The RM thread post is called “A Thank You Letter to RM”. The Blog version of this account is called “the agony and the ecstasy”. And in reality it is both.
In a few days I depart for A-Stan, and I wanted to leave a last post from homeside; as I do intend to send home frequent updates once over yonder.
I have been with RM, almost since it began, first vicariously through my wife, and then finally courageous enough to hop in. Though my post count would betray my dedication to the site, I have always at least surfed RM whenever I had the chance. It is through RM that I found enjoyment in a previously horrifying endeavour, and it has become an addicti- er, truly enjoyable hobby. Running -not websurfing-. As a result I feel more confident, much healthier, and have experienced that tremendous rush of minor and major running events. And though I would not consider myself comfortable around new people I have made a whole boatload of new friends (those I have met in person and those I have yet to have the honour of meeting in person). So anyway to avoid any semblance of sentimentality let me just say two things;
1) Good luck to everyone on every single run that you do, try to stay healthy, and stay active. Let every event that has a maniac at it be a M&G, among those who are currently members and those who are waiting for us to recruit them.
2) Second, and personally a bit more importantly, a sincere thanks to all of you who have in someway contacted Kara or myself in the last while to offer your encouragement and support on my/ our deployment. I will have a pretty good network of support over there and thanks to you folk she will too.
The ecstasy, the prospect of a tour, especially one to a war zone, is by all accounts highly sought after by those people in my line of work.Sound crazy? Getting chosen, or volun-told, is the equivalent of a young talented junior player being called up to the NHL to play in a high stress play-off game. It is what the majority of my friends and I have joined to do. It is our choice, our duty, and our honour to do so.
And it is not because we are wild Rambo-set-the-world-on-fire-types either, it is just that we revel in being able to do what few others can, or would do The tour itself lasts for six months, but in the past eight months I have spent the equivalent of six months away from home.
Sometimes I was two hours away, others three time zones. Therefore, we must also look to the families and friends we are leaving behind, the Agony. I have yet to step off Canadian soil but my team and I, as aforementioned, have spent a great deal of time away from home preparing. In a way we are also preparing our loved ones for that long separation too.
Remember, and this is the important line; Jaimer, Scadian, and I are three of nearly 2000 people who will head over. And they will all come home, but some will be covered in a Maple Flag.
To conclude simply, thanks to you lot on RM, I am a fitter soldier than I was. Guilt will do that. Just kidding. And for the rest of my family and friends reading this; thanks for the support, I’ll keep in touch, six months isn’t that long. And get your helmets on, ‘war stories’ to follow.
Yours in running, and web-based debauchery,
Scotty
22.1.07
the mall rant
What the Hell is it about anything to do with Walmart, or malls in general that makes people stupid. I mean down right neanderthalic-four-thousand-year-regressive-stoopid?
I have thought about this a lot, but after today’s excursion to the mall it made me want to put it down in writing. We went to simply check out walmart for some cheap clothes for me to take to A-stan with me, and maybe get a bite of lunch.
Keep in mind Kara and I were not in a real hurry, and we had a cart to contain the kids; therefore we had no stress from our side of the bargain. The mall was not particularly busy but getting from point A to point B was like salmon swimming up stream in Niagara Falls. People would be shuffling along and then just stop dead in the middle of the aisle, to check their purses, to answer their cell phones, or check the condition and quality of the goddamned grout around the ceiling. Then they seem majorly offended if you say “Excuse me.”
We encountered this blocking behaviour in the entry way to several stores, as if it may have been some preternatural force conspiring with the good spirits of the universe from spending too much money or realizing that this years fashion trends are reminiscent of 1987 retro garbage.
Then of course there are the aisleways in the majority of these stores that are about 80% of the width of the shopping carts, and 96% of the strollers available on the market. I shared a few commiserating looks with grumpy fathers and embarrassed mothers who were trying to win a futile battle of manoeuvring their life around another goddamned clearance rack.
What’s funny is I have grown accustomed to the slow migratory shuffle of the teenage clones (with far more expensive cellphones than I could ever care to have, or afford). You can see these mindless drones from a mile away and avoid them quite handily, even with a shopping cart and two rambunctious kiddos!
It seems more to be middle-aged folks and families, or female shopping teams that possess this infuriating brain dead tendency. There was a mother who stopped her full cart directly in front the walmart checkouts and blocked literally seven different paying customers from entering a spot with three cashiers. And she was completely and absolutely oblivious, but able to determine that Britney Spears friends are worried about her.
I know we are all the main characters in the movies we call our lives, but at some point people have to W-A-K-E-U-P!!! please. Take whatever goddamned time you want to smell the proverbial flowers, but just be aware that as confident as you may be the world does not revolve around you, and never will.
I have thought about this a lot, but after today’s excursion to the mall it made me want to put it down in writing. We went to simply check out walmart for some cheap clothes for me to take to A-stan with me, and maybe get a bite of lunch.
Keep in mind Kara and I were not in a real hurry, and we had a cart to contain the kids; therefore we had no stress from our side of the bargain. The mall was not particularly busy but getting from point A to point B was like salmon swimming up stream in Niagara Falls. People would be shuffling along and then just stop dead in the middle of the aisle, to check their purses, to answer their cell phones, or check the condition and quality of the goddamned grout around the ceiling. Then they seem majorly offended if you say “Excuse me.”
We encountered this blocking behaviour in the entry way to several stores, as if it may have been some preternatural force conspiring with the good spirits of the universe from spending too much money or realizing that this years fashion trends are reminiscent of 1987 retro garbage.
Then of course there are the aisleways in the majority of these stores that are about 80% of the width of the shopping carts, and 96% of the strollers available on the market. I shared a few commiserating looks with grumpy fathers and embarrassed mothers who were trying to win a futile battle of manoeuvring their life around another goddamned clearance rack.
What’s funny is I have grown accustomed to the slow migratory shuffle of the teenage clones (with far more expensive cellphones than I could ever care to have, or afford). You can see these mindless drones from a mile away and avoid them quite handily, even with a shopping cart and two rambunctious kiddos!
It seems more to be middle-aged folks and families, or female shopping teams that possess this infuriating brain dead tendency. There was a mother who stopped her full cart directly in front the walmart checkouts and blocked literally seven different paying customers from entering a spot with three cashiers. And she was completely and absolutely oblivious, but able to determine that Britney Spears friends are worried about her.
I know we are all the main characters in the movies we call our lives, but at some point people have to W-A-K-E-U-P!!! please. Take whatever goddamned time you want to smell the proverbial flowers, but just be aware that as confident as you may be the world does not revolve around you, and never will.
18.1.07
10.1.07
Tats
The arm belongs to Kara, it is her Koi. It is a custom piece down by Shawn at Inkredible.
The scales were done free handThis is my Laughing Buddha.
What's new.
Well, yesterday was a good day. We signed the kids up for some activities. Sophia will son be starting First Dance, at DancEast. She is really excited...it will be once a week and will last a couple of months. If she likes it she can keep going.
Nathaniel is now signed up for Tae Kwon Do, he is excited to start that as well, and that is like an afterschool program a couple times a week.
I still feel 'guilt!' of all things when it comes to Nathaniel and hockey. Shouldn't every Canadian boy grow up playing hockey? I did and look how I turned out...nevermind, Tae Kwon Do it is. But seriously, I don't know how families afford hockey these days...my god! But the TKD will give him self confidence and he will be active, the same for Sophia, no way I should think she couldn't have played hockey either...but the dancing will get her in with other kids before she starts school, that ius the key right now.
On another note, the hunt for a treadmill has come to an end, Monday we will likely be buying one we found on Sears.ca, I'll put the specifics up later (once I find it again)
And finally my training has started up again. I am on day three of a 8 week 10km program, just to get used to running regularly again, and then when I am in Kandahar I have a 10miler program I want to follow...10 miles is what...16.09344 kms? That is for the first half of the tour. That way I can do a 1/2 or full marathon training plan for the second half.
Anyway, back to work next Monday.
Nathaniel is now signed up for Tae Kwon Do, he is excited to start that as well, and that is like an afterschool program a couple times a week.
I still feel 'guilt!' of all things when it comes to Nathaniel and hockey. Shouldn't every Canadian boy grow up playing hockey? I did and look how I turned out...nevermind, Tae Kwon Do it is. But seriously, I don't know how families afford hockey these days...my god! But the TKD will give him self confidence and he will be active, the same for Sophia, no way I should think she couldn't have played hockey either...but the dancing will get her in with other kids before she starts school, that ius the key right now.
On another note, the hunt for a treadmill has come to an end, Monday we will likely be buying one we found on Sears.ca, I'll put the specifics up later (once I find it again)
And finally my training has started up again. I am on day three of a 8 week 10km program, just to get used to running regularly again, and then when I am in Kandahar I have a 10miler program I want to follow...10 miles is what...16.09344 kms? That is for the first half of the tour. That way I can do a 1/2 or full marathon training plan for the second half.
Anyway, back to work next Monday.
3.1.07
The new Training Plan for 07.
Well, ought seven has hit and I gots me some stuff to do.
I haven't really followed a training plan since my last event. I started a couple times towards other events but with the work training schedule I'd been following the past seven months everything went for a poop.
And leaning on that busy schedule like a crutch (an excuse!) I haven't run consistently for a while. I have been doing the one or two times a week thing, just enough to "remember" how to run. The runs I do now, are at an easy, conversational pace, with no set goal or distance. And that has been kinda working for me.
But kinda not working for me. My weight has started creeping back up again. And I don't like it. So back a plan I go. (Also I have been inspired by the progress the CodFather has had over the last while...)
My focus is on getting back to a strong ten km pace again. I am going to follow a good 8-week plan to get me back on track so I can comfortably run 10km again. There are several issues I am working through here.
1- The weather, the temp has been right, the ground surface has not. And I cannot afford any kind of injury right now.
2- Gonna be in A-stan before the ploan finishes, this is good though, because if I get motivated and stick to the plan then I can keep going once there.
3- Kara and I are looking at buying a treadmill. Likely buying it online, will it get here before I leave? Who knows?
I plan to start the new 10 km plan on Monday the 8th.
Wish me luck, I'll let you know how it goes.
I haven't really followed a training plan since my last event. I started a couple times towards other events but with the work training schedule I'd been following the past seven months everything went for a poop.
And leaning on that busy schedule like a crutch (an excuse!) I haven't run consistently for a while. I have been doing the one or two times a week thing, just enough to "remember" how to run. The runs I do now, are at an easy, conversational pace, with no set goal or distance. And that has been kinda working for me.
But kinda not working for me. My weight has started creeping back up again. And I don't like it. So back a plan I go. (Also I have been inspired by the progress the CodFather has had over the last while...)
My focus is on getting back to a strong ten km pace again. I am going to follow a good 8-week plan to get me back on track so I can comfortably run 10km again. There are several issues I am working through here.
1- The weather, the temp has been right, the ground surface has not. And I cannot afford any kind of injury right now.
2- Gonna be in A-stan before the ploan finishes, this is good though, because if I get motivated and stick to the plan then I can keep going once there.
3- Kara and I are looking at buying a treadmill. Likely buying it online, will it get here before I leave? Who knows?
I plan to start the new 10 km plan on Monday the 8th.
Wish me luck, I'll let you know how it goes.
Fort Minor
Remember The Name
You ready?! Lets go!Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all aboutIt's like this y'all (c'mon!)
[Chorus]
This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!
Mike! - He doesn't need his name up in lights
He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic
He feels so unlike everybody else, alone
In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him
But fuck em, he knows the code
It's not about the salary
It's all about reality and making some noise
Makin the story - makin sure his clique stays up
That means when he puts it down Tak's pickin it up! let's go!
Who the hell is he anyway?
He never really talks much
Never concerned with status but still leavin them star struck
Humbled through opportunities given to him despite the fact
That many misjudge him because he makes a livin from writin raps
Put it together himself, now the picture connects
Never askin for someone's help, to get some respect
He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach
And now when it all unfolds, the skill of an artist
It's just twenty percent skill
Eighty percent fear
Be one hundred percent clear cause Ryu is ill
Who would've thought that he'd be the one to set the west in flames
And I heard him wreckin with The Crystal Method, "Name Of The Game"
Came back dropped Megadef, took em to church
I like bleach man, why you have the stupidest verse?
This dude is the truth, now everybody be givin him guest spots
His stock's through the roof I heard he fuckin with S. Dot!
[Chorus]
They call him Ryu The Sick
And he's spittin fire with Mike
Got him out the dryer he's hot
Found him in Fort Minor with Tak
Been a fuckin annihilist porcupine
He's a prick, he's a cock
The type woman want to be with, and rappers hope he get shot
Eight years in the makin, patiently waitin to blow
Now the record with Shinoda's takin over the globe
He's got a partner in crime, his shit is equally dope
You wont believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kid's throat
Tak! - He's not your everyday on the block
He knows how to work with what he's got
Makin his way to the topPeople think its a common owners name
People keep askin him was it given at birth
Or does it stand for an acronym?
No he's livin proof, Got him rockin the booth
He'll get you buzzin quicker than a shot of vodka with juice
Him and his crew are known around as one of the best
Dedicated to what they doin give a hundred percent
Forget Mike - Nobody really knows how or why he works so hard
It seems like he's never got time
Because he writes every note and he writes every line
And I've seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind
It's like a design is written in his head every time
Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme
And those motherfuckers he runs with, those kids that he signed?Ridiculous, without even trying, how do they do it?!
[Chorus - repeat 2x]
[Outro - Mike Shinoda]
Yeah! Fort MinorM. Shinoda - Styles of Beyond
Ryu! Takbir! Machine Shop!
I like the sound of this and the chorus. Good message in the chorus.
The December File.
Looking back it is hard to remember that December only had 31 days in it. The first 16-17-maybe 18 days were busier than Hell.
I usually do all of my Christmas shopping in November, then pick small things up as I go. Well this past November I was in Wainwrong Alberta. So all my shopping, and Kara and I did all the shopping for the kiddos in Dec too!
There were a multitude of mandatory events with the Reg't, hence the title "Silly Season" as it is lovingly dubbed. A mess dinner, hockey games, Christmas dinner. All stuff that takes place in Gagetown. 'Cept for the hockey game, twas played in Moncton/ Dieppe this year. And the officers lost.
There was also a mutitude of paperwork to finish, and we had to make numerous trips to Gagetown again to drop off kit.
Anyway enough of that. Christmas itself was low key and an absolute success this year. Kara and the kids were so giddy, they were awake from about 4:30 on. We finally got up around 6:00. Man what a fun time!
A few days later my folks came up from Nova Scotia. The visit was great. My dad looked aftert the kids while Kara and I went out to get our "Christmas" tattoos. (once there are some pictures I will post). That was a lot of fun, Shawn Milton of Inkredible (www.inkredible.ca) is a fantastic artist, helluva guy too.
My mom was so enrapt by the process that I took her back to get her first tattoo!!! That was pretty friggin cool I must say. And no pussy little at for her, she got the Jeff Gordon 24 with flames on her shoulder.
The last thing to say about December was the passing of my grandmother, Nanny Kay. She was the true matriarch of the MacEachern family in every sense of the word. She was an awesome grandmother and will be missed. She would have been 78 on 4 January. Thoughts and a big "Thank You" to you Nanny Kay.
I usually do all of my Christmas shopping in November, then pick small things up as I go. Well this past November I was in Wainwrong Alberta. So all my shopping, and Kara and I did all the shopping for the kiddos in Dec too!
There were a multitude of mandatory events with the Reg't, hence the title "Silly Season" as it is lovingly dubbed. A mess dinner, hockey games, Christmas dinner. All stuff that takes place in Gagetown. 'Cept for the hockey game, twas played in Moncton/ Dieppe this year. And the officers lost.
There was also a mutitude of paperwork to finish, and we had to make numerous trips to Gagetown again to drop off kit.
Anyway enough of that. Christmas itself was low key and an absolute success this year. Kara and the kids were so giddy, they were awake from about 4:30 on. We finally got up around 6:00. Man what a fun time!
A few days later my folks came up from Nova Scotia. The visit was great. My dad looked aftert the kids while Kara and I went out to get our "Christmas" tattoos. (once there are some pictures I will post). That was a lot of fun, Shawn Milton of Inkredible (www.inkredible.ca) is a fantastic artist, helluva guy too.
My mom was so enrapt by the process that I took her back to get her first tattoo!!! That was pretty friggin cool I must say. And no pussy little at for her, she got the Jeff Gordon 24 with flames on her shoulder.
The last thing to say about December was the passing of my grandmother, Nanny Kay. She was the true matriarch of the MacEachern family in every sense of the word. She was an awesome grandmother and will be missed. She would have been 78 on 4 January. Thoughts and a big "Thank You" to you Nanny Kay.
Holy Crap!
It is absolutely incredible and shameful that I have neglected this place since Septemeber. And more than likely I have lost 98% of the Faithful Readers that I had, not that I had that many. Who really wnats to listen to me go on about shite, really?
There are a lot ofthings I would say, since Septmeber yeah sure!!!
I figure I will cover them on a month to month basis.
Sept, hmmm, not much to tell here, not that I can remember. I was in full swing of the training for the tour coming up and spent a lot of my time in Gagetown.
Oct- Nov, This is when I went to Wainwright Alberta for a month. I left on Oct 25, and the whole damn month felt like a continuation of that day. I really don't get the military sometimes, I think it is a real case of too many people trying to control things.
The way I, and my crew of guys, worked it out we were in "away" travelling and there in Wainwright for 30 days, and completed a 13 day exercise. Those 13 days were good and challenging, and laden with more brass than the Boston Pops! But the rest of the time were the exact type of days I try to avoid for my soldiers, sitting on our thumbs essentially doing frick all.
But for us merry few in my little band of ASCC guys it was not as bad as it could have been. We secured our own tent, with the help of our insider, and we were pretty much left alone. The guys all have laptops, and in the end developed a wireless gaming network that had them playing StarWars Battlefront and Command and Conquer head -to- head. This even got some of our counterparts from other sections involved.
At any rate that was the last exercise before deployment. A few more ticks is all that is needed before flying out. When am I flying out?...LOL good f'n question!!!
That has been my biggest complaint with this process. The process of organizing the flights and getting organized in Wainwright was a sheer and utterly embarassing debacle. Getting home was not much better. If getting us to A-Stan is as bad...hear that? That's morale dropping like a stone.
I think I will sum up here. I will post December on it's own.
There are a lot ofthings I would say, since Septmeber yeah sure!!!
I figure I will cover them on a month to month basis.
Sept, hmmm, not much to tell here, not that I can remember. I was in full swing of the training for the tour coming up and spent a lot of my time in Gagetown.
Oct- Nov, This is when I went to Wainwright Alberta for a month. I left on Oct 25, and the whole damn month felt like a continuation of that day. I really don't get the military sometimes, I think it is a real case of too many people trying to control things.
The way I, and my crew of guys, worked it out we were in "away" travelling and there in Wainwright for 30 days, and completed a 13 day exercise. Those 13 days were good and challenging, and laden with more brass than the Boston Pops! But the rest of the time were the exact type of days I try to avoid for my soldiers, sitting on our thumbs essentially doing frick all.
But for us merry few in my little band of ASCC guys it was not as bad as it could have been. We secured our own tent, with the help of our insider, and we were pretty much left alone. The guys all have laptops, and in the end developed a wireless gaming network that had them playing StarWars Battlefront and Command and Conquer head -to- head. This even got some of our counterparts from other sections involved.
At any rate that was the last exercise before deployment. A few more ticks is all that is needed before flying out. When am I flying out?...LOL good f'n question!!!
That has been my biggest complaint with this process. The process of organizing the flights and getting organized in Wainwright was a sheer and utterly embarassing debacle. Getting home was not much better. If getting us to A-Stan is as bad...hear that? That's morale dropping like a stone.
I think I will sum up here. I will post December on it's own.
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