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Street Racing in Downtown Calgary
I was a very aggressive driver. My Dad taught me how to drive defensively, and I taught myself how to drive aggressively. I have a healthy respect on the road, but I am never afraid behind the wheel.
Held At Gunpoint for a Fake Stolen Car
We were trapped. Freaking out, and yelling at my friend to turn the torch off, I then noticed that the cops all had their guns drawn. They were yelling at us to put our hands on the dash, and I began to panic.
An Engine Rebuild and a Modelling Career
As soon as I knew I could replace the engine easily, this truck became mine. I didn’t even care how much it cost, it was beautiful, and I wanted it. And then came time to change the engine.
Keeping It Over 3000 RPM At All Times
My very first car was a 1986 Mercury Topaz, with a manual transmission. The moment I got behind the wheel, I made a decision that I would play a game with it, in that I would keep it above 3000 RPM at all times.
Jumping a D8 Cat
After Dad died, I fell in with the wrong crowd and started dating a much older boy who smoked a lot of weed and was nothing but trouble. At this point, I had made a decision that I wasn’t responsible for my life, and so this seemed like a great way to prove that.
Straight A's To Barely Scraping By
I had my favorite teachers, of course, but I thrived in every class and every subject. I was an avid student, and was set up to graduate with honors and receive scholarships… until Dad died.
Bar Fight At The Watervalley Saloon
As I walked past the pool tables, she jumped me, and grabbed me by the throat. On the way down, all I could think of was saving all the coins in my hand because I was going to need a drink after this!
Maui
My brother and I rented a motorcycle to tour around with. He is five years older than me, and we have never really been that close. This motorcycle rental was a big deal, because it allowed us to escape the adults, and get a little closer in our relationship.
A Poem From The Other Side
Being a Pisces, I was always a little dreamy and spent a lot of time in my imagination. The writing felt like an extension of that, and a way to move out into the world that which made no sense in my mind and heart. It helped it all make sense.
The Darkest Night
The view from that window was not one that I was prepared to see that night, as all I could see were the flashing lights of an ambulance. Panic set in, and I yelled to Mom that we had to go find out what was going on.
Innocence Lost in a Horse Trailer
The Dogpound Rodeo was the highlight of the summer where I grew up. It was what every teenager in Cremona wanted to attend, and I was not excluded from this desire. But, my Dad didn’t want me to go.
Alcohol Poisoning and Lies
I snuck into my parent's liquor cabinet and stole a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey. Getting into my parent's liquor cabinet was no big deal. In fact, as a small baby, my Dad had put a splash of whiskey in my milk bottle to get me to go to sleep and calm down.
Pulled Over By The Cops on My Horse
You would think that growing up on a farm surrounded by proper work ethic and responsibility, I would have been more well-behaved. Nothing quite blows that out of the water than the time that I got pulled over by the cops while riding my horse.
Shenanigans With My Cousin
You never know what kind of trouble one can get into on a farm when you’re a kid — especially when you have a horse and miles of farmland to explore, and a cousin who is willing to get into mischief with you.
Dad, The Cheerleader
I grew up in rural Alberta, where the winters were like death and the summers were full of mosquitoes that can carry you away. It was a happy childhood; I was the typical 80s child who drank out of the garden hose and wore no bike helmet.
The Fastest Egg Picker in The West
When I was about 10 years old, I started working on the farm, collecting eggs to be delivered to grocery stores. Some call this child labor. I call it learning work ethic, and being a farmer. It was rare that a kid on the farm wasn’t working for pay in those times; in fact, some families in the area had large families as they were literally creating workers for their farms.
Climbing The Mountain
Climbing this mountain at the age of five instilled in me a sense of pride and accomplishment. While climbing, I felt the need to push harder, try harder, and work harder. I wasn’t willing to give up, and through sheer willpower alone, I got myself to the summit of that mountain.
Built From Scratch
It was my mom’s dream to live in a log house, and my dad decided to make that dream come true. He began with a practice house; it was tiny and ended up being our shelter while waiting for the school bus at the end of the driveway.
A Bond That Will Never Break
Due to the issues with her labor, my mom and I were kept in the hospital together for three days. Those three days were to set her and I up with a powerful relationship that would stand the test of time—no matter how obnoxious I could be.