Namibia…what’s up now?
Ok, so i’m now in Namibia. I flew here from Johannesburg yesterday so I can meet up with a tour that departs tomorrow. This is a short post and I just want you all to know that for the next 13 days I will be off the computer, no e-mails or posts. I will be writing in my journal the whole time so you won’t miss a thing. For the next 2 weeks i’ll be doing some wildlife viewing here in Namibia. I”ll be going to Botswanna to the Okovonga Delta and to do some more wildlife viewing before going to Victoria Falls. I should be back in J’burg on the 19th. Please keep the e-mails coming. Keep me updated on what is happening. I look forward to talking to you all when i get back and yes mom, i will wear my sunscreen and be safe.
Brian
Tags: Travel
Gagnonius
Thanks for the last comment. I have been good about not saying it, but I do worry about it. Have a wonderful time.
Love you
I know you won’t be reading this for a while but after i just read your last posts i was in the food court in the mall and all of the sudden what comes on but rains in africa. It was unbelievable, that songs follows me around everywhere i go. I hafta get going tho and try and seek to cure what’s deep inside because I’m frightened of this thing that i’ve become. Stay safe talk to you soon
Brian,
I would like to add to a post by Chris on your David Ortiz blog.
He brilliantly recalls the day that a young Brian Gagnon outscored the other team in rec league basketball. For those of us who still have their rec league ticket stubs from that day (despite the 30,000 that CLAIM to have tickets, I bet fewer than 10 of us actually do), we witnessed the birth of a shooting star, albeit one that burned brightly and then vanished from the night sky.
This epic performance was followed by Brian’s shortlived ability to suddenly hit and endless array of buzzer beating half court shots before reaching the age of 10. He began doing this so suddenly and amazingly that he ushered in a new era of Dracut Rec Basketball. Unfortunatetly, thousands of Dracut youngsters began to throw out practicing the fundamentals of the lay up and the free throw to heaving half court shots in their respective driveways, seeking the glory of the spotlight that young Brian achieved at an incredibly early age. As such, Brian should forever be remembered as the one whose talent shone so bright, he “ruined” and forever changed the way Dracut basketball players approached the game. Bye bye fundamentals, hello half court glory shots.
By the way Chris, I believe that this winter will mark the 20th anniversary of that epic game you so eloquently described. I believe Charlie McAnespie, the legendary rec league referee, will be the guest speaker while Charlie Pelley dedicates the bronze plaque on the wall of the Campbell school gymnasium. Should Brian not be able to be in attendance for that ceremony, perhaps we can arrange for him to receive his award “live, via satellite” from Namibia or some remote region around the world.
In light of Brian’s MVP posting, let us review Brian’s Top 10 most amazing athletic accomplishments.
10. A 9 year old Brian smashes his collarbone on a white birch tree as he is sandwiched on a tackle while scrambling to his right in a front yard nerf football game. He quickly jumped up and uttered what NFL films later dubbed into Mike Singletary’s voice, “I LIKE that kind ‘a party! I can do that ALL DAY baby!”
9. At age 13, Brian set a modern record for consecutive “tags” in “Marco Polo” with 45.
8. At age 11, Brian chews an entire box of Bazooka Joe bubble gum AND reads all of the comics during the 4th inning of a minor league baseball game. While teammates watched in stunned awe, Brian muttered, “Get me a coke and a hot dog you bitches.” He later singled in the inning.
7. By age 16, Brian sets a Dracut long distance record of 40 yards as he punts the basketball over the garage and into the woods after losing yet another last second game of “one-on-one” in the driveway. 40 yds. broke his own record of 36, established 20 minutes prior, as he was talked into playing “just one more game.”
6. A 12 year old Brian breaks his wrist on a fadeaway “Jordan Jammer” 3 pointer as Jeff hopelessly tackles him. They both watch as the soft floater swished gently in the hoop, sealing the day’s victory for Brian. With his broken wrist bent at an awkward and grotesque angle, he turned to the imaginary crowd, put his finger to his lips and defiantly silenced them.
5. During a tense battle of “Goal Line Stand” in the upstairs bedroom, a 12 year old Brian leaps over the goal line pileup and pulverizes a 4 year old Tom into oblivion. Upon his courageous exit from the hospital days later, Tom was heard to mutter, “Damn, that kid is like a mack truck with a sleeping bag and pillow!”
4. Brian manages to tell both his soccer and basketball coaches to “F*** Off” during his senior year of high school sports, thus becoming the first athlete to accomplish this feat in back to back seasons. It was later determined that they didn’t understand his communications due to the fact that they were both mentally impaired escapees of the Dracut Home for “Special” Citizens.
3. Brian breaks the Guiness Record for consecutive family “pantsings” with 2,139 days, when he drops Tom’s shorts as Tom stands hopelessly in front of the refrigerator. In a comment to the Dracut Dispatch after breaking the record, Brian attributed his feat to “hard work, focus, a commitment to excellence and a seemingly superhuman ability to sense when someone’s pants were not tied in triple knots with a drawstring.”
2. At age 20, while on his back with legs suspended in mid air and butt cheeks spread at perfect distance, and after weeks of preparation, Brian rips his 43rd fart in 43 seconds, establishing a Ruthian benchmark in the flatulence arena.
1. Brian seals the minor league baseball championship with an all out, diving catch in center field, setting off a frenzied celebration as the team mobs him outside the second base position.
Hi there any luck with finding the big 5’s?
Just took a look at your map, it’s starting to look pretty fly. Keep up the good work, and watch out for lions and snakes and bugs and the sun and….
Love
Anna
Jeff – That was darn near the funniest top 10 list I’ve ever read. I practically spit OJ out all over our conference table right as a meeting started.
Brian – hope all is well on the plains in Africa say “Hello” to Mumbasa and Rafiki for me – watch out for those red-arsed baboons they’re tricky SOBs.
Jeff,
That list was vert accurate from what i remember but how could you possibly leave out brian forcing me to play pool basketball with the mini hoop just so he could try and reject the ball back and hit me in the face with it. And then after I would cry and refused to play he would then drag me around the pool by my ankles and dunk me for 10 seconds at a time until i agreed to play again. That has to be top 5 I dont see how it couldnt be.
Anyways hope your safari is going awesome Bri, hopefully they’re playing “rains in africa” on the tour through the safari to make it seem more authentic. Stay safe and looking forward to hearing about your trek
Love,
Tom