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OT: Happy Birthday Fresh!!!

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  • #31
    That's a pretty big wave though!
    "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Joe Theismann



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    • #32
      Had a great birthday up in Augustine, but it almost turned tragic. The currents were still running strong, and my best friend from our school days(Neil) got sucked out well beyond head height water with some sizeable waves coming in. I went out after him, without my board(I had gone back in to shore because on the last wave I got trashed and my leash had broken). I swam out to him and could see that he was in bad, desperate shape. He had already gone under a time or two and was struggling to stay up with a paniced look in his eyes. I got ahold of his arm and sidestroked for shore for a bit, but I wasn't making any progress. Fortunately I found myself close enough to a surfer to hail him to come give us help. We got Neil up on his board and they started paddling in. At this point I started swimming for shore myself. I was FA out at this time and did't seem to be making any real headway against the current. Somehow I had gotten well behind the surfers's row. But one of them saw me and paddled over to me to ask if I was OK. I don't know how long I had been swimming at this point but I was pretty exhausted. I know that I wasn't going to make it, and that is a scary thought for a guy who has spent so much time out in the ocean. The ocean had me beat on Saturday. I remember looking at the guy and saying, "I don't have much left, I shouldn't be out here, I have lung cancer". He let me grab the nose of his board and we started paddling in among some 8 footers. Got thrashed a few times along the way, but we made it. That was the scariest experience I have ever had out there.

      We didn't go out beyond knee deep on Sunday. Neil told me that I saved his life. I said that the surfer is the one that got him in. He said that I got to him and kept him aloft when he was about to give up, and I got the surfer to us. So I guess in a way I did. But I swear it nearly cost me MY life. OK storytelling time is over.

      Neil got me a pretty cool birthday gift. An Ipad. I don't know if there are any Ipad-ers here, but I'll need to figure out what I can do with this thing. I'm not the most computer-savvy guy these days. He got me the 16GB Wireles one with a warranty, and told me I have 14 days to upgrade it if I want to. I think I may take it to upgrade to a 32 or 64 GB version. Anybody using these things? Advice? Neil said it was to entertain me during my chemo sessions. Did I say that he was my best friend? I guess he was worth saving.

      Mike Susi Nadine and Neil, 2010.........
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      • #33
        Fresh, you are Superman! Be more careful next time. Might I suggest celebrating next year's birthday with a game of frisbee golf.
        You know Darren if you'd have told me 10 years ago that someday I was going to solve the world's energy problems I'd have said your crazy.... now lets drop this big ball of oil out the window.

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        • #34
          Nice job Fresh!! You da man!
          Official Driver of the Eagles Bandwagon!!!
          Bleedin' Green since birth!

          "Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." - Mike Willey

          ”Enjoy The Ride!!!” - Bob Marcus

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          • #35
            Holy crap FRESH! Good work, now let's take it easy for a bit.

            The IPad is going to fill alot of time for you. I don't know if you follow a lot of sports writers and alike on Twitter but it's great for that. Get Flipboard which will keep you entertained reading wise for a long time. The free games are fun as well (just familiarize yourself with the app store).

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            • #36
              Neil is back in Virginia today, and he just called me to apologize for putting me in that situation on Saturday. He's clearly still rattled. It was, no doubt, a scary situation.

              Thanks for the tips on the Ipad, Stevie. I just picked up the 64GB version from Best Buy, sso I can start to play with it a bit now. I still have some work I need to do today, but it's gonna be hard. NEW TOY!
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              • #37
                Fresh,

                I just spoke with one of your Docs about your life saving exploits on Saturday! He was thrilled to learn that you are taking so seriously the teams medical advice to avoid overexertion.

                I have a small sense of what you went through. I was a very strong swimmer when younger. If I swam slowly, I could literally swim for hours with maybe an occasional break treading water. Fast forward 40 years and, on a bet, I jump out of my brother's boat in the Chesapeake and light out for the shore...maybe 1/4 mile. After maybe 200 yards, I was done and was feeling embarrassed and a little frightened. I sheepishly climbed back on board the boat where they were kind enough to keep the ball breaking to a minimum. Lesson learned: I wasn't invulnerable, so stop being a show off!

                Your situation with the rough surf and maybe some rip tides was much worse and you didn't intentionally put yourself in harms way


                Serious question, were you a big risk taker before you became ill?

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                • #38
                  I almost drowned once while fishing. When it's you, you tend to panic and then after a few seconds you start to give in. It's really scary when you look back on it. You think "this is it.... this is it? I guess I can just stop fighting it." Thankfully one of my friends saw me and screamed at me. I was upstream and she saw me when I floated past her downstream.

                  She inadvertently saved my life cause she thought I was messing about.

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                  • #39
                    Originally posted by tinopuno View Post
                    Fresh,

                    I just spoke with one of your Docs about your life saving exploits on Saturday! He was thrilled to learn that you are taking so seriously the teams medical advice to avoid overexertion.

                    I have a small sense of what you went through. I was a very strong swimmer when younger. If I swam slowly, I could literally swim for hours with maybe an occasional break treading water. Fast forward 40 years and, on a bet, I jump out of my brother's boat in the Chesapeake and light out for the shore...maybe 1/4 mile. After maybe 200 yards, I was done and was feeling embarrassed and a little frightened. I sheepishly climbed back on board the boat where they were kind enough to keep the ball breaking to a minimum. Lesson learned: I wasn't invulnerable, so stop being a show off!

                    Your situation with the rough surf and maybe some rip tides was much worse and you didn't intentionally put yourself in harms way


                    Serious question, were you a big risk taker before you became ill?

                    That's an interesting question, tino. Of course my immediate response to that question would be NO. But hey, I've got an ego much like you are describing in your story, so of course I never feel like I am biting off more than I can chew. But when think about some of my oceanic adventures, and you think not only about the waves and currents, but also what you are swimming around with, isn't everyone who goes out there taking an unnecessary risk? And I drive around in a car putting out over 600 HP on the street....and I don't exactly dive it like your grandmother would, so...... and then there is the fact that I smoked off and on until a few years ago....that is certainly risky business that I am now paying dearly for(I assume). So perhaps the answer needs to be YES, and I'd be wise to wake the hell up.
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                    • #40
                      Originally posted by sfphillyfan View Post
                      I almost drowned once while fishing. When it's you, you tend to panic and then after a few seconds you start to give in. It's really scary when you look back on it. You think "this is it.... this is it? I guess I can just stop fighting it." Thankfully one of my friends saw me and screamed at me. I was upstream and she saw me when I floated past her downstream.

                      She inadvertently saved my life cause she thought I was messing about.
                      I was scared at points, certainly. To say what was running thru my head at the time I realized that I was personally in trouble, I'm not sure I could say. I know that the thought of giving up hadn't hit me, but I was definitely feeling some panic. The one thing I am most proud of however is that when I look back on the event, I know that when I went after him I didn't hesitate for even a millisecond to worry about my own safety. My concern for myself didn't come until after he was travelling off towards shore with the surfer and I was alone. I honest to God didn't even think about ME. Might be a reflection on my current(new) view of the value of my life. When you have cancer, I think you start to involountarily think about the people in your life and how they are going to move forward after you are gone. My wife, most of all. I can't keep my mind from going there at times, even tho I will swear to you I am a long fucking ways from giving up.

                      (at least until the Eagles win a Super Bowl)
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                      • #41
                        (at least until the Eagles win a Super Bowl)

                        That should keep you going for another 50 years!
                        "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Joe Theismann



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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by FRESH View Post
                          I was scared at points, certainly. To say what was running thru my head at the time I realized that I was personally in trouble, I'm not sure I could say. I know that the thought of giving up hadn't hit me, but I was definitely feeling some panic. The one thing I am most proud of however is that when I look back on the event, I know that when I went after him I didn't hesitate for even a millisecond to worry about my own safety. My concern for myself didn't come until after he was travelling off towards shore with the surfer and I was alone. I honest to God didn't even think about ME. Might be a reflection on my current(new) view of the value of my life. When you have cancer, I think you start to involountarily think about the people in your life and how they are going to move forward after you are gone. My wife, most of all. I can't keep my mind from going there at times, even tho I will swear to you I am a long fucking ways from giving up.

                          (at least until the Eagles win a Super Bowl)
                          I think the fact that you were worried about your friend is what kept you going without fear. You know what I mean? You had a job to do and you needed to get it done. It's almost like the stories about moms lifting up cars to save their kid or something.

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                          • #43
                            You are probably right.
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                            • #44
                              Fresh - happy birthday and all the very best. Many many more.
                              Russian reporters to Bobby Clarke: Can you imagine hockey without fights?
                              Robert Earle Clarke's response: Can you imagine vodka without alcohol?

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