Bringing in 2009

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I am certain that I won't be up when the clock strikes midnight tonight. It is 9:00 pm and I have already had a nap today and am ready for bed again. This yoga thing is kicking my ass.

Anyone have any resolutions?

I am not one for resolutions. Resolutions, to me, are like diets and I am not one for those either. I don't really feel like I stray too far from my main game plan throughout the year therefore a declaration when starting a new calender year is unnecessary. I am a 'feel' player. If I feel like I am eating too much ice cream, too much bread or too little goodness then I will adjust on the fly.

Did anyone do anything fun? I recall 'doing something' on about 3 different occasions. Mostly I just hang out at home.

One of my new years celebrations was with one of my best friends Keely. She and I were probably in about grade 9 or 10 and she was sleeping over at my house. I remember watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and dancing to INXS' "Need You Tonight" and "Devil Inside".

In university, a group of my friends from school rented a couple of hotel rooms in Banff and went to a New Years Party at the Banff Springs Hotel. We did the whole thing where we got fancy dresses and spent all the money. I also remember the night before at some Irish pub in downtown Banff being way more fun.

I also remember a New Years party at the Legion Hall in Drayton Valley where I had a few too many libations. I think I was smoking a cigar and dancing like crazy in and amongst all of the locals that I had known since I was a kid. I didn't do anything particularly out of the ordinary, but I remember being embarrassed to have been kind of crazy like that.

Otherwise, I am really low key on New Years most of the time. I don't succumb to the pressure of bringing it in with a bang...more like a low hum...just like any normal day.

Tonight I am more happy that the jackets are on a 3 game winning streak to end the 2008 calender year than the turning the page for the new one.

Here is to a healthy and happy 2009 to everyone.

How not to burn your hair

A few months ago I bought myself a nice flattening iron for my hair so as to give it that, just out of the salon look. I was really enjoying the effect it was having on my hair. I had a nice haircut, good colour and my hair was flowing nicely. One day, however, when getting myself primped up, I noticed the unthinkable: damaged hair.

AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! (the picture on the right is a picture of 'some' burnt hair, not MY burnt hair.)

Damaged hair? I have never had damaged hair in my life! Never, not once...green hair from a chlorine overload doesn't count! I freaked out and started to analyze what could have caused such damage, what has changed in my routine that could lead to this?

The first thing that came immediately to mind was the flattening iron. Of course, that was it, the extreme heat of the flattening iron! I noticed on more than one occasion that my hair was smoking as I used it, but of course, I never turned it down. You know that ass soon as I saw the damage to my hair that the temperature dropped dramatically on that sucker. After awhile though, I started thinking that the damage could have occured from the hair dryer since the bulk of the damage was in the two major areas that I 'shape' with the round brush and hair dryer. Either way, heat was the enemy and I started using the 'cool' setting on the hair dryer as well.

I stopped using the flattening iron and switched back to my big fat round curling iron. A this point my hair was so desperately in need for a cut and colour, making it look presentable was more of a challenge than ever. I needed much more than a flattening iron and a curling iron at this point, but what I needed, I couldn't get in Columbus.

Today, I finally got the chance to get to my regular hair dresser, Veronica in Palm Desert. I showed her my damaged hair and she sprung to action. She had the antidote.

We were talking about how the damage could have occured and I explained to her about the flattening iron and she thought that it could have been the culprit. Later on while she was blow drying she had a light bulb moment. "Do you have your plastic nozzle on your hair dryer when you use it?"

"Yes, I think so."

And then I thought about it. I don't think I do.

"If you don't have that nozzle on, anywhere you touch the hair dryer to your hair with that flaming hot metal grate at the end of the dryer will singe your hair."

Hmmmmm.....yep, that's it. I was proudly using my round brush to create bounce in my hair, but in addition to the beautiful bounce, I created hundreds of burnt hairs. Nice look eh? Bouncy little fragments of hair hanging from my scalp. Beautiful.

I came home and verified that I had no nozzle attached. In fact, I don't even know where that attachment is anymore. I had no real idea what that attachment was all about...now I know.

Veronica says she sees a lot of women with singed bangs from doing the exact same thing. Now, I can happily use my flattening iron again and once I find the attachments, will be able to bounce my hair to the ceiling with my hair dryer if I want!

Sweating in the Desert

At 7 am I entered a Bikram Yoga class for the first time ever. For those of you who are unaware of that Bikram Yoga is, to put it conscisely, it is yoga done in a room that is approximately 40 degrees Celcius (105 F). Adam Oates, a former NHL hockey player, who played in the league for 20 years said that Bikram Yoga was the hardest thing he has ever done.

Hmmmm, sounds fun eh?

Well, after sitting squarely on my rump for nearly 2 months, I needed to try something different. The thought of waltzing into the gym and lifting weights on my own didn't ignite the pilot light within, so I thought I would give it a try.

I paid my due and geared down. I knew what to wear based on the pictures I saw on this website: http://www.bikramyogapalmdesert.com/

I walked into the room which was littered with people of all shapes and sizes...young, old, slim, chubby and then there was me. I figured if the chubby old guy with the Jane Fonda headband could make it certainly I could, right?

The room was hot, but not stifling. All the students were sitting on their mats in typical yoga style...breathing, stretching, and already generating a bit of a sweat.

The instructor was a guy about my age, who was lean and fit looking, had blond hair that was dyed a greenish color (in support of the San Diego Chargers--it was supposed to be blue, but he ended up green...sort of looked like the color my hair turned after spending too much time in a swimming pool when I was a kid).

He was quite peppy and abrupt for a. 7 am, and b. for a yoga instructor. Anytime I have taken yoga in the past (which hasn't been a lot) the instructors have been calm, soft and possessed soothing voices. Not this guy. He was quick to the punch with his words and if he was a bird, he would have been a chicken.

Right after he put on his Britney Spears portable microphone, immediately I was singled out as a 'first timer' which was fine. I am what I am and this way, when people see me losing my balance and my legs shaking like a leaf they will understand.

We got started and I was fine. No problem. Stretch the the right, stretch to the center, stretch to the...um...come on...stretch to the left....the left....uh oh...I think I might barf....or faint...or barf then faint....I was approximately 5 minutes into my 90 minute class and already had to take a knee. I have heard that the biggest thing is to just stay in the room so I did. I waited a few minutes before the stars that I was seeing went away and then tried again. Up and down, side to side, leg up, leg locked, hold it, hold it, hold it...uh oh...I am getting that barfy feeling again...nausea...stars, barf...take a knee.

And that is how the first hour went for me. I looked around the room and even Mr. Jane Fonda was holding his poses. It takes awhile to get used to it I'm told. I didn't feel bad though. I can only go at my own pace, not at anyone else's....at least that is what I kept telling myself when Granny beside me was holding her perfect 'warrior' pose for what seemed like minutes.

Did I like the class? Hmmmm...that isn't the word I would use to describe it. I liked being up in the morning and out the door before 7 again. I liked sweating out my toxins and I liked that I tried something new, but for the class itself...yeah...it was okay.

Will I do it again? Yep. I am going to give it a fair chance because I have heard so many positive benefits from it. I am also curious to see how long it will take before the barfy, nauseas feeling goes away.

The holding is the REAL part of the booking.

I booked a flight on US Airways last week to fly back the desert yesterday. Hitch drops me off at the airport at around 6:30 for my 7:40 flight. The line was huge, but moved quite well considering. I got to the counter, got checked in and was told: you are booked on the flight but you don't have a seat. Huh? If I don't have a seat on the plane then what did I reserve and pay over $500 for? The idea of getting on the plane?

I figured that I would just get assigned a seat once I got to the gate so I just continued on my way. Meanwhile, I get to security and see another long line, but then I see an area that is not blocked off and has no line at all. Worth a try, I thought. I ducked under the nylon divider and gave it a shot. The girl looked at my passport and boarding card and waved me through. Ha! My brassiness paid off!

I get to gate 35 and there are the remaining passengers boarding the plane so I went to the counter and explained my dilemma. "Yeah, you have no seat so we will have to wait and see if someone doesn't show up". So I posed the question: ''How do I make a booking and not have a seat? What did I pay for?" They both just kind of gave me a look and a shrug and continued clicking away at that keyboard. Clickity-clickity-clickity-clackclackclack...

Nope. All boarded and I was left without a way home. Great. So, "Todd" got back on his keyboard and started finding an alternate plan for me. Clickity, clickity, clickity, tap, tap, tap: "How about from here to Washinton DC, then to Phoenix, and then onto Palm Springs....but you would have to spend the night in DC..."

Uh...how about no.

How about you just book me something for tomorrow and I will try again.

At this point, Hitch is on alert and is texting me repeatedly for progress reports. He and the team were heading to LA at 9 am and he wanted make sure I was taken care of. I had already asked him if his plane was full and he said that he had already tried that. Despite Todd's intense tapping on his keyboard, it was proving to be quite a task to get me into Palm Springs. I asked Hitch again if his plane was full and he decided to call to confirm that. A minute or two later, jackpot! They have a seat for me on the jackets plane. Now it was up to Todd to book me a flight from LA to Palm Springs and he did so. I left the airport with my bag and a first class flight with Hitch on the Blue Jackets plane, and a $200 voucher for a ticket that cost me $500.

Thanks US Airways, you really delivered after I totally bailed you out.

Jackets: 3, Flyers: A BIG, FAT, JUICY, STINKIN', ZERO!!!!!!!



What a Christmas present that was. In October I asked Hitch for two things for Christmas: a team that is 5 games above .500 and a win vs. the flyers. I got one of the things I asked for, and quite frankly, the most important one.

Right from the opening face off the jackets swarmed the flyers. It is a much different style of play than the flyers of the eastern conference is used to. The east is a wide open, 'shinny' type style that relies on scoring a lot of goals and few teams are able to defend as well as necessary. The western conference is something like +30 in wins vs. the eastern conference. The jackets are 6-1-1 vs. the east this year. The west...is just better. It may lack some of the flash of the west, but not really. That is what people who support teams in the east will say, but the style of hockey that gets played in the west is what wins.

My only regret is that I acted polite when I met Paul Holmgren after the game. This is, afterall, the guy who fired Hitch in philly. He actually stabbed Hitch in the back and I went ahead and shook his hand. I was slightly caught off guard and was still drunk with glee from our decisive slaughtering. Hitch says that it is good to be 'classy' and keep your head about you, but at what point do you appear a doormat over being classy?

Apparently when Hitch saw John Stevens (Hitch's replacement) after the game, Hitch offered his game plans and scouting reports to him for his west coast trip and Stevens' reply was: 'no thanks, Hitch, we just need our health'. Right. If you are going to sit around and wait to get healthy before you think your team can win, then you are going have to wait until July. It is rare that a team gets through the year without guys on the injured list. Using injuries as an excuse is for losers (yes, that is you John Stevens) instead of demanding more from your team then you are in for a world of hurt. Hitch has always said: 'you worry about who is in, not who is out'. The jackets are grossly undermanned and to come out and play that way was impressive. The flyers top 6 remains formidable and they still couldn't get anything going. It was a thing of beauty.

Thanks Hitch and the jackets, that was the best gift of them all!

The road is long...or is it?

One of the gifts I got for Hitch was a video of his '99 Cup run with the Dallas Stars. Late Christmas Eve, we plugged that in and watched his road to winning the Stanley Cup.

There were a lot of similarities between the jackets and the stars when Hitch first arrived in Dallas. No coverage, modest fan support, and a struggling team. After some shrewd moves by Bob Gainey, the GM, they built a team that was a force to be reckoned with.

Watching the highlights of the 4 series that the stars went through showed me just how much each player was willing to sacrifice and how hungry they were to win. There was bumps and adversity throughout, but they stuck together. It also showed me how far the jackets need to go to get to a reasonable level of competitive level and composure.

The Stars had older players who were competitive and determined to never let anyone take a shift off. Anytime they showed the bench, it was the players who were barking at each other for 'more!', not Hitch. The jackets really lack that vocal, competitive leadership that all successful teams need. More than once, I have heard Hitch comment on the notion that his current team 'just plays hockey' and after watching this DVD, it is more clear as to what he means.

We need help in terms of skill and competitive players, but that doesn't absolve the current roster from their role in elevating the competitive environment that exists. In some ways it was very discouraging watching that DVD and seeing how far we are from where we need to be. At the same time, it is very encouraging because it can be done and Hitch has experience with it. There is no question that Scott needs to help him from his end, but if he steps up, things can change quickly.

Skype Christmas

I hope everyone had a safe and healthy holiday...other than eating too much junk, I know I did. It took a more than a few hours for both Hitch and myself to get over the beating that LA handed the Jackets on Tuesday night. That was the first time I had seen the jackets chase the game, and flat out get killed like that at home. They have had lackluster efforts at home, but that was a beating for the first 25 minutes of the game. It was a chance for the jackets to get back to .500 instead, they fall two games below. Yes, we are undermanned, but we need to be better than that.

Christmas Eve started early for Hitch. He was out of the house at around 6 am en route to get some wrapping paper. On his way home he picked up the turkey fixin's and did all the shopping for us. What a guy, eh?

I had some running around and last minute shopping to do so I set out of the house around 11. It was warm out, but raining. I think the rain was actually good because it may have kept the crowds down a bit. After a few hours I was finished and had a bunch of wrapping to get done before dinner.

We ate our turkey, cleaned up, and because it is a German tradition in my family to open gifts on Christmas Eve, we began opening. For two people in the house, there was plenty to unwrap! Hitch, as usual, came up with some really appropriate gifts for me. He got me a new camera and case, the Caesar Milan book, the Extras DVD's both season's and the season finale, a carrying case for my xbox (my other one broke), fancy warm up slippers, some great North Face clothing, and two pairs of beautiful earrings. I promised to kill him if he spent too much on them.

From my sister we both got gift certificates for Amazon.com and my parents got me a harddrive and some good old cashola! Thanks guys!

A really neat part of Christmas for me was when I called my sister on Skype and had a chance to watch and visit with my family back in my hometown. Skype allowed me to feel like I was there without having to go through the travel. The kids got to show me all of their 'goods' and I got to share some of their excitement. I think Skype is going to be a good answer for a lot of people who can't make (or don't want) to make the travel.

On Christmas Day, Hitch and I went to the movie Valkyrie. That was the Tom Cruise WWII movie about one of the plot's to kill Hitler that was based on a true story. It was really a good movie and the theatre was about 3/4's full. If anyone is interested in another GREAT WWII movie there is a foreign film called Downfall. It is all in German and is about Hitler's last two weeks in his underground bunker before he committed suicide. The guy who plays Hitler does an INCREDIBLE job and was nominated for an oscar. The movie is in Blockbuster in the foregin section.

Now that Christmas is over, and we are both leaving on the 28th, I think I will take down the tree and 'normify' the house. Hitch is back into his coaching routing and is getting ready for the flyers. As much as I hate that team, there is no denying that they are a loaded team with formidable special teams. I am nervous already, but would not be surprised to see the jackets get beat. Mind you, RJ will be playing his former team, the jackets know how Hitch was wrongly fired, and will be expected to go all out after their embarrassing loss to LA on Tuesday. It could make for a firey game.

Desert Bound

I am heading back to the desert on the 28th of this month to get back to practice, etc. The jackets will be going on a long road trip starting then so I might as well head back and make sure the place is still standing and get some sun on my skin.

I will be sad to leave Hitch to an empty house, but I just have to get doing something for myself. Sitting around waiting for games to come on was fun for awhile (and still kind of is) but I am starting to feel like a big slug. I need to get going and do something. Perhaps then I will have more to talk about in my blogging!

The weather has turned quite cold here yet there is still no snow. It is quite amazing considering it seems like everywhere around us there has been dumps of snow.

I am pretty much finished my Christmas shopping, but not quite. I have one more gift to get for the big guy and will get that later today. I don't feel like I did the best/most creative gift buying, but I hope most people will enjoy what they get.

Other than that, nothing much new...oh yeah...Derrik Brassard, the jackets 2nd leading scorer and most skilled center went down with a shoulder injury. He is out for the rest of the season. This is a HUGE hit to the jackets as they are already super thin at the center position. Let's see what Scott can come up with to help the team!

A kicking motion

You want to see a kicking motion? I will show you a kicking motion, yet curiously this one was allowed. That is three incidents withing a 31 game span that has been a royal screw over against the jackets.



That is a kicking motion if I have ever seen it and yes, it gets allowed. Take note that they announcers that you hear are the NYR guys and even they know it shouldn't have been allowed and were surprised that it was.

Note: there was NOT ONE MENTION of this controversy on NHL on the Fly this morning (NHL's own network). Typically when a coach speaks out the way Hitch did, it is played and replayed. Clearly the NHL knows he is right and wants to bury this as quickly as possible.

Screwed Again

The jackets beat the stars tonight 6-5 thirteen seconds into overtime only the official final score will read Stars 6, Jackets 5 in a shootout.

Manny Malholtra scored the game winner when the puck deflected off of his skate and in behind Marty Turco. The jackets rushed the ice and congratulated an excited Malholtra for what would have been a great bonding victory for the jackets. Seconds after the red light went on in the ref's booth signaling the play is under review.

These reviews rarely bode well for the jackets, remember the screw job in Minny early in the season? After looking at the replay it was obvious to me that it was a good goal and although it went off his skate, he clearly was just going with his momentum and trying to avoid Turco while being pushed from behind. This should be a quick review and we will gain the much needed two points and move on...wait...what is taking so long?

The longer these things go, the more nervous I become and last night was no exception. To me, this is an obvious call and there is NO conclusive evidence that would provoke a reversed call. Finally after several minutes, they declared the goal a 'no goal' and that Manny delivered a 'distinct kicking motion'. Keep in mind that a player is allowed to redirect the puck into the net with his skate, but as soon as there is any kind of hinge from back to front that would indicate kicking, the goals is revoked.

You be the judge now:

There is no doubt in my mind that if you wanted to, you could see a redirection, but tell me this: how is the guy going to 'kick' at the puck when he is on one leg with all his weight on that leg and his momentum moving forward? The guy is a super athlete, but he is not superman. Even members of the Stars themselves couldn't believe how that couldn't have been considered a goal. The real telling angle to me is the one right at the start of the video in real time. It clearly shows the speed at which he was traveling and the direction that he took in his effort to miss the goaltender.

Because it was considered no goal, the rest of the OT was to be played and the jackets did everything but close the deal. The shootout ended in the Stars' favor which I knew it would. Even when Leclaire is playing well he sucks in shootouts and tonight, he wasn't playing well. In fact, he looked completely lost and like he wouldn't have been a good goalie on our ball hockey team.

Hitch will likely get fined for his post game comments stating:

"We won the hockey game," Hitchcock said. "We won the hockey game. It was a good goal. I don't care what anybody says, we won the hockey game.

"We outplayed them They can put up whatever score they want down there, they can put up whatever score they want in the National Hockey League. We won the hockey game.

"That player did not kick it. All he tried to do was get out of the way of the goaltender."

Good for Hitch for taking a stand against a flat out egregious call. If it costs him a bunch of cash again, it is worth it. His team played hard in spite of Pazzy's highly substandard performance and twice came back from 2 goal deficits to tie the game late in the third to force OT. The team needed that extra point desperately and now that is at least two points, possibly three (had the jackets won in OT in Minny) that would have had them inside the playoff picture.

The system is broken and needs to be fixed. The faceless, nameless people who sit and make these calls in the war room continue stuffing their faces with pizza and popcorn making bad call after bad call don't give a crap. They go home with no accountability and no recourse and come back the next day ready to muck it up all over again.

Will it ever happen that the NHL will admit it's own wrong doing and reverse a call after the fact to prove to the fans that they are trying to make things right? Hey, it is the holiday season right, sometimes miracles do happen.

Slacker

I have been slacking on my blog lately. Not because I don't want to do it, but because I have nothing going on. I could write about how the jackets just beat the sharks in a 2-1 overtime win at home last night, but that might be a bit drab for some.

I could write about how black my toes are...again...but I don't have a camera right now so the words won't do them justice.

I really haven't got anything going on. It was Hitch's birthday yesterday and I got him some sleep shorts, a fruit basket thingy, some 'ugh' slippers and a footstool. I know, right? A footstool? He has been talking about a footstool for about a month now and I didn't think it was possible to get one that he would like, but I stumbled into Pier 1 the other day and found this chubby little stool that I though would fit the bill. He says he likes it and it works pretty good. I am wondering how long he will use his slippers though.

Thinking about shopping the other day reminds me of how I busted a candle in the middle of a candle store.

Because we have a fake tree, I like to get candles that burn the scent of pine needles so it gives us a real holiday feel. I walked into a special candle store and was overwhelmed by all the smells. It was a buy 1 get 1 50% off so I thought I would take advantage of that great sale.

I was smelling a few candles here and there, but started to get a bit of a headache and wanted to get out of that store. On my way out, I picked up one of those large candles that come in a jar with a lid to give it a sniff. Well, apparently the lids aren't tight because as I picked it up, the lid remained in my hand while the candle smashed to the floor. Fortunately it was a carpeted floor and it didn't make a loud bash, but it made a sound loud enough to stop everyone in the store in their tracks and turn and look straight at me.

Immediately I turned to the lady at the counter and she said: "Don't worry about it at all, it happens all the time". What a nice person. You know what my first thought was: 'Cinnamon Roll? I don't want to have to buy THAT flavor of candle'. Nice eh?

Of course, I felt totally obligated to make a purchase now, but still couldn't find a candle that would capture the scent that I was going for. I helped with the tidying up at the accident site and apologized profusely and then mingled and sniffed around the store some more. This time holding the candles by the base instead of the lids. Before long, I couldn't be bothered to sniff anymore candles and I slinked out of the store and made a right down the corridor....I was free of my obligation. Shady? Not really because I TRIED to find something to buy, but just couldn't. I also justified it with the fact that it those big mother candles are $24.95 each which would likely be exactly $23.95 more than they are worth.

The real problem came when I realized that instead of taking a right out of the store, I actually should have taken a left and had to turn around.

A flavor for it

I came across this on youtube and felt that you needed to catch a glimpse of what my previous post was talking about re: Ricky and Karl.

A new addiction

Has anyone ever seen the original BBC version of 'The Office' written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant? It was the first version of The Office that I had ever seen and thought it was hilarious. In fact, when the American version first came out I wasn't sold on it, but over time it has become one of my favorite shows.

Anyway, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant also co-wrote and produced the show called 'Extras' which is even more hilarious than their original 'The Office' and definitely worth checking out. They also have a series of Podcasts available on iTunes with their friend Karl Pilkerton that became the #1 podcast in the world and is actually in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most downloaded podcast!

I downloaded one of his podcasts to give it a whirl and since then I have been downloading everything I can get my hands on. The bulk of the humor comes from Karl. He speaks in a monotone and troubled sounding voice. His thoughts are obscure and he delivers them in a very deadpan kind of way, but hilarious nonetheless. On the podcasts you hear Ricky and Stephen laughing constantly, but you never hear laughter out of Karl, in fact, I would bet this photo would be a rarity. Ricky and Stephen often mention how Karl has a head as round as an orange. What do you think:

Part of the appeal for me with this trio is their british accents and their use of certain words and phrases: 'knocking about', and the way Karl says: 'I'm sick of it' brings a smile to my face nearly every time.

It is funny to think that you would want to sit there and listen to 3 guys just chit chat about whatever comes up, but the stuff that comes up is hilarious and their comedic twists on it are even better.

Type in Ricky Gervais under the podcasts heading at itunes and see for yourself.

Is it really good?

For those of you who weren't aware, I just spent the last week back in my hometown visiting my family. Hitch wasn't here either so there is limited food in the cupboards and fridge.

This morning (and I use that term loosely), I got up and wanted something to eat for 'breakfast' so I went to the cupboard and there was a bag of bagels that I purchased about 3 weeks ago. My initial reaction was 'good, they are still good...no mold'. Then I thought about it: is it really a good thing that they are still good after all this time?

The fact that this food item is still 'fresh' is indicative of the high levels of preservatives within the bagel. The most common preservative found in bread items is propionic acid which help prevent mold from forming. Now, certain levels of preservatives are likely necessary otherwise we would be at the grocery store every day buying one or two bagels at a time. Who needs that? If it has been 3 weeks since I last bought bagels I highly doubt that I would be inclined to go to the grocery store every day to pick up bread.

As much as I would like to eat all natural and organic, sometimes it is just easy to stuff a three week old bagel smeared with creme cheese in and call it breakfast.

The puppy formerly known as Marvin

I would like to introduce the new addition to the clan:





Tomas (Tommy) Edward (Eddie) Hein

His original name was 'Marvin' because that was Eddie's middle name (I will be honest, I wasn't a big fan from the beginning, but he isn't my dog and nobody asked me. Plus the sentimental notion of it was totally legit so I was all in for that name), but over the first few days, 'Marvin' became a bit difficult to say and quite honestly he doesn't look like a 'Marvin'. The family mostly agreed to Tommy which I quite like.

My sister got him from a family in Red Deer. He is as cute as it gets and is busy exploring every little nook in his new environment. He appears to be pretty smart too because it only seemed to take one day before he started peeing on his newspapers with reasonable consistency. The cutest little guy ever...I just want to snuggle him up all the time.

No, he will not be able to replace Eddie, there will always be only one Eddie, but he will definitely be a nice addition to the rest of the pack. That is, however, once we shed him of his 'sucking lice' that have been discovered!

Yesterday, while cuddling him up on the couch, my sister felt a little round thing on him. Initially she thought it was a small wart until she was able to pry it loose and put it in the palm of her hand. Upon closer inspection she realized that it was moving!! Minutes later he was at the vet and the diagnosis was made that he had what they call sucking lice. It is different than fleas in the sense that these lice are very slow moving and actually suck the blood of the host instead of merely feasting off the dead skin. The lice is treatable with a special shampoo and a topical ointment. Once he was shampooed and blow-dried, she used a special comb to pull out the dead lice and the scene was shocking. He was absolutely COATED in the things. Below is a small sample of what came out of the comb and fell into the sink:



The lice isn't supposed to be able to live on humans, but it is my guess that they would definitely give it a try if they were given the opportunity. I have been feeling quite itchy around the head and neck for a couple of days now. I am just trying to pinpoint whether or not I started feeling that way pre-Tommy or post Tommy. Often it can be psychological itching when such topics of conversation come about, but my itching has bee sustained and I am a bit concerned now because it doesn't seem to be subsiding. Perhaps I will have to get my sister the shampoo and comb out my hair next.

Enough already

A few nights ago Sean Avery, the rogue player of the Dallas Stars, sought out the media to deliver this message to flames defeseman Dion Phaneuf:




He got suspended 6 games for this act, and the Star's organization has all but come out and said that they don't want him back.

The portion of the clip that is shown above, although is part of the story, isn't the tipping point. The overriding issue in the story for me is what you didn't see in this clip. The story is how he sought and created his own mini-press conference. He wasn't being interviewed at that point, it was someone else, yet he barged forward and created a stage for himself. This was a premeditated scenario, created minutes after Avery promised his head coach that he wouldn't talk to the media.

From a social standpoint, although his comments are vile and disgusting, they could be received as even funny and factual. The issue is, however, that Sean Avery is a professional representative of one of the classiest organizations in the league. At that moment, not only does he put his teammates in an awkward spot in regard to the game later that evening, but he cast a light on the Dallas Stars that they have never wished to be a part of.

There are arguments made in regards to Avery that he is 'good for hockey' and sells seats and gains exposure for the NHL, however there is no real evidence to support that. Avery started his career in Detroit, moved onto LA, then the Rangers and now is a Dallas Star. There was no peak in attendance when Avery played in Detroit or LA, the seats in Madison Square Gardens are always full anyway, and because the Stars aren't very good this year, the American Airlines center is as empty as it has been in years. Nobody buys a ticket to their local team because Sean Avery is coming to town. Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, and even Rick Nash sells tickets, but not Sean Avery. Would there potentially have been more viewers of that ensuing Stars/Flames game? Possibly, but it wouldn't have been to watch the hockey, it would have been to watch the sideshow that Avery created.

Have his recent comments put this story and the NHL in mainstream media? Sure it has, for a day or two, but so did the Berutzzi/Moore incident. These incidents don't put the NHL in the limelight in a positive way. Non-hockey fans look at a clip like this and they say: what a pig and it further confirms why they aren't hockey fans at all. Negative attention is fleeting and it isn't a means to draw long term fans into the game. There are loads of NFL criminals, I mean players, in the news for various quotes/acts/criminal behaviour, yet it doesn't make me want to watch football.

Sean Avery has been in the league since 2001. In 5 years he is now on his 4th team. The LA Kings suspended him for the last 3 games of the 06-07 season for basically being a pain in the rear, but they used the excuse of him getting in an argument with an assistant coach over his refusal to participate in a practice drill.

It has been reported that when Dallas' co-GM Brett Hull was about to sign him this summer, several players of the team went to him and told him that they didn't want him around. He signed him anyway in an effort to bring some spice and personality to a fairly 'vanilla' team. The Stars went to the Western Conference Finals last year...this year they haven't looked like a team at all and are floundering in the cellar of the league. Too much spice perhaps? Now this.

Sean Avery actually thinks he is good for hockey. He thinks he is helping the NHL in marketing. Sean Avery thinks because he will say things that nobody else will in front of a camera, that he is attracting fans. Sean Avery doesn't care about selling and promoting the game. He doesn't care about his teammates, he is a punk who only thinks about himself and self promotion. I have had enough of Sean Avery and his cavalier attitude, and from a selfish standpoint, I hope he plays out the rest of his NHL contract in the minor leagues.

If Sean Avery was as important to the enhancement of the NHL as he thinks he is, there would be a huge drop in attention and revenue when he is exiled. My prediction is that there will be none, and the only mediums that will miss him will be the desperately boring and lazy sports writers who need guys like Avery basically write their stories for them. The league will go on, and thankfully, the Sean Avery show will not.

Tale of the Toes

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote out my 'dek toe'? Well, today I decided to remove the nail polish so I could really assess the damage. All this time I thought I had a minor nail issue, but needless to say I was quite surprised at while lied beneath my wonderful pedicure. See for yourself:

Can you believe it? Again, I know they look like my thumbs, but believe me, those are my toes. I have the distinguished ability to spread my toes apart as if they were fingers, but they aren't. Back on topic...
I knew that I might be losing my toenail on the left, but honestly didn't anticipate the toe on the right to be completely blue like it is! The sensation when the one on the right happened was that of a bursting sensation, but it didn't put me on the sidelines like jam on the left. Yeouch!

Below is my sister's version of dek toe--her second toe faces the wrath of the inside of her running shoe and has a small black fleck in the center on it...get real close to your screen and you might be able to see it. Go ahead...get reaaaaaallly close up. Can you see it?



She just wanted her chubby little toe to get some face time.

Black Friday

It doesn't feel right posting this so soon after Eddie's passing, but I think it might be a good step forward for everyone. I am still sad about the Ed-meister and sad that my sister lost her company. I will shift gears nonetheless...

The day after Thanksgiving in the US is the biggest shopping day of the year. They call it 'black friday'. Some stores open at midnight and people swarm the stores literally fighting, scratching and clawing to get the best deals. I just read that two men were shot and killed at a Toys R' Us store in Palm Desert, CA. I know that store, I have been there! Can you imagine going toy shopping for your kids and hearing shots ring out? Do you really need to get up first thing in the morning to save a few bucks off the web-kins? This episode seemed to be independent of the whole 'Black Friday'

The whole craziness that is buying things at for Christmas is very off-putting. Of course, when you were a kid Christmas was about the presents and possibly having time to fool around with cousin's that you never got to see much, but mostly about the presents.

I feel very uncomfortable getting things for Christmas anymore. I would rather sit there and watch everyone else open their gifts than open mine. I always appreciate what I get, but I don't want anyone to go through the stress that they go through to find me 'the right thing'. I am more of a believer of: if you find something throughout the year that you think might be nice for someone, whatever the time of year, go ahead and pick it up. Getting a gift from someone on any given 'wednesday' shows a great deal about the thought than a prearranged date to exchange gifts.

Conversely when I go Christmas shopping, what if I don't find the 'right gift'? I feel really bad giving someone a gift that they might like as opposed to one I know they will love. I LOVE giving gifts to people that I know they will love. I can hardly contain myself when they are opening it, and often, long before they open it. When I was a kid I had a hard time keeping a secret about people's gifts. I remember my mom just giving me some light-hearted nudging about what her gift was once, and I spilled it like a 14 month old holding a glass of kool-aid.

Not only could I not wait for people to know what their gifts were, I couldn't wait to know what mine were. When I was a kid, I was always the one who would comb the house for the hidden packages. I remember finding presents in the van, in the spare bedroom, and in my parents closet. Their bedroom closet? Please. They were going to have to do much better than that. The van, now that was a pretty good one.

Now that I am older, not only do I not want to know, I would prefer to just be the giver and that is all. Hitch, on the other hand, loves Christmas and is EXACTLY like I was as a kid...excpet he isn't quite a kid. He basically gives me running total of how many idea's he has, when he is doing his shopping, and whether or not he is finished. I have to be sure to tell him several times that I DON'T want to know what my gifts are.

To me, Christmas is about the relaxing music, the lights, the beauty of the snow, and of course, getting together eating a big fat turkey dinner and just hanging out.