A pickers life across Canada and the world

Keep a diary of what you're hitting, what's frustrating you, and your goals.
skankin
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Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

A pickers life across Canada and the world

Post by skankin » 20 Sep 2006 15:26

hi everybody

I know that most of you dont know me,Im not even that good at footbag, I dont practice much.
But when I have the chance, Ill play and shred with everybody.

But this isnt about footbag, maybe a little..

Right now Im in Creston,BC. I just visited the Kokanee Brewery and enjoyed a free shirt and free beer. Im actually not from Creston, or even BC. But I spend a couple of months in BC every year. Im picking fruits here and I quite enjoy it, I can also make good money. In cherries I averaged 200$ per day for 6-8 hours days. But some days I was able to make 350$$ in 6 hours. So, Im picking apples here so I can go to Australia in november to pick some more fruits,so I can after a few months of work enjoy what Australia has to offer. Ive been thinking about that for quite some time, one of my best friends is in Tasmania right now.

So today no footbag, a little rain and some apples and prunes. I thought about going to hackrifice for the second time. But Ive been lazy for the last month and managed to spend half my money and work only so I can drink andsmoke and enjoy it. So because of bad timing, I wont begoing to Winnipeg, not even kickass. Cheers to Andrew and Tom and Peng. You guys rock!!

So footbag was great for me
I made friends in the footbag community, with whom I did mushrooms and great fun

to alll my friends cheers and footbag

wow i love footbag

cheers

jippe the flying picker

mc
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Post by mc » 20 Sep 2006 16:20

yo jippe!!! It was sweet to meet you and party with you at canada day! Too bad you can't make kickass, maybe next time... Hope to see you back on the east side soon...
BRICK!

rfa::never give up::
nyfa

janis
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Post by janis » 20 Sep 2006 17:03

If you decide to come to Austraila get in contact, it would be great to meet you.

Also, it would be great if you could give some tips on the cherry picking, I was doing it for a while, but totally sucked at it.

skankin
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Post by skankin » 21 Sep 2006 12:20

cherry picking ....

wow ... I cant talk about cherry picking, Im picking apples non, which sucks. I cant wait to pick grapes, that will be fun.

cherries: all you need to know is that like every job that youre paid by production, you have to give all youve got, when your hands get quick then your head has to be as quick to spot the fruits in the tree, than you take them down as fast as possible. then you have to know how to place your ladder, then you have to try to run a little, keep the same pace all day long. work every day possible, as long aas you can, that way you gain more experience. another thing that helps is to take some time in the beginning as watch a fast picker, someone who can make 200-400$$ per day. that way youll see how his fingers go
something important is to keep the stems on the cherries.

yesterday we got hammered, we were driving in the city, the only action was around the seven eleven, some high school kids were chilling, me and my frined we were pretty drunk so we walked up to them and I started talking with them, beeing a fool, then we left it was so boring, we drove around for a bit, I tried to go watch a movie in the video store but the clerk couldnt have us in to watch the movie. So we went home to smoke with hot knives, by then we just went to bed after fighting a bit and beeing drunk.

today, no picking, tomorrow Im going back in the okanagan to pick grapes, today were going to Fernie,BC. It would be nice to go to the USA but Ive got a broken light so we might aswell not go.

hey matt it was nice meeting you, and Ill see you around. Im going to Worlds next year

cheers

Canthraxsoldier
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Post by Canthraxsoldier » 21 Sep 2006 19:54

methinks this will be a good blog. I like it already.

As Janis said, it would be rad to meet you if you get out to Australia. If you're still around in January next year, the Australian titles wil lbe on in Tasmania for the first wek of January next year. Should be good fun.

Anyway...hope you post some more, if I get some cash together I might also make it to Worlds next year.

cheers
Daniel
Daniel Boyle
Footblog- http://modified.in/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=8613

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Pengu
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Post by Pengu » 23 Sep 2006 06:12

Hey JP! I didn't notice you have a blog. I hope we get another chance to hang out again when you get back from Austrailia. Say hi to the Aussie shredders for me like Jamie and Janis. Tom and I think you rock too!

Your idea of going picking before worlds next year sounds interesting, but I don't know if I'm able to do it well enough to make any real money. We'll see how it goes.

Did you receive the footbag stitching kits we sent you? I figured your internet connection would be limited and so I printed off the instructions for you.

Enjoy your days picking.
Pengpeng Du

skankin
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Post by skankin » 25 Sep 2006 10:02

hey peng, its good to hear from you, yeah I started a blog, I didnt keep a journal on this trip, and Ive been thinking about writing a blog, I should have done it earlier becausee theres a lot of things that happened this summer.

picking pick pick pick pick, always more , faster everyday... what am I talking about?? I havent been working in a long time, Im never picking, but I just found a picking partner, another guy named JP, so well be the JPs team, JP and Jippe, im Jippe.

so its almost october now, the weather is starting to change, the shitty days are coming... rain will be there.. fuck...

on a good side, I found some rod lavers at Winners, 49,99$$ its a pretty good deal I think. And theres a guy in Kelowna that plays footbag, hes better than me and thats always good.Ill be improving if I play with him.
We had a session, its good because theres always a lot of things that I forget to practice, but paying with a better player opens up my mind.

he gave me the desire to play more, more more more

skankin
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Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

Post by skankin » 29 Sep 2006 12:43

NO MORE PICKING!!!!!!! Well not for now, that is...

A couple of days ago, I decided, with my friend JP. To leave the Okanagan, and to go on the Sunshine Coast, then on Texada Island, some people told me that we could find work trimming weed.We figured that it was a good idea, so we left the Okanagan full of hopes of becoming weed trimmers, we got on the Sunshine coast the same night, then spent the next day in Powell River,BC. And left for Texada Island on the evening, when we got here.....

NOTHING TO DO... NO PLACE TO CHILL AND HANG OUT, NO WEED TRIMMING FOR NOW.......

SO here I am, I wanna go to Australia and Tasmania, but Im not working right now, spending more money than earning some. But plans are always changing, I might be going on Vancouver Island to pick some grapes, or going to Alberta to work before going back to Quebec.

So in the next few weeks Ill have some thinking to do, I might aswell work my ass off, either in picking apples, picking grapes, trimming weed, or working in Alberta.... I dont know.......

Right now Im with my friend JP, hes a juggler, so I get to practice my juggling, and we told one another that everyday he has to practice juggling and I have to practice footbag, weve been doing that for 2 days, and Im already improving and becoming more consistent.

So right now... I might go play BINGO, elders are playing in a room in the library where IM at....

I DONT KNOW...... Im missing out on KICKASS, on HACKRIFICE..... FUCK ID like to be there right now, I should have gone to either one of them......

So for the rest of the day, Ill be chilling out on the island, trying to find work, talking to people, wow life is great.... We didnt get to meet to much people here, they are all old, no young locals....

WHERE IS EVERYBODY??????

skankin
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Post by skankin » 01 Oct 2006 15:15

so who said no more picking?? hein cest qui le cave qui a dit ca??

yeah IM BACK PICKING APPLES, ill be here for 1 month,. then im off to Quebec, home sweet home

SEE YA ALL

TO ALL MY FRIENDS HAVE A GREAT TIME AT HACKRIFICE AND KICKASS

Seath
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Post by Seath » 03 Oct 2006 18:45

fruit picker! Sweet! I want to be one. I love fruit
Image
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Read my blog!

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QuantumBalance
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Post by QuantumBalance » 03 Oct 2006 23:01

Lon Smith is a major picker. Did you know that?

skankin
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Post by skankin » 11 Oct 2006 19:50

wow !! lon smith a picker????????

HEY LON I BET I CAN PICK MORE APPLES OR CHERRIES THAN YOU!!!!

HA!HA! Im sure Im a better picker than Lon Smith, who can say that??


NO, I dont care about that..

WOW! My friend calls me and tells me that I have a cherry picking job in Australia in the end of the month, or beginning of november. Right now, I have 1600$$ put on the side, so I have 2 weeks to make 1000$ so I can get to Australia.

The other day, I sawe on TV an add for a round trip to Australia, from VAncouver for 1499$$ It included 3 flights in Australia. I have to check it out as fast as possible.

So today I saw John Zaleski, It was thew 2nd time we played together, he is really good, hes only playing a couple of times a year, we talked about footbag, then I say to him that Vasek hits fairy ripstein, so after a couple of tries he hits it. Then I go try fairy ripstein>spinning swirl HE HITS IT, then I go try fairy ripstein>spinning swirl>symp whirling swirl he getsd it off the foot, its the 2nd time he plays in 2 months, wow.

My highlight was to get rooted toe same symp reverse whirling rake, I got that a couple of times also i got some strings with dynos, double leg overs, a couple reverse whirling rakes.

We played for 2 hours in the UBC campus in Kelowna, it was neat, then me and my friend JP the juggler went to the UBC pub, we watched the HABS game on Satellite TV in french and we won!!!GO HABS GO!!!! Were going back there after 9pm, its 8:50 right now, well go and party with some people we met tonight, I likew travelling...


NEXT SUMMER!!!!!!!!!EVERY FOOTBAGGER THAT WANTS TO COME PICK FRUITS WITH ME IS MORE THAN WELCOME,ILL MAKE YOU EARN MOENY BEFORE AND AFTER WORLDS, THAT IS MY PROMESS!!!

TALK TO ME ABOUT IT IF YOU WANNA YOURE MORE THAN WELCOME!!!

CHeers everybody

skankin
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Post by skankin » 19 Oct 2006 11:22

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

you know what??? Im tired of picking fuckin apples............... Im looking at plane tickets to Australia, the thing is that Id like to go back to Quebec before going to Australia, but the difference of price is 1000$$ between a flight from montreal and Vancouver.

So do I go back to Quebec or I stay in BC between the apples and Australia?? Id like to work some more so I can make money and have enough when I get to Australia. Because in picking they dont always give you your wage every single day.

So im stuck with a decision to make, also I have to redo my passport because mine is gonna expire in may of next year.


now lets talk about footbag

im done


no im kidding, I think that im developping on some aspects of footbag

my dyno is getting dialed,
my rakes are better and better,
my stepping set sucks, ive lost what I gained before summer started
no practicing helps me getting worse and worse
I try to practice at least once a month
I drink a lot of beer
I like my mom
I like your mom
MAMAN JE TAIME

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mosher
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Post by mosher » 19 Oct 2006 12:19

Hey JP!

The package we sent to you got returned to us!

Would you like us to mail it somewhere else?

Glad to see you're still alive!

Keep shredding!
Tom Mosher

hate is a waste of passion!

skankin
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Joined: 04 Jan 2005 14:04
Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

Post by skankin » 23 Oct 2006 13:08

hey here is something about footbag woohoo!!!!!!!


me and john zaleski played this saturday, we played in a neat spot, right on the beach, it was cold but still it was fun, he brought his radio so we got to listen to some good music while shredding, it was a 2h shred session

some highlights for me:
one run with Paradox illusion bsos, bubba bsos,illusions bsos,
pixie same reverse whirl rake(my 4th 5 add)
pixie same butterfly rake (my 3rd 5 add)
backside smear
my good side dyno is getting strong
my reverse whirl rake is dialed
working on symple dyno
working on pixie same dyno
fairy clipper both sides
fear strong side
dlo bsos>p mirage>osis>p mirage

john zaleski is good, hes only practicing when playing with me, and had pixie duckin swirl first try then fairy ducking swirl 2nd try

now appart from footbag
im looking to get my working visa to go to australia, my friend called me yesterday, saying that cherries are good there and i could even go to tasmania with him, and be there for the australian national championships of footbag.

s ill call the phone number I have and try to get my VISA TODAY !!!

that way Ill get to Australia, make money and be a happy picker

woo HOO!!!

skankin
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Posts: 230
Joined: 04 Jan 2005 14:04
Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

Post by skankin » 24 Oct 2006 17:34

hello everybody

so this morning 5:45 am I get this phone call, the guys for my VISA application calls me, he asks for my passport number, and tells me that in 48 hours Ill have my answer for the VISA...

so now I have to fill in the form for the Bank Account and if I get my visa ill get my plane ticket and be in Australia on the 15th of november(my brothers and his daughter birthday).

How long will I be away?? I dont know
Will I make a lot of money?? I hope so
Will I have a nice time?? FUCK YEAH
Will I get to practice footbag?? FOr sure

Im happier than ever, fuck yeah, hooray for me

Tomorrow Ill have another shred session with John , that willmake 3 2hr sessions in 5 days, wow, Im really practicing. Im now able to link a lot of 3s , that makes my level better and better every time I play. Im working on some sweet style moves, like butterfly rake, symple dyno, rev whirl rake. stuff like that.

Ill write soon if I get my visa

ciao people

sweet shred

skankin
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Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

Post by skankin » 25 Oct 2006 17:43

another 2 hr footbag session today..........pretty tired right now

I dont know my footbag level right now, but Im working on guiltless shred a lot, links like osis>p mirage, osis>p illusions, butter>dlo, magellan>p mirage>butter>osis, all kinds of things just to get my level higher.

My constistancy is improving, but I think that sometimes I try to bust too hard, and I dont have the level to go as big as I want so I drop. That happens, then I try to remember to do tricks that I can pull off. But Im still improving, thats the way I like it to be.

Playing with jon is really cool, he got his first 6>6 today fairy phasing osis>ducking spinning paradox symp mirage it was pretty cool

hes good for a tall guy

I was so happy when I got here, talked to a real pretty girl on msn, then I went to check for my plane tickets and found out that I have to buy my tickets by October 26th thats tomorrow, If the guys for the visa dont call me back, I might not be able to get them at 600$$ That would really suck.

Im so nervous right now, listening to Iron&Wine, really smooth music.

I gotta find a job before going to Australia, so I dont spend all the money I have. Maybe Canadian Tire or Toys R US, it would be super exciting to work for Toys R US, every kids dream job.

Id like to spend time with my family before going to Australia, but that would be too expensive. My sister had a baby recently, I diidnt even get to see him, my memories of him will start at the age of 1 year old, maybe later.

Im kinda depressed some times, I came here with my girlfriend fucked up and lost her.... weird shit... spent so much time working that after that I didnt want to work anymore, in the last 2 months I took more days off that the number of days Ive been working. Thank god Im going to Australia pretty soon, if I get an negative answer for my VISA I think Im gonna cry.

I have to make a resume and then find a job, this week theres Halloween parties, theres one on friday in the kelowna UBC Pub, I dont go to UBC, but I have a couple of friends there and Ill go to party there. My costumne is one Ive tried last year and Ill do it once again this year, mr.pumpkinhead

I dont know what to write, I emptied my head, I hope my friends will come and write something here, theyre all french, I hope theyre good in English. And are able to write something either french of english would be cool. I wonder if they think as often as me as I think of them?? I think not, some f them I spent all summer with and it was as if we were not together... more weird shit...

well good night all, Im gonna go and make sushies with some more friends

yours truly

jippe

skankin
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Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

Post by skankin » 02 Nov 2006 21:44

matt cross.. man on that picture you look crazy..

that's nice.

wow, on a french keyboard I can write apostrophes... Woo hoo!!

So , I wrote this 8 paragraph post on this very blog, I submit it and the connection was down, so I lost everything Tabarnac!!!

But it's ok, Ill drink more beer smoke some pot and write everything in a new kind of way. Woo hoo! I wouldnt have written that line about matt cross if the email didnt get lost.

Ill phone my old neighbour one of my best-friend when I was a teen. I like that guy. Havent talked to him in a long time, maybe 2 years..

I drove 10 000 km or 6500 miles . I burnt a lot of gas... Sorry everybody..

Im back in Montreal, of yeah it feels good, I just got my work visa, that feels good also.

I got a couple of emails where I get my work visa granted, a bank account and a tax number. In 2 weeks im going to Australia, Im so happy.

I got a shred session today with Mathieu from montreal, he likes to travel, thats nice, I encourage that. He asked a lot of questions about picking and stugg, I really like picking, especially cherries. But he told me that next year the Worlds will be in Florida, is that true?? Please tell me no. It would really suck, if it is so, I dont think Ill come back to Canada next summer then, Ill go to Asia or Europe instead.

I dont feel like writing anymore, but have a good night everybody

ciao people

jippe

a happy picker

skankin
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Post by skankin » 07 Nov 2006 13:15

let's talk about love.......

love... love ... love... I'm not in love, I used to be...But now there's a girl who's ready to tear my heart out and walk on it. She's my ex, she talks to me as if I was the last man she'd like to see or talk to. Everytime it hurts me in the same kind of way, man it hurts. I'm in Quebec for only a week and she doesn't give a crap, I haven't been the greatest boyfriend but still I did my best to be a good guy, apart from that time and this other time I was a good guy.....

People are strange.......not only when you're a stranger, but just plain strange. Why can't I get over a girl that left me 3 months ago?? I don't know, I've been with other girls since but even that won't help me be over her. Maybe it's her tone of voice, the ''I don't care'' kind of tone. She doesn't and she'll never care anymore........

On another side, life has always been like that, I've had my heart broken before, but it just seems that this time it's worse, maybe it's because I'm leaving and it kinds of stresses me out, but I'm about to see her in 5 minutes, I wonder how it will go. Will she bring tears to my eyes?? I don't know, but man I just don't wanna let go..There's something wrong with me.

Talk about bringing tears to my eyes, calisse...... A chaques fois c'Est la crisse de même chose, v'la 1 an, on commencait une relation, j'ai jamais autant pleuré quand j'étais avec une fille, puis elle me fait encore sentir pareil,jsuis juste pas capable de passer par-dessus...... Man............

well, I think I'll go and smoke a joint, play some footbag, maybe have supper with one of my best friends, all this writing about my ex and no beer makes me go something something...GO CRAZY?? Don't mind if I do.

I might go to the CEGEP and shred there, I ought to roll a joint for 4:20, then go to CEGEP, smoke that joint and start shredding my ass until there's sweat up to my butt crack.....woo hoo

so see ya after my smoke

skankin
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Location: sherbrooke,quebec,canada

Post by skankin » 11 Nov 2006 18:20

hey hey hey..

here on the report is jippe, 150km from home and soon to be 4000km and then another 10000km or something like that.............far across the world I'll soon be.

I can't wait, I said my goodbyes to everyone today, seeing my mom and my dad was the hardest, seeing my mom's eyes filling up with tears made tears come to my eyes. I decided to do it fast, so it would be easier.

Right now, I'm over at my friend's house. Tomorrow I leave for Vancouver, and on monday Ill go to Australia, and from there who knows........

So to everybody in the northern atmosphere : HAVE A GOOD WINTERS SUCKERS!!

Hein PASSEZ UN BEL HIVER BANDE DE CAVES!!

I'll see you guys in Australia

cheers mates

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