1997

The most important event of 1997 occured one night at a Tim Hortons on Plains Road, in Burlington, Ontario. I had called my friend Peter up and told him we needed to get out and meet some new people, or do something different at least. We didn't do much that night, and ended up going to Tim Hortons for a late evening drink. While sitting at one of the tables a blonde gal who worked there walked up to our table and asked if we would want to hang out with her on her smoke break. I was all game for this adventure, but Peter did seem to be too excited. We met up with her a couple of minutes later behind the store and life would forever change for me. She was not shy at all and talked up a storm with Peter and I. She asked me if we would meet her after work. I said sure(I was after all up for an adventure), but after she left Peter said he wasn't interested. Fair enough. I went back that night, and there, Jen From Kitchner, or JFK (a nick name that held for a long time) entered my life.

Jen introduced me to many interesting people around B-town (Burlington for those of you not in the "know"). The great thing about all these people that I met that year was they were all the people I should have knowen in high school. They were all different and geeky, but cool. It was through meeting them that I would start to really explore myself.

Oh, and how I did explore. Look at that hair!! The baby is my niece Kelsey. My mother showed this photo to a friend of hers and the firend said "oh is that your daughter holding her baby". It was after hearing that, the hair was cut.

It was around this time that I met a man named Simeon at one of Alysha's(Jen's best friend) numerous parties. We hit it off well, and had a lot in common. At the time I didn't know how much this man would be a part of my life in the future.

July 9th, 1997. The Plastimet Fire in Hamilton, Ontario. Were you there? I was. Actually I was next to the building as it burned! 400 tonnes of PVC burned that day. Well actually, the fire was put offically put out on the 12th. For all you geeks our there, it started approx at 7:45pm. The photo above was taken by Peter's father while he was fishing on Lake Ontario.

Early in the year I quit my job at Snack Magic to move to Cornwall, Ontario. I lived in Cornwall for a brief moment. I realised that I was not prepared to start again somewhere else, and that I enjoyed the comapny of my new friends too much. Upon returning to Burlington, I found a job working for Chip King. These names were really geting silly. I repaired windshields of cars under a tent that was located on the parking lot of the Canadian Tire on Fairview Street.

Also at this time, I began dating Simeon's sister Carolyn. Near the end of the year Carolyn, my good friend Mark and myself were living together in an apartment on New Street. I had quit Chip King and started working for Precision Auto Parts West in Burlington.