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Right now the Briggs & Stratton LO206 is the karting craze sweeping the nation. As a matter of fact, so many tracks are adopting the concept that Briggs can barely keep up with demand. And that popularity means that many racers are putting the package on that old chassis that's been sitting in the garage for a few years, or buying a used roller that spent its previous life as a 2-stroke TaG kart. The LO206 is by-and-large one of the easiest engines i've ever mounted to a kart (and boy have I done a bunch), but its very design means that there are a few things to take into consideration before heading to the track. By simply making sure you have a few key items when putting it all together, you can be out of the box and ready to go in under a couple hours.
From Briggs, the LO206 is sold as the engine only…aside from some paperwork, that's all thats in the box. Hopefully the shop you buy your engine from is able to supply a complete turn-key kit, but if not (as in my case), there's a few small important pieces you'll need to buy. Don't worry though, while this walk through is not intended to be a comprehensive, step-by-step guide, it should cover everything you need to get your installation going without many surprises.
Also, don't forget to read through the LO206 rule set just so you're clear on what you can and cannot do. It's a quick read.
Motor Mounts: Don't cut your seat strut yet!
By far, the biggest hurdle there is when mounting the LO206 is clearance; namely the right side seat strut, rear chassis cross-bar, and right rear tire. The LO206 (and all other 4-strokes) is inboard drive, meaning that the clutch faces toward the driver, unlike a 2-stroke TaG where the clutch is outboard. Running the chain inboard means that you have to clear the seat strut, and sometimes it means that you're going to have to offset the engine a bit to do so.
A 4-stroke specific chassis is designed to take all of this into consideration, but if you're like many people out there (myself included) you're using a 2-stroke chassis that was designed for that outboard drive. Lots of people seem to think that the best way to do this is to cut off and move the seat struts, but you should only be doing that as an absolute last resort option as it's going to have a big effect on the way your kart handles. Instead, you need to choose the right motor mount. There are plenty of options out there – a popular one is the Burris mount that allows you to adjust the engine to clear the seat strut, or the Odenthal EZ Set. I had an old mount from a Parilla Peopard, so I just had one of the local kart shops machine a plate that would allow the necessary clearance between the seat and seat strut. So that's an option too, if your kart shop has the means.
Something else you need to take into consideration is the clearance to the right rear tire. My air filter runs pretty close to the tire, and you'll likely want at least a 5º tilt in your mount to get a bit of clearance.
Don't forget about the rear cross bar, either. Once you get the rear sprocket inboard you may find that that too large a gear will rub on the bar. This is totally dependent on chassis design and short of changing your gearing or axle diameter, there's unfortunately not many ways around this. However, I haven't really seen it be an issue, unless you're running a very large rear sprocket.
Once you get all of these clearance issues sorted, the rest is easy-peasey.
Whatever clutch you end up using, it's absolutely imperative that you also use the appropriate radius washer between the clutch and crankshaft. You'll notice when test fitting your clutch on the engine that theres a decent amount of play (about 1/8″) between the clutch and end of the crankshaft. The radius washer has a special chamfered edge that matches the machined edge of the crankshaft and the flat edge of the clutch to eliminate this play. It is normal to have a tiny bit of play in the clutch drum, so don't worry about that. Not running the radius washer can cause severe damage in a short time to your crankshaft, and you could end up having to buy a brand new short block if the damage is bad enough. A radius washer (if it didn't come with your clutch) is about $1….so don't do that.
Briggs has put together a pretty useful video on this topic, its definitely worth 3 minutes of your time.
(Pro Tip: if you don't have a strap wrench as shown in the video, you can use the starter cord to prevent the engine from turning over backwards. Simply pull the cord out until you feel resistance and tighten the clutch bolt, just don't pull too hard!)
Fuel Pump
Plumbing the fuel pump couldn't be easier. Note the small arrows on the pump body and follow their directions. One line in, one line out, and one line for the pulse fitting. Don't forget that you need to supply your own pulse fitting, fortunately there are some nice machined aluminum ones – that replace one of the oil fill plugs – available for under $10.
The LO206 exhaust is spec, and comes in two different flavors; the RLV 5506 or 5507. In this era of plastic rear bumpers, you're going to be better off with the RLV 5507 as it curves away from the bumper and won't melt it (ask me how I know!). The muffler is spec as well, and it needs to be clamped to the header with some pretty substantial force, so I would highly recommend a heavy duty clamp like the RLV model (pictured) as opposed to a cheap radiator hose clamp. These come loose constantly, so don't forget to check tightness before every on track session.
Your club rules may differ, but mine requires me to safety wire the muffler to the header bracket through the muffler baffles. I also made sure to safety wire through the baffles welded onto the outside of the muffler as well. RLV also suggests using a steel strap and hose clamps to secure the two pieces. So far, my double safety wire system is working and i haven't lost a muffler yet!
You'll also need to wrap a portion of the exhaust with header wrap (check your club rules). Need help on how to wrap header wrap? It's just like wrapping the handlebars on a road bike. You can secure the wrap at either end with some hose clamps.
You will probably notice when you go to mount the header that the bracket perfectly matches up with a hole on the cylinder head, but there are no threads in that hole for a bolt. Strangely enough, that's how it comes from Briggs and you have to tap the hole yourself. If you've never done this before its pretty easy, but will require a tap set… use a 6mm or 1/4″ tap, and secure with the appropriate bolt and lock washer. Please don't skip this step; its a bit annoying that you have to do it, but it's going to ensure a significantly longer life for your header.
Finally, don't forget to buy an exhaust gasket and safety wire drilled bolts to secure the header to the cylinder head. Fortunately, Comet Kart Sales sells the perfect little kit just for this purpose.
Setting up the Carburetor
The only thing you should really need to do to the Carb out of the box is set the float height. It sounds intimidating, but it's quite easy…and made even easier with this handy instructional video from Briggs.
Briggs also has a handy Carburetor tuning guide that's worth a read.
Engine break in
So you're ready to hit the track, but before you get too far don't forget that you need to properly break in your engine ensure best performance and a long life. There are quite a few different schools of thought on how to best break in an engine, but I follow the Briggs recommended procedure (which also happens to be how I break in all of my engines), and i've had good results so far. Ideally, you'll want to use a 'break in oil' thats designed for the job, but in a pinch you can use a quality non-synthetic SAE-rated 30 weight motor oil; use 14-16 ounces. Here's what you do…
(These engines are shipped dry from Briggs, so don't forget that you have to put oil in them before you start it up for the first time!)
- Start the engine and let run at idle (1,700-2,000 RPM) until operating temperature is reached…that's about 5-8 minutes. Shut the engine off and let it cool to ambient temperature.
- Repeat step 1
- Drain oil while it's still warm from step 2. Refill with 14-16oz your non-synthetic break in oil. Allow engine to cool to ambient temperature before proceeding to step 4.
- For this step you'll need to run the kart on the track for about 10 minutes. It's best to run the engine through a wide RPM range (don't drive it like you're qualifying); take a few laps at low-mid RPM, a few at mid-high, and run the last couple at a fast pace. Don't be afraid to run it up to the 6,100 RPM rev limiter! As always, let the engine cool to ambient temperature before running it again.
- Do another 10 minutes on the track; take a couple laps to gently bring the engine up to temperature, and then drive it like you're qualifying. This step is completely optional, but it's what I do.
- Drain oil while its still warm. Refill with 14-16 oz of your synthetic race oil. Briggs recommends Amsoil Briggs & Stratton 4T Racing Oil, and that's what I use as it's specifically formulated for the unique demands of these engines.
And that's it! If you want to speed up the process a bit, you can run steps 1-3 at home before you head to the track.
All in all, the Briggs & Stratton LO206 is a dead simple engine to mount, and you truly can be out of the box and running in a couple hours if you have all of the parts and know what you need to do. I can't say that about most racing engines! It truly is kartings 'easy button' even from when you open the box. Add gas, pull the cord and go racing!
Got any questions or comments? Share them in the comments below!


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Filed under: Rome
Our final full day in Rome started with Patrick and Michael heading back to the O'Neill church in Trastevere, while the girls and I headed to a market in the same area. The market was fun – just wished we had more time to spend. It appeared again as if we were in the minority not speaking Italian. The market was the kind where they empty bins of clothes onto a table and sell them very cheaply. We loved it!
Next we met up with the brothers and Irish Grandma and went to church. Despite rumors, the church did not crumble as I darkened the door and I did remember when to sit and stand.
Finally we made our way to the Villa Borghese – a large park. Unfortunately we took two taxis and that was a big mistake. Patrick and the girls took one; Irish Grandma, Michael and I took another. Then we spent more than an hour looking for them. Apparently their taxi driver had dropped them off someplace very different within the park. The park is the size of Phoenix Park in Dublin or maybe Como in St Paul.
Eventually we decided to have lunch. There was one very nice restaurant in the park and we knew that was the one Irish Grandma would choose and we were very OK with it. It was very nice. Our eyes popped a little at the prices but we forged ahead. We ate outside partially to keep a lookout and mostly because that was the only option. Luckily I spied Patrick and AIne looking for us!
Aine told Patrick he has to look at the restaurant once she saw it and she knew Irish Grandma would want to be there. But still it was lucky that we connected even when we were so close.
Oh – I had tomato risotto with raw tuna. It was delish!
After the lunch we walked around the gardens. There was a lot of modern art, as you can see from the pictures. We loved the sculpture. The park again was as full of Italians on a Sunday as tourists so that was fun. The girls played on a bouncy castle and the merry-go-round. We watched some amazing skaters and rollerbladers practice/show off their moves. There was one guy who had to be north of 70 in shiny stretch pants and a tight yellow top. He could do the splits on rollerblades.
After a while we wandered home – down the Spanish steps, around the Pantheon and through the Piazza Navarona.
We capped off the night with some gelato!
Filed under: Rome
Patrick's uncle (Father Eugene Boyle) was the Vatican librarian until he died about 10 years ago. He's kind of an adopted uncle. Apparently when Father Eugene was young his parents died and Patrick's grandmother took him in.
So on Saturday afternoon we went looking for where he was buried. Here's the kind of funny thing – he's buried in a catacomb. You don't really think about people being buried in catacombs these days.
Father Eugene is buried in San Clemente. Under the church there is a layer of catacomb and a layer of ancient ties. Apparently it is where the ancient cult of Mithras held ceremonies. It was cool and damp but didn't feel super creepy. In the very depths there was a back room with an underground spring. That was kind of cool to see.
Father Eugene is buried a little closer to the service. I tried to get a picture – although the space is pretty dark. (He gets a very nice plaque!)
To cap off the night we went for a walk down by the Tiber River. For summer they have set up sort of a festival with tents of food, drinks, game and trinkets set up. Actually the food and drink weren't promote pups and beer; they were full on restaurants with tables.
We were definitely in the minority not speaking English, which was rare for our week. It was super crowded with everyone having a good time. And although we were there from about 11 pm to midnight, our kids were not the youngest there. So it was a nice blend of families and younger folks having a good time.
Walking down the river gave us an opportunity to spend a few minutes on Isolta, which is a island in the middle of the river. They had a big drive-in type movie screen set up for a big show – but nothing was showing as we walked past.
Filed under: Rome
After the creepy but cool skeleton art, we went on a hike. We hiked up to Villa Borghese, which is posh park in a posh area – but we also went there the next day so I'll save the details. Mostly we spent our time making our way back to the apartment from the Pantheon.
One thing about Rome is that there are surprises around every corner. It's funny to think that the people who live there probably don't even notice them anymore. (Except that so many cool things means about a billion tourists.) On our walk we went through the Piazza Colona, Piazza Rontonda, Piazza Navona – and purposefully we went to the Pantheon.
The Pantheon kind of rises above a regular neighborhood suddenly. A quick lesson on the Pantheon – it was built in the 120s AD, it's larger than the dome of the Basilica at the Vatican and it still seems perfect. It's perfectly round, there's a perfectly round window cut out of the top and it's so solid it looks like it will stand forever. It was very impressive in a sturdy kind of way!
Filed under: Rome
On Saturday we went to the Crypt of the Capuchins. It is a small church that is decorated with the bones of Capuchin Friars. They have used recognizable bones (skulls, joints, hip bones) to create mosaics (for lack of a better word) on the walls. They are very ornate – kind of Baroque.
The deal is that in 1631 the friars left their old friary for the new location and the remains of the deceased were transported with them. That's when they started the "art to die for". Then they started to do the same with friars as they died and even the bodies of the poor Romans.
They cover the walls of the old chapel, where the living friars would join the dead for mass each day. There is a paper plaque on the final wall that says something like:
Where you are we once were; where we are you someday will be.
Absolutely no pictures were allowed – so I'm hoping to grab one from their web site.
Filed under: Rome
This is one of those times when I should get Patrick to do a post – although it would be a very different story. Saturday afternoon we all headed to a church on a hill in Trastevere. It supposedly holds the remains of Hugh O'Neill, who fled to Spain during the Flight of the Earls.
Unfortunately, while this distance wasn't necessarily great, the incline was! I should note that our group ages range from 6 to 79. I should also note that Patrick was a little map-challenged and didn't believe his wife when she wisely spied a shortcut that would have turned a steep windy road into a staircase.
Plus it was about 110 degrees in the shade. Actually that's not really true. One of the big lessons we've learned this week is that shade is really, really good. It was probably only 80 degrees in the shade – but 110 on the hill. I have a picture of us getting cooled down with the local fountain. There are fountains like that everywhere and they are very welcome! We were even filling our water bottles in the fountains. In retrospect that might not have been the smartest move – but I feel like if it were going to make us sick, we'd be sick by now.
Anyways, the good news was that this was the place. Patrick got pretty lucky when he asked at the Irish Pub if anyone knew where Hugh O'Neill was buried – and someone did.
There wasn't a big plaque or anything – but there was a Red Hand of Ulster coat of arms thing on the church. And the view was pretty spectacular.
Our real reward however was a great meal. We ordered a ton of food at a very busy restaurant in Trastevere. It was the kind of place where they suggested more food and we were glad they did. We had caprese salad, calamari, pizza, risotto, gnocchi, carbonara.
Filed under: Rome
On Friday we went to the Vatican. We started at 8 am. We went to the main church (St Peter's Basilica), which I have to say is pure opulence. There was a line – but it went pretty quickly. The statues are amazing. Much like the Coliseum, everything is so big, you lose a little perspective. I started talking about the small statues – and then realized that they're beyond life size – they four or five times life size. Lily thought the back windows were great. I tried to get a good picture – but I was competing with a lot of light.
The entrance to the Sistine Chapel is separate from the Basilica. In fact, you have to walk all around the Basilica to get there. There was a line – but it only took about 30 minutes to get through so that wasn't too bad.
Everything was so ornate – the first room may have been the most over the top. The ceilings had been painted, although it wasn't *that* ceiling. Aine loved the first room. Lots of reds, golds and other bold colors. (I took a picture of the ceiling – just mentioning again so that people don't think it's "that" ceiling.) We saw a lot of naked statues – big, little, headless, sitting standing and resting.
It's huge maze of rooms – and naturally we got separated. Patrick and Lily went ahead – the rest of us took the wrong turn at the fork in the hall, thinking that was the route Patrick would take. That meant that Patrick, who would like to see every detail took the shortcut and the rest of us who are more OK with an overview saw everything. And actually everything was pretty cool. It started with Raphael. My favorite was the pictures of a broken Caesar-type statue lying at the feet of a golden cross. Kind of sums up the situation from the Christian perspective. Then there was a ton of modern art, including Francis Bacon. I like the modern stuff so that was good – but Aine and Kate were sort of crashing so we went through quickly.
Finally we came upon "that" ceiling. The room was packed. Apparently Lily and Patrick spent a lot of time there so Lily can do a great imitation of the guards clapping and shouting "no photo!" but don't worry that didn't stop me. Although it stopped me from getting a good shot.
We were so dog tired walking home after the Vatican – but we found that Coca Cola Light (for me), Espresso (for Michael) and gelato for the girls can work magic!
Filed under: Rome
After the Coliseum, we went home refreshed a little, picked up Patrick's mom and decided to try the hop on – hop off bus tour. It was exactly what we needed in terms of jetlag, fatigue and heat. It is hot in Italy, hot and sunny. (And a special note for my mom – no sunburn yet!)
We relaxed on the bus for a while – and hopped off to see the Trevi Fountain. We each threw our coins in the fountain. The Foundation is also spectacular – and the spray from it is a huge treat on a super-hot day. The Fountain looks like it's coming out of a building. There were tons of people – but with a little patience you can make your way to the fountain or get a seat and kick back for a while.
A: 133 steps Q: How many steps in the Spanish Steps?
The Spanish Steps are just a short distance from the Trevi Fountain. The view from the top is fantastic. Also this is the area where Keats died when he was 25. I'm mentioning this mostly in Patrick's honor. He found a Keats Museum for us – but (un)fortunately is cost 4 euros in so we missed it. Patrick recited a lot of Keats to us while sitting on the steps. We considered asking him to speak up and putting a hat in front of him for donations.
After the Fountain and the Steps we hopped back on the bus. In fact, we just kicked back and enjoyed the rest of the ride. Again it was the perfect answer to some tried tourists. I suspect each of us nodded off at some point during the trip but that as OK. We also got a nice perspective on Rome. Nothing beats the view from a double-decker bus. They played recorded messages about the areas as we drove through. None of the details spring to mind – but I'm sure my subconscious is much richer.

subset: commoncrawl


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Take a look at the curvy figure studies and voluptuous character sketches behind Brad Guigar's adult comics like Evil Inc After Dark and Courting Disaster. Fans of NSFW comics with busty superheroes and bodacious supervillains… you've found your headquarters! Second in a series of NSFW sketchbooks by this award-winning artist!
All characters depicted over the age of legal consent.
This eBook may contain content that some users might find objectionable and is intended for a mature person. It must not to be accessed by anyone under the age of 18 (or the age of consent in the jurisdiction from which it is being accessed). All characters depicted are at least 21 years old.


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Chromeo, Head Over Heels
What was the inspiration behind the Head Over Heels cover? And how do you think this cover sets itself apart from your previous album art?
Obviously the continuity of the legs theme that we've always used in our imagery, but for over ten years we had used women's legs—whether they were serving as keyboard stands or kind of just symbolizing an erotic, Helmut Newton vibe. There was always that reference—this dichotomy between Chromeo and that female legs symbol. We wanted to abolish that on this album. We felt like the natural evolution of our imagery on this record and of our growth was to blur the lines between the muse and the artist, or the subject of the image and the object of the image. Also, in a way, to just kind of take responsibility for an image that we had used for so long. So that, and then obviously it works as a pun with the album title, Head Over Heels.
It's our heads over our heels—as silly as that sounds, for us it meant assuming responsibility over an image that we had used for so long. People usually love our artwork—our shit is always really tasteful and slick. But with every album, I would read like one or two comments saying, "Guys, why are you fragmenting a woman's body?" And those one or two comments bothered me. And what I would find myself saying is, "Yo, it's a reference! Some Helmut Newton shit. It's a reference, blah blah blah." What I was tone deaf to is that Helmut Newton in the late 1970's or 80's doesn't resonate the same in 2018. You can reference something, but when you're referencing something you're also putting it in a new context. Obviously if something's in a new context, it takes on a new meaning, and it can ruffle new feathers. I didn't want to hide behind the referentiality of this late 70's erotic photography anymore. I wanted to make a fusion of us and our symbol.
I think, yeah, it's a great middle ground of keeping the cover cohesive and also owning something new.
Also I wanted to add that we've always had a very vintage looking grain on our photography, and this time I wanted the photography to look more modern, again, so as to not just be like, "Yo, this is some vintage shit—you can get away with it when you make something look 'retro.'" It still has a retro thing, but it doesn't have that kind of vintage grain. Everything we had done so far was done in an analog way, and there was not much retouching or photoshopping or any of that. [This cover] feels more modern, it feels more immediate. That's what was important to us.
How was the actual shoot for the album? I know the office editor-in-chief Simon styled it. How did that go?
Yup, that's your boy. I sought out Simon before settling on a photographer, actually. Basically, we have an art director. She's been our art director since Fancy Footwork in 2007. So when we were putting together this cover concept with her, she was like, because there are no props on the cover, your styling is going to have to speak a lot. The styling needs to be super important. So the first thing was choosing a stylist. I was a fan of Simon's work, and what I liked about his work is that he does advanced fashion shit, but he's also able to read the hip hop code when you look at what he did with Travis Scott and Gucci Mane and all that. So I thought he'd be a good person to style Patrick, too. I actually contacted him months and months ago because first I wanted to work with him on our "Juice" video, but he was getting married and all that stuff so we ended up locking him in for the album cover. And Simon told me he was open to recommending photographers, and he recommended a bunch including Jason Nocito. I know Jason from forever ago, and we'd shot with him before, but I thought that Jason was only doing point-and-shoot, snapshot photography. I hadn't seen Jason's really slick kind of work in the studio. And when I saw that, I was like, this is perfect, this is gonna work.
The color palette we were referencing on the album cover and the texture of this shoot, it's still 80's but it's like late 80's. We were looking at a lot of photographer magazines from that era. It's still very Jean Paul Goude, you know, but just the later works. We were looking at a lot of advertising—it's almost those kind of Benneton Swatch years, instead of the hazy, erotic years. It's more vibrant. We wanted primary colors that pop out, and we wanted lots of texture—shiny leathers, latex. I could convey that to both Simon and Jason, and they really understood it. Simon nailed the styling in one shot. He brought a bunch of stuff, and the hard part was going to be dressing Patrick. Whatever the gender, my dress code works either way, but with Patrick it was like, how do you make the bottom half of that feminine, you know? So we had to put the whole thing together. The shoot was super easy—it was really just about the light. And Jason really crushed it on the lighting.
It seemed to come together perfectly.
That's our thing—with Chromeo, everything we do is always trying to be very high brow and very low brow at the same time. When you see a cover like that, obviously it's funny and crazy, but we work with the best people. We try to collaborate with the best people. Simon and Jason are at the top of their game—they're really renowned and respected creatives in this field, so they add a level of sophistication. And then you get that juxtaposition between an image that's outlandish but at the same time meaningful for us and meaningful as a statement, but also really high quality photography. That's always been our goal. It's serious and funny at the same time, and it's meaningful and lighthearted at the same time. If I'm able to tick those boxes, then Chromeo has fulfilled its mission.
Thank you for being so descriptive about the cover and for giving us the exclusive!
Of course. I haven't really gotten to talk about it like this, so.. Hell yeah.
Head Over Heels will be released June 15.


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Over the years I've had quite a varied career from selling insurance to building houses, six years in the Royal Engineers, 12 years as a civil engineer building roads and bridges and then 11 years in the IT industry rolling out Enterprise Financial and Project Accounting solutions and Content Management Systems and now localization tools as part of a Global Information Management strategy.
Over all of this time I like to think I've picked up a few skills along the way for making IT a little easier, so I decided to create this blog so I could easily share some of the things I find useful and interesting.
There may be a bias towards the things I do at the moment working for SDL, but I hope you find them interesting and maybe even useful too.
If you want to contact me you can use the feedback form on this blog and I also have a few other places too such as LinkedIn and Twitter. I have a couple of Facebook Accounts, one for work and one personal… the work is more of a twitter feed for me and a place to discuss things as part of my work if necessary and my personal is family only (so if you happen to find me twice that's why!)
If you like to attend the occasional translation industry event we might even get a chance to meet… you can find the events I'm planning to attend in the righthand sidebar to these pages.


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To register Click Here.
MTM: A Clinical Approach
This program is open to WesternU Preceptors & Alumni. Other Pharmacists may attend on space available basis.
To register Click Here.
Posted by: Renee Cook, Manager of CE & Events. August 29, 2013.
Preceptor Development CE
Members of SDSHP, SDCPhA and WesternU Preceptors and Alumni are invited to participate in this program.
To register Click Here.
Posted by: Renee Cook, Manager of CE & Events. August 29, 2013
Breastfeeding & Medications
When it comes to breastfeeding and use of certain medications, many mothers may be "inappropriately advised" to discontinue medications or avoid breastfeeding due to the possibility of the drug causing adverse effects on the infant. According to a recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, many medications can be safely used by women who are breastfeeding.
In the clinical report, Dr. Sachs indicates that this cautious approach may not be necessary because only a small number of drugs are contraindicated in breastfeeding and may cause adverse side effects to the infant.
What should the letter contain?
A really good letter of recommendation can help the candidate get that dream job, a prestigious scholarship or an award. However, a bad letter of recommendation can hurt their chances. Therefore, it is important to include following points to bring out the best aspects of the candidate.
First Recommend.
In the first paragraph of the letter, the first line should recommend the candidate. For example: "I highly recommend Jane Doe for the Martin Luther King Scholarship."
Specify How You Know the Candidate.
In the first paragraph of the letter, the relationship of the candidate with the writer should be established. The writer should specify if the candidate was their coworker, employee or a volunteer along with time frame they have known each other.
How to ask?
When asking for a letter of recommendation, there are some facts that should be given along with the request. First is to remind the recommender how you know each other and what activities such as projects and or presentations you did together.
Give Supporting Information.
Make sure to provide an updated version of your CV/resume, which includes your awards received and current projects. Also include the list of names, addresses and deadlines for each job, residency or scholarship you are applying for.
A letter of recommendation is a personal endorsement; in other words, the recommender writes about a person's qualities, skills, and characteristics. A really good letter of recommendation can help you get that dream job, a prestigious scholarship or an award. However, a bad letter of recommendation can hurt your chances. In this blog, we will review some points on who to ask for a letter of recommendation.
Who to ask?
Ask someone who knows and likes you!
It is important to ask someone who you have worked with and has a good opinion about you. It is also important that you ask someone you have kept in touch with. Do not ask for a letter of recommendation from someone you haven't talked to in many years.
RxBound Expanded Version
The Summer 2013 edition of RxBound is hot off the press. The expanded electronic version is also available by clicking on the button below.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP


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There are lots of people who have been lifeguards in their lives and there are many lifeguarding today. It can be called somewhat of a noble profession because you protect people, reduce injuries and save lives.
I came to lifeguarding a little bit differently than most other people, if not all of them.
When I was a kid, I loved the community pool. I lived just down the street from it and every summer I practically lived at the park and in the pool.
There's a movie called 'The Sandlot'. In it, this group of young boys all adore the lifeguard at their pool. The movie producers chose a really attractive girl to play the role of the lifeguard, "Wendy Peffercorn", that they were all in love with.
Anyway, one of the little boys decides he's had enough of her teasing them with her sexiness.
He hatches a plan.
He goes off of the diving board and sinks to the bottom. He stays there until the lifeguard fears for his life and jumps in to save him.
She brings him to the side of the pool and begins administering mouth to mouth resuscitation on him.
Slowly, Squints, his name in the movie, starts to crack a smile. He had faked the whole thing just to touch lips with the cute lifeguard.
Squints got kicked out of the pool that day, but he was a hero to all of his friends. Nice move for Squints. I could only be so lucky.
If you've never seen the movie, you should try to watch it. It's a classic about young boys and youth.
We had a sexy lifeguard that was prettier than the one in that movie. She was tall, blonde and with a great tan. It's been many years, but I think her name was Sheree'.
Sheree' was gorgeous and could have been a very successful model if she had wanted to do that.
One day, my friends and I are at the pool playing when someone gets the wise idea to go down and swim across the deep end. For young kids, this was a thrill.
I had taught myself how to swim and wasn't a very strong swimmer at this age, but I went along with the other kids, even though I was a little scared.
We get down to the deep end of the pool and everybody jumps in and starts swimming across the pool, towards Sheree'.
I jump in at the back of the crowd and start swimming too.
Then another kid named Reed comes up behind me and starts pulling on my legs backwards. For a weak swimmer, this was too much. I began to drowned.
The next thing I remember is sitting by the side of the pool underneath Sheree's lifeguard stand. I was drowning, blacked out and Sheree' came in and saved me from dying.
I was in a little shock from the whole ordeal.
Fast forward to a few years later.
I was about 16 and still spending my summers in the park and at the pool. And Sheree' still worked there.
One day, I heard about a lifeguarding class Sheree' was going to teach. so I signed up. I was a much better swimmer now and felt confident I could pass the class. Having Sheree' teach it was an added bonus.
I went through the class and did well.
I passed and got my lifeguarding certification card. I was now a certified lifeguard. Things were going to change for me from here on out. It was the beginning of my life, in a manner of speaking.
I worked some at the pool, but was never a full time lifeguard there. That job was wanted by a lot of people and I was never going to get it.
A few years pass, and one day I get a call from Sheree's sister. She tells me that Sheree' is now living in Houston and working at a waterpark that just opened.
Sherri's sister goes on to tell me that Sheree' wanted me to come and work there. I was over the moon with excitement. My sister already lived in Houston, so I was able to sleep on her couch during the summers as I worked at the waterpark.
If I had not done so well in that class Sheree' taught, I don't think she would have reached out to offer me a job. She didn't offer it to any others as far as I knew.
After I was hired in and completed my basic training about the waterpark, I was assigned to an area call the 'Lagoon'.
I worked there my first summer and made some rescues. It was an exciting job. You got to get a great tan, save lives and party your ass off at all of these great lifeguard parties.
I enjoyed my first summer at WaterWorld and even got a new nickname, Spider. I had done an impression of Spiderman one night at a party and the name just stuck.
After the summer was over, I returned to Louisiana to go back to college.
The year passed by quickly and I was again back at the waterpark. But there had been changes since my first year.
Part of the new training requirements was this test called "The Brick". You had to hold a rubber coated, ten pound brick with both hands and tread water for 2 minutes, I think. It's been so many years ago I'm not sure. It might have been for 3 minutes. It was hard to do.
Here is a girl doing it. You can see in her face that it's not easy. This was a test in case you had to put someone in a neck securing hold in deep water and couldn't use your arms to swim while you supported their neck after an injury.
Anyway, I couldn't do it. I had no body fat whatsoever to help me float and I didn't know the egg beater kick, which helps you a lot.
Since I couldn't pass the Brick Test, I couldn't work in deep water anymore, so I was assigned to Activities. This area was all of the water slides and WaterWorld had a lot of them.
At the beginning of the summer, there are no assignments for Head Guard yet. I began working at Activities and I started to help run the clipboard for my Head Guard from last season, who was now a Supervisor.
I did so well at keeping things organized that they named me a Head Guard of Activities. I now had a red name tag instead of the white ones for regular guards. That was a special thing.
I worked well at Activities. Part of the requirements to be a Head Guard was that you had to pass the brick test. I practiced until I could do it. The day I went for my test, they kept me out here for 4 minutes as a joke. So I went for twice as long as required.
It worked out well failing the brick test the first time. If I had passed, I would have been a regular guard at the Lagoon again, but now I was a Head Guard.
About a month later, I was told that there was going to be a promotion to Supervisor for one of the Head Guards.
There were three Head Guards selected to interview for this promotion out of six total Head Guards. I was one of the three. I was excited for the chance.
Myself and the other two Head Guards went through the interview process. I had a really good interview and was the one that was promoted. I had worked at the waterpark a total of 4 months and had already made Supervisor in Training. It was happy days for me back then.
A short time after I was promoted, a few more people were promoted too. We were all 'Supervisors in Training', but we were called SiT's for short.
As Sit's, we had to endure our share of hazing from the full fledged Supervisors and our Manager.
I always had a good relationship with my Manager and the Supervisors above me. I tried to return the hazings as much as I could, when possible.
One day, my Manager was sitting at one of the restaurants in the waterpark, having lunch with another big wig. He sees me and calls me over.
He says, "Hey Sit, that trash can is over-flowing. Go empty that trash bag". As a Sit, we had to do whatever was asked of us.
I went over and took the full trash bag out of the can and put in a new trash bag. Then I promptly went to the back offices and placed the full trash bag in my bosses chair behind his desk.
When he came in and saw that trash bag again… in his chair – he was pissed, but not mad. And there is a difference.
As my punishment for doing that, he made me carry that bag of trash around the waterpark, for an entire day, everywhere I went; even to lunch. Everybody got a good laugh at calling me the Trash Man that day.
Another time, he told me to go over and pick up this life jacket and put it where it belonged.
I went over and picked it up. Then I t0ok it to a back area and got some supplies.
I took some tape and placed it across the back of the life jacket and wrote his name on it. It was like the manager of the waterpark had his own personal life jacket because he couldn't swim. I then took the life jacket and put it in his office chair again.
The next day, when he comes in, he gets pissed again. I got a good laugh out of it.
As my punishment this time, he made me wear a life jacket all day around the waterpark. Man, did that suck.
Of course I couldn't take this alone. So I implicated a fellow Sit in the ordeal by telling my Manager he was involved too.
My Manager made that other Sit wear a life jacket all day too. The best part was that he was cross training on the train that day and it gets over 100 degrees when you're driving the train. He had to wear that life jacket in addition to already sweating his ass off, he was even more hot. I loved it.
I would go up to the train station every time the train whistle blew to signal its' arrival. I would laugh at my fellow Sit and he would cuss me out. It was great fun.
Below, in the middle, is my first Head Guard, Jim Wilson. To his left, is my fellow Supervisor friend Dominic Hoepfl. He's the one that I got into trouble and he had to wear the life vest while working on the train.
Here's me and my Manager, Bob Logan. When I wrote his name on the Life Vest, I wrote "Boob Logan".
I was always thin in those days, no matter how hard I tried to gain weight.
Things like the trash bag joke and the life vest incident occurred all the time when I was a Sit.
In addition to completing my training to become a full fledged supervisor, I was going to parties almost every night. And there were some wild parties. No one parties harder than we did.
After a couple of months of training, I was promoted to Water Safety Supervisor in the waterpark. I then started working shifts at the waterpark and was in charge of the operations as far as water safety went.
I had to maintain certifications as a waterpark lifeguard and in addition to that I had to be certified as a Lifeguarding Instructor, a CPR Instructor, a First Aid Instructor and I was certified in a course called Vital Signs.
In 1987, I earned a Lifetime Certification as a SCUBA diver from the organization called PADI. I used to SCUBA dive in the waterpark to fix things in the pools and to help clean them.
Being a Water Safety Supervisor at a large waterpark was a lot of responsibility for a 19 or 20 year old kid, but I really loved the challenge.
I would check staffing levels and even out the crews so every crew had enough guards to run breaks. I also responded to every rescue in the park and looked over the incident report to make sure everything was okay.
This is the Wave Pool and people loved swimming in it.
There were other responsibilities, like checking the water levels in all of the activities and watching the guards to make sure they were doing their jobs correctly.
During the day, I had to circulate the park and sign off on all of the Safety Check Lists that were completed by the Head Guards and their crews that morning before we opened.
We did Safety Checks every morning to ensure that the park was safe for the guests and employees alike.
Another important responsibility was to watch the weather and close down activities and pools if lightning was a threat.
The guests hated it when we would make everyone get out of the water and off of all of the slide towers, but lightning is nothing to play with. We never had an incident with lightning.
As a Supervisor, I could now give 'Corrective Interviews'. If a guard got three of these, they were terminated.
I could also fire someone on the spot for any safety issue or violation of company policy. The job came with a lot of responsibility, but I loved it.
During this time, I had a good time with the ladies. One summer, I had 13 different girlfriends. And when I say girlfriends, I mean one night stands. Some girls I dated several times after meeting up at a party and getting drunk together.
One time I calculated it and found out that during the three months of summer, I was having sex every three days on average. It was our version of the 'Free Love' generation. Everybody was sleeping with everybody else.
It was the best years of our lives, when we had our bodies in the best shape and everybody looked great with a deep, dark tan.
Here are some photos a fellow Supervisor took of some lovely ladies that worked with us.
One of our pastimes at the waterpark was playing volleyball.
We had two courts and after work, we played all of the time.
I organized a tournament between the three waterparks in Houston and we beat Fame City and Splash Town every year. They hated us, lol.
Here's a photo of me as a Supervisor, talking to one of my good friends.
These guys were some of my best friends at the waterpark. It seems everyone had a nickname. This is Gator, Pup and Muffin. As I said earlier, the called me Spider or Spiderman.
I think I was well liked by one and all, except for those that were jealous of my quick rise to Supervisor. You'll have "Haters" everywhere you go, no matter what.
Each summer, the State Lifeguard Championship was held. Most of the time it was hosted by our waterpark. This was fun to have the competition on our property.
When I heard about the Lifeguard Competition, I was immediately interested. Although I had not been a person who had taken swimming lessons as a youth or was a member of a swim club, that didn't stop me from looking into getting on the team.
We had three teams that competed. The first team was called S.T.O.R.M. That stood for Strong Team of Rescue Men. Then there was team number two. They were to try and finish right after the first team, in order to create a larger gap in points between our first team and anyone else.
Lastly, we had a third team. This team was a team that was just for fun and had no hopes of winning, or even placing well.
The picture below is of the Rescue Tube Relay.
We had all great swimmers on our first and second teams, and most were on college scholarships for swimming. They were that good, so there was no hope of me making the team in any of the swimming events.
Here is one of our members competing in the Rescue Tube Relay. I think this is Jim Hord. We would always be the fastest and win first in this event.
I did find out about another event that I could compete in. It was called the Ring Buoy Relay. You stood on the side of the pool and threw a ring buoy inside of a target area and you had three other teammates on this 4 man relay.
This is one of our members competing in the Victim Recovery Relay. You run out to recover a submerged mannequin that simulates a drowning victim.
I began practicing the ring buoy all of the time until I became really good at it. After a while, I was the best ring buoyer in the whole park.
After the competitor retrieves the mannequin from the bottom of the pool, he begins to swim back to shore as fast as he can.
Since each team member had to compete in two events, I had to come up with another event I could compete in so I could make the team.
After a while, a second teammate is allowed to swim out and assist the first rescuer in bringing the mannequin into shore and the finish line. All of these events are timed and you are racing against all of the other teams.
I ended up competing in the Backboarding event, where you place a judge on a Backboard as if they had a neck or spinal injury. The judge on the board and another watching would grade your performance in order to know who won first place and so on.
Here, the two rescuers support the head and sprint to shore once they are in shallower water. I think this is John Cox and Jeff McPherson. We always won first in this event also.
I also studied and competed in the testing portion of the competition. I took the Lifeguarding test and did well. There were tests on CPR and First Aid as well and we always placed first in these events. Our test takers were very smart people.
The picture below is of the AR Relay. Artificial resuscitation relay. The first rescuer had to swim out and begin simulating AR as he swam back to the finish line. After he signaled with a raised fist, the second teammate could swim out and assist him in towing the mannequin to the finish line.
I know it sounds repetitious, but we finished first in this event all of the time also.
As a member of the Backboarding team, myself and the other ring buoy specialists handled strapping in the lower part of the body. The head and chest area were the most important parts of this drill.
Since I was finished strapping in the legs one year, I reached up and held the judges hand.
After we brought the judge to shore and unstrapped her, we were waiting to hear how we had done.
The firs thing she said was, "Who held my hand?". By doing that, I had impressed and pleased the judge, so we obviously won first place in that event too.
Here I am on the Backboarding team, carrying the judge to shore. You can see me holding her hand in the picture.
On the ring buoy team, I usually went first to set the tone and get us off to a good start.
Here I am supporting our Anchor Man in the relay.
We finished with a time of 3:15 that year and set a new state record. Obviously we won the event.
Here we are receiving our Blue Ribbons for First Place. That's me Spider, Turtle, Timmy and Eli.
A few years later, we broke our own record in the ring buoy event with a time of 1:48.
Here we are right after the event. That's Gator, Spider, Turtle and Kyle.
It was always nice to have the competition at our park because our guards could watch us win all of the time. We made all of our guards proud to say that they worked at WaterWorld, home of the State Champions.
Here's the picture of the first time we won the state competition. I jumped on Pat's back for the photo. This competition was held at a waterpark facility in Houston called Fame City.
Here we are after another victory. This event was held at our park, WaterWorld.
This next victory photo shows you how much I was partying that summer because I was so thin. This photo was in the paper. We made the paper several times during our careers.
This photo is from victory number 5 and it was held at Splash Town, another waterpark in Houston.
In this championship photo, you can see signs on the back wall of the Wave Pool. Six Flags put up a new sign every time we won the state championship. We were winning so often that they ran out of room on the wall, so they just made one sign and put all of the years on the bottom of this one sign. It was nice to look at and it impressed the guests at our waterpark.
In a lot of the winning photos, I was in the same spot.
Here's a better photo of the back wall of the wave pool, where they started hanging signs for our championships.
This is a picture of the one sign they made that had all of the years on one sign. We won one more year, then we retired. You can see where the 1995 was placed on the wall until we got the new sign that included that year and the word retired.
Here's a photo of the sign when we had 9 consecutive championships. It's blurry but you can still make out the sign in the background. Since many of the original team were leaving the waterpark for other jobs, we decided to retire the name S.T.O.R.M. so that's why it says Retired after the 1995 championship.
We did this so no one could compete under our name and tarnish our reputation by not winning a championship like we had.
Here's a clearer picture of a section of the sign.
To let you know how really good we were, for several years there was a Regional Lifeguard Competition before the State Competition. We won all of the Regional Competitions also.
So instead of 9 championships, we really had about 13 if you count the regional championships.
I doubt there will ever be a Lifeguard Team in the U.S. that was as good as us for so long, with so many championships to our name.
I must say, being a member of the Lifeguard Team for WaterWorld was a high point of my life and always will be. It was some of the best times of my life and I'll remember them always.
But the summer was not all filled with Lifeguard Competition practice and events. I had time for lots of other fun.
At the waterpark, I was called the Master of Ceremonies because I always spearheaded the parties by making and handing out the maps to everyone. I also came up with new ideas to have fun all of the time.
One year, I came up with the idea to make a funny video that was called "Super Dave".
There was a show on TV that featured Super Dave Osborne and his stunts always ended horribly, which was the fun and comedy of his show.
We had a guard named Dave, so we named our video Super Dave as well.
I came up with these stunts that he could attempt, but they always ended badly for him.
Here is Super Dave's stunt crew getting ready for his first stunt. The photos were taken out of the video, so they're not the best but they'll do for this story.
In his first stunt, he was to be taped into a tube and attempt to ride all the way down our tube ride while strapped in and unable to move. The premise was pretty funny.
He looked funny when he was all taped into the tube and we did this while the park was open, so the other guests were laughing as well.
As you'd expect, his stunts never worked out quite the way he expected, lol. He did two more stunts with the same results and the video was pretty funny when finished.
A few years later, I did another video, but this time it was called Super Wee because we used a different guard as the star stuntman of the video.
I think Super Wee came out better than Super Dave, but both were good, funny videos. It's where I got my start doing video work and now I'm pretty damned good at it, if I do say so myself.
Here's a video screen capture of me having a laugh with some other guards. I laughed all the time when I worked at the waterpark. It was a cheerful place to work.
Another thing that I did that was a lot of fun was organize our very own version of the Gumball Rally.
Each summer, I had the guards make up their own teams of four people and get ready to race go karts at night after work.
There were a couple of rules though. Each team had to have a good name, wear costumes and have a slogan.
I had some buddies that I always raced with a and we called ourselves Racer X, like from the cartoon Speed Racer.
One year, we wore one of my buddies moms' stewardess dresses from the 70's. Our slogan was "We're gonna fly".
Here are three of us in our stewardess dresses. Can you imagine that stewardesses actually wore these in the 70's?
We always shot video of the Gumball Rally. One of the other rules was that you had to show up at our regular drinking place, a dead end street, before the race and get shit-faced drunk.
In the photo below, I just told my teammate, Gator, his shoe was untied. You can never be too safe, lmao.
We had a blast racing in the Gumboil Rally each summer. We never had a clear cut winner because everybody was drunk and everybody was cheating.
This always led to a heavily debated topic the next day at the waterpark. Our contention was that Racer X never loses.
It was a fun time arguing with everybody when they are all accusing you of cheating, lol.
Something else that we did at the park was Fright Fest. After the summer was over, we helped the amusement park next to us host their Halloween festivities.
They gave us an attraction, ride or area and let us decorate and staff it, then we scared the shit out of people all during the weekends of Halloween.
The last place they gave us was our own waterpark. We decorated it and made it look scary at night, then they gave us some trams to carry people around the waterpark and we would scare them as they passed each little decorated area. It was a lot of fun to set up and operate.
The photos below are from when we were scaring people at the waterpark.
By far, the best place they ever gave us to scare people was their African Boat Tour the first year we ever did it.
We had different things and people located all around the riverboat ride and scared the living shit out of people.
One of the first things that happened on the boat ride was that we yanked someone off of the boat. This scared everybody to death because after that they didn't know if they would be next or not.
Here's a photo of someone getting yanked off of the boat by one of us dressed in a "Jason" costume. We called our attraction "Blood River".
What the public didn't know was that the person being pulled off was one of us.
We had a dryer that was constantly drying clothes for us and our "Yankies" would get into dry clothes, get in the boat with everybody else when the ride started and make small talk with the guests as if they were a guest also.
We had the best time with this ride. Most of us were wearing wet suits and were in the water all around the boat's trip. It is hilarious and tons of fun to scare the daylights out of people. We had them jumping from one side of the boat to the other. It was great.
Another thing that was great about "Blood River" was that most of the people in my group were drinking. We couldn't drink beer because the cans would have been evidence. So we mixed screwdriver, vodka and orange juice, and put them in jars and drank that all night long. Being paid to get drunk and scare people was the best. If you ever get the chance to do that, I suggest you jump on it, lol.
One year, they gave us a mountain ride after they took out the African Boat Ride to put in a new attraction. We were definitely sad to see the boat ride go. Blood River was our all time favorite place to scare people.
The mountain wasn't that bad though. We had them follow a tour guide through the mountain and there were lots of places to scare people from.
Every year, they gave us a budget and a catalog to order supplies from. We always ordered a lot of fake blood. Out motto was, "You can never have enough Blood".
The photo below is from when we did the mountain for Halloween. I was a sheriff battling 'Jason" in this posed photo. That's me and Pat Lavin as Jason. He was my boss and the Head Coach of the Lifeguard Team I was on.
After Halloween was over, some of us Supervisors and a few selected others were hired on to continue working in AstroWorld, the amusement park next to the waterpark.
We bagan decorating all of the trees with Christmas lights for the Holiday in the Park celebration coming up.
It was fun working on this project. We called it H.I.P. for short. We had over 400 trees to decorate in a short time and it was hard work at times.
They gave us the use of a man lift and we had a lot of fun goofing off with this. It could lift you really high up into the air. So high that it got to be pretty scary to be that high in the basket of a man lift.
We all learned a great deal about the decorating lights used for the holiday's. We even took side jobs decorating places outside of work for extra money. I did a bank one year and also a coffeeshop in the Montrose.
I also did this huge Oak tree at one of my favorite bars in the Montrose in exchange for a drinking tab.
All in all, Fright Fest and H.I.P. were a lot of fun, and a great way to spend the fall after the waterpark had closed down.
When it came to the next year, we had work then too, because we had to put away all of the Holiday decorations that were put out for H.I.P.
This lasted a couple of months. Then it was time to work AstroWorld's Spring Break celebration. We operated a climbing wall and other fun attractions for them and it was a great job, considering we didn't have to go out and get real jobs until work began at the waterpark again.
One year, two of my fellow Supervisors got jobs in Padre Island for all of Spring Break. I went down and joined them. It was a blast.
We hosted Keg parties, got a bus and brought people into Mexico for a night of drinking and dancing at a Mexican bar and other fun events for the Spring Breakers.
We worked on fun things during the day and each night we were getting hammered at the bars of Padre Island. It was one of the most fun times of my life.
In the photo below, you can tell I was having a good time, when you pass out on the beach in broad daylight, lol. I wore that grass skirt throughout all of Spring Break.
After Spring Break, it was time to get the waterpark ready to open again. We would begin cleaning and getting ready.
We had to take out the rescue equipment and get it ready. Check all of the Lifeguard Stands and get our Guest Relations Office clean and ready.
We also pressure washed the concrete. I loved this part of the job. I would put my earphones in and go to town with that pressure washer.
I enjoyed cleaning the concrete every year and I always did a good job at it.
So, considering all of the jobs we had during the off season from the waterpark, we never had to get real jobs once the waterpark closed for the season.
I did this cycle of work for many years. And I loved the constant change of jobs every few months. It never got boring.
After the waterpark opened, I organized a Cook Out for all of the LifeGuards.
I called up some friends of mine that owned a restaurant and they would come out and cook fried shrimp and some Cajun food for everyone.
It was a great way to kick off the summer. Everyone loved the Cajun Cook Out.
When the waterpark opened again, one of the other things that I did was coach the softball team. We had an awesome team.
We were so good that we went undefeated for two seasons, back to back. Nobody could even come close to beating us. Softball was another of my great loves of the summer.
Each year, I would design a T shirt for the softball team to wear. We called them STORM shirts, after our name, Strong Team of Rescue Men.
Everybody in the waterpark had a STORM shirt and wore them religiously. They were very popular among the guards.
Here is a photo of the softball team after one of our Undefeated Seasons. We dominated.
Here is another photo from another angle on our waterfall at the waterpark. It never got old posing with trophies. We did it all the time.
I'd like to think that I was a good coach, considering I was the only coach to ever have back to back undefeated seasons.
I was always too skinny during my years at the waterpark, but I was ripped with no body fat.
I'll tell you something now that not a lot of people know about waterparks.
There's a lot of money found at a waterpark. People lose money out of their shorts and swimsuits all day long while they are playing and riding the slides.
Most of the money is found in the Splash Pools. That's where the ride ends and people splash into a pool that ends the ride.
I heard many stories of lifeguards finding wads of bills floating in the water and they would just grab it and stuff it in their swimsuits and not tell anyone.
We had "Water Wallets" at our waterpark. These were little blue plastic, thin containers that people bought to hold their money in. They had pins on them so they could pin them to their swimsuits. But sometimes they came off.
When we found these we were supposed to turn them into Guest Relations in case the guest came looking for it.
Most of the time this process worked, but there's no telling how many water wallets were found and never turned in.
One job I had at the waterpark that I enjoyed was diving the pools at night after the park had closed.
I had a diving mask and I would go from pool to pool picking up all of the coins on the bottom of the pools. These coins added up to a lot of cash quickly.
We called this money Splash Cash or our Slush Fund. We would spend it on alcohol for the lifeguard parties or to buy softballs and equipment for our softball and lifeguard teams.
I had two very cool experiences while I was diving the pools.
One day at the waterpark, I went to the First Aid department to check on an injury that occurred in the park. A boy had hit his friend on one of the slides and knocked his front tooth out.
I asked what area this happened and left First Aid.
I grabbed my mask and went to that splash pool. Ordinarily, you'd have to shut down the ride in order to dive the pool because of the people continuously landing in the splash pool. However, I knew how to dive the pool without interfering with the guests landing in the pool.
I spent some time looking and finally found his tooth. It was large and intact.
I brought it to First Aid and they put it in milk and gave it to the boy's mother. They left the park and headed to his dentist so that the tooth could be put back in. I saved that kid's smile that day and I was happy about it.
Another time, I was in the park when a lady came up to the Guest Relations window and told us about how she lost her diamond out of her ring on the Speed Slide.
This ride was a high velocity ride, so I couldn't dive it during operating hours, but after work that day I began looking for her diamond.
You can imagine how hard this was. A diamond for a ring is small compared to the area I had to search for it. The Speed Slide splash pool was pretty big and it took me forever but I finally found this small diamond because it flashed a sparkle from the lights underwater in the pool.
I never told anyone I found the diamond because they probably would have tried to talk me into keeping it and trying to get some money for it.
Instead, I brought it to the Security Department and turned it in so it could be returned to the lady.
About two weeks later, I was near the Tube Ride when two girls walked up. They were the ladies' daughters and she wanted to give me a reward.
I politely declined and told them that it was my pleasure to find it for her.
That was another good feeling I had while diving the pools at the waterpark. I enjoyed that job and did it all of the time. I miss doing that because it was fun.
One summer, a fellow Supervisor of mine got promoted to Manager of the waterpark. We called him Chet, after the brother in the movie "Weird Science". Chet in the movie was always hazing his younger brother and our Chet was a stickler for procedure and rules. If we were going to goof off, we had to keep an eye out for Chet
In the mornings, before the park would open, the guards would be filling water coolers and doing Safety Check Lists. I would go into the Guest Relations Office and get on the P.A. system and play certain songs and talk about funny things that were happening in the waterpark. It was our own little radio station. I called it KChet Pirate radio.
Chet was always still in the back office and never knew about KChet Pirate radio. If he did, he would have made me stop. That was Chet for you.
So without me working at the waterpark, they would have never had the Gumball Rally, the Cajun Cook Out, KChet Pirate Radio, the volleyball tournament, STORM shirts, an undefeated softball team and no one to organize most of the parties and hand out maps to everyone. I dare say, I would have been missed when it came to having fun during the summer.
Although I've painted a picture of Lifeguard Competitions, Parties, Go Karts, Cook Outs and lots of fun, working at a waterpark was still a very serious job.
We had to undergo specialized training just to be certified to work in a waterpark, then we had to undergo training about the waterpark specifically; not to mention being CPR certified.
After a person was hired in and fully trained about the area they would be working, they began work and were required to attend a mandatory training session once a week to maintain their jobs.
There were lectures by nationally known aquatic experts like Dr. John Hunsucker, as seen below.
Continual Training is a necessary part of a lifeguards' job.
Staying fresh with the knowledge and procedures for CPR is extremely important.
You never know when you may need to perform these skills and practicing made the guards good and built confidence in them that they were well prepared.
Learning how to treat someone with a suspected neck or spinal injury was also very important to learn if you worked at a waterpark.
Knowing the proper techniques could lessen the severity of an injury and not cause further harm to the injured person.
This is a picture of how you stabilize a person's head and neck while in the water, if you suspect they have a head, neck or spinal injury. This is why you test out on the brick to make sure you can help a victim and swim without using your arms, because they would be occupied helping the victim.
Knowing how to place an injured person on a backboard was necessary training at the waterpark because we had to do this every so often.
People would land the wrong way in a pool or collide with someone else and they would suffer an injury.
Although we backboarded some guests at our park, none were ever serious injuries. We backboarded them mostly as a precautionary step.
Every guard needed to know what to do in each position on the backboard.
The deep water guards had to constantly work on their water skills.
They practiced their rescue techniques a lot, so they were ready when the time came to use their skills.
We had rescues every day at the waterpark. People would get tired, jump into deep water and not know it or fall off of a tube in deep water.
There were many reasons why a person needed rescuing.
The guards also trained on how to handle an unconscious person and how to administer Artificial Resuscitation while in the water.
This is a technique for turning a person over who is face down in the water.
The deep water guards also practiced their escape maneuvers, in case a drowning person grabbed them and took them underwater also.
Not many people could undergo the type of training these guards had to undergo.
Although training was a weekly requirement, most of the guards liked it, and also they got paid for it, so it meant extra money on their paychecks.
I'm sure the guards learned skills they will never forget for the rest of their lives.
While I was working at WaterWorld, I got a call one day from the waterpark in California. They wanted me to come out to train their guards on how to work at a wave pool.
Here's a photo of the California guards and myself.
While I was in California working at their wave pool, there was a person that started to drowned in the middle of the pool.
I saw them but the guards didn't. I had a group of VIP's standing a few feet behind me and I didn't want to cause a scene that would give a negative impression about the guards.
I did my best to get the guards attention without blowing my whistle loudly and pointing.
After a few seconds, the guard on that side of the pool noticed the victim and went in to rescue him. I was relieved that the rescue was made because we were running the pool with less than the guards I would have usually had because no other guards were available.
After the rescue was made, one of the VIP's called me over and said that the guard had done a good job. He also asked me if we could get some more guards on the pool.
I said sure and that I'd get to work on that, then they walked off.
I thought to myself "No shit, Sherlock". If I had the guards, of course I would have had them up in the lifeguard stands. These VIP's walked away thinking that they had actually told me to do something that I hadn't thought of. Some people.
When I returned to Houston, I used our guards and the wave pool and wrote an instructional manual for the California park to use with their wave pool.
I used the man lift to get a "Bird's Eye" view of the rescue simulation I had planned.
That's me and my photographer up in the man lift.
Working at the waterpark helped me develop into a responsible person with a good work ethic. And meeting all of the girls didn't hurt either, lol.
Waterpark lifeguards are a great group of people to know and be friends with. Their well-trained, fun loving, party animals.
Now days, everyone in these photos is probably married with kids of their own, but for a while we were Sun Kings and Queens and nobody did it better.
I took this picture from a video. It's one of the last pictures of me in a lifeguard stand.
This is myself and some of my lifeguard buddies at a party. We're all getting older, but we're still good friends.
A few years back, I met up with some of the other Supervisors I had worked with at the waterpark. We had a good time having a drink and reminiscing about the good old days.
Here's another photo from that night. The guy to my left is my first Head Guard and the guy who helped me get promoted to Head Guard myself.
On my resume', I always put the part about being a State Champion Lifeguard. It was one of my first big accomplishments and I will always be very proud of the work and effort I put in to get that title of champion.
Here's our best photo as champions. I cherish it. There's a lot of good friends in that picture with whom I have many great memories of and with.
When I was a shivering little kid sitting, shocked, under Sheree's lifeguard stand, I could have never imagined that that moment would be so impactful on the rest of my life.
I never knew that pulling on a kids legs and causing him to almost drowned could change a person's life so drastically.
If I had not almost drowned, I may never had become such a strong swimmer and taken Sheree's lifeguarding class.
Taking that class led to my job offer to work at the waterpark. Working at the waterpark helped me develop very good social skills and gave me lots of managerial experience at an early age. As a Head Guard at 19, I was in charge of up to 75 lifeguards and as a Water Safety Supervisor, I was overseeing about 150 guards and responsible for the safety of as many as 5,000 guests to that waterpark.
If I had not developed good work skills and been living in Houston, I would have never been offered a job to work in motorsports and met and worked with the likes of Jeff Gordon and many more racing legends.
If that kid had never pulled my legs and almost caused me to drowned, I would have never received a ring for being a State Champion Lifeguard and a NASCAR Championship ring for working with Jeff Gordon, as well as an IndyCar Championship ring for my work in that series also.
You never know what little thing may change the course of your life. It could be a fender bender where you meet your future spouse and have several kids with. It may be when you bump carts in the grocery store with someone and meet your future boss that gives you a great job, where you work your entire career and receive several promotions and make lots of money during your life.
I've said before that I've lived a charmed life to a certain degree. I've seen this great country far and wide several times a year for many years. I've been to Europe and seen Italy, Paris, London and Amsterdam, with plans to visit many more.
I've met so many quality people and made lifelong friends with them. I've had experiences many can only dream about and some that people would have never even thought of.
All because I almost died that day in that community pool in a small town in Louisiana.
Being rescued by a Supermodel blonde that day changed my life and I'll be forever grateful to her.
Remember to take advantage of every opportunity and situation offered to you. If I had not put in the effort of working my best at the Activities area of that waterpark when I couldn't pass the brick test, I would have never been promoted to Head Guard and never to Supervisor. I would have stayed an Activities Guard that summer and every summer I continued to work there, if I even came back for a third season after not being able to save people in deep water.
Two bad things that happened to me in my life, almost drowning and failing the Brick Test, turned out to be the best things to happen to me.
Always look for the 'Silver Lining' and make 'Lemonade out of Lemons'.
I hope all of your negatives always turn into positives for you. And remember the old saying, "Life is what you make of it". So work hard and always try to do your best and good things will happen for you eventually, I guarantee it.
Thanks for reading this story about my days as a Lifeguard. I hope that you enjoyed it and found it entertaining in some way that made it worth your while to spend the time reading it.
Until next time, do what makes you happy. Life's too short to dilly dally.
Spider Michaels


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David with VJs feeding back comments on shot
I had one of those eureka moments with a colleague of mine Steve May who runs e Script writing on the Masters in Film on campus.
The upshot of our exchange is that in a couple of weeks I'm pitching a film idea at a script session organised by Steve that includes producers from the hugely successful working title.
As Steve put it, you'll get some very good feedback, if you're up for it and I'd like to work with you on the script.
The brief is essentially a video journalism feature piece, but I'll be using tried and tested methods within video journalism to up the ante.
And in case you're wondering, the three act tale with arcs, so much a feature of film making has been part of video journalism for the best part of ten years, is one of them.
For about 20 minutes we stood in the court yard ping-ponging film talk at each other.
Steve: As far as scripts go, it's not one of the classic thriller script but what makes Bourne work is the editing and Greengrass' sense of tension. For classic thriller go see Marathon Man.
Me: Yes, but its his tagging and blocking - derived from documentary making- also a feature of video journalism, and dramas like Homicide that makes Greengrass's stuff edgy.
Steve: the docu drama look - if you look back at some of Cecil B DeMille's work you'll see this at work.
And so it went culminating in Steve asking me to come and speak to a group of film makers about the video journalism approach.
What we all share in common, I suppose is, character development and the metronome of story telling.
By the way when I say character development, it's in part a reference to the central characters in a piece and whether or not they're suitable for the piece.


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Zero growth inserts offer more than just what the name implies. The goal was to create an insert that does not grow and stretch at high speed. This reduces tyre growth and allows the tires to maintain their profile without a loss of traction from reduced contact patch as the tyre grows and the profile thins. This allows for more consistent handling. As an added bonus, the zero-growth inserts do not require gluing to the wheel allowing for endless insert changes as conditions change. This is a must have for the serious racer or hobbyist.
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Hostile have incorporated a pair of permanent 'straps' within the insert to prevent ballooning.
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text: Explanation of the Method of Interior Prayer (SB) $17.00Combining the best of modern Lasallian scholarship with the genius and insights of De La Salle into what he called "the first and principal exercise of the Brothers," this book is for everyone, religious or lay, intending to develop a systematic prayer life while serving in the ministry of Christian education. Details & Order > The Letters of John Baptist de La Salle (SB) $21.00An entirely new translation of all the known correspondence of De La Salle. Some 150 letters, including 40 never before available in English addressed to Brothers, members of his family, religious of other communities, and lay persons illuminate the character of the man who has been praised as an innovative educator, an eminent spiritual writer, and a saint. Details & Order > The Conduct of the Christian Schools (SB) $21.00More than anywhere else, it is in this volume that the educational genius and pragmatism of De La Salle and the first Brothers shine forth. The book has served for three centuries as the basis for administering the Brothers' schools, and it is universally held to be a milestone in the field of primary education. Details & Order > The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility (SB) $17.00The first edition of this book was published anonymously in 1703 as a reading textbook. Considering the nature and background of the urchins with whom it was intended to be used, we can only admire the idealism and objectives of the first Brothers. Some of the rules will amuse, and some will surprise, but De La Salle's premise for Christian decorum and civility is simple: we are all children of God, worthy of the respect we give and receive. Details & Order > Meditations (SB) $27.00This volume contains all of De La Salle's meditations. Written at various times in his life, these concise meditations were intended to serve as points for the Brothers to consider in their daily interior prayer. Though reflecting the ideals and practices of the French School of spirituality, they offer interesting insights into the beliefs and values of the Founder and serve as an inspiring guidepost to anyone in the ministry of education. Details & Order > The Duties of a Christian to God (SB) $27.00Translated by Richard Arnandez, FSC; edited by Alexis James Doval. Details & Order >


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Rider Guide Book
The event guide book contains all the vital information you will need on the event day such as start times, rest stop details, medical and enquiry phone numbers, drop bags, GPX files and much more.
2020 Rider Guide coming soon.
Registration / Check In / Event Jersey / Kit Collect
All riders are required to register for the ride. All riders who register on or before 23 February, 2020 will have their registration details, timing chip (if applicable) and any merchandise ordered delivered by mail. If you receive your registration kit in the mail you do not need to attend the Registration Tent on the event weekend.
All riders registering after 23 February, 2020 will need to collect their registration pack at the Event Village on either Saturday or Sunday of the event weekend:
80km Dirty Clare gravel rider registration only
Sunday Maxi, Challenge and Social rider registration
Maxi, Challenge and Social rider registration
Event Village Location
Clare Town Oval
180 Main North Rd,
Clare SA 5453
Dirty Clare 80km Gravel Course Information
Start line/time
80km Dirty Clare gravel course riders will take off from Clare Town Oval (Event Village) from 7.30am on Saturday, 4 April 2020.
Clare Town Oval
180 Main North Rd,
Clare SA 5453
All riders are required to register for the ride. All riders who register on or before 23 February, 2020 will have their registration details, timing chip (if applicable) and any merchandise ordered delivered by mail.
All riders who register after 23 February, 2020 will need to collect their registration pack on Saturday 4th April from 6.30am-7.30am at Clare Town Oval.
Parking will be available at Clare Town Oval but spaces are limited. There is plenty of space for parking on the many side roads adjacent to the Oval.
Start times and start information
The Start Line for Saturday 80km Dirty Clare gravel course riders is Clare Town Oval. All riders will head off from 7.30am.
The Start Line for Sunday Maxi, Challenge & Social riders is in the Town Centre of Clare, on Main North Road.
160 km course: From 7:30am riders will be sent off in groups of 75 riders in approximately 3 minute intervals.
110 km course: From 7:50am riders will be sent off in groups of 75 riders in approximately 3 minute intervals.
50 km course: From 8:10am riders will be sent off in groups of 75 riders in approximately 3 minute intervals. Anyone with baby seats will be at the end of the wave.
Cancellation and Refunds
Rules & Regulations
Key points:
- Ride on the left hand side of the road
- Respect signs which have been put in place by the event organisers
- Respect traffic lights if there is no marshal present
- Respect all other road rules and users
- Wear an Australian approved helmet at all times – no helmet = no ride
- Place your race number on your seat post and helmet – without it you will not have access to the start/ finish areas or any on course support.
Each rider is required to respect the environment and the natural areas visited. There is a zero tolerance on littering including paper, plastic packaging etc on the race course. Any rider caught throwing waste on the race course will be disqualified.
For this event to be run to a high standard, particularly for safety, there will be FIVE Commissionaires involved in the race. These supervisors will act as necessary to apply penalties for any rider who does not comply within the race rules.
Any rider wishing to protest his/her timing or report an infringement by a competitor should fill out a protest form available at the Info Point within two hours of finishing the stage. The protest will be considered by the race organisation. Adjudications will be displayed on the main information board at that evening's rider briefing.
Parking will be available at Clare Town Oval but spaces are limited. There is plenty of space for parking on the many side roads adjacent to the Oval.
The Start Line for Sunday event riders is on Main North Road, Clare with some partial road closures on the morning of the event. If wishing to park near the start line, please turn left onto Victoria Road at the OTR Convenience Store.
Assembly area
Maxi, Challenge & Social cyclists will gather in the Town Centre of Clare. More information will be sent prior to the event.
A ride etiquette briefing will take place 15 mins prior to each start group.
A vehicle will lead out each group from Main North Road up to the beginning of the timed start on White Hutt Road.
Rest Stops
Saturday, 4 April (Dirty Clare 70km gravel course)
Old Hoyleton Hotel
8 Terminus St, Hoyleton
Sunday, 5 April (Maxi, Challenge & Social courses)
1. Brinkworth (160km Maxi riders only)
Corner of Stone Cutter Road and Condowie Plain Road
2. Pioneer Park (160km Maxi and 110km Challenge riders)
Pioneer Avenue, Clare
3&4. Mintaro Oval (All riders)
85 Mintaro Road, Mintaro
Hydration Station: Manoora (160km Maxi and 110km Challenge riders)
Bananas and water only
EVENT VILLAGE & FINISH LINE: Clare Oval
160 Main North Road, Clare
Nutrition and hydration
This is a Sunday ride but not like your usual hit out. Nutrition and hydration are two factors that cannot be underestimated. Even at 30kph rides will be out for 5+ hours on the bike. It is recommended that riders consume one gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour.
Eating and drinking by the time you feel hungry / thirsty will be too late.
Every rider should carry some nutrition e.g. gels, bananas, muesli bars. Also riders are encouraged to carry 2 x 750ml water biddons.
Riders on the 160km loop will have access to all three Rest Stops, passing feed station two and three twice.
Riders on the 110km loop will have two Rest Stops – One and Two.
Plan to drink all your fluids by the time you get to the next station. Don't wait to feel thirsty before you drink, by then it will be too late.
Please also remember to Slip, Slop, Slap before you begin the race.
At Rest Stops there will be a water station, food and First Aid.
What else to carry
Tubes, C02 head unit and canisters, a puncture kit, mobile phone, sunglasses, some money.
Clare during April
Mean Max (°C) 21.6
Mean Min (°C) 9.1
Mean Rain (mm) 41.6
Median Rain (mm) 25.5
Mean Rain Days 7.7
Source: http://www.farmonlineweather.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=21131
Sunrise: 6:33am
Sunset: 6:01pm
Source: http://sunrisesunset.willyweather.com.au/sa/clare-valley/clare.html
Please be prepared! It is your responsibility to carry what you may need during the ride.
Your bike
Come prepared, check your bike in for a service, put on new tires, check your brakes, cables, chain, lube etc. Please do not arrive to the start with a bike that needs a full service.
We will have bike mechanics out on the course for your support.
The Event Management takes no responsibility for any valuables lost before / during or after the event.
Rider behaviour
Safety is our first priority.
The Clare Classic is a timed event NOT A RACE.
Riders will be going through challenging and remote areas where it may take some time to get to any incident. There will be First Aid at each of the three Rest Stops. There will also be roaming First Aid associated with the race.
We ask that ALL riders limit their risks to themselves and the other cyclists on course. Please show respect for your fellow cyclists and other road users and obey the road rules plus the event official's instructions.
The routes are not closed to traffic. There will be signage along the course route to relay that there is a cycling event in progress.
Do not cross the centre line on the road. Please ride two abreast. Do not pass on the inside. Cyclists who are observed to be infringing the event rules can be removed from the event at the discretion of the commissioners.
First aid
There will be an ambulance on course. There will be a designated First AID response team with two vehicles on course. There will also be First AID trained volunteers at each of the three rest stops.
The local ambulance command has been told about the event. In the case of emergency please call 000 and the race organiser Emergency Phone Number – 0447 182 425
Emergency medical staff will be clearly identified with High Vis vests and name tags.
What is included in your race pack?
Any merchandise you may have ordered and a race sheet including your seat post number. Please attach this to your bike. It is forbidden to alter, cut or fold your stickers.
Need help during the event?
If you are away from the Event Village and unable to go to the Info Point, you can call one of the two Event Hotlines.
Event Emergency Number: 0447 182 425
Event Hotline: 0447 463 614 (General event enquiries and mechanical assistance)
Team Rankings
Team rankings will be based in the Top Four times of each team. If only three cross the line, that team will not receive a team result.
Age restrictions
The minimum age for the event is 10 years old.
Riders aged 12-16 may participate in the 160km Maxi or 110km Challenge course if they have a Cycling Australia Race Licence number.
All other riders 10-16 years old may participate in the 50km Social Classic, if accompanied by an adult.
Cyclists and insurance
Insurance is compulsory. During the registration process, you will be asked to note your current insurance cover and insurance number. Your current insurance will need to cover you for the Clare Classic day event. If you do not have the appropriate insurance, you will be asked to take out day insurance, Personal Accident Cover. The cost of this cover is $10 per rider. Please click here for the Insurance FAQs.


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Arts For All hosted a "Bizarre Art Bazaar" at the open-air (but covered) barn on Wilcox Street behind Fred's Pharmacy (where the farmer's market is held each Thursday) just off of U.S. Highway 61 in St. Francisville on Saturday, May 28 from 9:00-5:00.
Offerings by members of Arts for All included original art, previously hung art, and items related to making art in all its forms, including original art, previously hung art, theatrical costumes, art supplies, art books, musical instruments. In other words, anything and everything related to the visual arts, theatre, music, writing, collage, 3D art, ceramics, glass, and anything else used in the creative process. Emphasis was placed on items consistent with the bazaar's bizarre theme!


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A note on how we're keeping our communities healthy and safe.
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You can stand firm on both ethical sourcing and great style. The Hold the Line Earrings use delicate brasswork to create a unique design. The jewelry makers who crafted this piece were paid fair, consistent wages, while free learning centers in their communities prevent child labor.
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text: Everyone is welcome at Illusions to partake in a fun and friendly night of pool, darts or just having a few drinks with old and new friends. Throughout the week there are various female impersonators who put on some of the best shows in Dallas and are some of the prettiest drag queens in the South. Daily drink specials can quench thirst for reasonable prices during happy hour. The Dallas gay bar allows all kinds of people to hang out in an accepting atmosphere where they can just be themselves.Facebook Tweet Linkedin Pinterest Google +


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Today I am going to show you a really pretty but super summery and pretty manicure I have been wearing this week. When sorting through my untried polishes I noticed a number of pastels so I decided to skittle them together. The colours are quite subtle yet at the same time very girly and chic and perfect for summer.
From left to right we have HITS Powerpuff Girls Lovely, Docede Leite, Barry M Blue Moon, HITS Powerpuff Docinho and Barry M Limited Edition.
I used three coats of Lovely and two coats of all the others. I really love the shades of all of these and they go together really well. I then topped everything with a coat of Ozotic 509 a sheer silver holographic (almost a holographic topcoat polish).
The holographic topcoat changed the shade slightly. When not in the light it gives a almost sugary slightly 'off' coloration which I quite liked. In the sun however this manicure had a life of it's own. Linear holographic galore! Sadly I couldn't completely capture it's beauty!
I think my favourite is Docede Leite with the holographic topcoat, as I always say I am not a fan of neutral polishes but with the holographic it looks amazing! So subtle and feminine!
What do you think? Do you like pastel polishes? What are you fav summer shades?


text: My name is James Sutton. This is my second year as a Teacher with Gateway Unified School District and I have been a coach for multiple sports at CV for the past 8 years. I coach football, Wrestling, and Track. I teach woodshop at Mountain Lakes and Ag Fab at Central Valley. I am also an Ag advisor for FFA and love helping students with their animal projects.


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Calypso Bay Clothing opened its doors in historic Downtown Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 2007 with a vision to offer contemporary clothing for women of all ages. Years later, this trendy boutique continues to offer the latest styles, from business casual to special occasion to timeless classics that every woman needs in their closet like comfortable denim or that "must have" little black dress.
Calypso Bay Clothing founder and owner, Shannyn Galloway works hard to stay ahead of the fashion curve with the styles she brings to Prince Albert. Shannyn also takes great pride in understanding and listening to the needs of each of the women that come through the door.
Personalized service and styles that are on trend have made Calypso Bay Clothing the choice for the modern, successful and confident woman. We strive to create an in store experience that is fun, helpful and empowering, an experience where you feel better leaving the store than you did coming in!
Store founder and owner, Shannyn Galloway has always had a love for clothing. From an early age, she would spent hours sketching dresses and putting together endless outfits for her Barbies! These days, she can be found putting outfits together with the same enthusiasm for her wonderful clients. Her attention to the evolving needs of her clients along with her keen understanding of trends and eye for style combine to create a one of a kind personal shopping experience.
Arlene joined us in May 2016, and has made a wonderful addition to the team at Calypso Bay. This girl seriously loves clothing and all things girly. She makes it her MO to find the right piece for her client, and has a ton of fun doing it! Her great attitude, attention to detail and vibrant personality make her a joy to have in the store!