Testing .. testing ...

Yes , this thing is on still.

Call me a little lazy (or a whole lotta lazy) with my updating (like, all of two years ... yowza!). I know, I s*ck for neglecting this piece of internet blogdom for as long as I have and I shall do a much better job of keeping it updated.

In the meanwhile you can enjoy this fine piece of video humour (or maybe a ode to me? not likely since this was done in 1989) and maybe I should try landing a job at this place.



Enjoy.

Sens Joke (appropriate for this time of season)

After Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff passes away and enters the Pearly
Gates, God takes him on a tour. He shows Lindy a little 2-bedroom house
with a faded Buffalo Sabres banner hanging from the front porch. "This is
your home, Coach. Most people don't get their own house up here," God
exclaims.

Lindy looks at the house, then turns around and looks at the one sitting on
the top of the hill. It's a huge two-story mansion with white marble columns
and little patios under all of the windows. Ottawa Senators flags line both
sides of the sidewalk with a huge red and black Senators banner hanging
between the marble columns.

"Thanks for the home, God, but let me ask you a question. I get this little
2 bedroom house with a faded Buffalo Sabres banner, and Bryan Murray gets a
mansion With new Senators banners and flags flying all over the place. Why
is that?"

God looks at him seriously for a moment and then replies, "That's not
Murray's house, that's mine!!!!!"

Blizzard update (a little late but ... )

JUST a quick (and way late) update but I wish I could say that the news out of Missisauga a few weekends back was good but unfortunately for the 2006/2007 edition of the London Blizzard that was not the case.

The Blizzard fell 3-1 to the Missisauga All Blacks that morning in what was seen as a very valiant effort all around by the team.

We got off on a good start by scoring the first goal of the game late in second period (yours truly scored it on a nice pass from my linemate Cam on a 2 on 1 break) but shortly thereafter Missisauga scored to tie the game and then go ahead 2-1 by the end of the period. A late goal in the third by the All Blacks sealed the game for them and their advancement in the OSHA playoffs.

While the disappointment was high amongst the team afterwards you could feel that no one felt the season was a waste. As I see it, it's all about taking steps to that next "level" so we as a team can get THAT much better and use it to our advantage for next season. Maybe next year when we make the playoffs again (yes, I am going on record as saying we WILL make the playoffs again) this lesson that we learned today will serve us well.

We perservered all season when the odds were against us and faced the challenges presented to us head on and never backed down. I know I have faith in my team and I know we'll be that much stronger next season.

We can do it and way to go Blizz!

We're Playoff Bound!

That's right folks .. THE BLIZZARD ARE PLAYOFF BOUND !

This past Sunday my beloved sledge hockey team the London Blizzard clinched a spot in the Ontario Sledge Hockey Association (OSHA) playoffs with a hard fought 1-0 over the Fraser, Michigan Ice Dogs.

It came down to the last game of the season and we had to win our game to make it because we had to forfeit our first game against them due to limited man and woman power. Essentially we couldn't ice a full team to play so we had to pass on the game.

We were told that we had to win this game or else we were through for the season so as you can imagine the Blizzard came out, played hard and smart and were justly rewarded for their efforts! It was pretty satisfying to come off at the end of the game knowing that you gave everything you had and worked hard especially since the week before you lost a game you felt you should have won (it was exhibition but still ... ). There were ALOT of happy faces in the locker room for sure!

For myself, it was great to be back on the ice skating and playing after a month off due to back problems and it was nice to be a part of something so special. I told my guys that if they could win that game and get us into the playoffs I'd be back with them. Well what would you know .. I was (no pun intended) back sooner than I had thought!

Tonight we had a good practice and we seem ready.

Who is up for the London Blizzard? We're off to Missisauga to play the Missisauga All Blacks. I have no idea what this team is like to play but when you see their season stats and finsihing second in their division and with 28 goals for and 10 against you can get a good idea about what this team is like. You can also be assured that we will have our hands full.

We have a challenge ahead for us and I believe we can do it. We worked hard to get to this point and I think my guys (and gal) aren't quite ready to go home yet.

I'll post the results of Saturday's game here.

Wish us luck!

What a ...

... day today (well at the time I wrote this it was Sunday morning .. late so I suppose I will say yesterday. Oh wait, I guess until I go to bed it will still be Saturday? Oh whatever) was for me.

I was up at 7:30am and was on a bus to Buffalo, New York with my sledge hockey team by 9am. All I could do was veg, eat an apple, drink a Diet Dr Pepper and eat a bag of Swedish Berries (which I bought specifically for this trip the night before at the theater when I went and saw Ghost Rider ... that's another entry) with my team mate Tony and just not think since I was still a few hours away from hitting my "stride" (you know how late risers are)

We stopped along the way in Burlington to pick up some folks from the Kitchener Sidewinders who were supplying a few players for our junior squad for a game against the junior Buffalo Sabres. Once we picked them up we were on our way to Buffalo!

We made the Canada/US border by 12pm, right on schedule but we had a problem w/someone's passport and that held us up for quite awhile. It seemed like US immigration saw something on her passport that they needed or didn't like so they took her off the bus to their office of sorts and made her wait while there were eight others who were in the same or near boat and coincidentally enough on a bus also. Long story short, our driver got and wanted to see what he could do to help move things along to ensure that we made it to Buffalo for our games and within 45 minutes she was out and were on back on the road. From what he told us he used teh story of that he had a bus full of special needs kids who play hockey and it's important that they be there on time. Apparently the supervisor heard that and moved the lady ahead. Some ahead of her weren't happy but we sure were! And who says being handicapped DOESN'T have it's priviledges or benefits? ;)

We made our way to the HSBC Arena, unloaded gear and equipment and headed to our locker room to gear up and take the ice. Of course I wasn't playing due to an injury but I still cheered my guys on and hoped that we'd come out on top. Unfortuneately it wasn't meant to be because the intermediate London Blizzard fell 4-1 to the intermediate Buffalo Sabres. A littled disheartening I am sure but I know my guys will rebound just fine for our game next weekend.

The junior London Blizzard lost to the junior Buffalo Sabres 3-2 but was a very entertaining game all around. I tell you, those Kitchener players that came would so look good in Blizzard colours I tell you. They complimented our guys so well.

After the games all players went out to dinner at a well known grill (the name escapes me) but we had the chane to part take in a Buffalo Sabres fan tradition which is to take advantage of this $14.00 (WTH?!) buffet that had pasta, salad, chicken wings (Buffalo style of course!), rolls and pizza. Of course it was all you can eat but still .. $14.00?! Anyways, it's a tradition I guess so I had the chance to talk with quite a few die hard Sabres fans in the line up. When I told them who I cheer for the answer was pretty much "Senators? I'm really sorry" or "Ottawa? my condolences".

Smart asses.

We made our way back to the HSBC to watch the Sabres and Boston Bruins game and to head up to (yes you will be reading this right) our suites to watch the game. I must saw it was pretty "SUITE" (yes, a bad pun I know) to have these seats. Not bad for what I paid too. What made it ultra cool is that you had a server who would take your orders for you so you don't miss anything. Honestly, how cool is that? I could tell you how the game went by giving you a play by play but I am sure you'd get bored with that so I will just give you the score:

Bruins: 4
Sabres: 3

What a beauty. The Sabres lose and the Sens beat Atlanta 5-3. Gotta love that sound the Sens are making now. Look out behind you, here come the Senators, Buffalo! (should make that game next Thursday pretty interesting). For highlights go here

The game ended and we all got back on the bus. It took awhile to get out of the arena area just because of all the gridlock of some thousands of people trying to leave. Eventually we got on the road and crossed the border and into Burlington again to drop off our Kitchener players and then back home for us.

It's now 3:23am and I have been up for 20 hours and I'm just beat. I've been home since 2:30am and yes, sleep is good. Why did I stay up to add this? I just thought I'd share the lengthy day today has been with you all.

Mmmmm .. bed.

GO SENS GO!

J

Just a thought ....

Arguably one of the most thought provoking pieces I have seen in awhile. It most certainly makes you look at people a little differently and even maybe even just realize how much we take what we have for granted when others may have so little. Also it goes to show much just someone talking to someone, a total stranger, will make a world of difference difference to them.

Words can hurt but they also can heal.

11/28/06: Where Has The Time Gone?!

Gah! Has it almost been a month since I last posted? Oh brother!

Not too much to report other than (and I will refer to her just by a letter because she asked me to) "J" celebrated our 4 month anniversary 13 days ago. I can't believe it's been that long since I first met her and what a wonderful difference she's made in my life since that day. It isn't often (or rare for that matter) that you find someone you are that truly compatible with. She's one in a million and I love her so much for her and what a great 4 months it's been. I look so forward to the next four months and hopefully beyond!

What else?

It looks like that "battle of the bands" really caught on with the lack (ok, none) of votes that came. Maybe people were too embarassed to put their names next to the videos they voted for. Come to think of it, I'd be embarassed too also to have my name next to a bad video. Smart move everyone! smart, smart move!

Can you believe Christmas is almost here again? neiher can I. It's hard to fathom that it was July and I was complaining about the heat and now Christmas is just 27 days away. That's so insane! Who started their Christmas shopping already? or better better yet, who has it done? Over the summer I had shoppers coming in and doing their holiday shopping and taking advantage of the (I guess) lower prices. I looked at them sort of odd but at the same thought "I don't blame you". Which reminds me, I should get a jump on my shopping really soon and also email my Christmas list to my mom and my aunt and uncle. Did you ever notice too that the older you get the less you really think about your Christmas list much less even have a clue as to what you want versus when you were much, much younger? I'm drawing blanks on my list again this year.

Sledge season is in full swing now. We lost our three pre season games a few weeks back but the upside is that when our regular season started on the 19th of this month we tied Windsor/Sarnia 3-3. It's my understanding that this team had quite a few winter Para-lympians from last seasons regional sledge team at the winter games. Not too shabby if you ask me! The next game for the Blizzard is on December 10th when we play Kitchener here at home. It should be noted that Kitchener recently beat the same Windsor/Sarnia team that we tied 4-1. I believe our tie speaks volumes about the team I play on!

Finally ...

My sister recently celebrated her 30th birthday and it was a real joy to be a part of my baby sister's milestone. For dinner we went out and had Ethiopian food and that was truly a one of a kind experience. I should preface before we go any further by saying that I am not one for spicy food so if I go out for dinner somewhere that isn't familiar I will usually take the high road and have something which appears to be more "normal".

So on with the story ...

As I had said already, it was truly a one of a kind experience and what was really cool is that you can eat it without utensils. I was naturally puzzled that there were no knives and forks and was waiting for them for quite awhile but my sister eventually informed (ok, she didn't informed me, she clued me in) that was not the case.

You see, your food is served on a big dish/platter of sorts with what looks to be some kind of flat bread underneath with your main choice(s) of either (spiced or not) vegetables or meat (lemmon chicken,beef,goat) on top. So all you do after is tear around the edges of the flat bread and then make little pockets, dab into whichever choices you want and you eat it! voila! I will say I was hesitant so I had a small corner but ultimately loved the taste and texture of the bread and the meat (I had the chicken). I will say that the two pints of .. *gasp* .. beer that I had with dinner (Steamwhistle ... very, very good stuff!) definately added to the pallet.

In the end it was a DEFINATELY cool cullinary experince in ethic dining and one that I was really proud to be a part of. I reccomend that wherever you live that you try some Ethiopian cuisine!

Oh, and if you're ever (or live) in Toronto try where we ate that night, the link is:

http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/canada/addisababa.html

Until next time everyone ... take care!