go to the site...I guess he's the one they picked!

After one attempt at the game on that site my high score was 158...write in the comments if anyone is able to beat that! (click on the playstation to play the game)

Hypocrites R' Us

I'm a hypocrite. Yes, one of those low living, scum sucking people that everybody loves to hate. So what exactly am I hypocritical about? The answer: Blogging.

I really enjoy blogging, but the part I enjoy about blogging is actually reading other people's blogs. I love surfing through my list of blogs, finding out what people are doing, commenting on some and mostly lurking on the others. I mean, I enjoy posting too and telling my stories, but I LOVE reading blogs.

And that is where I am a hypocrite. I always browse through the blogs and when someone hasn't updated theirs in a while I get all upset and wonder why they don't post something new. I mean, come on already, it's been 12 hours...don't you have anything new to say!!! Then I go by my blog and think "Yeah, I should really post something...later." and off I go exploring more blogs.

That's not really fair. So, I hope to be posting more regularly and get rid of the title hypocrite. Any other hypocrites out there?

Am I A Stalker?

This past weekend I was in Winnipeg at the Canadian Sports Awards. Our company was there promoting our Hbc Run for Canada and we also had another cool booth there where you could get your picture inside a real bobsled or snowboard or on an Olympic podium. It was pretty cool.

On Friday night I was going to attend the gala where they were giving away a number of the awards for the year. I was helping set up our booth prior to this event and suddenly realized I only had 45 minutes to get a taxi, go back to my hotel, change, get another taxi back to the awards all before 7:00pm. I quickly phoned a taxi service and then proceeded to wait outside for a LONG time. Finally a taxi pulled up and as I was jumping in I told him I had called for a taxi and was glad he came. He then kicked me out of the taxi!! He said that since I called for a taxi I would have to wait as another taxi was coming to get me (and yes, it was the same taxi company). Dumbfounded, I watched the taxi drive away and continued to stand outside in the rain for another 10 minutes before a taxi finally arrived.

As I quickly changed at my hotel I phoned my taxi guy's cell phone that he gave me so I wouldn't have to wait another 30 minutes. I was now 5 minutes late for the awards show and so the taxi pulled right up to the door. In the doorway I saw three people eagerly looking out as if waiting for someone. I knew that I wasn't that important and started to wonder if maybe they were locking the doors so no one else could get in. I was paying the taxi driver with my VISA (taxis hate it when you pay with VISA) when suddenly all three guys come out the door and surround our taxi. I thought they were going to get mad at us for something, but as I looked over my shoulder I saw another van there and these guys were all helping out this VIP. Our taxi was clearly blocking the main route to the door and so this VIP had to walk around through the rain to get in the door...it ended up being Cindy Klassen, 5 time Olympic medallist in the last Olympics.

I rushed inside to my seat and realized that Cindy had arrived just in time to present an award. I watched all the awards and then after in the lobby, once again I ran into Cindy Klassen. Knowing that she is a speed skater and a boy I coach in soccer is also into speed skating, I asked her for an autograph for him. She was really nice and made it out to him. I then decided to make my way to the reception where everyone else was.

It was still raining outside so I asked this guy in a van where to go and he said he'd give me a ride since he was driving the shuttle. I jumped in and he went inside to see if anyone else was left. And who did he come back out with...Cindy Klassen and her parents. Suddenly our van was now upgraded to a VIP van and we were driven right to the main doors of the University. During this trip I apologized to Cindy for blocking her vehicle prior to the event with my taxi and she just laughed. We chatted a bit about coaching and Winnipeg before we arrived at the place. As we entered the building it was absolutely dead. It felt like one of those movies where they secretly drop off a VIP at a remote location and then something bad happens to them. Luckily this was Winnipeg and we just laughed as we wandered around trying to find the reception room.

We finally found it after following the noise and smell of food and we parted ways for the final time...or so I thought. Later that night I was chatting with my boss and she saw Cindy Klassen again...but now she wanted a picture. I no longer wanted to talk to Cindy because I had already run into her numerous times and figured that she was going to think I was stalking her. But finally I figured, who cares, what's one more encounter. So we went up to her for a final picture as I apologized for stalking her. And then that was it. As we thanked her for the pictures she said see you later, and I said "by the way things have happened I'm sure we will."

So it was a great trip. Here's a picture of me, Cindy Klassen and my boss. The picture at the top is of myself with Duff Gibson - Canadian Male Athlete of the Year - was an Olympic Gold medallist in Skeleton - Yes, he let me wear his gold medal.

Only 2 more days

I can't believe it is only 2 more sleeps away...one of the greatest days of the year is quickly approaching. No, it's not Easter...No, it's not spring cleaning...it's my birthday!!! Yes, this post is a shameless plug for my birthday.

This year my birthday is going to be....well...mediocre. Unfortunately I have to go to Winnipeg on my birthday and am there until Sunday afternoon. That means no birthday poker game or other birthday fun things on the 22nd. I also work at home alone so there is no one in the office to "celebrate" with.

However, I am more than willing to accept gifts before or after my actual birthday. I never really know what I want for my birthday. People ask me that and I just can't think of things. But this year, there is something that I would really like.

Here it is...the Poker Genie. This thing looks great. It would allow me to hold poker tournaments where I can set the timer for blind levels and program in the blind levels. Is it absolutely necessary? No. Do I want it? Yes.

If you have ever played in a poker tournament it's nice to know what the blind levels are and how much time is left in each level. It also just adds to the professionalism and fun of a poker tournament.

I also want to build a poker table. My wife bought me a great table top poker table a few years ago and I love it and use it all the time. What I want now is to make a table that seats 10 people and is oval shaped. I think this would be perfect for a games room!

Anyways, the whole point of this post was really just to show you the poker genie. If you want to buy it (for me or yourself) go here to purchase it (but don't feel pressured).

Hbc Run For Canada 2007

Yep, this is my job. Playing around and watching videos on You Tube. Well, not really, but this is one video I can watch at work without getting into trouble!

This ad will be airing on CTV between now and July 1st. If you haven't signed up for this great event yet, you better do so pretty quick because the early bird deadline is fast approaching.

Fam Bam

The company I work for is putting on these events across Canada. Unfortunately they aren't coming to my city, but this video is from when they were in Calgary on March 4th.
The cool part was this group was having a little trouble with their routine. Being the hard core breakdancer I flew to Toronto for a few of their rehearsal sessions. We practiced for about 6 hours a day and I taught them everything I know (ok, that only took about 30 seconds as I showed them the snake move)
To learn some of these moves, go the Family Channel website and they teach you how to do them.

Open Tryouts

I feel this is just like that movie Invincible or something like that. You know the one where the Philadelphia Eagles hold open tryouts and that one guy actually makes the team? If you haven't seen it don't bother now because I just gave it all away (just kidding, there's an extra 5 minutes after that yet). Well, it's happening here in Saskatoon.

The Saskatoon Accelerators are holding open tryouts for their semi-pro league. That's right, you could be a professional soccer player (or at least as close as you can come to that in Canada outside the national team). For all those avid soccer players out there wanting to live the dream, here are the details:

Friday March 16 6:30-8:00pm
Saturday March 17 7:00 - 9:00pm
Sunday March 18 11:00 - 1:00pm (selected players only)
Thursday March 22 5:00 - 7:00pm (selected players only)

The final players will be selected to play against Winnipeg on March 23.

On the SDSA website the head coach specifically says "This is for serious, fit, and committed soccer players, if you feel you do not fall into this category I advise you not to attend. There will be fitness testing during the try-out sessions." I'd like to go out and watch just to see if there are any people who think they are fit and try out...just like that big beer drinking guy in the movie Invincible (now you really don't need to see it because I just gave away the only funny part).

So, anyone out there planning on "living the dream" and trying out? If you make it, don't forget us little guys!

German prank

Near Death Experience

I've always heard of near death experiences. You know the ones where people say they are in a dark tunnel and are moving towards the light at the end. Or they see their life flash before their eyes just before they think they'll die from a car accident or something (but then don't). I can now join this group. Maybe not in quite the same way, but I definately had a near death experience. I went to a Group Power session.

For those who don't know what Group Power is it's simple. It is a session where a bunch of people get together who want to be tortured. Sure they could all go out and torture themselves on an individual basis, but for some reason these group torture sessions are extremely popular, and amazingly enough, the majority of the people who want to be tortured in a group are women!

I woke up extremely early in the morning (5:30am) which I think is part of the torture process. I slipped on some clothes and drove down to the torture building called Mawson Health and Fitness. I ran inside and put on the regular torture attire of shorts and a t-shirt. It was just before 6:00am when I walked into the torture chamber. There were already lots of other people there and not much room left. With this being my first torture session I decided to find some place near the back where people couldn't hear me scream.

Most people already had their weight bar, weights and step bench in place (these are the torture devices they use in this session). I wasn't sure what to do exactly but I saw a few spots where the weight bar and weights were already laid out. I quickly walked over to one of them and started to take off some of the weights as it was way too much for my first time. As I was adjusting the weights I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see an old man with huge biceps and a scowl on his face. He informed me that I was in his spot and those were his weights. I didn't want to get beat up by him on my first day so I backed off to go find another spot. I made my way to a spot in the middle of the crowd and started to adjust those weights. A few seconds later I was pushed on my shoulder and knocked to the ground. I looked up to see the face of a women glaring at me. I guess those were her weights. I stood up and looked around. I finally figured out that each person has to get their own weights and weight bar, etc. I knew I should have taken the Torture 101 class.

I quickly grabbed my torture gear and set up my stuff in the only place left...the front row directly in front of the head torturer! As she began the session I was still setting up my gear when she asked if there were any first timers. I raised my hand and she gave me this wicked smile. "Welcome," she said, "what's your name?" "Sheldon," I replied. "Well, Sheldon, prepare to hurt a little!" As the music started I was already sweating...not from the torture but from fear!

The first 15 minutes were excruciating. She had us doing squats, lunges, dead lifts (millions of them!) and above the head military style bench pressing. At the first break I realized that I had forgotten my water bottle. As I dropped my weight bar to the floor I started to make my way to the water fountain outside. I put one foot forward and when I lifted my next one the first one gave out. I crashed to the floor and almost took out one of the other women standing there. My legs were like jello already and I couldn't walk. I crawled out the door and made my to the fountain. The cold, wonderful yet tasteless water gave me some more energy and I pulled myself back up to my feet. Using the walls for support I made my way back into the torture chamber. I could hear the snickers as I stumbled by but I didn't care...I was being tortured and I didn't care what I looked like!

I made my way back to my spot and casually asked the lady behind me how long this session was. One hour she told me. It was at that precise moment that I felt my heart stop and fear took over my entire body. I had barely survived the first 15 minutes and could no longer walk. I could not imagine how I was going to last another 45 minutes. I looked up at the head torturer for some sympathy, but all I saw were glowing red eyes and a menacing smile as she said "Here we go!"

The next 45 minutes are a blur. My body was so tired that it no longer mattered how much they tortured me. We did more squats, dead lifts, bench press, over the head lifts, tricep curls, bicep curls, pushups, sit ups, abdominal exercises and then each one about 10 times again! The only thing I can vaguely remember is the head torturer yelling "Come on Sheldon! Don't let these women show you up! Push yourself!" With about 10 minutes left I literally felt that I was going to throw up. I kept glancing around wondering where I would throw up and if I would be the first person to actually throw up during a torture session. I tried not to think about it but it was all I could do to keep going and not hurl.

The final thing we did were some abdominal exercises on the mats. We were all lying on our backs and were suppose to do them, but just lying there on my back felt like heaven. I laid there for a few seconds before I felt a hard slap on my stomach. The wind was knocked out of me and the head torturer was standing over top. "Don't just lie there Sheldon, suck in your stomach to tighten those abs!" Once again I could hear the snickers around me.

When the final music stopped it was announced that the torture session was over. I put away my torture devices so others could be tortured later that day. I stumbled into the locker room and I somehow managed to change and make my way outside. As I glanced back towards the torture chamber and thought through the horrific experience I had just been through I amazingly said to myself "I can't wait to try GroupRide!"

Still here

In the spirit of Monty Python, "I'm not dead yet!" I told myself I was going to stop writing posts apologizing for not blogging for so long, but why not break yet another resolution! Usually when I don't blog it's because I'm too busy or I don't have anything to say. Truthfully, I've had quite a bit of time when I could have blogged and I have lots to say...I just haven't felt like blogging. Part of it is that I want to write stories but I really want to have a separate website for my stories and not put them all on here. But we'll see, maybe I'll put up the story about how I was trampled on the subway in Toronto.

Anyways, I'm back!