Through the "Fire" of Life: July 2006

Friday, July 28, 2006

Viscious Cycle!

Yet another doping scandal for the Tour De France. This time, winner Floyd Landis is at the Centre of the controversy, having tested positive for a high level of testoserone. Pending the outcome of further testing, he may be stripped of his title. I just hope "innocent till proven guilty" holds true in this case. After all, the body produces its own testosterone, and not everyone produces the same amount. He would have no control over the amount of testoserone produced naturally by his body. However, no matter what the outcome, the sport I love has once again fallen under the microscope.

Well, off I go for my evening ride on the bike - under the microscope.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Training Report - Ladders Anyone?

Tonight's training involved some more practice at the burn building. This time we worked on two things - escaping out a window onto a ladder, and attacking a fire through a window from outside on a ladder. Both important procedures. Proper placement of ladders was reviewed and overall was a good session. It's also important to use either a ladder belt or a good leg lock on the ladder when using a hoseline from a ladder because of the pressure from the hose.

Well, it was a busy day at work. At least the day goes fast that way. Last night a watched a video clip of CCR-Revisited doing the song "Green River" in concert. It was awesome! I need to find tickets to that Antigonish show. Our summer student employee at the Centre has heard them and was impressed.

Should be a good time at the Waterfront this Saturday with the upcoming waterfront festival and Parade of Lights in the Harbor. The band Grinders is slated to play as well. A busy day indeed, as stock car races are also happening in the late afternoon. I certainly do not want to miss them!

Time for bed - take care all!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Endtimes?

What to write? Hard to say when you are tired. Just got home from a band practice and am getting ready for bed. I am driving the Centre van this week for the regular driver who is on vacation. It consists of two round trips to Pubnico to transport clients.

The conflict in the Middle East took a turn for the worse today when Israeli forces hit a UN post - not good. Koffi Annan is accusing Israel of deliberately targeting it. That to me is a rather bold and reckless accusation!!!

I watch the news and am saddened by the state of affairs. My faith in the fact that God is ultimately in control provides perspective. Bible prophecy points to a time when a serious war (Armageddon), erupts, and only Christ's return will force man to "beat their swords into plowshares". I am not ashamed of professing this - as I am not ashamed of the gospel - even though all may not agree. The current crisis may not be the timing - but I strongly believe we are in the endtimes.

Well, with that chunk of conviction out of the way - it's off to bed I go -

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Wet!

You Are a Freedom Rocker!

You're stuck in the 70s - for better or worse
Crazy hair, pot soaked clothes, and tons of groupies
Your kind showed the world how to rock
Is that freedom rock?... Well turn it up man!

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

Wet day! That put a damper on the races that were scheduled for today.

I played drums in the worship band this morning though and we were "cookin"! Our new youth Pastor, Seth Fancy, was in church for his first official day. He is a young man on fire for God and I'm sure will have a positive impact on young and old alike in his new ministry position. Pastor Dwayne MacLeod, who leads the music program at the church, has an incredible voice you have to hear to believe and a wonderful God-given gift for music. And of course Pastor Jim Agrell has an unrivalled passion for the Lord and the people in his life.

It seemed strange to go to Aussiesnan's blog and not see a post for the day. Of course they are at Keji. I hope they get weather better than what we've been experiencing the last few days!

If anyone happens to know or find out how to get tickets for the upcoming CCR concert in Antigonish - please let me know. I want to go, but am not sure where to get tickets. And Tuffysmom - maybe we could both go to that concert?

Bye for now folks...

Friday, July 21, 2006

Hmmmm?

Have you ever sat in front of your computer to blog, not knowing what's going to come out? Well, this is one of those times. I am not known to be expressive, and I don't apologise for that - it is who I am. Most guys are like that - trust me. And I realized that most of my blogging buddies are ladies. Hey, we need to recruit some guys into this thing - I'm beginning to feel very much outnumbered. And please don't feel offended if I don't always leave comments. I still read the blogs. And when I do leave a comment, it is usually a short one. Maybe I could be likened to a sponge - soaking up the "blog"versations.

I am enjoying my "Sirius" satellite radio. A song I heard today you should all check out is "Life Ain't Aways Beautiful" by Gary Allen. The title may not sound positive but the message of the song is. It points out how trials can make us grow, and that although life ain't always beautiful, it's a beautiful ride...
Enjoy it!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Annie's Song

I was just asked today to play guitar accompanyment at a wedding on Saturday - "Annie's Song" by John Denver. Listening to this tune and learning it reminded me of Denver's immense talent - yet another musician who left us too soon, dying in a plane crash. Why so many musicians leave us prematurely is a mystery to me. The likes of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, John Lennon, Eddie Rabbitt, Elvis Presley - the list goes on!

We had our second band practice last night with progress being made. "Up Around the Bend" by CCR and "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart were my favorites from last night's practice.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

CCR - Revisited

These two guys, Doug "Cosmo" Clifford on drums, and his friend of many years, Stu Cook on bass, were the backbone of the ever popular Creedence Clearwater Revival band, being the rhythm section for John Fogarty. Well, I am excited to report that they are touring now with a band they have formed called Creedence Clearwater Revisted. They are performing all the CCR classics we all love so much and I have found out that they are playing in Antigonish on the Labor Day weekend! I have listened to the sound clips on the bands website, and I want you to know that the band sounds every bit as good as the original CCR - perhaps even tighter!! I for one am making a point to see them in concert - not far from where Tuffysmom lives.
Check out the sound clips at this site to hear how great they sound - the singer is a dead ringer for John Fogarty!
More to come!!

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Rescue Randy!

Another training night for the Yarmouth Fire Dept. That fellow in the red on the left is a "Rescue Randy" - a practice mannequin. We have one, and the poor fellow got caught in a fire again tonight as part of our training. We had to go in, find him, and drag him out. He weighs as much as a real person and presents a good challenge. Of course he was hidden upstairs, When our team went in, we could not see the poor fellow until we were practically on top of him due to heavy smoke. I just love this hands on training though, because it gives you a sense of what you can face, and teaches you your limitations. It also teaches teamwork, as the search and hoseline teams work together.
So I am rather tired after that workout, therefore will not post much more, except to say that I just noticed my niece Jennah's blog tonight. Welcome aboard Jen - I guess the peer pressure finally got to you, hey?
Good night all - and I will keep you apprised of musical developments. It is a small world, as the drummer in my new band is Cheryl's (Teahound) best friend's husband - small world indeed!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Music Report

I had my first practice last night with the new band. It was fun and I enjoy the song list. It includes some numbers by this man - one of my rock'n roll heroes, John Fogerty. I remember as a kid just leaning back against the stereo speaker and listening intently to all the great guitar licks this guy churned out in his CCR days! The riffs in Green River sent chills up my spine! And his career kept going after CCR with songs like Centrefield, The Old Man Down the Road, Almost Saturday Night, and so on. It's good to be at it again after a rather lengthy hiatus. I've played in bands pretty well all my adult life so it's in my blood.
Oh yes - Maggie May by Rod Stewart is also on our list - gonna be fun!
Hope to see you in the audience some day!

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Firefighting Tidbit!

Just thought I would post a little tidbit about a strange sight you may see if you observe a structure fire being fought - I mean besides watching us fools go in when everyone else is heading out (haha). You may see water being directed out a window - yes out, away from the fire. This may seem strange because the fire is inside, but what we are doing is called "hydraulic" ventilation - using that water stream to take alot of smoke and crap out with it, thereby making it much more bearable inside for us - and any potential victims. I had a chance to use this technique at the Argyle Street fire before Christmas, as the Lieutenant with me wisely directed it be done. The hard part was finding the window...

I met with my potential new band today for a gab session. We seem to be on the same page in terms of repertoire or songs to do. First practice will be on Tuesday night. As a note of interest, I was in the barber shop today and asked the barber if she'd heard any good bands lately. She mentioned the band I am joining. Honest, I did not tell her I was joining - she happened to hear them awhile back at the Red Knight. I just smiled to myself and thought "that's a good sign!" I am keeping this low key for now until things are confirmed - that is why I haven't mentioned the name of the band.

Had a ride on my bike tonight after supper. Apparently I napped through a visit from Frank, Sue, and Aussie earlier.

Races at Lake Doucette tomorrow - woohoo!

Have a great remainder of the weekend fellow bloggers.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Interesting Offer!

An interesting offer today. The drummer of a local band looking to make a couple of personel changes has inquired as to whether I'd be interested in playing lead guitar. I am currently looking over the song list and brushing up on some "licks" as they say. Seems like they play the kind of music I like for the most part. On the list I see the likes of the Stones, CCR, Bob Seger, etc! He said they need to learn more country to satisfy the Legions. More info as it becomes available. I haven't played in a band for awhile but lately I've had an itch to get back into it.

Stayed home from work again today. I expect to go back Friday, taking tomorrow off as a precaution.

Sobeys are challenging the Sunday shopping law. I suspect they will win. The government should not have left loopholes that exist in the current law. It should have based the law entirely on the results of the previous plebiscite - no, by a narrow margin, to Sunday shopping. If not, why bother having a plebiscite?

Further from home, keep an eye on what happens with the North Korea test missile situation. One good thing - the long range missile test failed.

And France has advanced to the finals of the World Cup against Italy. I hope France wins, although I do not follow soccer much at all. I am hoping for France simply because of the habit the Italians have of faking injuries in order to evoke a penalty call. Just ask the Australian team! A clip on TV showed the Italian team practicing the art of faking injuries. It made me sick! I bet nephew Mikey down under is hoping for France too.

Bye for now - have a good one!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

We Have Lift-Off

My thoughts and prayers were with the astronauts today as the space shuttle Discovery took off. So far, all is well, but re-entry is very hazardous. So many things can go wrong on such a complicated vehicle. There was much tension surrounding this mission, exacerbated by a small piece of foam falling off yesterday. Engineers deemed the vehicle safe, and they took off today.

I woke up last night with some chills - must have been a mild fever. Feeling much better today. Stayed home, and am staying home tomorrow to shake it further. It seems that Cold-FX is effective and I'll be using it on a regular basis, especially in the winter. Colds are quite rare for me, especially summer colds.

I did get out today for lunch, going to the Quick-N-Tasty. Now, if you like seafood chowder, you will simply love the seafood chowder there. I highly recommend it! It is now open under new management.

That is all for now - almost time for my before bed snack. Oh yes, and my COLD-FX.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Cold-FX

This is what I am on now. A ding darn nasty bug has hit hard, so I guess I'll have to let it run its course. I'm hoping that Cold-FX will lessen the intensity and duration. Time will tell.
I plan already on staying home tomorrow.
What an exciting post, eh?
Don Cherry endorses this product, and some sports teams use it, so we'll see.
Good night all - hope it doesn't spread through the computer.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Canada Day - Happy Birthday Canada!

What a nice day for Canada's birthday! The weather cooperated in a big way for all the festivities. The waterfront was abuzz with the usual activities for this day. That is where I had lunch, having fish and chips from the truck that sets up on the public wharf during the summer.
It was basically a lazy day for me, but after all, it is the long weekend. I did have supper with my friend Sheila and her mom, then Sheila and I checked out my "geocache" which I have hidden behind where I used to live in Dayton. People have found it, using a GPS device, and signed the log book - really cool!

And what about those Toronto Blue Jays? They are on a roll, winning 9 of their last 11 games - including today over the Phillies. Remember back in 92-93 when they won two World Series in a row? They are again legitimate contenders - keep a close watch this year on Canada's only MLB team! A World Series would almost be as good as a Stanley Cup. I said almost. With hockey over, the Blue Jays can provide me with another sporting fix - as long as they remain in contention.

I saw another feature on the 6-string nation guitar. What an amazing instrument! It even has some material in it from Titanic! This guitar was 10 years in the making, the idea being born after the nail-biter Quebec referendum of 1995 to promote national unity. I sure hope the instrument doesn't get dropped - I'd almost be afraid to play it! By the way, I posted a picture of it in yesterday's post.

This year's Tour de France bike race is underway and is marred by a doping scandal. Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso, two prominent riders, have been barred from this year's tour. The Tour is the most gruelling sporting event for any athlete as it encompasses thousands of kilometres of strenuous all out cycling, often at high altitudes in the mountains, over more than three weeks. Not that I condone doping, but it does not surprise me that these men would look to give their bodies an added boost to give them an advantage. But cycling is almost sacred in France, and the French authorities will go to great extremes to protect the integrity of the sport. Case in point - look at the scrutiny Lance Armstrong was put under. A shadow still hangs over whether he used performance enhancing teckniques, even though he tested negative countless times!

Well - hoping ye all had a great Canada Day. Au revoir - au demain!

Through the "Fire" of Life