Whistler Trip

I definitely like Blackcomb mountain better than Whistler mountain. Not as many flat areas and a lot more exciting runs. The day started out pretty good. I had to get used to my new board for a couple of runs first and we didn't want to leave Jeanette right away so we went to Whistler mountain and did a long run there first. This new board is really fast! Then we decided to hit Blackcomb and go right to the top. We took the gondola, 2 chair lifts, and a t-bar to get to the glacier. Wow! Very nice. If the conditions were a little better (ie. more powder, more sun), it would have been "spectacular", but as it was it was just "amazing". 7000ft, 2.2km elevation. The air was a little thin. The t-bar was a joke. This is another thing that was made for skiers. Greg, Randy and I all fell at least twice in the first 5meters. Randy, however... We were all at the top of the t-bar just waiting for Randy to come up. We saw him coming up and not even 10 meters away from us, he bails. The T-bar was dragging him up. "Randy! Let go and hike it!" He just said "No!" and let the tbar drag him the rest of the way. I wish I had a picture of that! Well we made our way down from the glacier and then moved over to 7th Heaven. Again, if the conditions were better it would have been amazing. We came down and did a bunch of blue runs for the rest of the day. The "under-26" trio went to the terrain park and Randy and I stuck to the runs. It was a good day. At the end we did the glacier, 7th heaven twice, tree runs, rocky runs, and at least 6 long blue runs. All this with only a 15 minute break. BTW, did I mention that I love my new board?

trying something new

Yesterday I applied for a new job. Its only a temporary (1 year) position and when its done I get my current job back. The position title is "Clinical Information Specialist". My manager said that when she heard about it she thought of me and that it was "right up my alley". Thanks Lorraine! I'm guessing they'll start calling for interviews in a couple of weeks. Wish me luck

New Board - Burton Indie 158

Well, I did it. I bought a new snowboard. Damn, its sweet. I can't wait to try it out. And what better place to put it to the test than Whistler-Blackcomb? I think it may take a couple of runs to get used to it, but I'm not worried about that. I'm worried that somebody is gonna bump it in the lineups or that it'll get scratched in the car on the way up there. Like the guy at Comor said, "You shouldn't use this board for rails. Its too nice." hehe. The only problem is that I had to buy new bindings for it because Burton has a different screw design or whatever. I couldn't use my old bindings. Oh well, at least I was able to sell my board and bindings to Steve for a fair price (dude, I think I could have sold it to my mom for more).

Movie Review

The Passion of Christ

Whoa. Intense. I wouldn't call this a "must-see" film unless you doubt your faith. This will bring you back to the Church.

Mindless ramblings

I think I might be buying a new snowboard. The one I want is on sale at Comor and if they have any more, I think I might just get it. Its, like, half price and with the upcoming trip to Whistler, I think a new board would be great. Then, all I'll need are new pants, bindings, and boots. Actually, my bindings are fine, but I think I definitely need new boots. My feet cramp up in mine which isn't a good sign. Oh, I waxed my board the other day too. Well, actually Rodney waxed it while I watched. He's awfully good at it. I didn't want to get in the way. Well, wax on a snowboard is better than stealing some 12-year-old kid's brand new board. OMG, get your board waxed NOW! You'll be glad you did.

Anyway, we went to Cypress again on Monday night. The snow was a little slushy, but otherwise it was a good night. Hit a few jumps, tore up the mountain, and a good time was had by all. I went with the regular crew but Randy's friends Aimee and Sandra came too. Jeanette made a good point: we should meet these people seeing as we're going to be spending a few days with them in Whistler. I think we're all gonna have a blast! I'll let you know.

So lately I've been feeling like a realy bum (No offence to all you bums out there that are reading this (how did you get access to a computer? are you in the library? and how did you find my blog?)). I think I mentioned that I had a couple of weeks off earlier this month. Well, I went back to work, did my regular set (2days, 2nights), and traded a few shifts for this weekend so I could go to Whistler. So by the end of this month, I'll have worked a total of 8 shifts. Mind you, those are all 12hr shifts and one of them was on Valentine's Day. I'm a busy guy these days... I think I need to get out more.

On Sunday night we went to Section 3 for a little down-time and to say goodbye to Tina. Rhoel showed up with this little girl (18 - sorry forgot her name already) that he met in his youth group thing. What the hell is he doing in a youth group? Sorry, had to say it. So, here are my shout-outs for the evening: Bye Tina! We'll miss you! Sorry you didn't win a truck, Michelle. Maybe next time. Emily, you're so cute! Rhoel, high five for showing up with a younger woman! Keep up the 80's pop trivia Rodney!

Gross

So the other night there was this woman on the ward (not my patient) that had a postpartum bleed so she was bleeding vaginally. Well I guess she got up to the bathroom and was sitting on a commode when she decided to pass out. Well first off we had to get her back into bed. Since the commode was on wheels, we rolled her right beside the bed. To get her back into bed I did a 1 person pivot because she was half awake but halfway through the pivot she decided to faint again. I had one knee under her so she ended up sitting on my knee for a second. We got her back into the bed (finally!) and everything turned out just fine but then I looked down at my knee and guess what? I had a big smear of blood on my pants! Oh gross. I'm considering just burning those pants...

101 Things About Me #61-65

61. I don't think chicken belongs on pizza. Its just wrong.
62. I like pasta with red sauces rather than white sauces.
63. Oreos are my favourite cookies.
64. Doritos are my favourite chips.
65. Cheers is my all-time favourite sitcom.

Offensive to say the least

Check out this article in the Globe and Mail website. I thought it was demeaning, ignorant, offensive, and just plain stupid.
Nanny-TV

Have you Googled yourself?

C'mon, don't lie to me. Have you ever searched for your own name in Google or some other search engine? I Googled myself and found that there is a filipino-american poet named Oliver De La Paz and there is also a literature professor somewhere in the States with the same name. Hmm, I was hoping for something a little more exciting. An inventor maybe. or a dj or something. I guess a poet is alright. I read this article in the paper where some guy googled himself and found out he was a missing baby. As it turns out, his mother abducted him 14 years ago when he was 3 years old. The guy is now living with his father who has legal custody and his mother is in police custody. Weird, huh?

just out of it i guess

These past few days I've been really slacking. Its been 5 days since my last entry. Before you know it Nick will be making more entries than me! j/k. The real reason I haven't made any entries is that I've been quite lazy lately. Ever since I got back from my big day at Whistler I haven't been feeling all that great. Just feeling 'blah'. You know what I mean. I think it might be a combination of poor eating, an impending cold, and wintertime blues. Oh, and also I've been hooked on playing Baldur's Gate 2. Its taking over my life. Again. Seriously though, I don't know what it is, but I really have been feeling a little out of sorts lately. Maybe I've been off work too long with nothing to do. Well I'm back to work now so maybe I'll get back into the groove.

So at the end of the month I have the chance to redeem myself. Last month you may remember that I mentioned I had a friend in town from Calgary and I didn't go see her because it was too late and I had to work the next day. I tell ya, I didn't hear the end of it! Well she's coming back because her best friend just moved here (and is working for Z95.3) and she's coming to visit her. The days that Renee is here I'm actually off so I think I'll be able to spend some time with her and show her around.

Whistler

Wow. What a great day of snowboarding. We stayed on Whistler Mountain all day and didn't even touch Blackcombe. Next time, we'll stay on Blackcombe. Whistler mountain is made more for skiers it seems. Too many flat parts, even on blue runs. Anyway, we went right to the very top and conquered the mountain. When you're sitting on the Peak Chair and looking at the runs its pretty crazy. At one point you go over something that says "bomb tram". You feel like a pro when you're up at the top! I'm getting better on moguls and the straights are fast fast fast. ...and a good time was had by all. Next time, we're going to watch empire strikes back in calgary. Randy and Rodney know what I mean.

Weekend

Last night, I had my Valentine's Day dinner at the Macaroni Grill (my favourite restaurant). We had reservations for 7:30pm, but we were pretty late (got there at 8:10), so we ended up waiting half an hour for a table. That's okay, I didn't mind. One of the staff at the restaurant, as it turns out, was in a lead role in Mammia Mia! and sang some ABBA songs for the table next to us. That was pretty neat. I love how the servers at the restaurant all sing. Our waitress sang some Italian opera or something like that for our section. She was pretty damn good. Anyway, after dinner we met up with a bunch of people at Jupiter Cafe for Vanessa's birthday celebration. That was fun. We left just before midnight because Saturday morning I had to work. That sucked but it was an easy day today. Anyway, tomorrow morning we're going to Whistler for some much needed big-mountain snowboarding! I can't wait. I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy Birthday Vanessa!

If anyone out there didn't know it was Vanessa's birthday on Thursday, well you do now and you have no excuse for not calling her. She's celebrating at Jupiter Cafe (somewhere downtown) Friday night at 9pm. Be there. So on Wednesday, being the good friend that I am, drove all the way out to Vancouver to spend a little quality time with Vanessa. We went for lunch and watched TV (not at the same time). Then, because she is SOOOOO busy, I had to leave so she could go do whatever it was she had to do. Who else did that, huh? How many of you spent your free time on your day off to see Vanessa to wish her a happy birthday? Well I did.

funny stuff

I got this email a couple of years ago after LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring came out. I just found it when I was cleaning up my inbox. I thought I'd post it in parts. Its pretty hilarious.

THE SECRET DIARY OF ARAGORN SON OF ARATHORN
Day One:
Ringwraiths killed: 4. very good. Met up with Hobbits. Walked forty miles. Skinned a squirrel and ate it.
Still not King.

Day Four:
Stuck on mountain with Hobbits. Boromir really annoying. Not King yet.

Day Six:
Orcs killed: none. Disappointing. Stubble update: I look rugged and manly. Yes!
Keep wanting to drop-kick Gimli. Holding myself back.
Still not King.

Day Ten:
Sorry no entries lately. very dark in Mines of Moria. Big Balrog.
Not King today either.

Day Eleven:
Orcs killed: 7. Very good. Stubble update: Looking mangy. Legolas may be hotter than me. I wonder if he would like me if I was King?

Day 28:
Beginning to find Frodo disturbingly attractive. Have a feeling if I make a move, Sam would kill me. Also, hairy feet kind of a turn-off.
Still not King.

Day 30:
In Lothlorien. Think Galadriel was hitting on me. Saucy wench. Nice chat with Boromir. He's not so bad. Took a shower. Yay!
But still not King.

Day 32:
Orcs killed: none. Stubble update: subtly hairy. Legolas told me that a shadow and a threat had been growing in his mind. I think Legolas might be kinda gay.
Nope, not King.

Day 33:
Orcs killed: Countless thousands. very good. Boromir killed by Orcs. Bummer. Though he died bravely in my arms, am now quite sure that he was very definitely gay. Not so sure about Gimli either. RIP Boromir.
Still not King, but at least Boromir seemed to think I was. Might however have been blood loss.

Day 34:
Frodo went to Mordor. Said he was going alone, but took Sam with him. Why? My God, is everyone in this movie gay but me? Not so sure about me either.
Still not King, goddammit.

101 Things About Me #61-65

61. Did I happen to mention that I like to go snowboarding?
62. Ever since I broke my wrist last year, I've lost my nerve when I'm snowboarding.
63. I like babies.
64. I have terrible handwriting.
65. I don't like wearing watches.

101 Things About Me #56-60

56. I like all that new technology stuff like computers, tv's, cameras, pda's, etc etc...
57. My favourite alcoholic drink is Vodka-seven. You can buy me this in the bar anytime.
58. I hated school while I was in it, but now I want to go back.
59. My rice cooker is the only thing in my kitchen that doesn't match.
60. I like to collect shot glasses. Not just the regular ones, but the tall, 2oz. ones.

Everybody's Got A Story Part 1

I met this lady once, we'll call her Connie, that came into the hospital with broken hip. Cute little lady, a little eccentric, but at 75 I suppose you have the right to be a little weird. Let me explain the usual path my fractured hip patients take: they come into the Emergency Room (ER - as if you didn't know) with a broken hip, the docs take a look at her and she gets admitted to my ward to prepare for surgery. They go have surgery in the Operating Room (OR - where Marites works), then they go to the Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU - to "wake up"), then back to the ward (Orthopedics - where I work). They usually stay about a week or two, until they get walking again, then they go home. There are usually some factors that will slow this process down but that's the idea anyway. Ok, back to Connie. When she came up from the ER we had to take a history on her - just find out a little bit about her and her medical history. Well we found out her pension wasn't paying her very much so she was very malnourished and only eating once a day and once a month she would go to A&W as a treat to herself. She was living in a trailer because she couldn't afford anything else and her clothes were very very dirty. She had fallen and broken her hip on the way home from the grocery store so when she came to us she had a bunch of groceries. Nothing fancy, just some milk, bread, mayonnaise, canned beans, and soup. Apparently, this was all her food for the week. When we told her how long she was probably going to be in the hospital, she was very worried that her groceries would go bad and could we please put it in the fridge so it wouldn't spoil. She was in a lot of pain, but she never told us because she didn't want to be a bother. We ended up just giving her painkillers every 2 hours just to keep her comfortable. Well, she had her surgery and went through the usual post-operative confusion that many of the elderly suffer through but eventually cleared up and began walking on her own again. This took about 3 weeks (3 times longer than the expected recovery time from this type of surgery). She could go home again. The problem now was that her family, who had control of her "estate", had sold her home and weren't being very helpful. No one would take her in. Now she no longer had a home to go to. Our social worker, Janice, got involved and found her a home: a local care home. Connie was initially very upset about not having a home, but when Janice told her she could live at this care home, Connie became even more upset. She wanted to live on her own. She didn't want to be put in a nursing home, but without money or a home to go to, she didn't have much choice. After being with us for a month, Connie went to a care home willingly, but not happily.

Movie Review

My review of the movie Mystic River with Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon:

Deep shit, man. This movie was a great whodunnit. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Without giving it away, here's what happens: someone dies and they try to figure out who the killer is. Sean Penn is amazing and the person that plays the dead body is very believable. I say again: deep shit, man.

My job isn't easy

Did I ever tell you about the guy who's life we saved? I came on shift on a Wednesday night last month and had this guy who wasn't doing so well. He went downhill all shift until about 4:30am. At this point it got so bad we had to call the doc to come up. He took a look at the guy and called his wife to see if she wanted him to be rescusitated if he ever stopped breathing. Obviously, she was pretty upset so she said she had to call her daughters and that she would phone us back. About 15 minutes after we get off the phone with her, the guy codes. No breathing, no heartbeat. Well, we haven't heard from the wife yet so we call a code blue. The code only lasted about a minute because the man started to breathe on his own again and he came around pretty quick. He was still having a hard time breathing though. I phoned the wife and asked her what her decision was and she said to just let him go if the time came. We did what we could for him to make him comfortable but his breathing was difficult and he looked like he was in pain. We gave him morphine for the pain, but that depresses the respiratory system and decreases his level of consciousness. So now it was either pain control or mental alertness all balanced with poor respiratory function. We called a code on this guy Thursday morning at 0530hrs and he died Friday morning at 1015hrs.

101 Things About Me #51-55

51. I like spicy foods.
52. I'm mildly allergic to melons. Honeydews, cantaloupes, watermelons. They make my throat very very itchy. I eat them anyway though.
53. I like red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Valpolicella, and Merlot.
54. I'm very anal retentive about my computer. Don't try to customize it to make it "better" and don't download shit onto it without telling me.
55. I don't have a single hair on my chest.

Vacation

Yay! I'm on vacation for 2 weeks! What am I going to do, you're probably asking. Nothing. No plans. Oh well, as long as I don't have to go to work.

101 Things About Me #46-50

46. I think I'm heavier than I should be.
47. I've never watched a live hockey game, a baseball game, or a soccer game.
48. I wear very little when I sleep so my door is always closed.
49. I like my steaks medium-rare.
50. I know nothing about politics.