Something To Look Forward To

Mel sent some pictures yesterday of the boys hiking in the mountains at Kananaskis. Nothing could have warmed my heart more. I'd never really thought of future trips west beyond their 'little kid' years. But now thoughts of getting out with them in their big, beautiful backyard excites me.

Mind you Campbell wanted to turn off the falls because they were too loud and Cullen just wanted to ride a bear. Clearly they need some seasoning.

I know it's only July but hockey season is in full swing. Northwood registration has been live for a week and we have 44 players registered. It's going to be a busy start to the season. I'm neck deep in the Lakehead Minor AA draft this year as my spreadsheeting skills that were used for payroll have been recruited to manage the registration and draft. I'm sure I'll have some late nights when I'll wonder why I didn't keep my big mouth shut.  

Mike, Cullen and Campbell at Troll Falls

August

After a lazy July I was determined to up the miles in August. I set a goal of 900km or about 30 a day with one days grace. Half way through I was averaging only 24 and had to pick up the pace. Sal and I took a slow ride over to the house that Jen and Curtis are looking at, wrapping up my effort with 1015 km for the month or just over 32 per day, with one day off. For the year I'm just over 3500 km. Feels good.

Hockey is in full swing. A slow registration for Northwood so far, 70 of 96 kids and I ran an ad in the key. I'm sure we will fill up soon. On the lakehead minor front online registration has been good but not without challenges. The new website has features we were not even aware of. Parents were emailed a reminder and allowed back in to the system, some paid with credit cards after initially selecting the cash option so they saved $10. Another signed his kid twice and paid three times, not really sure how he managed that feat. I have a steady stream of meetings coming and we hit the ice next weekend. Where did summer go?

posted from Bloggeroid

Has It Really Sprung?

Looks like maybe the weather has finally changed for the better. Last week's heavy storm saw Thunder Bay wimp out, can you say "I thought I was in Toronto"? Funny how everyone went to work in the morning when the storm was at it's worst and then went home early when things had gotten much calmer. I was in Timmy's at 7:30 and you would never had known there was anything unusual going on but at 7:30 in the evening the restaurant we were at was closing as all the customers had bailed out.

Cullen is literally running around the house now just in time for Sal's visit. Watching him last night on face-time (oodles clearer than Skype) he was constantly doing things he had never done before. Climbing the couch, pushing things to where he could climb it and then something else. Someone is going to have her hands full. But he does have to nap sometime. Yeah same time she'll be napping I'll bet.

Just when I thought hockey was about done for another season a whole new slew of issues popped up on the Lakehead Minor scene. Combining with Thunder Bay amateur to create a whole new structure, the ongoing tussle over body checking and the usual inter-association squabbles. It is going to be a long summer.

What Feels Good

having to add a new hole in my belt....on the skinny end

having a grease stain on the right ankle of my work pants

the end of another LMHL hockey season

My weight stopped the free fall it was on just half a pound short of 40lb. lost but then that huge bungee cord snapped me back up. I've been bouncing up and down between 34 and 38lb lost for three weeks. The last three days finally saw some consistent losses but nothing like I was seeing through January and February. Being back on the bikes is helping as I keep adding minutes and miles as my butt gets back to not feeling every bump in the roads. 

Update from the Dark Side

Two of the kids in the peewee game that shocked the Northwood parents were given a total of 9 games in suspensions for the match penalties they received, one for spearing and one for a check to the head. Now if we could only suspend the parents and coaches for fueling the chaos that leads kids to do dumb things.

The Dark Side

Northwood playoffs resumed yesterday and only one team has secured a spot in the championship game next weekend. Four more are tied in points for second and the regular season winner woke up yesterday and got their first win since the season ended. Today's final games are going to be wild, by our standards.

The action that some of our parents and coaches witnessed on the ice before our first game left a lot of jaws dropping. A LMHL peewee A playoff game was just wrapping up as I got to the Gardens. Yelling and swearing at refs, match penalties, kids being tossed from the game and a scoreboard lit up with penalties. The wild they saw was a totally different animal. I can't wait to get the game sheets and start doling out the suspensions.

We launched our huge year end fundraiser yesterday. The Sensational Hot Rods will be playing at the Slovak Legion after the banquet and prize donations for the draws are all set. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this just might be the end of bingos.

Everyone Is an Expert

I was timekeeping a Novice (7-8 year olds) game on Wednesday and in the last minute of the game one of the smaller kids got a penalty. He started telling me what he thought of the officiating in the game his team was winning 6-1.

"These wefs ahh hahwibull. That wasn't twipping." Gee I wonder where he got that. Little kids trying to talk with mouthguards are always good for a laugh.

It's Going To Be A Long Meeting...

The directors of LMHL drafted a change to our penalties and suspensions bylaw, adding suspensions for repeat offenders of the checking to the head penalty. At the same time we want to include tournament games where LMHL teams compete. We often get chastised for incidents that take place in tournament games and are not in our jurisdiction. The motion will change that and allow us to track the evil-doers no matter where the evil deeds take place. The email went out a few days ago without much response until today. Opinions ranged from taking body contact out of all age divisions we administer to lowering the age it starts to 7. We'll need only half of the associations to vote in favour of our motion so hopefully it will pass, but I think we're in for a long night.

Hockey Nuts

This week has been an endless procession of stupidity in the hockey community. In Northwood we have a team  with the best goalie and marginal scoring power. The goalie can't play last weekend. The head coach show up 5 minutes before game time and scurries around trying to talk one of the goalies from the previous game to play even though he got the call 5 hours earlier. On Sunday he comes to the rink without securing a goalie again and this time his only choice is a young and far weaker netminder. He loses 10-2, the biggest blowout of the year but he can't figure out why I ask him if he has given up on his team. He whines about a disallowed goal. When you have about 7 more of those get back to me. All he had to do was call or email me and I would have found goalies for both games.

In Lakehead Minor a coach can walk all over every rule in the book and when we call him on it and we're too picky, he's just a volunteer. So far we're sticking to our guns, something LMHL has not been known for in the past. My gmail suspension folder is growing almost daily. Every single thing they are getting nailed for is in the 20 page constitution I sent to every team. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. But then we don't have to listen when they get dehydrated either.

On the work front we had our best week in the new building. I could actually say I was busy with orders and phone calls. The make-work projects were put on hold and parts started moving out the door. Lets just hope the trend continues.

Coach, Admit It

We passed some new rules for Novice teams (7-8 year olds) on January 9th. The rules simply prevent a coach from overplaying the stars and keeping the weaker players on the bench. Every player must get on the ice every third shift so a minimum of 5 shifts in a 30 minute game with 2 minute buzzers. Then we added that no player could play consecutive shifts. A difference of more than 2 shifts between the least played and most played players was also reason for a suspension. Sounds airtight until it comes to policing it all. I had experimented while timekeeping and could keep track of both teams with a form made in a spreadsheet.

At the mandatory meeting one team failed to attend, suspended. First games after the meeting and a team has one kid playing just 4 shifts (suspension) and another playing 8.

The next week I have a team have the opposition sign their plan on paper to have all the players get between 5 and 7 shifts which is all legal. Then they flip the lines before the start and nothing matches. I catch them but the head coach who is a big wig at the hospital says they are positive they did nothing wrong and sends me his matrix. I take his matrix and put it beside my tracking in a spreadsheet, color code it and explain what happened. He does not even open the file and claims his integrity is above reproach blah blah blah. In the first 8 shifts or 40 kids, not one player on his matrix matched my tracking. BUT my tracking had all his lines and defensive pairs correctly just not on the ice as he had mapped out. Then they skipped a shift and violated the rules because 2 kids ended up with 8 shifts and the least played had only 5. I pointed out that I could not possibly get the first 40 numbers wrong and still have his lines together. He assured me his staff is first rate and would not break the rules.

I called Sal at lunch and got the one entry on the game sheet for his team, a goal in the third period. Amazingly his matrix did not have the player on the ice when he scored the lone goal but my tracking did. I sent another email and he finally came as close to admitting an error as I guess I'm going to get.. The matrix did not 'contemplate' an excellent warmup by one line that resulted in a change in the order of the lines. Maybe we should be more worried about development of players and less worried about hassling the coaches who are volunteers. Up to that point he was on board 100% with keeping everything above board. Now we are too picky.

Update: he got the original game, an extra from his home association and a new friend who will be watching every game.

I Get It

I always wondered why people listen to old standards, songs or music that has been around forever. Well most of what I listen to has been around for quite a while now and I finally got it this morning. I was listening to disc 2 of Yessongs, a live album recorded in 1973, while walking to work and it hit me that the music was 37 years old!  I was always amazed that 8 guys could be in such perfect sync in a live setting. The music was dubbed progressive rock a few decades ago and had plenty of quick changes of tempo and there's no conductor to guide them. I have probably listened to the songs one hundred times and every change was right there in my head, every note of the solos was familiar. But it's comfortable, yes another clue that leads to the ever popular theory that I'm old.

Week 2 of the new FCD wrapped up with a quiet day. Most of our shipments didn't make it due to road conditions. We spent a bunch of time updating inventory that will be ordered over the next few months. We're using internet radio with a couple of speakers I've had since Dell 1. Sure is nice to be able to hear some music without the ads and mumbling of the local talent trying to be funny. All the local stations can be dialed in quickly for a news or weather fix. I found a great little internet tuner call Radiosure that is basically just a small browser with station addresses built in and searchable by genre, or any keyword.

A long evening on the clock last night as I was assigned to the 'problem' team in Peewee A. Lots of incidents with this bunch. A team just as I remember them from the days when Northwood had teams in this loop. One or two kids that were better than they should be in the division and taking out the frustration on everyone. One of them got hit and then retaliated by slashing the other kid over the head, after the penalty was already called. He almost missed him but made enough contact to get 5 and a game. The kid that he whacked got 2 and 10 for a hit to the head, probably with an elbow. Add to that discussion 2 disallowed goals that required conversations and a 4-3 game almost didn't finish in the alloted time.

Jill Gets the Call

walk:1.8km (Yes-Yessongs disc 2)
cycle:24km
2 pcs toast, coffee, triscuits w/cheese, gatorade, power bar, caesar, brisket burger and casear salad

I had a 6:30 - 9:30 stint on the clock at Neebing and work til 5:30. How to get there? Both cars were going to be on the other side of town and unavailable. No way to connect with the 3 buses it would take. Didn't know any of the refs doing the game other than to say hi. 15 km through town on a single speed in an hour is pushing it. So I threw the lights on Jill and she got out of the basement for the first time since June. It sure was nice to ride with gears. Don't get me wrong I love the single speed thing but I was able to get there in about less than 45 minutes, change and still have time for a drink and check emails.

I sent a bulk email to all teams in Lakehead Minor after the Sunday meeting. I got a call Tuesday telling me HNO was swamped with people looking for things on their website. If they had only read that everything they wanted was on the Lakehead Minor website they would have been fine.

Time For a Sip

A long day at the rink today but all 6 teams are up and running. I started the day dragging team sweaters, socks and accessories out of storage. From noon til 5 I met with coaches and got everything handed out, made a visit to Petries just to visit and went for a half hour ride between teams. With just a few loose ends left I can at least take a bike to the rink and come and go as I need to. I came home and did up the schedule and got it on the webpage, season kickoff is 2 weeks away.

I guess the HNO job is out. I haven't heard of anyone getting an interview but it seems to be taking a long time. My guess is they have imported another graduate of sports administration. Hopefully they found someone with a reason to stay in Tbay.

The season for Lakehead Minor starts Monday and I'm working the clock again. Every little bit helps and it gets me exposure to what really goes on at the rink. Hearing about incidents a few weeks after in a room in the college just doesn't give a true picture. Not that I'm going to witness every half-crazed coach or parent that throws a tantrum because an offside is missed, but being around some of the other side of the game gives me a clear vision of what I don't want to see Northwood become.

Seems like I'm talking about nothing but hockey lately. I guess it dominates a lot of my time and thinking. As of Monday I want to start more walking and riding to burn off some of the summer. I've been saying that to myself for a month or so but maybe saying it here will make it happen.

A glass of Famous Grouse tasted so good tonight.  

Tinkering With CPAP

I'm not sure if messing with my CPAP settings last night has anything to do with it yet but I took a 'no destination' ride tonight for the first time in a long while. My thinking is that with putting on some weight the prescribed pressure setting was too low and I might have been having some low level apnea episodes. Not severe enough to have me nodding off at traffic lights but enough to where my energy for extra activity was just missing. I've been reading lots and often have to munch on something so that I don't snooze, not abnormal I guess but I can do without the munching.

Eowyn has benefited recently from the donated gift card I was given by the Northwood parents. All used parts but definite upgrades. Front wheel, tires, stem and hopefully a new 'old' crank soon. I ordered from ebay for the first time ever, picking up some Giant decals, and she looks almost complete. I sawed off 2 inches from the On One Mary handlebars and have a saddle on the way. Building her up is a big incentive to get out and ride more.

My new plan for Northwood registration seems to be working. I have 6 kids signed for next season. Bingo participation is up and people seem to be happy with the setup so far. Over at Lakehead Minor we're putting in a new constitution and I think the group is finally all on the same page.

Sal and I have tentatively set the first couple of weeks in July as holiday time so we're planning a trip to Calgary. We've decided to take the Impreza as airmile bookings are already filled for the summer months. Once we hit the divided highway Sal says she'll help with the driving. We'll hit in time for the Stampede and maybe even find a few days in BC. Now if I can just find a way to stow a bike so I can do some riding out there.

Timekeeping Blitz

Today was the last of 4 straight days working the clock. 7 games Friday, 6 more on Saturday, and 2 both Sunday and tonight. Friday was long and cold at First Nations Arena with help due to the distance of penalty doors. Saturday was tension filled with 2 games going to shootouts and the last going into 4 on 4 overtime. Sunday was pair of blowout peewee games and tonight some ho-hum novice games. Wednesday night I'll do my last 2 games of the season. Going to miss it, and the extra income. And I'm proud to say I had no major blunders through 17 games this weekend. Funny, I really missed the tension of the tournament games during the last few.

Work today was spent with another large shop job and I'm achy all over. One more full day then I'm off through Easter, hopefully I can wrap up most of the big job tomorrow. Small ones keep coming in and pulling me off the big bands, makes it tough to keep everything running and still trying to be off 3 days a week.

The Weeeeek

Playoff time in Tbay. My weeeeek (yes it was that long) has been spent emailing the LMHL exec regarding a AA goalie in Vancouver for the Olympics. Rules say no pick ups, coach says he didn't know. It finally came down to having an online motion, seconder, comments and now a vote as to whether to allow a pickup. The coach admitted he had the handbook and I spoke to the father of the goalie that might be the pickup who said the team knew the kids was to be missing before they even drafted him.

Speaking of Olympics, what a week for the Canucks. Things have sure turned a 180 as we picked up golds in a some unexpected events, bobsledding? The womens hockey team did a great job last night and the mens team finally cashed in on some of the chances they were getting. If you didn't have a tear in the eye when the figure skater who lost her mom earlier in the week won bronze, you must be from Iceland.

For my world flight I stepped up to a bit quicker ride, the Epic Dynasty, a single engine turboprop with loads of electronic gadgets. So far I've made one hop from Victoria to Portland Oregon, follow along at the Epic Journey blog.

Gold Overshadowed

Just wonderful, our hockey team struggles and we win gold in ice dancing? Those two kids were awesome but will the country accept anything less than a medal for men's hockey? Poor Stevie Y is going to take a lot of second guess based abuse for his picks. So far the ones that were questioned like Drew Doughty have played very well. Some of the old shoe-ins, like Chris Pronger, have played sub-par at best. Just not enough speed in those legs anymore.


My Flight Sim-Cross Canada trip is done. I landed a Witman Tailwind in Victoria BC yesterday afternoon. I have to recount all of the stops but managed the entire trip which started in mid-September with one landing that was in snow short of the runway but 0 crashes. Along the way I used the most realistic settings, radio navigation rather than gps, and actual weather conditions. Next up? Around the world with landings in as many countries as have airports. I'm back to the base scenery since the great pc crash of Jan2010 but the net-based satellite feed is too slow to go around the world anyway.


I got to inform the 110 teams of Lakehead Minor yesterday that there are no affiliations (call ups) in the playoffs. It's a rule that has been on the books for at least 10 years. What about my goalie who is away at the Olympics? We only have one goalie, what if he gets sick? Sorry boys that's why you pick 2 goalies. Consideration is only given to teams with a season ending injury for the netminder and only if pre-approved. My inbox got full in a big hurry.

It's Time

After our last place team lost a one goal game and their last shift was botched by some lazy reffing emails started pouring in as to how we could better run the clock. Most of the ideas have been tried and fail only because we can't be consistent and offer the same game format to every team during an afternoon. I suggested going to 3 ten minute periods with a 2 minute buzzer as LMHL runs novice. After hearing no further comments I posted the experiment would happen during last Saturday's games. Then the emails flooded in with some people thinking this was a step towards a more competitive structure. Undaunted by the negative we ran the experiment and by the end of the three game afternoon the response was overwhelming. Everyone loves stop time. Northwood stop time is officially out of the experimental phase. I think we could manage 3 twelve minute periods if people can get their skaters to the rink on time.

My 9 hour stint on the clock at Delaney was a long one. I've been doing mostly novice (7-8 year olds) games with lots of goals and few penalties. Friday I had peewee and bantam games which are full of penalties. Bantam games normally have a two man timekeeping team but for the tournament I was solo. I just about filled a page in a 15 goal bantam game. I was certainly glad to pop in the ear buds and hike home.

Tonight I have a meeting with Northwood coaches followed by a meeting of interested parents. I'm hoping to fill some positions and create a few committees to help run things. Not getting my hopes up but even if a dozen show I'll be pleased.

Honey, It's Mr. Ballard

A 15km ride on Ethel tonight got my total for 2009 to 6000km, nowhere near where I wanted to be. Lots of excuses but none that are really valid. I'm not going to set any wild goals for 2010, just keep riding and see where I end up.

At the next LMHL meeting I'm going to make a motion that referees pay per game is cut in half. Hell they get so much help from the parents and coaches I'm not sure why they get paid at all. I witnessed a Novice coach on Monday that was unbelievable. Referees call a game that turns into a circus a 'gong show'. This guy was a one man gong show, bellowing from the drop of the opening faceoff to the end, at the refs, his kids and nearly at the opposing fans. His team won 4-0 and I swear the kids on the other team were afraid to score. They probably had friends on his team and didn't want them to get yelled at. I wouldn't be comfortable with him coaching a  teenager nevermind a seven year old. At the end of the game I looked over at a grandfather I recognized and we both mouthed the word, "WOW". Yes the Leafs brass is watching your every move and the phone call is going to come, just make sure you are the loudest thing in the arena.

Brandyn was here last night and he read me a story before bed. He needs some help on new words and rushes through but he is reading extremely well.

Long Christmas Break

After a hectic day trying to tie up lots of loose ends I'm of until January 5th. This will be my longest break from work in years. Today I was doing deliveries, relining some shoes for a ship that has to sail, packing 3 skids of returns along with normal phone calls. It's not busy but I was. The day went by fast, just what you want on the last one before a long stretch of time off. Since I don't have to run around trying to find last minute Christmas gifts it will be a real relaxing couple of weeks.

I got an extra couple of games in at Neebing last night, young timekeepers are bailing on assignments at the last minute. AJ and Sal had a little miscommunication so we ended up running out of time. AJ had to be at Norwester school by 5:45 (we were just getting to the airport at 5:35) and I had to be at Neebing for 6:30. I hiked in from Highway 61 in lots of time but sweaty from my partial walk home from work and then the 3.5 km to the rink. I took off my inner layer and wind breaker, and then froze for 3 hours. Shivering keeps you awake on the clock. Had a great night without any problems and even helped a former Northwood coach avoid some serious suspension trouble.