I find myself having already started my summer travel adventures, without even finishing my last few updates from Manitoba. Oh and I just realized that my last blog entry may have read wrong - it was suppose to say my blog entries will almost always be life updates, as it seems like that is all i have time to do. This is further proven by the fact that I made the executive decision to not bring my computer along with me on my travels - one less valuable and electronic to carry and look after ... and maybe the longboard won the coin toss haha.
Anyways to round out some highlights from the last week, I went to two graduation ceremonies. It's that time of year! First started off with a trip to Skownan Reserve to attend their grade 9 farewell night. It was great to see there biggest (9 students) and their most successful (17 sport banders!!!) class yet. Also fun to see how much the kids have grown in only the 4 years I have known them - I'm excited to see what they do in the future because they have the potential to make so much positive change in their community!
Secondly I continued my Northern trek up to Thompson and spent the weekend with my aunt, uncle and cousins. It was my youngest cousins Nicole's graduation, which is still surreal because a part of her will forever be the 6 year kid that would sit at our kitchen table in a soaking wet bathing suit quoting all the 'bad' lines from the movie Home Alone because I let her watch it haha. But it was so cool to see how mature she has gotten over the last couple of years - she played bass twice and spoke during the ceremony, which only confirmed the confidence that she has in herself and the endless talent that she seems to have. And she won two awards which can confirmed I don't just have a family basis of praise haha. The rest of weekend we hung out, read books, when to the lake, had a bonfire, watched a movie and the soccer games, ate and drank!
All in all it was worth the northern expedition and sitting through hours of ceremony formalities to get to see all these young people be excited about what they had accomplished but be eager to move on to all the things that come next.
(And until I get my camera in working order the pictures are going to be few and far between)
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" GD
As luck would have it, and my Uncle as usual always providing surprises and unexpected gifts called me at 2:00pm yesterday to ask whether I wanted to go see the Dixie Chicks and The Eagles at 6pm that night!!! So I know what some of you maybe thinking that I'm not a big 'country' fan, but to be honest I have made a few exceptions over time haha. For some reason the Dixie Chicks have made their way into monumental periods in my life and their music means something to me. It was really cool to see them be so passionate about what they do and what they stand for and putting up with everything that comes with it - having a Canadian crowd to encourage is also fun haha. Than The Eagles followed ... well all I can say is thank you Mom and Dad for instilling in me the interest in all types of music - even if my Dad was slightly basis towards rock of the 60's, 70's and early 80's :). Needless to say The Eagles were a favorite listen during Saturday house cleaning or car rides to school in the morning. So getting to experience these guys live, I kind of felt privilege and a part of something - it was really cool!! They haven't lost their touch in performing, not like I can compare to another show of theirs haha, but comparing to concert of younger artist they provide an authenticity that may be lost in some of today's shows. I mean the one-legged hop guitar routine by Don Henley come on! You could know nothing about classical rock and have watched the movie School of Rock once and appreciate that! Anyways all in all I was so happy I got to go and it was something I won't soon forget.
One of many reasons these ladies are pretty inspiring ...
A little comparison ... :)
"When the train rolls by, I'm gonna be ready this time." DC Mich
Officially done school, at least for a while, as of last Saturday morning (were I felt slightly abused my numbers but lets not go there), so I have a new form of free time. For some reason things to occupy my time just appear at the end of the day when I have already done them and my check list of things to do is still full - either with unfinished tasks or task that came about that day. This would be referred to a alternating harmonic series - in calculus terms - and yes I just made that reference haha. But none the less it is a way better feeling knowing I can do some of the more exciting to do items, such as longboarding, read a book in the sun, or go to a concert, without the guilt of school trying to creep in and ruin it. So for now I hope to get back to some interesting blogs about random stuff I'm up to and hopefully start to figure out my plan for next year. This is a bit of transition summer for me, as I'm not playing at U of M next year and my life won't be centered around Friday and Saturday game nights, it's time to do some self discovery and see life after bison basketball - yeah I don't think that is going to be 100% possible, that was me just trying to sound philosophical - don't think it worked haha. Anyways keep you posted ...
When trying to finalize the video in time for the wind-up, as usual doing it right down to the wire, I forgot two skits. Unfortunately or Fortunately for them they were a bit left out of the self-humiliation and ego checking haha. I'm posting them mostly so the girls stop asking for them and so they can see them. And iDVD update is I got one to work so we should be done mass production in no time! Enjoy them ....
If people want to see more of these skits (there are 22), the team will have a copy of it so they can watch them whenever, but if others are interested in seeing more let me know!
"I got a fever! And the only prescription is more Cowbell!" SNL Mich
I can't believe it has almost been a month since I last posted. Apparently times flies when you aren't paying attention to it. Here's a really quick recap of everything that has highlighted the last 3 weeks:
- I finished another course, glad to have microbiology over and done with!
- We had our last JRB tournament, where we finally played age appropriate in the US (AAU tourney), so although we had some tough games we played hard. We came second in every game and 4th in our pool haha.
- I have officially started a new obsession with long boarding. I'm still really bad at it but I love just going out for rides and trying to just stay on the board (using both feet is my new goal haha). It is definitely therapeutic for my transition from playing university sport and basketball running my life, so I'm just enjoying the simplicity of my novice skills haha.
- I have started to try and plan my life for next year but it seems like I'm just getting more options added to the possible equations so I'm just focusing on finishing this last course (calculus for engineering 2 - which can consume my brain in the most confusing way that if i don't focus on it my head may explode - so it's a win win haha).
- And finally, I have been working diligently on trying to get our Bison Basketball Wind-Up video finalized. Whitney, Mubo, Eric and myself put in some countless hours to make this video funnier than last year. Which I think overall was a success! I'm just in the process of trying to get this massive iMovie video into iDVD so that it can be shared for years to come, but I'm having some technical difficulties at the moment (I'll keep you posted girls ... be patience haha). I'm hoping to post some of the videos but unfortunately if you don't know some of the people we are 'reenacting' the humor can be lost on you but you never know! Whit and Mubo could both be on the SNL cast if there current career plans don't work out so there is potential to make everyone laugh :).
Well that's the update for now ... hopefully get back to posting a little more often. Oh and did I mention how much I'm loving summer - yeah the amount of rain we have had it not fun but it makes studying easier and that much more appreciative of the sunny days!
"Don't it make you scared to know that life is more than who we are?" GD Mich
So this past weekend I had my last JRB Big Country training weekend out in Boissevain, MB (our sweet t-shirt design above). We had been out here before (in previous post) so in typical stereotypical fashion I thought that we really couldn't see anything more exciting than the giant turtle and the wilderness inn but oh was I wrong! After a full Saturday of training we headed over to the house we were staying at (luckily/unfortunately we didn't stay at the wilderness inn haha) had some dinner than told we are being taken on a tour of the area. Again not trying to influence your thoughts about the prairies but it's usually far between 'tour land marks' - so this tour comment seemed questionable. So we begin to drive through the town and we shortly arrive at a dirt path that has a cement pad and a shed ahead and thats it! Going through my mind at this point "Ok that was short but I'm sure there is something … " than I get distracted and begin to point out that "hey there is the town millionaire (I had been previously told about this guy) riding around in his helicopter - no big deal haha". As we stop in front of this cement pad the helicopter is flying right at us - "so cool" …. the light bulb went off - WE ARE GOING ON A HELICOPTER TOUR OF THE AREA!!! It was unreal and so cool to experience. I love the feeling of flying but this was a whole new level! You could see everything around you during flight it was unbelievable. Some pictures of the views and my excitement haha …
Again this weekend provided another example of how lucky I am to get to connect with amazing people who have provided me with these opportunities that just refresh my perspective, ignite my soul and remind me to be grateful everyday - oh and did I mention that I get to be around basketball while I'm at it?
Another cool find at Ron Jon's was a really interesting brand that was selling clothing, mostly graphic tee's, for a really cool cause. Check out the website and let me what you think, pretty interesting concept and thought it was a pretty inspiring idea. Here is a video of one of their current campaigns.
"The vision is we actually believe what we are doing" JT Mich
As previously mentioned I was able to get some solid shopping in when I was down in Florida. Little did I know heading into the trip, because my typical pre-trip research was not done due to exams, there was a hidden gem waiting down the road from my hotel. For anyone that knows anything about surfing - I didn't - the famous Ron Jon's Surf shop was waiting for me! The building alone blew my mind, than you walk in and see a massive amounts of skate and surf boards and all the fixings to go alone with it ... Awesome haha!!!
This is were I found my new baby - my longboard (I know what most of you are thinking, long boarding in Winnipeg is not possible due to lack of hills, which is partly true but I still have fun). I have been waiting awhile for this purchase and I couldn't have asked for a better deal, board, or memorable buy. I pretty much have not gone a day without going for a cruise so it was well worth the wait and the money! Here are some pics … Needless to say after being in the costal Florida environment for a week, my care-free and adventurous side wanted to sign up for the 3 month long surf school and live on the beach … but as it turns out I returned to Winnipeg … for now …. haha.
"You can't stop the waves or wind but you can learn to roll with them" Mich
Sorry for the delay in the "Wedding Post" I guess it has been a busier two weeks than anticipated …. Fortunately for me I was able to get a week in between my last exam and the first day of summer session to have a nice trip down to Florida! The occasion was for my brother's wedding (yes my twin brother! - which was more official than my last birthday to confirm that I'm becoming an adult …….. maybe haha). My dad and I headed down early to help with any left over 'arrangements', which was basically our excuse for going for a full week :). My brother, Sean, now lives in Cocoa Beach Florida which is right by Port Canaveral and Orlando, not to mention with the Kennedy Space Center in the background. Needless to say he is not missing the snow in the winter and the mosquitoes in the summer, but I have to say (to make me feel better) he is having to 'adjust to the heat' - right?!? Anyways, the wedding was on the beach right outside our hotel which was a 5 minute walk from their house, so everything was in one spot. 'Our multi-nation living' family was able to be there for a full 4 days together which was one of the best parts, seeing how we haven't been together since last Christmas! And my Aunt, Uncle and Gran came down too, so it was a really fun time - not one cocktail hour was missed! haah . The wedding was right on the beach with a non-traditional ceremony that was very perfect for Sean's new family :) and everyone looked beautiful.
After all the wedding festivities I definitely made sure to get some solid beach and shopping time! ... no Disneyland or amusement park though :( .... All in all it was a great wedding and I'm so happy for my brother and the new journey he is starting with Suzanne - and Emma and Cassy.
"I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder" Ad Mich
Here you go ladies - editing is killing me - no need for ab workout this week haha. Sorry for those of you who can't fully understand the concept of this hilariousness but Whitney and Mubo are doing such a good job of capturing the essence of how our team shows love by making fun of everything you do and making sure you have only enough confidence to get by until you do something else to be made fun of. Let me know what you think ...
I wrote this a week ago but didn't get time to post it before leaving ...
With exams finally over it seems the traditional celebration was lost on me this year. Or was it? As I drove to Virden Manitoba - half falling asleep in the car which turned to a full passed out state within 30 minutess - I couldn't help but think of all the things I could get done this weekend if I didn't have to come all the way out here - knowing that I had pretty big trip ahead of me the following week. Needless to say when we got there 3 hours later, me still half comatose, was just happy to be in a gym and not burning my eyes looking at paper and a computer screen to 'learn', otherwise known as cramming! After what left like an always productive practice session (not always stellar but productive) we headed out for a mini Manitoba prairie adventure. We were going to tour the farms that a couple of the girls that we coach live on … Down the highway and 20 minutes later …. pure beauty. You know the feeling you get when you see something for the first time but it feels like it has made you happy your whole life or it was something that was right in front of you but you couldn't see? - well this was that. The landscape, the view, the culture, the happiness was a totally refreshing perspective for me. I'm sure they got a kick out my naivety to everything 'farm' but it was awesome - even got the right of passage of going for a 'country cruise' haha! Does it honestly take the setting of a 'city girl' going to the farm to remind her that life can be happy in a totally unexpected way? Don't get me wrong I could see there being a "Housewives of Rural Manitoba" out here and I'm sure there are similar stresses but for me it was a great experience to see a new side of what true happy-family-living can be about for some people and that it still exists in such a pure form. The calm and darkness in the night can be stirringly eerie or bring a city soul much calm. Either way I was so fortunate to get to experience the real living of a 'friendly' Manitoba family and all the pride, responsibility and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it. Happiness in life can mean so many different things but all that matters is doing the things that make you truly happy and remind you how lucky you are.
Corny ramble but maybe after two weeks of being a hermit and getting fed up with school a change in setting is all I need to regain some passion and energy. And sometimes is can be as simple as a 3 hour drive west and spending some time with friends in an undiscovered setting - try it out!
Trip to Florida post to come ...
"I wouldn't change the blissful of silence and the darkest of the night air out here for anything" SB
Clearly exam time when meaningless tasks and random new ones are completed haha. Here is a 'movie trailer' I created for our up coming Bison Wind-Up video. Last year we (Mubo, Whitney and myself) had a ton of fun making a little movie making fun of our teammates - in a good and gut hurting way. Of course the expectations are high to try and out do ourselves this year - nothing is promised but the laughter is already starting to take place and filming is underway.
I was in my last week of classes for the term, in the process of trying to finish my big design project for the year and I needed to start cramming (yes cramming because a) thats my style and b) the whole 5th year syndrome of 'I'm done playing so school doesn't have much meaning' hit this semester), were all happening last week so I decided to have a mini concert fest and fill my social calendar with awesomeness! If this is doesn't make perfect logical sense I don't know what does ... Here's how the week went:
Monday - Watched the Dukies Win! And yes I'm going to mention this as much as possible over the next year - maybe that's why there are so many Duke haters ...? Oh well if it comes with winning I will take it haha.
Tuesday - It was a good friend of mine, Dee's birthday so we had to celebrate in some fashion even if it was the middle of the week. We met up with some other friends and enjoyed some local music curiosity of Royal Canoe. Unfortunately for them is was a more low key concert set but they played awesome and we thoroughly enjoyed it so that's all that mattered!
Wednesday - Was the must anticipated use of my birthday gift - John Mayer Tickets!! After pretty much forcing my exciement into Colleen I think we both had a blast. It was a great music performance and he certainly tried to proved to the doubters out there that music truly is his passion and will always be put first. Again I'm no music expert but his musical ability went way behind just being a good song writer and was mind-blowingly (yeah thats a word! haha) impressive. And left me leaving the concert feeling that I had just seen some one who will be legendary someday - hate all you want, too much John melody in my heart to sway me :). Thursday - To cap off my concert series I attend Sheena Grobb's album release show at the Park Theater. Maybe it's because I can associate her music with such positive and exciting times in the my life, that every time that I hear her voice it bring a calming feeling over me. This show was no different and was even better for the fact that she had a full band to enhance her music that much more. Getting the full feel for everything that she put into the new album was also pretty cool because you don't often get to experience an artist sharing the process with you, unless they do these intimate shows. As usual the songs' words and sounds find a way to have meaning in my life so easily that I wish I could share the feeling with everyone - but I know each is their own, so enjoy if you may. But I would encourage you that if you happen to be near one of her tour venues to check it out because it's that much better live! (Just a behind the scenes look at some of the many things that went into the new album)
Friday - The continuation of Dee's birthday celebration was taking in a Mantioba Moose game. It was the first game I have seen from the AHL team but the hockey was entertaining and it was fun being 'big time' for the night in our box seats! Although I have to admit I felt a little bit like a trader, having cheered for the Hamilton Bulldogs my entire childhood, it was nice to be reminded of the authentic sport atmosphere that these team bring to the community. Again proving the argument that Winnipeg could be an NHL hockey city is still a good one but for now Manitobans get to cheer on their very good Moose in the upcoming playoffs!
Saturday & Sunday - To cap off the week I headed to Boissevain, Manitoba for a JRB - Big Country basketball training session. For those of you that don't know, this is my second year coaching a team in the program made up of athletes from rural Manitoba. So in order to training and practice together we rotate through towns outside of Winnipeg to make travel convenient and efficient for everyone. So my knowledge and endless useless facts about Manitoba continues to grow haha! For example this weekend, along with many things, I learned that turtle derbies can be very exciting, world renown, and be an inspiration for giant town statue! Along with the log cabin hotel I stayed in I don't think anyone is getting to experience Manitoba quiet like me haha - not to mention the girls are awesome to coach because they have endless effort and appreciate the opportunity to play the game!
"Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities to happen they are often missed because they look like common occasions. Make them into something great!" OM Mich
Have I really been too busy to post a blog about Duke winning the big Dance??!! I guess so ... but bragging can never happen too late haha. My bracket may have been a disaster since day 1 of the first round but I got the only pick that really matters! This tourney was fun to watch as promised and Duke winning is just a little reward for taking the 'duke-hater' comments over the years. Butler's performance will still be one of the best in tournament history and they deserve the respect they have now earned - Hoosier worthy. But the Law Firm (Scheyer, Singler, and Smith) stepped up big time and proved there critics wrong - to win Duke fans bragging rights for a least a few months :). There are some highlights and if you want more duke fun check out the Blue Planet website ....
The team always does a fun group picture for the year and this is one of my favorites for sure!
"If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" VL Mich
