Pretty Sweet

I am one of the 35 million Canadian citizens that get to say that I lived through watching the Winter Olympics on home territory; and if you ask me, that is pretty sweet. The Olympics happen every two years, and it alternates between summer and winter. A ton of countries put in a lot of money to bid for the right to host the games, and what are the chances that someone can say they'll get to experience history.

I think that one of the sweetest things that I get to tell a lot of people is that I lived through the change into the new millenium. A lot of the kids that I work with now are born in the new millenium, so telling them I was there when the calender hit 2000 was a pretty sweet thing. Granted, that I wasn't quite old enough to experience it in full fledge, but it was still a pretty sweet thing to do.

Well, I admit that I feel guilty for skipping out on the congregational meeting to come home to catch the Olympic game. But it being that this probably won't happen again for at least another twenty years, I had to make the exception. It's really sweet to be able to say that I witnessed Canada win the most gold medals in one single Winter Olympics; it's really sweet to be able to say that I saw the first Canadian gold being won on home soil. It's also really sweet to be able to say that I was caught in all of this hype that was trapped in a nation that was waiting for the right time to be able to arise and show the world who we are. All in all, it was pretty sweet.

Sam Gagner will be in the next Winter Olympics in Sochi (=

Oh yeah, and where in the world did February go? I have to stop procrastinating, because it remains my biggest weakness, haha.

Caught In the Flow

Since the Olympics started last week, everything seems to have gotten so frantic and so crazy. Daily routines are changed slightly so everyone can make time to watch the Olympics on TV. Countries are joining together just to be able to cheer on their athletes - even when they normally dont (i.e. Jerome Iginla). I, like many, seem to be engaged in all the hype and the buzz around hoping Canada would win medals. And I have to admit, that I'm impressed at how well our country's performed in most parts of the games so far. Even before the Olympics started, every second commercial would be about them and it's just impossible not to get exposed to this event from all the media and stuff that happens.

The Olympics also marked reading week for university, and it was pretty sweet to get to go skiing in Banff. Surprisingly, I'm not so sore other than my right tricep because I used the poles too much to try to get myself moving. Even after tonight's hockey game, I feel pretty good. I'm glad that my conditioning is something that can come back to me so easily.

Since turning nineteen (and I can say this even though being nineteen doesn't have a whole lot to do with it, but after turning is when it started), I'm starting to have a tough time accepting that I'm growing up - yeah, I know right - and things are going to be changing in the next year. Heck, it doesn't even need the next year; things have already been different since I started September being out of school. Seemingly so, I have been given a ton more independence, and I don't know if I can handle it. But at the same time, I know it's good for me because I've been fed so much in life, that everything comes easy for me and I don't have to work too hard to get anything. So, this whole "moving out" business, although I don't want to see it that way, is probably going to take a ton out of me. But in the end, this is what life is, and I know it's something I'll have to learn no matter what.

Speaking of which, I am teaching the book of Nahum tomorrow. I am hoping that it will be a low attendance class, but if people come, that'd be great too. I must say that it is a very humbling book of the Bible, in the sense that it makes you feel insanely inferior when Nahum describes God's personality in the first chapter. So, I guess we'll see how it goes.

So uhh, I got sidetracked with a video, and now I've forgotten what else I wanted to say.

Go Canada!

Heh

Is it possible to get singled out so many times in one Sunday worship service? I think it just happened to me, today. I'm not gonna lie, I don't like being singled out because I don't like having too much attention. But, nevertheless, I guess they were for good reasons so I can't complain too much. I think I can genuinely say that whenever something like that happens, I kind of crumble under my own skin and have no idea how to respond.

And then I realized that this is my last year as a teen. All I really have to say to that is..

.. oooh dear goodness, someone come save me before I throw out my back!

"Badness"

First things first, another story from work, because that's how I roll. I remember writing about how people that ask me "do you work here?" and how it really annoyed me. Well, I guess this saga can expand a little bit more. There are two different objectives (I'm trying to use big words). The first and already stated, people continue to ask me if I work in the store even though I'm wearing a Sportchek shirt, and carrying a load of pricing equipment - because that's what I've been doing a lot of, lately. One woman came up to me, while I was admiring some nice Adidas' originals, and asked me if I worked here; but she said it in such a way that aggravated me almost to the point where I would have easily said no and be pulling out every insult I carry in my armory to make her feel bad, and then not regret doing so afterwards. There are always obnoxious customers, but I try to treat them all the same, and hopefully they walk out with more than they anticipated to spend because that's what you get for being dumb.

So just when you think my days would not get more entertaining, it takes a turn. I usually do not wear my Sportchek jersey when I'm doing stocks and that kind of stuff. The strangest thing about when I don't wear my jersey, is that people will come up to me and automatically ask me for my help without asking whether or not I worked there. The only exception to that is one guy looking for a jacket for his wife asked me for my help, then a few seconds later needed confirmation that I worked there. But the point is that he still didn't use the infamous pickup line to see if I worked there as the first thing he says to me. It's kind of confusing that people will see me without a shirt and know that I work there so it's safe to ask me for help, whereas compared to when I am wearing the shirt, they have to ask to see if I worked there. Okay, now picture this. I'm not wearing a jersey, and I'll be walking in the store empty handed. So to a plain customer's site, I'll just look like another customer that could be shopping. But no, this particular customer, came up to me and asked me if I'd be able to find a different size for her (notice how most of these people are female d=). What the heck! How in the world do you identify me as an employee without me wearing a uniform or doing any sort of retail work?

But whatever, at the end of the day, work can be amusing - sometimes. After this next week of work, I'll not only have a long weekend, but I'll have the entire week off. I'm so thankful that I was given the week off. For every negative that squeaks out of work for me, something good always follows after; I think this is a huge reason for why I'm still working here and haven't given up yet.

While we're on the topic of work, we've been getting a crap load of Olympic merch to sell. There's so much that our shipping receiver has started labeling all the boxes with Olympic gear "badness" because we simply don't have enough room to put all the Crosby, Luongo, Iginla, and Healtey jerseys - because Oilers fans love these players and will buy their jerseys, not one, but five of each.