The Adventures of Leisure Suit Larry

Grace and I finally bought our first home! It’s near Coxwell and Danforth. We saw the place last minute yesterday and decided to put in an offer! We are both excited and can’t wait to move in! The closing date is July 23, so we have another 2 months at our current place. It’s a 3 bedroom semi-detached, with 2 washrooms and a finished basement. The house could use some upgrades, and I am willing to learn how to do some stuff on my own. 2010 has been a great year so far. I got onto the Oakville Fire Dept as a firefighter April 12, and we purchased our first home May 18!!! YEAH FOR 2010!!!!

So this weekend started off with Grace leaving for SF on Thurs for her cousin James wedding. I really wanted to go but would have only been there theoretically for 1 night so I stayed back. On Friday, took my sis Yvo for dinner at the Black Hoof. We had charcuterie which I’m not really sure how to define. We had wild boar belly, small charcuterie plate, spicy squid salad, bone marrow, and a toffee dessert. Good times and good food! Sat I took my friend Matt to Target Sports shooting range. We shot a Glock 9mm, 9mm Beretta, and 12 guage shotgun. It was crazy! We both loved it! Pics to come soon! The kickback on the shotgun wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Next time we’re gonna shoot the Desert Eagle handgun! Major kickback and force!!!! In the evening, I went to Oakville to help out in cooking dinner for a woman’s 50th bday. It was a fundraiser for Oakville Hospital I believe. I didn’t actually do any of the cooking, just peeled potatoes, washed dishes and helped out wherever I could. This was no simple meal. The guests had ahi tuna with frize? Mashed potatoes, shrimp and scallop appetizer, steak, risotto, and a wine pairing with each entree. Far more extensive and detailed than I imagined. I enjoyed helping and meeting some of my fellow brother firefighters. All nice guys! Today I ran my first 10K run for Sporting Life Camp Oochigeas. The cause was to raise funds to send kids with cancer to camp. Thanks to all my friends who supported me! I ran the race in 49 min 12 secs. Not bad. But I know I can do better. Wild weekend!

Today capped off my third week in training with auto extrication training. It was actually a course taught at our training facility with various fire departments participating. Firefighters from Brampton, Clarington, South Sherbrooke, (near Ottawa), were some of the depts that participated in cutting, breaking, smashing, and tearing up cars. We learned how to shore a vehicle safely, but the best part was using the power tools. The spreaders, (jaws of life) and cutters were two of the equipment we got to use. Rescuing patients will be a big part of my job. Learning how to do it safely and properly is important. We will get another day or so of auto ex training so we’ll have more time to wreck some cars!

We got our bunker gear yesterday. Sweet! Still alittle creased, but it’s fresh out the box!!!!

Week 2 of training is almost over. We’ve done everything from hose operations, to hydrant ops, driving the ladder truck, roof ventilation with an axe and chainsaw, SCBA, and even daily housechores like mopping, cleaning the washroom and kitchen. My body was seriously aching from loading so much hose. Physical training is pretty intense as well. Running 4 flights of stairs, tire flips, sit ups, push ups, dips, it’s not easy. But it’s important to be in shape because part of our job is saving lives. So we not only have to be in shape physically, but also be able to handle alot of things mentally, things that most people won’t normally get to see on an everyday basis if at all. But I love it and I feel so blessed to be given this opportunity. Thank you God.

Was I destined to become a firefighter? I always remembered that this picture existed somewhere, but I just wasn’t sure where, until my sister Sophia dug it out somewhere and gave it to me. This was at a really young age, I will guess between 3-4 years old. I can’t really recall “wanting” to be a firefighter when I was younger, but I DO remember this television show with firefighters that I enjoyed, hence the hat. Day 3 of training was more in-class stuff. Union stuff, benefits, public education. All stuff that has to be covered. Can’t wait until we get down to the down and dirty. Have our first PT (Physical training) tomorrow morning. Two of our instructors are ex-military guys so they’ll definitely be whipping us into shape!

Haven’t blogged in a month, guess I’ve been lazy! Wifey says, “How come you haven’t blogged lately?”. 2 more nights of work before I get the weekend off and start my new career at Oakville Fire next Mon. I’m STOKED!!!!! On the housing front, I’m going to look at a house today, which is across from my friend Sam’s place. There have been quite a few more houses popping up lately and it seems like there will be more options for us. Not sure when it will happen, but just have to keep praying about it. Still haven’t bought my plane ticket for SF yet, I’m waiting to find out my training schedule before I book anything.  Hopefully the prices won’t go up. Have a squash game with my bro Izzle today, he hasn’t beaten me in 20 matches. Maybe I should let him win a game to boost his confidence. Ha. Oh, and Grace bought me a PS3. The only game I’ve been playing is NB2K10, while she’s been playing little big planet. I gotta get on Madden. Peace for now.

With the 3rd pick of the 2010 Firefighter draft, the Oakville Fire Dept select, from Seneca College, Power Forward JEFF YEE!!! I faxed in my acceptance letter today, so it is OFFICIAL, I am going to be a FIREFIGHTER!!! Ok I don’t know if I was the third pick or not, I could have been 1st or 2nd, but I figure 3rd is safe, less chance of being a bust, and less pressure. Michael Jordan was drafted #3 overall too! This journey began even before I started my fire training at Seneca. Ironically enough, it began in Oakville, several years back while I was working for McD’s Special events. We were doing an event for the Oakville hospital when I ran into a childhood friend of mine, and told him of my intention of becoming a cop. He was dumbfounded. “Why do you want to be a cop?” he said. The public hate you, you get shot at, the hours are long, it’s stressful, etc, etc. Why don’t you become a a firefighter? The public loves you, the hours are great, pay is great, it’s the best job in the world. And so it began. I did my research on schools that offered the Pre-Service Firefighter training. I applied to Seneca, and got in last-minute as someone dropped out. I started Fire training in fall 2007, graduated in summer 2008. Along the way, countless hours of training, hitting the books, tests, exams, physicals, and in the end, it was all worth it. Even had to shell out $4500 to get laser surgery on my eyes. Throughout this journey, I never gave up hope, never gave up faith that I would reach my goal. I faced many obstacles. Failed tests, failed interviews. But I didn’t give up. I worked harder. Improved myself and worked on my weaknesses. When I didn’t pass my first interview with Toronto Fire, I went back to the firehall to ask for advice on what I could do better the next time. I was put on the list for Kitchener/Cambridge/Waterloo but never got a call. I didn’t pass my first interview with Oakville Fire, but got called in for a second, and was placed on the hiring list. Then, I got hired in Nov. 2009 as a call-taker dispatcher for Toronto Fire. A stepping stone. A door opened. And an opportunity. I’ve been at Toronto Fire Communications for 4 months now and it has been great. My colleagues are nice, and we always have big massive meals on nightshift so I never have to bring dinner. And than the call came. Mon. Feb 22, on the day of the big snowfall, trying to drive to the gym with my sister and her friend, at 5pm stuck in traffic. It was the BEST phone call EVER in my life. “We’d like to offer you a position as a probationary firefighter with Oakville Fire Dept”. That was, the 2nd best day of my life. The first of course my wedding day. But I’m sure, there will be another day, that will top either one of them……….
Onto my next chapter in life, with the Oakville Fire Dept, as a FIREFIGHTER!!!!

Wow, I haven’t posted in almost a month? Guess I’ve been busy! Spent the weekend with Grace and my 2 friends Eric and Darren in Ottawa. We stayed at his dad’s place near the Byward Market, had some good eats and good times! Among the places we dined at: Black Tomato, Cafe Fraser, Benny’s Bistro (Eric and I slept in, so we missed this experience), and also dinner at my friend Judy and Pierre’s. We visited the National Art Museum, and strolled around the market. There are alot of nice restaurants to eat at in the market, as I’ve tried several of them during previous visits while working with Team Special Events. We also went to a bar/lounge called Mercury Lounge last night, which was pretty good. Met up with my classmate Brian who just got hired by Ottawa Fire! Props Brian! They played some good tunes and there was some nice ladies there as well, although Dice and Jigs failed to step up to the plate. Boooooo! All in all, a great weekend! Thanks for driving Dice!

Watched this movie tonight, Food Inc, and was very turned off about how a few LARGE corporations control what we eat. There is so much “crap” that is put into our foods, it is absolutely ridiculous. The treatment of animals, to make them bigger, fatter, faster, for us to consume, and therefore generate MORE money for these large food corporations is insane. Makes me not want to eat any meat at all anymore. Grace and I have started buying our meats from a store called Fresh From the Farm, which is located at Donland’s and O’Connor. Their meat comes from mennonite farms, not from large corporate slaughterhouses. The cost is not that much more than what you get from big grocery stores such as Loblaws, Metro, Sobey’s, but much more worth it.  The animals are not locked up, are free to roam, are fed grass in the summer, and are not injected with growth hormones.  You can never be too safe with what you eat. Read your labels, make sure you wash your hands, and try to buy local when you can.