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It seems this newsletter is turning into a twice-a-year
(summer/winter) thing! That leaves a lot of
ground to cover! In this issue I want to tell you about my adventures over
in Europe last summer. I've also included a summary of recent and
interesting events. Finally, a few plans for next summer and beyond.
Enjoy!
Haven't read the last newsletter?
Click here for back issues.
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European Vacation
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Just after completing the last D-Mail newsletter
last July, I left for Europe. I took the entire month of August off to
travel to the UK and Switzerland for climbing, mountaineering, and
adventuring with my friend Iain.
I also met our mutual friend Rob in London and we went climbing together
at some of the well-known rock climbing spots like the Wye Valley and
Stanage in the lake district.
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Iain and I also climbed the North Face of Ben Nevis. You can find the
report in The
Mountaineering Journals website.
The trip to Switzerland didn't go as planned. An accident in camp resulted
in a very badly burned foot (high end of the 2nd degree) and so I wasn't
able to climb at all. Nevertheless it was great to be in Zermatt and meet
many people from around the world.
This was my second trip to Switzerland for climbing, the first being in
summer 96 when we attempted the Matterhorn but turned back due to altitude
sickness and other difficulties.
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I wanna rock 'n roll
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One day in early September as I was riding
my bike down the street I bumped into a fellow named Dennis who was
looking for a new member in his band. Before I knew it I was playing
keyboards in the band on Sunday mornings and practicing for a big New
Year's Eve concert. The name of the band is Call To Witness and they have
one CD to date. We are planning to record a second album starting in the
summer.
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Playing in the band has two components. One is to play on sunday mornings
in a church, with just three of us (drums, guitar, and keyboards). The
other component is to play concerts with the full band (bass, drums,
guitar, keyboards, and percussion). The music we play with the full band
is much more aggressive and professionally done. For our concerts we have
a full stage set-up including a 14-foot screen behind the band with a
multimedia show during our songs.
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The Next Big Thing
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The big change coming up is that next year I
will be taking a year off from school to do a 16-month work internship
with a local high-tech company. This is part of the Industrial Experience
Program offered at Carleton University, where students in good standing
can take a year off after their 3rd year of school to work in industry and
gain hands-on experience. It is a full-time, salaried position. I have an
opportunity to work with an exciting new company but I can't disclose the
name at this time. That will be in the next newsletter!
(added Feb. 20)
It's official! I'm going to be working at Bridgewater Systems Corporation
as a software designer. This was one of the hottest jobs on offer in the
IEP program, and I feel honoured to have been chosen. There were a number
of other appealing offers, for which I am thankful, but I feel I've found
the ideal position for my interests and abilities with Bridgewater. www.bridgewatersys.com
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Just Doing It
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Last issue I said that I wanted to go
to Switzerland to climb and if possible climb Ben Nevis, highest mountain
in the U.K. And in fact I did both. What am I going to say now that I can
write about in the next newsletter? Well, I plan to do quite a bit more
ice climbing this winter. With some new ice-climbing tools I've been
enjoying climbing on the frozen waterfalls in the local Gatineau Hills. I
climb with fellow members of the local chapter of the Alpine Club of
Canada. This has been a lot of fun so perhaps there will be some stories
and pictures next time. Till then, take care, and thanks for stopping by!
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