I Heard It Through the Grapevine

   ENTRY 405


I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

I heard through the grapevine that the Ontario Boxing Association was in trouble and could possibly be shutting down. However, I have not been able to find any information to confirm that.
I don't usually post things like that unless I can find proof. 
However, if this is true I have to say that I would not be the least bit surprised.
I am posting this as an opinion, but if I find it to be true I will post it as news.


BRAMPTON CUP TRAINING

Brampton Cup training is well underway. 
Although there are a few masters registered, none of them are in my weight category. Either too heavy or too light, A couple are really up there at 95+ kg. I could move up, but I don't want to. Nor do I think my coach would like that. 
I want up to that class once, and you all know what happened.
I'm currently at 83 kg which is a bit above my competition weight, but I have found from talking with my team mates that most of them are also usually heavier than competition weight. Besides, it won't take long to drop 2 kg.

I am training with the team four times per week, plus bi-weekly personal sessions with the coach.

There are a couple of things I am particularly working on.
One is that my coach has been noting that I am too flat-footed. I need to be on my toes more.
We have been working on footwork drills.
It reminds me of the scene in 'Rocky III' where Apollo is training Rocky at the Tough Gym, and Apollo is telling Rocky, "On your toes...On your toes..." and they were doing footwork in the ring.
That is exactly what it reminds me of.

My life has become a Rocky Training Montage.


STOCKYARDS CARD

My former club, Stockyards Boxing and Fitness will be hosting a card later in February.
There are a couple of masters training in there, so if Richard puts out a request, I may be asked to compete on that card. 
Of course, I will do that,


COUTURE CARD 

My coach has been talking about putting on a show at our club. 
However, I am not sure when that will be happening. Once I find out, I will post it here.


LIVING IN THE DARK AGES

This is one of those "Not A Damn Thing To Do With Boxing" segments that I like to do occasionally, 
This one is a bit annoying, a bit funny, but most of all it is intended to be informative.

My buddies at Bell. Remember Bell?
I used to work there before I got a job at a real company.
I haven't talked about them in a while because I didn't have to.
Well, now I do.

For the past few months Bell has been claiming to not be receiving payments. 
Every month I have to show that a payment was made. This of course, is completely and totally unnecessary and a huge pain in the butt, so I stopped doing it.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a message from Bell billing indicating that I had an account balance of $863. It also said that if payment had been made to ignore the message. Since I was caught up on my payments I did what the message said to do, ignore it.

All was fine, so I thought. 
Tuesday I found that I had no Bell services at all.
No landline, no mobile, no TV, no internet. No access to Bell email.

After a typical day of talking to many people at Bell by using the phone at the Stockyards Bell store, I was finally able to do what many find impossible. I managed to get Bell to admit to making a mistake. 
Wow!

They credited the account what I had paid and said that they would put the services back on within a day.
Here we are six days later, and still no services from Bell.

The thing is Bell is not allowed to disconnect home phone service as per CRTC ruling.

I figured they would at least get that working.

Nope. Nothing.

I would happily say goodbye to Bell, but the wife likes them.
I have no idea why. They have the highest rates and the worst possible customer service of all of the telecom companies in Canada.

The thing about not having TV does not really bother me. Not having cell service really doesn't bother me too much either.
Although, I find that having the home phone is really important. Since I work and may need to contact them, or they may need to contact me. Plus my wife has a medical condition and may need to call her doctor. Not everything is an emergency, but is still important.

Above all else, not having internet access is the most annoying to me.
I do everything over the internet.

Right now my internet access is restricted to me using the wifi at the Jane-Dundas Public Library whenever I can.
I tell you, I have spent more time in the library over the past few days than I have all my life.

I can also use the wifi at work during breaks.
That is not too often, although I did get some things done.
I still have some banking stuff to do, but that has to wait until I get my own service back. There is no way I am providing banking information over a public network. 

This whole situation is pissing me right off.
First of all, it isn't even my fault, and why is it taking so long to put the services back on?

I think I am going to be sending a nice little note to the CEO of Bell. 
George A. Cope. 
Hi there. 
My name is Paul 'The Brick' Brec, and I just wanted to let you know that your billing department are idiots.
Thank you.

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--Paul 'The Brick" Brec, Golden Gloves Silver Medalist