Series of Unfortunate Events: Whistlin’ to a Concussion

Welcome to the Series of Unfortunate Events: Episode 1.

I don’t know what it is but for the past … two and a half months, I’ve come across some pretty funny and unfortunate events. Funny because things keep happening one after another; unfortunate because I’ve had to endure pain, many hours of missed work and not being 100%.

I’m going to bring us back to December. I can’t remember the date but it all began with the weekend it was Kitti’s birthday. She was celebrating up in Whistler and both Michelle and I were hesitant to take our cars because we were experiencing some weird sounds with the brake. Since mine was the better one off, we decided to take my car. So three of us trekked our way up the Sea to Sky Highway at 10pm at night. PS, what an incredibly smooth ride. I can’t wait to ride the bike up on a clear, sunny day.

Now let’s fast forward to going home.

It’s Sunday and I had just dropped Michelle off at home. My car sounds like every animal in the world dying at the same time any time I braked. I wanted to leave my car and run away. On the way home, I ask my dad if I can take his work truck because I really badly wanted to make it to my last soccer game before the winter break. I trade cars, drop Steph at home and make it to my game before half time.

Do you know what time it is? Time to get your truck clock fixed, pops.

Now we’re at the last few minutes of the game and my team is down without a single goal. Next thing you know, my right forward is on a breakaway and she is flanked by two defensemen (women?). I come barreling down center lane and she taps it over to me. As the keeper comes towards me, I try to bring the ball around her and take a shot. A few feet away, she saves it by kicking it … right into my face.

All I remember is hitting the ground, looking up to see what happens next and watching the ball trickle past the goal line. I roll onto my back and with straight arms, point straight up into the sky. I get up and run back to the middle and ask, “Who scored that?” (I wasn’t sure if my teammate had tapped it in)

“Um … You did. By the way, your mouth is bleeding.”

The second she said that, I staggered to the side, was extremely dizzy, and all of a sudden, this sudden surge of pain hit my mouth and jaw and I couldn’t stand up straight. I subbed out and sat down while my teammates told me I may have a concussion. Meh. So the game ends and I hop back into my dad’s truck and on the way home, I suddenly feel extremely nauseous. I know that’s a sign of a concussion. I decide to be responsible about it and drove myself to the ER. Mind you, this entire time my phone is dead. I just got the iPhone and had not gotten used to the short-lived battery life. I couldn’t tell anyone what was going on.

I get to the VGH, park the truck and check in with the Triage nurse. From the time I had from the waiting room to my X-rays–which was no longer than 10 minutes–I was able to quickly charge my phone and text my family and closest friends. In the end, turns out I had a mild concussion and slightly dislocated jaw. Whatever, at least I went out in style! How many people can say they scored with their mouth … ? Okay, maybe a lot. But this is different.

On the stretcher, waiting to go in for X-rays.

More battle wounds on the take-down.

You wanna know what the crazy part of all of this was? No, not the crazy time we had in Whistler. Not the ghetto truck. Not the concussion or dislocated jaw. Not the goal off the mouth. The craziest part of all this was that somehow, somewhy, but it turns out Michelle and I had the exact same car problem — our routers were on the brink of destruction and we had to change our brake pads. WEIRD. I mean, what are the chances of that happening to us at the exact same time? Anyway.

Which leads to today.

Since this incident, I’ve gotten extremely sick where I got fevers, chills, body aches, everything congested, headaches, etc, I got into a snowboarding accident that left me with five stitches in my right shin and a nasty abrasion in my left, I got a goose egg bump on my forehead from walking into a shelf and now I’m able to write this post because I couldn’t go into work today due to some kind of allergic reaction/infection that has me looking like Jay-Z with swollen lips.

Exhale.

I’ll get into the snowboarding incident soon, it’s a good one with lots of awesome pictures. All I gotta say is be thankful for what we take advantage of everyday — a healthy body. I can’t wait to be 100% so I can tear shit up again. Wait for it.

Take care!

Dating Auction Veteran

Why wouldn’t you want to feel hella awkward by putting yourself out there for a chance for people to buy you and take you out on a pseudo-blind date where you have no idea what could happen where it has the possibility of going terribly right or terribly wrong?

Exhale.

I don’t know why I agree to do it, but tonight’s dating auction will be my third. Who do I think I am? “Yo. Buy me.”

I can’t remember what year it was when I did my first dating auction at SFU for CAC but that was an experience I’ll never forget. The thing is, they get each auctionee to perform some kind of skill or something to show. I don’t know why, and it makes no sense now, but I sang Irreplaceable by Beyonce. This song is not really Valentine’s day material and the fact that I’m not a singer makes it even more awkward. But, lo and behold, somebody bid on me for $300! The date itself was even more awkward but that’s a whole different story.

Click on this link of an interview I did with the Peak (SFU Student Newspaper) about the CAC Dating Auctions: http://www.the-peak.ca/tag/vol-128-issue-7/page/2/

Yes. The second time I did it was the following year. They told me that the charity was for the Canucks Kids and come on, am I really going to say no? So there I was, in a Canucks jersey and a guitar. I started off with Smelly Cat by Phoebe Bouffet as a joke. Apparently the crowd thought it was hilarious. I didn’t beat my record for this time, I was bid on for $240. This date was a little better because he was actually a cool guy and we had a lot of things to talk about. We’re actually still friends to this day, although I haven’t heard from him in a while!

This year my friends asked me to be a part of their fundraiser because they’re partaking in the Ride to Conquer Cancer and they’re putting on a dating auction in efforts to raise money for their team.

Click on the flyer to go to the event page and find out more details. It’s happening TONIGHT and it would be amazing if you could make my life easier and not have me awkwardly stand there while I look helpless and beg with my eyes for people to buy me. With the entrance ticket, you get a free drink and we can hang out! Hosted by yours truly and the beautiful DJ Flipout, also one of the auctionees with music by the equally beautiful DJ Yurie, also another auctionee! The dates are preset with dinner and a great activity. Some dates might have you flying in the air in a helicopter or experience the ultimate Canucks date with the ultimate Canucks fan (that would be me).

So please for the love of God, date us for a good cause and we’ll try our best not to make things awkward. We are nice people, we won’t bite! See you tonight!!!

F*ck that noise

Day and day again, we come across things in our lives that have the power of bringing us down, whether it is emotionally, mentally, or physically. Someone might have wronged you, you might face an unforeseen obstacle or you might succumb to negative feelings. It happens and it is life. If you let every ill event take you over, you will be miserable and you’ll begin to believe that it is you against the world. You wanna know why your world sucks? The truth is that it’s your fault.

Harsh right? Well, somebody has to be.

Has anyone ever told you straight up to your face that you gotta quit whining and complaining about the petty bullshit that you think is making your life awful? Well, maybe in nicer words but the message still holds.

“People who truly care about you will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. We’re not trying to get in your good books, we’re trying to help you write a better story.”

Back when I was in high school, I let people get the worst of me. I was young and naive and being liked and popular was important. I could never have admitted it then but I’m older (and I hope wiser) now and I can finally see how ridiculous that attidude was. I went through some really dark days in my younger years when I let the judgement of others define who I was. I began to believe them, that I was never good enough. That I was a nobody. Well, look at me now. You know why I’m not a nobody now? This has nothing to do with popularity or fame, it has to do with how I see and feel about myself. I’m no longer a nobody because to me, I’m not just anybody.

I have gone through my own personal tribulations in the recent years, from car accidents that have put me out of use for months to emotional tear and wear from relationships. I take each and every negative experience and flip it, and try to make the best of it. Although I’m still suffering from my car accident injuries, I can appreciate more how fragile life can be and how it can be taken away in seconds. From my failed relationships, I can learn from them and take what is important and move forward.

I don’t believe that life is just existence, the state of being. I believe that life is about growing each and every day and to stand still is a waste of time that you will never get back. Believe me when I say that life is too precious. Yes, you hear things like this over and over again but if you think about it, the reason why they’re so “cliche” is because they hold truth. If these words had no meaning, nobody would say them. I’m sick, my tailbone is messed up, I’ve got five stitches in my right shin and a nasty abrasion on my left. This could be a lot worse. I can walk. I can speak. I can hear, feel, taste. I have no right to complain and if you are able of these things as well, then we’re all good.

There has been some drama that I’ve seen arise within the last couple of months. Some things that cannot be explained nor comprehended and others that just make me feel sad. Sad because it is completely unnecessary. If people could prioritize what is truly important in their lives, there would be no need for heavy hearts or angry tears. In a few years, will any of this matter? If the world ended tomorrow, would it be the last thing on your mind? I ask you one thing and one thing only: F*ck that noise. If people are trying to bring you down, don’t entertain their fantasies by succumbing to their petty ways. If bringing misfortune to others is a big deal to them, why are you even letting these types of people anywhere near your life? F*ck that noise. Surround yourself with positivity, with support and love. The best thing in life is good company, friends and family that make it so obvious what is important. Don’t stoop down to any level beneath you. If you let it happen, that’s on you and from there on, you have nobody to blame but yourself. Always be the bigger person, take the higher route. After all is said and done, keep your eyes forward and don’t look back.

I am happy. Despite certain things that could easily have created a negative impact in my life, I am extremely happy. I am creating my own fortune by getting it done myself.

“If you’re looking for a helping hand, there’s one right at the end of your arm. – Adam Christing via @JutingTsang (@iheartquotes)“

So once again, f*ck that noise. And don’t worry, be happy.

Peace and love to you all.