In all that I do, my family supports me to an extent that words can’t capture. In this particular running endeavour he was there on day-one (march 21st) with 50 km for me to run. I wonder if he saw this as a strategic way to support me and simultaneously harass me a bit as siblings are known to do? In any case, they are now done!

This is my brother and I (a few years ago) out for “a walk” with family friend Rob Dulson.

My brother, Theo, is also my best friend. Throughout our sometimes sordid history we have found ourselves in many unusual circumstances, often as a result of continually goading each other to “take it to the next level” or “cross the line” yet again. This has led to situations ranging from getting strange looks for using a beer-bong at blockbuster (new releases section) to wrestling underneath parked cars (it’s not easy!) to redoing the pictures in a book titled “where do babies come from?” as a christmas surprise for a friend (nothing more to say about that one actually).

Theo is a paramedic with BC Ambulance. This means two things. First, it means he spends a substantial amount of his time caring about other people. Second, it means he routinely gets shafted by the government. Last year our paramedics were “on strike” with hopes of being paid the same as policemen and firemen. Their strike mostly consisted of carrying signs when NOT on shift and being forced to work even longer hours. Eventually they reduced their demands to simply “binding arbitration with a third-party mediator.” Instead of this they got legislated back to work – as soon as VANOC asked about paramedic service for the olympics – but officially so they could help with swine flu (which, of course, they were already doing). But the paramedics were not even put on the list of those who get the vaccine! What a load of horse shit; certainly enough to stew me into a rage. Next time our paramedics are asking for better working conditions, make sure you speak up to support them.