Notes from Bastion Ross (and Sherri Wade)

Dear Bastion,

Congratulations to all those who ran at Saanich on Sunday. While I'm sure everybody was hitting the slopes or getting a long bike ride in on a rare non rain day these brave souls enjoyed an absolutely beautiful day for running. Some of the ladies had some really unbelievable times. Remember ladies, no matter what anyone says, steroids and illegal supplements are not the a
nswer. Steve Osadiuk was so far ahead of everyone when we crossed paths I thought he started with the walkers.
This Saturday is the annual AGM at 10:30 a.m. at the banquet room at the back of the Millstone Restaurant at the Howard Johnson, downtown. This is a time for all of us to hobnob, converse and otherwise idle away a Saturday morning with a free brunch of the usual favourites you've come to expect. Bacon, sausages, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and waffles with plenty of coffee and juice. Lest any one think that you will have to volunteer for the Executive I believe all the positions are spoken for. Anyway, the only one who has do any work is the Treasurer, and he isn't important at all. No, the important thing is that you eat your $10 or $15 worth of the food. And if you pay your dues there then you get your money back immediately. There will be a few reports on the past year. We have established an annual donation to the Morrell Sanctuary and the Nanaimo Track Club, a Travel Fund, as well as an annual bursary to a Nanaimo student going on to post High School studies. The Cedar 12K race was another success and we will be back at it in a few weeks. Speaking of the Howard Johnson, we wish a speedy recovery to Dan Brady who has been afflicted with the trials of Job lately. If we're lucky he'll be around for brunch.
This is week two for Sherri at RCMP training in Regina. This week she gets her uniform. Now, if she can just keep from locking herself out of her room…

Thanks,
Ross

Hello all :-)
I finally have a second to pound out a second newsletter. I am just getting
over a cold (I am hopeful this is the last day) and am feeling like
myself again. I went to bed at 8:30 last night so I am hoping that will kick
it.

We are day in our uniforms. Everyone in the troop now looks the part and
while some have said I look like a "baby cop" I am hoping that I will grow
into my new duds.
We had our first drill class yesterday! We have the toughest drill sergeant
on base. Everyone has told us about her and when she walked in I heard all
of us take a deep breath. As she started to yell, I looked straight ahead
and thought "I have done Ironman, I have done Ironman...." It took us 18
minutes to count off (counting the number of people in the troop in order.)
I am lucky because being the shortest I am last so no matter what happens in
the middle, I just say the next number in that order. We have 30 in the
troop but kept saying 29 so we had to do sprinting and pushups (in uniform)
as punishment. I found though that it relaxed me quite a bit and while it
still makes me nervous, her troops apparently look the sharpest at grad. We
had a big laugh over dinner about the different things she said and we know
that all of us will come into her sights eventually.

We also received our guns yesterday. The men at the Firearm unit are
hilarious. They are very relaxed and do things (like swearing) that no other
teachers do. They take their jobs seriously but not too seriously. It will
be a very good balance from drill. They call me "granola girl" because I
come from BC and I bring trail mix to class.

Oh I locked myself out one more time this week! All week we have been
attending the morning parade to watch before we will participate. Tuesday
was the first day that we were in uniform and of course your rooms must be
perfect before you leave as they can inspect at anytime. In my hurry I left
my key in my lockable storage unit. I went with the troop to drill, and then
ran back to the dorm to get someone to let me in so that I could get the
keys and go to breakfast. It's a good thing that the dorm is only 800m's
away!

Now we are double timing or jogging everywhere. People are getting sore
calves so I have been telling them to run in the centre of the foot rather
than on their calves.

Things are settling into a routine, somewhat, and that is making things
easier. Having a cold sucked because it's hard to keep your energy up when
you are not feeling well and you must stay with your troop unless you have
permission from the medical centre.

I should run, but I wanted to say hello and to let everyone know that I
appreciate your emails and while I may not write alot, there is never a day
that goes by when I don't think of home and the people there that make it
home.

Cadet Sherri :-)