This is a Blog Post

I had grand illusions of using this space to let everyone know how busy I am.  The truth is, that while I may have had a fairly busy week, the real reason that I am unable to produce a longer post is that my normal blogging time, the quiet of the early morning before the guys I care for have risen for the day, will be used for more important things.  Later today, we are doing our annual refresher course for Therapuetic Crisis Intervention.  It is required learning, and in the case of emergency at work, is beneficial to keeping myself and the guys safe.  I am lucky in that the guys I work with are general calm and jovial characters, and I have little reason to use any of the training.  That doesn't mean it's not worth knowing.  Having peace of mind is a nice thing for mind, body and soul.  I thought I would provide a quick update on the week that was, provided my time doesn't run out.

Last weekend, just over a week ago, I struck a deal with one of my competitors to "chop" our hockey pool.  Those of you who are poker players will know the term, but the "chop" is a splitting of the prize money reducing the gap between the finishing positions and reducing the variance involved.  We had 10 entrants at $100 each, and then 6 of the guys put in an extra $50 for a winner takes all side pot.  Both Cam and I were in the side pot and had run away from the other 8 teams.  We had 9 days left in the season, and I had closed the gap from 30 points to 8 points in the 2 weeks preceeding.  First place with the side pot included was scheduled to get $1000, and second was set to get $225.  I offered to make a deal, and within a couple of days, I recieved a response.  $600 for him, $500 for me, and we play it out for the last $125.  After doing some quick math, I decided to take the offer.  I then proceeded to close the gap to 3 points with a few days left, but never did get any closer.  I took second, and the $500.  All in all, a good result after getting dead last in the same pool last season.  My best picks?  They were Patrik Elias late, Jakub Voracek when everyone giggled, and Matt Moulson.

Having locked up a bit of cash in the hockey pool, I decided it was time to get back to the poker tables.  I made a few visits to the Treasure Cove this past week, and while mostly uneventful, I came out in the black.  10 days ago, on Friday after work I stopped in to play.  I visited with a friend while I waited for a spot to open up.  When I got in to play it was a quiet game, but I immeadiately started catching cards.  While most of my good luck was being wasted due to a lack of action it was a very encouraging sign to at least be hitting.  My luck had been so sour that anything positive was welcomed.  As we sleepily played a limp and call type of game, I found a big hand.  I played Queens for a raise in early position and got just one caller.  I flopped a set, with an ace on the board.  I got the call.  When a second club turned and I led out again, I was promptly re-raised.  I shoved for the rest of my stack (~$250) and managed to win when his A6 of clubs didn't hit.  I booked a solid win that night, which had me itching to return.  I played a few more times this past week, and while I broke even overall, I felt like I was playing really well.  My game gets rusty due to inactivity, but I also don't have a ton of time to play when I am juggling everything that life throws at me.  I have a couple more weeks to play, then soccer season starts which will cut into my free time quite significantly.

Speaking of soccer, I went and picked up the gear and schedules for Jasmine's team this past Saturday.  The season is set to begin in less than two weeks, and I'm getting excited.  I'm coaching with the same partner I had last year, and I really enjoyed hanging out with Steve.  We both had the same goal, to help our girls and the rest of the team have a lot of fun.  I think we were pretty successful last season, the girls all seemed to enjoy themselves, and we also won almost every game.  Most of the wins came due to hard work and effort, as the girls grinded out plenty of close games.  As I looked over the new team for this year, aside from Steve's daughter, I recognized only one other name.  I'm looking at this as a chance to get to know some different kids and see what I can do to help them along their soccer paths.  Enjoy the game, improve your skills while you are at it, and see where it takes us.  I'm anticipating the challenge greatly.

I'm still contemplating what I am going to do for summer sports myself.  I feel like I should play soccer, despite my annoyance over the escalating fees.  I have had a number of recent discussions with people asking me if I am going to play.  I bumped into a teammate from 2 years ago at the youth soccer office, and he asked me if I was going to play.  I ran into an old Quesnel acquaintance and found myself encouraging him to get back into soccer (he was damn good 20 years ago when we were kids).  I got together with my hockey pool buddies, and had a couple of them talking about playing.  The recreational league doesn't conflict with Jasmine's soccer so that excuse is out the window.  Just do it, right?

The hockey pool buddies only get together for one reason, and it was with that in mind that we met up last night.  I had to collect my cash from the regular season pool, then turned around and handed part of the money back over for the playoff pool.  Only 8 entries this time, we lost 3 guys and added 1.  I didn't prepare properly, and the end result was a team I don't care for.  Channeling all the powers of Nostradumbass I've expertly decided that Boston will meet and defeat Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final.  This will happen after they beat Pittsburgh and Vancouver respectively in the Conference Finals.  With that in mind, I tried to stick to those teams for my players.  The problem being that Boston is quite a low scoring team that spreads their offense around.  I didn't get my hands on the top Chicago guys, and the Pittsburgh guys went very quickly.  This left me with Vancouver and all their talented snipers.  Of course, I didn't get them, I got the second line guys.  If these boys win, we can all be shocked together.  I have Dave Krejci, Marian Hossa, Henrik Sedin, Patrice Bergeron, PK Subban, Tyler Seguin, TJ Oshie, Alex Burrows, Brendan Gallagher, and Jannik Hansen.  To make life more interesting, I took a bet that says Vancouver beats San Jose in the first round.  Yes, I hate the Canucks.  And yes, I will be stuck cheering for them to some extent as I have 3 of their players, and a sizeable bet to see them win in the first round.  Go me!


I think it's fair to say that I'm addicted to this exercise thing.  I know, I talk endlessly about it, but it's now reached a whole new level.  If I have an unproductive day, I feel off.  Having a solid cardio or weight lifting session makes me feel better for the rest of the day.  It frees my mind, and gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I managed to nicely fill my week with exercise, and I am pretty damn proud of myself.  I totalled 10 km running, 16 km biking, 9 km walking, 4 sessions with the weights, 2 hours of yard work, 2 trips to the swimming pool and as my Dad pointed out, spent plenty of time chasing a 2 year old.  I time my runs, and this week I managed a 5km run in 23:40, my second run in driving rain and gusting wind clocked in at 26:01.  I would be more then happy if I could run at that pace over the full 10 km next month when I race, but I am shooting for the more realistic goal of 5 minutes per kilometer.  I know there is a different feel on race day, adrenaline, other runners to keep pace with and so on, so I am going to set a realistic goal and look to out pace it.  I like they way the training is going so far.

I'm currently in the middle of two books. I usually like to read one at a time, but circumstances led me to having two on the go.  I will politely describe my friend as a non-reader, someone who only picks up reading material when he needs to drop the kids off at the pool.  When I visited him recently in Quesnel, I was chatting his wife up about reading and the books we have been enjoying.  Next thing I knew and my buddy was chiming in with a strong recommendation to read "Crazy Man's Creek" by Jack Boudreau.  My friend is an outdoorsman, loving all things that involve getting out in nature.  Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, tree sapping (is that the right term?), and mining are all interests of his.  He told me he likes to read about thing that are "real", not made up stories, and he especially likes to read about the local area.  He passed along his copy of the book, and the other day I dove in.  It's a fun read, and I can relate to the idea that local stories add some interest as well.  Most of the stories centre on the early half of the 20th century and the initial settling of the Prince George area.  Thanks Richie for the solid recommendation!  I'm also reaching the climax of another book on the Modern Library list, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers.  It's really good so far, another work from the Southern gothic genre, with a focus on black struggles against racism and opression.  It really focusses on the nature of humanity, and the power of listening to one another.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Last but not least, I found time to enjoy a few movies the past couple of weeks.  I got to the theatre 10 days ago with the guys to enjoy "42".  I loved it, and I think most everyone will enjoy it.  Baseball is the background for a great human rights story.  Harrison Ford pulls off an awesome performance as Branch Rickey the man who decided to take it upon himself to break the colour barrier in baseball.  If it wasn't for him, Jackie Robinson never would have got his shot.  At home, Sheila and I caught "The Adams Family", which neither of us had seen.  Meh.  Really, it was okay, but the unique concept could have been done better.  I got a kick out of seeing Christina Ricci again, as she was and still is one of my favorite actresses.  When I saw her in "Casper" as a pimply youth of 12, I fell in love.  Later, she cemented my crush with a steamy performance in "Buffalo 66" when I was 15.  I was smitten, what can I say?  I don't care for her looks much now, but nothing will take away that teenage attraction.  I also watched "UHF" starring Weird Al this week.  It was odd and quirky as you might expect, but it wasn't bad.  It was made 24 years ago and led to Weird Al getting zero other movie roles, so maybe it wasn't well recieved amongst those who matter in the movie industry.  All in all, I enjoyed it.  I also watched "The Foot Fist Way" starring Danny McBride this week.  Made on a whopping $78,000 budget, McBride is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd star.  Playing the lovable loser who runs a kung fu training facility, he is convinced that he is a really big deal.  No one else thinks so, and hilarity ensues.  I already liked McBride from his work in a "Pineapple Express", "Hot Rod", "Tropic Thunder", "Your Highness" and this just makes him even cooler.  Definitely, its worth a watch.

I have saved the most important bit for last, as my younger sister is set to celebrate a birthday tomorrow.  Erin turns 28 tomorrow, and as the world turns we just can't stop getting older.  I remember the days clearly in my mind when I would torment her endlessly.  Despite the hell I put her through my sister become an amazingly accomplished woman.  She holds a B.A. from McGill, a Masters from U.B.C. and she is currently keeping busy running a Compassion Club with her boyfriend in Montreal.  I am very proud of her, and often enjoy bragging about the things she has accomplished.  Happy Birthday Erin!  I hope you enjoy your day, and find some time to relax and celebrate.

A Book Review: Sons and Lovers

My reading so far in 2013 has veered off down a lonely road towards challenging and thought provoking.  The last book I completed was "Time Must Have a Stop" by Aldous Huxley.  It was at times difficult to remain interested, but knowing the intellect of the author I felt compelled to continue reading so as not to miss out on something monumental.  In actuality I can't say that the book was anything more then a solid read, but "Sons and Lovers" by D.H. Lawrence provided the next challenge and it was indeed that.  Finding a place at number 9 on the Modern Library list of the 20th century's best novels, I had a pretty good idea that the novel would prove enjoyable.  As I have now read a large handful of novels from the list, I have had success in that all the works on the list have been well-written and thought provoking.  They have been from a variety of genres, written in an array of different styles and it feels like I am truly learning new things about the art of writing whilst consuming the reading material. 

The novel "Sons and Lovers" explores in excruciating depth the dynamics of family relationships, and the idea that your upbringing can shape considerably your personality and your ability to develop relationships outside of the family.  This novel is unique in that it doesn't follow one central character throughout the work.  It opens with a focus on the mother Gertrude Coppard, and examines her marriage to the miner Morel.  She is of the middle class, and marries down into depths of poverty that she didn't realize when she first fell for Morel.  He soon shows himself to be a functioning alcoholic who abuses his young bride which leads to Gertrude turning her love and affection towards her children, specifically the eldest William.  Their father's abusive behaviour towards their mother leads the children to resent him, and to strengthen their bond with their mother. 

The novel moves to focus on William the oldest son as he gets older and begins to move on with his life.  He moves to London and quickly begins moving up in social circles.  He distances himself from the family, only coming home for occasional visits.  He develops a relationship with a young lady, but it seems that the relationship is based solely on status, as his lady friend appears dim witted and superficial.  The author works masterfully in the subtle way that he has the mother Gertrude quietly disapprove of her son's relationship, but she is resigned to having lost control emotionally.  The girlfriend returns with William to visit the family a few times and she proves to be as materialistic as suspected.  The William chapter closes with him returning for a visit not long before the planned wedding.  He is sickly and it seems that his bride-to-be had hardly taken notice.  He returns to London despite his ill health and is dead days later.  This serves as a prelude to the heart of the novel, as the mother turns her focus to her youngest son Paul who shows a more dynamic depth of character then her middle son Arthur or her daughter Annie. 

The main focus of the novel emerges, as Paul struggles through his teen years into adulthood.  He has developed an extreme dependence on his mother that had been nurtured and shaped significantly by Gertrude herself.  This is graphically illustrated in Paul's inability to develop his relationship with Miriam.  He can not fathom loving another woman as deeply as his mother.  His mother for her part disapproves of his relationship with Miriam which provides another wedge that eventually leads Paul and Miriam apart.  He is overwhelmed by the depth of Miriam's feelings for him, as he can not devote himself fully to her when his mother truly has his heart.  Paul moves on to a relationship with Clara, a married but separated woman who was a friend of Miriam.  While he is now adult and his sexual relationship with Clara is more significant then he had with Miriam, it becomes apparent that he once again is incapable of giving his heart to another.  Clara being an already married woman adds to the complications of the situation. 

As the work moves towards a conclusion, Gertrude ages and her children all move on and out, except for Paul.  He feels attached to her in a way that leads him to pledge to her his heart eternally.  Quite dramatically, the bond between the two teeters on the edge of inappropriate before Paul realizes that his mother is aging rapidly.  In one passage he questions the "fairness" of life, not wanting to accept that his mother will at some point be gone.  As his mother falls ill with a tumor, Paul's mediocre relationship with Clara disintegrates.  He develops a friendship with her estranged husband who had at one point engaged him in a fight.  He realizes that because he never did grant his heart to Clara, he had not earned her as a wife.  She tells him plainly that despite her husband Baxter's failings he had opened up to her, granted her access to him wholly, unlike Paul who was so guarded and distant.  His mother's illness rapidly advancing towards death, Paul begins to realize that he should return Clara to her husband.  He distances himself from everyone, Clara, Miriam, his family distant and immediate.  Paul arranges to reunite Clara and Baxter, and as he bids them adieu at the train station on their way to Sheffield, he appears resigned to being alone.  His mother dead, his sister returns to her husband and their life together.  His father, so distant from Paul, goes to live with acquaintances and Paul takes up a living arrangement in Nottingham where he works.  The author paints a desolate portrait, Paul wandering through the city alone with little to no human contact.  Suicide is contemplated at this time, but no action is taken.  One night after a few weeks he attends church where he sees Miriam.  Walking to say hello after the service, they decide to go to dinner together.  Returning to his apartment after, D.H. Lawrence begins to hint at the young lovers reuniting.  At this point Paul extinguishes any possibility of that happen as he appears to resign himself to being alone in his misery.  He seems to be punishing himself for his prior treatment of Miriam, knowing that he is not deserving of a wife so in love with him.  Being unable to reciprocate as he never learned how to love, Paul sees Miriam out of his apartment as the novel closes.

I didn't realize while reading this book how much it made me think.  I struggled at times to keep my interest, but eventually I read a significant portion of the 420 pages in a few days.  The message becomes overwhelmingly vivid, and it really is an important one.  An inability to love can be crippling.