I Have Returned...

Hey Blogger Pals!

I hope you're doing well out there!

So for the last two weekends I invested most of my time at scuba training…Saturday 9-9 the first weekend and 9-5 the second one...and Sundays about 8-5. It was kinda exhausting, but really cool. I didn’t particularly enjoy having to read the text book and to do the written stuff, but it was totally worthwhile. We had to do chapter review quizzes and a final exam. You need at least 80% to pass (but I guess no one really “fails”). My class was composed of mostly really pretty young women. There were five women, two guys (one looked like an underwear model and the other was an average-looking fellow) and me…our instructor was male…I felt old, being surrounded by these young pretty people, but what can you do, right? I learned a lot of cool stuff. Also, if you learn to dive in cold water, then you can dive pretty much anywhere in the world (within reason, of course) because we encounter some of the worst conditions diving here in cold, murky water. The 'average guy' in my class wanted to dive here with his girlfriend, but she was certified to dive in Australia…so she would have to get certified here in order to dive…

Anyway, the practical part in the pool was pretty cool, especially after sitting in a stuffy classroom all day. (Also, the girls wore bikinis…but I remained focused). The open water dives took place last weekend in two area quarries…and when we were certified, there was an optional dive in the Niagara River…It was really quite amazing! We got to go down and look at a shipwreck! My group was given a tour by the instructor, and got to see all of the wreckage…

I recently talked to a friend about watching boxing after watching ultimate fighting. I compared it to going back to Playboy after watching porn from Denmark. (Basically, you really can’t go back, unless you really enjoy the articles…If you’ve never experienced Danish porn, consider yourself lucky. It could haunt your dreams). She thought that was pretty funny. Anyway, once you’ve done scuba, it kinda makes snorkeling seem like…well…less awesome…(but I will still enjoy snorkeling, I’m sure)…

Don’t worry. I’m not gonna become “scuba dude” or something like that…or get a bumper sticker that says something like “SCUBA DIVERS GO DOWN LONGER”…or whatever…I have known guys who have defined themselves by something that they’re into at the moment…For instance, a guy I once knew who went skydiving (once I think), set up his e-mail as skydiver@whatever.com. Another guy I knew appeared as an extra in a film in a Jacuzzi scene, and his e-mail address became jacuzziguy@whatever.com…Interestingly, I discovered that like other niche activities, there is a whole subculture of “scuba geeks” out there. They have personalized licence plates like “DIVER” or “DIVE DUDE”, etc. They tend to have really cool gear and some have attained the title of “Dive Master”…I didn’t realize that such groups existed, but they seem like good folks nonetheless. I guess I never really thought of divers as regular people...mostly I thought of cool undersea explorers like Jacques Cousteau or Navy SEALs...

So I went to my folks' place after the river dive on Sunday and my mom gave me this article, because I told her I was getting my scuba certification...

Divers Rescued From Niagara River
Erie County Sheriff’s Department Investigating Circumstances of Dive

OSPREY NEWS NETWORK
BUFFALO, N.Y.
A group of scuba divers from Fort Erie were rescued by the Coast Guard Sunday [July 23] after they ran into trouble in the strong currents of the Niagara River. The Coast Guard and the Erie County Sheriff’s Marine Unit were called out to rescue one diver and assist several others near the Peace Bridge. The 13 divers, mostly student divers from Fort Erie, entered the water on the Canadian side of the river. Buffalo police say John Silva, of Fort Erie, was the first to be plucked from the river. Rescue boats then assisted the other divers, pulling them out of the water in various stages of distress. No injuries were reported. The Erie County Sheriff is now investigating the circumstances of the dive.

(It should be noted that Blogger wouldn't allow me to post the scanned article, so I had to type it out. Thanks, Blogger! Missed you).

...Little did she know that I would be diving in that very spot a week later...but with better results...If she had known I would be there, she would have been worried sick...and if I had known about this incident, I might have been a little concerned too, I guess...

~oOo~

In other news, behold the mighty Achilles!

He’s not that big, but he’s got lots of moxie.

He’s powerful and can strike swiftly, but he’s also a gentle and loving fellow.

We weren’t really planning on getting a cat right now, but there were extenuating circumstances. This guy Lasagna works with was outside the building, when a car drove by and its occupant threw a backpack out of the window. So the aforementioned guy went up to see what it was (not noticing any details about the car, but was most likely thinking, “Hey! Free bag!”)…Anyway, as he approached it, he noticed it was moving and when he opened it, there was little Achilles. He was a bit malnourished, but otherwise OK according to the vet. So Lasagna called me at work and asked if we could keep him…(It’s a good thing I said yes, because the Humane society was full and not taking any more animals…If I had said no, they would have kept him as a mascot at Lasagna’s work)…He’s a cute little guy, and surprisingly affectionate for what he’s been through. He’s a lot more exciting than Lasagna’s guinea pig, Freddie…(Who we “inherited” ‘cause Lasagna’s friend’s husband was highly allergic)…Maybe there will be a helper monkey that we can adopt soon…

Anyway, that's all I got right now, but I'm gonna try to make the rounds soon and visit with all my Blogger Buddies...I'm very far behind...

Take care out there!

Your Pal,

Zambo.