Brrr...Cold...So Very Cold.. Ok, not that bad, but I did see my feet turn blue and couldn't feel them for like 3 hours.
Yeah, I went diving. It was amazing. Up in Barrie, the JC-Morrison (ok jasse, easy there...). It was cool. The water was a tepid 39F. I went with my neighbour Mike, his wife's cousin Mark and his girlfriend, and 2 others from the Dive Club; Davey and Eugene.
It was fantastic. Such a relaxing and nice dive. These guys (and one gal) were fun, but only Davey, Eugene and I did a second dive. During the dive, Davey's Regulator started to exhaust Oxygen like crazy. Little did we realize that his regulator froze, and it was a safety issue.
I found that part out later in the day when I went to visit Roman at the Dive store. I was returning some of his tanks, and told him about the dive. He then told me that Davey's regulator froze, and that it's not a bad thing, but a bit scary.
And tomorrow, I'm going again. This time, I'm going to be prepared with how to dress and all that.
And my Baby (as in Mariah Carey...) called tonight. She's in Arizona, chillin' on a creator. She sounds like she's havin' a blast. Again, one week, and I'll see her! Fine, a bit cheeze, but hey...It's good.
Besides, Trippy is all 'ga-ga' over his new girl, JiHye. If you're readin' this, tripp; Beware. I remember what you did when we went to Ottawa back in Feb!
Oh what a night...So, Friday night brings me to Tripp's place. Currently, I'm at Jeff Paris' chillin' , and havin' a few drinks. Tomorrow, i'm kickin to Barrie with Mike (my neighbour) to dive with. Should be fun.
Here's a dilema: For diving, I can buy a Used Regulator for $150, which is excellent. I have seen a brand new tank for $270. I'm thinkin' of buying a tank, as it may be worth buying.
However, if I dive like 10x this year, then for a reg, I'll pay about $150,which would pay out for it. And for tanks, at the club, it would be $50. But at a regular dive shop, rental tanks are $15 a peice. So, again, it's $150. Is it worth it?
Hmm....and on eBay, I've seen used tanks for like $80CND. I'm thinkin' of jumpin' that. I should see how much I spend already.
So far for this dive, i've spent $70. ($40 for 2 tanks, reg, computer & $30 for 2 tanks....)
Questions, questions...
oh, for those who asked "Baby?"
Linda.
Getting Ready for the Weekend!!!So, this weekend should prove to be quite busy. Actually, the next 4 days should be fun, but busy.
Friday night: Tripp Time! Apparently some new developments with the saga of Brad and Ji Hai. I'm interested.
Saturday/Sunday - Diving in Barrie : JC Morrison. Apparently it's a boat or something. It's the first dive of the season, and I'm excited.
Monday: Dragon boat - Again! Hopefully not as cold and I won't be as sore.
And today? Nothing to exciting. No real 'developments' or anything. I did buy the Lemon Aid Car guide today, and I've been reading it quite a bit tonight. I'm gonna see what exactly they say about cars, and my car.
It's a bit depressing in terms of the reliability of the Cavalier Z-24, but the resale is higher than I thought!
Oh well. My baby is in Arizona, lookin' at rocks. She called last night and said she wasn't impressed by Las Vegas. But she's in the Grand Canyon. That in itself would be pretty cool.
A boy named Brad.Alas, not Trippy. This brad I speak of is Mr. Mike, the Kulik...What have you.
I went out for tea with Brad tonight. It was nice to see him. Last time I had tea with brad was back in February, and he was excited as his girlfriend Natalie was coming from England to see him.
So, she was here for about 3 weeks (I think), and I didn't get a chance to meet her. Brad admitted that he went in a hole of silence with her and felt bad that he spent all his time with her alone. Again, not seeing your girlfriend for a few months tends to do that to people. Completely understandable.
What else? I am still on the prowl for a new (or newer) car. Brad (Mike) was saying that his brother bought a new Honda Civic, and he loves it. Apparently it's the top in its class for price, reliability, etc. The next cars up there are the Toyota Corolla, and the Mazda 3.
Sure, I can see that. I'm kinda on the idea that the Civic is a neat little car, so is the other 2. However, the Corolla isn't exactly the nicest looking car. I know they've got a Corolla S-type or something similar that's a bit more sportier, but still, it's a purely functional Car.
What about the Beetle? I still think it's an amazing looking car. Linda makes fun of me for liking it, but I think it's so different, it's worth it.
But the Jetta is nice too.
Man, what's a boy to do?
Dragon Boat Practice : Cold and Fun! Last night was the first Dragon Boat practice. It was a lot of fun. It was nice to see some old friends from last year, and get back on the water. It's funny, as many of my 'hobbies' are now centre around water. Either Diving or Dragon Boating. Interesting....Maybe 'cause I'm a Pisces?
And this weekend, I've confirmed with my neigbour, Mike, that I'm going to Barrie to dive. It should be fun, as I'm going with the ASC (Ajax Scuba Club) on the Sunday as well. So begins the summer of 'stuff'. (and it's only spring!) Too bad Steve C. is not coming.
Interesting thoughts? I had some a few days ago, wanting to write about it, but it seems to have escaped me. Oh well. So be it.
And tonight, I should (maybe) be hooking up with Steve for a tea/coffee in the P-Dot.
Ah, the cold rainy weekend.. So, what was this weekend about? For those who have MSN, with me on your list, you'll notice that my name changes with my mood/activity for the time. This weekend was 'Purge' Weekend.
Now, there's a few ways to look at this weekend. It was nice to clear out the old stuff, and see what you actually have. It was the Chan Version of "Clean Sweep", with the lovely host, Linda.
She was fantastic. I didn't realize how out of touch/awful/gaudy/cheezy my wardrobe was. As well, how much of a pack-rat I seem to be. Maybe it's something that Jasse and I do, but it's hard to not. Some things are hard to part with, but if I haven't worn it in 6-8 months, then it's time to get rid of things.
Again, during the purge, I found some old photos from High School. What's interesting was that I saw clothes that I still had, which were good that I was getting rid of.
I should scan some of them in, as there are some neat photos of the looks I've been through.
What else? Last night was fun with Chris, Logan and Rich. Jay couldn't make it, so that was unfortunate. Along with the unfortunate, Jacquie didn't play, which gave the game a different feel.
And as I've said before, I've come out of the Gaming closet, and I'll announce here...
I play Dungeons & Dragons. Yes, I do. I really enjoy it, and I'm not ashamed.
And today? It's the first day of Dragon Boat Practice. It's cold and rainy. I'm gonna be wet and cold tonight. Fun, fun fun. At least it's not Snowing like last year.
I'm guessin' if you look back in the Archives, you'll come across the first practice from last year...
My guess, end of April, around this time.
Name Dropping.So, I do have people who read my blog that just came across it. For example, a guy named
Ben Pickering. Yes, that's his name.
Ben Pickering.
I'm sure Ben will be reading this. As he's the friend of Scott Woodland, who found my site from a simple 'google' search of Scott's name.
Ah, I'm glad.
But what's up in the life of Rawl? I went to meet Steve Campbell and Chris for a tea/coffee up at Young and Sheppard. It was nice to chill, however the service at the establishment I was at was pretty bad. If you ever go to Cafe Mirage in the Young-Sheppard Centre, be prepared to wait a while for service. I don't know what their philosophy on serving customers is, but it's not great. Fantastic atmosphere, comfy seats, loungy feel, crappy service.
And the downside of today: I got pulled over by a police officer in Scarborough to 'check my seatbelt'. I'm not quite sure if he actually was wanting to check it, but he asked me (in not so polite words) if I moved my shoulder-belt from behind my head to the front when he pulled me over. I said no, and was more surprised that he asked about my seatbelt. Maybe he was doing his job, but I have suspicions that it was an APB for an "Male, 18-35, Indian decent, driving a sports car" kinda deal. Unreal.
And the 'just-top-of-downside' part of my day: I witnessed a car accident. Don't worry, nobody was hurt, but it was a car going westbound, and a van going eastbound, turning north (left). I was waiting on the northside of the intersection waiting to turn Eastbound, and it was like 6 m in front of me. I saw a car nose-dive because he slammed on his brakes. Then the Van, as he was turning, got clipped on the rear-passenger side, and did a complete 180, coming about 1 m from my car. I froze. A few seconds later, both drivers were getting out of their cars, one looking upset, the other angry.
All in all, a full day. Do you agree,
Ben Pickering?
Where in the world is Rawlman Sandiago?Ok, where have I been? I've been kinda busy, but not really.
Part of the delay has been because I'm trying to switch things over to my rawl.ca website. Also, this weekend, I've been out and about. Again, check it out, but it's not quite updating with my info. I'm still trying to figure out the specifics.
Saturday, Alex and I went down to St. Catherines to see Brock University. It's nice to hang out on a campus, that's not U of T. I mean, Brock is tiny and quaint, but I'm used to pretty big universities, like Western and Windsor. I find even Waterloo and Guelph kinda small, and I was not in the right mind to quite remember the scope of Queen's.
But It was cool. Sunday, I chilled and was at Chris' playing a game with the boyz (happy, rich!). 'twas fun.
Monday, was the first Dragon Boat Dry-land Practice, which is essentially "Meet the team" kinda thing.
The team seems pretty good. I've paddled with 3 of my team-mates last year, so it'll be fun, I take it. I'm looking forward to this.
Also, Diving Season is quickly coming upon me. Like next Sat/Sun, I'll be diving. I got an email from my neighbour who wants to go out on Saturday, and then I'm going out with the club on Sunday.
Dragon Boat, Diving, what's next?
Y'know, I'm not really that busy...Jeepers! No post since Sunday! What's with the slack?
I actually got to the gym on Monday/Tuesday night. That's why maybe I didn't get a chance to blog on those days. Also, Monday night, I had to get my dad from the airport, so that was a bit of a late night.
Wednesday, Linda came and we chilled for the night. It was cool just to hang out. She's in the middle of exams, so she wanted a study break.
Which brings us to Thursday: Man, I was beat from staying up late, so I passed out in front of the TV for like 2 hours. Unbelievable. And I'm still o.k. to go to bed at a regular time.
Any words of wisdom? Nope....Just updates. Saturday I'm kickin' to Brock with Alex to see what's up with the University. Alex is renting a car, and apparently it's a Pontiac G6. I don't know anything about this car, but hopefully it's good.
Other than that...I ain't got nuthin'.
Dive SundayToday is the Ajax Scuba Club's Annual General Meeting. Last year, I don't know what I was doing that I missed it. This year, I'm getting ready to go!
What else? Again, an easy Sunday. Tonight, I'm going to meet Chris for some drinks, and chill. Tomorrow, I'm going to hit the gym (Finally!) and then get Dad from the Airport. Flight #183, Zoom Air....Gotta remember that.
Linda's at her cottage, working on her studying, and also getting her placements ready for next year. Nippissing is far, but I'm looking forward to that drive. It'll be nice to do next year. Especially if I do end up getting off my 'elbows' and actually get a new car.
Again, my lil' Z-24 seems to be holding up still. I may hold off until after the summer. I'm kinda leaning towards the Toyota Prius or a used Jetta Diesel. The jury is still out on both.
What's New Pussy-cat?!? Ah, the lazy hazy Saturday. Some good news! Alex got into Brock for their ConEd Program. He's gonna be a teacher in 4 years! All right!
What else? Just chillin. I've been spending quite some time with Linda, which is cool. I really dig doing that, as it's just fun to do.
I'm gonna go pick up dad on Monday night, so that'll be fun. I'm looking forward to seeing him.
This Sunday, I'm going to the Ajax Scuba Club AGM, to see what's up with some dives, and to see some old friends. I'm excited about that too!
And, finally, it's up and running, but not in full capacity yet...
http://rawl.ca
It's working. There's a space filler there until I figure out how I want to make my 'blog' page, and all that.
cool...
everything coming up Rawl!
I hate Colds... So, getting back from trinidad, having a busy week, then having a full weekend, I think my body has finally given up.
I've got the cold. Stuffy nose, sore throat, and chills. Classic symptoms, for the most part.
What do I do? I'm a wuss, so I take medicine. I'm not a big wuss that I make doctor's appointments and go see one, but I do go the 'over-the-counter' route. I love my 'Cold and flu' tablets.
Do they work? No, of course they don't. So why do people buy them? It makes us feel better. I know that there is no cure for the common cold. I am well aware that these medicines only mask the symptoms so I can get on with my life. I'm quite happy with that knowledge, and completely support what they do.
Again, who cares?
What's been going on? Nothing really. Just that the whole Pied Piper story may have a 2nd ending. This ending is where the Piper gets re-assigned duty, and now is responsible for playing the Tuba. Pied Tuba player from Hamlin? Not as catchy.
Oh, Chris, I don't' know if you're gonna be reading this from Vancouver. Have fun! I tried calling you on Saturday, but no answer. I hope you're having fun. By your blog, it seems so.
Any 'west-cost' phrases?
Busy weekend..So, what's been going on? Friday/Saturday was an event, and so was Saturday/Sunday...
let's start from Friday/Saturday...
Linda and I took off to Niagara-on-the-Lake to chill, and do a wine tour of the Niagara region. Man, was that amazing. We went to like 3 vineyards, and sampled a variety of wines.
On the tour, we were put together with another couple from Ohio, Cleveland. It was a fantastic time. Michael and Michelle Weber. They were our age (approx), and married. They were a set of really cool Americans, which we found out that there are about 48% of them that are good, and not appalling. And for those of you who don't recognize that percentage, think about the Bush/Kerry election.
So, we had wine, chilled, returned to the Angel Inn and relaxed. The next day, Linda and I went looking for cheap wine. We found it, so that was good.
Saturday/Sunday...
The infamous Boogie Loogie. Linda was meeting her friends before and meeting us at the Club. I met Brad at his place, and met his new girl, Ji Hai. (I think that's how you spell it...) She's really cool. We then met Ady and Ben and went to Cafe Diplimatico for food/drinks, where we met everyone else. Andrew met us and same with Sarah Newby.
After drinks, we all went to El Convento Rico, and met Linda and company. It was cool to have both sets of friends mingle. Dancing and drinking were to be had, and we all had a blast.
What else? Now, Sunday, relaxing, doing some work, and just taking it easy. Friday night and Saturday night were quite the adventures. I need to relax for a bit now.
