Back from vacation

We are back from our trip to Toronto with great news! Olivia is not going to require any surgery! This is great news. Dr Clark said at this point, Mother Nature will do just as good of a job as surgery would, so why bother putting her through all of that for the same results.

Other then that, we had a great vacation. The drive was surprising not that long. I mean, we did do over 3300 km's round trip; however, it didn't feel that long. The first night, we stopped at the Four Points by Sheriton in Quebec City. It was a beautiful hotel; however, I felt that the room's furniture was a little over size for the room itself.

That morning we went downstairs to the restaurant, Le Dijon and we had a great breakfast. Afterwards, we trucked all day to Belleville On. It was approx a 6hr drive from Quebec, but with Olivia having to eat every 3 hours or so, it made it a little longer then that. Olivia was the greatest in the car. She never really fussed or anything. She mostly slept all the time!

Our last stop before Olivia's appt was in Ajax at Allison's uncles place. It was great spending a few days there. We didn't have to rush anywhere, just kinda sat back & enjoyed the pool. The first night, he heated the pool up to 92F. It was awesome! Just like in a hot tub!

Our drive to the Hospital itself was an interesting drive. On the 401, it was really smooth; however, we were suggested that we should get on Avenue Rd and simply follow that until we to the Hospital as Avenue Rd transforms into University Avenue.

I thought "no problem!". Well, little did I know that the transformation isn't the smoothest! At one point, you have to turn left at an intersection that actually continues to Avenue Rd. Well, instead, we went straight throught & ended up in a residential area. We did a couple of turns & I decided that we needed to get some directions. I pulled up to a stop sign & there was a couple walking along. Allison asked them where University Rd was & it turns out that the people we asked where from Nova Scotia; however they where also familiar with the Sick Kids Hospital as their grand child had been operated on a few times already.

Anyways, they pointed us in the right direction & we were off again! Overall, it took us approx 20 minutes from Ajax to Avenue Rd, but it took us approx 1hr and 15 minutes to go from Avenue Rd & 401 to the Hospital. That was crazy! Talk about going nowhere fast!

We had planned on going to Niagara Falls on Thursday; however, Olivia decided that she wanted to sleep in (for the first time since Monday morning) and also she was going to have a big lunch. It usually takes her about 1hr to eat, but that day, she stretched it out to 2hrs. So, that put us back a couple of hours and everyone suggested that traffic was going to be horrible so we should just hang out there! So we did!

While we were up in Ontario, my cousin had her baby! It was almost perfect timing. So, we simply modified our trip home & headed back to Belleville to meet our newest family member. They named him Rayden and he was born at 10lbs 3/4oz! Certainly not a little fellaw, but he seemed tiny compared to Olivia....

To finish off our trip, we left Belleville and drove as far as Drummondville, Quebec. We stayed the night in a Quality Suites which we felt was a better hotel then the Four Points was.

When we got up on Saturday, I quickly calculated what we had left to do as far as time in order to get home & made the decision to simply go all the way & finish the drive. So, we got on the road & kept on driving until Olivia was hungry. We'd stop to eat and then get right back on the road and keep on going.

Overall, we had a blast. It was fun to see & we did get to see lots of stuff. It would have been better if we could have stayed downtown Toronto longer, but I think we are going to plan for something like that next time. They would like to see her again in May for a check up. So, we'll have to plan another vacation - maybe - and do it all over again!

'til next time!

*Cough*Cough*

Well, that was a fun week! I wish I could say that we actually went to Toronto, but we had another type of adventure instead!

As we put Olivia to bed on Saturday night, she started to fuss a little. After a few minutes, Allison went in & just as she leaned over to check on her, Olivia vomitted in her bed! Well, that was only the start!

To put a long story short, every 20minutes, Olivia was sick. We ended up going to the hospital around 11pm on Saturday night & they admitted her for the day. She was sick until they where able to get an IV into her. It was horrible. She was screaming because she had nothing left in her. She was basically dry heaving & all she was bringing up was bile! Poor girl! There was nothing we could do!

They decided to keep for for 2 days (Sunday & we left late Monday afternoon).

You'd think that the adventure would be done there! Nope, not at all! Once we got home, Allison wasn't quite feeling well, but we passed it off to not having slept at all on Saturday night & also not having had a good night sleep on Sunday night.

Shortly after we got home, Allison was sick! Not a good start to the week because shortly afterwards, I was sick!

We ended up being out of commission until Tuesday night for Allison & Wednesday for me! It was truly horrible. We are not 100% sure, but we can only assume that we had a GASTRO virus going around because my sister-in-law was sick, her fiance as well and my father-in-law was sick too!

I can certainly tell you that it's not a fun trip spending almost 12 hrs in the bathroom sick like a dog!

Everything has been postponed to next week. So we are going to be doing the same adventure as last time. Spending a week on the road, stoping in Quebec the first night and spending some time with family on our way! We are also going to see our friends Colin & Heidi at Niagara Falls! It's going to be a blast!

So, again, I'll try to post from the road as much as I can.

'til next time!

New Adventure

Well, I'm on vacation!

That's right! We are leaving for Toronto on Sunday Morning - bright & early! Keep your eyes open because I'll be snapping some pics with my camera phone & posting them to my flickr account.

Also, whenever I can get a connection, I'll try to post an update of how the trip is going & where we are so far in our journey!

Stay tuned!

Police officer tries to shoot a snake - hits a 5-year-old boy instead

I know that it takes all kinds to make the world go round, but I mean, this if completely stupid! Why would anyone try to kill a snake by shooting it. Snakes are quick & very agile.... A bullet only flies in one direction!I can't even imagine what that poor family is going through! I hope that officer gets what he deserves!"A stray bullet from the gun of an Oklahoma police officer, meant for a snake in a rural area, struck and killed a 5-year-old boy Friday night, authorities confirmed."

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One Step closer!

Well, there are a couple of things new since earlier today!

I am 1 step closer to my interview & Olivia sat up all by herself!

Yup! you read that right! Olivia was able to figure out how to sit up all by herself! The way she does it is very cute! She rolls onto her belly, then brings her knees in and brings her feet under her belly then walks her hands backwards until she's on her butt! Very cute & ingenious of her!

We're gonna have to try to get her on dvd....

Waiting for what?

Well, another week is almost over & I've decided to pursue another job opportunity!

The Mountain Rd branch has an opening for a Senior Account Manager (SAM) and I think I'm pretty well qualified for it! I put in my application - which closed on Monday and now I'm just waiting for my interview! I really do hate waiting, but it's the only way things get done.

Other then that, not a whole lot else is going on. Almost had a huge fire last night; however, turned out to be some kids that decided to burn a tire instead. The passerby who called 911 stated that there was heavy smoke showing.... There was, but it was from a tire and not a building.

Olivia is almost 8 months old now! That's really hard to beleive! She's growing up really fast & I can still see changes in her every day! We're pretty sure that she's already waving to us when we say "HI" & "BYE"... She'll lift her hand up and wiggle her fingers.... it's really cute!

So, I'm in Richibucto right now & when I first got here, there was an MVA just outside of work. Didn't seem to be much damage; however, it looked like it may have been some visitors to the area. Now that really sux!

Allison & I tried to go & see The Simpson's Movie last friday & when we got there, it was already sold out!

We ended up going to see Transformers instead!

IT ROCKED!

The movie was excellent. Very well done! You couldn't tell that the Autobots & Decepticons where CGI. I hope that they make a second.... I was also surprised to see some of the other big names that where in the movie. Josh Duhamel and Jon Voight, I'd seen in commercials; however, some of the others, I was surprised to see!

Well, that's all I've got for today!


'til next time!

21 Things I Learned From The Simpsons About Being Guy

Funny (and in many cases oddly true) observations about being a man, courtesy of that man's man, the man about town, the man women want to be with, and the man men want to be: Homer Simpson.

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Simpson's The MOVIE!

OMG! I can't wait!

Allison & I have a date tonight & we're going to go & see the Simpson's! I can't wait!

Firstly, we haven't been to a movie in about 10 or so months. I can't even remember what the last movie we saw together was. I can't wait & I hope that we can get some tickets! I think I may have to stop by & pre-purchase some tickets - just to make sure that we can get in!

I just checked online & so far, there seems to be some space available! This movie is going to rock! I hope Allison doesn't mind some absent minded laughter!

On another note, we have our referral to go & visit Toronto Sick Kids. We will be going up on August 22. We haven't decided if we are going to drive or fly up. Flying would be much quicker; however, I think driving would be more fun because we can come & go as we please once we get there! We have lots of family in the area as well that I would love to visit. My aunt Yolande & my cuzin's are in Belleville - a couple of hours away & Colin is in London - which is a couple of hours past. Allison also has family out there that we can always crash at! At least we wouldn't be stuck.

I truly hope that the Dr Clark gives us a good diagnosis! What I mean is that I'm hoping for a no surgery option. I think Olivia will be able to strenghten that arm on her own & that it will continue to heal.

Well, that's all that's new for now!

'til next time!

globeandmail.com - Smoke, fire and Lou Gehrig's disease

This is scary stuff! I guess this really emphasizes the importance of using the proper equipment...

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Edmonton Condo Fire

WOW is all I can say! Unreal!



They said that over 149 Units where lost in a new Condo Complex & 18 other Duplexes where lost! That must have been some hot fire to fight.

Real Men Love the Fifth Element

This is an awesome movie!!!!

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What a day!

Well, yesterday was certainly an interesting day!

Like any other day, it started out ok, until I turned on my phone & noticed that I had a voicemail notification.... I remember that from the day before, I had 9 saved messages that I needed to work on.

Well, as I started checking my message, I quickly learned that I had 5 new messages from between 8am & 9am - when I started my day!

WOW

That's all I could think of. I never remember having that many voicemails in a very long time! I had a hard time keeping up.... Oh well, I finally caught up around 3pm and that's only because I had to go to Bouctouche to meet with 3 different appointments - 5, 6 & 7pm. What fun!

Well, I finally got home last night around 845'ish & put my supper in the oven. Allison tells me that the dryer isn't working.... well, i'm not sure what go into me, but i needed to fix it & not stop until I was done! So I did!

Only ended up eating supper around 1045 or maybe it was closer to 1100.... either way, it was late & sort of a good thing! I'll explain in a sec!

Ok, here's the explanation.

I headed to bed around 1230'ish & was tossing & turning. Apparently, I must have fallen asleep cause all i heard was this vibrating on my night stand next to me!

I open my eyes & look at the pager - it's not doing anything, so it must have been a dream.... until, "Dieppe Fire, That's Dieppe Fire. Could you please respond to a house fire at 103 Merlot St, that's 103 Merlot St...." it's now 1:15 am!

WOOHOO!!!! Time to roll.....

Got up, got dressed, got my eyes in (apparently one of them was in backwards) and headed out to the station.

I was second to arrive & got dressed & ready to roll with E-26. Kevin showed up & I'm glad, cause I really didn't want to drive - I wanted to be in the house!

Once we got on scene, we went to see the Chief for assignement. I did get to go in, and help with the overhaul & search for fire extention.

When everything was said & done, I crawled back into bed at 4:45am.... and I originally wanted to get up for 7am to listen to a conference call.... sleeping was not going to be a big part of my night....

I was also just thinking that this was my second house fire of the year! I've missed a couple - I think but it was exciting!

That's all I've got for now!

'til next time!

Guy Changed Middle Name to "Megatron"

This is commitment to the movement!

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Where did the time go?

WOW! I can't believe that most of the month of June is already gone! It's unreal!

Well, work is getting pretty busy and today was one hell of a phone day! I mean, i had something like 10 or 15 voicemail to get through - as soon as I would check them, I would get another call to work on, then I would have 2 more voicemail to check after... just crazy!

Other then that, not a whole lot more going on. Did some really good training at the Fire Dept lately. We did some pumper training & also did some Auto Extrication. It's been fun!

Charleston had a major lost yesterday! They lost 9 firefighters in a Sofa Store fire. Here is a link to the story.

Olivia is doing very well... She's growing up like you wouldn't believe! She's starting to develop an attitude - where if you take something away that she's playing with, she will let you know that she wasn't done with that yet! It's really funny & awesome to see her grow like that.

So, things may be changing soon with me. I can't go into to many details just yet, but kep your eyes open & you'll see what's happening.

Well, that's about it for now!

stay tuned for some news!

'til next time!

Wheel chair gets stuck in 18 wheeler front grill guy goes for ride! 50mph

WTF! This has got to be the weirdest story ever. The wheel chair of a 21-year-old man became lodged in the grill of a semi truck as the vehicle pulled out of a gas station. The semi then began driving down Red Arrow Highway, with its new and unusual hood ornament still attached. Speeds of 50 mph were reached, picture included.



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School to exhibit custom-built motorcycle

What an awesome cause!



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Great Weekend

The Fire Dept had a weekend training in Wolfville NS. It was very interesting. The whole program was put together from FDIC Atlantic. I ended up being a replacement for someone else and I'm glad that I went.

I took a class on the First 5mins in & Advancing the Initial Attack line. This was put on by a Capitain with the City of Toledo Ohio. It was fun because he was full of energy & involved everyone in the room. What I enjoyed also was the fact that he broke it down to usualable scenarios within our own departments & not in the same makeup as what his department has.

All in all, it was a great weekend.

That's all that I've got for now,

'til next time

Anything new wtih you?

Well, not a whole lot is happening on my side of things, but Olivia is pretty busy. She now has a tooth, she's sitting up, rolling over..... what's next - walking i think! LOL

She's also eating - actually self-feeding. She grabs the spoon & puts it into her mouth & everything! It's really awesome to see! We where a little worried that because of her left arm, she would be a little late in the rolling over & stuff, but she's right on time. Everyone is really pleased with her progress.

It's hard to beleive, and I'm sure that I say this every month, but it's already been 6mths. WOW!!!! I can't beleive how fast it's really going by! We are also waiting to hear from a neurologist from Halifax who is going to evaluate Olivia & suggest if we still have to go to Toronto or not.

We are pretty much hoping that the answer is no, but you never know & we are prepared to do what it takes in order to make sure that she has functionality of her arm.

Talking about functionality, we had some company this weekend. Our friends from St-Leonard where down & we had them over on Friday & Saturday. It was fun. I wasn't able to stick around too much unfortunetly because we had 4 fire calls - 2 grass fires - in a very short period of time.

I'm certainly not complaining. I got to drive our Tanker truck at the 2 grass fires. That truck is old & really needs to be replaced, but it's supposed to be done soon.

Zoe, their daughter is growing up really fast! She now has a baby brother who is 10 days older then Olivia & he's a little monster. He eats like there's no tomorrow.

Well, i think it's time to hit the road... gonna head home & get ready for training tonight!

'til next time!

Bird Shits on Bush During Press Conference

This is just funny! I can't believe how people will try to turn it around & say that it's a sign of good luck. - read the article to find out what i mean!



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1000 Pictures of 1000 Women Wearing $1000 Wedding Dress

Photographer Sonya Naumann's ambitious project that documents her capturing 1000 women wearing her wedding dress.



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Sunday - what a day

Well, Sunday was our daughters baptism. It was a beautiful ceramony. The way that it was done is the church had 3 family having baptisms done. The funny part is that we each knew each other.

The first family was the lady who did our early childhood learning class, the second family was Erin, Allison's sister, and of course we where there.

The great thing was that the minister that baptised Olivia was the same minister that married Allison & I 6yrs ago! That was really nice of her to be able to do that for us.

We then went to Allison's grandmother's house & spent most of the day there. All of the family was invited & we had a brunch. It was really good.

Other then that, not a whole lot going on lately. Work is still pretty busy and I'm trying to make the most of it! It's sometimes frustrating, but I guess that's just the way work is. I mean, the worst thing is that I'm getting frustrated for deals that the clients are screwing up themselves.

Oh, I almost forgot!

We had a house fire on Sunday morning. I wasn't able to attend, as mentioned above, but the guys where on scene from approx 0900 to 1430... It must have been a long day! According to the Times & Transcript, the fire was under control within 20 to 30 minutes. Overhaul is always the longest part of the fire. Making sure that all the hotspots are out.....

I discovered another great site today! It's called flickrvision. It allows you to see what people are uploading to flickr from around the world in real time. It's pretty neat. You get to see the pics & if you want to see them larger, just click & voila!

Well that's pretty much all that i've got for now!

'til next time!

Bloggin

Why is it so hard to think of something to say when you want to say something! Does that even make any sense?

I guess I just wanted to start with a ramble! now that's out of the way, we can carry on....

Olivia is the big 5 today! I can't believe that 5 months has already gone by! You never really realize how fast time does go by until you have a child!

Talking about a child - I ordered some stuff from rbcperformance - a reward program that work has, and it's already in! I'm so excited! It's a fish rocker for Olivia, a walker and a golf bag for me. I think I'm going to take a drive tonight & pick those things up! I can't wait!

Other then that, not a whole lot else is going on. Still pluggin away at work, trying to make a million$$, but I don't think it's going to happen this year. Oh well....

The competition is trying to tempt me to cross over! Talked to an old colleague who works with them & she said that she likes it very much! I'm not sure that I'd want to make the move, just cause, after a 3rd straight year, I'd be starting over again. So I told the area manager for the mtg development officers that I wasn't interested anymore & she didn't take no for an answer... Just like a true banker!

She told me that she was going to send me some information regarding how they work & asked me to compare it to what I'm doing now.... i have yet to receive that email.

Talking about jobs, my sister is going to have an interview with Moncton Regional Vice President on Monday. I'm anxious to see what's going to happen! I can't wait! I hope that she gets it! She needs to have a better income job. She's worked at Coles for the last 10yrs & she's done well, but the income is - as always, retail income. Never enough to really be able to live.

There's also some pretty interesting news with the new Banking Acts. Homeowners no longer need to have a 25% down payment. The Federal Government has decided to reduce that to a 20% down payment before default insurance has to kick in. It might not affect a whole lot of purchase transactions; however, it will have a huge impact on the refinance deals & our new Homeline product.

Talking about new products, RBC has also come out with a way for you to get free banking depending on the number of products that you have. It's a way for us to say Thank You.

Well, I guess that's all I have for now! I must be going!

'til next time!

Bush: “I’m the Commander Guy”

Our friends in the south have it tough!!! All hail to the Commander Guy!



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Cho Seung-Hui Sent Package to NBC Between Shootings!

Sometime after he killed two people in a dormitory but before he slaughtered 30 more in a classroom building Monday morning, Cho Seung-Hui sent NBC News a rambling communication and videos about his grievances, the network said Wednesday



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32 Nerdiest Tattoos on the Planet

You thought playing games & watching movies 24/7 was enough to make you a nerd? Well these people have taken it to the next level with some of the weirdest & geekiest tattoos known to man. Ranging from Halo to Soul Calibur through to Star Wars....



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VT Shooters Father Commits Suicide

This story keeps getting worse & worse!



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Blood-puddle Pillow [Pics]

This is hilarious! Check it out!



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Rural Arkansas school turns school buses into classrooms

This seems to be a very interesting way to promote education & learning on the fly! Let me know what you think.



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HUMOUR : Six Funny Life Lessons

Number 7 is especially funny!



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Virgina Tech College Shootings

This is truly unreal. Here is a link to some photos taken on scene. The first thing that came to mind when I heard about this shooting, was our own shootings in recent times at Dawson College and the horrible incident they recently suffered.

What's even worst is people trying to capitalize on such events. I'm sure that if we where to do a little digging on the net, we'd be able to find all kinds of horrible things.

Our thoughts & prayers are with all families that are affected!

The power of the internet certainly makes things global seem local.

Geek Culture [PICS]

Want to see some hardcore PC setups? Check it out!



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Too lazy to look at the stars?

I know there are people like me who are too lazy to look out at the night sky. So just sit down and click around.



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Picture : Someone who is gonna HATE going to work tommorrow

the guy that has to deal with this problem is going to wish he took a sick day.



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Decisions to be made!

WoW!

What a week that I've got planned - or should I say had planned out! I can't believe that the week is already over!

I've made a big decision - all of my clients this week and part of next week are during the evenings. Well, the way that it's going now, I never get to see Olivia & Allison although we usually don't get to bed until 1 or 2am anyways! So, what I'm planning on doing is simply modify my work schedule to allow me to spend more time with Allison & Olivia during her "waking" hours.

So, if I don't have any clients during the day, I'll try not to book any appointments, unless the clients ask for one, and spend that time with them. I know that this will just continue to strenghten our family bond!

Talking about bonding, we purchase a Sony Handycam this week. I think this was a great investment. Allison & I were talking and she wanted me to convince her why we should get one. I told her that some of the most important times in our lives are coming up pretty quickly - for example, when Olivia starts to walk, talk, crawl, sit up - anything like that! I want to be able to have a video record of it instead of a low light caption on our digital camera.

Work is treating me well so far! I've been busy, maybe not at busy as some of the other reps; however, I'm still holding my own... I've got 30% of my target done with 1.5 quarters done of the year. So it's not too bad! I hope that it continues this way & that it gets busier. I'd love to have big paychecks!

I hear that the weather is supposed to change for the worse tomorrow! I really hope that we don't get hit with another 20cm's of snow! I really can't handle that! Considering it's only going to be the second major snow storm of the "winter season", it's not too bad.

So, I've had my "donation" button live for a while, but I have yet to receive any donations.Mind you, I'm not getting as much traffic as I'd hope, but none the less... i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I am continuing to try to find different places where I can be introduced to the people of the web - I've added my blog to a few different listings - as shown on the right...

Well, that's all I've got for now!

'til next time!

TireCraft Fire

The City of Moncton lost another business last week. TireCraft or Presidents Tire was completely engulfed in flames & was a complete lost. Here are some pictues of the huge fire balls of flames.

What's going on?

I am now officially starting to ask myself why we are fighting this war! We have lost 2 more soldiers in Afghanistan.

I have always been proud of our Canadian Military; however, I was proud that we where peacekeepers & not peace makers. I think it's time we start revisiting why we are there & consider pulling out!

Defendant prevails in another RIAA file-sharing case

Another file-sharing case is dismissed, and the RIAA is on the wrong end. Next up is a motion for attorneys' fees in Elektra v. Santangelo. Glad to see the RIAA loosing some of it's cases!



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If Homer Simpson was Real

We're used to Homer in 2 dimensions, we've even seen him as a 3D character in the series. But what would he look like if he was a real person? This step by step study answers this question.



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Phony Craistlist ad invited people to burglarize house

This poor lady had her house emptied by Craigslist.... Just goes to show the power of the internet!



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Help me get a MAC

Well, I've pretty much always been a Windows kinda guy & lately, I've been listening a lot to Leo Laporte and what he has to say on anything & everything tech wise.... Well, it's got me curious in regards to what a MAC has to offer.

What I would love to have is a MacBook Pro. I've started to like technologie more & more as I'm working this Mortgage Rep job because it gives me time to listen to the podcast while I'm driving & gives me ideas of things that I'd love to do! (if you make a donation, you will see that you are directed to my paypal site with my business name - 5alarmgifts.com - don't be alarmed - that's really me!)

I have so many ideas as to how I can grow this business that it's unreal. The problem is that the bank isn't always ready to embark on such adventures. I know that the competition is doing it because I've listened to their podcasts.

When I think about it, I understand why they want to control everything, but I think if they allowed some user generated content onto some of there sites like mine for example, I strongly believe that I could generate more leads & in turn generate a higher income for RBC. I know that myself, I can't make a million dollars for RBC in net income; however, if we all did the little things, I'm sure that it will add up.

Allison & I have been talking lately about a possible career change. I've love to do something technological, but I'm not sure that will happen in Moncton. Plus the fact that I don't have any Tech Certificates doesn't help!

I'm keeping my options open & I'm not actively looking for employement, but if someone was to make an offer that was very interesting, I'm sure that I would consider it!

Well, that's all that I've got new for now!

'til next time!

Free running gymnasts push the envelope

Looks like some people from Moncton are going to be very "internet" popular!!! This is cool!



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Great News

We have movement!

Olivia started to raise & lower her arm a couple of weeks ago & she finally started to bend her elbow last Thursday!

This is very very exciting! We are very happy with what we are seeing & hope that she continues to progress like she is. It's weird seeing 2 arms moving around, but we are extreemly extreemly happy!!!!

More to come later!

'til next time

You'll Never Guess What's In McDonald's Chicken McNuggets!

Think you know what's in a McDonald's Chicken McNugget? Oh sure, there is a little bit of chicken (though it's mostly corn). But the real shocker is what else is in a McNugget. You'll never guess in a million years ....



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Stuck on You

I have to say that I think I invested into a great item!!!!

RBC Promos had a sale on recently & I thought that I'd invest into some magnets - fridge magnets to be exact! They where regularly priced at $0.40 each & the sale was for 50% off. So, I thought why not! Lets order 1000 pieces since it's not going to be expensive!!! I've handed a few out to clients already as I have just received them & also sent some to the old staff that I used to work with!

People love them! I've had smiles, I've had compliments - it's great! I really think that this was a great idea. I just hope that it now starts to pay out!

Kent Homes is doing an open house next weekend in Bouctouche! I'm very anxious to see how much business I'm going to get out of this! I hope that it's going to be a great day! They are going to set me up with an office & internet connection, so I'll be able to provide people with instant pre-approvals & so on. This is going to be great!

I think that the snow if finally all gone! I hope that it really doesn't come back!!!

Other then that, there's not a whole lot else going on. I've finally decided to remove my Microsoft Office stuff! I've gone open source! I'm using Open Office right now & I'm liking it. The files can be saved either as a .xls, .doc or whatever type of file you need. It's great & it's FREE!!

I kinda wished work was like this as well, but it may come with time! I'm also starting to debat what I want to do with 5 Alarm Gifts.... I'm not working at it as hard as I could be/should be - so I'm thinking I may take Allison's advice & close up shop. I mean, it's treated me well, but I'm also self-employed as a Mortgage Specialist, so it's no longer a tax issue. I think I want to take this business (Mortgage Rep) as far as I can go. I mean, I'm always in contact with a marketing manager in TO helping me put things together for either advertising or other little things.

Man oh Mighty! I'm sleepy!!!!

Talking about sleepy! Olivia is now sleeping 10 to 12 hrs! it's truly awesome!

Well, i think that's all I got for now!

'til next time!

HAZ-MAT

Tonight is going to be a busy night! I have to write my exam to obtain my "Introduction to Haz-Mat" and afterwards, I have to meet a client.

I don't mind though! I kinda enjoy the rushing around. Keeps me busy! Other then that, there's not a whole lot going on.

As you can see, I've added Twitter - so all my fans - which I know that I have at least one or two, can stay on top of what I'm doing..... LOL

Olivia is still improving. I think we are going to start seeing some elbow bending soon! She is starting to move her arm around more & more every day!!! I'm so happy that it's slowly coming around!

Last night, I was playing around with the idea of trying to manager my own RBC Mortgage Specialist website & I may have convinced some key people to let me do it! So as a temporary site, this is what I have created - Joel Gallant. This page isn't a final copy or anything, but it's just to show what can be done in a couple of hours!

As you can see, I am thinking about doing some podcasting. Obviously it would be Home Ownership related - Either as a buyer or as a seller....

I'm already planning on different topics & hoping to do at least 10 episodes... Something monthly I think. So, we'll see what happens with the whole website thingy first!

Well, client is almost here, so that's all that I've got for now!

'til next time!

Nothing - just Nothing

I've been wanting to blog a little more often recently & today, I can't seem to come up with anything interesting to say!

I know of one thing that could make a lot of people happy! RBC has put a $250 000 prize giveaway together for the Spring Mortgage Campaign. If you want a chance to win, just go to the following site - Gold Key Giveaway and fill out a short survey. You will then be asked to click here to obtain a number or to enter your number from our scratch cards.

Other then that, there's not a whole lot going on. Business is going pretty good. It's really busy in Richibucto lately! I can't beleive it! I almost feel bad for my Bouctouche markets because I haven't been there in almost 2 full weeks.

The Moncton Home Show is also coming up in a couple of weeks. I'm debating if I want to go & spend some time there or not. They Moncton Team is having a meeting next Wednesday & I may go & drop by to see what it's all about. I have made a great partnership with Kent Homes & I'm hoping that it's really going to pay off.

I'm not sure if I had mentioned it or not, but I was contemplating a career change not too long ago. I was thinking of going into Real Estate as a Realtor... Potential money is a million times better then what I'm making now, but also harder to sell a house compared to a client walking into the branch & wanting to meet with me to Refinance their home or whatever.

So, who knows.

I'm also debating if I want to try to create some kind of podcast that would talk about Real Estate & what is involved with Buying & Refinancing. It could be very interesting & could potentially help increase my income.... So, it's always a thought!

Well, I think I'm going to go & visit the Bouctouche Branch!

'til next time!

Light at the end of the Tunnel

Hard to beleive that 3mths has already gone by! WoW!!

The great news is that Olivia has started to move her arm at the shoulder level. She most of it happens during stretching; however, we are still very happy & excited to see this.

We are going to see the Physio on Friday to get some more assessment done. We are still hoping that we won't need to go to TO.... but we'll see!

That's all i've got for now!

'til next time!!

And you think that you argue with your spouse

I found an interesting website online today....


http://www.thingsmygirlfriendandihavearguedabout.com/

It's long & worth the read!

All Wet!!!

Urgh!

That's all I can say! Last night was out monthly association meeting and was my official 6mth probation since my return to the Fire Department. The meeting had gone well up to the end where someone made the comment that "someone's initiation" was due.

Well, I can't say that they didn't warn me. I ended up hoisted in our hose dryer & soaking wet! They had hosed me down - I guess the 2nd time around really is worst then the first!

There were pictures taken, so I'll post when I can get my fingers on them.

'til next time!!

No Go

Well, I finally got some answers regarding Toronto.

We've talked to our Pediatrician, Physio and a couple more people, including the Physiotherapist at the Clinic & they basically all said the same thing - there's nothing that can be done until Olivia is at least 6mths or older.

So, basically, we are going to let nature take it's course & see what happens with her arm from there.

On a sadder note, we found out yesterday that my grand mother's cancer has spread pretty much everywhere in her body. So, the docs are only giving her 5 weeks to live.

Not sure what to think or anything like that, but I guess it's just like anything else, we live our lives to the fullest & when it's time to go, it's time.

I think what's been the hardest is the fact that she's been sick for the last number of years with Cancer. She now has bone cancer & this will be it. My aunt is down from Belleville Ontario to spend time with her & mom has also taken time off work to be with her.

On another topic, did you hear that Anna Nicole Smith has passed away. She was found unresponsive in her hotel room.... Wonder if it was caused by the stress of her son's death. She's also leaving her new born daughter behind.... that's sad!

Now, talking about sad, last sunday Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service lost 2 Captains in a tragic house fire. They have set up an online book of condolences. If you have a chance, please make sure that you sign the book.

Well that's pretty much it for now!

'til next time!

Febuary, Seriously!

Holy crap it's cold outside!

I guess that's what you get for Winter.... LOL, especially in the Atlantic.... But you know what, we can't really use that as an excuse anymore. We've had really weird weather, but so has everyone else!

Enough about the weather! I talk enough about it at work - you know the small talk during the introductions while your waiting for the file to come up! Urgh! I hate awkward moments!!!

So, we got a call from the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. The lady who set up the appointment didn't really seem to know what was going on. It almost sounds like we have to go up for a 1hr appointment; however, we aren't prepared to spend airline tickets, taxi fees and anything else that comes with a trip to Toronto for a 1hr appointment.

We asked our Physiotherapist here at the Moncton Hospital to get more information for us. So we are basically waiting to hear from her.

It's not that I don't want to go up, it's just that I want to minimize the travelling as much as I can. We have to ensure that we can afford it all and not end up on the sidewalk.

Olivia went for her 2mth needles yesterday. It went pretty well. She cried, but in Allison's arms, she calmed down pretty quickly. The only thing is that she didn't sleep at all last night. Allison said that she was up until 4am. I only climbed into bed at 3am....

We also forgot to take Olivia's 2mth pictures on Sunday. It was crazy!!!! We sort of have an excuse though - Allison's computer's hard drive crashed & we've spent the last couple of days recovering everything. What a mess.

Well, I guess I should get back to work! I've got to travel to Bouctouche & meet with a couple of clients there....

'til next time!

The wait it OVER!!!

Not me, not this time! AGAIN!

Well, I didn't get a phone call yesterday noon! I was a little pissed yesterday & needless to say, I didn't get any work done at all.

The job went to 2 relatively new guys - Jeff Pike & Marty McDonald. They both recently graduated from FF school and I'm *sort of* happy for them.

As you can imagine, I wish it was me there instead of them, but the Chief did say that there was going to be 3 more jobs posted between now & 2008. So, it's just a matter of days/weeks/months before I get a job...

What else is new....

Not a whole lot! Olivia is doing well. We visited our pediatrician and she is sending her for some test. She detected a small heart murmur and also a floppy trachea. So Olivia got xrays & will also get an ECG done shortly. The Dr said that there's nothing to worry about, so I'm not worrying too much, but it's always on my mind!

Her arm isn't getting any better! So, the Physio Dr started the referral process to send us to the Toronto Hospital for Sick Kids. We are truly hoping that it doesn't come to that; however, we are prepared to do what it takes in order to give Olivia the best life possible.

Not a whole lot else happening right now! Work has slowed down... So, there's probably going to be a month or so that's going to be a little tight - just going to have to tighten the belt a little! LOL

Well, that's about it for now!

'til the next time!

All over again! The waiting game continues!

What a week!

This is one of my busiest weeks at work in a very very long time. I'm happy because usually in the winter months there's not a whole lot of mtg activity that goes around. If it continues like this, I'm not going to have any reason to complain!

So, I had my interview this week with the FD. I was very pleased with it. I think it went a million times better then my last one went. Also, my Fit Test went really well as well. I couldn't believe how much better that I felt afterwards. I was exhausted like I was last time & so on.

I really hope that I'm able to get this job. I love firefighting and can't wait to do it on a regular basis.

'til next time!

Lets see if i can blog from my phone...

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31 days and counting

I can't believe it!

I'm back to work & that means that Olivia is 1 month old! This is truly amazing. She is growing by the second & I am totally in love with her! Baby's are so amazing. They eat, sleep, pee & poo. It must be nice!

I didn't feel too sleep deprived while I was home on "vacation" because we where sleeping when she was. Yesterday was my first day back to work & I only worked half a day. Today, I'm out all day & won't be home until later - this should be interesting!

On another note, I didnt' get the first casual job posting at the FD. I wasn't too upset about as I know that there are 2 more postings in January (actually as we speak). I asked the Chief where I needed to improve & he stated that my knowledge was a little weak and my physical was hurting too! Needless to say, I didn't have time to get into shape, but I'm going to try my hardest to improve my time. I was pretty upset at myself that I didn't know more about the trucks & equipment, but I guess being away for a couple of years didn't help. I guess I don't like going to the Fire Hall and hang out with the guys just because. I feel like I'm intruding & don't want to do that.

So, I'm doing my knowledge test tomorrow & physical on Tuesday. We'll see how things go!

Other then that, life is pretty good. Really can't complain!

'til the next time!

Olivia Mae Gallant

What a week!

Allison started to feel something in the early afternoon on Sunday. We went to the hospital, just to make sure, and Dr. Derosier (attending on call) confirmed that there was nothing there....

Well, we went home, sat down and started to eat supper... Around 8:30pm, we decided that we are going back to the hospital because Allison is feeling some strong contraction - at approx 5mins apart.

The fun part started in the car. By the time we drove from home - just behind the mall - to the hospital, Allison's contractions started to be a lot closer! Now, when I mean a lot closer, we mean - approx 2mins apart! It was crazy!

So, we got back to the hospital & this time we aren't leaving! We started to push around 11:30pm and Olivia was born at 12:53am on Monday morning.

It was incredible - watching a life come into the world and the miracle of life!

We did have a few complications from the delivery as Olivia was born at 9lbs 6oz. The first thing was that Dr. Derosier needed to use the vacuum in order to assist Allison in getting Olivia out. Because of this, there was a point where she was stuck & required a lot of assistance and had a problem breathing for the first few seconds of her life.

The other problem is that Olivia does also have Brachial Plexux - aka Erb's Palsy. It was very nerve racking thinking of what is going to happen. Currently, she only has mobility in her hand; although she is rolling her left shoulder ( her affected arm). We are going to be following some physiotherapy over the next few months in order to make things back to normal.

So, because we started the hospital stay at midnight, that didn't count as day one yet - and they always keep you at least 2 days. So, on Tuesday, that was day one, Wednesday was day 2 and during all of this time, Olivia spent her time in the NNICU. It was a little hard to accept that we had a baby because of the fact that we had to go & visit her in the "Special Care Unit". That's ok though! Cause on day 2, Olivia was brought to our room - only to have her put under the lights for Jaundice. This was fun! Imagine 7 ultra violet lights on overnight - while you sleep!

Feeding time!

Kiwi - This is the cutest!

I need not say more!!!

I miss my phone

I sent my phone to get fixed & I really miss it! LOL

I got a replacement phone - the Nokia 6585 - and it sucks compared to my Razr V3c. Oh well, at least when I get it back, it'll be all working and stuff! Also, I bought a nice case on eBay over the weekend - I'll be much better then the bulky one that I have now. The other case that I had for it wasn't holding it properly & my phone ended up on the ground a few times to many!

What a long weekend! Our friends from Saint-Leonard where down for the weekend! It was fun. We went to the Dieppe Farmers Market on Saturday & it's quite the place. It was the first time that Allison & I visited the place. If I was motivated enough, I could even bring my business to the place & sell on location, but 0730 is so early on a Saturday morning!

We bought an infant swing set from Air Miles - the Ocean Wonders and after I put it together, I discovered that the motor housing was all yellow. Allison even noticed a "burnt" smell to it. I called Fisher-Price & they have sent out a new motor housing at no cost to us. That's great customer service! I didn't even want to put batteries in it or anything. Didn't want to take a chance!

Talking about customer service, I decided that last week, I wasn't going to put up with bad customer service, so I would send complaints to companies that deserve to know what's going on at their local stores. First one was Subway in Moncton. Allison had gone there & ordered her lunch. The problem was that there was a hair on the bun & the employee didn't even want to throw out the bun! That's gross!

The second complaint was to Kernel's Popcorn in Champlain Mall. There were 2 employees working; however, only 1 was serving clients. The other was doing the end of day stuff. She was complaining at how much work she had to do & that she would have to come in the next day. I was quite surprised at how loud she was saying all these thing!

So, I sent off emails to both companies & in return, they are going to send us coupons or vouchers for free food. I was quite impressed!

Well, i guess that's all the rants I have for now!

'til next time!

Here's a thought!

I can't believe that I haven't heard anything yet for the job. I was talking to the other guys last night & they haven't heard anything either.

I was also talking to the other candidates & I think that I have a really good shot at getting a full time job next year, as in January. The FD is going to be hiring 4 more full time guys and they always pick them from the casuals, so I'm really hoping that I have a casual job & then I can get a full time job shortly there after.

Other then that, there's not a whole lot new going on. We went to our Labour & Delivery class last week. It was pretty interesting. There was a video that was supposed to have been shown; however, the instructor couldn't get the vcr to work with the projector. That's ok though...

We are in our final stretch. Only 6.5 weeks left to go. Allison is off this week, so we are trying to get things done around the house (carpet cleaning, general cleaning, ...).

One of the best Canadian Shows that I've seen on TV has to be Corner Gas. Not only is it hilarious, but it's funny at the same time! (I know - I know!)

Anyways, this past weeks episode was about blogging (won't go any further - just in case you haven't seen it yet).

Anyways, that's all i've got for now!

'til next time!

The waiting begins

Well, I had my interview last Friday & I think that it went well. I guess - like anything else, it's just my interpretation of the situation.

I'm really hoping that I get this job. I would love the extra money, but I would also love doing the job on a more regular basis. According to the Chief, he said that HR would let him know by mid November. That's long to wait!

Other then that, not a whole lot going on. We had a baby shower on Saturday & it was lots of fun! We got lots of gifts and lots of blankets! I know that we need them all, but it's just funny to see how much stuff that we got... I'm such a big kid! As soon as we got home, I put the exo-saucer together & also the mobile for the crib! I'll have to take a pic of our nursery to show you...

Well, that's about it for now!

'til next time!

Can it be true?

Well, Allison wasn't feeling the baby moving as much as she had in the last couple of weeks, so she called our Dr & got an appointment.

At our appt, the Dr decided to have a profile done up to ensure that everything was ok with the baby. Well, during the profile, Allison decided that she'd ask the nurse (or whoever she was) if she had seen anything that would give us the sexe of the baby.

Well, she said that she didn't see anything yet; however, she started to look for it and found the sexe for us.

WE ARE HAVING A GIRL!!!

We are really happy about it & can't wait for her to be born!!!!

Keep u posted!

3 Steps Done

Well, I know that I promised an earlier post; however, I just got busy at work & I didn't have time to post, but here we are!

I've got the written exam, knowledge exam and my physical exam all completed & I will be going to an interview on Friday morning.

I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed and will let you all know what happens as soon as I know what's going on.

Other then that, nothing else to interesting is going on other then our Baby Shower on Saturday. Should be fun & we'll have tones of pics....

Well, back to work for now!

Written Exam

Well, today is the first part of the written exam.

I have approx 1hr before I have to head out & write my exam. I know that I'm going to do good, but there's always that feeling in your stomach! Well, I hope that I do very well!

It's a 50 question multiple choice, so I'm guessing that within the hour, I should be done & back home.

I'll post my thoughts afterwards.


On another subject, I have been watching this new show that CBC put out called The Dragon's Den. I actually love that show. It's 5 Canadian Million/Billionaires that are willing to put up some money in order to help start-ups get, well, started up.

Well, that's all for now! Time for lunch!

My new toy

Well, I won something on the internet the other day! I'm so excited! I got it in the mail yesterday!


It's called the mStation Orb! It's freaking awesome! I can't believe how cool it is! I can honestly say that I'm having good luck! I got the Ipod for free through work & and now I won this Orb thingy! It's so kewl! The only thing that I need now is to get a job with the FD!!! Fingers still crossed!

Resume has been dropped off

Well, like the title says, my resume got dropped off & I have my times set up for my testing. They are as follows:

Written exam: Oct 12, 13h30
Knowledge exam: Oct 13, 14hrs
Physical (aka: DND Test): Oct 16, 15h30

I'm really anxious & I know that I'm going to do well, but I hope that it's well enough to get a job. I have actually respondided to medical calls & I have not been as nervous as I was in the past - which to me - is a great thing!

Also, this weekend, was the start of Fire Prevention week. It was a gorgeous day & I got to drive our heavy rescue truck in the parade.

Well, I'm outta here for now!

'til next time!

Hilarious Find - Sexual Consent Form

I found this online today! It's hilarious!!!!!

Sexual Consent

Comes with a consent form & all!!

FD Training

WoW, I konw that it's been a couple of weeks since I had my Fire Dept training, but I thought I'd bring you up to speed anyways!

On Friday, Sept 14th, we headed out to Miramichi to participate in the annual Fire Training. It's a blast! Classes start early on Saturday, so that's why we head up early. There's 8 of us from Dieppe that went to the training.

On Saturday Morning, myself, Jean Richard (a casual with Dieppe Fire Dept) and Marc Cormier (a fellow volunteer & Prison Guard) had flashover training.



The quick and easy definition of a flashover is when all the objects in a room ignite at the same time.... It's a little more complicated then that, but you get the drift!

So, we sit through class hosted by HRM Fire Dept and we go through the basics of fire behavior during a flashover.

After the class is when all the fun started! We went into a trailer and watch fire appear out of nowhere. I'm serious.... when the smoke reached a certain temp, the gases in the smoke would ignite (thus the flashover).

We ended up staying approx 20 mins in the trailer.

In the afternoon, we did LAST training (Large Area Search Team) and it was pretty interest. We searched a large Gym for RescueRandy. It was an interesting method of doing a search... we ended up basically being tied to one another.

When we got back to the hall, we noticed that the trucks where already gone... We just guessed that they had a call, but when we checked the fax, we noticed that they had a House Fire. Well, the blood is pumping now!

So, the DC (Deputy Chief) radios the fire scene & they are going crazy for help! Apparently some of the guys had gotten lost in the basement of the house and 1 was taken to hospital. It was a crazy scene!

Well, we ended up going to the scene & helped with overhaul operations - to make sure that the fire was out & what not.

So, all in all, I had a great weekend of training!

The other good news is that Dieppe Fire Department is hiring - 2 Full Time & 2 Casual Firefighters (to replace the 2 casuals that are going to get the full times....)

So, I'm applying & hoping that I get in! Keep your fingers crossed!

Rememberance

Sept 11, 2001

It's a georgeous Tuesday morning & I'm up early because I'm going to the firehall to work on the training house with the Chief (then Deputy Chief). We want to clean it up a little because we are having some training that weekend.

Well, it's now 945 AST and the Chief got a page from his wife. He ignores it; however, he gets another paid only moments later. He tells me that he's going to call her back & I simply keep cleaning. After a short conversation, he comes back to me & says that an aircraft has just crashed into the World Trade Center.

I'm a little confused as to what type of Aircraft this could be, so I ask - Was it a Cesna? Do they know what kind of plane it was?

We quickly finish up (as we where almost done anyways) and head back to the fire hall. Once we get there, we arrive just in time to see the Second Aircraft, United Airlines Flight 175 crash into the South Tower.

Silence

That's all there was for quite a few minutes after the flight 175 crashed into the building. I ended up staying there for another couple of hours (until 1130 or so) and the Chief (at that time - Luc Grandmaison) asked for any of the people to stand by because they where re-routing the
aircrafts still in the air to the nearest airports around; which included Moncton, Halifax and Nfld.

I remember getting home & sending an email to Allison saying that I wasn't going to work today as I was going to be on stand-by at the fire hall because of what was going on. I remember watching the buildings falling into themselves & thinking about the thousands of people that where going to be trapped inside.

I honestly felt helpless. I wanted to be albe to go & do something, but what? What was I going to be able to do?

Well, we got back to the Fire Hall & ended up going to the Airport as the aircrafts where coming in. Well, after sitting on the tarmac for a while, the Airport Fire Chief strongly suggested that we move ourselves & our vehicles to safer distances - as a precaution.

So, we moved to a location accross the street from the Airport - the Church on Champlain St. I remember thinking to myself that I wanted to be home or wherever to watch what's going on - but I quickly realised that I was as much involved as anyone else in North America that day. We all played a role in ensuring the safety of everyone who was landing.

Reflection

A few month earlier, Allison and I were married - July 14th, 2001. Well, for our honeymoon, we went to Disney land via Newark, NJ. We saw New York City from above and saw the WTC Towers. I was amazed at how tall they looked from the sky. I couldn't imagine looking at them form the ground up....

363 FDNY Firefighters where lost that day.

Lets make sure that we never forget!

Movie Review

Allison & I went to the movies last night. We saw Accepted. It was pretty good. I laughed out loud a quite a few scenes. The only thing that I hate about movies like that is that they are so predictable.

I mean, you know exactly what's going to happen and how it ends. I guess it's still nice to live in a dream world.

On another topic - (always makes me think of a simpson's episode) - My Birthday is coming up pretty quick. I can't wait! If you feel the need to donate some money, please feel free.... email me & I'll let you know where to send the money!

It's hard to imagine that I'm going to be 28.... I can certainly tell you that I don't feel 28. I mean, I certainly don't act like a 28yr old..... Ask Allison, she'll tell you that I'm still somewhat imature! LOL

I'm hoping this week will be a busy week. Not only for work, but for the Fire Dept as well. This is my week on call, so I get to answer all of the medical calls that come in...

Well, that's about it for now!

'til the next one......

Suggestion

Well, I've officially started to really hate MSN.... especially since the went "live". Urgh! How freaking frustrating can that be!

MSN keeps crashing on me and it seems to be really unstable and extreemly slow. So, I'm slowly going to start converting everyone away from MSN.

I've tried GoogleTalk and I really like it. Especially now. You can leave people voicemails when they aren't around & they will receive them in their Gmail account. I've told a couple of people about this & they said that they don't want to create a new account.

That's the only thing. I've had my hotmail account forever, but i don't use it anymore. I have a pop3 account & on top of that, I also have my business account, my work account & now my gmail account.

I sometimes wish that GoogleTalk had a couple more functions, but it's still in beta or just about to come out of it... I'm sure that there will be improvements along the way.

If you ever decide to use GoogleTalk or already using it, please feel free to add me

Well, that's all I've got for now!

Starting off another week!

Hard to beleive that we are at the end of August! urgh! where did the Summer go! Oh well, I'll have something to keep me really busy soon enough... in 16 weeks! How freaking exciting!

Today is a horrible Monday morning! It's rainning out, really dark & grey plus on top of that, it's only 15 out! That's freaking cold.....

Well, I finally got my bathroom floor installed! It turned out quite nice. I can't wait to finish it. I have to buy some baseboards & maybe some quarter round, but that's about it. We have also moved the cat litter out of that washroom so that we can actually use it as a washroom.

Oh, we had mitex come in this morning to do the living room & master bedroom. It's a really neat process.... well, not so much process, but you know what I mean. The floor feels cleaner & softer. I definetly recommend it!

I just got off the phone with this salesman from synergyadspecs and he was extreemly pushy to try to get me to buy some pens. He was trying to convince me that $5/pen was a good deal & he wasn't taking no for an answer. To be honest, in my business, I can't see handing out pens to clients just because. Like I told "Tom" - if I had a home show coming up, maybe I could "afford" to just throw away money!

Anyways, when I told him no 5 times, he just seemed to get so disappointed & he didn't even want to show me an image or whatever. I had no idea what he was proposing to me! WHATEVER!!! - My Money - My Decisions!

Well, I now have a cell phone available for sale. It's a older model (3yrs old) from Telus. It was a decent phone at the time, but now that the contract it up, I want to get rid of it. So, if you are looking for a phone, please let me know!

That's all I've got so far today!

'til the next one!

Medical after Medical after Medical

Well, apparently yesterday was a very busy day for the fire department. They have something like 8 medical calls.

I was lucky enough (if you want to call it that) to attend an medical assist call. A gentleman had fallen out of bed & was unable to get back in. The only reason that I got to go out on that call was because the guys had received another call about 3 minutes before for a 10yr girl that was unresponsive. As the Truck-22 was reponding, dispatch came over the air & updated the guys saying that they where now perfoming CPR on the child.

From what the Lt was saying, the girl passed away upon arrival at the hospital. The worst thing of it all is that it was her birthday on August 24th. The parents where apparently devastated.

When I got home from those 2 calls, I turned on the scanner & just listened to it with Allison as we where getting ready to go to bed - at our usual 1am and Codiac was pretty busy along with the Ambulance service. Well, I heard that the ambulance was going to the hospital with a patient & they came on the air asking for the Fire Dept cause there was a car that was on fire. As I was laying there, I said to Allison - too bad that's not me!

Well, like they say, you get what you wish for. Shortly after 2am, we got a call that Ditech had fire in their walls. Well, we got on scene & the first truck - Engine-21 was able to put the fire out without any additional assistance. We simply rolled up the hose & cleaned it off at the station. All in all, I think we had 10 guys & 3 trucks that responded. Pretty good turn out for 2am! I was lucky enough to get back into bed by 4am!

This morning I also had the joy of getting up early to go & visit Dr Sylvie LeBlanc for Allison's check up. This is going to be the last time we see her for a year...

Well, that's pretty much it for now!

'til the next call comes in!

As Promised

As promised, here are links to the articles in the Times & Transcripts for yesterdays post.

Car Accident & Air Ambulance

Now, in the "car accident" article, you will see a firefighting trying to pry a door open. Unfortunately, that's not me! Someday soon, but not me today (or yesterday!).

I had to privilege of going to the dentist. It wasn't too bad. At least this was a regular check up and not my usual 9 year waiting period. Not that I do it on purpose, but it usually just happens that way. It was kind of funny actually, because I was in & out in 15 minutes - cleaning and all! I couldn't believe it.

I'm not sure if I mentioned that I had partnered up with a local developer & a realtor for a new subdivision project. I'm really excited about this & I can't wait to see a billboard that they are going to be putting at the building site. I can't wait to see what the final project looks like. What's kind of funny is that I was never consulted on during the design, they just assumed that I wanted such & such to appears; however, the realtor had it modified the way that I wanted it to appear.

Here is a draft copy of what it was supposed to look like.



Personally, I like the design & layout. The only thing extra that I have added was my title - Mortgage Specialist. Originally, they had removed my phone number even. They said that the clients will confuse me with the realtor & contact me to find out about the lot prices. The way that I look at it is if they do that, then it's an open door for me to try to finance the project.

Well, that's all that I've got for now!

'til the next one!

Crazy Morning

Well, I had a crazy morning today! First, we had another MVA; however, this time, we had the priviledge of having Global news & maybe a Times & Transcript Photographer. If I can find the article, I'll post it tomorrow.

Also, we had a potential aircraft crash today. The Medic-Air plane had warnings that it's landing gear was not locking down and they declared an emergency. So, we got dispatched out & waited on the tarmat and watched the aircraft sucessfully land with all 3 wheels locked down in place.

So, all in all, it was a fun morning. I can't wait to be able to do this for a full time.....

'til the next emergency!

Huge Fire

I just remembered that I have a video of a block fire that happened recently. not sure why it was put to "Stairway to Heaven" but it was....

Motor Vehicle Accident

Nothing really important to share, but just thought I'd share my latest adventure. We had a call for a MVA this morning at 9am.... not bad for a wake up call - kinda what I needed to get me out of bed this morning!

Anyways, not sure how they hit, but they hit some freaking hard! Lets just say that the cars where pointing in opposite directions from the way that they where originally travelling... if that makes any sense.

It was a quick call - only lasted about 1hr - the average.

Moncton also had 2 calls today for mva's. Looks like it's going to be that type of day!

Oh, I also got myself some hyperwhite (or whatever you want to call them) light bulbs for my car. They rock! I can see much clearer now at night time. They make quite a difference.

That's it for now!

'til the next one!

Well, that was fun!

Well, I can tell you that it's some warm out there!

We just had a house fire this morning. The call came in around 10am & I only stepped foot into the house at 2:30pm. There was quite a bit of smoke showing when we got on scene - 2nd truck out and 2 guys & myself went into the upstairs apts to check for fire extension. I had the priviledge of using the new TIC (Thermal Imaging Camera). It was small & very light. I couldn't believe it.

Anyways, other then that, there's nothing else new. Yesterday was the Acadian Celebration. I personally didn't do much, but there was all kinds of parties through-out NB.

Well, I guess that's all that I have to share right now.

'til the next one!

Back from the GREAT WHITE NORTH

Well, we are back from the visit up north.

It was actually really nice to see Eric, Sylvie & Zoe. It was a fun visit.

The wedding was extreemly nice. To everyone's surprise the bride & groom showed up by boat. It was an outdoor wedding held at the Grand Falls Marina. I guess I don't really have much more to say then that!

The room we stayed it wasn't too bad either. We stayed at the Motel Daigle, which is accross our old appartment in Saint-Leonard. We had a cottage and they are seperate from the main hotel itself, so we had no one bothering us from the other rooms.

Other then that, not a whole lot else going on. I went to my grand-parents this afternoon & tried to fox their computer. Their PC is a true mess. Not sure what happened, but while I was trying to open Explorer, I had 20 pop-ups show up & major system lag. I couldn't beleive it!

The best movie is on Showcase right now!

Strange Brew - with Bob & Doug McKenzie. I saw that they had it for sale at future shop a while back & I had to buy it!

Talking about sale, when we bought out house, there was a dishwasher already installed. Well, my father-in-law and I uninstalled it & put in our older portable one. It was worth it as it has a lot more room.

Well, we had sold the dishwasher to my sister-in-law's co-worker & apparently after a couple of days, it stopped working or never worked - depending on when he installed it. So, my sister-in-law called us & told us the problem & he said that he just wanted to give us back the dishwasher & we'd give him back the money.

Well, I thought about it for a couple of days & decided that I'd drop by his place & see what the problem was with the dishwasher. Well, I got call today saying that his wife got annoyed of waiting (only 3 days) and decided to go out & buy a new one.

So, now I have a dishwasher sitting in the garage. I'm going to test it before I put it up for sale again, but I'm sure that I'm going to be able to get rid of it pretty quickly.

So, if you know someone who is interested in a dishwasher, please let me know!

Well, that's about all that's new so far! Oh, the pregnancy is going good so far.... except Allison feels extreemly hot pretty much all the time!

'til next time!

Heading North

Yes, you heard it right! We are heading back to Saint-Leonard this weekend!

It's only for a visit, for a wedding to be exact....

Janot & Melissa (Sylvie's sister) are getting married this weekend. This should be an interesting weekend! I'm kinda happy to be able to see Zoe, Eric and Sylvie. Also, I'll be seeing some of the people from the Fire Department, actually, it should be everyone from the FD.

On another note, we've discovered that we have a wasp infestation. No idea where, but they are coming into the house - somehow. The funny thing is that they don't seem to fly. I mean, they just kinda walk accross the floor and hop up onto the window ledge or wherever.

Other then that, not a whole lot is going on. I'm planning on heading to a training in Miramichi in September - for the Fire Dept. Should be interesting!

Wow, I guess this is what happens when you are up at 1:15 in the morning.... I feel like I'm blabbling!

Well, time for bed! Have a long drive tomorrow.

I'll post some thoughts when I get back!

'til then!

New Truck

I noticed the other day that Moncton aquired a new Rescue truck. I was able to snap a pic with my Razr phone. It's a little fuzzy, but it's pretty good!


This pic was taken at the St George Fire Station. I have some pics of the Dieppe Trucks, but they are very old as the trucks have all been painted to a red color.

So, just thought I'd share this....

With much anticipation

Here is the first baby picture ever of Baby Gallant.

UltraSound

Today was the big day!

We went to the hospital for our very first ultrasound. It was very exciting! I've known that we have a baby for a while, but to see it instead of hearing it is just so wonderful! I know that we are really happy to be in this position - to be able to bring a new life into the world!

I guess the baby was really moving around & the technicien was surprised that Allison couldn't feel the baby moving around.

We've got 3 pics & right now they are making their way around Allison's work. I'll be scanning them shortly & posting a pic here along with moving a copy to my Ipod & Phone for later on.

December is not far away! We are going to have to start shopping soon I think. We have to decide what we want to do for a stroller. My sister-in-law is giving us her; however, we need to go & buy a new car seat.

Exciting stuff!

Money is going to have a whole new meaning soon!

Well, nothing else is new yet, so as soon as I get a chance to scan the images, I'll post & share with the world!

'til the next one!

The weekend has come & gone

I can't believe that another weekend has come and gone! It's unreal how fast time is going! Hard to believe that the month of July is already over!

Urgh! oh well!

I had an interesting weekend! I ended up painting a dark blue wall into a beige wall. It turned out to be quite nice actually! I'm really happy with the color that Allison had chosen.

Here are are couple of pics.

Well, that was my weekend! It wasn't bad & I enjoyed painting, so no complaints from me! I also tackled another room that we are trying to renovate, the basement bathroom. It's just plain old ugly!

Here are a couple of pics of that!

The tile was really really ugly & the worst or best thing (depending on how you look at it) was that the tile wasn't even glued to the boards. It was held in place by the grout only! You have no idea how much that actually relieved me! It will make things a little easier to makeover since I didn't have to work as hard as I thought I was going to have to work!

Tomorrow is going to be a very big day! We are going for our Ultra Sound! I can't wait! I am going to scan it & send the picture to everyone that I know! Plus you'll be albe to see it here! I promise!

Well, I think next year is going to be a good year for movies. There are 3 movies that I just can't wait for!

Simpson's the Movie - Teaser
TMNT - Teaser
Transformers - Teaser

Those are going to be awesome movies! I can't wait!

There hasn't been much going on in the Fire Department either. It's been pretty quiet; although, Moncton FD has been pretty busy. They had a couple of structure fires lately & they are kinda suspicious.

Also, I read in the Times & Transcript that the RCMP have lost another member. Their Police Dog was found dead in the woods on Saturday afternoon. There was nothing else said about it, but seems suspicious to me...

Talking about deaths, 2 more Canadian Soldiers died during the weekend. I have no idea what my opinion of the Afghan war is. I mean, I think that it's great that Canada has finally stepped up and support a role other then Peacekeeper, but having our Soldiers die is another question. We certainly have not lost as many soldiers as the United States has, but still, loosing 1 soldier is too much.

Talking about war, I remember reading about the war in Lebanon years ago and thinking wow, I'm glad that I wasn't around for that - I was a young kid during the last conflict. But now, I am living during the conflicts & have a huge understand of the potential losses & casualties. I'm just thinking how crazy this world is becoming, but then I think - becoming or always has been. Think about it for a second. I mean, there's always been wars & conflicts, it's just that the world has become a million times smaller because of satellites. We are all connected now. Wanna know what's happening at the other end of the world, simply just google it!

Crazy!

Well, I think that's all that I've got in me today!

'til tomorrow!

5 years and Counting

July 14, 2001 - 4:30pm

Allison & I walk out of the St-Pauls United Church in Riverview as Mr & Mrs Gallant.

What an exciting time! I can't believe that it's already been 5 years. Honeslty, the time has really gone by! Mind you, I did move away for 2 years, so, that doesn't help. Also, one thing that we noticed really quick was that we have moved every year since we've been married! that really suckes, but we won't be going anywhere for a while! I'm happy that we are back together full time and that we are finally starting our family & getting things all settled. I know that we will be living really happy lives!

I'd like to know what's going on in Moncton lately! The Moncton FD had a huge fire last night. Maritime Door & Window went up in smoke. It was a huge fire & when I was on my way home last night, the FD cleared the scene past 2 am - well, that's when I turned off my scanner.

Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of the magnitude of the fire!

















Allison even said that the smoke seemed to fill Main St when she was on her way home from work. I know that I could still smell the soot around midnight last night!!

I got back from Square Lake Resort yesterday & it's a really really nice place. I can't find it on the web, but I found out why! It's basically someone home who has built a few cottages (huge ones, I might add) and rents them out to local companies and only companies. It's a really nice retreat!

Well, that's about everything that I've got right now!

Change is good

Well, we've been moved in for approx 1 month now & things are really looking up! I can tell you that I'm really happy to be home & that I can really notice a difference in my work too!

I actually want to work. While I was in Saint-Leonard, I was mostly passing time while waiting for a transfer to Moncton. Well, now that I'm here, I am answering my phone all the time & getting things done like they are supposed to be done! You can even tell - my problem reports are coming back really clean - no issues like I used to have in Saint-Leonard.

Also, the FD is getting pretty quiet lately - kind of a bad thing - if you are a firefighter, but a good thing if you are a citizen. I was actually talking to an associate of mine who was in Dieppe today & he said that he was driving by a 4 car accident. Well, when I emailed my wife, all she replied was "nice!" - I replied with " Ya, I missed another call!"

Kinda funny!

Well, Allison called me at approx 8pm tonight to tell me that I had missed another call - a structure fire. That's 2 now that I've missed! I can't believe it! Oh well.... It's now midnight & the crews just cleared the scene - so you can imagine the call. It was an apartment building & it looks like there was major fire damage on the 2nd floor & the top floor. Should be interesting to hear what happened! Oh - btw - the call came in at 16h17..... Now, that's a full days work!

Not much more to say other then that!

'til next time!

Business is going good

Well, I've been back in moncton for approx 1 month now and I love it. I do miss the people up north, but not the location.... if that makes any sense! LOL

Anyways, business is going good. I'm trying to get the bank a little more electronic - Podcasting, Web Banners & crap like that, but so far it's all pretty much an uphill battle.

- Oh Well - This will have to do for now!

Allison's belly is starting to grow more and more now! I can't wait to see her at 9mths. She said that she wants to get some picture of her belly done, so I'm giong to start snapping some of those. Also, if I can convince her, I'll post some on here.... We also have another Dr's appointment on Thursday

Well, not much else going on lately. Even the fire department has been a little quiet over the last couple of days!

We also went & saw "Cars" last night. It was awesome! Laugh out Loud funny! I highly recommend this movie! I can't wait to get it on DVD!

Well, enough of me for today!

'til the next one!

Crazy Week

What a crazy week!

It all started last Monday - we got paged out to a vehicle fire with a possible trapped occupant. Upon arrival, we discovered at we had a trapped occupant in the vehicle and it was well to late to do anything.

The car fuel was leaking from the gas tank & it was extreemly stubborn to put out. We ended up filling the gas tank with water and it was finally put out. It took us the better part of the day to actually put out the fire. Almost 2 full hours.

On top of that, I ended up answering 6 calls that day, including 2 medical call. We had the car fire, a punctured gas line, a medical call, a punctured gas line again (same location), another medical call & the last one, I don't remember.

Well, all in all, by the Sunday, I had answered 17 calls for the week. That's not too bad considering that I've only been back for 3 weeks.

And then there's yesterday - we where called out to a possible 10-85, accident with death. Well, on our way, we ended up getting an update saying that it was a cement truck that had fallen on a vehicle.

Well, turns out it was a cement wall that had fallen on a construction worker. The poor guy was 27, married & had a 2yr old at home. We also ended up having a crazy number of calls come in too yesterday. The accident, a father accidently drove over his child, another motor vehicle accident and a medical call.

WOW!!!

That's all I can say. I ended up not anwering a "smell of gas" call that came in last night at approx 2030 - cause I wanted to relaxe & spend some time with Allison.

So, all in all, I've answered 25 calls in 3 weeks - that's more then what St-Leonard had when I had left there!

I also heard that Dieppe may be looking to expand it's ranks. I know that there are currently 2 potential openings, but the Chief also said that he'd like to expand to 4 guys per shift. That would mean that there could be 6 openings in the very near futur!

My goal by summers end is also to step up & try to get a promotion. I would like to be considered for at least a casual position and that would mean that I need to figure out what they want from me in order to put me back in the ranks.

Well, that's my crazy week - 'til the next one!

The best Sound in the World

Hard to imagine that we've already been in our house for 1 week. Well, a week & 2 days! LOL I'm back with Dieppe Fire Department & I'm totally loving it! I can't believe how much I've missed home, especially now that I'm living it everyday again!

We went to the doctors on Thursday, June 1, and we had our first pre-natal exam. To be honest, it was the best experience ever! The doctor, who actually graduated highschool with me (how freaky), wasn't sure she could find the baby's heart beat, but she didn't have a problem. She put the "ultrasound" machine on Allison's belly & found it.... It was the best sound ever! I'm so happy that I was there with her.

We are also going for an ultrasound (image version) on July 25th. I'm really excited about that! I know that TMH (The Moncton Hospital) doesn't share the sex of the baby, but I'm hoping for a slip or something like that. I know that I won't recognize anything, but still.... I can keep my fingers crossed!

Well, back to work for now!

'til next time!