VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I will miss you a lot Andrei. I am lucky to have been able to spend so much time with you on our Oregon trips. From the first trip in 2004 with Trev and Nicole with the giant watermelon and the potted meat to the epic trip with Kus, Bry, you and I when I tried to keep up with you drinking (big mistake) and then many more fun trips over the years.

I am very sad, but I have so many happy memories and you are laughing or smiling in all of them. I'm lucky to have known you...I'll really miss you.

18000+ views and 255 replies (so far) tells you a bit about what impact RD had on our community.

Dave

to Elena ,family ,and freinds , I thought Andrea ,was on his way to recovery a couple ,weeks ago ,the last time I saw my friend ,I,ll never forget the first time I met Andrea at Cook st. He was so interesting ,and our sport , I remembered his name right away ,because it was like mine , I heared the sad news ,acouple of days ago in the pub ,the next morning I whoke up thinking of the sad news ,went out on the back deck looked down in the garden and therewas a young buck sleeping with his head up in the middle of the city ,and I thought you rest in peace my freind .
Andrew Langdon

I opened a book today (June 17) that I have been reading, but had let sit for a while. When I opening it to my bookmark, turned the page and was greeted by this:

“It is truly a great cosmic paradox that one of the best teachers in all of life turns out to be death. No person or situation could ever teach you as much as death has to teach you. While someone could tell you that you are not your body, death shows you. While someone could remind you of the insignificance of the things you cling to, death takes then all away in a second. While people can teach you that men and women of all races are equal and that there is no difference between rich and poor, death instantly makes us all the same.

The question is, are you going to wait until that last moment to let death be your teacher? The mere possibility of death has the power to reach us at any moment. A wise person realizes that at any moment they may breathe out, and the breath may not come back in. It could happen any time, in any place, and your last breath is gone. You have to learn from this. A wise being completely and totally embraces the reality, the inevitability, and the unpredictability of death.

…So death actually gives meaning to life. Death is your friend. Death is your liberator…

Learn to live life as though you are facing death at all times, and you will become bolder and more open. If you live life fully, you won’t have any last wishes. You will have lived them every moment. Only then will you have fully experienced life and released the part of you that is afraid of living.

…Don’t be afraid of death. Let it free you. Let it encourage you to experience life fully… …You should be experiencing the life that’s happening to you, not the one you wish was happening. …appreciate the moments you are given… This is how to live your life. You live it as though you were on the verge of death, because you are.

…What actually gives life meaning is the willingness to live it.”

Excerpts from Chapter 15 – “Contemplating Death”
“the untethered soul – the journey beyond yourself”
Michael A. Singer

When I think of Andrei, that is what I think of,
someone who was released from being afraid of living,
someone who learned to embrace people,
someone who learned to live life,
someone who had become bolder and more open,
someone who lived life fully,
someone who lived every moment,
someone who fully experienced what life has to offer.

A few images from Oregon (coast and gorge) from July 2012 in tribute to Andrei.

Looking for a way to pay tribute to Andrei or someone else who has battled cancer?

Well here it is:
www.bcgenerationsproject.ca

"Your time today builds a healthier tomorrow. With just a small commitment of time, you can make a lasting contribution to the health of future generations – helping researchers understand how the environment, lifestyle and genes contribute to cancer and other related chronic diseases in British Columbia."

The project already has just over half of the 40,000 participants they are looking for!

But when I did my optional medical exam today they mentioned that they are in need of healthy active males – well I am pretty sure there are more than a few listed in the posts here. So here is your chance!

What I had to do to participate:

1) completed a questionnaire;
2) released the project to track my medical records;
3) took an optional half hour medical exam (and got bone density, body mass index, percentage body fat, grip strength results and more); and
4) gave blood and urine samples (optional too).

All pretty easy stuff.

What motivated me? To pay tribute to my Mom, my Dad, and Andrei who all battled cancer; the thought of helping cancer research; and the thought that someone in the future might benefit from the research – or better yet, not even get cancer as a result of the research! So it was a win-win for me (tribute + “pay-it-forward”)!

Thanks for considering this call to action.

Good to hear from you Dave and thanks for the information.

The Golden Helmet has been collecting mostly cobwebs lately, not a lot of wind. Can't wait to crack it out again soon.

Is it June yet?

- Tony

A few more shots of sailors honouring their friend. The bottom two shots fittingly taken at Columbia Beach on Remebrance Day 2012.

I drove down to centennial today before hopping home on a ferry - I was hoping I might catch you out there Dave - but I checked the 10 or so sails and I didn't see any sails with pirate flags. Ah well - Looked like fun bump and jump conditions though.

In June 2013 I'm signed up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer event - a cycling fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation. I've decided to dedicate the ride to our friend Russian Dood.

There is a lot more about this ride and my reasons for participating, at my fundraising home page. Please take a moment to check it out:

http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/miketeachman2013

I am hoping that you will consider making a donation. Even a small one helps. Donations can be made at the link above. I will be posting monthly updates on my fundraising progress and training for the event. Maybe I can even get together some sort of raffle or draw?

A big thanks if you can help support this cause!

Mike

Sounds like a wicked plan Mike, good luck!

Does anyone have any of the RD stickers that Dave made still? I'd really like to get my hands on one or three. Please let me know.

morewind wrote:In June 2013 I'm signed up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer event - a cycling fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation. I've decided to dedicate the ride to our friend Russian Dood...

Great idea Mike, it sounds like a fun event. I'll support+donate.

nanmoo wrote:Does anyone have any of the RD stickers that Dave made still? I'd really like to get my hands on one or three. Please let me know.

I have some yeah-I'll put them in my van.

Donated.

Unfortunate that as an unsuspecting donor you find out about Enbridge only once you have donated and they still call it the "Enbridge Ride" which really sucks. To use this particular cause by a company like that as a way of improving public relations stinks even more.... I knew this and still donated but with less vigor than if there had been another sponsor.

On the other hand, I suppose it is the greater picture that matters more and the fond memory of our friend. Also I will give more $$ and that directly to the BC Cancer Agency. I also completed/participated in C36's link:
www.bcgenerationsproject.ca

Great effort by you, Mike I support your intent 100%

Thanks for the donation Kus

I know that a few people will have concerns about the Enbridge sponsorship. I think it's a good discussion to have, but this is not the right place. I think we all want the RDood thread to be a place to remember Andrei, and not a place to stage a political discussion.

I started a new thread in the off-topic area. Please contribute any ideas about Enbridge to this new thread. Thanks!

http://www.bigwavedave.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6358

morewind wrote:I know that a few people will have concerns about the (Enbridge sponsorship).... I think it's a good discussion to have, but this is not the right place...and not a place to stage a political discussion.

Yes, I suppose so....There never seems to be a good time or place to bring up uncomfortable topics....I learned that while working for government

I can't help but think tho that perhaps it is a fitting comment for this thread since it was big government/business/army who handed our old friend a dustpan and a broom during the Chernobyl Disaster clean up and probably said the same thing to him....perhaps in not so many words

I miss my young friend

Thanks for starting the Enbridge thread, Mike Sorry I'm being such a difficult person. Glad you are raising awareness and raising funds.

Please support Mike: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/miketeachman2013

(from Steph & Elena) Remembering our good friend - a memorial bench has been installed at the bottom of Cook Street: