A Lot Can Happen in 3.5 Years

'Time flies'. No truer words have ever been written. Unless you add 'after 65' to that often used phrase. My last post in September 2020 was all about a new bike project to stave off covid isolation and boredom. The project was completed in July of 2022 and I've taken maybe 5 rides on that bike. It's been revamped with flat bars. My days with drop bars appear to be over. Looking cool is secondary to being comfortable now.

Eyowen II

The good news. Our 5th grandchild was born since my last post, Everly Marie. We were in Calgary when she was born and got to hold her the day she arrived, something we have not been able to do since Brandyn was born in 2001.

The bad news. Dad passed in January of 2023. He fought leukaemia for months, back and forth to the hospital for treatments 4 times per week. It was a shock. It never occurred to me that he wouldn't get better and be there for us as he always had been. 

I've semi-retired from Fat Guys, putting in 15 hours a week. That was never in the plans until Dad passed. I was never replaced and only now some 11 months later my long list of tasks is almost completely passed on to other staff members. I'm slowly moving on to new special projects and am excited for the future. 15 hours a week doesn't even feel like I'm working.

Honourable?

If I robbed a bank, got caught, then apologized and returned all the money I still wouldn't be riding my bike to work to sling brake parts come Monday morning. I guess you have to be 'honourable' to do that and get away with it. Why do we put up with this crap?

Hoping for Hope

I worked the penalty box for the two medal games of the Ontario Bantam AAA tournament yesterday. Bronze medal game took awhile to warm up with nothing but offsides and icing. Game ended up being pretty good, 7-5 back and forth. The gold medal game saw the Missasauga Rebels jump on the Soo Greyhounds right away and put them down 4-0 in the first period. Four power play goals on mostly dumb penalties. We had one major and a handful of double minors from a crease crashing, slashing and spearing. It took about 5 minutes just for the paperwork and sorting out for that one.

Another election? I predict less than 50% of Canadians will vote. It's not apathy, it's frustration. Save about 200 million and just give us all a million, we'll fix the economy. We'll hire Americans cause we won't need jobs, heck we'll fix their economy too. Seriously, if one party could find someone with something positive to offer rather than just spending hundreds of thousands on ads demeaning the opposition personalities, we might have reason to vote. In 2008 13,929,093 votes were counted and the election cost the country $278 million. This was the only time the percentage of eligible voters that cast a vote (58%) dropped below 60% since 1867. We may see that drop below 50% if this short campaign doesn't provide a reason for hope.

The Struggle

While tuned in to OasisHD this afternoon a thought entered my head. Of all the creatures on this planet man has to be the least practical. The show was about the drought that hits central Australia for years at a time and how animals have adapted to survive. Kangaroos that are pregnant can actually put the development of an embryo on hold until environmental conditions are favourable for the survival of the unborn joey. All of the shows exhibit creatures of all sizes doing everything they can to survive and to provide for the continuation of their species. And humans, with all our brainpower continue to do everything we can to destroy the planet.

66% Tax Increase, Big Deal

I read a headline this morning that stated that income tax in Illinois was being raised 66%. Later in the day I learned that it was going from 3% to 5%. If you want a shock check the tax rate in Ontario where even $40,000 puts you in the 20% bracket. No wonder Illinois is in such debt. Maybe we should send them some Liberal or PC finance ministers to get them back on track.

American Idol?

In the days after the shootings in Arizona, the sale of 9mm semi-automatic Glock handguns has doubled. The same gun used by an obviously mentally unbalanced 22 year old to shoot a congressman and randomly kill 6 others. If the spring on the second clip he was carrying had not failed there might have been another dozen deaths.

Oh Oh Canada

Not everyone was parked in front of a tv for the big game last night. Plenty of Canadian kids had their own games to play. I was on the clock at the PA Arena for a pair of games between peewee boys teams and the Queens rep teams. The first game was a peewee A team against the peewee AA girls and was a bit slow, like watching a ping pong game where both players are using the wrong hand on the paddle. The second game was better as the peewee AA boys and Bantam girls faced off. I had AJ texting me the score and let the refs and any kids who happened into the penalty box know what was going on in Buffalo. As the Canadians built a three goal lead everyone seemed pretty sure of World Junior gold.

I was waiting for Sal in the lobby when the first Russian goal was scored. The second came just a minute later. I sent back an "oh oh" to AJ. I could hear the panic in peoples voices as they left the arena. As we drove home they tied the game. I sat down to watch as the Russians took the lead and just minutes later they were up by two with only a few minutes to play. Like the players on the ice, Canadians were collectively stunned. Sometimes I think that other than the other teams and their families, no one else in the world cares about the outcome of these games or the tournament. Canadians live and die by the results. And now we get to hear all about the reasons for the collapse in the third period and how our hockey programs are failing.

Neither Classic Nor Winter

What's classic about a hockey game played on slush? In typical yankee style the game was billed as a clash between the game's premier players. Conditions prevented either Crosby or Ovechkin from playing the style of game that we saw in the promos for the last month. The NHL is damn lucky a player or ref wasn't injured because of the slush. Maybe next year get 7-11 to sponsor the game, The Slurpee Winter Classic. I can't imagine paying between $100 and $500 for a ticket to watch a hockey game, in the rain from about half a mile away. I guess being part of the spectacle, the experience would be something to remember. That's what I'd say as I sat under a blanket chugging down steaming drinks trying to get rid of the chill. The only thing classic about the game was the hype.

"You know they're not going to make those tic-tac-toe plays no matter how they good they are on this ice and in these conditions," Capitals defenseman John Carlson said. "So you can play it a little bit differently. You can really not worry about (Crosby) getting behind you and making a 40-foot pass tape-to-tape."

"It was the same conditions for both teams," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "In every stoppage, we were in communication with both teams. And while not perfect, the puck was moving pretty well out there." 

"Pucks were bouncing everywhere," Fehr said. "Sometimes they're sticking on the ice. It was really tough to make any passes out there." 

What's A Guy Gotta Do?

Tuning in to NFL Network this morning and they reported Favre was fined $50k for not cooperating in the league investigation of his supposed texts and pictures sent to a fellow Jets employee in '08. More surprising was the news that the Vikes are thinking of starting him on Sunday. Really? Rookie Joe Webb looks like the direction of the future for a team that clearly lost their way this season. They fired their head coach mid-season and at 6-9 are just one game up on the Detroit Lions. Favre had lots to do with both. He has thrown 11 tds and 19 interceptions, a nice addition to both all-time records. His passer rating of 69.9 has him ranked 30th for the year. In his first start Webb was 17 for 26, ran for 31, ran for a td, did not throw a pick and beat the number 3 team in the NFC.

If the Vikings want to throw Favre a bone and let him play one more time just because he's Favre, they really aren't doing him or the faithful any favours. If they lose they will be tied with the Lions. Seems like the coach and management are suffering more from post concussion syndrome than the old qb.

Cold Irony

With the temps around town hovering around 0 it was still cold at the rink last night. I went straight from work to Delaney so I didn't have the Arctic gear on but never considered it would be colder inside. The rink attendant had the heaters on over the screaming hockey moms but not the penalty box. You'd think the bills for heating the rink came out of his pocket. They better be on high Friday as I'm on the clock for 9 straight hours.

Someone at our local paper has a sense of humour. The continuation of the story regarding the mayor's rosy state of the city address is subtitled "City On the Fast Track". Next to it is the coverage of "Call Centre Closing" and the loss of another 190 jobs. When the call centres and the sex shops close you know things aren't quite that rosy.

Canada's Game, Play It

Seems to me that Team Canada was good for the last 4 minutes of the gold medal game when they threw caution to the wind and desperation took control. Prior to that they played a game that was timid, over disciplined and definitely not the style of game we have come to expect or more accurately, demand. Do you remember even one big hit, that tone sending crunch that might result in a penalty but surely sends the message to keep the noggin up? Me neither. Remember the guy who got Phaneuffed in '05? Sure you do. Remember when Sweden's hot defenseman Hedman got hit early in a game against Canada and then developed an allergy to the puck? Me too. Canada has to play Canada's game Canada's way or we're just another bunch of Ovechkin wannabes trying to toedrag our way into the spotlight. How many times did you yell "shoot the puck" or "hit the GD net"? I lost count. Too cute and not enough grit. That's my two cents.

Choices

Imagine if as voters we had as many good choices in any level of government that Steve Yzerman and his crew had when selecting Team Canada.

Call Me

I came home from the rink after 3 1/2 hours and was tired. Every player's parent was given a personalized schedule for this weekend last Saturday. Those missing were all contacted. I must have had 1/3 call or email wondering when they practiced next. Everything fell into place as we secured a 6th goalie and the last player that had to be moved up did so without a fuss. I had a long time coach storm out because there's no team for him as he refuses to work with anyone else. The flu has about 10% of the kids at home so evaluating is difficult.

I put a pan on the stove with some olive oil to brown Italian sausage for sauce to go with pasta. As the element heated up I checked my email. We all know what happened next. I went back to a room full of smoke. I opened the windows and then grabbed a chair as the smoke detector went off. I was surprised that the ADT fire alarm didn't make any noise, "have to get that tested," I thought. I put a fan in the kitchen window and got back to supper and then the fire alarm went off. I hit 'silence' and put in the bypass key. Minutes later a fire crew was at the door. My neighbour from across the street came next as Sal had called there. ADT had called her sister at the club who called her at work and she called the neighbours thinking I wasn't home. Then Jen called because her friend who lives across the street had seen the pumper's light show.

I get so many phone calls that I don't want, why couldn't they just have called here instead of letting the world know I was having a bad day.

I Wouldn't Have Believed This One

July?

For the second time all summer? the weatherman was right. It was 4 degrees this morning when I hit the road for work. Our furnace was on to prove it. Back in the groove km-wise today. Hopefully Mr. Meterologist will be batting his usual .100 and be wrong about the rain.

But You Still Have to Push It

A few years ago we needed a new lawn mower and I got an old-school push mower. Everybody complained that it didn't work and that it was too hard to use so I broke down and got an electric mower so that they could help out. I grew up with gas mowers (my dad is thinking how I grew up watching gas mowers, not necessarily using them) and despise dragging cords around the yard. The funny part? is I'm still using the push mower. Anyone want to buy an electric mower?