An Ode to Ikea

IKEA is a place to cherish. For whats not to love?- Neat furniture, children occupying ball-pits, neat scandinavian vocabulary, and a bigger double-bunk-bed selection than any kid could dream of. But perhaps the most enticing factor of this superstore is its menu. where else can you walk in slap down a $5, order 4 hotdogs, 1 soda, 1 soft serve ice cream and a bag of Swedish candies for you and your friends. Get some change back too boot. That's why we have proposed IKEAfoods ® to be located in and around every University and college in the province. Pending trademark, corporate and legal concerns.

At least for now mention our names or blog address and redeem free refills on any-size beverage at the Burlington store location.

(not valid with the already free offer of refillable drinks at all IKEA store)

Fun Run.

Jamie here. Just so ya know, in a foot-race between Josh Willms and myself, we both think we would win. Obviously we can only think of one possible resolve.

we are going to have to race. ...as fast as we can.

This all started tonight on this fine thursday, walking down the pier. Wilms ran fast, I thought that I could run faster, so I said "Wilm, I can run faster". Now, If this was just some measly, insignificant difference of opinions, it could have been settled right there on the spot. however, for a victor to be named without proper footwear available, and insufficient prep time or race materials, yadda yadda yadda... the race is set for one week from today. Thursday the 30th of June. mark that day down, history will be made. and luckily for you if you care (or at least use our blog to soothe your boredom bored) This event will be fully covered on this here blog. I have signed the agreement making it even so if I lose.

With the location TBD, this event will include timed scores. A cap gun start. a finish line ribbon. pre-race bets. photo finish. loser buys beer. and a whole lotta foot in the mouth for one of us. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

To Each His Own.

In response to jer's eScoot post to which you may note I was visibly not a part of, I have a brief story I would like to share.

A few days ago I was driving out to Niagara On The Lake to hang with the boys until I was forced to wait at the canal bridge. In no particular rush, I wasn't too inconvenienced. But my attention was drawn behind me to a ROARING noise that made me question otherwise. My astute knowledge for Motorcycles indicated to me that this boisterous roaring noise was coming from none other than an 1800cc CVO softtail Harley Davidson. Seated in direct view of my left side review, I had full view of the culprit. Imagine now the most classic biker you can picture. Old tough guy, long hair, handlebar moustache and so much leather you feel bad for cows. Just as I was observing this rather macho specimen, my attention was diverted when around the corner zipped two men (if you can call them that) sitting very poshly, knees together on their very own bright blue scooters. Tooting their horns as they puttered past us, almost tangibly my gaze was pulled back to my side mirror as I witnessed our friend on the hog shutter the most disapproving and insulted expression. as the bridge came down, i'm just glad the two scooter dudes didn't try and give our friend the biker wave, for I fear that could have gotten ugly.

PS. I am not criticizing electric scooters out of jealously, nor do I think they are lame, I just think this event was funny and the timing perfect. Heck, these scooters are pretty dang awesome. So are old men who ride Harley's. After all, to each his own.

Electric Scooters: A friendlier way to travel.

The other weekend was, well, to put it literally: beautiful. I have a neighbour who recently started a business in Old Town Niagara on the Lake renting and selling E-bikes. As a business student I wanted to see what this new venture was all about so Willms, Adam and I went and rented some. Well let me tell you, this electric scooter things is a great time. Wanna hit up some bike paths? Sure! How about rip down the road? Why not! Wanna race? Bring it on baby. These bad boys have some pretty good pick up and max out at a whopping 43 km/h. How awesome is that? I cannot describe the freedom experienced while cruising on one of these, dreads blowing in the wind, spirit free. Also, everyone in Old Town seemed to be jealous of us, pointing, smiling and laughing along with us. Here are a few pics.So if you are looking for something nice to do on a Sunday afternoon with your girlfriend or with your best mates, give eSkoot a call. We highly recommend it. Look how cool.

Chapel Time.

We mentioned way back in December when we visited The Ol Stomping Grounds of our plans to re-visit Eden and run some presentations about life after High School. Today was that day. Jer and I were in bright and early to present in the morning Chapel about our individual adventures over the past few years. We talked a lot about what God has done through our experiences, and what He means today in our lives. We told stories and lessons we've learned based around pictures from different worldwide destinations, we'll include those pictures now and if you care to, ask us about any of them- We are always more than happy to share.

Our presentation followed the common theme: "From Eden to _____" because we felt it portrayed our similar starting position to the hundred of kids sitting in the seats in front of us. After all, our whole goal was to inspire and encourage similar experiences for those who were listening.

From Eden To New Orleans (staring years ago)

From Eden To Isreal

From Eden To Egypt

From Eden To Australia

From Eden to Africa

From Eden To Laurier (Our house next year)

From Eden To Bolivia

From Eden To the Open Road (future plans)

Meet The Boys Part 3/5: Jeremy Enns

Business Juniors.

I have this friend who has this saying. His name was Vidar Gunderson and he is from Norway. During the time we lived in Australia, we became pretty good friends and he would always preface things he said to me with his one favourite phrase. He would say:

"Hey, From Business man, to Business Junior, Listen to what i say... and then he would say what ever it was he was going to say. It might have been about football or money... Thing is, despite his pretty good english- his thick Norwegian accent made whatever he was going to say pretty funny, despite how smart it actually was.

I loved this saying. It reminds me of good times. And today, I had the perfect opportunity to use it.

Just about an hour ago, I was walking home from work, talking on the phone with Willms, when I see down a side street off Lakeshore, to my delight 3 young boys hosting a lemonade sale. I of course took the little detour to assess their operation. I must say i was quite impressed. They were offering: popcorn bags: 50¢, Freezees: $1, and of course Lemonade 50¢.

I walked over anticipating I would be able to give them a few tricks of the trade from my days years ago as a Roadside Refreshment Associate. Remarkably, they needed no mentoring whatsoever. Their operation seemed to be running at maximum efficiency and I must say i was very impressed. I poured out around 6 dollars in change from my shifts tips, so I could purchase one freezee.. plus tip. One thing I do remember from my lemonade stand days is... I made more money from tips than I actually did sales (lemonade sales in kind of a niche market kept afloat by generosity).

As I spilled the coins on the table, and told them they could keep it all, despite only being my pocket change less than 6$- the one kid said "WOW, thanks mister!" as the other kid counted it aloud ...twice.

it was an awesome purchase. A freezee never tasted better, and I was revelling in the good old days where my brother and i actually used to use orange pilons to block our road and cause cars to detour slowly past our stand at the end of the driveway. (great for business- terrible for neighbours and car accidents)

But today the customer service was impeccable. They served me a freezee with a napkin and cut it for me with scissors. Their advertising was well done with handmade signs all along the street, and they had already even incorporate my favourite trick, the bundle sell where they offered lemonade, popcorn and a freezee for $1.50 at a discount of $0.50.

They had covered every area I thought I might help them with. (despite the construction cone trick, which i thought i would keep to myself). Also I noticed hockey sticks, a net and skateboard strewn in the driveway and I realized that they have solved the one problem that I had always struggled with... bordem. They realized that at any given time only one of them had to wait at the booth while the other two played, until someone came along to which they would drop what they were doing and all run over. Genius.

I thought about asking to take a picture of them for the purposes of this blog, but I had chatted with the boys long enough and I could see the mom unmistakably watching through the window. I obviously meant no harm and was totally supportive, but thanks to Dateline, she was getting suspicious.

So i decided to walk away but before i did I told them some wise words. From business man- to business Juniors; Have fun with the lemonade sale. BUT remember don't eat all your merchandise. I could see they had gotten into the popcorn and freezes, which was also mike and my biggest problem.

Meet The Boys Part 2/5: James Grantis

Birth Name: James Anthony Grantis

Credentials: Honours BBA, Wilfrid Laurier; Sandwich Maker Extraordinaire

Bio: If you’ve been following this blog frequently or know me rather well- much of the information that I am about to disclose will likely come as little surprise to you. However, if you do not; Nice to meet you, this is who I am: I live in a great part of the city of St. Catharines, and despite living only a 5 minutes walk from the lake, I am the city kid of this crew. I've slave tirelessly to prove my self to my fellow countrymen, and despite the fact that I rode in a stroller, not a tractor or combine when I was young- they have accepted me as one of their own. I love sports, and competition of any sorts will just about do. I have one brother and I compete with him in some sort of skilled or athletic activity daily. Over the next 5 weeks, I expect no less from my boys. I have lived for at least a few months on three continents, but plan to add to that very soon. Travelling for me is right up there with playing basketball, climbing mountains, exploring cool places, and brushing with danger. One of my favorite writers wrote this quote in my favorite book Into the Wild. He wrote:

“The core of a mans’ spirit comes from his new experiences…with the best joys in life found in one’s passion for adventure.”

- John Krakauer

And despite the very strong spirit adventure that resides in my heart, it has become pretty clear to me that my mind has decided I am a businessman.

So right now I am just living my life. and pretty much figuring it out as I go.

The Ancient Stomping Grounds: Col. John Butler

After reading the last post, thankfully, you know that I am safe and that Jamies mission although in vain, produced a fun time for all involved. Now I will inform each of you to the goings on of Wednesday the 1st. A few months ago, Jamie and I wrote about our Old Stomping Gound, Eden High. Last post, Jamie eluded to an elementary school crisis and Col. John Butler, was in the midst of a serious one.

I heard that my old primary school is shutting down.

Naturally, I drop everything, including my cellular device and race off to the rescue. How I expect to save a school from shut down is not important as I think very well on my feet. When I arrived, there were approximately 100 cars parked in the lot, well over capacity. It seemed that many other people had heard the news and were waiting for me to give instructions on how to rescue the place. Before I go any further, let me give you some history, mainly on the name of the school. Colonel John Butler was a dude who fought in a war a long time ago. Ok, continuing on. As I approached the building, I started to hear an orchestra of drums. Good. The battle drums were here. I also heard cheering. Good. People were ready to save my school. However, to my dismay, when I reached the back yard of the school, what I thought was protesting appeared to be a party! I had walked into the final celebration of the school, which when I thought about it, really put me at ease because I literally had no plan. I rather enjoyed seeing some old teachers, chatting about life, telling them that although I look like a rufian, I have half a business degree and reliving the memories of the old school yard. There were musical performances, speeches, a wicked jazz band and best of all: rows and rows of goodies. Mmmm! One of my most memorable interactions from the night was when my little sister and I spoke with our Kindergarten teacher. I went up to Mrs. Scott (who is now much older of course) and quickly told her I had just finished second year. She seemed to ignore me, or not hear, and quickly sparked up conversation with my sister. Julieanne is also going to Laurier next year (awesomeeee!) and told Mrs. Scott she would be entering first year. We then had to leave and as we were walking away, she says to me, "Don't worry Jeremy, you will get to university one day too!" While there is so much wrong with how that makes me feel (why does she think Juls is older than me? I just told her I was in uni, etc etc) I decided just to let it go and have my little sister laugh at me the whole way home.

At the end of the day, it was great to walk the halls of CJB for one last time. Many great memories were had at that school. I got to take home the old jersey I wore when I was a star point gaurd and setter for the school teams. Looks at that dude. You look great little buddy.

So after I realized that the crisis had been averted, not thanks to great planning on the part of the staff at CJB, I headed over to Baergens to watch the game, catch up with my friends and hear about the nice time that they had at the Gorge. I will always remember the secret meet up location in case a similar situation arises in the future. Jamie, your head is on straight and I like that. Keep it up.

The Secret secret of a Gorge-ous Day.

Today was a day like any other. It was however, exceptionally beautiful out. I had a rare, but well appreciated day off work, so naturally i waited until 5- (when Jer would be off) and I intended to come down and hangout. (maybe we would root together for the Vancouver Canucks in tonight's hockey game) when 5 rolled around and my texts remained un-responded, I decided to take definitive action and boldly call his house phone. I came to the sad sad conclusion that nobody in today's day and age should be so foolish as to be OUT of their home....and without a cellular device. this is simply a fact. A way of life. It rung, and rung, and I got no response. I immediately (and justifiably so) feared for the worst.

***Pause Story***

Let me take you all back to a different day, with similarly beautiful weather. A day filled with some adventure as well. Jer, Willms and I, about a month ago, did just a little bit of Trail Blazin that you may remember because we blogged about the highlights that same day. What we DIDNT blog about during that fateful day in April was our mundane safety plans. We didn't mention a fact, that I surely intend to mention now. Any safety/adventure expert will tell you (Jer and I included) that it is absolutely crucial to have a meet-up point or safe spot discussed when travelling in a party. If God forbid you get separated during your adventure, both parties will then know where to go. On April 25th, we heeded that warning and the the three of us concurred on a location. A location that could one day be responsible for our very rescue.

***Resume Story***

That day flashed back to me vividly in my panic as I dreaded all the possible things that could have happened to my dear friend Jeremy. I could not stand idly by while he could be hurt, lost or lonely. I had to take action.

I gathered an emergency task force, but alas I could not alarm them with the heavy news that our dear friend may be in peril. So the trip was disguised as a happy hike down to the Gorge, I kept the burden to myself, and prepared the best I could. Lisa came over bringing only the most necessary survival rations: Watermelon, and Strawberries. Adding to that we prepared some PB&J Sandwiches, a few litres of Apple juice, and we were ready to take on whatever came our way.

Nature Survival Tip #1: Bring tasty rations.

Lisa and I met up with Natasha, Steph, Berg, Adam, and Krugs in a parking lot near the gorge, and finally our leisurely hike-disguised-Rescue, could begin. Initially

we thought it necessary to increase our altitude to get a better vantage point from which we could obtain our position. scaffolding unavailable, we utilize what we had around us and scaled a nearby tree.

Nature Survival Tip #2: climb everything climbable.

I discretely determined our coordinates, but it was as I had feared. Our position was to the east of west, and south of north. we certainly had a journey ahead of us, and we set off for our nice picnic... and to save Jer of course.

Upon our decent into the gorge we were instantly thrown into a death-defying situation as our dear friend Adam fell into grave danger as a causal slip had him hanging for his life. Josh Baergen immediately responded and just in the nick of time too. fortunately for his

heroics Adam's life was saved and we could continue on our hike.... err, ... rescue mission.

Nature Survival Tip #3: Save your friends lives.

We continued along the river, until we were startled by the undeniable sounds of a rock slide. Normally, the advice in this situation would be to remain clear of this dangerous location entirely. However, in the moment Tash and I notice a rather large boulder tumbling in the very direction of a cute family of chipmunks dwelling next to two small children, and an elderly lady. As it would just so happen, this assembly was right next to the last remaining herb containing the potential cure for cancer! The hurling rock was gathering speed and Tash and I only had a split second to act if we to prevent the pending disaster. Again, we were just quick enough and innocent lives were spared.

(Note: The small children, cute chipmunks, and nice old lady had to all be removed from the scene prior to the taken photo due to obvious safety concerns. The cancer-curring plant is that mossy plant there to the right, but regrettably could not be removed due to Bylaw 237 under the Cancer Cure vs. Pharmaceutical Profits Act that was legislated by Pfizer during its foundation in 1849.)

As we continued on, we decided to stop for nourishment on the rocks by the river, (The location however, I knew to be conveniently close to our predetermined meeting place- and all the while I was hoping that the sent of our cucumber, Mini-eggs and PB&J would attract all hungry-lonely young men from the woods, and re-unite us with our dear friend.

That was not that case however, but we did occupy the time with delicious snacks, hilarious conversation and the good ol' past time of seeing from how far you can throw one hunk a watermelon to be caught in another persons mouth. The game was an instant classic. but still no Jer.

Nature Survival Tip #4: Never underestimate the life saving skill of mouth-reception. One can not rule out the possibility that both your hands and feet will be occupied at the exact time that your only remaining piece of survival food is coming at you. Without the keen ability to catch it in your mouth, you may starve and die.

Having little luck with the reconnaissance and the 8 o'clock puck drop of the Vancouver game soon taking priority of my time, We decided it time to pack it in and hike back. With one last surge of hope, and in co ordinance with the fifth survival tip, We mastered some cliffs but again were unsuccessful at locating Jer.

Nature Survival Tip #5: CLIMB EVERYTHING CLIMBABLE

With not even a whiff of his dreads the entire time, I thought all hope was lost...

We headed to the Baergen's to watch the game, where to my relief and thrill we were met by a fully nourished, and fully unharmed Jer himself! As it turns out he had some elementary school crisis he had to attend, and all my worrying had been unwarranted. we watched the game together and celebrated a 1-0 victory. To this day, 1 day(s) later, i have carried this secret with me. I now share it with you.

For more Nature tips, Check out Lenn and his must-see and informative video: Click Here

Enns Battery & Tire

Hello dear friends, I'm assuming that you know from the title of this post that this is Jeremy speaking. Jeremy Enns, son of Rudy Enns (current president of Enns Battery & Tire), son of Jacob Enns (founder of Enns Battery & Tire in 1971).

I wanted to create a post that could fill you in on how I spend my 8-5 Monday to Friday & 8-12 on Saturdays. I have worked at my fathers Tire Shop since the humble age of Grade 9. I mean 14. The reason I say humble is because I started off sweeping floors. My 95 pound grade 9 body could not handle the pressures of changing tires, except perhaps for bicycles and lawnmowers. However, as the years progressed, I grew in stature and wisdom, and my knowledge of the tire and battery industry grew impressively. Now I like to refer to myself as a Professional Tire Technician, Tire Consultant, or among my friends, as the Resident Tire Expert.

You have already been introduced to Josh Willms. One thing that he forgot to mention, is that at one point, he was also a loyal Enns employee. During high school, we would have a riot out back playing dodgeball with scrap tires, usually ending up soaked with dirty, stale tire water. We would spend our afternoons in the used tire yard shooting wasps with foam spray pretending we hunting aliens on a far away planet. We were fairly immature, and there were a few occasions where Rudy had to ensure we were keeping up with our flat repairs and split us up onto different jobs. Whether we were eating lunch together, sharing freezies with eachother or finishing one anothers sentences, slowly we came to the realization that the other shop guys would make fun of us. They would call us all sorts of nasty names like Seemore and Doless, (chiming in on our apparent lack of motivation) or Tweedledee and Tweedledum (commenting on our apparent lack of tire knowledge). But we didn't care. We weren't going to let that get in the way of our work relationship err friendship.

Making a long story short, Willms ended up leaving Enns for his uncles company All Green Irrigation where he is now a Certified Irrigation Techinician. I have worked my way up the ranks at Enns since he has been gone and quite enjoy my time there (mainly because I'm getting crazy buff). I have spent some time learning about the more administrative end of the shop with my Mom (she is a CA with an office attached to the shop) as well as making myself a little more responsible for making the day to day run a little smoother out in the shop. So if you need some new rubber for the ol' whip, come on down, I would be happy to personally take care of you and your battery and tire needs.

Enns Battery & Tire. Quality service since 1971!

Meet The Boys Part 1/5: Josh Willms

Name: Josh Willms

Credentials: C.I.T;

Bio: When i was asked to write a little diddy on myself my first thought was, “Well i don’t really like to boast but if that’s what I have to do then...sure why not.” Still, the last thing I’d want was for this to sound like my eHarmony profile.

So I write this with my utmost humble foot forward. First off, I come from a long line of Willms’, outlined by Engineers, Businessmen, Humanitarians and Entrepreneurs. I am a Certified Irrigation Technitian, and Irrigation Designer, where I specialize in the area of lawn sprinklers. I am a founding member of the FSU crew and will be loyal to that group till the day I die. I’m a lover not a fighter, but I will fight for my love. I thoroughly enjoy long walks on the beach..........Naaahhhh, try 6 hour runs up a mountain. I chum with only the best, and will do almost anything for my boys. I enjoy a nice glass of vino every once in a while, and have caught myself, more than once, lost in the tranquility of a paperback. This is Xena she’s my dog. I grew up on a farm in Niagara on the Lake and am still best known for the canoe incident of 2010. But most of all I love this guy named Jesus. Why you may ask? Because he loved me first. I have been given the opportunity to spread his love across Canada and the States, with a bunch of my boys and I'm going to take advantage of it. Life’s a story, and this is the first chapter.

Meet The Boys Part 0/5

Just a heads up to ya'll, our blog is soon going to evolve. For about 5 weeks our Open Road Project will consume every post. We will post increasingly interesting and crazy stories on a daily basis. We will still be posting about our daily lives, thoughts and random experiences- however, they of course will obviously always relate back to our Project as we will be living it all day, everyday for the 5 weeks.

Three other men will be involved in all that we do, so its a good idea you get to know them as they will be just as much a part of this blog, writing posts and likely included in almost every story.

For best results and future reference were going to make this easy for you. Facebook lurking will only get you so far, and the frequency of their personal want adds in the newspaper seem to be diminishing. So we would suggest it best that they make their introductions now. Coming one post at a time, be ready for Meet The Boys Parts 1-5.

A Magical Place

If you’ve been to the place I’m about to describe, you will likely know exactly where I’m talking about rather quickly. I come here a few times a year to help sue with some of the bigger ordeals of the year, and today’s ordeal; spring decorating.

Flowers, pots, and some soil were needed. Naturally I would have thought to go to a home care centre, maybe a greenhouse? Nope, Sue had somewhere else in mind. Had we also needed some fresh lasagna, boxer shorts, sushi, a Basketball net, ceiling fan, prescription medication and fresh lobster- we would have still been in the right place. How many places do you know that sell diamond rings across the isle fireworks? I know one place... COSTCO. Now, besides being a one stop shop for anything ever sold, there is another reason why I so dearly love to visit Costco, two beautiful words: FREE SAMPLES. Since my childhood days mike and I have developed and refined our technique to maximize our samplage. The general play is head down approach toward the table in a swooping action, then flee the scene avoiding all eye contact. Repeat. We would often do a few laps of the place, exchanges sweaters and hat for disguise, and do it again.

Days like today are glorious for free samples, over a dozen stands and not a single one trying to promote bogus health foods. While I was helping sue, I was still getting into the zone, I found this one table sampling mini hotdogs in bbq sauce. Jackpot. I “tested” it maybe three of four times over the course of visit, until the last time I reached for it she stopped me, I feared this embarrassing moment since childhood when I would be told I wasn’t allowed anymore samples. Rather I was relieved to hear on of the most wonderful sentence anyone has ever said to me.

“Son, you know there is no limit on free samples here.”

God bless you mam! as i grabbed the remaining dog. After that i sampled with confidence for the rest of the day.

Toothpaste next to Nestea, Next to Kayaks, Nice.

Hard[ly] work

Jamie here, and I have some news for you all. If you've been following our blog since my job search post- the news is good. For you who have known me since high school days- my friends, the news is even better. Yours truly has come out of retirement once again. Like Micheal coming back to the NBA, this will be my third time, I have returned to Subway.

Here is my rationale, you will see it is really quite sensible.

• The first one was a major factor. The Roadtrip, while serving as the pinnacle of anticipation for my summer, it has severely impacted my ability to get a quality full time job.

• Second, quantity. Contrary to your typical subway employees, i've been given close to 40 hours every week. I guess I'm just that good at building sandwiches. Plus, they can give me my key weekends off, and will let me peace the province for our trip!

• Third point; Take a second and imagine in your brain your favourite food. Now, imagine that you had a buffet of it all day long at your work. Munching on cookies, sippin chocolate milk, maybe a bite here and there of chicken teriyaki sub, and the odd slice of salami. I'd say that carries decent weights as a perk.

Try getting away with these habits at a clerical job filing papers and sorting excel docs... thats what i thought... not happening.

• Fourth is Tips. Who would have thought you can make tips at subway. Well ya do. Decently amounts too. (furthermore, I've come to notice a distinct relation between the drunkness of the customers I'm serving, and the amount I make) Try adding about 20 bones extra to a days work. plus the scrilla i'm saving on my food, it reasonable works out to like 13-14 bucks/hr. No longer the measly minimum wage.

• Lastly and perhaps most key- Im perfectly bizarre for the job. Most of my co-workers hate their work. They hate coming in, and their attitude sucks. But by some divine miracle I can honestly say i like it. Even excluding the aforementioned points, I honestly just like making sandwiches. I like seeing people come by frequently, I like chatting. I like making spectacular subs that make people happy.

• Still, the undisputed best part about my work remains The subway stories: ill throw some up infrequently as I work throughout the summer. keep your head up- and you'll see them sporadically as part of The Chronicles of Subway.

I have said this many times but the fact remains, i shouldnt like this job as much as I do. but still somehow I do.

Always Fresh,

Jamie

Presenting: The Open Road Project

Now we know that we promised that we would deliver some news about our summer plans. Well my friends, this is that post. While many of you may already know what we are up to, this will bring everyone up to speed. It will open everyone up to the same page of the same book. So here it is.

Jamie and I, along with Charles Neufeld, Josh Willms & Adam Epp some high school chums have been really REALLY excited for the summer. Why you may ask? Well, the RV that you read about a few months ago is not just for show. It's not just a fancy peice of decor. It's not just the first piece of many in our antique RV collection. and it is no longer the humble abode of Mrs. Racoon and her youngins. No, she's now ready for action. This RV is going to be used for 5 weeks of pure, unrestrained adventure while we drive over 10,000km through Canada and the United States. No turn will be a wrong one, and all that we will have to worry about will be the open road.

We have been planning this trip for quite some time and ever since the infancy of the idea realized that we wanted do something that would actually make a difference in other people's lives. While it surely will be a time for us to live it up, more importantly as a bunch of Christian guys we realize that we have been incredibly blessed in our lives and we think it is high time to give a little back. During our trip we are going to engage in some serious philanthropy by doing as many random acts of kindness to strangers as we can. We have contacts in most major cities across the country and are excited to work with these people who can hook us up with opportunities to bless those we meet along the way.

From the road side break downs, the cheapest (yet most lavish) feasts, the smallest towns, the biggest cities, the Supersuit (be sure to remember that name), the hitchhikers, and the non-stop raucous, you can be sure that when you put five guys like us into a situation like this, you going to get some good times, great stories and the best memories. (Run on sentence we know- well allow it, its our blog)

You will notice our little "project" will start to consume this blog as we prepare for our journey.

Keep your head up for the future posts Meet the Boys and Meet Lilly, coming early next week.

Cheers for now,

Jamie & Jer
Adam, Jamie, Charles, Josh and Jeremy. As you can see, a little Jetta is no place for us. Too crowded. We need our RV and the open road.

Muskoka, my friends.

This past weekend a few of us buddies from Laurier made a bit of a spontaneous trip up to the

cottage to visit Mike Dwyer and Alex Kellermann working in Muskoka. It was the life. Granted, their typical day would be a little bit different waking up a 6 and working like dogs, but the weekend, the beautiful weather, the few beers, the lounging on the boathouse balcony- it can't get much better.

I bussed to Mississauga, met up with a good friend Hussein and we were off. Cruising to Toby TechRhymes (koodos if you know who that is) and revelling in the anticipation of a weekend with no responsibility. The weekend was the definition of leisure with a little taste of luxury on the side. I say this because the Dwyer's cottage isn't exactly what you'd call standard...

With enough beds to comfortably sleep about 27, a personal putting green, a boat house on a lake Rosseau and inside it- 3 speed boats (all for different occasions of course) not to mention the cottage was decked with just about every classic cottage furnishing you could want. Dwyer's old man, Kdawg came up for the morning bringing our buddy Miller, and he also dropped off some crucial necessities- like our dinner. 80 dollars worth of 1.5 inch New York striploin steak... I don't mind if I do. so we Q'd those up, cracked a cold one and relaxed. Heres some applicable words of wisdom: when life is good- Love It. the weekend was fantastic, I also learned a new game called Golfy that invovles golf, beer, and consequently- fun. Now however, I am a working man, and it will likely not be until the Muskoka open until I get to go back- so I patiently await that day. So thats the end of that, but not quite the end of the story...

The ride back was a bit of an adventure itself, Husse drove Miller and I home, or a least miller home, and me to the bus stop- almost. I for some reason convinced myself that the bus left at 5 (which ended up being false) so at about 4:50, when we missed the Dixie exit, It's safe to say I was a little bit stressed. I spotted the bus pick up location from the Highway, and in a moment of impulse Husse obliged to pull over on the shoulder of the highway, i grabbed my things, hoped out, yelled bye at him and started to sprint. Off of the highway, over the vehicle barrier, jumping the chain fence and kept on sprinting.

So you can see here friends, in this photo that looks as if it was recovered from some serious COPS footage. What appears to be a convict trying to elude the strong arm of the law, is simply in fact a harmless guy just trying to not miss a bus....which he made in time!

as it arrived only about 2 and a quarter hours later...

Dont Veto your Vote

Today, was the first time Jeremy and I got to vote as Canadian citizens in the Federal election. It was easy, neat, and a satisfying experience.

For me, my voting location was Pine Grove, which happens to be my old elementary school. It was place that I associate with my childhood, carefree days where the halls seem big and 15 minute recess lasted forever. Today, almost paradoxically, I was back in the building for the first time in years, on a short 15 minute break from my employment search. It donned on me as I was standing in the same gym that I used to make fart noises with my armpits- I am here now a voting adult.

the process was cool, I registered myself, they confirmed my citizenship, handed me my ballot, and I voted. Simple as that, and just the way Calvin (our teacher) explained it in the good old days of civics class.

Plus, Old people will look at you with respect. One lady even gave me some sweets. That was nice too.

All in all: good experience, and worth the 15 minutes. If you haven't voted yet, hop online read the platforms and go vote you likely wont regret it.

Easter Stories

After both coming back to Waterloo from a wonderful Easter, both Jamie and I have some family filled stories that we would like to share with you. We hope that your respective Easter Weekends were blessed as well!

Jeremy and the Elusive Risk Egg
Once upon a time, Jeremy and his cousins would have Easter egg hunts at their Oma and Opas during Easter. Big surprise. However, as the grandchildren got older, the treasures found in the backyard looked less like chocolate and more like loonies and toonies inside plastic eggs. This was welcomed by the children as a few extra coins for coffee or laundry are always appreciated. One Easter, Jeremy, being the imaginitive and fun character that he is, made a fun suggestion that was co-created and supported by his older cousin Robin. This was the suggestion of the implementation of the Risk Egg. Every year, everyone would dump their bounty into the middle and all of the goodies would be divided evenly. While when the kids were younger, this was a nice way for them to learn to share, however, Jeremy's new knowledge from university kept telling him that this was somehow communism. Hadn't we worked so hard to change the system? How could he let this happen. So Jer and Robin suggested that before we cracked open all the eggs, each grandchild would take 3 risk eggs (we all would end up getting around 10, so this was hardly a sacrifice). The idea had some serious opposition, especially from Jeremy's sister Emily, however, his persuasive nature and Robins gentle words ushered in a new era of The Enns Family Easter Egg Hunt. (I always benefited from the risk eggs due to my excellent selecting abilities)

Although the new era was flourishing, this past year, Robin was in Holland at school and I was asleep at the switch. Before I knew it, all the eggs were opened and the chance of the Risk Egg was crushed. I was bummed. However, upon counting the number of Eggs collected, it appeared as though 2 were still out in the Wilderness. Also, this year the Easter bunny had put a few 5 dollar bills in a few of the Eggs. Two $5 bills were missing. The Risk Eggs had returned. Anyone brave enough to hunt would find a reward far greater than the risk. So, naturally, as I was helping Opa do a few things outside, he was sharing with me where the Easter Bunny had hid everything (Opa and the Easter bunny are good friends you see). Making a long story short, the risk of climbing ladders and tables for Opa turned into the greatest reward of the day. Not only a crisp $5 bill, but a chance just to hang out with Opa, a man who has been a huge insipration and source of wisdom for my life.

So that my friends, is the story of the Elusive Risk Egg. Not quite elusive enough for this champion Easter Egg Hunter.

Jamie and the Un-Eluded Kids.

After reading about Jeremy's fantastic Easter I was so happy to hear that he also, had an excellent time with the family. Mine was great too, Greek feast by the hands of the infamous Yaya, and a great time spent with the cousins. Only my time with the cousins, was slightly more... how you say... energized.

let me explain.

Imagine the Easter bunny and the Energizer bunny made a baby that laid an egg, and out of that chocolate egg hatched a supercharged hyper active bunny. Eventually, this hyper active bunny lays its own border-line plutonic chocolate eggs. It would have been this chocolate that my two cousins were chomping on all day.

And i'm afraid that by the time I arrived, it was already too late.

These are the two suspects: Ethan (7) and Maya (5)

Before you fall victim to their cuteness, be warned. that look in their eyes isn't merely child-like content. No, it is careful and strategic planning. The plan? To exhaust every last ounce of energy from their big cousins Jamie and Michael.

(Note: clearly they have been scheming for months as it appears to christmas)

We arrived to them playing in the backyard. I was greeted by a 7 year old sprinting jump hug and a shirt pull from maya. This is when i knew- The festivities had begun.

Dodgeball was the first game, followed by Tag (which is literally non-stop running in case your memory is foggy) then basketball, and skate boarding. after that, the game was running. literally, Running. ...in circles. I was truly astonished. As soon as it was time for playing blocks, My heart leaped at the possibility of a stationary activity. How could I have been so naive!?

while I admit an hour of uninterrupted couch lying would be a fools dream in that house. I allowed myself to dream.

I snuck down to the couch in the basement and shut my eyes...

...approximately 13.5 seconds later...

JAAAAMMMIEEEE! lets play Blocks! then the sound of the entire tub of blocks being poured out, half on to the ground, half on to me.

apparently blocks are only fun if at least some part of your body is sitting, resting, or leaning on your older cousin. still, I could not help think,at least we are not running.

we played blocks, hung out and actually talked (which is a surprisingly rewarding experience to sustain dialogue with a five and seven year old) these days ethan's into science, and maya is still all about princesses.

Then don't ask me how, but all of a sudden, a tickle/wrestle fight broke out. I'm not one to point fingers, but Im going to have to blame the kids. After all, they set the rules; Eth and Maya was allowed to attack, i was allowed only to defend. "I could fake hit, but only for fake". This presented a very difficult fight for me, especially considering it was two vs. one, and they were employing all the classic tactical tickling manoeuvres, getting me under the arms, and under the chin. They were good.

My only saving grace was that one divine word in times like these. just as I was about to go down howling, I summoned all of my strength and yelled "T". They stopped immediately. God bless the kid who invented timeouts. With this technique at my disposal for the rest of the day, I made it through the entire Easter with the kids able to love every minute.

Thinking back, man i really love those kids. and if i wasn't run to exhaustion I would't be the same.

And to the family, please next year- let's give them coins, and spare the chocolate. Besides risk eggs sound way too fun.

Happy Easter friends.

trail blazin

As we were driving back from value, (all in our new tanks that we just traded some coins for) we were in jers car talking about the weather. I said, "man it's a really nice day out, we should go for a hike or something" without hesitation, Jer turned on his internal GPS and headed for the Niagara Gorge. No excuses and no debate. it was a good idea, so obviously we were going to do it.

We stopped at the Grantis residence for some snacks and after mentioning our excursion to Sue, she had us so loaded up with food. Our snack stash ended up being more of a hibernation worthy, long term survival pack. And i gotta say; Not hating it.

we drove down to the gorge and got on the trail, and then as quickly as we could, got off the trail. The "trail closed" sign, was more of a welcome than a warning and it only led us to some cooler spots:

we chilled in some neat caves...

then we encountered some danger...

Im no snake expert, but i think its pretty obvious that this snake that we found in southern ontario is part of the Black Mamba family. likely one of the most dangerous in the world due to its un-characteristic environment. Probably sustaining itself on tourists that come to visit the falls, I had my back turned to it can only imagine that it was likely about to strike, just as Jer caught it, saving me from certain danger and immediate paralysis.

the snake measured anywhere between: 2 and 20 ft! it was too squirmy to be exact.

then climbed out to some rapids...

And of course, again cheated certain death by not falling in.

Lastly, and most importantly, relating to the post previous, we found true happiness in unemployment.

Job Search.

Well, with the last of my exams complete, school is now done, and summer has begun. However great this feeling is, its a little different than elementary school days when the beginning of summer marks the end of any commitments (even as limited as commitment was for an elementary school kid)

while yes i LOVE coming home, chowin down on Sue's food again, and seeing great friends. This year, without a job lined up, things are a little different.

Big corporate CEOs did not coming knocking on my door like i had hoped, and with a years worth of business school under my belt, it appears as though i am no better off than before. (with the notable exception to the obvious fact that knowledge is power and i quenched a thirst for learning)

Please consider the fact that a quarter of an undergrad business degree doesn't quite come with an instant career path. Plus the fact that i could seriously use some extra dough for the summer. Now toss in the fact that we plan to extravagantly depart from ontario for a good chunk outta the later part of the summer. (more info soon) And you will find yourself in my predicament.

in need of a job,

unable to commit,

kind of getting stressed.

ive spent days now getting my self together, fine-tuning the resume, and getting it out there. meeting people, shaking hands, flirting with women much to old to be flirting with, and now coming quickly to the realization: Beggars cant be choosers. but if only, SOMEONE WOULD JUST HOOK A BROTHA UP.

its been a good experience though. and as sort of a first for me- being in this desperate situation, i'd say ive learned a few things. ill probably end up back at subway. Which if you heard at least 1 of my 10 favourite Subway Stories you'll remember how dearly, yet unexplainably- I love the place. The only reason i ruled it out this year is because it just didn't bring home the bacon in the way i would have hoped for this summer. but then again... there was free bacon. so it all really evens out.

lastly ill briefly mention, that with the onset of summer, it was time for jer and i to hit VV and pick up some classic tanks for summer wear. So along with Wilm, Jer met up with me on my job search at a subway - we grabbed a bite and headed down to value.

we found some stellar apparel, but i guess i was still in hunting mode so i started talking with the manager. lets just say she basically begged me to work there (even tho that's not exactly true...lets say that) regardless, im also submitting my application there and can only think that knowing the kind of person i am, and the way my brain works, only good things will come from that.

I wont even mention that we all squeezed into a single change room to try on our new sun gear, and ill leave out the sideways looks we got as we exited the 4 ft by 4 ft box- one after another, after another. but lets just say it was a great day, and i felt pretty good for a guy who still remains unemployed..

Goal #4.

Before this will make sense to you. Just quickly check out the list that i recently found. it was made at the beginning of the year, as i reluctantly obliged to scribbling down a list of goals for the year. As i mentioned; I'm so glad i did.

so. Goal #4. Win a championship.

ill be honest. i have heaps of great memories from this year. and near the top, right up there in between my birthday and st. patty day, sits RAC basketball.

Add to it that I got to play some great basketball all with some now great friends from my building.

making a long story short, the season gave me something to look forward to with some friends every thursday night, (not to mention all the saved thursday bar money)

Since the first day of a gym full for team tryouts it was clear the guys in my building could play. BUT, so could the guys from Bricker Residence.

Too many times would I walk through the concourse or overhear whispers in the library: first years were under this impression that the high-flying, dunk-a-licous, swagged out Bricker team had the title in the bag.

Well, Not if this wiry white kid had anything to say about it. in our first meeting we sadly lost a tight game by 1. In our second meeting we took them by single digits.

heading into playoffs. Little house was ranked #1, and Bricker #2. it was only tooo perfect that we met in the finals. If you know me- you know I love basketball. If you know me you know I live to be competitive. And if you really know me- you know I love to try to impress crowds.

Well the final game had all that. the game was fantastic. the crowd was full. many friends came to show support. Jer was avidly cheering, lifting his shirt in jubilation, exposing a very pasty- NO, creamy stomach which only urged me and my boys to push on for the victory, terribly close the whole way. Now, i would give the play by play, but lets be serious, I'm the only one who even cares...

so all you need to know. Little House brought home the Cup. and it made me very, very happy. Goal number 4? Check.

A scrap of paper

Flash back to the beginning of the year. First year at Laurier,

It seems as if it was SO long ago, yet also as if it was just yesterday. im sure you know the phenomenon i'm talking about. Just think back to any great memory in your life. and you'll know what im talking about.

Specifically, Im reminded of a time during the first month of school. After being hired as an SLP (student leadership position- jer was one too in his first year) i was chosen to be on the Residence Athletic Council, known as RAC to most. During our first meeting as we were just all getting to know each other, we were asked to write down a brief list of goals for our year.

Recently, i just found this list in a pile of random papers.

Goals

Goal #1. dont flunk out of BBA.

Goal #2. DONT FLUNK OUT OF BBA.

Goal #3. see if cute girls like me.

Goal #4. Play lots of basketball and WIN the RAC hampionship

Goal #5. Have lots of friends.

Goal #6. Get away with some mild shenanigans.

and if you can recall back to the post Live The Dream, it will make sense this meeting occurd shortly after the discovery of "the letter", so the last and final goal, which somwhat emcompasses them all was:

Goal #7. Live the Dream.

so after finding these seven scribbled and sloppy goals jotted down on a piece of scrap paper in my room, i couldnt help imagining how useless of an exercise i probably thought it was to write out personal goals for the year.

due to my lackluster sribbles and complete disregard for this list, which only BY CHANCE turned up, this evidence only corfirms my suspisions. i probably did think it was stupid to do something like this. But, reading it now- im way to glad that i did.

goals #1-2, surpassed beyond my expectations. while #'s 4-7 not only were accomplished, but done with style along side some fantastic friends.

now, there is that phenomenon again, it's really only been about 8 months since i've met most of these people. but it feels as if we've been friends for years. you know what i mean?

and you know who you are.

My Final Duty Shift

As many of you know, I have been a don in residence this past year. There have been many good times with my floor. Snow tubing, cookie decorating, Mandarin dinners, Pizza dinners, Operation Christmas Child, the list goes on.

Well today I had my last duty shift, where I patrol the halls with my menacing DUTY DON vest. This has been a time for me to reflect on the past year. The good times and the bad. While the nitty gritty of some of my experiences is confidential, I have come out with some amazing stories and some even better friends. Also, throughout this year, you, yes you, the one reading this, have become my friend too. I love the fact that you come to read this blog and because of this, I feel that I need to right a wrong that has been done to you. During all this reflecting tonight, I realized that something you read on this blog was a lie. While it was only a very small white lie, a fib some may say, it was still uncalled for. Read back to One Stud Lookin' For a Valentine. You would remember from this post that I told you that I baked the cookies that sat so fresh on that plate. This was a lie. My roomate baked them. Alex, the one I mentioned in another post entitled, Roomies. I should not have taken credit for his wonderful bakesmanship. Thankfully, he has forgiven me.

Now I ask too, for your forgiveness. I usually like to go above and beyond to right the wrongs I have committed. That is why tonight. For the first time ever. I. Jeremy Enns. Baked Banana Bread. (now there's a nice alliteration for all you poets out there) Yes Mother. Yes Oma. I know you may be reading this and it is true, fresh banana bread.

I did this for you. Yes, while it will mostly be me and a select few enjoying my favourite baked good, you can now rest assured that the online profile you read back on Valentines Day is accurate. (also, I'm still single by the way, not one got back to me.. surprise surprise) My last duty shift has been a good time for me to reflect on the year past. Hopefully you aren't mad at me.

ps. thanks again to Alex who saved the day and took it out of the oven while I was dealing with a situation. Thanks to him, my first attempt turned out delicious!

The End is Near

While this title may make one think that I am speaking about the end of time, relax. However, this is something that is still very important: EXAMS ARE ALMOST OVER!

I'm sure that many of you may have noticed the severe lack of witty and (hopefully) enjoyable reading material that Jamie and I love to post on this blog. For this, we are deeply sorry. It saddens us as much as it does you. However, there is much hope. Jamie is working on some killer posts for his successes of this past year and once exams are over, we will be revealing some exciting summer plans!

Please hang in there and if you have been using this blog as something to read for study-breaks, we apologize. For everyone finishing up their semesters, hold on to the hope of the summer. It's almost here...