Hello one and all ...
Here I am again at the begining of an update that will be full of things about Mike and Merins adventures. Written after a long bike ride home on a beautiful monday afternoon. I am not really sure when my last update was mailed but I do know that I have new nformation to let you know about so without further ado here are the catagories for todays episode in no particular order , Rugby , Dancing , Swimming , Work Permit / Work and what ever else I can think of at the end ... Oh a bit of YOUTUBE for yall !
Rugby : Portland Super Men
This weekend the Portland Rugby Football Club fronted up at the New England Rugby Football Union Tournament held at the beautiful city of Newport. The weather was great for rugby but very bad for spectators rainy and windy. We won two games on Saturday which put us directly into the final on Sunday . I was very fortunate to get any game time at all considering that I have not been to training for two weeks with my course. I played one half in each game on saturday. Game two was the semi and was so exciting especially at the end of the game I conceeded a penalty which they easily kicked and put tem ahead with 5 mins to play , only a matter of a minute later one of the guys on the team made the most beautiful drop goals I have ever witnessed, It would rank right up there with Jonny Wilkensons kick to win the world cup and the thing was the guy that kicked it was a Brit ! Thanks Evan !
I left the boys that night because I had to get home for work orientation on Sunday which was very hard to do. I got home and slept and had to call in for the news the next day. THe news was good ! Portland had beaten the host team in the final . I asked around and some of the guys told me that they had never been to the final before and won it, and one of the guys has been playing for 14 years ! another guys said to me that it may have been 30 - 40 years since portland rugby have won that competition ! So it was a wonderful weekend for portland rugby . I only wish I could have been there to lift the trophey with the boys but that ok there is always next year.Portland, New England Rugby champions , now thats nice !
Portland Mansions
On Saturday between games Merin and I went sight seeing around Newport. Merin took me to two big mansions that were built back in 1832 . SEE YOUTUBE . These palces are amazing inside and they are kept in the same vintage as they were made. We could not take pictures inside but we have pictureS from the outside eVen though we snuck into the grounds without paying lol . One of the houses was owned by one of the captains who defended the Americas cup 3 times. I don't think he would have ever have thought that the cup would have been won by Team New Zealand Lost by Team New Zealand and Won again by team NZ again in 2007 , Hmmmmm Yes I hope so GOOOOOOOO TEAM NZ !
Dancing
For more cross training for rugby Merin and I have enrolled in Ballroom Dancing Lessons. We have been going for about three weeks now and I am having a blast learning the new steps. I really enjoy it and its greaat to have time with Merin having fun and doing something we both enjoy. We have touched on the Swing Dance ( My first fave ) , The Waltz ( My second fave) and another one that I cant remember the name of but its a slow slow quick quick dance.
Its has definitely helped me with my foot work on the rugby field and I am thinking about incorporating a waltz box side step into my moves for the next game ! LOL
Swimming
I have been training n the pool for two weeks now and I am beginning to get back a bit of power in the old arms and legs. I began to get really sore shoulders reminiscent of the old days but I thought I would try to ACTUALLY kick for once in my life which alleviated most of the pain and its now bearable to train. 2kms has been my limit for the past two weeks and this week I am stepping it up to 3kms. It should be ok, I want to get up to a week of 4.5kms in a session then Ill back it down and do a kind of a mini taper . Only 5 weeks away till my week taper begins so its kinda crunch time. I need to get as much millage under my belt as I can. I am sending in the entry form this week and have decide to swim in the 100 free, 200 free , 50 free and 100 fly. I cant wait to get some photos of me at the pool complex ITS AN AMAZING complex. Ill let you know how the training is going ...
Work Permit / Work
Thanks so much to all the people who emailed me re my work permit coming through. Its so good to be able to apply for jobs and have interviews !
I had an interview 3 days after getting my card and was accepted as a Life Guard / Swimming Instructor for the city of Portland. I was originally meant to be applying for a management role but because the work permit took so long they had already filled the position . No worries though I am happy I can focus on my swimming teaching and learn how to implement a swimming school for the future when Merin and I own our own sports complex.
So far so good , I have a work permit , a job and start of the 16th of June so its all come together after 5 months of waiting but its worth the wait working legally will be so much easier now we can actually plan our saving and best of all we have planned trips around the place including a trip to NC to see RENT ! LIVE on Broadway yeeeeee haaaaaa :) Ill keep all you RENT heads posted don't worry :)
I have now got to the end and I am sorry but I can not think of much more to tell you about , I have attached a few pictures for you to look at and a link to my YOUTUBE page theres a new video up there of the place we stayed in Newport A BEAUTIFUL mansion http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=KIWImike69 go check it out :) I will add another video of me making a meal of a try that could have been if I had not of dropped the ball Grrrrrr LOL :)
I love you all so much , Keep in touch and let me know whats going on on your side of the world where ever you may be. I have to stretch now because Im going to go for my 4mile run " A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do"
Peace Out
- Mike
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Mike in PORTLAND April 3rd
Hello to everyone ,
Ok , Ok so yes it has been a very long time since the last update. I do apologise to anyone who has been missing the bi weekly issue ( Oh Lillian ). I have found a bit of good luck and been very busy over the last four weeks working od jobs and more recently working on and interior paining job. So today's package has alot to offer due to the huge amount of time between emails. So without further ado , today's post will include the following topics, Hockey , My Barbershop Quartet , Rugby in Portland, The Doug Emery Jazz band, Work
and last but not least YOUTUBE ! footage ...
Barbershop Quartet
The barbershop quartet has had their first practice together. We have started out singing "Ive been working on the rail road" one of the songs that I sung with the Pride Of Auckland Chorus. The first night was very shaky with one of the guys being sick and one of the guys loosing his way and not turning up. The big positive was that we have three guys that are looking to make good music and that we didn't have to pay for the first nights practice.
Hockey
About four weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to my first professional hockey game with Merin and a few of her friends.The local team is called the Portland Pirates, They are not part of the NHL but are like a second tier competition that feeds the NHL. The Portland Pirates feed the Anaheim Ducks. It was a really fun game, I had no idea what was going on but I did have a really nice treat. The treat I had was a Chocolate chip cookie with an inch of ice cream sandwiched in the middle :) It was beautiful. I have forgotten who won the game but it was very close and exciting.
Rugby In Portland
I have been training with the Portland Rugby Club for around about 7 weeks now. I have been trough the pre season fitness trainings and have attended one field training. It has been so much fun ! I have meet some really great guys who have helped me with numerous things over the past two months. The guys been fantastic and have had a hand in helping me find my feet with some work, Getting me good deals around town, Treating me to my first venison meal, Giving me rides to and from training and even helping me decide which boots to buy. Its a really good team to work with and it feels good to be part of a team again.
So the preseason training is over and this Saturday was the first schedualed game. We turned up half an hour early to set up the field. The field was the in field of a horse track. When I got there I was curious to where the field was. I then noticed that guys from my team were painting the markings and others were shoveling the straw piles that were all over the in field. My task was to remove the big rocks that were on the field. All in all after the posts were set up and the rocks and straw were cleared it was a nice firm field and it looked pretty good. The best thing was that you could watch the horses run around the track while we warmed up.
I was very surprised when I was called for the starting Fifteen. It was so cool after all the years of watching Roko and Willy play footy I would finally have my day in the sun . I warmed up with the team and then we took the field. It was a very fast match . I played as hard as I could and tryed my best not to muck up too much. at one point in the second half I was soooo tired that I was standing with the ref while my team were back ten meters, the captain was half way to getting me when I realised I was just dead on my feet. I was very pleased to be on the field and last the full 80 mins. It felt so good to walk off the field and be with my Merin, that was what made the day for me. Oh we didnt win but we were very close I was encouraged by it being our first game , Next week I play again , so maybe we can pull out a win :)
So I have now joined the family club, Tony , Denise , Roko , Willy and now Mike are the rugby players in the family :) , Check out the pictures below :)
Rock, Will , Dad and Mum , You guys are hard :) I tip my hats to you all :)
The Doug Emery Jazz Band
After a long while I have the recording of the jazz band. It sounds really good and I was very excited to hear it. Alas it is a sad fact that I no longer part of the band. So I didnt have the chance to perform with the guys but did get the memories of the practices and the great recording that we mad together. I have got some good news from it, One of the pubs that I was going to get a gig for the band has told me he still wants me to sing for him at his club so I have a gig of my own ! I will let you all know how that works out :)
Work
As I alluded to earlier , Work has been great I have landed on my feet with some interior painting. I have about a weeks work to go with this house and I could have more work after this through the lady's friends and family. At this point in time I am happy with any work I can get and have been very lucky.
On a side note , The work Visa is still being processed , and I should know about it in the next two weeks :) Fingers Crossed:)
YOUTUBE
Finally ! FOOTAGE from mike in the USA , Currently I have an Ice Skating Video up ( My first try so don't laugh ) , and I have a small piece of RUGBY footage that Merin was able to get on her Sony cam. In the rugby footage I am wearing the number four ! Watch the late tackle I do on the poor guy in the ruck. The balls out and I hit him. I will try my best to get some more footage out there for you all it takes forever to upload it to YOUTUBE , There is more to come so keep looking !
I will post you the locations as soon as they upload, the rugby one is still uploading !
Well guys I love you all so much, Merin sends her love to you all as well :)
Till the next time I will leave you with some pictures to look at :)
- Mike and Merin m&m in PORTLAND
VISCOUNT TEACHERS ( AND ex TEACHERS )
How are you all ? Let old mike know how its going over there:) I am thinking of you all , Love you GUYS ! AND YOU TOO
Ok , Ok so yes it has been a very long time since the last update. I do apologise to anyone who has been missing the bi weekly issue ( Oh Lillian ). I have found a bit of good luck and been very busy over the last four weeks working od jobs and more recently working on and interior paining job. So today's package has alot to offer due to the huge amount of time between emails. So without further ado , today's post will include the following topics, Hockey , My Barbershop Quartet , Rugby in Portland, The Doug Emery Jazz band, Work
and last but not least YOUTUBE ! footage ...
Barbershop Quartet
The barbershop quartet has had their first practice together. We have started out singing "Ive been working on the rail road" one of the songs that I sung with the Pride Of Auckland Chorus. The first night was very shaky with one of the guys being sick and one of the guys loosing his way and not turning up. The big positive was that we have three guys that are looking to make good music and that we didn't have to pay for the first nights practice.
Hockey
About four weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to my first professional hockey game with Merin and a few of her friends.The local team is called the Portland Pirates, They are not part of the NHL but are like a second tier competition that feeds the NHL. The Portland Pirates feed the Anaheim Ducks. It was a really fun game, I had no idea what was going on but I did have a really nice treat. The treat I had was a Chocolate chip cookie with an inch of ice cream sandwiched in the middle :) It was beautiful. I have forgotten who won the game but it was very close and exciting.
Rugby In Portland
I have been training with the Portland Rugby Club for around about 7 weeks now. I have been trough the pre season fitness trainings and have attended one field training. It has been so much fun ! I have meet some really great guys who have helped me with numerous things over the past two months. The guys been fantastic and have had a hand in helping me find my feet with some work, Getting me good deals around town, Treating me to my first venison meal, Giving me rides to and from training and even helping me decide which boots to buy. Its a really good team to work with and it feels good to be part of a team again.
So the preseason training is over and this Saturday was the first schedualed game. We turned up half an hour early to set up the field. The field was the in field of a horse track. When I got there I was curious to where the field was. I then noticed that guys from my team were painting the markings and others were shoveling the straw piles that were all over the in field. My task was to remove the big rocks that were on the field. All in all after the posts were set up and the rocks and straw were cleared it was a nice firm field and it looked pretty good. The best thing was that you could watch the horses run around the track while we warmed up.
I was very surprised when I was called for the starting Fifteen. It was so cool after all the years of watching Roko and Willy play footy I would finally have my day in the sun . I warmed up with the team and then we took the field. It was a very fast match . I played as hard as I could and tryed my best not to muck up too much. at one point in the second half I was soooo tired that I was standing with the ref while my team were back ten meters, the captain was half way to getting me when I realised I was just dead on my feet. I was very pleased to be on the field and last the full 80 mins. It felt so good to walk off the field and be with my Merin, that was what made the day for me. Oh we didnt win but we were very close I was encouraged by it being our first game , Next week I play again , so maybe we can pull out a win :)
So I have now joined the family club, Tony , Denise , Roko , Willy and now Mike are the rugby players in the family :) , Check out the pictures below :)
Rock, Will , Dad and Mum , You guys are hard :) I tip my hats to you all :)
The Doug Emery Jazz Band
After a long while I have the recording of the jazz band. It sounds really good and I was very excited to hear it. Alas it is a sad fact that I no longer part of the band. So I didnt have the chance to perform with the guys but did get the memories of the practices and the great recording that we mad together. I have got some good news from it, One of the pubs that I was going to get a gig for the band has told me he still wants me to sing for him at his club so I have a gig of my own ! I will let you all know how that works out :)
Work
As I alluded to earlier , Work has been great I have landed on my feet with some interior painting. I have about a weeks work to go with this house and I could have more work after this through the lady's friends and family. At this point in time I am happy with any work I can get and have been very lucky.
On a side note , The work Visa is still being processed , and I should know about it in the next two weeks :) Fingers Crossed:)
YOUTUBE
Finally ! FOOTAGE from mike in the USA , Currently I have an Ice Skating Video up ( My first try so don't laugh ) , and I have a small piece of RUGBY footage that Merin was able to get on her Sony cam. In the rugby footage I am wearing the number four ! Watch the late tackle I do on the poor guy in the ruck. The balls out and I hit him. I will try my best to get some more footage out there for you all it takes forever to upload it to YOUTUBE , There is more to come so keep looking !
I will post you the locations as soon as they upload, the rugby one is still uploading !
Well guys I love you all so much, Merin sends her love to you all as well :)
Till the next time I will leave you with some pictures to look at :)
- Mike and Merin m&m in PORTLAND
VISCOUNT TEACHERS ( AND ex TEACHERS )
How are you all ? Let old mike know how its going over there:) I am thinking of you all , Love you GUYS ! AND YOU TOO
Friday, March 2, 2007
Email #6 27 Febuary
Hello Y'aall ,
Here we are another episode of Mike in Portland. In this exciting episode we review the past few weeks and everything that has gone on. THe highlights today come under the following headings ... My Birthday , Rugby in Portland, Ice Skating Debut, The Doug Emery Jazz Band, Full Monty Audition the NAPTAS and The POA hot off the press.
The peak has almost been met ... My birthday
If you don't know already I have reached the dizzy heights of a 29. One more year to add to my already wonderful life. My birthday was a fantastic day filled with excitement. Merin and I decided to celebrate my birthday on the 18th in the USA ( which is the 19th in New Zealand) so it still counts. It came in handy because my actual birthday was on the Monday here which meant Merin had to work and couldn't be with me. I was such a lucky boy Merin made a beautiful cake, she got me an Ipod and a electric shaver a fantastic present and took me out to dinner for a surprise type birthday with our friends at a local Mexican place called Margaritas, Hmmmm after 6 margaritas I was VERY happy and could not really play my first game of pub darts with much accuracy .A fantastic day altogether , Thank you so much Merin I love you.
As well as a wonderful day with Merin , I received so many wonderful Birthday wishes from you at home ! To all of you who sent me their love thank you so much it really made me feel closer to home and to your hearts.
Rugby in Portland
I went to the first training with the Portland Rugby Club. I was impressed with the organisation and determination the guys have to getting fit for the season. I myself was not accustomed to an hour long session after training for only forty minutes at a time in the gym. The session consisted of circuit training in the gym and part of it was hitting practice and driving. It was really fun ! The session was great and I was introduced to the guys by the captain.Now that I have finally recovered from last weeks session I am ready for tonight session.
Merin found a really cool website http://www.mediazone.com/channel/rugby/jsp/2006/index.jsp that has coverage of the Rugby World cup and Tri nations this year LIVE !!!!! you can pay $7:00 per game , so its really good. As well as getting the coverage you can plug in into your regular T.V so that you are watching it full size. Next thing is to find a av cable that 20 feet , Hey dad you got any in the blue room you could ship over ? ;).
Ice Skating Debut in the USA
My Ice Skating Debut was really great. Merin and I went down to the local city pond "Deering Oaks" and I tied up the skates. Merin was really great she helped me onto the ice and went through the basics. I bumbled around for a long time and then I finally got it. It was fantastic ! The only thing I would rather not have had was the aching Feet and chins that I experienced ! The best thing for me was that I didn't fall over until the very end when I was walking off the ice in front of a whole bunch of little kids , THAT was so funny. So now I know the basics I want to get out on the ice as much as I can.
The Doug Emery Jazz Band
This Saturday , The jazz band recorded our CD for the clubs. It was really cool. We set up in the drummers kitchen. The sound guy we were working with was working from a DAT deck " Old School " he called it. After about an hour of waiting for the Bassist and about 6 joints ( I was not participating ) we got started. The sound we were putting out was really good. I listened to the recording at the end and was quite impressed for a kitchen recording. So this week the sound guy will be putting it on CD and then we will be publishing it on the bands MYSPACE. So I will let you all know when that's going on to MYSPACE.Now that we have something to give to the club owners we hope to be gigging very soon.
FULL MONTY audition
I was recently inspired by my family members Colleen and Tracy Lee Tuki who both auditioned for their first stage show. Once hearing about them giving theater ago I was buzzing and looked for a show to audition for. I was lucky enough to find something I would have fun doing, yes taking my clothes off , THE FULL MONTY. So I went to the audition and had a lot of fun.Over the weekend 50 men auditioned for the 6 main roles The director enjoyed my singing and said that I have a real talent . I was fortunate to be offered a small part but Merin and I decided that for a small part all the time away from each other would not be worth it. So it was exciting and now I know that I have things to work on for my next audition :)
The NAPTAS Northern Area Performance Theater Awards
I have heard that the NAPTAS were a fantastic event this year and that two of my closest friends Mellisa Nordhaus and Jason Te Mete were awarded for their hard work and commitment over the season of RENT 2006. Jason thanks for mentioning me in your speech it means a lot to me.
Well done guys , I wish I was there to cheer you on :)
Pride Of Auckland Chorus
Last year I was involved in a fantastic group of male singers called the Pride of Auckland Chorus. When I was in the chorus I was fortunate enough to perform with them at various events the biggest being the New Zealand Nationals. We came a very controversial 3rd place but we had fun making the audience smile. I wanted to let you all see the talent of the chorus and if you are interested in joining in search for them on Google and go to practice ;) . So here we are on YOUTUBE click the link and go to watch and listen .
You Don't Know Me , Ballad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjNcqafqwHQ
Railroad , Up Beat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97C4hkyEcX0&mode=related&search=
So there you have it guys , The low down of MIKE IN PORTLAND :) ,
I love you all so much ,
Keep me in the loop and I will keep you in the loop , Here are a few pictures from the birthday :) , Me and my beautiful cake that Merin made for me , Me and the group at Margerits and me playing my first game of pub darts after my 6th margerita you can imagine the shots I was making.
All the best
- Mike
Here we are another episode of Mike in Portland. In this exciting episode we review the past few weeks and everything that has gone on. THe highlights today come under the following headings ... My Birthday , Rugby in Portland, Ice Skating Debut, The Doug Emery Jazz Band, Full Monty Audition the NAPTAS and The POA hot off the press.
The peak has almost been met ... My birthday
If you don't know already I have reached the dizzy heights of a 29. One more year to add to my already wonderful life. My birthday was a fantastic day filled with excitement. Merin and I decided to celebrate my birthday on the 18th in the USA ( which is the 19th in New Zealand) so it still counts. It came in handy because my actual birthday was on the Monday here which meant Merin had to work and couldn't be with me. I was such a lucky boy Merin made a beautiful cake, she got me an Ipod and a electric shaver a fantastic present and took me out to dinner for a surprise type birthday with our friends at a local Mexican place called Margaritas, Hmmmm after 6 margaritas I was VERY happy and could not really play my first game of pub darts with much accuracy .A fantastic day altogether , Thank you so much Merin I love you.
As well as a wonderful day with Merin , I received so many wonderful Birthday wishes from you at home ! To all of you who sent me their love thank you so much it really made me feel closer to home and to your hearts.
Rugby in Portland
I went to the first training with the Portland Rugby Club. I was impressed with the organisation and determination the guys have to getting fit for the season. I myself was not accustomed to an hour long session after training for only forty minutes at a time in the gym. The session consisted of circuit training in the gym and part of it was hitting practice and driving. It was really fun ! The session was great and I was introduced to the guys by the captain.Now that I have finally recovered from last weeks session I am ready for tonight session.
Merin found a really cool website http://www.mediazone.com/channel/rugby/jsp/2006/index.jsp that has coverage of the Rugby World cup and Tri nations this year LIVE !!!!! you can pay $7:00 per game , so its really good. As well as getting the coverage you can plug in into your regular T.V so that you are watching it full size. Next thing is to find a av cable that 20 feet , Hey dad you got any in the blue room you could ship over ? ;).
Ice Skating Debut in the USA
My Ice Skating Debut was really great. Merin and I went down to the local city pond "Deering Oaks" and I tied up the skates. Merin was really great she helped me onto the ice and went through the basics. I bumbled around for a long time and then I finally got it. It was fantastic ! The only thing I would rather not have had was the aching Feet and chins that I experienced ! The best thing for me was that I didn't fall over until the very end when I was walking off the ice in front of a whole bunch of little kids , THAT was so funny. So now I know the basics I want to get out on the ice as much as I can.
The Doug Emery Jazz Band
This Saturday , The jazz band recorded our CD for the clubs. It was really cool. We set up in the drummers kitchen. The sound guy we were working with was working from a DAT deck " Old School " he called it. After about an hour of waiting for the Bassist and about 6 joints ( I was not participating ) we got started. The sound we were putting out was really good. I listened to the recording at the end and was quite impressed for a kitchen recording. So this week the sound guy will be putting it on CD and then we will be publishing it on the bands MYSPACE. So I will let you all know when that's going on to MYSPACE.Now that we have something to give to the club owners we hope to be gigging very soon.
FULL MONTY audition
I was recently inspired by my family members Colleen and Tracy Lee Tuki who both auditioned for their first stage show. Once hearing about them giving theater ago I was buzzing and looked for a show to audition for. I was lucky enough to find something I would have fun doing, yes taking my clothes off , THE FULL MONTY. So I went to the audition and had a lot of fun.Over the weekend 50 men auditioned for the 6 main roles The director enjoyed my singing and said that I have a real talent . I was fortunate to be offered a small part but Merin and I decided that for a small part all the time away from each other would not be worth it. So it was exciting and now I know that I have things to work on for my next audition :)
The NAPTAS Northern Area Performance Theater Awards
I have heard that the NAPTAS were a fantastic event this year and that two of my closest friends Mellisa Nordhaus and Jason Te Mete were awarded for their hard work and commitment over the season of RENT 2006. Jason thanks for mentioning me in your speech it means a lot to me.
Well done guys , I wish I was there to cheer you on :)
Pride Of Auckland Chorus
Last year I was involved in a fantastic group of male singers called the Pride of Auckland Chorus. When I was in the chorus I was fortunate enough to perform with them at various events the biggest being the New Zealand Nationals. We came a very controversial 3rd place but we had fun making the audience smile. I wanted to let you all see the talent of the chorus and if you are interested in joining in search for them on Google and go to practice ;) . So here we are on YOUTUBE click the link and go to watch and listen .
You Don't Know Me , Ballad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjNcqafqwHQ
Railroad , Up Beat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97C4hkyEcX0&mode=related&search=
So there you have it guys , The low down of MIKE IN PORTLAND :) ,
I love you all so much ,
Keep me in the loop and I will keep you in the loop , Here are a few pictures from the birthday :) , Me and my beautiful cake that Merin made for me , Me and the group at Margerits and me playing my first game of pub darts after my 6th margerita you can imagine the shots I was making.
All the best
- Mike
Email #5 18 Febuary 2007
Hello Campers ,
It has been a long time since you have heard from me. Have no fear this instalment should get you all up to date and back on track with what is happening in my luxurious life as a house boyfriend, Jazz singer, Swimming Tutor and Sportsman.
Under the table work
First of all I have been training very hard to secure and under the table employment While doing this I have found that getting consistent work under the table is slightly difficult or more to the point quite impossible.
Swimming Tutor
I have been successful in securing a Swimming pupil that I teach at the local pool 15 mins walk from our house . I advertised in a local website that I was available to teach swimming. I was very happy to get a pupil the day after I posted the ad. This has now been going for two lessons and the child is showing good improvement and of course I got some money for my efforts. I am hoping I will get some other clients through word of mouth.
I have a job waiting
After tutoring my swimming pupil. I was talking to the aquatics director at the pool and randomly asked him if they had any work at the pool. He was very happy I asked and went on to explain the different options I had. Basically I have a 40 hour management job waiting for me as soon as I get my Working Visa.So now I am waiting for the government to send me my visa , and as soon as I do I have a awesome job , working for the city with great benefits and a very nice pay packet. Yeee Haaa things are looking up
House Boy Friend
As the days have gone by as I wait for the Work Visa I have become and expert in the house boyfriend job description; doing the dishes , Making the bed, Doing the vacuuming, Putting out the rubbish, Cleaning the floors, Wiping down the window sills, making dinners, giving back rubs and shoveling the drive way. I am very happy with my new found skills and I think I might try to market myself as a house cleaner.
Jazz Band
Finally a day has been set for us to record our demo disk. February 24th we will be cutting our music for the club owners. I really hope we get some gigs soon , I really am getting very excited about singing in front of a live audience instead of practicing. We have also been accepted to play in a festival in June that will have up to 10,000 people ! So I really cant wait for that.If anyone is interested in a copy of our cd send me an email.
Sports
I have been training very hard in the gym over the past two months. My fitness has improved so much , Merin thought it would be a good idea to start to work on agility and running for the Rugby season, that right rugby season ! I am taking the plunge and learning how to play our national game in the U.S.A. It feels good to be running again and it gives me so much more confidence for the rugby season. Training starts on Tuesday and the first game will be on the 31st of March. Because of the Snow the game will be inside on turf. So its going to very fast paced. I have been working on interval running and now I have to work on my speed so I can at least keep up with the game and at the same time learn how to play ! and hopefully put in at least one good big hit for the team.
On valentines day I received my very first pair of Ice Hockey skates ! As soon as we can get them sharped Merin will be showing me the basics. And my goal is to skate daily on the local pond so that I can learn enough to play on the social pond hockey tournament that Merins friends play in. It sounds like a lot of good fun and laughs so I am really looking forward to getting out on the ice and practicing hard.
Well there you have it that's pretty much the up date, I have added some pictures of me and the snow that I shovelled off the drive way and me standing in the snow with shorts on , NOT recommended, my legs were cold for about 30 mins after that.
I love you all ,
Till next time
Mike
It has been a long time since you have heard from me. Have no fear this instalment should get you all up to date and back on track with what is happening in my luxurious life as a house boyfriend, Jazz singer, Swimming Tutor and Sportsman.
Under the table work
First of all I have been training very hard to secure and under the table employment While doing this I have found that getting consistent work under the table is slightly difficult or more to the point quite impossible.
Swimming Tutor
I have been successful in securing a Swimming pupil that I teach at the local pool 15 mins walk from our house . I advertised in a local website that I was available to teach swimming. I was very happy to get a pupil the day after I posted the ad. This has now been going for two lessons and the child is showing good improvement and of course I got some money for my efforts. I am hoping I will get some other clients through word of mouth.
I have a job waiting
After tutoring my swimming pupil. I was talking to the aquatics director at the pool and randomly asked him if they had any work at the pool. He was very happy I asked and went on to explain the different options I had. Basically I have a 40 hour management job waiting for me as soon as I get my Working Visa.So now I am waiting for the government to send me my visa , and as soon as I do I have a awesome job , working for the city with great benefits and a very nice pay packet. Yeee Haaa things are looking up
House Boy Friend
As the days have gone by as I wait for the Work Visa I have become and expert in the house boyfriend job description; doing the dishes , Making the bed, Doing the vacuuming, Putting out the rubbish, Cleaning the floors, Wiping down the window sills, making dinners, giving back rubs and shoveling the drive way. I am very happy with my new found skills and I think I might try to market myself as a house cleaner.
Jazz Band
Finally a day has been set for us to record our demo disk. February 24th we will be cutting our music for the club owners. I really hope we get some gigs soon , I really am getting very excited about singing in front of a live audience instead of practicing. We have also been accepted to play in a festival in June that will have up to 10,000 people ! So I really cant wait for that.If anyone is interested in a copy of our cd send me an email.
Sports
I have been training very hard in the gym over the past two months. My fitness has improved so much , Merin thought it would be a good idea to start to work on agility and running for the Rugby season, that right rugby season ! I am taking the plunge and learning how to play our national game in the U.S.A. It feels good to be running again and it gives me so much more confidence for the rugby season. Training starts on Tuesday and the first game will be on the 31st of March. Because of the Snow the game will be inside on turf. So its going to very fast paced. I have been working on interval running and now I have to work on my speed so I can at least keep up with the game and at the same time learn how to play ! and hopefully put in at least one good big hit for the team.
On valentines day I received my very first pair of Ice Hockey skates ! As soon as we can get them sharped Merin will be showing me the basics. And my goal is to skate daily on the local pond so that I can learn enough to play on the social pond hockey tournament that Merins friends play in. It sounds like a lot of good fun and laughs so I am really looking forward to getting out on the ice and practicing hard.
Well there you have it that's pretty much the up date, I have added some pictures of me and the snow that I shovelled off the drive way and me standing in the snow with shorts on , NOT recommended, my legs were cold for about 30 mins after that.
I love you all ,
Till next time
Mike
Monday, January 22, 2007
EMAIL #4 22 January 2007
Its a home alone day Merins at work and I am doing the house work lol , I have studied the human anatomy this morning and have had my lunch , a ham and cheese bagel with horse radish and Brussel sprouts and now I am about to start reading a "How to make LOTSA money" book.
Its been snowing all day today. I looked out the window today and saw three big black crows eating a squirrel that had died and had been covered by the snow. Watching them pecking at the little squirrel was quite disturbing so I stopped looking left them to their lunch and I continued to eat my own.
The cold Isn't that bad now even though its been in the low negative for the past week, This weekend Merin and I went out to Free Port ( a little town about 30 mins out of Portland and dedicated to outlet stores ) to get the essential Maine survival items. I drove on the highway for the very first time, I am slowly getting used to driving here and I am pulling out on to the left side of the road much less now. At Free Port I brought some really nice North Face Boots a woolly hat and some beautiful gloves now I am a true Mainer. Discount stores here are truly that, My boots were $250 regular price and we picked them up for only $49 ! , Ows that for a bargain mate lol .
We are sending in our final papers for my immigration this week and now the real wait begins, It could take up to 90 days for my work visa to be processed and yes that's correct it means it could be 90 days till I am legally allowed to work in the U.S.A. . On the positive side I have found a builder who is willing to give me "undercover work" sanding and painting general odd bods jobs. So its good I will get out more meet more people and in the end of those positive get a little bit of cash to play with.
Till Next Time
Mike
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Mikes Travel Email #1
Hidy-ho campers!
I arrived in New York battered and weathered. My bags were heavy and I was feeling the pinch. When I first picked up my bags I noticed that there were different people in New York. Scary people. There were 2 types of scary people... the first type was the gansta (black, tall, black leather jackets with furry hoods and gansta caps). A few of them were looking at me like I was their next meal. The next type was the military men. Four strong wearing full marine uniforms with AK-47 assault rifle. I don't know what scared me more, the AK-47 or the juvenile that was weilding it. He thought it was funny to make fun at the foreigners and laugh at them (the foreigners being ME). I thought I'd stand up and give him a slap, but when I stood up I rememberd he had a gun.
It was now time for me to find my way to the showers. After being told that I could go to the lounge for a shower I checked my bag for a total price of $32 American dollars (Which I thought was fantastic because I had a whole 7 hours to fill before my connecting flight to Boston). After trudging through the gangstas and the military men, I found myself in the Virgin lounge, where I asked, "G'day mate, do you guys have showers up in here?" To which the helpful attendent replied, "Sorry sir, there are no showers in this facility". I then asked, "Are there any showers in this entire airport?" Which she then replied, "Sorry sir, there are no showers in this facility". I walked out of that room with no shower, stinky underarms, and sweaty undies. I headed back to my 24-hour luggage holding area that had held my luggage for a total of 30min (so if you add it up, I basically paid $1 per minute that my luggage was there). Because I didn't want to pay another $3 for another luggage cart, I strapped my big booty bags onto my frail, tired, weathered body (70kgs in total) and I trapsed onward to the terminal line train. I waited for 7 hours total in the departure lounge for my connecting flight to Boston. At the end of this flight I was to finally see my Merin. While I was sitting there, a young gezer walked past me with a NZ t-shirt on. We struck up a conversation, and I found out that he was traveling to do some snowboarding. His name was Mike (coincidentaly) and we hit it off.
When I got off the plane, knowing that I was still smelly, my undies were still stinky, and that my girlfriend (whom I hadn't seen in 5 months) was about to hug me.... I ran to the toilet and freshened myself up a bit with the shower in the can :)
I walked around the corner and saw there were a few people waiting through double doors. I had no idea where to go, so I quickened my step to catch up with the guy Mike that I had been traveling with. All of a sudden I noticed my girlfriend Merin. She rushed up towards me and gave me the biggest hug. It was fantastic. I was home away from home. We finally got out of the airport and we got on the road. On went our favorite musical and we sang RENT all the way to our lovely home on Avalon Rd. My first impression of our street was scary. I thought it was a street from a horror movie (kind of like House 2), but when Merin finally stopped the car and we got out, it was a cute little house with greeting posters stuck to the outside from Merin's friends. When we opened the door the house was filled with balloons and welcome stickers. I was so happy.
The next day, we woke up after 4 hours of sleep (at 9am). Merin then took me on a tour of Portland. I felt buzzy the whole time. Everything I expected was NOT here. America is not a scary place - and Portland is so safe I'd let my kids go down to the park and play. When I finally saw our neighborhood in the daylight I was happy - it wasn't a scary street at all. It was lovely and safe.
We went to Target the first day - it's a big store that has everything. Kind of like the Warehouse, but A LOT better. I noticed some things in Target that you will never see in an Auckland store (see shovel photo). We also went to Burlington Coat Factory. OH MY GOD. This place has every high flying label you could think of at MAJOR discount prices. Hugo boss 320mls - $30! Deisel Jeans for $15! 90% all Ralph Lauren stock. UNBELIEVABLE. UNBELIEVABLE. UNBELIEVABLE. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
We then went to this very small mall (in Amerian standards) and it was amazing. It had every store, but even though the mall was fantastic the shoe stores still did not have my size. Shock horror. But, do admit it's the holiday season here and there were no shoes left. But it was dissapointing.
It snows here! It snows a lot here. It snows a hell of a lot here. And yes, you guessed it....it's cold. There was a major snow fall the 3rd day I was here. I noticed the snow falling - I didn't think it would look like that. It falls like rain but slowly. It's lovely, until it hits the ground and turns to sludge on the road. I have yet to make a snowman, but it is on the top my priority list, just behind getting a job.
We have squirrels in our lovely back yard and they are so cute! They come to my back door every day and they eat the pumpkin seeds I leave out at night for them. They love me now and i've started to call them Digger and Anikan.... just joking. They have rabies and i'm not allowed to touch them.
Papa John's Pizza. I ordered a pizza with Merin the other night and it was massive (AND I MEAN REALLY MASSIVE - like 3 times the size of our large pizzas...it was beautiful) kaaapaaaaaiiiiiikaaaaaaaaaaiiiii. I wanted to eat the whole thing, but Merin reminded me that we needed to eat lunch the next day too. All the food here is marvelous, unlike others have told me in the past. We went to an Italian food chain called Vinny T's. I ordered lasagna and it was HUGE... and need I say, BEAUTIFUL. The best thing about eating it was listening to Dean Martin in the background. Waitresses buzz me out. They acutally SERVE you! But the bad thing is that you have to pay for the service (20% of the meal price).
People also dress differently here. For example, women look good all the time. Even average women because they don't wear holy pants and diti t-shirts. They also wear lots of make up in the gym (which baffles me). Boys..... if you go to a gym in America, expect to see FIT women, not overweight women. People to come to the gym are actually fit and there to work out (not to muck around and socialize). I have been at the gym for 2 days now and Merin is kicking my ass into shape. Here's the kicker. There is no excuse in America to be overweight (which shocks me really - considering they're the heaviest country in the world) because gym memberships are only $10/month. Now you do the math.
It is now New Year's eve (which you've all already had - and you're probably nursing a MASSIVE hangover), so I will now sign off e-mail #1 and e-mail #2 will follow shortly. Or longly. All the best. Over and out. Enjoy the photos I've attached.
Your Son, Brother, Cousin, Nephew
I arrived in New York battered and weathered. My bags were heavy and I was feeling the pinch. When I first picked up my bags I noticed that there were different people in New York. Scary people. There were 2 types of scary people... the first type was the gansta (black, tall, black leather jackets with furry hoods and gansta caps). A few of them were looking at me like I was their next meal. The next type was the military men. Four strong wearing full marine uniforms with AK-47 assault rifle. I don't know what scared me more, the AK-47 or the juvenile that was weilding it. He thought it was funny to make fun at the foreigners and laugh at them (the foreigners being ME). I thought I'd stand up and give him a slap, but when I stood up I rememberd he had a gun.
It was now time for me to find my way to the showers. After being told that I could go to the lounge for a shower I checked my bag for a total price of $32 American dollars (Which I thought was fantastic because I had a whole 7 hours to fill before my connecting flight to Boston). After trudging through the gangstas and the military men, I found myself in the Virgin lounge, where I asked, "G'day mate, do you guys have showers up in here?" To which the helpful attendent replied, "Sorry sir, there are no showers in this facility". I then asked, "Are there any showers in this entire airport?" Which she then replied, "Sorry sir, there are no showers in this facility". I walked out of that room with no shower, stinky underarms, and sweaty undies. I headed back to my 24-hour luggage holding area that had held my luggage for a total of 30min (so if you add it up, I basically paid $1 per minute that my luggage was there). Because I didn't want to pay another $3 for another luggage cart, I strapped my big booty bags onto my frail, tired, weathered body (70kgs in total) and I trapsed onward to the terminal line train. I waited for 7 hours total in the departure lounge for my connecting flight to Boston. At the end of this flight I was to finally see my Merin. While I was sitting there, a young gezer walked past me with a NZ t-shirt on. We struck up a conversation, and I found out that he was traveling to do some snowboarding. His name was Mike (coincidentaly) and we hit it off.
When I got off the plane, knowing that I was still smelly, my undies were still stinky, and that my girlfriend (whom I hadn't seen in 5 months) was about to hug me.... I ran to the toilet and freshened myself up a bit with the shower in the can :)
I walked around the corner and saw there were a few people waiting through double doors. I had no idea where to go, so I quickened my step to catch up with the guy Mike that I had been traveling with. All of a sudden I noticed my girlfriend Merin. She rushed up towards me and gave me the biggest hug. It was fantastic. I was home away from home. We finally got out of the airport and we got on the road. On went our favorite musical and we sang RENT all the way to our lovely home on Avalon Rd. My first impression of our street was scary. I thought it was a street from a horror movie (kind of like House 2), but when Merin finally stopped the car and we got out, it was a cute little house with greeting posters stuck to the outside from Merin's friends. When we opened the door the house was filled with balloons and welcome stickers. I was so happy.
The next day, we woke up after 4 hours of sleep (at 9am). Merin then took me on a tour of Portland. I felt buzzy the whole time. Everything I expected was NOT here. America is not a scary place - and Portland is so safe I'd let my kids go down to the park and play. When I finally saw our neighborhood in the daylight I was happy - it wasn't a scary street at all. It was lovely and safe.
We went to Target the first day - it's a big store that has everything. Kind of like the Warehouse, but A LOT better. I noticed some things in Target that you will never see in an Auckland store (see shovel photo). We also went to Burlington Coat Factory. OH MY GOD. This place has every high flying label you could think of at MAJOR discount prices. Hugo boss 320mls - $30! Deisel Jeans for $15! 90% all Ralph Lauren stock. UNBELIEVABLE. UNBELIEVABLE. UNBELIEVABLE. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
We then went to this very small mall (in Amerian standards) and it was amazing. It had every store, but even though the mall was fantastic the shoe stores still did not have my size. Shock horror. But, do admit it's the holiday season here and there were no shoes left. But it was dissapointing.
It snows here! It snows a lot here. It snows a hell of a lot here. And yes, you guessed it....it's cold. There was a major snow fall the 3rd day I was here. I noticed the snow falling - I didn't think it would look like that. It falls like rain but slowly. It's lovely, until it hits the ground and turns to sludge on the road. I have yet to make a snowman, but it is on the top my priority list, just behind getting a job.
We have squirrels in our lovely back yard and they are so cute! They come to my back door every day and they eat the pumpkin seeds I leave out at night for them. They love me now and i've started to call them Digger and Anikan.... just joking. They have rabies and i'm not allowed to touch them.
Papa John's Pizza. I ordered a pizza with Merin the other night and it was massive (AND I MEAN REALLY MASSIVE - like 3 times the size of our large pizzas...it was beautiful) kaaapaaaaaiiiiiikaaaaaaaaaaiiiii. I wanted to eat the whole thing, but Merin reminded me that we needed to eat lunch the next day too. All the food here is marvelous, unlike others have told me in the past. We went to an Italian food chain called Vinny T's. I ordered lasagna and it was HUGE... and need I say, BEAUTIFUL. The best thing about eating it was listening to Dean Martin in the background. Waitresses buzz me out. They acutally SERVE you! But the bad thing is that you have to pay for the service (20% of the meal price).
People also dress differently here. For example, women look good all the time. Even average women because they don't wear holy pants and diti t-shirts. They also wear lots of make up in the gym (which baffles me). Boys..... if you go to a gym in America, expect to see FIT women, not overweight women. People to come to the gym are actually fit and there to work out (not to muck around and socialize). I have been at the gym for 2 days now and Merin is kicking my ass into shape. Here's the kicker. There is no excuse in America to be overweight (which shocks me really - considering they're the heaviest country in the world) because gym memberships are only $10/month. Now you do the math.
It is now New Year's eve (which you've all already had - and you're probably nursing a MASSIVE hangover), so I will now sign off e-mail #1 and e-mail #2 will follow shortly. Or longly. All the best. Over and out. Enjoy the photos I've attached.
Your Son, Brother, Cousin, Nephew
Mikes Travel Email #3
Hello guys ,
Ok I thought I had been experiencing cold weather up till this week. It has dropped to 11 degrees Fahrenheit. Which is -11 DEGREES CELSIUS!. I was out and about in Portland today and my ears felt like they were about to fall off. So I went into a shop to buy a hat and the sales guy told me they were having a 40% off sale on Friday so I decided to hack the cold until then.
It really is a beautiful sight here when it snows. The houses and streets are covered in a white blanket of snow and it all looks so pictures. Something I have learned is even though its snowing it doesn't actually have to be cold at ground level . When I first got here and it snowed the temperature outside was very mild and the snow just melted away. Now that its colder the snow stays on the ground and forms an icy covering so when you walk on it, it crunches under foot and of course it stays on the ground because of the cooler temperatures. The way they make sure it is still safe to drive is first they plow away the snow and then drop a mix of salt and sand so that the salt picks up the moisture and drays out the roads. Once the the road has been ploughed and salted and it stops snowing you would not have even known that the snow fell on the road its so clear.
So enough about the weather. This Monday I met with the entire Jazz band for our first full rehearsal. It sounded so unbelievably good. The Upright bass ( Double Bass ) player was learning the songs by sight as we played he had never even heard any of the songs before. Watching these guys playing really is a treat, I will get some of the rehearsals on tape one day and try to get them up on You Tube. I started off a little edgy but then got into it once I had warmed into it a little more.So the band is sounding fantastic and I am so happy to be involved. This week I will be writing some lyrics and then I will be getting together with Doug to put some music to them THIS IS SO FUN.
As well as meeting with the Jazz band I have started to study for my Personal Training Certificate. The study is difficult but rewarding at the same time. I am working through all of the different body parts and bones at the moment. The Certificate is NASM and is one of the top two PT Certs you can have in the U.S.A.Its keeping my brain working while I am waiting for my work permit to process.
Today I went for my first swim in the U.S.A. About a week ago I went for a interview with the aquatics manager of the YMCA Terry. She was very happy with our interview and gave me a tour of the complex. At the end of the interview she let me know that as soon as my work permit was processed to come back to see her about working possibly with adult learn to swim , life guarding or an assistant coaching role if one becomes available. There is also a very good chance that I might be able to start a Masters training squad but that is in the future. I was pleased to learn that the YMCA would pay for the certification I would need to work with them , Red cross ( First Aide ) and the YMCA learn to swim program. If it all works out and I am employed by the YMCA it means I could work there part time and work another job to make up the hours and gig with the band in the evenings. The way I see it is I am learning and it can lead to future coaching jobs so its a massive positive at this time.So when I left the interview I asked if I could come in for a swim and Terry told me to email her and she would give me a pass when I wanted to come in.My first swim in the U.S.A, its a very nice pool , small but very nice the water temp is perfect for training. It being 25 yards it was messing up my turns, I worked it out because 25 yards is only 23.8 meters so I was expecting to swim for another two meters in my mind so I had to really watch the wall every time. I swum for 2000 yards then did 500 yards kick. It was a really good work out , as I'm writing this I'm totally drained.I guess that's what you get for not swimming for 4 weeks lol.
The temperature is dropping and I am so fortunate that I am not a homeless person here. The homeless people here are just hacking it out in the cold. Most of them just stand on the street corner or at intersections holding a sign. I don't know how they can do it I was out for about 15 minutes in the cold today and I was headache and tired. Oh well I guess they are hard men.
Merin has been wonderful through all of this. Shes working hard and showing me around the place. Helping me with things I am such a lucky guy. I think shes my angel ; )
Oh before I sign off , Ok so I have just finished my swim I walked up to the starbucks to warm up a little before catching the bus. I am sitting down and on comes Katchafire "Gotta get away" It was so refreshing , Here I am in Portland Maine and Katchafire is playing at the city starbucks , Bloody Beautiful ;)
So there you have it a little bit of news from the North , I really am up north , just a little further than Doubtless bay.
Here are my contact details if you need to reach me :
Mike Babich
89 Avalon Rd
Portland, ME
04103
U.S.A
Cell : 001 207 408 460
I love you all so much ,
-Mike
Ok I thought I had been experiencing cold weather up till this week. It has dropped to 11 degrees Fahrenheit. Which is -11 DEGREES CELSIUS!. I was out and about in Portland today and my ears felt like they were about to fall off. So I went into a shop to buy a hat and the sales guy told me they were having a 40% off sale on Friday so I decided to hack the cold until then.
It really is a beautiful sight here when it snows. The houses and streets are covered in a white blanket of snow and it all looks so pictures. Something I have learned is even though its snowing it doesn't actually have to be cold at ground level . When I first got here and it snowed the temperature outside was very mild and the snow just melted away. Now that its colder the snow stays on the ground and forms an icy covering so when you walk on it, it crunches under foot and of course it stays on the ground because of the cooler temperatures. The way they make sure it is still safe to drive is first they plow away the snow and then drop a mix of salt and sand so that the salt picks up the moisture and drays out the roads. Once the the road has been ploughed and salted and it stops snowing you would not have even known that the snow fell on the road its so clear.
So enough about the weather. This Monday I met with the entire Jazz band for our first full rehearsal. It sounded so unbelievably good. The Upright bass ( Double Bass ) player was learning the songs by sight as we played he had never even heard any of the songs before. Watching these guys playing really is a treat, I will get some of the rehearsals on tape one day and try to get them up on You Tube. I started off a little edgy but then got into it once I had warmed into it a little more.So the band is sounding fantastic and I am so happy to be involved. This week I will be writing some lyrics and then I will be getting together with Doug to put some music to them THIS IS SO FUN.
As well as meeting with the Jazz band I have started to study for my Personal Training Certificate. The study is difficult but rewarding at the same time. I am working through all of the different body parts and bones at the moment. The Certificate is NASM and is one of the top two PT Certs you can have in the U.S.A.Its keeping my brain working while I am waiting for my work permit to process.
Today I went for my first swim in the U.S.A. About a week ago I went for a interview with the aquatics manager of the YMCA Terry. She was very happy with our interview and gave me a tour of the complex. At the end of the interview she let me know that as soon as my work permit was processed to come back to see her about working possibly with adult learn to swim , life guarding or an assistant coaching role if one becomes available. There is also a very good chance that I might be able to start a Masters training squad but that is in the future. I was pleased to learn that the YMCA would pay for the certification I would need to work with them , Red cross ( First Aide ) and the YMCA learn to swim program. If it all works out and I am employed by the YMCA it means I could work there part time and work another job to make up the hours and gig with the band in the evenings. The way I see it is I am learning and it can lead to future coaching jobs so its a massive positive at this time.So when I left the interview I asked if I could come in for a swim and Terry told me to email her and she would give me a pass when I wanted to come in.My first swim in the U.S.A, its a very nice pool , small but very nice the water temp is perfect for training. It being 25 yards it was messing up my turns, I worked it out because 25 yards is only 23.8 meters so I was expecting to swim for another two meters in my mind so I had to really watch the wall every time. I swum for 2000 yards then did 500 yards kick. It was a really good work out , as I'm writing this I'm totally drained.I guess that's what you get for not swimming for 4 weeks lol.
The temperature is dropping and I am so fortunate that I am not a homeless person here. The homeless people here are just hacking it out in the cold. Most of them just stand on the street corner or at intersections holding a sign. I don't know how they can do it I was out for about 15 minutes in the cold today and I was headache and tired. Oh well I guess they are hard men.
Merin has been wonderful through all of this. Shes working hard and showing me around the place. Helping me with things I am such a lucky guy. I think shes my angel ; )
Oh before I sign off , Ok so I have just finished my swim I walked up to the starbucks to warm up a little before catching the bus. I am sitting down and on comes Katchafire "Gotta get away" It was so refreshing , Here I am in Portland Maine and Katchafire is playing at the city starbucks , Bloody Beautiful ;)
So there you have it a little bit of news from the North , I really am up north , just a little further than Doubtless bay.
Here are my contact details if you need to reach me :
Mike Babich
89 Avalon Rd
Portland, ME
04103
U.S.A
Cell : 001 207 408 460
I love you all so much ,
-Mike
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